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http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-09-15

The ARRL Letter

September 15, 2016
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  Amateur Radio Parity Act Passes in the US House of Representatives!
 *  Higher Bands Will Pick Up this Fall, Data Suggest Smaller Solar Cycles
    Lie Ahead
 *  Lunar-Orbiting Ham Radio Satellite Could Result from NASA Cube Quest
    Challenge
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  National Parks on the Air Update
 *  ARDF Team USA Enjoys Success in Bulgaria
 *  ARRL Honors Veteran Section Manager Upon Her Retirement
 *  Radio Club of America Announces 2016 Awards, Fellows
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions



Amateur Radio Parity Act Passes in the US House of Representatives!

"The bill is passed without objection." With those words, Amateur Radio
history was made on September 12, when the US House of Representatives
approved the Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301 on a voice vote under a
suspension of the rules. The focus of the campaign to enact the legislation
into law now shifts to the US Senate.

The House victory culminated many years of effort on ARRL's part to gain
legislation that would enable radio amateurs living in deed-restricted
communities to erect antennas that support Amateur Radio communication. The
measure calls on the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules "to prohibit the
application to amateur stations of certain private land-use restrictions, and
for other purposes." While similar bills in past years gained some traction on
Capitol Hill, it was not until the overwhelming grassroots support from the
Amateur Radio community for H.R. 1301 shepherded by ARRL that a bill made it
this far. The legislation faces significant obstacles to passage in the US
Senate, however.

"This is huge step in our effort to enact legislation that will allow radio
amateurs who live in deed-restricted communities the ability to construct an
effective outdoor antenna," ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said. "Thanks
to everyone for their help in this effort thus far. Now we must turn our full
attention to getting the bill passed in the Senate."

ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL Board's
Legislative Advocacy Committee, has been heavily involved in efforts to move
H.R. 1301 forward. "This has been a multi-year effort that is finally seeing
some light," he said. "The passage of the bill in the House is a major
accomplishment, due to the hard work of so many -- from the rank-and-file
member to the officers and directors."

Lisenco said it's not a time to rest on our laurels. "We are only halfway
there. The focus now shifts to our effort in the Senate," he said. "We are
beginning a massive e-mail campaign in which we need every member to write
their two Senators using our simplified process. You will be hearing from
President Roderick and from your Directors, asking you to go to our Rally
Congress page. Using your ZIP code, e-mails will be generated much like our
recent letter campaign. You'll fill in your name and address and press Enter.
The e-mails will be sent directly to your Senators without you having to
search through their websites."

Lisenco said getting these e-mails to members' Senators is a critical part of
the process. "Those numbers matter! Please help us help you by participating
in this effort," he said.

As the amended bill provides, "Community associations should fairly administer
private land-use regulations in the interest of their communities, while
nevertheless permitting the installation and maintenance of effective outdoor
Amateur Radio antennas. There exist antenna designs and installations that can
be consistent with the aesthetics and physical characteristics of land and
structures in community associations while accommodating communications in the
Amateur Radio services."


Limited Debate

During this week's limited debate, the House bill's sponsor, Rep Adam
Kinzinger (R-IL), thanked ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI)
for reaching an agreement to move the bill forward "in a bipartisan and very
positive manner." He pointed out to his colleagues that Amateur Radio antennas
are prohibited outright in some areas.

"For some this is merely a nuisance," Kinzinger said, "but for others -- those
that use their Amateur Radio license for life-saving emergency communications
-- a dangerous situation can be created by limiting their ability to establish
effective communication for those in need."

Kinzinger said that in emergencies, hams can provide "a vital and life-saving
function" when conventional communication systems are down. He also praised
the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), a US Department of D
fense-sponsored program, comprised largely of Amateur Radio volunteers, that
also supports communication during emergencies and disasters.

Cosponsor US Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT) also urged the bill's passage. "This is
not just a feel-good bill," Courtney said, recounting how Hurricane Sandy
brought down the power grid, and "we saw all the advanced communications we
take for granted...completely fall by the wayside." Ham radio volunteers
provided real-time communication in the storm's wake, he said, saying the
legislation was a way "to rebalance things" for radio amateurs who choose to
live in deed-restricted neighborhoods by enabling them to install
"non-intrusive antennas."

Courtney noted that he spoke recently with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, and said
that Wheeler "strongly supports this legislation."

Leading up to the vote, Rep Paul Tonko (D-NY) also spoke in support of the
legislation, calling it a common-sense approach that would build "fairness
into the equation for Amateur Radio operators" in dealing with homeowners
associations.

The earlier U.S. Senate version of the Amateur Radio Parity Act, S. 1685, no
longer is in play, and the Senate is expected to vote by unanimous consent on
the version of H.R. 1301 that the House adopted on September 12.



Higher Bands Will Pick Up this Fall, Data Suggest Smaller Solar Cycles Lie
Ahead

Propagation guru Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, says that, while conditions on 12
and 10 meters will pick up as they always do in the fall, F2 propagation on
those bands will decline thereafter, with only sporadic E during the summer
months as a possible saving grace. On the other hand, the lower bands -- 160,
80, and 40 meters -- should be good going forward, and 20 and 17 meters will
be the mainstays of daylight HF propagation. Luetzelschwab offered these
observations during an August 23 World Wide Radio Operators Foundation
(WWROF)-sponsored webinar "Solar Topics -- Where We're Headed." He said data
suggest that Solar Cycle 24, the current solar cycle, will bottom out in 2020,
and he advised that radio amateurs may need to lower their expectations on the
higher bands (and 6 meters) looking beyond that.

"I think the only conclusion we can make with some confidence is that we are
headed for some small cycles," he told his audience. He cited various evidence
related to the Sun's polar fields -- which appear to be decreasing in
strength, A index trends, and cosmic ray data to support his assertion.
Luetzelschwab cautioned, however, that past performance does not necessarily
predict future performance.

"There seems to be a good correlation between how long a solar minimum is and
the next solar cycle," said Luetzelschwab. "The longer you spend at solar
minimum, the smaller the next cycle."

He observed that hams active since the 1950s and 1960s have experienced short
inter-cycle solar minimums of approximately 2 years, until the one between
Solar Cycle 23 and Solar Cycle 24, which lasted about 4 years. He also allowed
that the science is not fully understood, and that some things appearing to be
patterns may just be coincidences.

On the other hand, he said, it looks like the downward trend of disappearing
sunspots has leveled off, suggesting that Solar Cycle 25 may see a lower
smoothed sunspot number as opposed to zero or near-zero sunspots.

Counting those sunspots can be a subjective business. "That's a tough job," he
said of the task, noting that it appears observer bias also has been a factor
over the years, affecting historical sunspot data. "We now have new corrected
data that are believed to be more accurate."

Luetzelschwab's article "The New Sunspot Numbers," appearing in the October
issue of QST, discusses the new sunspot numbers.

Luetzelschwab cited historical sunspot cycle data going back centuries --
including the "Maunder Minimum" of zero and near-zero sunspots between the
years 1645 and 1715 and a later, less-drastic "Dalton Minimum." He pointed out
that over the last 11,000 years, 19 notable grand maximums -- including Solar
Cycle 19 and the cycles around it -- and 27 notable grand minimums were
recorded. "We're likely to have more of both grand maximums and grand minimums
in the future," he predicted. The current system of numbering sunspot cycles
begins with Solar Cycle 1 in the mid-18th century.

"We don't fully understand the process inside the Sun that makes solar
cycles," Luetzelschwab said. "Thus, you should exercise caution with
statements seen in the news."



Lunar-Orbiting Ham Radio Satellite Could Result from NASA Cube Quest Challenge

A NASA Cube Quest Challenge (CQC) team partnered with AMSAT-NA is among the
five CQC teams to receive $20,000 each from the space agency as part of a
competition that could lead to a lunar-orbiting Amateur Radio satellite. The
Ragnarok Industries Nano-Satellite Company team, comprised of former NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center PhD engineering interns, is designing the 6-unit
(6U) Heimdallr CubeSat to test advanced propulsion and communication
technologies for lunar and deep-space missions.

AMSAT would develop the 5 GHz uplink/10 GHz downlink -- the so-called "five
and dime" paradigm -- Phase 5 Amateur Radio transponder for the spacecraft,
and AMSAT's Ground Terminal initiative is supporting the effort. The Heimdallr
team was among five teams to score highest in the first of four "ground
tournaments" (GT-1) making up the initial phase of the $5 million CQC,
although it missed out on another $30,000, because it was not among the top
scorers in the second ground tournament. The three teams with the highest
total cumulative scores will be offered rides as secondary
payloads on the first Space Launch System mission/Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1)
in 2018.

"Cube Quest is an opportunity for non-government CubeSat developers and
builders to compete in lunar orbit and deep space for accomplishments in
communications, navigation, and longevity," said CQC Competition Manager Jim
Cockrell of NASA's Ames Research Center. Cockrell likened a ground tournament
to a "mission concept review," where teams present initial spacecraft designs,
and no hardware is involved.

AMSAT P5 Project Manager Howie DeFelice, AB2S, said that at the end of the SLS
mission, AMSAT would take control of the satellite and operate it in lunar
orbit.

"This will be AMSAT's first P5 satellite," DeFelice said. "It will also be the
most advanced satellite since AO-40, even though it will be smaller than AO-10
and AO-13. At 6U it will be about the size of two reams of paper stacked
together." DeFelice said Ragnarok is in the running for a launch, "but it is
very competitive, and we are underdogs."

The ultimate goal of the competition is to send CubeSats into lunar orbit or
deep space. NASA is offering a total of $3 million in prizes in the "Lunar
Derby" portion of the competition -- both for being able to enter lunar orbit
and to meet communication and longevity goals.

The Heimdallr satellite -- named for a Norse deity -- plans to test advanced
propulsion and communication technology. According to information filed for
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Satellite Frequency Coordination,
Heimdallr would be a 3-axis stabilized 6U CubeSat weighing approximately 8 kg.
It would have a cold-gas thruster and a star tracker for navigation.
Deployable, gimbaled solar panels would produce up to 100 W of dc power.
Electric propulsion will be used to achieve lunar orbit. The onboard
communication gear would use a combination of omnidirectional and
directional patch antennas on one side of the spacecraft.

The first part of the Heimdallr mission is to provide telemetry, tracking, and
command to obtain lunar orbit, the second is the data downlink experiment, and
the final component is to provide a two-way regenerative repeater and analog
repeater in lunar orbit for the lifetime of the satellite. The o
nidirectional, directional, and analog transponders would downlink in the 10
GHz band, while the uplinks would be in the vicinity of 5.6 GHz.

"Heimdallr will feature non-volatile and non-energetic electric propulsion to
reach lunar orbit," Ragnarok Industries explains on its website. "By not
having a pressurized vessel nor carrying dangerous chemicals, Heimdallr will
be one of the safest 6U CubeSats" aboard NASA's EM-1 Mission in 2018.



The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Coaxial Connectors" is the topic of the current (September 8) 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 on September 22: "Coping with the Solar Minimum."



National Parks on the Air Update

Two radio amateurs are putting on a real back-country adventure for ARRL's
National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program. Dave Swanson, KG5CCI, and Wyatt
Dirks, AC0RA, will be backpacking their way across the Channel Islands
National Park (NP11) over the September 16-18 weekend. Their primary goal is
to give out the park unit, along with the rare CM93 grid square, on Amateur
Radio satellites. The team will also have QRP HF and VHF/UHF terrestrial gear.
Swanson and Dirks both have extensive experience working the satellites under
portable conditions and have secured the special event call sign K6R for their
expedition. Detailed information is on the K6R QRZ.com page.

Thirty-eight other activations will take place between September 15-21,
including Saint Croix Island International Historic Site in Maine, and the
Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. 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).



ARDF Team USA Enjoys Success in Bulgaria

Fifteen of the best on-foot hidden transmitter hunters in the US are back home
after picking up seven medals in the 18th World Amateur Radio Direction
Finding (ARDF) Championships and World Cup events in Bulgaria. As reported in
The ARRL Letter for September 1, Vadim Afonkin, KB1RLI, of Massachusetts,
earned a bronze medal in the M40 class of the 80 meter classic event during
the ARDF World Cup, an optional competition for individuals that preceded the
Championships. Alla Mezhevaya of Illinois won silver in the World Cup 2 meter
classic competition in the W35 class.

In the September 1 World Cup sprint event, Afonkin took gold in the M40
category, while Team USA Captain Ruth Bromer, WB4QZG, of North Carolina, took
bronze in the W60 category. The next day, she won a second bronze medal in the
foxoring event.

On September 8 during the World Championship events for national teams,
Afonkin won an individual bronze medal on a 5.85 kilometer 2 meter classic
course, finishing in 1:11:52. Bromer and Karla Leach, KC7BLA, took home a team
bronze medal that same day in the W60 category, on a 4.25 kilometer 80 meter
classic course.

More than 400 competitors representing 39 nations took to the courses near
Varna, a popular resort on the Black Sea coast. Competitors were divided into
six age categories for men and five for women, in accordance with rules
established by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

Team USA team members included nine men and six women from eight states,
ranging in age from 26 to 74. They qualified for the team owing to their
excellent performance in the 2016 USA ARDF Championships in Texas and the 2015
USA ARDF Championships in Colorado.

Visit the Homing In website of ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding
Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, for more information on ARDF.



ARRL Honors Veteran Section Manager Upon Her Retirement

Retiring ARRL Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, was honored on
September 10 at the New England Division Convention in Boxboro, Massachusetts,
for her many years of service. At the Convention's ARRL Forum, New England
Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, presented a plaque to Doane, who is
believed to be the dean of the current roster of Section Managers by dint of
her 25 years of continuous service in that post. She decided this year not to
seek another term of office.

"Betsey has been a true pleasure to work with over the years she has been
Section Manager," Frenaye said afterward. "She seems to know almost every ham
in Connecticut and usually has a story to tell about them. As a former
professor, she knows how to work with students and volunteers and developed a
great Field Organization team. I know she'll continue to contribute after she
retires."

Doane was first appointed as Connecticut's SM in December 1991, after the
resignation of Caesar Rondina, N1DCS. She has been elected and re-elected as
Connecticut Section Manager continuously ever since. Her current term of
office concludes on September 30, and Chuck Motes, K1DFS, will succeed her.
Doane said she has enjoyed her time as SM.

Doane's plaque -- in print and in Braille -- recognizes her "25 years of
dedicated and honorable service" as Connecticut SM. Frenaye and New England
Vice Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, signed the plaque.

In addition to her quarter-century as Connecticut SM, Doane served the ARRL
Field Organization as Connecticut Section Traffic Manager from 1982 through
1991. She has remained very active in the ARRL National Traffic System(TM) and
especially in the NTS(TM) Eastern Area. She is currently daytime cycle manager
of the First Region Net.

She continues to hold an appointment as an Official Relay Station and has been
an ORS for nearly as long as she has been a radio amateur. Betsey Doane and
her twin sister Barb Lombardi, K1EIR, were licensed in 1958, and both began
handling message traffic soon after. She has been an Official Emergency
Station since April 2010.

Doane not only has the longest tenure among current SMs, she is in the Top 5
of all SMs and SCMs (Section Communication Managers) past and present in terms
of years of service, ARRL Field Organization Team Supervisor Steve Ewald,
WV1X, said. (The SCM/SM with the longest tenure in recent ARRL history was Bob
Summers, K0BXF [SK], who headed the Kansas Section for 40 years -- from 1965
until 1995.)



Radio Club of America Announces 2016 Awards, Fellows

Several radio amateurs were among the 2016 Radio Club of America (RCA) award
recipients and Fellows. Winners will be honored at RCA's 107th Banquet &
Awards Presentation on November 18 in New York City. The awards spotlight
outstanding achievements in the field of wireless communication. The 2016
award winners are:

Armstrong Medal: Morgan E. O'Brien for outstanding achievement and lasting
contributions to the radio arts and sciences and wireless communication.

Sarnoff Citation: William T. Murphy, W0RSJ, for exceptional contributions of a
technical or non-technical nature to the advancement of electronic
communication.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Joseph H. Taylor, K1JT, recognizing his
significant achievements and a major body of work accomplished over a lifetime
that has advanced the art and science of radio and wireless technology.

Henri Busignies Memorial Award: Mischa Schwartz for achievements in the field
of communication equipment and contributions to the advancement of electronics
for the benefit of humanity.

Fred M. Link Award: Dan Clark, W9VV, for notable achievements in land mobile
radio communication.

Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio Award: Stanley Reubenstein, WA6RNU, for unique
contributions to the field of Amateur Radio.

Edgar F. Johnson Pioneer Award: John S. Oblak, in recognition of noteworthy
contributions to the success of RCA or to the radio industry.

Ralph Batcher Memorial Award: Marc F. Ellis, N9EWJ, for significant work in
preserving the history of radio and electronic communication.

Frank A. Gunther Award: Robert A. Rude, K0RAR, for his dedication to the field
of military communication.

Vivian A. Carr Award: Mercy S. Contreras, to recognize outstanding
achievements by a woman in the wireless industry.

President's Award: John E. Dettra Jr, WB4NBF, for unselfish dedication to the
work of the Radio Club of America.

Elevation to Fellow is made by nomination only to members in good standing for
at least the previous 5 years and whose contributions to the art and science
of radio communication, broadcasting, or the Radio Club of America are deemed
outstanding. The 2016 RCA Fellows are Robert J. Hobday, N2EVG; James H.
Kreuzer, N2GHD; Robert E. LaRose, W6ACU; W. Brent Lee; Andrew C. Maxymillian;
Stephanie McCall; Thomas L. Morrow; Edward F. O'Connor; Sandra J. Wendelken,
and Walt Stinson, W0CP, a former ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director.



In Brief...

Former Radio Amateurs of Canada President Patrick Doherty, VE3PD, SK: Past
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) President Patrick G. Doherty, VE3PD, of
Murillo, Ontario, died on September 5. He was 81. Doherty was licensed in 1974
and enjoyed taking ham radio along on trips to such disparate locations as
Siberia and the South Pacific. -- Thanks to Lee Hatfield, K2HAT


RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch Set for March 2017: AMSAT has announced that the launch
of RadFxSat/Fox-1B has been rescheduled for March 16, 2017. RadFxSat will ride
as one of the NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) XIV secondary
payloads aboard a NASA Delta II launch from Vandenberg AFB in California. The
RadFxSat mission is a partnership with Vanderbilt Institute for Space and
Defense Electronics (ISDE) that will study space radiation effects on
commercial off-the-shelf memory. The experiments are carried aboard the AMSAT
Fox-1B CubeSat, and experiment data will be transmitted via the sub-audible
telemetry stream of the Fox-1B FM repeater along with the CubeSat telemetry
data. The telemetry can be decoded and displayed with the AMSAT FoxTelem
software. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via AMSAT Vice President-Engineering
Jerry Buxton, N0JY



The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the September 8-14 reporting week, the
average daily sunspot number rose from 46.4 to 50.1, and average daily solar
flux declined from 95.1 to 88.9. This is just the opposite of what occurred
the previous week, when sunspot numbers declined and solar flux rose.
Normally, we would expect solar flux and sunspot numbers to track one another.

Geomagnetic indicators were very quiet, with the average daily planetary A
index declining from 26.6 to 6.7, and the mid-latitude A index dipping from
18.1 to 6.1.

The latest NOAA/USAF forecast has solar flux at 85 on September 15-17; 80 on
September 18-19; 75 on September 20-24; 72, 78, and 80 on September 25-27; 78
on September 28-30; 82 on October 1-2; 80 on October 3-7; 82, 86, and 82 on
October 8-10; 80 on October 11-12; 75 on October 13-14; 70 on October 15-16,
and 75 on October 17-21.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on September 15-17; 5, 18, 20, 12, and 10 on
September 18-22; 5 on September 23-25; 15, 8, 38, 40, and 42 on September
26-30; 30, 18, 15, 12, and 10 on October 1-5; 5 on October 6-8; 15 on October
9; 8 on October 10-11; 5 on October 12-13; 12 on October 14-16; 15 and 10 on
October 17-18, and 5 on October 18-22.

Sunspot numbers for September 8 through 14 were 49, 65, 66, 63, 57, 27, and
24, with a mean of 46.4. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 94.5, 91, 93, 86.4,
86.5, 86, and 85.2, with a mean of 95.1. Estimated planetary A indices were
14, 5, 5, 4, 6, 5, and 8, with a mean of 26.6. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 12, 6, 4, 3, 6, 4, and 8, with a mean of 18.1.

This weekly Solar Update is a preview of the Propagation Bulletin issued each
Friday. The latest bulletin and an archive of past propagation bulletins is on
the ARRL website.

Send me your reports and observations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  September 16 -- AGB NEMIGA Contest (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 17 -- QRP Afield (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 17 -- Feld Hell Sprint
 *  September 17-18 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 17-18 -- SARL VHF/UHF Contest (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 17-18 -- All Africa International DX Contest (CW, phone,
    digital)
 *  September 17-18 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW)
 *  September 17-18 -- New Jersey QSO Party (CW, phone)
 *  September 17-18 -- New Hampshire QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 17-18 -- Washington State Salmon Run (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 18 -- North American Sprint (RTTY)
 *  September 18 -- BARTG Sprint 75
 *  September 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
 *  September 19 -- 144 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone)
 *  September 22 -- NAQCC CW Sprint

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

 *  September 16-17 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois
 *  September 16-18 -- ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference, St
    Petersburg, Florida
 *  September 17-18 -- Illinois State Convention, Peoria, Illinois
 *  September 23-24 -- W4DXCC Convention, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
 *  September 24 -- San Joaquin Valley Section Convention, Modesto,
    California
 *  September 24 -- North Dakota State Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota
 *  September 24 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington
 *  October 7-8 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
 *  October 7-8 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference, Bend, Oregon
 *  October 13-15 -- Microwave Update Conference, St Louis, Missouri
 *  October 14-16 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California
 *  October 16 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
 *  October 21-22 -- Arizona State Convention, Maricopa, Arizona
 *  October 22 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin Rapids,
    Wisconsin
 *  November 5 -- TechFest Convention, Lakewood, Colorado
 *  November 5-6 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
 *  November 12-13 -- Indiana State Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
 *  November 19 -- Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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)\/(ark

Always Mount a Scratch Monkey

... "Cooling Trend Continues" - The Pangaea Times, Dinosaurs
---
 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)