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The ARRL Letter

June 16, 2016
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  ARRL Now Offering New "Radio and Wireless Technology" Patch Program for
    Girl Scouts
 *  FCC Turns Away Petition to Permit Experimental Operation on Amateur
    Bands
 *  Polish DXer 3Z9DX Reported Ready to Return to North Korea on a Moment's
    Notice
 *  Three Radio Amateurs on the ISS Head Home on June 18
 *  National Parks on the Air Update
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  Gear Up for ARRL Field Day with Official Merchandise
 *  Kids Day is Saturday, June 18
 *  "The Magic Band" Lives Up to its Name in ARRL June VHF Contest
 *  White House Honors Limor Fried, AC2SN, Among "Champions of Change for
    Making"
 *  Well-Known DXer, DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, Dies in Fall from Tower
 *  Nepal Radio Amateur Describes Earthquake Response Effort at West Coast
    Gathering
 *  Europe's "Dayton" -- Ham Radio 2016 (Friedrichshafen) -- Takes Place
    June 24-26
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  This Week in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions


ARRL Now Offering New "Radio and Wireless Technology" Patch Program for Girl
Scouts

The ARRL has begun offering a new Girl Scouts "Radio and Wireless Technology"
patch program that offers opportunities for participants to learn about
wireless technology, including Amateur Radio. Scout leaders and Amateur Radio
volunteers associated with the Greater Atlanta Girl Scout Council and Girl
Scouts of the Green and White Mountains developed the program to incorporate
information and exploratory activities that provide a backdrop for
understanding radio communication. The program will encourage Girl Scouts to
take on activities to gain knowledge and skills, as well as kindle an interest
in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers.

"The initiative for the program came about through my conversations with hams
who wanted to work with Girl Scouts as well as Boy Scouts and wanted a patch
program that would introduce ham radio, as the 'Radio' merit badge does in the
Boy Scouts," said ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ. "I was
introduced to a group of leaders with the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta who
wanted to work in developing a new, fun patch program for radio that would fit
with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience structure. This group was joined by
Jill Galus, KB1SWV, of the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains in New
Hampshire. We collaborated on this over the course of several years." Galus's
father, "Skip" Youngberg, K1NKR, and a team from the Nashoba Valley Radio Club
helped test-drive the new patch program with Girl Scouts in New Hampshire,
during "Thinking Day on the Air" this past February.

The program defines the requirements for Girl Scouts to earn the patch at the
Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador levels. Girl Scouts can learn
the fundamentals of radio communication and wireless technology, from
broadcasting to smartphones, and apply what they learn to connect people,
enhance safety, and explore related careers. In addition to acquiring the
fundamentals, participants can explore radio science through hands-on learning
with Amateur Radio, and use radio to talk around the world and for public
service. They also can learn about the role of wireless technology in everyday
life and in careers.


FCC Turns Away Petition to Permit Experimental Operation on Amateur Bands

The FCC has denied the 2015 petition of a Missouri radio amateur seeking to
have the Commission authorize low-power experimental activity on Amateur Radio
frequencies. James Edwin Whedbee, N0ECN, of Gladstone, sought to amend FCC
Part 97 Amateur Service rules to let radio amateurs conduct experiments on all
Amateur Radio bands, subject to certain limits on duration, power, and
bandwidth. The FCC declined to put his petition on public notice and invite
comments.

"[T]he Commission's rules contain numerous provisions for experimentation and
development of new radio equipment and techniques," the FCC said in a June 9
letter to Whedbee. "The Experimental Radio Service (ERS) rules contained in
Part 5 permit a broad range of experiments, including in the Amateur Service,
and prescribe the manner in which the radio spectrum may be made available to
experiment with new radio technologies, equipment designs, characteristics of
radio wave propagation, or service concepts related to the use of the radio
spectrum."

The letter pointed out that the FCC "recently revised and streamlined" its
Part 5 rules "to provide additional flexibility to innovators" and noted that
Whedbee did not discuss in his petition whether those rule changes might
address his concerns.

In the same stroke of the pen, the FCC denied a 2016 petition from Whedbee
seeking to delegate to the chiefs of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
(WTB) and the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) the authority to
dispose of certain requests for exemptions, waivers, and rulemaking regarding
new technologies or new application of existing technologies.

"The Commission has already delegated to WTB and OET authority to act on
applications, waiver requests, petitions, and even some rulemaking matters, so
long as they do not raise novel questions of law or policy which cannot be
resolved under outstanding Commission precedents and guidelines," the FCC told
Whedbee.

"[W]e conclude that [both] petitions present no evidence of an existing
problem or other evidence meriting a rule change, and we dismiss the
petitions," the FCC concluded.

Whedbee is no stranger to the FCC petition process. Earlier this year he
petitioned the FCC to designate Morse (radiotelegraphy) Amateur Radio band
segments as "symbol communication" subbands, and the FCC invited public
comment on that request (RM-11769). In 2012, the FCC turned down Whedbee's
request that the FCC declare homeowners associations' covenants, conditions,
and restrictions (CC&Rs) unenforceable.


Polish DXer 3Z9DX Reported Ready to Return to North Korea on a Moment's Notice

In the wake of a surprise "demonstration" operation from North Korea --
officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) -- in December,
Polish DXer Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, is eagerly awaiting the call that will allow him
to return to the most-wanted DXCC entity for another brief activation. Just
when that will come could be anytime, however. DX-World and The Daily DX
report that Grzyb has received confirmation that North Korea will authorize a
5-day operation, and he is ready to roll as soon as he gets word, which will
be on short notice -- just enough time for him to book his flight, grab his
gear, and head off. DX World reported that no notice would be given prior to
the P5/3Z9DX activation itself.

There are other conditions: He may only operate on SSB and on one band, 20,
15, or 10 meters. No decisions will be made until Grzyb gets to the DPRK,
however.

Over the course of his unanticipated December 20-21, 2015, activation -- the
first in more than a decade -- P5/3Z9DX made nearly 785 SSB contacts, most of
them on 15 meters. Nearly 600 of the contacts were with stations in Asia;
P5/3Z9DX worked just 26 stations in North America. He has posted his log on
ClubLog. The ARRL DXCC Department subsequently approved the P5/3Z9DX operation
for DXCC. -- Thanks to The Daily DX and DX-World


Three Radio Amateurs on the ISS Head Home on June 18

Three radio amateurs on board the International Space Station (ISS) will
depart the orbiting outpost at the end of the week. Expedition 47 Commander
Tim Kopra, KE5UDN; Flight Engineer Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS, and Yuri
Malenchenko, RK3DUP, will undock from the space station early on Saturday
morning, June 18 (the evening of Friday, June 17, in US time zones) in a Soyuz
TMA-19M spacecraft commanded by Malenchenko, after having spent 186 days in
space since their December launch. NASA Television will provide coverage
starting on June 17.

When the Soyuz undocks, ISS Expedition 48 will begin under the command of Jeff
Williams, KD5TVQ. Williams and crewmates Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, and Alexey
Ovchinin will operate the station for 3 weeks until the arrival of the next
crew increment. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ; Russian cosmonaut Anatoly
Ivanishin, and Takuya Onishi, KF5LKS, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency are scheduled to launch on July 6 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

During their stay, Kopra and Peake scored some milestones for the Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. On March 10, Kopra
conducted the 1000th ARISS school group contact with students in North Dakota.
The first contact occurred in December of 2000. Peake made use of Amateur
Radio in his "Principia Mission" outreach, which aimed to directly engage
students with communication technologies, inspiring them to pursue careers in
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

During his stay in space, Peake hosted 10 ARISS school group contacts,
including the first to take advantage of the HamTV digital Amateur Radio
television (DATV) system when he spoke with students in England on February
11. The DATV system in the Columbus module of the ISS allowed students at
Royal Masonic School, home of GB1RSM, to see as well as to listen, as Peake,
operating as GB1SS, answered their questions about life in space.


National Parks on the Air Update

One of the rarest locations in the National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program
will be activated on Saturday, June 18. The HacDX Amateur Radio Club, W3HAC,
has secured permission to operate from the White House Visitor Center (DZ10),
during ARRL Kids Day. Announced frequencies are 14,270, 7270, 14,042, and 7042
kHz from 1800 to 2300 UTC.

The group, which has secured the call sign W3H for this activity, plans other
NPOTA Activations on August 25 -- the actual date of the National Park
Service's 100th anniversary -- and in October for Scouting's Jamboree On the
Air (JOTA).

There are 55 NPOTA activations on the calendar for June 16-22, including Mesa
Verde National Park in Colorado, and the James Garfield National Historic Site
in Ohio. 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).


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Grounding" is the topic of the latest (June 16) episode of the "ARRL The
Doctor is In" podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, "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 e-mail 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, or by using your iPhone or iPad
podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen
online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (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.
Just ahead: "Are Linear Amplifiers Really Worthwhile?"


Gear Up for ARRL Field Day with Official Merchandise

ARRL Field Day -- the most popular operating event of all -- is June 25-26.
There's still time to show your support for ARRL Field Day with official
merchandise. Shirts hats, pins, patches, and coffee mugs are a great way to
acknowledge -- and commemorate -- your participation in this annual event.
Encourage family, friends, and fellow hams to take part in ARRL Field Day with
recruitment posters and attractive "Get on the Air" (GOTA) pins for newcomers.
Get out...get on the air...and leave nothing but footprints!

Order your 2016 ARRL Field Day merchandise from the ARRL online store or call
(888) 277-5289 in the US, Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern
Time. Outside the US, call (860) 594-0355). While supplies last.


Kids Day is Saturday, June 18

Kids Day is Saturday, June 18, from 1800 to 2400 UTC. The twice-yearly
(January and June) event, sponsored by the ARRL and The Boring (Oregon)
Amateur Radio Club, is an excellent opportunity to showcase Amateur Radio to
youngsters and even to hand over the keys, so they can get some hands-on
hamming experience. Share the excitement with your own children or grandkids,
or with youngsters in the neighborhood! For youngsters, their positive ham
radio experience may foster an interest that may lead them to become radio
amateurs. For veterans, it's a chance to share their stations and affection
for Amateur Radio with the next generation.

To solicit contacts, call "CQ Kids Day." The suggested exchange is name, age,
location, and favorite color. There is no limit on operating time, and
stations may work each other more than once if the operator has changed.
Repeater contacts (with permission of the repeater's sponsor) are okay too,
and satellite contacts may provide a real thrill. Observe third-party traffic
restrictions when making DX contacts.

All participants are encouraged to post stories and photos to the Kids Day
Soapbox page and are eligible for a colorful certificate. You can download the
free certificate, customized with the youngsters' names, after filling out the
Kids Day Survey found on the same page as the certificate generator.
Alternatively, you can send a 9 x 12 SASE to Kids Day Certificate Request,
ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.


"The Magic Band" Lives Up to its Name in ARRL June VHF Contest

Six meters sounded more like an HF band during the ARRL June VHF Contest over
the June 11-12 weekend, as sustained sporadic E (also known as E-skip or Es)
openings greeted participants. Some found 6 meter contacts so bountiful that
they tended to neglect the other VHF/UHF bands, where conditions were more
typical.

"As for why the contest weekend was so good, all I can say is that June can be
good for E-skip," said Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, the former "Propagation"
editor for National Contest Journal (NCJ). "I think the term 'sporadic' in its
name is well suited. We just don't understand the detailed processes of 6
meter Es."

For many, it was a 6-meters-only event, with the best conditions in several
years and much of the action on CW. "This was the consummate 50 MHz festival,
with wide-open bands throughout most of the contest," Bill Schwantes, W7QQ, in
New Mexico, posted in his soapbox comments on the 3830 website. "For the first
time in my memory I felt like a rate junkie, often reaching 200 per hour. What
fun on 6, while ignoring long-haul, weak signal contacts on 144, 222, and 432."

Bob Striegl, K2DRH, who boasts some serious VHF-UHF antennas in upstate
Illinois, said the band "was going crazy" in the evening from the East Coast
to Europe, and to Japan from the Midwest and South. "In a lull I tuned up
JA7QVI, who was the strongest, and worked him on CW with low power!"

Mike Smith, VE9AA, in New Brunswick called it, "A VHF (6 meter) contest I can
write home about." He was one station's first 6 meter contact, and "was
tickled to do that."

Top-tier HF contester Dan Street, K1TO, in Florida, made his first 6 meter
contact with Japan during ARRL VHF, only the third time he's operated in the
event. "Conditions were amazingly different for all of us," Street said in his
soapbox post. "I watched in awe as the W1s seemed to have a contest-long
opening to somewhere. EA8DBM's skimmer made an incredible number of US spots,
and he worked stations out to the West Coast. Yet here in Florida, I never
heard him once, nor even one European."

Eric Gruff, NC6K, in California also didn't get in on the excitement. "Another
frustrating VHF contest from DM13," he posted. "[T]he majority of the time, I
spent listening to the same local stations calling CQ incessantly, while the
rest of the country was enjoying a huge opening."

Charlie Panek, KX7L, in Washington, summed things up this way: "Every few
years the planets line up right, and we get a good Es opening during the
contest," he said. "This was one of those years!"


White House Honors Limor Fried, AC2SN, Among "Champions of Change for Making"

The White House will honor Adafruit founder Limor "Ladyada" Fried, AC2SN, on
June 17 as one of 10 "Champions of Change for Making." According to the
announcement, while an engineering student at MIT, Fried became determined to
create a company that focused on supporting the learning of electronics for
makers of all ages and skill levels.

"These individuals were selected by the White House for their personal passion
and tireless efforts to make advances in technology and platforms, educational
opportunities, or spaces that empower even more Americans to become tinkerers,
inventors, and entrepreneurs," the announcement said.

Fried founded Adafruit in 2005, and it has grown to now employ more than 100
individuals in a 50,000 square foot factory in New York City. As the company's
sole owner, she has committed to building both innovation and community, and
is known for creating resources for learning.

"When Limor Fried looks at a circuit board, she sees it as a series of
aesthetic choices -- a vehicle for self-expression, rather than simply the
product of rational optimization," Nicola Twilley wrote in the March 3 edition
of The New Yorker magazine. Twilley quoted Fried as saying, "I want to show
people that engineering isn't something cold and calculated. Thinking like an
engineer is a beautiful and fascinating way to see the world, too."

Fried was the first female engineer on the cover of WIRED magazine, and she
was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012 by Entrepreneur magazine. She also
served on the NYC Industrial Business Advisory Council.

Adafruit has expanded its offerings to include tools, equipment, and
electronics, which Fried personally selects, tests, and approves before they
go into the Adafruit store.

The White House will live stream the recognition ceremony on Friday, June 17,
at 1700 UTC.


Well-Known DXer, DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, Dies in Fall from Tower

Well-known DXer and DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, of Virden, New Mexico,
died on June 10 after falling from an Amateur Radio tower. An ARRL Life
Member, he was 73. According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, Jensen
was working on a tower on Arizona's Mount Lemmon when he fell. He was
pronounced dead at the scene. The mishap is still under investigation.

"Milt was on one of his many tower climbing adventures, and, by no choice of
his, it became his last," his oldest son, Jason, wrote in a QRZ.com post.

Licensed in 1960, Jensen had lived in Virden for his entire life. Especially
well known for his 160 meter activity, he spent several years constructing an
"8-circle array" of full-sized 160 meter verticals -- each 125-foot towers --
at his station site south of Safford, Arizona, near the New Mexico border, Lee
Finkel, KY7M, wrote in an article set to appear in the July/August issue of
NCJ. Jensen operated his "dream station" remotely from his home, often using
the call sign N7GP in contests. In addition to his Top Band operation, Jensen
was heavily involved in designing, installing, and maintaining VHF and UHF
mountaintop repeaters, remotely controlled base stations, and linking systems.
As a contester, he often landed in the Top 10 standings.

Jensen participated in three DXpeditions. He and his wife Rulene, KB5VTM, were
part of the 1998 XZ1N team in Myanmar. In 2000, he returned to Myanmar as part
of the XZ0A multinational team. In 2008, he was part of the Ducie Island VP6DX
DXpedition team.


Nepal Radio Amateur Describes Earthquake Response Effort at West Coast
Gathering

Amateur Radio's "vital role" in the 2015 Nepal earthquake response was the
topic on June 2 as the City of Santa Clara, California, hosted Sanjeeb Panday,
9N1SP, of Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu Nepal. Given that the Silicon
Valley and the Kathmandu Valley share the common geography of multiple, nearby
earthquake fault lines, the subject was relevant. The Santa Clara Fire
Department sponsored the presentation, with an eye toward applying the lessons
learned in the wake of the Nepal earthquake to better prepare for a similar
disaster in the Silicon Valley.

"The Nepali people have gone through a tremendous ordeal," Panday told the
audience. "If our experience can help others in different parts of the world
[to] better prepare for disasters, then this can be regarded as a positive
outcome."

Nearly 100 spectators attended Panday's presentation, including firefighters,
emergency response officials, City of Santa Clara ARES/RACES members, Bay-Net
participants, and members of the Nepali-American Community. Scout leader
Richard Silkebakken, KM6CPH, and members of Cub Scout Pack 32 (Monterey Bay
Council) presented Panday with two handheld transceivers for delivery to
Scouts in Nepal. Also during the event, the office of US Rep Mike Honda
presented the Global Nepali Professional Network (GNPN or CAN-USA) with a
"Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition." Through its Radio Mala
program, GNPN funded and helped to construct the only two Amateur Radio
repeaters available in Nepal during the earthquake.

Panday was in the US to attend the International Microwave Symposium (IMS),
where he addressed a panel on Amateur Radio in post-secondary education. On
June 1, he also spoke to the US Geological Survey.

Second-generation Nepali-American Suresh Ojha, W6KTM, said he was gratified
that the academic community and US jurisdictions are looking at Nepal's
earthquake experience with an eye to applying the lessons learned to the
challenges faced in the US.


Europe's "Dayton" -- Ham Radio 2016 (Friedrichshafen) -- Takes Place June 24-26

ARRL will be well represented this month at Europe's premier Amateur Radio
gathering -- Ham Radio 2016. The 3-day event, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on
the shores of Lake Constance, gets under way on June 24. ARRL President Rick
Roderick, K5UR, will head the League's contingent to Friedrichshafen, which
also will include International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB; CEO
Tom Gallagher, NY2RF; Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R; Assistant Field
Services and Radiosport Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, and retired CEO David
Sumner, K1ZZ. The annual show attracts upward of 15,000 visitors from around
the globe. The co-sponsoring Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) has set a
theme of "Amateur Radio -- On land, on water, and in the air" for this
summer's event. Some 200 exhibitors from 34 countries will be on hand for this
41st "Friedrichshafen."

"There are as many different ways to operate Amateur Radio as there are places
from which you can send radio transmissions: On land, on water, and in the
air," DARC spokesperson Stephanie Heine, DO7PR, said.

This year's program includes a "foxhunt" in woods near the fairgrounds, a
youth camp, and the Ham Rally, where the next generation of radio amateurs can
explore the world of technology and wireless. It's open to young people
between the ages of 8 and 18.

A Contest University (CTU) sponsored by the DARC will take place for
radiosport beginners on Friday, June 24, and experienced contesters on
Saturday, June 25, with sessions aimed at how to improve contesting
performance.

IARU Region 1 will host a meeting of those interested in emergency
communication on Friday, June 24. The session will include an open forum for
national coordinators to report on activities in their respective countries.
Also up for discussion will be GlobalSet and changes to the IARU emergency
message procedure.

International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA,
will head the IARU team to Friedrichshafen, along with IARU Vice President Ole
Garpestad, LA2RR, and IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD, a past ARRL
president.

Next year's big show in Friedrichshafen will take place July 14-16, owing to a
scheduling conflict.


The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: It was a little scary to see the daily
sunspot number at zero for 4 days -- June 3-6 -- but conditions seem to have
recovered nicely. The average daily sunspot number for our June 9-15 reporting
week was 29.1, up from 7.7 the previous week.

Due to the way sunspots are counted, the minimum non-zero sunspot number is
11. A sunspot number of 11 means there is one sunspot (counting as one point)
in one sunspot group (adding 10 points). A second sunspot raises the sunspot
number to 12, unless that spot is on its own and not clustered with the other
spot, in which case the sunspot number would be 22. So, that average daily
sunspot number of 7.7 from the previous week is due to the fact that 4 out of
the 7 days had sunspot numbers of zero; you would never see a day with an
actual sunspot number of 7.7.

Average daily solar flux this week was 88.3, up from 80.7. Predicted solar
flux for the next month is pretty flat, at 85 on June 16-30; 80 on July 1-5;
85 on July 6-9; 92 on July 10-11; 95 on July 12-18; 92 and 90 on July 19-20,
and 85 on July 21-27.

Predicted planetary A index is 18, 12, and 8 on June 16-18; 5 on June 19-21;
8, 10, 12, and 8 on June 22-25; 1 on June 26-27; 5 on June 28-July 1; then 25,
20, and 8 on July 2-4; 5 on July 5-6; 8 and 10 on July 7-8; 8 on July 9-10; 5,
8, 12, and 8 on July 11-14; 5 on July 15-19; 10, 12, and 8 on July 20-22; 1 on
July 23-24, and 5 on July 25-28.

Sunspot numbers for June 9 through 15 were 22, 28, 40, 39, 27, 26, and 22,
with a mean of 29.1. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 85.2, 84.9, 88.2, 94.1, 91,
87.6, and 87.3, with a mean of 88.3. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 9,
11, 10, 9, 21, and 14, with a mean of 11.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 5, 9, 11, 9, 10, 15, and 15 with a mean of 10.6.

In Friday's bulletin look for reader reports on recent 6 meter propagation.

Send me your reports and observations at k7ra@arrl.net.

____________________________________________________________________________


This Week in Radiosport

 *  June 18 -- Kids Day
 *  June 18 -- Feld Hell Sprint
 *  June 18 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
 *  June 18-19 -- SMIRK Contest (CW, phone)
 *  June 18-19 -- All Asian DX Contest (CW)
 *  June 18-19 -- Ukrainian DX Classic (RTTY)
 *  June 18-19 -- IARU Region 1 50 MHz Contest (CW, phone)
 *  June 18-19 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
 *  June 18-19 -- West Virginia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
 *  June 19 -- WAB 50 MHz Phone
 *  June 20 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
 *  June 22 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
 *  June 23 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
 *  June 23 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (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

 *  June 18 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
 *  July 2 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,
    Pennsylvania
 *  July 8-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida
 *  July 8-9 -- Utah State Convention, Sandy, Utah
 *  July 15-17 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana
 *  July 22-23 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
 *  July 29-31 -- Central States VHF Conference, Rochester, Minnesota
 *  August 5-6 -- Texas State Convention, Austin, Texas
 *  August 5-7 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Portland, Oregon
 *  August 12-14 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
 *  August 19-21 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
 *  August 20-21 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, Alabama
 *  August 21 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas
 *  September 3-4 -- North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
 *  September 9-11 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
    Massachusetts
 *  September 10 -- Kentucky State Convention, Shepherdsville, Kentucky
 *  September 10 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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)\/(ark

Always Mount a Scratch Monkey

... It is impossible to enjoy idling unless there is plenty of work to do.
---
 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)