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The ARRL Letter

February 25, 2016
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  FCC Invites Comments on ARRL Petition That Seeks 80/75 Meter Adjustments
 *  Ballots Counted, Results Announced in Three ARRL Section Manager
    Contests
 *  ARRL to Offer ARES Forms Training Webinar
 *  ARES Team Leverages Radio Services, Local Media, Internet in Missouri
    Flood Watch
 *  FCC Seeks Comments on Petition to Grant Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses
 *  National Parks on the Air Update
 *  AMSAT Seeks Volunteers to Support Phase 4 "Five and Dime" Ground
    Terminal Effort
 *  Satellite DXCC Nearly 20 Years in the Making
 *  Article Profiles First African-American Radio Amateur, Rufus Turner,
    W3LF
 *  Hurricane Watch Net, Maritime Mobile Service Network Stalwart David
    Lefavour, W7GOX, SK
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events


FCC Invites Comments on ARRL Petition That Seeks 80/75 Meter Adjustments

The FCC has put the ARRL's January Petition for Rule Making (RM 11759) on
public notice and invited interested parties to comment on what the League has
called "minimal but necessary changes" to 80 and 75 meters. The ARRL
petitioned the FCC to fix a "shortfall in available RTTY/data spectrum" that
the Commission created when it reapportioned 80 and 75 meters 10 years ago.
The League's petition asked the FCC to shift the boundary between the 80 meter
RTTY/data subband and the 75 meter phone/image subband from 3600 kHz to 3650
kHz. The proposed change received strong support from ARRL members, and the
ARRL Board of Directors adopted it as policy at its July 2015 meeting. At that
time the Board also agreed to seek RTTY and data privileges for Novice and
Technician licensees within their current 15 meter CW subband, and to do the
same on 80 meters, depending on the outcome of the 80/75 meter subband
revision.

The petition asks the FCC to make the following changes to the Part 97 Amateur
Radio Service rules, with respect to 80/75 meters:

 *  Modify the RTTY/data subband, so that it extends from 3500 kHz to 3650
    kHz.
 *  Modify the phone/image subband, so that it extends from 3650 kHz to 4000
    kHz.
 *  Make 3600-3650 kHz available for General and Advanced Class licensees,
    as was the case prior to 2006.
 *  Make 3600-3650 kHz available to Novice and Technician licensees for
    telegraphy -- consistent with existing rules permitting Novices and
    Technicians to operate CW in the 80, 40, and 15 meter General and
    Advanced RTTY/data subbands.
 *  Modify the rules governing automatically controlled digital stations
    (ACDS), to shift the ACDS segment from 3585-3600 kHz to 3600-3615 kHz,
    consistent with the IARU Region 1 and 2 band plans.

According to the ARRL, the FCC Report and Order in Docket 04-140 released in
2006 departed substantially and without justification from the rules proposed
in the FCC's so-called "Omnibus" Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), with
respect to 75 and 80 meters. Among other actions, the resulting changes
expanded voice privileges on additional frequencies in various bands,
including 75 meters. The FCC shifted the phone/image subband from 3750-4000
kHz to 3600-4000 kHz, trimming the 80 meter RTTY/data subband from 3500-3750
kHz to 3500-3600 kHz and substantially changing "the entire dynamic of this
band," the League said.

Although the Omnibus R&O had indicated that incumbent licensees would not lose
any operating privileges, some clearly did, the ARRL has pointed out. The most
substantial adverse effect of the "unexpected and vast expansion" of the 75
meter phone/image subband, the League said, was the elimination of access to
3620-3635 kHz by ACDS. Read more.


Ballots Counted, Results Announced in Three ARRL Section Manager Contests

The ARRL Pacific, San Diego, and Louisiana Sections will get new Section
Managers, and five incumbent SMs will begin new terms in their respective
sections on April 1. The results of three contested elections in the winter
election cycle were announced February 23, after ballots were tallied at ARRL
Headquarters.

 *  In the Pacific Section, Joe Speroni, AH0A, received 228 votes, to 103
    for Kimberly Fendt, WH6KIM. Speroni has been the Pacific Section's
    Affiliated Club Coordinator and maintains a variety of Amateur
    Radio-related interests. Outgoing Pacific Section Manager Bob Schneider,
    AH6J, decided not to run for another term after serving for the past 10
    years, in addition to stints from 1992 to 1996 and from 2002 to 2004.

 *  In the San Diego Section, Dave Kaltenborn, N8KBC, outpolled Patrick
    Bunsold, WA6MHZ, 350 to 219 votes. Kaltenborn brings more than 25 years
    of experience as a radio amateur to the top post in San Diego Field
    Organization. He has been Assistant Section Manager, Assistant Section
    Emergency Coordinator, and a District and local Emergency Coordinator.
    Outgoing Section Manager Steve Early, AD6VI, decided not to run for
    another term after serving for the past 8 years.

 *  In the Louisiana Section, Scott Wren, KD5DFL, will succeed Jim Molan,
    KD5IGG, as Section Manager on April 1. Wren was the only nominee for the
    new term when Molan announced that he would not run for the position
    again after serving for one term. Wren has served as Section Emergency
    Coordinator for the past 2 years, and as an Assistant District Emergency
    Coordinator or Emergency Coordinator since 2005.

 *  In Virginia, incumbent Section Manager Joe Palsa, K3WRY, received 870
    votes, while Anthony Harbour, KG4YXP, garnered 512 votes. Palsa was
    appointed as Virginia's SM 1 year ago, to complete the remaining term of
    then-Section Manager Carl Clements, W4CAC, who had stepped down. Now
    elected in his own right, Palsa will continue as Section Manager for the
    next 2 years.

Four incumbent ARRL Section Managers faced no opposition and have been
declared elected for new terms beginning on April 1: Pete Cecere, N2YJZ,
Eastern New York; Joe Ames, W3JY, Eastern Pennsylvania; Karl Bowman, W4CHX,
North Carolina, and Chris Stallkamp, W0ADZ, South Dakota.


ARRL to Offer ARES Forms Training Webinar

On Tuesday March 1, ARRL Headquarters staff will offer a free training webinar
on three critical Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) report forms. This
webinar is intended for Emergency Coordinators, District Emergency
Coordinators, Section Emergency Coordinators, Assistant ECs at all three
levels, and Section Managers. The training will cover these forms:.

 *  FSD-157 -- Public Service Activity Report
 *  FSD-212 -- EC/DEC Monthly Report
 *  FSD-96 -- SEC Monthly Report

Topics covered will include how to fill out the forms, who should complete the
forms, where the information goes, how the information gets used, and why good
reporting is critical. The future of ARES reporting will be discussed. The
webinar will begin at 8 PM ET (0100 UTC) and last about 1 hour.

Conducting the webinar will be ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey,
KI1U; ARRL Field Services Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, and ARRL Emergency
Preparedness Assistant Ken Bailey, K1FUG.

Attendees may register online. For more information, contact Mike Corey, KI1U.


ARES Team Leverages Radio Services, Local Media, Internet in Missouri Flood
Watch

Members of Ste Genevieve County ARES in Missouri pulled together a variety of
resources to pitch in when the Mississippi River threatened to crest at a
record level in late December. Ste Genevieve County Emergency Coordinator Norm
Gallup, KD0HHM, reached out to the county's emergency manager to offer the
ARES group's assistance, and the ARES team was tasked with patrolling the
north levee. Gallup was familiar with the system of levees and earthen dams
that keep the river from overflowing its banks. With only a handful of radio
amateurs at hand, AEC Jody Odem, NR9A, said the ARES team soon realized it
would have to expand its pool of volunteers to non-amateurs who would be
willing to patrol the levee. He suggested providing Multi-Use Radio Service
(MURS) VHF radios to support unlicensed levee walkers, supplementing ham radio
and the Ste Genevieve County Amateur Radio Club repeater.

The ARES team set up shop at the Ste Genevieve Public Works Department, which
overlooks the Mississippi. A county-provided, trailer-mounted crank-up tower
was pressed into service to mount antennas. Gallup's "go kit" was packed with
a broad complement of radio gear. To obtain Internet service, Odem used a
modified wireless router that could function as a repeater to borrow a
wireless signal from a local residential care facility.

As the patrols got under way, MURS radios were issued to all levee walkers,
with one also going to the local police department to monitor the ARES team's
traffic. The command post also monitored local law enforcement as well as
county fire and EMS repeaters.

While all this was going on, Odem's wife Ana, N0ANA, took to Facebook, e-mail,
text message, and telephone to secure additional volunteers. Fortuitously, a
ham, Don Pritchard, W6ZPC, is the news director and an on-air personality for
the local radio station, and he was able to put out the word via that medium.

"As the operation progressed, volunteers came out of the woodwork to walk the
levee," Jody Odem said. Throughout the operation, a total of 37 volunteers
walked 4-hour shifts on the levee, looking for "areas of concern," which were
called in and plotted on a map using Google Earth. Many volunteers returned to
walk multiple shifts, Jody Odem said, and even with temperatures dipping into
the 20s at night, no one complained.

None of the areas of concern that levee walkers spotted turned out to be
significant, as the Mississippi River reached its second-highest level at
Chester, Illinois, since records have been kept. The ARES team officially
stood down on January 4.


FCC Seeks Comments on Petition to Grant Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses

The FCC is seeking comments on a Petition for Rule Making (RM 11760) that asks
the FCC to grant lifetime Amateur Radio licenses. Mark F. Krotz, N7MK, of
Mesa, Arizona, filed his request with the FCC last November. He wants the FCC
to revise ? 97.25 of its rules to indicate that Amateur Radio licenses are
granted for the holder's lifetime, instead of for the current 10-year term.
Krotz noted that the General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL) already is
issued on a lifetime basis, and he maintained that not having to renew
licenses would lighten the FCC's workload.

"It would be mutually beneficial for the FCC and Amateur Radio operators to
update Part 97 to grant operator licenses for lifetime," Krotz said in his
filing. "The FCC would benefit by reducing administrative costs."

In 2014, the FCC granted lifetime credit for examination elements 3 and 4, but
applicants seeking relicensing under that provision still must pass
examination element 2.

Individuals may submit comments via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System
(ECFS).


National Parks on the Air Update

Since the creation of the Manhattan Project National Historic Site by the
National Park Service (NPS) in mid-November 2015, activating one of the three
sites comprising this unit has been impossible, in large part because gaining
access to active Department of Energy sites is exceptionally difficult. The
only site of the three with any hope of regular public access is Oak Ridge,
Tennessee. On February 24, NPOTA administrators decided that any location
within the boundaries of the Oak Ridge Reservation, as outlined on the NPS
Manhattan Project website, will count for NPOTA credit. Activators must be
sure not to transmit from private property without prior approval.

There are 35 activations on the NPOTA Activations Calendar between February 25
and March 2, including Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico, and Moore's
Creek National Battlefield in North Carolina -- as part of the 240th
anniversary celebration of the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge during the
Revolutionary War.

Details about these and other upcoming activations can be found on the NPOTA
Activations calendar.

Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook. Follow NPOTA on Twitter
(@ARRL_NPOTA).


AMSAT Seeks Volunteers to Support Phase 4 "Five and Dime" Ground Terminal
Effort

Established less than 1 year ago, AMSAT's all-volunteer Phase 4 Ground
Terminal team has made significant strides in developing an ensemble of
solutions to support the so-called "Five and Dime" (5 GHz and 10 GHz) strategy
AMSAT has embraced for microwave satellite projects. Prompting the effort is
the planned launch of a geosynchronous military satellite in the 2018 time
frame, which could play host to an Amateur Radio payload operating on the two
microwave bands. The overarching project, which also includes a complementary
Phase 4 Space team, is exploring new territory and innovative solutions, and
it's seeking volunteers from among the technically savvy within the Amateur
Radio community.

"We're going to make it as awesome as possible," Ground Station team lead
Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, told ARRL. The project not only would support the
Phase 4B geosynchronous launch, but provide solutions for the Phase 3E
high-Earth orbit satellite, and receiver support for AMSAT's entry into the
NASA Cube Quest Challenge, which would go to the moon.

Thompson said the compelling technical reason for using 5 GHz and 10 GHz is
the ability to use high-bandwidth modes on those bands. In addition, "the 5
and 10 GHz bands are popular elsewhere, and other projects are embracing this
band complement," she noted. Another advantage would be to raise Amateur
Radio's profile on the two bands and perhaps "shake things up" there for
terrestrial use. "The 5 and 10 GHz bands are a compromise that's working
really, really well," Thompson said.

The US Air Force will control the geosynchronous satellite. Virginia Tech,
Millennium Space Systems (MSS), FEMA, various clubs. as well as AMSAT and ARRL
are partners in, or are supporting, the project. A formal memorandum of
understanding is pending.


Cognitive Radios

"We're currently exploring the Amateur Radio implementation of a very advanced
and exciting open standard called DVB-S2X for the downlink," Thompson
explained, noting it offers a variety of modulation and coding. Earth stations
will use their individual radios, transmitting a digital signal -- probably
something called Offset QPSK (O-PSK) -- directly to the satellite, with each
getting its own channel in a frequency division, multiple access (FDMA) scheme.

"This is an elegant way to design an efficient and advanced communication
system and allows technical volunteers to experiment with the basics of
cognitive radio -- radio that can sense the environment and adapt to take full
advantage of the capabilities the hardware offers," she said.


Groundsats and a "Big Honking SDR"

Phase 4 radios will be designed to work not just with the impending
geosynchronous satellite but through terrestrial microwave "Groundsats,"
which, Thompson said, "are essentially satellite simulators that let you test
and use the radio terrestrially." Phase 4 radio designs also could be
configured to use modulation schemes that are better able to deal with
terrestrial multipath.

Amateur Radio Access Points (ARAPs) -- essentially signal aggregators -- would
allow legacy radios, FM handheld transceivers, or emergency traffic providers
to use the satellite from any point where an ARAP can be deployed, packaging
the input for uplink to the satellite. Hams within ARAP range would be able to
use the Five and Dime terrestrial network just as if they were operating
through a satellite.

"The Groundsat, which is doing the same job as the satellite payload, has a
big honking SDR on it," Thompson said. Groundsat equipment has arrived and is
in use in San Diego, North Texas, and at Virginia Tech, and Groundsat
development is under way at those sites. A fourth site would be at Morgan
State University in Maryland.


Doing It on the Cheap

The name "Five and Dime" also reflects the project's economics. AMSAT Board
Member and Virginia Tech Research Professor Bob McGwier, N4HY, recently
explained on the AMSAT-BB that the Ground Team's work is "an effort to design
an inexpensive ground terminal for amateurs that would cost tens of thousands
of dollars commercially, for as much under $1000 as we can get it."

To volunteer for the Phase 4 Ground Team, provide your contact information on
AMSAT's Engineering Team contact form.


Satellite DXCC Nearly 20 Years in the Making

It took nearly 20 years, but AMSAT Vice President of Operations Drew
Glasbrenner, KO4MA, finally qualified for Satellite DXCC. Glasbrenner
submitted the requisite number of QSLs for checking at the Orlando HamCation
February 12-14, and ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X,
verified KO4MA's achievement.

"It's been a long process getting to satellite DXCC," said Glasbrenner, who
got into satellite operating around 1993, and was only on RS-12 (Mode K) for a
long time. "This was the Russian satellite payload that used 15 meters up, and
10 meters down."

Glasbrenner's activity stagnated for a long time during and after his college
years, but in 1999 he got involved in working the LEO satellites, such as
UO-14, AO-27, FO-20, FO-29, and AO-10 "when it was still semi-usable," he
added.

"When AO-40 was launched into a high-Earth orbit, I dove into Mode U/S with
gusto," Glasbrenner recounted. During the 3 years that AO-40 was active, he
spent many late nights and early mornings looking for the next new one.
"Eventually I was using a 3-foot solid dish with preamp and downconverter for
the Mode S downlink, and this is when some of my most exciting contacts came."

Highlights included working VU2MKP at a few degrees of elevation to the east,
right after the satellite came up, and working KH2GR in the other direction.

When AO-40 went silent, Glasbrenner said he was about a dozen short of DXCC,
and he realized that he'd have to be proactive to finish up with just LEO
satellites. Many of his new ones came from operators who went the extra mile
to operate from places like the Caribbean and Greenland.

Glasbrenner said the absence of operational HEO satellites "makes satellite
DXCC nearly impossible for newer operators."

Bernhard Dobler, DJ5MN, has been at the top of the DXCC Satellite standings
since 2000, and has 274 entities confirmed.


Article Profiles First African-American Radio Amateur, Rufus Turner, W3LF

The computer hardware/software/do-it-yourself blog Hackaday has profiled Rufus
Turner, W3LF (ex-K6AI) -- believed to be the first African-American radio
amateur and one of the more fascinating personalities in US history. Born on
December 25, 1907, in Houston, Texas, Turner "became fascinated by crystal
diodes and published his first article about radio when he was 17," according
to Hackaday. He went on to build what Hackaday described as "then the world's
smallest radio set" in 1925, while still a teenager.

In the day when radio amateurs still were allowed to broadcast, W3LF became
the first radio station licensed to an African-American. He broadcast with a
15 W in Washington, DC, and operated another radio station for his church.

Working with Sylvania in the 1940s, Turner helped to develop the 1N34A
germanium diode. And in 1949, he wrote "Build a Transistor" for Hugo
Gernsback's Radio-Electronics magazine (May 1949 issue, p 38) -- at a time
when transistors (aka "crystal triodes") not only were cutting edge but not
commercially available. His meticulously described project involved the
sacrifice of two 1N34A diodes.

In January 1950, his article, "A Crystal Receiver with Transistor Amplifier"
appeared in Radio and Television News, along with plans for a three-transistor
radio. This was in the days before such things had begun to appear on the
market.

While he had attended Armstrong Tech in Washington, DC, and he became a
licensed professional engineer, he veered into the non-technical sphere of
academe later in his life, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in English,
and in 1960 -- at age 52 -- becoming an English professor. Read more. --
Thanks to Hackaday, Southgate Amateur Radio News, Radio-Electronics


Hurricane Watch Net, Maritime Mobile Service Network Stalwart David Lefavour,
W7GOX, SK

A veteran of the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) and the Maritime Mobile Service
Network (MMSN), Capt David Lefavour, W7GOX, of Los Lunas, New Mexico, died on
February 8. He was 82. Lefavour served for more than 28 years in the US Navy
as a fighter pilot and later worked in law enforcement. An ARRL member, he was
a member of the HWN for more than 20 years, serving as the net manager from
2006 until 2009 and receiving manager emeritus status in 2013. He also was a
net controller for a similar tenure for the MMSN.

"Dave was one of few I've met who had a very calming and reassuring voice
during any emergency situation," HWN Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said.

Lefavour will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military
honors.

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

February 27-28 Maintenance to Interrupt ARRL Website Services: The ARRL
Information Technology Department will conduct overnight maintenance on its
network during the February 27-28 weekend, and some or all website systems and
services will be temporarily unavailable. The work will start at 0100 UTC on
February 28 (the evening of Saturday, February 27, in US time zones) and be
completed by 1100 UTC on Sunday, February 28. The ARRL website will remain up,
but online processing of membership applications and renewals and the ARRL
Store will not be available. E-mail also will be unavailable, but all messages
will be queued for later delivery. We apologize for any inconvenience.

"Ham Radio Now" Hosting 2015 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Video
Presentations: Full-length video of all major presentations at the 2015
ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) is now online, courtesy of
"Ham Radio Now." This includes the 16 individual talks on subjects ranging
from making a WSPR transmitter from a Raspberry Pi to advances in HF receiver
testing to building your own networked satellite ground station. Each talk
runs about 45 minutes. The DCC Sunday "Deep Dive" -- 4 hours on a single topic
--covered 3D modeling for Amateur Radio. Saturday night banquet speaker ARRL
Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX, posed the question: "Ham Radio... Now
What?" DCC videos are grouped in a YouTube Playlist.


Idaho QSO Party Listing in QST "Contest Calendar" Contains Incorrect Website
URL: The March "Contest Calendar" listing for the Idaho QSO Party contains an
incorrect URL for the sponsor's website. The correct URL is http
//idahoarrl.info/qsoparty/rules.htm. The Idaho QSO Party takes place March
12-13, 2016.


The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the 7 days of our reporting week
(February 18-24), average daily sunspot numbers declined from 56.7 to 37.9.

Average daily solar flux was down from 107.8 to 93.9, but geomagnetic
indicators were also down (generally a good thing), with the average planetary
A index decreasing from 17.7 to 10.1 and the average mid-latitude A index
declining from 12.6 to 7.3.

The latest prediction from the US Air Force has solar flux at 85 on February
25-26; 80 on February 27-28; 85 on February 29; 90 on March 1-2; 105 on March
3; 115 on March 4-7; 110 on March 8-9; 105 on March 10-13; 100 on March 14-15;
95 on March 16-19; 100 and 105 on March 20-21, and 110 on March 22-23. Solar
flux then peaks at 115 on March 29 through April 3.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on February 25-29; 12 on March 1; 8 on March
2-4; 5, 15, 10, and 8 on March 5-8; 5 on March 9-10; then 8, 5, and 12 on
March 11-13; 30 on March 14-16; 15 and 8 on March 17-18, and 5 on March 19-21.

Sunspot numbers for February 18 through 24 were 35, 42, 46, 47, 29, 27, and
39, with a mean of 37.9. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 94.9, 94, 100, 95.6,
93.7, 91, and 87.9, with a mean of 93.9. Estimated planetary A indices were
29, 15, 6, 4, 4, 6, and 7, with a mean of 10.1. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 20, 10, 5, 3, 3, 5, and 5, with a mean of 12.6.

Send me your reports and observations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  February 26-28 -- CQ 160 Meter Contest (SSB)
 *  February 27-28 -- REF Contest (SSB)
 *  February 27-28 -- UBA DX Contest (CW)
 *  February 27-28 -- South Carolina QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
 *  February 27-28 -- North American QSO Party (RTTY)
 *  February 28 -- High Speed Club CW Contest
 *  February 28 -- SARL Digital Contest
 *  February 28-29 -- North Carolina QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
 *  March 1 -- AGCW YL-CW Party (CW)
 *  March 2 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (SSB)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting on
Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your ARRL
member profile e-mail preferences.

____________________________________________________________________________


Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

 *  February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference, Tampa, Florida
 *  February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest, Albuquerque, New Mexico
 *  February 27 -- Vermont State Convention, S. Burlington, Vermont
 *  March 4-5 -- Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
 *  March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana
 *  March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention, Rosenburg, Texas
 *  March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
 *  March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington
 *  March 25-26 -- Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
 *  April 2 -- Delta Division Convention, Fort Smith, Arkansas
 *  April 2 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
 *  April 8-9 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
 *  April 9-10 -- Communications Academy, Seattle, Washington
 *  April 15-17 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California
 *  April 15-17 -- VHF Super Conference, Sterling, Virginia
 *  April 16 -- Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware
 *  April 22-24 -- Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho
 *  April 23 -- Aurora '16 Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
 *  April 23 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska
 *  April 29-May 1 -- Nevada State Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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