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Feature: Youth@HamRadio.Fun: A Small Island, a Young Ham and a Whole Lot of Spirit!
(Jan 6, 2009)
-- Mercer Island is a small island in Washington, located a few miles outside of Seattle; it has a population of approximately 22,000 people. The local radio club on the island is the Mercer Island Radio Operators (MIRO), W7MIR. MIRO is always prepared to aide with communications in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. Alex Banbury, KE7WUD, is proud to call himself the youngest member of MIRO, and possibly the youngest ham on the island!Full Story |
Gary L. Robinson, WB8ROL, Wins December QST Cover Plaque Award
(Jan 6, 2009)
-- The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December is Gary L. Robinson, WB8ROL, for his article "Ghost QSOs -- Olivia Returns from the Noise." Congratulations, Gary! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the January issue by Saturday, January 31.Link to this item |
FCC Commissioners: Now There Are Four
(Jan 5, 2009)
-- The term of FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, a Republican from Tennessee, came to an end on January 3 as the 111th Congress convened for the first time. Originally selected by President Bush to fill the unexpired term of then-Chairman Michael Powell, Tate joined the Commission in 2005. In June 2007, Bush announced his intention to nominate Tate to a full five year term, but when the Senate failed to confirm her nomination by the close of the 110th Congress, Tate's tenure as a Commissioner came to a close.Full Story |
Foundation for Amateur Radio Invites Scholarship Applications
(Jan 5, 2009)
-- The non-profit Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) is now accepting applications for 48 scholarships for the academic year 2009-2010 to assist radio amateurs pursuing higher education. FAR fully funds two of scholarships and administers 46 others without cost on behalf of various club and individual donors. Amateur Radio licensees pursuing a full-time course of study beyond high school and accepted by or enrolled in an accredited university, college or technical school are eligible to apply. Scholarship grants range from $500 to $5000, and preference in some cases goes to applicants living in particular geographical areas or pursuing certain studies. Non-US residents are eligible to apply for some of the scholarships. FAR encourages clubs -- especially those in California, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin -- to announce these scholarship opportunities at meetings, in newsletters, during training classes, on nets and on their Web sites. More information and an application form may be requested by letter via e-mail or by sending a QSL card postmarked prior to March 30, 2009, to FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738. The application deadline is May 1, 2009. Headquartered in Washington, DC, FAR consists of more than 75 area Amateur Radio Clubs. FAR is devoted to promoting the interests of Amateur Radio and those scientific, literary and educational pursuits that advance the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service.Link to this item |
Son Charged with Murder of Florida Ham
(Jan 5, 2009)
-- Robert Farley, of Lakeland Florida, has been charged with first degree murder in the death of his father Walter Farley, K4QE, also of Lakeland. The Ledger, a newspaper in Farley's hometown, reported that authorities allege Robert killed his father New Year's Eve during an argument over family matters. Walter Farley was 93. Authorities said that on Saturday, January 3, Robert Farley confessed to the killing and led detectives to a lake where he had discarded the murder weapon; the weapon was recovered by dive team members later that afternoon. Walter Farley served in the US Army during World War II as a telephone and radio repairman. He fixed tape recorders for the blind and was involved with the local historical society. A member of the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club, Walter was active on local Nets.Link to this item |
Feature: ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up To Lately?
(Jan 5, 2009)
-- This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of December.Full Story |
The K7RA Solar Update
(Jan 2, 2009)
-- 2008 was a year of very low solar activity. More than 40 percent of this year's propagation bulletins reported zero sunspots for their respective weeks. The average daily sunspot number for the year was 4.7; in 2007, it was 12.8. The yearly averages of daily sunspot numbers for 1999-2008 were 136.3, 173, 170.3, 176.6, 109.2, 68.6, 48.9, 26.1, 12.8 and 4.7. Sunspot numbers for December 25-31 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux was 69.3, 69.2, 69.4, 69.8, 69.8, 68.5 and 69.3 with a mean of 69.3. The estimated planetary A indices were 3, 1, 1, 2, 0, 1 and 10 with a mean of 2.6. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 and 8 with a mean of 2.3.Full Story |
Feature: Surfin': Check Out One Heck of a Mode
(Jan 2, 2009)
-- This week's Surfin' visits a Web site devoted to the Hellschreiber facsimile Amateur Radio mode.Full Story |
Feature: The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler
(Jan 2, 2009)
-- A return to the vintage ham radio theme of December 2007 -- this time with an embedded sub-theme.Full Story |
Feature: It Seems to Us: Triple Play!
(Jan 1, 2009)
-- To baseball fans, a triple play is that rare event — one that occurs just a few times a year — when the defensive team manages to get three outs on a single play. Pulling off a triple play usually requires a combination of perfect execution and good luck. In the telecommunications world, “triple play” is a marketing term denoting a company's ability to offer television, high-speed Internet access, and telephone service in a single package — that is, to offer customers three solutions in one.Full Story |
Kids Day is January 4
(Dec 29, 2008)
-- The next opportunity to encourage a youngster (or a group of 'em), licensed or not, to get on the air to chat with others is Sunday, January 4. Kids Day, sponsored by the Boring (OR) Amateur Radio Club, is the perfect way to introduce a young person to the magic of Amateur Radio.Full Story |
Feature: Amateur Radio Quiz: Puzzled at Times
(Dec 29, 2008)
-- While watching the lighted ball slowly drop down the pole high above Times Square, counting the last of 2008 away "Ten, nine, eight...!" do you ever ponder the nature of time? Why does that last second matter more than others? Why is a second as long as it is? Here's a quiz you'll want to complete instantly, so start without delay!Full Story |
Feature: Men of Goodwill
(Dec 29, 2008)
-- A soldier's story of trench combat and spark gap espionage during WWI.Full Story |
The K7RA Solar Update
(Dec 26, 2008)
-- Snow has fallen all week here in Seattle, and the Sun is still void of spots. We last saw sunspots on December 10, 11 and 12. The solar flux -- a measure of 2.8 GHz radio energy from our Sun -- has been running between 68-69 for weeks, except for December 10-12, when it was 70-71, coincident with the appearance of sunspots. Now, NOAA and the US Air Force are predicting solar flux for today, December 26, at 70; for December 27-January 5, the prediction is 71. Perhaps this indicates sunspot activity rotating into view.Full Story |
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Feature: Surfin': Returning to Smart Phones and Antique QSLs
(Dec 26, 2008)
-- This week’s Surfin’ opens the new year by returning to the old year. Full Story |
| The ARRL is a member-society and International Secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union. |
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