********************************************
The ARRL Letter

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

September 20, 2018

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

- Amateur Radio Volunteers Still Dealing with Florence's Aftermath
- FCC Grants ARRL Temporary Waiver Request to Permit PACTOR 4 Use in
Hurricane Relief
- The Doctor Will See You Now!
- New Beta Version WSJT-X 2.0 Boasts Major Changes
- Puerto Rico Amateurs Beefing Up Hurricane Preparedness
- Emergency Preparedness Takes Center Stage for 2018 Simulated
Emergency Test
- Nominations Sought for 2018 ARRL Bill Leonard Award
- Proposals to Host Contacts with Space Station Crew Due by November 15
- "Get Your Park ON" Operating Event Set for October
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

ARRL Audio News on Hiatus for September 21 There will be no edition of
ARRL Audio News on Friday, September 21. It will resume on Friday,
September 28.

AMATEUR RADIO VOLUNTEERS STILL DEALING WITH FLORENCE'S AFTERMATH

Conventional telecommunications are starting to return to normal in
some communities affected by Hurricane Florence, but the now long-gone
storm set up others for persistent and record-breaking flooding,
primarily in eastern North Carolina and along several of the state's
rivers. The storm, which made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, primarily affected the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia.

"Things are back to normal communication status, and demobilization is occurring for folks deployed," South Carolina Section Emergency
Coordinator Billy Irwin, K9OH, said on September 19. At mid-week, the
FCC reported that nearly all cellular service had been restored in
South Carolina.

Over the weekend, ARES volunteers from several South Carolina counties
had pitched in to support emergency communication in the face of power
and telecommunication outages and heavy rainfall. ARES Richland County Emergency Coordinator Ronnie Livingston, W4RWL, said volunteers in his
county staffed the county Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Red
Cross. operators at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) kept
in contact with field volunteers in Marion and Dillon counties after conventional telecommunications failed there.

ARES District Emergency Coordinator EMEA Area 3 Earl Dean, W4ESD, said
ARES deployed assets as well as personnel who coordinated with the
appropriate agencies. Horry County ARES and ARRL South Carolina Section
Public Information Officer (PIO) Gordon Mooneyhan, W4EGM, said radio
amateurs set up and organized communication networks to assist local
government and emergency agencies, as well as to handle
health-and-welfare traffic for affected residents, to let their family
members outside the affected area know they were all right.

In North Carolina, storm surge had caused flooding in many communities.
Ham radio volunteers responded in counties along the coast, including Wilmington, Topsail Beach, Jacksonville, and Morehead City, staffing
both EOCs and shelters. Farther inland, numerous ARES teams activated
in the face of river flooding to address a combination of sheltering
needs for local residents and evacuees. Communication throughout the
state has been supplemented by neighborhood-based operators, who
reported emergencies to county EOCs. The FCC reported on September 19
that nearly one-third of cell service was out in Columbus, Pender, and
Onslow counties. The storm also took out several broadcast outlets in
the state.

The Salvation Army Team Emergency Network (SATERN
<http://www.satern.org/>) activated on September 14 and 15. The net's
primary mission was the receipt and delivery of outbound
health-and-welfare messages from affected areas.

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN <http://www.hwn.org/>) shut down its
activation for Hurricane Florence after 38 hours, shortly after the
storm made landfall. The HWN operated on two frequencies simultaneously
-- its "home" 20-meter frequency of 14.325 MHz and its 40-meter
frequency of 7.268 MHz.

"While propagation was not good on 20 meters for the period, 40 meters
afforded a fairly consistent contact with stations in the area," HWN
Assistant Manager Stan Broadway, N8BHL, recounted. Broadway said nearly
200 stations checked in, and the net took in approximately twice that
number of reports, funneling important information via WX4NHC at the
National Hurricane Center (NHC). "Many were not at severe levels, but
all 'ground truth' [reports] assist in plotting the activity of the
storm," Broadway explained. WX4NHC monitored the HWN and the Voice over Internet Protocol Hurricane Net (VoIPWX <http://voipwx.net/>) on
EchoLink Conference WX-Talk, node 7203 or IRLP 9219.

While the storm was still out in the Atlantic, ARRL shipped Ham Aid <http://www.arrl.org/ham-aid> kits to the affected region -- the same
ones that ARRL volunteers took to Puerto Rico a year ago to assist with disaster communications following Hurricane Maria. The ARRL
Headquarters Emergency Response team activated on September 12 and
remained operational into the weekend. W1AW suspended its scheduled
bulletin and code practice transmission on September 14.

FCC GRANTS ARRL TEMPORARY WAIVER REQUEST TO PERMIT PACTOR 4 USE IN

HURRICANE RELIEF

The FCC has granted an ARRL request for a temporary waiver of
-o97.307(f) of the FCC's Amateur Service rules to permit the use of
PACTOR 4 digital mode for Amateur Radio communication within the
continental US related to Hurricane Florence relief. A formal order
addressing the request for a 30-day waiver was released on September
17.

-o97.307(f) of the Commission's Rules limits the digital data emissions
of amateur stations operating below 28 MHz to a symbol rate not to
exceed 300 baud, and in the 10-meter band (28.0 - 28.3 MHz) to a symbol
rate not to exceed 1,200 baud, thus precluding the use of PACTOR 4.

PACTOR 4 is a data protocol that permits relatively high-speed data transmission in the HF bands, and many amateur stations active in
emergency communications preparedness are capable of using PACTOR 4,
which was used to great advantage, pursuant to FCC temporary waivers,
in Hurricane Maria relief efforts, and, more recently in preparing for
typhoon relief communications in Hawaii.

ARRL dispatched PACTOR radio modems with PACTOR 3 and PACTOR 4
capabilities to the Carolinas.

ARRL's request proposed limiting the use of PACTOR 4 to radio amateurs
in the continental US who are directly involved with the hurricane
relief efforts involving the US mainland. "This request is without
prejudice to the resolution of Docket 16-239 [the so-called "symbol
rate" proceeding], which is presently pending and addresses the rule
section discussed herein," ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD,
wrote in submitting the request.

In the September 17 formal Order <https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-956A1.pdf>, the FCC
noted that the "symbol rate" proceeding is currently pending, "but
there is consensus among submitted comments for eliminating the symbol
rate limits."

In response to a 2013 ARRL Petition for Rule Making (RM-11708 <https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filing/6017477458/document/7520958815>), the
FCC proposed
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-16-96A1.pdf> in 2016
to revise the Amateur Service Part 97 rules and invited comments. ARRL
had asked the FCC to amend the Part 97 rules to delete the symbol rate
limits in -o97.307(f) and replace them with a maximum bandwidth for data emissions of 2.8 kHz on amateur frequencies below 29.7 MHz.

THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW!

"Tools for the Amateur Station" is the topic of the current (September
13) 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>.

Just ahead: "Volt-Ohm Meters."

NEW BETA VERSION WSJT-X 2.0 BOASTS MAJOR CHANGES

As promised <http://www.arrl.org/news/significant-changes-in-store-for-ft8-and-msk144-with- wsjt-x-version-2 -0>,
the WSJT-X Development Group has announced a new "candidate release,"
WSJT-X 2.0 rc1. This beta version of the popular digital mode suite incorporates many new FT8 and MSK144 features that will be of
particular interest to the Amateur Radio contesting community. It
includes all FT8 DXpedition Mode changes already developed in WSJT-X
1.9.1.

"Enhancements to the FT8 decoder ensure that in most situations
decoding sensitivity is slightly better than for the old protocol.
Symbol rates and occupied bandwidths are the same as before, and
false-decode rates are significantly lower," the user notes explain.
"The decoding threshold for MSK144 is a fraction of a decibel higher
than before, owing to the slightly larger message payload and higher
code rate." WSJT-X 2.0 introduces no significant changes to the JT4,
JT9, JT65, QRA64, ISCAT, Echo, or FreqCal protocols.

The new features are summarized <http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/New_Features_WSJT-X_2.0.txt>
on the WSJT-X website and in the Quick-Start Guide to WSJT-X 2.0 <http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Quick_Start_WSJT-X_2.0.pdf>. Contest-related changes include:

- Support for standard ARRL Field Day exchanges, such as 6A SNJ.

- Better support for North American VHF contests, with improved
handling of grids and /r rover call sign designators.

- Six-character locators and call sign suffix support for portable
operators, focused on EU VHF contesting.

- Support for standard contest exchanges in the ARRL RTTY Roundup, such
as 579 MA or 559 0071.

- Support for call signs of up to 11 alphanumeric characters, to
accommodate non-standard and compound call signs.

Support for new exchanges should expand the ability of contesters to
use FT8 and other WSJT-X protocols during contests that allow digital
contacts and where the exchange is a traditional signal report and state/province/country.

According to the release notes, WSJT-X 2.0 also offers "significantly
better sensitivity" (about 1 dB) for the WSPR decoder. In addition,
color highlighting of decoded messages provides worked-before status
for call signs, grid locators, and DXCC entities on a by-band basis.
Color highlighting can also identify stations that have -- or have not
-- uploaded their logs to "Logbook of The World" (LoTW) within the past
year.

Those participating in WSJT-X beta tests are expected to report <wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net> their experiences to the developers
and upgrade to the general availability release when it becomes
available. Visit <http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html>
the WSJT-X web page for more information.

PUERTO RICO AMATEURS BEEFING UP HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

September 20 is the first anniversary of Hurricane Maria's devastating
arrival in Puerto Rico. Today, many amateurs there are better prepared
for the next storm or other disaster that could disrupt conventional telecommunications. With this in mind, the ARRL Puerto Rico Section is
hosting monthly meetings in various cities around the island
commonwealth as part of an effort to establish an Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) organization in Puerto Rico, to be headed by
Section Manager Oscar Resto, KP4RF, and Section Emergency Coordinator
Juan Sepulveda, KP3CR. The overall initiative would involve recruiting volunteers and holding topic-specific workshops on several topics:

Using Winlink to send emails over the air, using radiograms,
introducing the National Traffic System (NTS), and explaining the new
ARES online filing system. Presenters would be Section Traffic Manager
Pedro Irizarry, KP3PI, and Section Technical Coordinator Carlos Roig,
WP4AOH.

Constructing NVIS antennas for local HF communication, updating the
WP4MR repeater system, where various nets take place, and assembling an
Amateur Radio "go-kit" for portable emergency communication.

Continuing to build relationships with hospitals and municipal
emergency management agencies, as well as maintaining the ones
established with the Red Cross and the Puerto Rico Energy Power
Authority (PREPA-AEE).

Based on the new Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau (PREMB -
NMEAD) zone divisions, a 2-meter simplex band plan has been developed,
in the event that repeaters go down. Many simplex drills and nets are
taking place on a weekly basis.

Puerto Rico Section Manager Oscar Resto, KP4RF.

At a September 8 meeting, it was decided to create a new formal net
for handling formal traffic via the 145.410 MHz repeater located on the
El Yunque summit. Radio amateurs living in the US Virgin Islands were
invited to participate as well. Eventually an HF net will be available
to send formal traffic to the NTS nets in the US mainland. The 2-meter
net is set to start on September 24 at 2200 UTC.

Special event station K1M will be on the air September 20 - 28 to
commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Maria. "Kilo One Maria" was
the call sign used by US Amateur Radio volunteers deployed to Puerto
Rico as Red Cross volunteers to help with hurricane recovery. K1M will
operate on or around 14.292 MHz and 7.188 MHz. -- Thanks to Puerto Rico
Section Public Information Officer Angel Santana, WP3GW

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TAKES CENTER STAGE FOR 2018 SIMULATED

EMERGENCY TEST

The 2018 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is just ahead. The primary ARRL-sponsored national emergency exercise is designed to assess the
skills and preparedness of Amateur Radio Emergency Service-< (ARES-<) volunteers as well as those affiliated with other organizations
involved with emergency and disaster response. Although the main SET
weekend this year is October 6 - 7, local and Section-wide exercises
may take place throughout the fall. Those who already take part in
public service and emergency activities are getting ready for the
annual SET, a dress rehearsal, next month. But, the 2018 ARRL SET is an
open casting call for all radio amateurs interested in expanding their emergency preparedness knowledge and skill.

The annual SET encourages maximum participation by all Amateur Radio
operators, partner organizations, and national, state, and local
officials who typically engage in emergency or disaster response.

In addition to ARES volunteers, radio amateurs active in the National
Traffic System, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES),
SKYWARNrao, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN), and a variety of other allied groups
and public service-oriented radio amateurs are needed to fulfill
important roles in this nationwide exercise.

The SET allows volunteers to test equipment, modes, and skills under
simulated emergency conditions and scenarios. Individuals can use the
time to update a "go-kit" for use during deployments and to ensure
their home station's operational capability in an emergency or
disaster.

At the national level, ARRL has established formal working
relationships with partner organizations and agencies, such as the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American National Red
Cross, the Salvation Army, the National Weather Service, the National Communications System, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials- International (APCO-International), Citizen Corps, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), REACT
International, Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), United States
Power Squadron, and Boy Scouts of America. Details <http://www.arrl.org/served-agencies-and-partners> on these
organizations and how they work with ARRL and Amateur Radio operators
are on the ARRL website.

To get involved, contact your local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or Net
Manager. Check on upcoming planned activities through local, state, or Section-wide nets. If you don't know already, find out who the
Emergency Coordinator is and where the nearest ARES group <http://www.arrl.org/groups/sections> meets. Your ARRL Section Manager
should be able to assist.

Additional background on the annual SET appears in the article, "2017
Simulated Emergency Test Results," in the July 2018 issue of QST.
Guidelines and specific SET reporting forms <http://www.arrl.org/public-service-field-services-forms> for ARRL
Section and Field Organization leaders are posted on the ARRL website
for use by Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers, or by Section
leaders in charge of reporting this year's SET activity. -- Thanks to
Steve Ewald, WV1X

NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 2018 ARRL BILL LEONARD AWARD

The ARRL Public Relations Committee is seeking nominations for the 2018
Bill Leonard Award <http://www.arrl.org/bill-leonard-award>, which
recognizes this year's best newspaper, radio, or television news story
about Amateur Radio. The award honors professional journalists or
journalistic teams whose outstanding coverage highlights the enjoyment, importance, and public service value that Amateur Radio offers. It was
created as a tribute to the late CBS News President Bill Leonard,
W2SKE, an avid radio amateur and advocate. Awards are presented in
print, audio, and visual categories.

Members of the ARRL Public Relations Committee will judge nominations
and recommend winners to the ARRL Board of Directors, which will
announce winners at its annual meeting next January.

Award winners in each category (either an individual or a group) will
receive an engraved plaque, and a $250 contribution will be made in
each winning entrant's name to the charity of their choice.

Each nominee must be a professional journalist or a professional
journalistic team in print, electronic media, or multimedia. The
nominee's work must have appeared in English, between December 1, 2017,
and November 30, 2018, in a commercially published book, recognized general-circulation (non-trade) daily or weekly newspaper, general- or special-interest magazine (except publications predominantly about
Amateur Radio), commercial or public radio or television broadcast
(including services delivered via cable), a website operated by a
generally recognized journalistic organization (e.g., newspaper,
magazine, broadcast station, or network), or multimedia format intended
for and readily accessible to the general public within the US. The
scope of the work nominated may be a single story or series.

The story must be truthful, clear, and accurate, reflecting high
journalistic standards. Submission may be made by the authors of the
work or on their behalf by an individual who believes the work merits
the award.

Submit entries to ARRL Headquarters c/o Communication Manager, ARRL,
225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, by 5 PM ET on November 30, 2018.

For more information about the award, contact <disgur@arrl.org> ARRL Communications Manager David Isgur, N1RSN, or call (860) 594-0328. The nomination form <http://www.arrl.org/bill-leonard-award> is on the ARRL website.

PROPOSALS TO HOST CONTACTS WITH SPACE STATION CREW DUE BY NOVEMBER

15

Proposals <http://www.ariss.org/uploads/1/1/1/6/111680627/ariss_proposal_form_due_2018-11 -15.docx>
by school and educational organizations to host Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS <http://www.ariss.org/>) contacts
with an International Space Station crew member next year will be
accepted starting on October 1. Completed proposals are due by November
15. ARISS anticipates that the contacts will be scheduled between July
1 and December 31, 2019, although crew schedules and ISS orbits
determine exact contact dates. A committee of educators evaluate and
approve proposals.

"ARISS contacts allow education audiences to learn firsthand from
astronauts what it is like to work and live in space," ARISS said.
"These scheduled contact opportunities are offered to formal and
informal education institutions and organizations, individually or
working together."

To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will a draw large number of participants and
integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. Because of
the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling
activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility
to accommodate changes in contact dates and times.

Educational proposals should include plans for students to study topics
related to space technology, space exploration, or space research, and
to learn about communication, wireless technology, and radio science.
The more advanced preparation educators make with educational plans,
the more learning and value the ARISS event will have for students,
ARISS said. A Proposal Guide <http://www.ariss.org/uploads/1/1/1/6/111680627/2018-03-13-ariss_proposal_guide .pdf>
can help in planning and identifying what's necessary to host an ARISS scheduled contact.

Astronaut Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT, at the helm of NA1SS on the
International Space Station. [Image courtesy of NASA]

An ARISS Technical Mentor is assigned to assist educational
organizations with technical preparations and logistical coordination
of the contact. With the assistance of the ARISS team, ARRL and AMSAT
can help in locating a local Amateur Radio group to provide equipment
and expertise. In many cases, local ham radio club volunteers may also
be able to assist with lessons on communication, wireless technology,
or radio science.

ARRL ARISS-US Delegate Rosalie White, K1STO, quoted one educator who
wrote, "Many of our middle school students who participated in and
attended our ARISS contact have selected science courses in high school
as a result of that contact." Many teachers report setting up ham radio
clubs in schools and learning centers because of students' interest
prior to an ARISS contact.

Full information
<http://www.ariss.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-us.html> on
hosting an ARISS contact is available on the ARISS website.

Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies
in Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe sponsor this educational
opportunity by providing equipment on the space station and operational
support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and
students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is
managed by ARRL and AMSAT in partnership with NASA.

"GET YOUR PARK ON" OPERATING EVENT SET FOR OCTOBER

What is hoped will be the first annual "Get Your Park ON" operating
event will take place October 14 - 20, in celebration of Earth Science
Week. The event is open to Amateur Radio operators around the world and
is sponsored by the national affiliates of World Wide Flora and Fauna
(WWFF <https://wwffkff.wordpress.com/>), which encourages radio
amateurs to operate outdoors in protected nature parks.

During this on-the-air celebration, hams can participate in one of two
ways. North American hams can opt to be Activators, setting up and
operating in geological and nature centers, such as national and state
parks and forests, national monuments, and protected nature habitats.
They also may decide to be Hunters, operating from home and searching
out and making contact with the Activators.

"We are trying to have parks activated in all states of the USA and
Mexico and all Provinces of Canada," the sponsor's Facebook page notes.
"Let's have some fun." The week-long special event is reminiscent of
ARRL's popular National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event in 2016, but
extends to a larger set of national treasures beyond those managed by
the National Parks Service.

In October 1998, the American Geosciences Institute organized Earth
Science Week, a national and international event to help the public
gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth sciences and
to encourage stewardship of the Earth, a common goal shared by WWFF.
Both programs encourage participants to get outside and enjoy nature.

"Get Your Park ON" begins at 0000 UTC on October 14 and continues
through 2359 UTC on October 20. Visit <https://www.facebook.com/groups/get.your.park.on/> the "Get Your Park
ON" Facebook page for more.

Earth Science Week 2018 <https://www.earthsciweek.org/> engages young
people and others with learning resources and activities exploring the relationship between the arts and the Earth systems. This year's theme
of "Earth as Inspiration" promotes public understanding and stewardship
of the planet. Of special interest to the Amateur Radio community and
their families is an "Inspired by Earth" photo contest and an essay
contest for students in grades 6 through 9. -- Thanks to Norm Meyers,
N9MM

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sunspots are gone again this week,
with none observed since September 12.

The average daily sunspot number declined to zero this week from 7.6
last week. Average daily solar flux was unchanged at 68.6, and the
average daily planetary A index declined from 12.6 to 9.7, while
average daily mid-latitude A index dipped from 10 to 8.3.

Based on NOAA predictions, solar flux is 68 on September 20 - 26; 69 on September 27 - October 1; 70 on October 2 - 9, and 69 on October 10 -
13.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 20 - 22; 16 and 12 on
September 23 - 24; 5 on September 25 - 30; 8 and 10 on October 1 - 2; 5
on October 3 - 6; 20, 30, 10, 18, 15, and 8 on October 7 - 12, and 5 on
October 13.

Sunspot numbers for September 13 - 19 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0,
with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.6, 69, 68.5, 69.1,
67.8, 68.1, and 67.9, with a mean of 68.6. Estimated planetary A
indices were 17, 16, 8, 6, 11, 6, and 4, with a mean of 9.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 17, 11, 7, 5, 9, 5, and 4, with a mean of
8.3.

Share <k7ra@arrl.net> your reports or propagation observations.

JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- September 21 -- AGB NEMIGA Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- September 22 -- FOC QSO Party (CW)

- September 22-23 -- UK/EI DX Contest, SSB

- September 22-23 -- Maine QSO Party (CW, phone)

- September 22 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)

- September 23 -- Classic Exchange, CW

- September 25 -- 220 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

- September 26 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

- September 27 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (digital)

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.

UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- September 21-22 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO Convention <http://www.w4dxcc.com/>,
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

- September 21-23 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention <http://dukecityhamfest.org/>, Albuquerque, New Mexico

- September 22 -- Washington State Convention <http://www.n7cfo.com/amradio/hf/hf.htm>, Spokane Valley, Washington

- September 28-29 -- Wisconsin State Convention <http://hamradio.com/>, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

- September 28-30 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference <http://packratvhf.com/>, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

- September 29 -- North Dakota State Convention <https://rrra.org/cal/2018/09/29/rrra-hamfest--arrl-nd-state-convention/>,
West Fargo, North Dakota

- October 7 -- Iowa Section Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-section-convention-southeast-iowa-hamfest>, West Liberty, Iowa

- October 11-14 -- Microwave Update Convention <http://www.microwaveupdate.org/>, Fairborn, Ohio

- October 12-13 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference
<http://pnwvhfs.org/>, Seaside, Oregon

- October 13 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference
<http://wi-aresraces.org/>, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

- October 19-20 -- New Mexico State Convention <http://socorroara.org/hamfest.html>, Socorro, New Mexico

- October 19-21 -- Pacific Division Convention
<http://www.pacificon.org/>, San Ramon, California

- October 20 -- Tennessee State Convention <http://www.w4am.net/>, East
Ridge, Tennessee

- October 21 -- Connecticut State Convention
<http://nutmeghamfest.com/>, Meriden, Connecticut

- November 3-4 -- Georgia Section Convention <http://stonemountainhamfest.com/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia

- November 10 -- Alabama Section Convention <http://www.w4ap.org/Events/Hamfest.htm>, Montgomery, Alabama

- November 10 -- HamJam 2018 Convention <http://hamjam.info/>,
Alpharetta, Georgia

- November 17-18 -- Central Division Convention <http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana

- December 1 -- Arkansas DX Association Conference
<http://www.adxa.org/>, North Little Rock, Arkansas

- December 7-8 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://fgcarc.org/>, Plant City, Florida

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

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information.

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<http://www.arrl.org/>

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

In a message on 09-20-18 Sean Dennis said to All:

********************************************
The ARRL Letter
Published by the American Radio Relay League ********************************************

Hi Sean,

TNX for the informative letter.

I knew very little about the WSJT-X v.2.0 beta from the german
CQ DL magazine but this letter really filled in the details.

To be honest, I'm no friend of the WSJT protocols because in my mind
that's not amateur radio where you can make and talk to friends all
over the world.

I will however pass the info to the local hams that are using WSJT-X or
are interested in it.


73 de Sam, OH0NC

aka Holger


.. "Sam", OH0NC - Aland Islands / 20o E / 60o N
-- MR/2 2.30

--- PCBoard (R) v15.22 (OS/2) 2
* Origin: Coming to you from the Sunny Aland Islands. (2:20/228)

Hello Holger,

21 Sep 18 09:47 at you wrote to me:

TNX for the informative letter.

I will start posting them by hand when I get them. I normally read them first in HTML email and then copy the plain text version to the echoes. :)

To be honest, I'm no friend of the WSJT protocols because in my mind that's not amateur radio where you can make and talk to friends all
over the world.

Digital modes are a mixed bag. However they do have the distinct advantage of being very efficent with low-power and bandwith. Some even with error-correcting. I'm looking at setting up a packet BBS here on 2 meters for now...just for fun.

I will however pass the info to the local hams that are using WSJT-X
or are interested in it.

Thanks, I'm glad it helped!

73 DE KD5COL,
Sean

... School ends, but education doesn't.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

In a message on 09-22-18 Sean Dennis said to Holger Granholm:

Hi Sean,

TNX for the informative letter.

I will start posting them by hand when I get them. I normally read
them first in HTML email and then copy the plain text version to
the echoes. :)

I noticed that you probably use UTF as code page but the only character
that didn't match the text mode here was the (o) = paragraph character.
Text modes here are PC8 and Latin-1.

BTW, the URL's mentioned in the text didn't give me anything. By using
only princeton.edu i could contact the site and from there find 'pulsar'
but any search from there didn't give an opening.

Digital modes are a mixed bag. However they do have the distinct
advantage of being very efficent with low-power and bandwith.

Yes I know, however in the german CQ DL 9/2018 magazine there is a
mention of a story written by NT0Z at: http://radiopearls.blogspot.com/ 2018/06/has-joe-taylor-destroyed-amateur-radio.html
Please note that the above URL is a translation of the german URL.

According to the text: Year 2017 is the year when ham radio died. It is
the zero hour of the new chronology of amateur radio. Therefore the year
2018 is the start of the Hampocalypse or in the new period the year 1AT
(1 year after Taylor). Of course it wasn't Joe Taylors intention to kill amateur radio. FT8 is an accident, like a virus, that escaped from a Highsecurity laboratory and propagate to hit the people.....

The text goes on describing what will happen at year 2AT and 3AT.
Further ahead is the version FT11 that will work the DXCC in 478 ms.

I'm looking at setting up a packet BBS here on 2 meters for now...

We had a 145 MHz packet radio here but as soon as I had built a 433 MHz
9600 packet radio modem, the entire packet radio system was closed down.

My intention was of course to add 9600 bps to it to be able to transfer
files faster. The modem wasn't lost however. I just had to add audio in
and out to be able to use it as a 70cm transceiver.


CU AGN, Sam, OH0NC

aka Holger


.. Dog for sale: Eats anything - Is fond of children.
-- MR/2 2.30


--- PCBoard (R) v15.22 (OS/2) 2
* Origin: Coming to you from the Sunny Aland Islands. (2:20/228)

Hello Holger,

23 Sep 18 09:59 at you wrote to me:

I noticed that you probably use UTF as code page but the only
character that didn't match the text mode here was the (o) = paragraph character. Text modes here are PC8 and Latin-1.

That was a direct copy and paste from Windows 10 into the Chrome SSH browser extension into GoldEd+/Linux. If I'd done that using MultiMail under Windows, MM would have done the correct codepage conversion. I try to clean up any "oddities" for everyone else using CP437 and what-not.

BTW, the URL's mentioned in the text didn't give me anything. By using only princeton.edu i could contact the site and from there find
'pulsar' but any search from there didn't give an opening.

I didn't check any of the URLs myself. I did read the newsletter though. There's always some sort of nugget in there.

Digital modes are a mixed bag. However they do have the distinct
advantage of being very efficent with low-power and bandwith.

Further ahead is the version FT11 that will work the DXCC in 478 ms.

Unfortunately, there is that side effect. I will usually ragchew with people on digital modes. I am not a fan of a "macro-driven QSO". I am very interested in Feld Hell as the group I'm involved with are a very friendly bunch of folks and the mode seems to be used more for ragchewing than collecting "quick hits".

Did I tell you I bought a nearly-new used Yaesu FT-450D in June for an early birthday present for myself? I need to get a Signalink for it to set it up with my W10 computer in the shack and I'll be in tinkering with digital modes too.

I'm looking at setting up a packet BBS here on 2 meters for now...

My intention was of course to add 9600 bps to it to be able to
transfer files faster. The modem wasn't lost however. I just had to
add audio in and out to be able to use it as a 70cm transceiver.

My good friend, Bob N1UAN, is the king of packet BBSing. He was running 12 of them at one time all over the US several years ago. I just need to get him to give me one of his Kamtronics TNCs to start tinkering with setting one up. Bob is getting older and is not really too much into ham radio so he has given me a lot of his equipment (much to my parents' chagrin). I figure if he's going to give it to me, I might as well use it.

Speaking of capabilities, I set my Yaesu FTM-3100 (US version) 2 meter rig up in my shack. I connected it to my trusty 10-year-old copper J-pole my dad, KD7SXQ, built for me. I'm hitting repeaters 50 miles/80km away on five watts of power. That little rig will put out 65 watts if need be.

I took a semi-decent picture of my little shack recently: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ims13w8h6kbprj9/20180917_205935.jpg

From top to bottom, that's the FTM-3100, my FT-450D, and a MFJ-959 Deluxe Versa Tuner II since I use wire antennas (the 450D's internal antenna tuner can't handle wire antennas).

A small but very capable shack for me. :)

73 DE KD5COL,
Sean

... Working the world one QSO at a time.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

In a message on 09-26-18 Sean Dennis said to Holger Granholm:

Hi Sean,

I noticed that you probably use UTF as code page but the only
character that didn't match the text mode here was the (o) =
paragraph character.

That was a direct copy and paste from Windows 10 into the Chrome SSH browser extension into GoldEd+/Linux.

No problem. I have extended the capabilities of the Semware Editor to do
most of the conversions between various code pages. The paragraph char
wasn't among the converted so that will be added at next overhaul.

BTW, the URL's mentioned in the text didn't give me anything.

I didn't check any of the URLs myself. I did read the newsletter

I have not checked the <arrl.org/.....> URL yet because of the long
"suffix", but I will do that to see if there's more details.

Digital modes are a mixed bag. However they do have the distinct
advantage of being very efficent with low-power and bandwith.

Yes I have run RTTY a while before and when going to Market Reef on a DXpedition but not the newer digital modes.

Unfortunately, there is that side effect. I will usually ragchew
with people on digital modes. I am not a fan of a "macro-driven
QSO".

I have always loved to ragchew with old buddies on CW or SSB but the
most of them have passed away now.

I'm getting a bit old I think, with my youngest child just became 60 and
my eldest grandson now 42 years.

Did I tell you I bought a nearly-new used Yaesu FT-450D in June for
an early birthday present for myself?

Congrats for the b-day when you became 45 YO.

I just need to get him to give me one of his Kamtronics TNCs to
start tinkering with setting one up.

Packet radio is completely dead here and our repeaters almost dead too.

copper J-pole my dad, KD7SXQ, built for me. I'm hitting repeaters
50 miles/80km away on five watts of power. That little rig will
put out 65 watts if need be.

Chasing DX via repeaters isn't used here. Some may use them as beacons
to check conditions but most of them don't identify.

I took a semi-decent picture of my little shack recently: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ims13w8h6kbprj9/20180917_205935.jpg

I think I may never have taken a picture of this shack since we moved
here. Guess I might do that one day after tidying it up a bit..hi.

Deluxe Versa Tuner II since I use wire antennas (the 450D's
internal antenna tuner can't handle wire antennas).

I use a Windom (W0WO) wire antenna and have a Dentron Super Tuner for
matching it on 21 MHz. The other (old) bands don't need a matching
network.

BTW "antenna tuner" is a wrong expression because it doesn't tune the
antenna. Matching Network would be the correct name for it.


73 de Sam, OH0NC

aka Holger


.. It wasn't broke until i fixed it a little...
-- MR/2 2.30


--- PCBoard (R) v15.22 (OS/2) 2
* Origin: Coming to you from the Sunny Aland Islands. (2:20/228)

Hello All,

I wrote a Python script that scrapes the ARRL Letter from the ARRL site and will post it in here every Thursday afternoon Eastern time. I did a test run of last Thursday's letter and the script works, so I'll manually paste it in here this time.

If any of you are having issues reading the whole letter, please let me know ASAP. I'll figure out a way to post it in chunks.

=== Cut ===
ARRL Letter Issue

The ARRL Letter for August 13, 2026

John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor | August 13, 2026

In this Issue:

10-Year-Old Receives Ham License and More

Colombian Amateurs Help in Earthquake Response; Clear Frequencies
Requested

ARRL Year of the Club Contests Celebrate Outstanding Club Websites and Newsletters

ARISS Receives Challenger-7 Recognition

ARRL Live Events and Podcasts

Announcements

Just Ahead in Radiosport

Upcoming ARRL Conventions and Major Events

10-Year-Old Receives Ham License and More

Ten-year-old new ham Reynaldo Mangual, KM7HFU, is presented with his certificate of successful completion of the Technician exam by Maricopa
Amateur Radio Club president and 4-H group leader Michael Mills, NO7S.
[Photo courtesy Maricopa Amateur Radio Club]

Ten-year-old new ham Reynaldo Mangual, KM7HFU, is presented with his certificate of successful completion of the Technician exam by Maricopa
Amateur Radio Club president and 4-H group leader Michael Mills, NO7S.
[Photo courtesy Maricopa Amateur Radio Club]

A brand-new young ham in Arizona got more than he was expecting after
passing his Technician class license exam earlier this month.
Along with getting his call sign, KM7HFU, from the FCC, 10-year-old
Reynaldo Mangual was presented by the Maricopa Amateur Radio Association
(MARA) with an almost-new Yaesu FT-857D HF/VHF/UHF multimode
transceiver, an LDG YT-100 automatic antenna tuner, and power supply.
The station had been donated anonymously to the club with the
stipulation that it be presented to a deserving young person upon
successfully earning an amateur radio license.
In addition the club reports that, in an effort to introduce him to
Morse code, Reynaldo was also given a fully-restored World War II-era
J-38 telegraph key by club member Steve Miller, W6DSM, who collects and restores historic keys.

Reynaldo joined ARRL this week! He is also a member of the Pinal County
4-H Amateur Radio Club, whose youth program is supported by 4-H, MARA,
the Arizona 4-H Foundation, and a grant from the Amateur Radio Council
of Arizona.
Reynaldo is now MARAs youngest member. The Maricopa Amateur Radio
Association is an ARRL-Affiliated Club.

ARRL offers a no-cost membership option for full-time students aged 21
years or younger. Free Student Membership is available at
www.arrl.org/student.

Colombian Amateurs Help in Earthquake Response; Clear Frequencies
Requested

Amateur radio operators in Colombia are providing significant
communications support following the major earthquake and aftershocks
that struck the country on August 10, 2026. The death toll has
reportedly exceeded 200 people, with many more still missing, and major
damage is reported to buildings and infrastructure.

International Amateur Radio Union, Region 2 (IARU R2) Emergency
Communications Coordinator Carlos Alberto Santamaria Gonzalez, CO2JC,
provided an update Thursday morning, August 13, from Faber Mosquera,
HK6F, the emergency coordinator for the Liga Colombiana de
Radioaficionados (LCRA), Colombias national amateur radio association.
Mosquera said amateurs from various radio clubs and associations across
the country have been helping to maintain and/or restore communications
in affected areas.

Volunteers from the Liga Radio Quindio were heading to Cerro Campanario,
a peak at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level, to
attempt to restore the club's repeater stations using solar panels and batteries.
This peak hosts repeater stations for both the amateur radio service and
the municipal and departmental risk management systems in the area.
Another group of amateurs, from the Asociacion de Radioaficionados del
Eje Cafetero, was working at their repeater site at the time of the
earthquake.
They reported that cellular and Wi-Fi networks immediately went down,
and the repeaters also failed because the backup transfer system to the
power generator did not activate.
However, within 15 minutes, they had reactivated not only the amateur
repeaters but also those of other services that share the site.
Mosquera reported that amateur radio clubs from other parts of the
country were providing additional support to restore and maintain communications.

The Colombian amateur radio community is doing vital work by making its communication systems and human resources available for rescue,
recovery, and locating individuals affected by this disaster, said IARU
Region 2 Emergency Coordinator CO2JC, adding, This makes us proud to be
amateur radio operators.

CO2JC has also requested that all amateurs avoid transmitting on the
IARU Region 2 emergency frequencies of 3985, 7060, 7240, 7275, 14300,
and 21360 kHz, as well as 146.520 MHz for those in VHF range of
Colombia, in order to minimize potential interference to emergency communications.

See ARRL News
for updates to this story as they become available.

ARRL Year of the Club Contests Celebrate Outstanding Club Websites and Newsletters

As part of ARRLs 2026 Year of the Club
spotlight, Affiliated Clubs were invited to show how they use two
important communications tools their websites and newsletters to
engage members, strengthen their organizations, and promote amateur
radio.
The response was enthusiastic, with more than 80 entries submitted in
each contest from clubs across the country.

The contests were designed not simply to identify the best-looking
website or newsletter, but to recognize radio clubs that are using these
tools effectively to serve their members.
A good club website can make it easy for prospective and current members
to find information, learn about activities, and get involved.
A good newsletter can keep members connected between meetings, share
technical knowledge and operating opportunities, celebrate club accomplishments, and give members another reason to stay engaged.

The goal was to highlight the many creative ways radio clubs communicate
with their members, said ARRL Director of Publications and Editorial
Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY. We hope these winning websites and newsletters
will give other clubs ideas they can adapt to their own organizations.
Theres no single formula for an effective club communication what
matters is understanding your audience and giving them useful,
interesting reasons to connect and keep connected with the club.

Outstanding Club Newsletters

Newsletter entries were judged in three membership categories: Large
Clubs (more than 120 members), Medium Clubs (60120 members), and Small
Clubs (fewer than 60 members). Judges considered the navigability and attractiveness of the publications, as well as the variety and quality
of their content. Two entries also earned special commendations for
doing an outstanding job serving specialized audiences.

The winners are:

Large Clubs

First Place: Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club, W2MMD, Pitman, New
Jersey CrossTalk, edited by Jeffrey Garth, WB2ZBN

Second Place: Long Island CW Club, W2LCW, Global Long Island CW Club Newsletter, edited by Richard Spohn, WB2GXM

Ozaukee Radio Club, W9CQO, of Grafton, Wisconsin, is the winner of the
ARRL Club Newsletter Contest in the Medium Clubs category. The Ozaukee
Radio Club Newsletter is edited by William Shadid, W9MXQ.

Medium Clubs

First Place: Ozaukee Radio Club, W9CQO, Grafton, Wisconsin The Ozaukee
Radio Club Newsletter, edited by William Shadid, W9MXQ

Second Place: East Greenbush Amateur Radio Association, W2EGB, East
Greenbush, New York Sidebands, edited by Bryan Jackson, W2RBJ

Honorable Mention: Providence Radio Association, W1OP, Johnston, Rhode
Island The Old Professor, edited by Thomas Greenwood, W1ER

Small Clubs

First Place: Peekskill/Cortlandt Amateur Radio Association, W2NYW,
Greater Peekskill/Cortlandt Area, New York PCARA Update, edited by
Malcolm G. Pritchard, NM9J

Second Place: Morongo Basin Amateur Radio Club, W6BA, Morongo Basin,
California MBARC Beacon, edited by Aaron Chesney, KM6IAU

Special Commendations

Best Newsletter for a Specialized Audience: Families and Youth: Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society, W1STR, Natick, Massachusetts Sci-Tech Amateur
Radio Society News, edited by Robert F. Phinney, K5TEC

Best Newsletter for a Specialized Audience: Global Audience: Young
Ladies Radio League, K4LMB, Global YL Harmonics, edited by Kathleen
Houlihan, WA5DUC

Newsletter contest judges were:
ARRL Director of Publications and Editorial Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY
ARRL Senior Director of Marketing and Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R
NCJ Editor and PVRC Newsletter Editor John Pescatore, K3TN
ARRL News Editor, past Ohio Section PIC, and past coordinator of the
Ohio Section Newsletter Contest John Ross, KD8IDJ
Outstanding Club Websites

The website contest focused on three key areas: layout, content, and accessibility. Judges with extensive experience in website development,
systems administration, and web infrastructure evaluated the entries to identify sites that effectively serve their clubs and their audiences.

Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club, W3ACH, serving south-central Pennsylvania, is the winner of the ARRL Club Website Contest. The
webmaster is Caleb C. Jacobs, KC3VPB.

The winners are:

First Place: Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club, W3ACH, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania www.w3ach.com, webmaster Caleb C. Jacobs, KC3VPB

Second Place: Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club, W6EK, Auburn,
California www.w6ek.org, webmaster Mike Smitty Smith, WB1G

Third Place: Ventura County Amateur Radio Club, K6MEP, Ventura,
California k6mep.org, webmaster David Schmidt, AI6VX

Website contest judges were:

ARRL New England Division Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI

ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Technical Coordinator Dan Brown, W1DAN

ARRL member Erica Zavaleta, W7WXR. Erica is currently a DevOps Engineer managing web infrastructure for a regional ISP.

The winning websites and newsletters are worth a visit not only to congratulate the clubs, but also to see how they organize information,
promote activities, welcome newcomers, and communicate what makes their
clubs active and relevant. They offer examples of different approaches
to content, design, and audience demonstrating that success doesn't
have to follow a particular template.

The contests are part of ARRLs broader Year of the Club effort to
celebrate the vital role that amateur radio clubs play in building and sustaining the amateur radio community. Clubs are where many radio
amateurs first find a mentor, learn a new skill, participate in an
event, or make the connections that keep them active in the hobby.

Club leaders, newsletter editors, and webmasters: take a look at what
these clubs are doing and borrow an idea or two for your own club, said
ARRL Emergency Communications and Field Services Director Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. Year of the Club is a celebration of what clubs accomplish and
an invitation to keep building on that success.

ARRL and the contest judges are grateful for the enthusiastic response
to the call for contest entries, and commend all entrants on the talent
and time they devote to the creation of these important club
communication tools.

The contest winners will be honored at the 2026 ARRL National
Convention, hosted by the Huntsville Hamfest, August 2123 in Huntsville, Alabama, and will also be featured in a 2026 issue of QST.

ARISS Receives Challenger-7 Recognition

ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, has been
honored with the prestigious Challenger-7 Recognition, a national honor celebrating organizations whose work reflects the spirit, vision, and
values of the seven crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-L.

This recognition is a tribute, not a competition, says the Challenger
Center.
It honors those who embody the Challenger crews values of exploration, learning, and inspiration, while also celebrating trailblazing
organizations and programs that will carry this mission forward into the future.

Nominations from nonprofit STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math) programs that have a national-level impact on STEM learning and
other STEM advocates were submitted by members of the broader Challenger
Center community, with honorees selected by an appointed committee.
The recognitions are part of the Challenger Centers 40th anniversary celebrations.

ARISS representatives Frank Bauer, KA3HDO (middle), and Jackie Blumer,
KC9LEH (right), accepted the Challenger-7 Recognition from Challenger
Center's Mike Kincaid (left) during the organization's 40th anniversary celebration. [Challenger Learning Center photo]

The ARISS team is humbled to receive the Challenger-7 recognition, said ARISS-USA
Executive Director and ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. We
thank the Challenger Center community for this honor as well as treasure
our long-standing partnership with them.
The outcomes of our ARISS on-board astronaut experiences emulate the exploration and education spirit of the Challenger crewto engage and
educate our next generation of explorers in STEM while giving them the
tools and inspiration to prepare them for future STEM careers.

Other awardees this year include AIAA American Institute of Aeronautics
and Astronautics, American Rocketry Challenge, and Janets Planet.

Read the ARISS News Release here.

ARRL Live Events and Podcasts

On the Air LIVE

What if you need to send a message from a disaster area, but all forms
of communication are down? The ARRL National Traffic System could be
your tool to get the message out. Join ARRL Education Specialist Wayne
Greene, KB4DSF, and learn about the history of the National Traffic
System, how it works, and how you can become a regular user and be
prepared to send and relay traffic. The livestream will air on the
ARRL's learning center, learn.arrl.org, August 25th at 8 PM Eastern. Preregistration is required and can be accomplished through the Learning Center.

Date: August 25, 2026

Time: 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific

Register Now
| Previously Recorded Sessions

Listen to , available every Friday. is a summary of the week's top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews
and other features. More info
| Listen on Blubrry
| Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

On the Air

Sponsored by Icom

Hams and Hurricane Season

ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo,
KD1CY, joins the podcast to talk about the Atlantic hurricane season and
ham radios role in it, as a follow-up to the July/August 2026 issues
article Ham Radio and the Hurricane Season by Rick Palm, K1CE. More info
| Listen on Blubrry
| Also available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.

Announcements

The following America250 W1AW Portable Activations begin 0000z on
Wednesdays, and end 2359z on Tuesdays (7 days total for each
activation). See the complete schedule at www.arrl.org/america250-was.

08/12/2026 Idaho W1AW/7 (host ND7L)

08/12/2026 Ohio W1AW/8 (host K8ZT)

08/12/2026 Massachusetts W1AW/1 (host W1AST)

08/19/2026 Alabama W1AW/4 (host KI4KWR)

08/19/2026 Hawaii W1AW/KH6 (host AD6E)

08/19/2026 Oregon W1AW/7 (host N7JI)

The North East USA SOTA
Club invites activators and chasers of all experience levels to the 4th
annual W2 Fall Campout, September 10 13, in New Yorks Adirondack
Mountains. Throughout the long weekend (Thursday Sunday), look for
Summits on the Air activators calling "CQ SOTA" from various peaks
across the Adirondack Mountains on VHF 146.58 MHz and across the HF
bands using CW, SSB, and FM. For POTA chasers, this is a great
opportunity to get US - 2001 in the log as many of the summits are
within the Adirondack State Park. Activators will be base-camped at the Wilmington Notch Campground in Wilmington, New York, with a group dinner
and meetup on Saturday, September 12, at the Twisted Raven in
Wilmington. For more information on Summits on the Air and getting
started with activating and/or chasing, visit www.sota.org.uk and
connect with the North East USA SOTA Club on Facebook.

A new ARRL video provides tips on applying for the new ARRL America250
Worked All States (WAS) Award. Available on the ARRLHQ YouTube channel,
the video features Education & Learning Support Specialist Max Freedman,
N4ML, who walks viewers through logging into Logbook of The World
(LoTW), creating a new LoTW Worked All States account or selecting an
existing account, adding a QSO Set and related rules, and viewing award progress at america250.arrl.org. Once youve qualified for the award,
return to america250.arrl.org to apply for and purchase your
certificate. View the new video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRKSIbLFj5w.

Open Positions at ARRL

Come join the headquarters staff of ARRL The National Association for
Amateur Radio! We are currently seeking qualified applicants for the
following positions:

Membership Manager

Technical Editor

RFI Lab Engineer

Public Relations and Outreach Manager

Advertising Sales Manager

Member Services Representative

Full details may be found on the ARRL HR web page at
www.arrl.org/careers.

ARRL is an equal opportunity employer.

Just Ahead in Radiosport

August 13 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest-NA (digital)
August 15 - 16 -- SARTG WW RTTY Contest (digital)
August 15 - 16 -- Russian District Award Contest (CW, phone)
August 15 - 17 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (CW, phone, digital)
August 15 -- SARL Youth QSO Party (phone)
August 15 - 16 -- Keyman's Club of Japan Contest (CW)
August 15 -- Feld Hell Sprint (digital)
August 15 - 16 -- North American QSO Party, SSB (phone)
August 15 - 16 -- 2100 1.8-28 CVA DX Contest (CW)
August 16 -- NJQRP Skeeter Hunt (CW, phone)
August 16 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup, RTTY (digital)
August 16 - 17 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
August 20 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest-NA (digital)
August 20 - 21 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
August 20 -- NTC QSO Party (CW)
August 22 - 23 -- YO DX HF Contest (CW, phone)
August 22 - 23 -- ARSI VU DX Contest (CW, phone)
August 22 - 23 -- Ohio QSO Party (CW, phone)
August 22 - 24 -- Hawaii QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
August 23 -- CVA DX Contest, SSB (phone)
August 23 -- SARL HF CW Contest (CW)

Remember to visit the ARRL Contest Calendar
for more events and information.

Upcoming ARRL Conventions and Major Events

ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions (next 60 days)

Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database at www.arrl.org/hamfests
to find events in your area.

August 13 16 | Northeast HamXposition, hosting the ARRL New England
Division Convention, Marlborough, Massachusetts

August 15 | Cincinnati Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, Owensville, Ohio

August 21 23 | Huntsville Hamfest, hosting the 2026 ARRL National
Convention, Huntsville, Alabama

August 28 30 | Wyoming HamCon, hosting the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Casper, Wyoming

September 4 5 | Shelby Hamfest, hosting the ARRL North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina

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October 3 | Third Annual Micro Expo, hosting the ARRL Santa Barbara
Section Convention, Camarillo, California

October 3 | Wichita Area Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Kansas Section
Convention, Wichita, Kansas

October 9 10 | SPARK-CON 2026, hosting the ARRL Midwest Division
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October 10 | North Star Radio Convention, hosting the ARRL Dakota
Division Convention, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

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Join ARRL at these Division Conventions and other major events
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Beginning in the fourth quarter, this list will also include significant
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October 16 18 | Pacificon, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division
Convention, San Ramon, California

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2026 - ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio
=== Cut ===

-- Sean

... WinErr 005: Multitasking attempted: system confused.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20240209
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (1:18/200)

Re: The ARRL Letter
By: Sean Dennis to All on Sat Aug 15 2026 21:24:20

I wrote a Python script that scrapes the ARRL Letter from the ARRL site and will post it in here every Thursday afternoon Eastern time.

Is this OK with ARRL? Site owners can get rather touchy about scraping.

Can you post the script? I'm interested in how that's done.
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (1:124/5016)

Hello Mortar,

17 Aug 26 09:40, you wrote to me:

Is this OK with ARRL? Site owners can get rather touchy about
scraping.

From the bottom of each ARRL Letter:

"Copyright (C) 2026 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission."

I make sure that's left in every "letter" I scrape.

Can you post the script? I'm interested in how that's done.

=== Cut ===
#!/usr/bin/env python3

### ARRL Letter Posting Script
###
### By Sean Dennis with assistance
### from Microsoft Copilot
###
### (C) Sean Dennis KS4TD
###
### Released under the MIT License.

import requests
import re
import textwrap
import unicodedata
import os
import sys
import time

BASE = "https://www.arrl.org"
LETTER_LIST = "https://www.arrl.org/arrlletter"
CACHE_FILE = os.path.expanduser("~/.arrlletter_cache")

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# Retry-capable fetcher with browser headers
# ------------------------------------------------------------
def fetch_with_retry(url, retries=5, delay=3):
headers = {
"User-Agent": (
"Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) "
"AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) "
"Chrome/124.0 Safari/537.36"
)
}

for attempt in range(1, retries + 1):
try:
print("Fetching {} (attempt {}/{})".format(url, attempt, retries))
r = requests.get(url, headers=headers, timeout=20)
r.raise_for_status()
return r.text
except Exception as e:
print("Attempt {} failed: {}".format(attempt, e))
time.sleep(delay)

print("ERROR: All attempts failed.")
return None

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# Utility functions
# ------------------------------------------------------------
def log(msg):
print(msg)

def to_ascii(s):
return unicodedata.normalize("NFKD", s).encode("ascii", "ignore").decode("ascii")

def load_cached_issue():
if not os.path.exists(CACHE_FILE):
return None
try:
with open(CACHE_FILE, "r") as f:
return f.read().strip()
except:
return None

def save_cached_issue(issue):
try:
with open(CACHE_FILE, "w") as f:
f.write(issue)
except Exception as e:
log("Warning: could not save cache: {}".format(e))

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 1. Fetch ARRL Letter index page (with retry)
# ------------------------------------------------------------
index_html = fetch_with_retry(LETTER_LIST)
if index_html is None:
sys.exit(1)

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 2. Find newest issue link (single or double quotes)
# ------------------------------------------------------------
issues = re.findall(r"href=['\"](/arrlletterissue\?issue=\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})['\"]", index_html)
if not issues:
log("ERROR: No ARRL Letter issues found.")
sys.exit(1)

latest_issue_path = issues[0]
latest_issue_url = BASE + latest_issue_path
latest_issue_id = latest_issue_path.split("=")[-1]

log("Latest ARRL Letter issue: {}".format(latest_issue_id))

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 3. Check cache
# ------------------------------------------------------------
cached = load_cached_issue()
if cached == latest_issue_id:
log("Cached issue matches latest. Nothing new to download.")
sys.exit(0)

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 4. Download the issue HTML (with retry)
# ------------------------------------------------------------
page_html = fetch_with_retry(latest_issue_url)
if page_html is None:
sys.exit(1)

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 5. Improved HTML cleanup
# ------------------------------------------------------------
import html

# Remove scripts and styles
clean = re.sub(r"<script.*?>.*?</script>", "", page_html, flags=re.DOTALL) clean = re.sub(r"<style.*?>.*?</style>", "", clean, flags=re.DOTALL)

# Remove all HTML tags
clean = re.sub(r"<[^>]+>", "", clean)

# Decode HTML entities (&nbsp;, &#39;, etc.)
clean = html.unescape(clean)

# Remove "undefined" junk lines
clean = clean.replace("undefined", "")

# Collapse multiple spaces
clean = re.sub(r"[ \t]+", " ", clean)

# Remove repeated blank lines
clean = re.sub(r"\n\s*\n\s*\n+", "\n\n", clean)

# Remove repeated photo captions (ARRL duplicates them)
clean = re.sub(r" \[Photo.*?\] ", "", clean)

# Remove ARRL navigation/header lines
clean = clean.replace("ARRL Home Page", "")
clean = clean.replace("ARRL Audio News", "")
clean = clean.replace("ARRL Letter Archive", "")

# Remove unsubscribe footer
clean = clean.replace("Unsubscribe from this list.", "")

# Clean up leftover blank lines
clean = re.sub(r"\n\s*\n+", "\n\n", clean)

# Normalize line endings
clean = clean.strip()

# Normalize line endings
clean = clean.strip()

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 6. Convert to ASCII
# ------------------------------------------------------------
ascii_text = to_ascii(clean)

1# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 7. Normalize whitespace and wrap at 72 columns
# ------------------------------------------------------------
out_lines = []
for line in ascii_text.splitlines():
line = line.strip()
if not line:
out_lines.append("")
continue
wrapped = textwrap.wrap(line, width=72)
out_lines.extend(wrapped)

# ------------------------------------------------------------
# 8. Write final file
# ------------------------------------------------------------
output_file = "/tmp/arrlletter-latest.asc"
try:
with open(output_file, "w") as f:
f.write("\n".join(out_lines))
log("Created {}".format(output_file))
save_cached_issue(latest_issue_id)
except Exception as e:
log("ERROR: Could not write output file: {}".format(e))
sys.exit(1)
# ------------------------------------------------------------
=== Cut ===

Here's the actual script called by MBSE (note that the "mbmsg" lines are wrapped):

=== Cut ===
#!/bin/bash

# Environment
# PATH needed since cron doesn't inherit bash's environment
export PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
# Required by MBSE
export MBSE_ROOT=/opt/mbse

$MBSE_ROOT/bin/arrl_letter.py

# Post in MIN_HAM
mbmsg post "ARS KS4TD" "All" 61 "The ARRL Letter" "/tmp/arrlletter-latest.txt"

# Post in Fidonet's HAM
mbmsg post "ARS KS4TD" "All" 117 "The ARRL Letter" "/tmp/arrlletter-latest.txt" -
=== Cut ===

I believe the Python script will run under Windows with minor modifications.

-- Sean

... "I have a love interest in every one of my films: a gun." - Schwarzenegger --- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20260304
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (1:18/200)

Re: The ARRL Letter
By: Sean Dennis to Mortar M. on Mon Aug 17 2026 22:09:56

I believe the Python script will run under Windows with minor modifications.

Coolness, thanks.
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (1:124/5016)