ARLK072 Keplerian data

SB KEP @ ARL $ARLK072
ARLK072 Keplerian data

ZCZC SK72
QST de W1AW
Keplerian Bulletin 72 ARLK072
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT September 18, 2009
To all radio amateurs

SB KEP ARL ARLK072
ARLK072 Keplerian data

Special thanks to AMSAT-NA (AMSAT.ORG) for the following Keplerian
data.

Decode 2-line elsets with the following key:
1 AAAAAU 00 0 0 BBBBB.BBBBBBBB .CCCCCCCC 00000-0 00000-0 0 DDDZ
2 AAAAA EEE.EEEE FFF.FFFF GGGGGGG HHH.HHHH III.IIII JJ.JJJJJJJJKKKKKZ
KEY: A-CATALOGNUM B-EPOCHTIME C-DECAY D-ELSETNUM E-INCLINATION F-RAAN
G-ECCENTRICITY H-ARGPERIGEE I-MNANOM J-MNMOTION K-ORBITNUM Z-CHECKSUM

AO-07
1 07530U 74089B 09261.46225226 -.00000027 00000-0 10000-3 0 5833
2 07530 101.4229 282.7021 0012121 086.3336 273.9124 12.53576521594401
AO-16
1 20439U 90005D 09260.79633904 .00000012 00000-0 20019-4 0 7043
2 20439 098.2905 225.0359 0009967 255.9114 104.0962 14.31833241 26401
AO-27
1 22825U 93061C 09260.55337960 +.00000006 +00000-0 +19037-4 0 03425
2 22825 098.4460 211.1076 0008272 359.1733 000.9434 14.29273148833106
IO-26
1 22826U 93061D 09261.43721000 .00000006 00000-0 18885-4 0 726
2 22826 098.4385 212.6732 0008989 351.6745 008.4288 14.29526112833330
FO-29
1 24278U 96046B 09260.81369566 -.00000039 +00000-0 -64398-5 0 01473
2 24278 098.5386 122.3411 0351333 110.2696 253.6568 13.52944818646276
GO-32
1 25397U 98043D 09260.80655587 +.00000075 +00000-0 +51136-4 0 09948
2 25397 098.3250 278.1772 0001456 023.8008 336.3255 14.23163731581301
ISS
1 25544U 98067A 09261.50040509 .00008697 00000-0 63499-4 0 6331
2 25544 051.6378 187.7933 0009360 102.5110 241.6810 15.74172080620643
NO-44
1 26931U 01043C 09261.26431138 -.00000187 00000-0 -40687-4 0 2670
2 26931 067.0527 184.5485 0006776 275.4090 084.6232 14.29566025415889
SO-50
1 27607U 02058C 09260.75466124 -.00000031 00000-0 17034-4 0 9869
2 27607 064.5581 103.9513 0056545 182.6486 177.4328 14.71458233362297
CO-55
1 27844U 03031E 09260.60767456 .00000036 00000-0 37139-4 0 6690
2 27844 098.7142 268.4762 0009044 236.1882 123.8441 14.20655870322389
RS-22
1 27939U 03042A 09260.64580859 +.00000105 +00000-0 +29095-4 0 08939
2 27939 097.9288 132.0798 0012996 197.1615 162.9141 14.63340946319098
AO-51
1 28375U 04025K 09260.54630393 +.00000001 +00000-0 +13008-4 0 04886
2 28375 098.0546 264.7781 0082917 204.5347 155.1890 14.40652127274257
VO-52
1 28650U 05017B 09260.77593849 -.00000169 +00000-0 -14855-4 0 03228
2 28650 097.7347 319.2520 0028336 087.4324 273.0130 14.81617866236355
CO-58
1 28895U 05043F 09260.73555195 +.00000065 +00000-0 +23111-4 0 03987
2 28895 098.0434 148.6931 0018869 060.2119 300.0949 14.59795044207232
DO-64
1 32789U 08021G 09260.74066799 .00000280 00000-0 42191-4 0 4766
2 32789 097.9373 324.0385 0016876 090.7834 269.5312 14.81790128 75150

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW. The
next scheduled transmission of these data will be Tuesday, September
22, 2009, at 2230z on Baudot and PSK31.
NNNN
/EX

Glenn Hauser logs September 18, 2009

** ANTARCTICA. 15476, LRA36 audible for second day at about same insufficient level, but incomparably better than nothing. If only my line noise level would abate! Sept 18 at 1902 with bits of music; still audible with more music at recheck 2035 when no QRDRM was to be heard, so has Greenville finally ended its test run without respect for the only SW station in Antarctica? Inconclusive, as 15470-15480 was usually pretty weak here, unlike in targeted Europe (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BIAFRA [non]. 17520, Friday Sept 18 at 1859 JBA WHRI sign-on with Onward Christian Soldiers, World Harvest Radio`s in-your-face, we-will-convert-you-by-force-

if-necessary theme tune invoking the Crusades, presumably to be followed by VOBI for the second week on this reactivated frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. RHC check at 2050 Sept 18: all in Spanish on 13760, 11800-very distorted and crackly, 11770, 11760, no English on 11760 as allegedly scheduled, and listed // 17660 inaudible. At 2130 noticed that 13790 was also on the air, in Spanish of course (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, Radio Africa, Sept 18 at 2044 comparing to VON 15120 [see NIGERIA]: 15190 S9+18, gospel music louder than 15120, prayer in African accent now undermodulated with rumble; 2045 greetings from another preacher with American accent who did not identify himself, nor was there any introduxion, which apparently he was expecting the affiliate to make, far beyond the capabilities of this one. 2128 gospel music, very distorted now, as Panamerican Broadcasting has no requirements at all for minimum technical standards from its clients (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** FRANCE. RFI Spanish service, 17630 via GUIANA FRENCH, Sept 18 at 2059 music already on, timesignal approx. 9 sex late! Timecheck as 11 pm, into news; so apparently not on strike today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA. 15120, VON, decent S9+15 signal twixt REE 15110 and WYFR 15130, Sept 18 at 2042 YL with economic report in English; some hum ande modulation level not commensurate with strength, but at least it was not distorted and just about 100% readable. Already off at 2056 recheck (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN [and non]. In a total failure of frequency management, both of REE`s frequencies in French at 2000-2100 have collisions: Sept 18 at 2051 was getting about equal levels on 11620 from REE in French, and AIR with Indian vocal music during English broadcast. Per Aoki, Bengaluru switches at 2045 from 120 to 325 degrees as it changes from Hindi to English. 11620 is of course a very longtime AIR channel, and if it were not for Spain in the way, would have been the best one audible here.

9690, the other REE French channel, at 2053 was mixing with RRI closing English broadcast from 2030, // 9765-colliding with Spain/Costa Rica, weakest 11810 with ACI from Spain/CR 11815, and best 11945 in clear. REE`s French broadcast is fortunately M-F only, if it cannot be on clear frequencies. 9690 // 11620 confirmed as REE with ID and address at 2055 closing. These are aimed in the second quadrant at North Africa and Mideast, while RRI is aimed NW toward UK and NAm (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WBCQ, 9330-CUSB, since WORLD OF RADIO was carried here last Friday in addition to 7415, checked Sept 18 at 1900: infomercial cut to ID, cut to WOR 1478 opening, cut off after I said `8`, cut to another ID and off the air. Meanwhile reception on weaker 7415 was somewhat better than it had been previously for WOR (Glenn Hauser, oK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

Source:
SWL mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/swl
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:SWL@mailman.qth.net

List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **


This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

October WorldRadio Online is ... Online!

News from WorldRadio Online...

The October issue of WorldRadio Online has been uploaded to our website. Here's what you'll find when you download it:

Features:

* Playing New Tricks on Old Friends, by Henryk Kotowski, SM0JHF
* 2009 Sea-Pac Ham Convention, by Wayne Schuler, AI9Q

Columns:

* Editor's Log
* Rules & Regs: W3BE's Gettysburg Address
* Trail-Friendly Radio: Easy, Lightweight, Low-Impact Antenna Launching for the Field Operator
* DX World: DX Potpourri
* Propagation: W2 to ZL on 10 Meters at the End of May
* Amateur Satellites: ARISS - "Tweeting" About the Birds
* Emcomm and You: Going Beyond Ham Radio
* 10-10 International: 10-10 Board Meeting and 12th Bi-Annual Gathering
* MARS: Harmony and Emcomm; It's a Duet Worth Trying
* Traffic: The Demise of Traffic Nets
* FISTS CW Club: Talk to the World - You Already Know the Language
* Aerials: Antenna Tuning

Departments:

* WorldRadio Online Newsfront
* DX Predictions - October
* Hamfests & Special Events
* Contest Calendar
* VE Exams
* Visit Your Local Radio Club
* WorldRadio Online Mart

On the Cover:
The SeaPac convention's special event station, W1AW/7, was available for guest operators and new licensees were able to earn a certificate for operating the station.


To download and view the October issue of WorldRadio Online, go to the CQ home page at <<http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/>www.cq-amateur-radio.com> and click on the "WorldRadio Online" box. There are several options for viewing/downloading the issue. See the instructions on the welcome page. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to read WorldRadio Online. If you do not have it, scroll to the bottom of the welcome page and you will find a link for a free download.

As a reminder, this e-mail is the only notification you will receive. You must go to the website, as directed above, and download the issue. For those of you with slower internet connections, we offer the option of viewing/downloading the issue in 4 segments, as well as viewing/downloading the entire issue at once. The four segments in the October issue cover pages 1-13, 14-25, 26-35 and 36-49. The table of contents is included with each segment. If you are interested in this option, please follow the instructions on the welcome page.

P.S. - While you're at the CQ website, be sure to check out highlights of the October issue of CQ magazine as well. Featured articles include an interview with Nobel Laureate and WSJT developer Joe Taylor, K1JT; a look at The GB2CW Project, and the announcement of a new limited-time operating award. Just click on the October cover from the CQ home page.

Source:
Worldradio-l mailing list

South African Amateur Radio Payload Reaches Orbit

After several
delays, South Africa's SumbandilaSat satellite
<http://www.amsatsa.org.za/SZASAT.htm> finally blasted to orbit aboard a
Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 16
<http://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur.html>. The main payload is a
multi-spectral imager, but the satellite also carries an Amateur Radio
component consisting of a 2 meter/70 cm FM repeater. After SumbandilaSat
is fully commissioned, the repeater will be activated with an uplink at
145.880 MHz and a downlink at 435.350 MHz; there will also be a voice
beacon at 435.300 MHz. The transponder mode will be controlled by a
CTCSS tone on the uplink frequency. The CTCSS tone frequencies have yet
to be announced. SumbandilaSat was sponsored by the Department of
Science and Technology and was built at SunSpace
<http://www.sunspace.co.za/> in cooperation with the Stellenbosch
University <http://www.sun.ac.za/>. In addition to the SA-AMSAT amateur
module, the satellite carries Stellenbosch University's radiation
experiment and software defined radio (SDR) project, an experiment from
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and a VLF radio module from the
University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

Alpha Radio Products Now RF Concepts

On September 15, Michael
Seedman, AA6DY, announced that his company, RF Concepts
<http://www.rfconcepts.com/>, had purchased Boulder, Colorado-based
Alpha Radio Products <http://www.alpharadioproducts.com/>. Seedman
explained in a press release
<http://www.rfconcepts.com/dear_alpha_customers.asp> that when he
contacted Alpha to purchase a new amplifier, he was "disappointed to
learn that I would not receive it for months." He was told that as each
amplifier is made by hand, there was not enough shelf inventory to send
a new one right away. Working with Alpha Products president Molly
Hardman, W0MOM, "we created a way to capitalize the company in order to
put amplifiers in inventory for immediate availability. Customers will
no longer have to wait weeks or months to add an Alpha product to their
station." Seedman said that RF Concepts "will focus on shipping our
backlog of Alpha amplifiers and building sufficient product to ship from
stock. We will honor our existing customer commitments -- including
warranties, customer and technical support and repairs -- and keep our
extensive parts inventories to support the more than 10,000 Alpha
amplifiers in the market." Hardman will be staying on as Vice President
of Sales for RF Concepts.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

Don't Forget to Send Your /140 QSLs!

For seven days -- September 2-9
-- the ARRL celebrated the 140th anniversary of the birth of Hiram Percy
Maxim, the League's co-founder and first president
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/08/17/11025/?nc=1

>. The highlight
of the week-long celebration was an on-the-air Special Event where
eligible amateurs could add /140 to their call signs, and amateurs who
had more than 25 QSOs (with endorsements in increments of 25, up to 100)
with /140 stations would receive an attractive award certificate. W1AW
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, reports that so far, more than 200
applications for the certificate have been received, with more arriving
at ARRL HQ every day. "Here at W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial
Station, we signed more than 700 QSOs with the /140 Special Event
suffix," Carcia said. "This is a great way to remember 'The Old Man,'
and I know that if he were alive today, he would have been on the air,
enjoying all that Amateur Radio has to offer today's ham." It's not too
late to apply for your award certificate -- all requests must be
postmarked by October 9, 2009. Paper logs, along with a $5 fee, should
be sent to HPM/140 Celebration, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

ARRL/TAPR Digital Communication Conference Next Weekend

ARRL and the
Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Group (TAPR) <http://www.tapr.org/> will
jointly host the 28th Annual Digital Communications Conference (DCC)
September 25-27 in Chicago <http://www.tapr.org/dcc.html>

. The DCC has
something for everyone from those new to digital modes to those
experienced with digital communications including technical and
introductory forums. According to DCC Co-host Mark Thompson, WB9QZB, one
of the highlights of this year's DCC will be Bob Bruninga, WB4APR,
presenting "Universal Ham Radio Text Messaging." The Saturday night
banquet speaker will be Bill Brown, WB8ELK, a pioneer in flying balloons
with payloads including Amateur Radio digital communication
technologies. Brown is the publisher and editor of Amateur Television
Quarterly magazine. ARRL Technical Relations Manager Brennan Price,
N4QX, will be on hand to discuss the upcoming World Radiocommunications
Conference in his talk "WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.19: Shaping the
International Regulatory Framework for Software Defined and Cognitive
Radio Systems." QEX Editor Larry Wolfgang, WR1B
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>, and ARRL Central Division Director Dick
Isely, W9GIG, will also be in attendance. The 2009 DCC forum and speaker
schedule is available online
<http://www.tapr.org/pdf/DCC_2009_Schedule_Preliminary2009-09-16.pdf>.
TAPR provides leadership and resources to radio amateurs for the purpose
of advancing the radio art and is a research and development oriented
group offering kits, assembled products and publications related to the
intersection of Amateur Radio and digital technology.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

Registration remains
open through Sunday, October 25, 2009, for these online course sessions
beginning on Friday, November 6, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Level 1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference;
Antenna Design and Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course;
Propagation; Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics. Each online
course has been developed in segments -- learning units with objectives,
informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses are
interactive, and some include direct communications with a
Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a particular session that may
be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the course) and they may access the
course at any time of day during the course period, completing lessons
and activities at times convenient for their personal schedule. Mentors
assist students by answering questions, reviewing assignments and
activities, as well as providing helpful feedback. Interaction with
mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is no appointed time the
student must be present -- allowing complete flexibility for the student
to work when and where it is convenient. To learn more, visit the CCE
Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student> or contact the
Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce@arrl.org>.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

This Week on the Radio

This week, the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest is
September 19-20 (local time). Look for two NCCC Sprints this week, one
each on September 18 and 19. The Feld Hell Sprint is September 19. The
South Carolina QSO Party, QRP Afield, the Washington State Salmon Run,
the QCWA Fall QSO Party and the Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW) are
all September 19-20. The North American Sprint (SSB) is September 20.
The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest and the 144 MHz Fall Sprint (local
time) are September 21. The SKCC Sprint is September 23. Next week, look
for another NCCC Sprint on September 25. The Texas QSO Party, the CQ
Worldwide DX Contest (RTTY) and Scandinavian Activity Contest (SSB) are
all September 26-27. QRP Homebrewer Sprint is September 28. All dates,
unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/

>, the ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. Looking
for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event
Station Web page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "Gave temperate sweets to that well-wooing Sun" Cook, K7RA, this
week reports: Sunspot numbers for September 10 through 16 were 0, 0, 0,
0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux was 69.3, 69.3, 69,
69.1, 69, 69.2 and 68.8 with a mean of 69.1. The estimated planetary A
indices were 2, 4, 4, 6, 5, 5 and 6 with a mean of 4.6. The estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 2, 2, 1, 4, 4, 4 and 5 with a mean of 3.1.
Thursday's prediction shows solar flux values at 70 beginning tomorrow,
September 19, and continuing through September 24, then rising to 72
September 25-28. We haven't reported a weekly solar flux average above
70 in this bulletin since May 19, and prior to that there were only four
more weeks above 70 in 2009. These predictions are from NOAA and the US
Air Force, who also predict a planetary A index of 8 for September 18,
and only 5 from September 19 to more than a month after. Geophysical
Institute Prague also predicts nothing but quiet geomagnetic conditions
for September 18-24.. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's
Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin
page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. This week's "Tad Cookism" brought
to you by John Keats' "Endymion" <http://www.bartleby.com/126/32.html>.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

SMITHSONIAN CURATOR TO SPEAK AT AMSAT-NA BANQUET

Dr Martin Collins, a curator in the Space History Division at the
Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington
<http://www.nasm.si.edu/>, will be the featured speaker at the AMSAT-NA
Symposium banquet on Saturday, October 10, at the Four Points Sheraton
Hotel at Baltimore-Washington International Airport
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2009/index.php>. The title of
his presentation will be "Making the Space Age: The First 50 Years."

Dr Collins curates the National Air and Space Museum's civilian
applications satellites collection that includes weather, remote sensing
and communications satellites and related technologies. He has
contributed to a series of Museum exhibits and was primary author of the
exhibition catalog "Space Race: The US-USSR Competition to Reach the
Moon"
<http://www.amazon.com/Space-Race-U-S-U-S-S-R-Competition-Reach/dp/07649
09053>.

On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik, he was editor of the
book "After Sputnik: 50 Years of the Space Age"
<http://www.amazon.com/After-Sputnik-Years-Space-Age/dp/0060897813> that
included text and photos on the history of Project OSCAR. He was
instrumental in arranging the display of OSCAR 1 at the National Air and
Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, along with the Naval Academy's PCSat
Amateur Radio satellite. He also arranged the acquisition of AMSAT's
MicroSat mechanical test model, just in time for AMSAT's 35th
Anniversary Annual Meeting.

The Saturday evening banquet is one of the highlights of this year's
40th anniversary symposium, October 9-11
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2009/index.php>.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

PART 2 OF THE 10 GHZ AND UP CONTEST IS THIS WEEKEND

This weekend brings the second leg of the 2009 ARRL 10 GHz and Up
Contest <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/10-GHz.html>. If you
enjoy the technical side of Amateur Radio and being on the cutting edge,
this weekend gives you a perfect chance to explore the microwave portion
of the radio spectrum!

The contest period starts at 6 AM (local time) Saturday, running until
midnight (local time) Sunday. According to ARRL Contest Branch Manager
Sean Kutzko, KX9X, QSO points are awarded based on the distance of a
QSO. "Operating from several locations during the contest period is not
only allowed, it's even encouraged," he said. "Most people use SSB,
although some CW is used, too. Power levels are relatively low compared
to HF; most stations run several hundred milliwatts. A station running a
few watts is considered a 'Big Gun.' Antennas are usually dishes, like
those used for receiving satellite TV."

Kutzko explained that many QSOs are completed on the microwave bands by
bouncing signals off of other objects, such as mountains, buildings and
even raindrops! You can also get lucky and catch a good tropospheric
opening, he said, explaining that in the 2007 contest, a ham on the West
Coast made a QSO of 907.2 miles on 10 GHz between his location in
California and Mexico.

"If you have a person in your area that is interested in the microwave
bands, ask if you can tag along and observe," Kutzko advised. "If you
live in an area that has a microwave club -- such as the North Texas
Microwave Society, the North East Weak Signal Group, the Mt Airy VHF
Club and several others -- find out what their members are doing for the
contest. Elmering is a big part of the microwave groups, and they are
only too happy to introduce you to their fun."

Logs for the 2009 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest can be e-mailed
<10GHz@arrl.org>. Paper logs should be sent to ARRL 10 GHz and Up
Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. All logs must be postmarked
no later than 2359 UTC Tuesday, October 20.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

NOMINATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE GEORGE HART DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

At its July 2009 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors established the
George Hart Distinguished Service Award to be given to an ARRL member
whose service to the League's Field Organization is of the most
exemplary nature. The Distinguished Service Award is named in honor of
George Hart, W1NJM, long-time Communications Manager at ARRL
Headquarters and chief developer of the National Traffic System (NTS)
<http://www.emergency-radio.org/what_nts.pdf>. Upon learning that the
ARRL Board of Directors had established this award named after him, Hart
called his namesake award "a great honor."

Selection criteria include:
* Operating record with the National Traffic System; or
* Participation within the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES); or
* Station appointments and/or leadership positions held within the ARRL
Field Organization.

Nominations for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award shall be
accepted from anyone and shall be submitted to the Membership and
Volunteer Programs Manager at ARRL HQ by November 1. Nominations should
document as thoroughly as possible the nominee's lifetime activities and
achievements within the Field Organization. It is expected that
nominated candidates will have 15 or more years of distinguished
service. The Programs and Services Committee will serve as the Review
Committee, with the Board of Directors making the final determination at
its Annual Meeting in January. Recipients will be given an engraved
plaque and cover letter and will be profiled in QST.

Nominations for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award, including
any related supporting material and letters of recommendation, may be
e-mailed to ARRL Headquarters to the attention of ARRL Membership and
Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N <nn1n@arrl.org>, or to ARRL
Field and Public Service Team Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X
<wv1x@arrl.org>. Nominations and supporting materials must be received
no later than November 1, 2009 to be considered.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

NEW PRODUCT REVIEW TESTS TO BEGIN IN OCTOBER QST

When you peruse the October issue of QST, you may notice a few extra
lines in the Product Review data. "Here at the ARRL Lab, we strive to
make our test procedures relevant to current technology and to new
features common on today's transceivers," said ARRL Test Engineer Bob
Allison, WB1GCM. "We continue to research ways to improve our testing
and to develop new tests that will benefit our members. I hope you will
find these new measurements useful in evaluating and comparing
transceivers."

* Receiver Sensitivity (MDS) at 137 and 505 kHz
Several countries now give amateurs permission to operate at and around
137 and 505 kHz. In the US, there is activity on 495 to 510 kHz by more
than 20 stations around the country operating under the ARRL sponsored
WD2XSH experimental license. In addition, there are other Part 15
experimental licensees operating in this range. The WD2XSH stations are
on the air regularly, gathering propagation data. They are always
looking for signal reports.

Allison said that with many of today's transceivers and a suitable
antenna, you can listen for these experimental stations and submit
reception reports via the Web site: "The new Product Review tests will
help identify transceivers suitable for use on these frequencies. With
equipment built over the last 25 years ago or so, I've noticed a wide
variety of available sensitivity, from terrible to quite good. Many
receivers tune to 137 and 505 kHz; not all are proficient at receiving
signals there. For you 'lowfers,' this measurement is for you."

* Spectral Sensitivity
Spectral sensitivity is the weakest signal that can be "seen" on a
visual display of spectrum above and below the operating frequency.
Often called a spectrum scope or panadapter, this feature is included on
many mid-range and high-end transceivers. "This data represents the
level, in dBm, at which the operator can see a signal poke up out of the
display noise floor," Allison explained. "Although the measurement is
somewhat subjective, it works out to be about 3 dB above the noise floor
at the bottom of the display when the scope is adjusted to show 100 kHz
of spectrum. With software-defined receivers (SDRs), such as the
FLEX-3000, the sample rate is set to the highest setting."

* Audio Output THD at 1 V RMS
Allison said that one of the ARRL Technical Advisors posed the question,
"Who ever listens to their receiver at full volume?" Allison explained
that audio output power and THD (total harmonic distortion) at the
specified load impedances as specified by the manufacturer have been
tested and reported. "Generally, the specification is at or near the
maximum audio output the receiver is capable of," he said. "If severe
hearing loss isn't an issue, we normally listen with the volume control
set to around the 9 o'clock to 11 o'clock position on most transceivers
and not with the control cranked to maximum."

Allison explained that distortion at normal listening levels is an
important factor, especially when you are listening for an extended
period of time: "High levels of distortion can make signals more
difficult to understand and add to fatigue. We'll continue to measure
and report how audio output power and THD compare to manufacturers'
specifications, but we have added a new test intended to show distortion
at more typical volume levels."

After testing several radios for comfort, Allison picked 1 V RMS as an
output level for the new test. "It's an easy figure to remember," he
said. "We will now also report THD at this level. Note that this test
will appear with the next transceiver reviewed because the FLEX-3000 has
only a low-level audio output and is dependent on external,
user-supplied devices to amplify the audio to normal listening levels."

Look for these new tests beginning with October's QST Product Review
featuring the FLEX-3000.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009

CHANGES IN STORE FOR THE ARRL LETTER

After asking for feedback from ARRL Letter subscribers and reviewing
surveys sent to ARRL members, we are changing the way you receive The
ARRL Letter. Starting in two weeks -- October 1 -- The ARRL Letter will
be available to subscribers in an HTML formatted version. Of course,
those members who do not wish to receive the HTML version can click on a
link to view the Letter on the ARRL Web site. In addition, The ARRL
Letter will be distributed on Thursdays beginning September 24.

According to ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, this new format
will allow for more graphics and pictures, as well as occasional
articles that feature the technical side of Amateur Radio. We will also
be running portions of popular QST features, such as "The Doctor Is IN"
and "Hints & Kinks."

"I am very excited about presenting The ARRL Letter in a completely new
format," Keane said. "Not only will we be able to add features such as
pictures and video, but by offering the Letter in HTML, readers will be
able to navigate directly to those stories they are most interested in.
The ARRL already offers two other newsletters -- The ARRL Contest Update
and The ARRL ARES E-Letter -- in an HTML version. We have received a lot
of positive feedback on these two newsletters."

The ARRL Letter first appeared in 1981 as a print publication, available
by subscription from the League. In 1991 -- following the technology of
the day -- it moved from being a print publication to being published
electronically and sent via e-mail as a free service to ARRL members.
"Now, once again, we at the ARRL are following technology's path and
publishing The ARRL Letter in a new way, moving from plain text to a
graphically pleasing interface," Keane explained.

We think you will enjoy this new format, and we welcome your comments.
Tell us what you like -- and don't like -- by sending an e-mail to Keane
<k1sfa@arrl.org>, with "ARRL Letter Feedback" in the subject line.

Source:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 37
September 18, 2009