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EPARA Beacon

Vol. 3, Number 10 The Official Newsletter of The Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association October 2019

Welcome to the EPARA Beacon! This newsletter is published monthly and is the official newsletter of the Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association. EPARA has served the amateur radio community in the Pocono Mountains for over 25 years. We have been an

ARRL affiliated club since 1995. We offer opportunities for learning and the advancement of skills in the radio art for hams and non-hams alike. EPARA supports Monroe County ARES/RACES in their mission of providing emergency communications for served agencies in Monroe County. Feel free to join us at one of our meetings or operating events during the year. The club meets on the second Thursday of every month, at the Monroe County 911 Emergency Control Center. The business meeting starts at 7:30 P.M. Anyone interested is invited to participate in our meetings and activities.

Next Club Meeting: October 10thMonroe County Public Safety Center, 100 Gypsum Rd Stroudsburg, PA 18360

Newsletter

EPARA Nets:Monroe county ARES/RACES – Sunday’s 8:30 PM, 146.865 MHz, PL 100.0 HzSPARK Information/Swap Net – Tuesday’s 8:30 PM, 147.045 MHz, PL 131.8 Hz

EPARA Tech net – Friday’s 8:30 PM, 147.045 MHz, PL 131.8 Hz

EPARA BeaconNewsletter

VE Session will be held October 11th at 7pmat the Monroe County 911 Emergency Call Center

Our 23rd Year!

It 's BREAKFAST TIME again! Contact Doug KG3I for more info!

EPARA Officers

PresidentChris Saunders AJ3C

Vice PresidentBill Carpenter AB3ME

SecretaryNaomi Lopes KC3GVO

TreasurerScott Phelan KC3IAO

Memeber at LargeDonald Darcy Jr WK2RP

*********************************

ARES EC Chris Saunders AJ3C

Field Day Coordinator

Chris Saunders AJ3

QuartermasterRon Salamanca N3GGT

Membership CoordinatorFranklin Boots W3OKW

Newsletter EditorEric Weis N3SWR

PhotographerEric Weis N3SWR

Public InformationDonald Darcy Jr WK2RP

Social MediaChris Saunders AJ3C

Eric Weis N3SWR

Special Event CoordinatorTBD

Technical Program CoordinatorBill Carpenter AB3ME

Lead VEDonald Darcy Jr WK2rp

WebmasterFranklin Boots W3OKW

• Officers and Committees - 2• From the President - 3• Secretary's Report – 4• Announcements & Upcoming Events – 7• Club Calendar - 8• Club Happenings - 9• Elmer Weekend! - 10• VE Testing - 11• Ham License Classes - 11• NTS/ARES/RACES Report - 12• Solar Update - 13• Elmer’s Notebook – 14• Contest Corral - 15• Special Events - 16• Knowledge Tests - 17• Tube of the Month - 17• Antenna Archives #15 - 18• Space Weather by Kd2FTA - 21• Tech Corner – 25• KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog - 27• EME Can be Easy with a Small Station! - 28• Jamboree on the Air! - 29• Official Observer Program - 31

October 2019 East Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association

Postal Address: Web Site: Send dues to: Newsletter submissions to:

EPARA https://www.qsl.net/n3is/ EPARA Eric Weis, Editor

PO Box 521 Email: PO Box 521 [email protected]

Sciota, PA 18354 [email protected] Sciota, PA 18354

I can't believe how fast the summer went. Soon the trees will be bare and winter will be here. Oh how I dread the Pocono winters! So you know, the sweet spot

for putting up wire antennas is from when the leaves have fallen off the trees and the first snow. This is the time of year to get the antenna projects done. Last month we passed our 2020 budget and the dues rate increase was passed. We also f i l e d our 501c3 paperwork and are awaiting the approval from the IRS. The membership continues to grow with the addition of James KB3VRX, welcome to the club James! Our Technician License class is underway and going very well. I have no doubt they will all get their tickets and become good additions to the service and hobby. The last thing to mention about September is Charlie KB3JUF resigned the EC position and I, along with everyone else thanks Charlie for his service as the Monroe County EC! We have a volunteer for the position and it will be announced when the ARES area leadership accepts the appointment. All I will say is the gentleman who stepped up is extremely qualified and MCARES will be in good hands under his guidance.

EPARA has purchased an off center fed antenna for the HF radio in the radio room and I would like to get it installed behind the 911 center in October. I will be looking for volunteers to help us with the install. The new antenna will bring the HF radio to life and should be a great improvement especially for winter field day.

EPARA has come a long way in the year and a half since the new board has taken over. I'd like to thank all of you who have helped make so much of what we do a success. Remember its your club not mine, nothing would get done if the membership didn't make it happen.

That's it for now, I look forward to seeing you all at the next meeting. I'm sure there is more I should talk about but I'm 25 hours into the CQ Worldwide RTTY contest and running on 3 hours sleep. Quite frankly if it doesn't have a call sign I can't focus on it. Just 23 more hours to go, thank God for coffee and energy drinks. 73, Chris AJ3C

President Chris Saunders AJ3C [email protected] Vice President Bill Carpenter AB3ME [email protected]

Secretary Naomi Lopes KC3GVO Treasurer Scott Phelan KC3IAO

Member at Large Donald Darcy WK2RP ARES EC TBD

Contact Information


From The President

Secretary's ReportEPARA General Membership Meeting Agenda

September 12th 2019General Membership Meeting 7:30Pm


Open meeting:Meeting called to order at 7:30 pm on June 13th 2019 by Chris AJ3CDeclaration of Quorum.Total members attending, 22 Visitors present: 1

Pledge of Allegiance / Moment of silence:

Introduction of all present with call signs:

Reading of previous meeting minutes:Meeting minutes read by Donald , WK2RPMotion to accept minutes as read: By Eric N3SWR 2nd by Al KB3OVB Motion Passed \ Failed

Treasurers report:Treasures report read by Scott, KC3IAO,Motion to accept reports by Ron N3GGT 2nd by Joe D KB3VRS Motion Passed / Failed

Correspondence:no correspondence

Reports of officers and committee’s:

Bill AB3ME – Program Committee: (Bill not present, he is in the hospital for knee surgery.)Alex KD2FTA will be doing a presentation on the digital mode FT-8 with a hands on period in the radio room

Chris AJ3C – ARES/RACES:Charlie KB3JUF has resigned as Monroe County EC/RO. MCARES is looking for a qualified replacement that is acceptable to the ARES Section leadership. Until one is found Chris AJ3C will be the ARES contact for Monroe County. EPARA received a another generous donation of equipment the donor wishes to remain anonymous. We now have two full VHF/UHF go kits with HT and 50 watt radios complete with batteries and a solar charger. .

Don WK2RP – PIO, Instruction and Training:

Tech Training Class going good with 8 Students. Still trying to arrange monthly time on Gary in the Morning on Pocono 96.7

Frank W3OKW - Website and Membership:Nothing to report




Ron N3GGT – Quartermaster:Nothing to report

Eric N3SWR – Newsletter and Communications: Nothing to report

Chris AJ3C – Field Day: Nothing to report

Old business:501c3 Update, we have received our new EIN and the paperwork for incorporation with the state was filed and approved. EPARA is now a registered non profit cooperation in the state of PA. The 501C3 application was sent with the IRS and we are awaiting approval.

W9OKA Antenna weekend The 40 meter delta loop worked quite well. During the weekend the club generator has broken down again, the 2020 budget proposal includes funding for a new generator. Antenna raffled off, Al KB3OVB is the winner.

Carbon County Fair was difficult but we completed the week and earned the donation. This will be the last year we do the Carbon County Fair for several reasons. We are looking into restarting the EAPRA Ham Fest.

West end Fair public relations booth in the Evert building was a successful and fun outing. Fair organizers are interested in EPARA running a special event station in 2 years for the 100th anniversary

The radio room antenna needs to be replaced, we are going to put a OCF antenna (Radio-Waves DX-80) behind the 911 center. The 2020 budget proposal includes funding for the new antenna.

New business:N3SEI Elmer weekend is on September 28th and 29th , we will be holding a fox hunt on Saturday and is being run by Frank W3OKW. Both days the satellite QSO team will be working on contacts via satellite.

2020 EPARA budget was presented to the membership

Motion to accept the 2020 budget and put to vote by Eric N3SWR 2nd by Bill KA3UKL Budget acceptance vote Passed

Bylaw amendment to change yearly dues rates




Motion to put Bylaw amendment to vote by Al KB3OVB 2nd by Alex KD2FTA Bylaw Amendment vote Passed

Votes / New members:

James KB3VRX accepted

Announcements:The CQ DX RTTY Contest will be from September 27th till the 29th

Adjournment…Meeting was adjourned at 8:47PM Motion to close by KB3YKJ 2nd by Dan KC3JCE Motion Passed Meeting followed by a presentation about FT-8 by Alex KD2FTA

Submitted byDonald Darcy Jr. WK2RP

Monroe County EC Vacancy Charlie KB3JUF has decided to resign which leaves an opening for a new Emergency Coordinator (EC). Thank you Charlie for your efforts! Any member who would be interested in the EC position should contact either Chris at [email protected] or WT Jones at [email protected] for more information.

Tech Class There is no class this coming October 23rd.

EPARA Club DuesJust a friendly reminder for all members that dues are due just just two months from now.

EPARA New Member AnnouncementA warm welcome goes out to James Mayeski KB3VRX! James was a natural and jumped right in after our FT8 presentation and started making contacts. Welcome to the club!

Thank you for the generous donation!You know who you are and EPARA sincerely thanks you for the donated equipment!

VE Sessions have returned!Be sure to contact Donald WK2RP should you wish to take your Technician, General and/or Extra test. We will make the effort to help you earn your ticket!!

For more information: https://www.paqso.org/

Greetings One and All (you too Al)OK, I know a lot of you have been beating me up saying "when the heck are you going to get off your butt and schedule another breakfast!!??" Well, the wait is over!!!! Date: October 19, 2019 (Yup, that’s a Saturday) Time: 9 AM Place: The Library Room at Perkin's Family Restaurant 1215 West Main Street Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Doug K3GI Vitoville, PA 73!



OctOber 2019Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

Tech class Monroe County Training Center7pm


EPARAmeeting Monroe County Training Center 7:30pm

VE session Monroe County Training Center 7pm




MCARES meeting Monroe County Training Center 7:30pm

Thanks go to Alex KD2FTA who decided to give us all a great presentation on the

digital aspects of amateur radio. FT8 was the main course for this "dinner" and we ate

it like it was our last meal - YUM!

Time to try out FT8 in the radio room. We made a few contacts across the globe

which seemed to be a breeze. Italy came through as well as a few "local" stations in

the USA.

When the editor needs pizza, has been at this for 10hrs straight and Adobe laughs back at me.... Just go ahead.. do it... MAKE MY DAY!


Don WK2RP and Chris AJ3C start training a new class of technicians

Anyone looking to take an exam is encouraged to contact Donald WK2RP to preregister at least one (1) week in

advance of the test date. If you have any questions or to register, Donald can be reached via email [email protected] and/or phone 914-424-6924. Sessions are the second Friday of the month at 7 PM. The following are this month’s and next month’s testing dates:

The Technician class is now in the second month with 8 students. The club is still looking at other classes that can be taught to those interested. If anyone has any

ideas or things they are interested in, please contact Chris AJ3C or Donald WK2RP.


National Traffic System

Many feel that the National Traffic System is dead, sadly that is far from the truth. Anytime disaster takes out cell towers and other

communications, NTS is the only way to get messages out of the affected area. Think Puerto Rico during and after hurricane Maria. Many hams, especially newer hams under-estimate the value of NTS. Like any other tool, not using it regularly, makes it hard to use when truly needed. I have tried to get others to realize the usefulness of NTS and teach them how to fill out a radiogram, but now there is a new problem; the ICS-213 form. This requires new training. Anyone interested in learning feel free to contact Donald WK2RP at [email protected] or 914-424-6924.


Monroe Country ARES (MCARES) meets the last Thursday of the month at the 911 training center at 7:30pm

We have a meeting coming up on the 26th at 7:30 pm, please make an effort to attend as we will be discussing our future direction as we rebuild this Emcomm group. A replacement EC is needed. If there is anyone interested please see Chris AJ3C to apply!

Don't forget to sign up with with ARES Connect if you haven't done so already and if you plan to attend the meeting or check-in to the weekly net remember to register you attendance on the ares connect page. To sign please use this link: https://arrl.volunteerhub.com/lp/epa

The EC-001 revised course has been available for several months now. Members can register for the course via this link http://www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog There is two different versions of the course. The guided or mentored version (EC-001) and the self-paced for experienced emergency communicators (EC-001-S).

In reference to the EC-001 training, If you would prefer a traditional classroom course please contact Donald WK2RP.

The ARES/RACES section was long overdue for an makeover. I feel it's important to let others see the

importance of ARES/RACES and that EPARA takes Emcomm seriously. This section will change to reflect

this in future editions of the Beacon.

Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, reports: The current stretch of spotless days is now over 3 weeks, according to Spaceweather.com. The continuing quiet seems eerie. For this past reporting week, Thursday through Wednesday, the average daily solar flux (10.7 GHz radiation recorded in Penticton, British Columbia, which roughly tracks with sunspot activity) was only 66. I couldn’t recall when the weekly average reported in this bulletin was last that low, and couldn’t find any report during the past year with such low activity.

I did an inspection of the numbers and had to go back to the fall of 2007 to find average solar flux in that range. In 2007 we reported an average of 66.5 in bulletin number 40. Can anyone else find solar flux that low or lower in past bulletins? We have them online going back to 1995.

If anyone has copies of propagation bulletins prior to 1995, I would love to see them. I began writing the bulletin in March 1991. Before that, W1HDQ (SK) was the author. I recall copying the bulletin as a teenager in 1966 on CW but have not found anyone who knows when the bulletin began.

Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is 66 on August 30 – September 6; 67 on September 7 – 11; 68 on September 12 – 15; 67 on September 16 – October 8; 68 again on October 9 – 12, and 67 on October 13.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 20, 34, 16, and 8 on August 30 – September 3; 5 on September 4 – 5; 8 on September 6 – 7; 5 on September 8 – 21; 10, 15, and 8 on September 22 – 24; 5 on September 25 – 27; 35, 18, and 10 on September 28 – 30; 5 on October 1 – 2; 10 and 8 on October 3 – 4, and 5 on October 5 – 13.

Note that the predicted planetary A index is 34 on September 1, which according to W3LPL and The ARRL Letter is the 160th anniversary of the infamous Carrington Event.

Spaceweather.com reported a large recurring coronal hole facing Earth and expects the effects to be felt on Sunday, September 1. A planetary A index value of 35 is predicted for the next solar rotation, on September 28.

Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period August 30 – September 26 from OK1HH. The geomagnetic field will be:

Quiet on: September 10 – 11, 20 – 21, (25 – 26) Quiet to unsettled on: August 30, September 3 – 5, 7 – 8, 13, 17, 22, 24 Quiet to active on: August 31, September 6, 9, 12, 14 – 16, 18 – 19, 23 Unsettled to active on: September 2 Active to disturbed: September 1 Solar wind will intensify on August (30) – 31, September 1 ( – 2), (4 – 6)

[Parenthesis means lower probability of activity enhancement.]

For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…,” and check outK9LA’s Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are on the ARRL website.

Sunspot numbers for August 22 – 28 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a mean of 0. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 65.7, 66.5, 66.3, 66, 65.8, 66.1, and 65.9, with a mean of 66. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 4, 5, 4, 6, 10, and 5, with a mean of 5.7. Middle latitude A index was 7, 4, 5, 5, 6, 10, and 5, with a mean of 6.

Solar Update


Weatherproofing Your Coaxial Cable ConnectionsOver the years many different methods have been used to weatherproof coaxial cable connections. Some worked, some did not. Once water or condensation enters your coaxial cable, it will ruin it, or worse yet, cause shorting or high SWR conditions which could lead to permanent damage to your transmitter.

One type of coaxial sealing material is a gummy tar like substance that you wrap around the coaxial connection. This gummy substance works pretty well, except when you try to remove it for maintenance or coaxial cable re-placement, it can cause further problems. The gummy substance just doesn’t come off cleanly and small bits of it may remain in the threads of PL-259’s or SO-239’s. These small bits of material are mini-insulators, and could cause intermittent operation. To avoid this, there is another method that uses a combination of two types of tape which not only protects your coaxial connection, but also allows for easy removal for future maintenance.

3M Temflex™ 2155 Rubber Splicing Tape - This is a conformable self-fusing rubber electrical in-sulating tape. It is designed for low voltage electrical insulating and moisture sealing applications. For outdoor use, it should be protected from UV deterioration with an overwrap of Scotch® Super 33+.

Scotch® Super 33+ - This is a highly conformable super stretchy tape for all weather applications. This tape provides flexibility and easy handling for all around performance. It also combines PVC backing with excellent electrical insulating properties to provide primary electrical insulation for splices up to 600V and protective jacketing.

These tapes can be used indoors or outdoors. When used outdoors the tem-perature should be above freezing, and if it’s raining, keep the assembly you are wrapping covered and dry while applying the tapes. Any airborne moisture such as fog, rain and snow may cause the tape to not stick properly, so take adequate precautions to protect the assembly you are weatherproofing. Ad-ditionally, the coaxial cable and connectors should be clean and free of any moisture, dirt or other residues.

Wrap your connection with rubber splicing tape (3M Temflex) being sure to overlap each winding about 50%. For UV protection, wing a second layer on top using a good electrical tape (Scotch Super 33). Again being cer-tain to overlap each winding. When finished you should have a finished connection similar to this:

There will come a time when you have to separate the previ-ously weatherproofed coaxial cable connections for mainte-nance or some other reason. This is when you will be glad you used the above method to put on the weatherproofing! Carefully cutting back the tape layers will reveal a clean connector.

Credit: http://static.dxengineering.com/pdf/weatherproofingcoax-techtip.pdf


•10/04/2019 | Laurel Highlands Council, Frontier District Fall Camporee Oct 4-Oct 6, 2200Z-1600Z, K2BSA/3, Beaver Falls, PA. North Hills Amateur Radio Club (W3EXW). 14.250 7.220. QSL. Trevor Reed, 101 Clinton Lake Road, Clinton, PA 15026. [email protected]

• 10/05/2019 | Boy Scouts of America Jersey Jam 2019 Oct 5, 1300Z-2100Z, WW2BSA, Hackettstown, NJ. Mount Allamuchy Scout Reservation. 14.280 14.230 SSTV 18.150 146.520. Certificate. Prof. Chris Lance, PO Box 243, Hackettstown, NJ 07840. Send a SASE (standard size #10 4-1/8" x 9-1/2") with QSL card for Certificate. https://www.qrz.com/db/WW2BSA

• 10/08/2019 | Towamencin Encampment Oct 8-Oct 16, 0000Z-2359Z, W3T, Harleysville, PA. WV2M. 14.240 14.074 7.240 7.074. QSL. Frank Gallo, 106 Tweed Way, Harleysville, PA 19438. www.w3t.info

• 10/13/2019 | Don’t Touch That Dial 100 Years of Radio Oct 13, 1400Z-2100Z, N3I, Washington, NJ. 721st Mechanized Contest Battalion. 14.250. Certificate & QSL. Rob Roschewsk, 104 Buckhorn Dr, Washington, NJ 07882. In honor of the special exhibit "Don’t Touch That Dial 100 Years of Radio" at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, PA, the 721st Mechanized Contest Battalion will operate

the museum's station as special event station during the PA QSO party as callsign N3I.

• 10/13/2019 | Don’t Touch That Dial 100 Years of Radio Oct 13, 1400Z-2100Z, N3I, Bethlehem, PA. 721st Mechanized Contest Battalion. 14.250. Certificate & QSL. Rob Roschewsk, 104 Buckhorn Dr, Washington, NJ 07882. In honor of the special exhibit "Don’t Touch That Dial 100 Years of Radio" at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, PA, the 721st Mechanized Contest Battalion will operate the museum's station as special event station during the PA QSO party as callsign N3I. wc2fd.com/n3i

• 10/18/2019 | Augustine Beach DE. U.S.Coast Guard Auxiliary District 5-NR Commemorating U.S.C.G.AUX 80TH Anniversary Oct 18-Oct 20, 1600Z-1800Z, N3G, Aston, PA. U.S.Coast Guard Auxiliary 5TH NR. 14.070 14.055 7.070 3.535. QSL. Robin M Begley, 3 Pancoast Ave, Aston, PA 19014.

• 10/18/2019 | U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 80th Anniversary Oct 18-Oct 20, 1600Z-2300Z, K3G, Media, PA. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. 28.330 21.330 14.270 7.270. QSL. Dan Amoroso, 196 Dam View Drive, Media, PA 19063. [email protected]

• 10/19/2019 | 95th Anniversary of the Elmwood Park Zoo Oct 19, 1400Z-2000Z, K3E, Norristown, PA. Elmwood Park Zoo. 14.240 7.240. QSL. Chris Brady, N3CB, 5 Yale Rd, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. www.epz95.com

• 10/19/2019 | SUNY Fredonia Mini Maker Faire Oct 19, 1400Z-2000Z, WB2ELW, Fredonia, NY. South Towns Amateur Radio Society. 14.200 7.250. Certificate. Joe Claus, 6313 Kast Place, Hamburg, NY 14075. wb2elw.net


What is the term for the time required for the capacitor in an RC circuit to be charged to 63.2% of the applied voltage? A. An exponential rate of one B. One time constant C. One exponential period D. A time factor of one

Last month’s answer was, C.A product detector is used for demodulating SSB signals. A product detector is a type of frequency mixer, it takes the product of the modulated signal and a local oscillator. It mixes the RF or IF signal with a locally generated carrier (the BFO) to produce an audio frequency copy of the original audio signal and a mixer product at twice the original RF or IF frequency. This high-frequency component can then be filtered out, leaving the original audio frequency signal.

A vacuum tube is just that: a glass tube surrounding a vacuum (an area from which all gases have

been removed). What makes it interesting is that when electrical contacts are put on the ends, you can get a current to flow though that vacuum. Thomas Edison noticed this first in 1883. While fiddling with lightbulbs he saw that he could get current to jump from the hot filament to a metal plate at the bottom. What Edison discovered (and it was promptly dubbed the "Edison effect") was that electrical current doesn't need a wire to move through. It can travel right through a gas or even a vacuum. The Edison effect, incidentally, is the only piece of scientific work Edison ever did. He was not a scientist but an inventor, a tinkerer. This kind of thinking would be as important as science for the invention of the transistor.

Edison's discovery that current can travel through a vacuum didn't turn out to be very useful information until 1904. That's when a British scientist named John A. Fleming made a vacuum tube known today as a diode. Then the diode was known as a "valve," because it forced current in the tube to travel exclusively in one direction. Getting that single directional flow was critical for radio sets which needed to turn alternating current into direct current.

The vacuum tube didn't reach its full maturity until Lee De Forest came along a decade later. De Forest invented something he called the "audion." Not only did it force current to move in a single direction, but it could be used to increase the current along the way. De Forest put a metal grid in the middle of the vacuum tube. By using a small input current to change the

voltage on the grid, De Forest could control the flow of a second, more powerful current, through the tube. The strength of two currents was not necessarily related -- a weak current might be applied to the tube's grid, but a much stronger current could come out the main electrodes of the tube.

Turning weak currents into strong currents was crucial for a number of new technologies at that time. Bell Labs made use of it for its coast to coast phone system and vacuum tubes soon found their way into everything from hearing aids to radios to televisions. Credit: https://www.pbs.org/transistor/science/events/vacuumt.html

In order to keep the spirit of radio alive, the Tube of the Month column attempts to pick a tube and bring the reader back to an era where tubes lit your shack and warmed your soul from the cold outdoors. We begin with a simple diode and will pick another example in the months ahead.

The U5 has the distinction of being the first full wave rectifier. The U5 was introduced by the Marconi-Osram Valve Company in 1926. From the picture it can be seen that each filament is an inverted V and that the two filaments are connected in parallel. Each anode cavity is a flattened cylinder without any coating. The balloon envelope is 52 mm in diameter and, excluding the B4 base pins, is 93 mm tall.

https://www.6v6.co.uk/vcomp/manuals/pdfs/Marconi%20Valve%20Manual%201928.pdf


A six-band, HF Windom antenna by K3MTThis Windom antenna was marketed in the late 70's and early 80's as Smithe's Windom. It was designed to cover 80, 40, 20 15, and 10 meters. By serendipity, it also covers the 17 and 2 meter bands.Now, how was a Windom antenna developed? It began with a center-fed, half-wave dipole. This antenna also works fairly well on all odd harmonics, because the center of the antenna has a current maximum, just as a halfwave antenna has. But on even harmonics, the center of the antenna has acurrent minimum. It is a high-impedance, center-fed Zepp antenna on even harmonics. This figure shows the current standing wave on a 3.5 MHz halfwave dipole, and the currents on the second and third harmonics (7 and 10.5 MHz.) When fed at the center - 90 degrees from one side - a good match to coax occurs on 3.5 MHz. But the match at 7 MHz is bad: the current is a minimum, so the impedance is very high. So try feeding it 60 degrees fromthe left end. Since the current at 3.5 MHz is lower than at the center (andthe voltage is higher) the feed impedance is higher - over 100 ohms. But theantenna is still resonant, so the reactance is low! What you have done is to increase its feed resistance.

Look now at the action on 7 MHz. The feed point is no longer at a currentminimum. Therefore, the second harmonic feed impedance is quite a bitlower than it had been earlier, and is in the range of a few hundred ohms. Since the antenna is resonant here, too, it has low reactance. But now the feed impedance at 10.5 MHz is poor, because the 3rd harmonic current standing wave is now a minimum. So try feeding it at about 52 degrees from the left end. Here the match at 3.5, 7, and 10.5 MHz is fairly good. The impedance at all three is now somewhere around 200 to 400 ohms.

Now you can play these games all day, and if you build this antenna, you will find it works well on 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters - plus 2 meters as well, provided you pay attention to the balun! To boot, the balun matches 50 ohm coax without an antenna tuner. I admit, that this is a compromise design, and a tuner helps on the low end of 80 meters a bit, and on the high end of ten. But without a tuner, and with a fussy rig - my Drake TR-7 - a lot of DX has been worked on all bands, from 80 through 10 meters.



I put my windom up a bit differently, as shown here:

Balun detailsWhat about the balun? The original unit sold with the Smithe Windoms is a Guanella-type (as opposed to a Ruthroff-Sevick design) parallel transmission line balun. Since the design impedance was measured to be between 300 and 600 ohms, a 9:1 down-converting balun with three 150ohm lines was designed and built.

To build one, obtain an Amidon T-200-2 core, tape it with two layers of black poly electrical tape, and obtain some #18 AWG magnet wire with a bit of #17 AWG teflon spaghetti. Twist the magnet wire to make three twisted pairs - about one twist per inch. Wind 11 turns of one pair on the core, and slip the teflon spaghetti over each lead of the remainder (untwist it a bit to do this.) Then wind 8 more turns back overtop the 11 turn winding. Do this with the other two twisted pair lines as well. Space them onthe core so no two lines overlap. This image shows a single winding on the core - make two more windings like it.

Get an ohmmeter to check continuity. Label the lines A, B, and C, and theirends 1 & 2 where the uninsulated wire starts onto the core, and 3 & 4 wherethe wire (insulated with the spaghetti) leaves the winding. Pay attention tothe wiring detail that follows, and use your ohmmeter to check your work.Label the wires so there is continuity from:• A1 to A3• A2 to A4• B1 to B3• ·B2 to B4• C1 to C3


Refer to the next image to guide the balun connections, and wire the balunas follows:

• Connect A1, B1, and C1 together. These will connect to the center

conductor of the coax.

• Connect A2, B2, and C2 together. These must connect to the coax

braid.

• Connect A3 to the short end of the windom. This is important!

• Connect A4 to B3, and B4 to C3.

• Connect C4 to a 110 pF, 6 kV capacitor.

• Connect the other end of this capacitor to the long end of the windom.

You are now ready to install and enjoy your windom. If you have the same luck that K3MT and daughter KF4LGR have, it will have been worth all the trouble!

73K3MT

KF4LGR

Space Weather and its effects on HAM radioBy KD2FTA – Alex Verdes for EPARA

For a majority of people, the first thing we do before getting dressed in the morning, is to listen to the local weather report. We get a sense of what we should be wearing, knowing that modern forecasting techniques

provide us with a reasonable 24 to 48 hour window into our local outside weather conditions.

As HAMs how many of us check space weather? Right now as I’m writing this article, a full blown geomagnetic storm is happening all around the Earth. The storm was triggered by the solar wind coming from a coronal hole on the sun currently facing the Earth. This is causing disruptions to our voice communications (except CW, and FT8, I’ve been making contacts all morning long on 40meters).

The sun produces life giving light and warmth to our third rock from its center, however the sun also produces electromagnetic, and ionized energy that interacts with us daily. This morning’s propagation report shows us the effects of the sun’s power on our radio frequencies. HF bands are poor and VHF and UHF frequencies show band closures. Space weather is everything outside of our terrestrial atmosphere that affects us here on Earth. For the purposes of HAM radio, it has to do mostly with the Sun, but we can’t rule out other phenomena like Gama bursts, or high energy radio bursts as well. See link:

https://news.berkeley.edu/2017/08/30/distant-galaxy-sends-out-15-high-energy-radio-bursts/

Note the lack of reports from beacon stations worldwide on September 1st 2019 during the geomagnetic storm with KP indices of 5.


It’s not just HAMs that get affected by space weather. The astronauts on the ISS get a significant amount of radiation, even though NASA and the other international space agencies take precautions to protect the crews. Air crews and the flying public receive more ionized radiation (X and Gama rays). At commercial aviation altitudes more than 50% of the atmosphere is below you, providing less protection from the sun’s rays. GPS navigation is affected, satellites that provide weather, communications, commercial services, and power grids are affected. Nations closer to the North Pole like Canada, Russia, and the northern European countries experience power grid disruptions as surges of electromagnetic energy getting through our atmosphere knock out transformers. Even Alaska residents are affected, although they get to see magnificent auroras. Here’s a link to an eye opening article about power disruptions caused by space weather: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-04-22/yesterdays-broad-power-outage-likely-caused-geomagnetic-stormSo you may ask why is this important to HAMs? Well a little understanding of the sun dynamics will help. Caution! Here comes some science content courtesy of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Astronomy.The Sun continuously emits two kinds of radiation: electromagnetic and corpuscular.

• Electromagnetic radiation provides light and warmth, but also consists of invisible radiation some of which can be harmful such as ultraviolet. • Corpuscular radiation is made up of charged particles (ions and electrons) (Solar Wind)

• Electromagnetic solar radiation is a phenomenon by which energy escapes from the Sun at the speed of light in the form of a wave. There are several types of radiation that can be expressed in terms of energy, wavelength or frequency (number of waves per second). The best known type of the spectrum is visible sunlight.

• In a rainbow, the solar rays are arranged according to their wavelength (see above illustration). From purple to red, the wave gets longer. The infrared, with a wavelength larger than the one of red, is not visible, but we feel its warmth. The ultraviolet (UV) has a wavelength smaller than the one of purple. This part of the solar radiation, which is not visible either, can be harmful for humans.


• In a rainbow, the solar rays are arranged according to their wavelength (see above illustration). From purple to red, the wave gets longer. The infrared, with a wavelength larger than the one of red, is not visible, but we feel its warmth. The ultraviolet (UV) has a wavelength smaller than the one of purple. This part of the solar radiation, which is not visible either, can be harmful for humans. • The solar wind is a plasma, a stream of charged particles (ions and electrons) which are continuously escaping from the Sun into the interplanetary medium. The particles can escape from the hold of the Sun because the solar corona consists of a very hot plasma of which the temperature exceeds millions of degrees.

The sun makes its own magnetic field which reverses polarity every 22 years. The sun also behaves like a gaseous ball of weather even though it’s undergoing constant nuclear fusion at its core. Protons stripped from gas molecules at its core according to our current understanding of physics take thousands of years to travel to the surface where they are emitted as light. Just like the Earth the sun has “fronts” that travel across the northern and southern hemispheres, with plasma tornados that are several times the size of the Earth travelling across regions of hot plasma gas.

When the plasma gas is affected by the magnetic field of the sun, the field can eject that plasma with those charged particles into the surrounding space.

A coronal mass ejection (CME) can escape from the Sun during eruptions on the Sun like solar flares and filament eruptions. However, not every event has a coronal mass ejection accompanied with it. It can take four days for that stream of gas to travel across the path of the planets to our Earth where our own magnetic field deflects, or absorbs those particles. When this happens we can have the upper atmosphere “energized” by those particles to promote propagation, or even cause absorption in the D layer of the ionosphere closing day time bands. Such is the power of a CME.


CMEs and solar flares are not the only phenomena that affect HF bands on Earth. Remember that the sun is a ball of gas, and has cooler regions which like our weather on Earth rotate around on the sun every 27 days. These cooler regions are also affected by the sun’s magnetosphere, and produce highly charges particles.

The effect of these holes are what we’re currently experiencing here at the HAM shack in Oak Ridge New Jersey! With mechanisms not fully understood yet, the holes are formed by the sun’s magnetic field and allow the solar wind to vent out particles into space. When the Earth is aligned to either a CME, solar flare, or a coronal hole, propagation is affected. The intensity of those effects vary depending on the amount of charged particles, and their interaction with our own atmosphere and magnetosphere.

To learn more about the sun in general, and space weather visit the space weather woman Dr. Tamitha Skov at: http://www.spaceweatherwoman.com/

73 KD2FTA

Next Article: Space Weather Resources for HAMS



WHAT IS IT?By Ed Hare, W1RFI

When someone has an unusual RFI problem, the first question he or she almost

always asks is: What is it? That's an interesting question, and you may need to ask it during the troubleshooting process, but it is not the first question you should ask. First, even if someone were to say that it's a Model XYZ Panashibi switching power supply, what would that tell you? You would still have to go into the world and find it. The number of products sold that could make radio noise in in the many tens of thousands, and even it had the signature of a Model XYZ Panashibi supply, a Model ABC Shootzu LED bulb could have a very similar signature, so if someone tells you to look for the Panashibi, you could be off on a wild goose chase. "Knowing" what it is could actually make it harder to find. It could be useful, though, to know whether you are searching for a switching power supply, DSL or cable leakage, or a plasma TV. But be general, not specific, because you don't want to be misled. First, switching supplies are very common; they are used in absolutely everything. Modern LED bulbs and fluorescent ballasts are all probably also switching power supplies. Switching supplies do have some characteristics that make them easy to identify. First, they make noise every N kHz, with N typically being somewhere between 10 kHz to 200 kHz. In other words, a switcher will make usually broadband noise spaced some number of kHz apart.

Put your receiver in AM mode and listen to the noise. A switcher will almost always have some 120-Hz AC hum on the noise, detectable by ear. DSL signals will just sound like broadband noise, or will have a distinct "digital" sound to them. Plasma TVs, if the noise is coming from the plasma screen itself will have noise that varies with every scene change on the screen, and you may even be able to correlate it with a particular TV channel by switching through all the channels on your own TV and see which one

has scene changes corresponding to the change in noise. Most switching supplies make more noise at lower frequencies, tapering off as you switch to higher and higher bands. Most digital devices occupy specific frequencies, so you may not hear it at all on 3.5 MHz, but as you tune through HF, the noise may get strong starting at 6 MHz, and continue pretty steadily all the way to 20 MHz, just as examples, then disappear over space of a few tens of kHz. So, frequency occupancy over the entire HF range, tapering off as one goes higher indicates a probable switching supply, while specific spectral occupancy indicates a digital device carrying modulation. Switching supplies really are free-running oscillators, but their frequencies do not need to be exactly controlled. So, when the noise first appears, note the frequency of one of the peaks of the noise, then see if it drifts up or down the band. Switchers almost always drift. Stay parked on the frequency for a while, and keep listening. Switchers almost always exhibit little changes in frequency as voltage dips and surges occur, although the change could be less than a kHz, which is hard to tell considering the relatively broad nature of the noise. . Drifting and the occasional change in frequency are characteristic of switchers.So, I can't say this strongly enough: Start in your own home. Use a battery operated receiver, and turn off every circuit breaker in your home. If the noise goes away, it's yours. Do NOT assume that you know it's not your own equipment causing the noise, because I can't tell you the number of times a ham has wasted his or her time and ours trying to track down a neighborhood noise source, only to ultimately discover it was something like a battery charger forgotten plugged into an outlet in the garage.In any event, what you really want to do is to figure out WHERE the noise source is, something you will need to do no matter what it is.That battery operated receiver will be a valuable tool. Ideally, it will have an S meter. First, connect it to your antenna and hear the noise. Now, take it outside with a small antenna and if you still hear the noise, your job will be pretty easy. Note the S meter reading, and take a walk. You should be able to find the peak pretty easily,


isolating it to a few houses on HF. As you tune higher in frequency, you need to be closer to the source, so when you are near it, think 10 meters, if the noise can be heard there. It IS possible to get tricked, because on your neighborhood walk, you will hear devices from each house, so at least be sure that the noises you hear do in some way resemble the noise you hear at your house. Now, here comes the tricky part, because in some neighborhoods, you will not have much access to the private properties surrounding you. But you can use that S meter to get a real good idea what house the noise is coming from. To do this, you need to place the antenna of the batter-operated receiver a specific distance away from the electrical wiring in each house, and take an S meter reading of the noise. I suggest that you can use one or two feet as that distance, and judging by eye is sufficient. The noise will be significantly stronger radiating from the offending house. You can sometimes use the outside electrical meter in a building, or an outside light on the porch or driveway, making sure is it NOT 12 volt lighting that can have a different switching supply than what you are looking for. (Of course, it could be the very source you are looking for.)If you can't go near each building around you, if you have overhead electrical you can use the S meter to sniff the ground wire that is connected to each pole, at least isolating the noise to a

few houses. If the wiring is underground, you can use the pad mounted transformers that are scattered around the neighborhood, although it is sometimes hard to know what houses are connected to each one.Now, once you have found the house, you have a difficult decision to make. Do you approach a stranger, or just live with the noise? People don't always react well to accusations that the device they just bought at BigMart is being operated in violation of some federal law that they don't understand, but how to diplomatically approach a neighbor is another subject. There is one key, though, and that is under FCC rules, it is the responsibility of the operator of noisy devices to not cause harmful

interference, so if this is a neighbor's equipment,

it's his or her obligation to fix it.

See the ARRL web page, Technology, RFI, for more information and buy the ARRL RFI Book.

Credit: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/RFI/WHAT%20IS%20IT.pdf

FT8 really is reshaping amateur radio. Even if all DXpeditions swore not to use FT8 bots (but you know they will), hams are moving to FT8 and related modes in huge numbers. Here are a couple of related items that I ran across yesterday.

The summer 2019 edition of the Northern California DX Foundation newsletter included the following:

Why use FT8 mode in DXpeditions?FT8 is rapidly becoming the digital mode of choice for DXpeditions and here are some reasons why:

• Important for little pistol stations, especially in antenna-challenged HOA or high-noise neighborhoods.• No other mode has the capability of working five different calls in parallel in the same sub-band with queuing.• Very high rates possible compared to RTTY, which equals more ATNOs in the log.• Easier to reach certain parts of the world under poor propagation conditions and weak solar cycles.• Excellent mode for challenging bands like 6M and 160M.• Still get credit for a digital QSO toward awards, etc.• May attract new operators or revitalize older ones.• Excellent mode for hearing- or speech-impaired hams.• DQRM not a problem.• Less stressful for DXpedition operators.• Has tremendous remote operation possibilities.

Along the same lines, the ARRL has decided to reactivate the Band Planning Committee. A news article yesterday notes:

In an effort to more effectively address HF digital technology issues, ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, has reactivated the ARRL Board of Directors’ HF Band Planning Committee. The six-member panel, chaired by First Vice President Greg Widin, K0GW, will primarily focus on spectrum allocation issues that have gained increased visibility with discussions on accommodating automatically controlled digital stations (ACDS) — many employing Winlink email. The committee will also discuss operating frequencies for FT4, FT8, and other digital modes. Widin says the committee will meet next week to chart its course. Reactivation of the HF Band Planning Committee came out of discussions during the July 2019 ARRL Board meeting.

I really am of two minds on this. As my friend Jeff, KE9V, said on Twitter, “FT8 is an amazing software application that allows your personal computer to experience all the thrills and excitement of global two-way radio communications!” Note that he didn’t say that it allows you to experience the thrill, but rather your computer. He decries the impersonal nature of FT8, and I have to say that I kind of agree with him on this.

wwOn the other hand, to paraphrase an NBA cliche, the band don’t lie. The CW segments, and even the SSB segments, of the HF bands are often quiet or relatively inactive, while the FT8 segment is chock full of signals. I may not find the impersonal digital modes all that exciting myself, but you can’t argue that they’re not popular and possibly deserve a little more bandwidth.

FT8 really is reshaping amateur radio


EME CAN BE EASY WITH A SMALL STATION!

Of course, the suggestions on my “2M EME TIPS” page still apply, but setting up a small or portable station for 2m EME can actually make it quite easy to make contacts, since many of the complexities are avoided.

For example, here are some guidelines which would enable a small station to make contact with dozens of the larger 2m stations around the world:

1. ANTENNAS - In the simplest station, you would need only one very good antenna. For best results, the antenna should be the longest Yagi possible. Using only a single antenna immediately simplifies things because there are no power dividers or phasing lines - just a single transmission line. It also makes aiming easier, since the pattern is broader (the antenna only needs to be moved every 20 minutes or so), and you do not have to worry about multiple Yagi’s getting out of alignment by pointing different directions. In a simple/portable station, it is frequently very effective to further simplify the aiming by keeping the antenna pointed at the horizon only, and using “armstrong” manual rotation (in which case, the azimuth can be determined with a simple protractor placed around the mast). Usually, it is very easy to put a Yagi up on a portable mast that is only about 7m tall - high enough to be out of the way and low enough to have a short feedline. A 2m antenna that high above the ground will typically have its main lobe at about 5 degrees elevation, with a second, weaker, lobe up around 12 degrees elevation. That usually means that the moon (either rising or setting) will slowly pass through two antenna lobes within the course of a one hour schedule.

If desired, manual elevation is also very easily accomplished by mounting a protractor on the rear end of the boom, and watching the reading indicated by a stiff wire mounted through a hole in the center of the protractor (the wire is free to pivot and always hangs straight down due to gravity). I have successfully used such arrange-ments for hundreds of EME contacts when I was operating from C6A. The boom-to-mast clamp was simply a pivot, and the antenna can be held at the proper elevation by tying a nylon string (attached to the rear end of the Yagi) down to a rock or concrete block. Very low tech, but it doesn’t break and it isn’t expensive! Remember, though, that you lose ground gain if you point the antenna up in the sky!

A very effective single Yagi for 2m (especially designed for portable use) is the “2M8WL” 15 m long Yagi man-ufactured by M-Squared in California. The antenna comes in a box only 20 cm x 20 cm x 218 cm long (weigh-ing about 12 kg) and 1999 costs were in the $339 range. More information can be obtained by contacting M-Squared at (559) 432-8873 (telephone) or (559) 432-3059 (FAX).

2. GROUND GAIN - By pointing on the horizon, you make the installation very simple. You also take ad-vantage of GROUND GAIN, which can add 6-8 dB more gain than the single antenna would have if pointed up in the sky! That can make it equal to as many as 6 Yagi’s! To get that much ground gain, you must use a horizontally polarized antenna.

The ground gain is especially good if the antenna can “look out” over salt water to see the moon setting or rising. That can mean amazing performance for a very small antenna! For example, the first time I operated from ZF8, I had only a 7 element beam (the horizontal 7 elements of a 14 element satellite Yagi) and 500 watts, yet I made half a dozen random EME contacts on my moonrise (out over the ocean). If you have a flat, clear horizon - especially if is is over salt water - put it to work for you!

3. FEED LINE - With a portable station it frequently is possible to have very short feedline. This makes the transmitted signal louder, and makes it possible to hear stations without a preamplifier mounted on the antenna itself. A 15 or 20 m length of a good low loss coax such as LMR600 “ultra flex” would make an excellent in-stallation.


4. RECEIVING PREAMPLIFIER - If the transmission line is short and low loss, the receiving preamplifier can be located right at the operating position. This greatly simplifies the installation, since relays and preampli-fier do not need to be located up on the tower (along with their separate coaxial and power cables).

5. AMPLIFIER - The biggest problem with a smaller station is that it will be difficult for larger, more powerful stations to hear you, even though you will hear them (especially when the moon is near your horizon!). If you can achieve more than 200 w at the antenna, you should be able to make contacts with at least 10 of the larger stations on 2m EME. If you can have 400+ watts at the antenna, you can probably make contacts with a couple dozen stations, and if you have 800+ watts at the antenna, it should be possible to make many contacts - espe-cially if you use the ground gain on the horizon. And, of course, if you have a 1500 watt amplifier, you probably will be able to complete a contact with just about everybody you can hear.

An amplifier that has been very successfully used by many portable EME stations during DXpeditions is an amplifier using the 3CX800 tube. It only requires 25 watts drive, is compact and easily transported, and can put out 800-1000 watts if the AC power provided is adequate. These are available commercially from several man-ufacturers around the world (Command Technologies, for example), or there are plans in various publications showing how they can be constructed. A larger amplifier (that can be used on both 6m and 2m) using a pair of 3CX800’s is available from Alpha-Power.

IN SUMMARY, You don’t need a huge station to have fun and successfully make 2m EME contacts! Why not get started and try it out! Credits: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/smallemestn.htm

Jamboree-on-the-Air

Jamboree-on-the-Air, or JOTA, is the largest Scouting event in the world. It is held annually the third full week-end in October. JOTA uses amateur radio to link Scouts and hams around the world, around the nation, and

in your own community. This jamboree requires no travel, other than to a nearby amateur radio operator’s ham shack. Many times you can find the hams will come to you by setting up a station at your Scout camporee, at the park down the block, or perhaps at a ham shack already set up at your council’s camp.

Tell Me More

Scouts of any age can participate, from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and Venturers, including girls. Once at the ham radio station, the communication typically involves talking on a microphone and listening on the station speak-ers. However, many forms of specialized communication may also be taking place, such


as video communication, digital communication (much like sending a message on your smartphone but trans-mitted by radio), or communication through a satellite relay or an earth-based relay (called a repeater). The exchanges include such information as name, location (called QTH in ham speak), Scout rank, age, and hobbies. The stations you’ll be communicating with can be across town, across the country, or even around the world! The World Scout Bureau reported that the 2017 JOTA-JOTI had over 1.5 million Scout participants from more than 160 countries.

When Is It?

Jamboree-on-the-Air is held the third weekend in October. There are no official hours, so you have the whole weekend to make JOTA contacts. The event officially starts Friday evening during the JOTA Jump Start and runs through Sunday evening.

How Can I Participate as a Scout?

Contact your local Scout council and see what may already be planned in your area. You can also contact a local ham radio operator or a local amateur radio club. You can find a searchable database of clubs at www.arrl.org/find-a-club . This website is operated by the American Radio Relay League, the national association for ama-teur radio, which is cooperating closely with the BSA on JOTA and many other activities.

Your local club may be able to direct you to its planned JOTA activities. These can include ham stations set up at camporees or other events. Or, if there are no planned activities, you can either work with them to get something set up or arrange to visit a local radio operator’s ham shack at a scheduled time to participate in JOTA.

How Can I Participate as an Amateur Radio Operator?

Contact your local Scout council and see what may already be planned in your area and how you can help. You can find your council using the Council locator.

If nothing is currently planned, or if current plans aren’t reaching your area, you can work with the council or a local unit (pack, troop, crew) to set up a JOTA station or arrange for visits to your ham shack. You can also participate just by making QSOs with the many JOTA stations that will be on the air. A good resource to find a local Scout unit is the Be-A-Scout website at .


Sun sets on the Official Observer program September 30, 2019

As you are aware, the ARRL has spent more than two years working with the FCC developing an

enhanced program to support the FCC Enforcement staff with monitoring and reporting alleged problems arising on the Amateur Radio bands. The time has come to transition from the former Official Observer (OO) program to the new Volunteer Monitor (VM) program. The OO program will officially sunset on Monday September 30, 2019. The new Volunteer Monitor program will become effective on Tuesday October 1, 2019.At its July 2018 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors authorized the implementation of the new Volunteer Monitor Program and the retirement of the existing OO program at the appropriate time. The new MOU with the FCC establishing the VM program was signed in the spring. On May 14, 2019, a solicitation was made for applications to join the new VM program. Many of you existing OOs applied for the new program after receiving a reminder notice in early July 2019. When the July 15, 2019 application deadline had passed, VM Program Administrator Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, interviewed nearly 200 applicants and began the selection process for the new program. Finally, the new program is ready to start.The ARRL offers its deepest appreciation and gratitude for the dedicated work by the hundreds of OOs over the years. The cornerstone value of the OO program has always been a dedication to integrity. The good work of the Official Observers over the years was a key element in the corporative alliance between the FCC and the ARRL and led to the resolution of countless on-the-air problems. Whether sending compliance notices or “good operator” cards, you, the Official Observer, worked for the betterment of our hobby.For those of you that have offered your services in the new VM program, your continued commitment is appreciated and valued. To those who decided not to apply for the new program, it is our sincere hope that you will enjoy exploring new challenges in this wonderful hobby of Amateur Radio.To the various Section Managers – we appreciate the efforts and energy you committed to growing and supporting the OOs and OO Coordinators in your section. Your part in the maintenance of the OO program helped to guarantee its success. While the new

Volunteer Monitor program will be developed and maintained at the ARRL Headquarters level, please offer support and suggestions to the VM Program Coordinator as the program develops.If you served as a section OO Coordinator, the value of your work to the program may have been unnoticed by some. However, I can assure you that it was seen and appreciated by the ARRL HQ staff as they managed the program’s work.On a personal note, as the Regulatory Information Manager at ARRL, I have worked with many of you involved with the OO program over the years. While reviewing potential cases to be sent to the FCC for consideration, I never had reason to doubt the integrity or veracity of any of the data received from the hardworking OOs. Please accept my personal thanks for your dedication and commitment over the years.Good luck and see you on the air!73Dan Henderson, N1NDAssistant Secretary – American Radio Relay League, Inc.Regulatory Information ManagerARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio ®[email protected]


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