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Amateur Radio Activated for Late Season Hurricane |
| A rare November hurricane made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 storm Wednesday and continued to move slowly toward the northwest Thursday morning. Volunteer ham radio operators were there to provide surface reports to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Hurricane Rafael left Cuba’s 10 million residents without power and on Thursday afternoon was a Category 2 storm moving away from Cuba and heading northwest towards the Gulf of Mexico. Initial predictions showed the storm could have been headed for Florida and Louisiana, but all watches and warnings in those areas have been discontinued.
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), the VoIP Hurricane Net, and WX4NHC, the amateur radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), were activated until Wednesday night but are now secured and continuing to monitor the storm.
The NHC predicts that Rafael should remain a hurricane for the next couple of days as it moves into a drier air mass in the south-central Gulf of Mexico this weekend and early next week.
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2024 ARRL Field Day Results Published |
| Results are published, and the numbers are in. They paint a picture of a very active 2024 ARRL Field Day. Nearly 1.3 million contacts were reported during the 24-hour event. That is up from 2023’s 1.25 million contacts. That’s likely indicative of the continued rise of Solar Cycle 25 leading up to the event, but more people also participated this year.
Entries were received from all 85 ARRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) sections, as well as from 27 different countries from outside the US and Canada. “It is encouraging to see a rise in participation year to year,” said ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE. “ARRL Field Day is amateur radio’s premier event, and the hams turned out for it.”
Field Day is whatever you make it. For some participants, it’s a contest; for others, it’s a social gathering and club activity. Other groups use Field Day to showcase what amateur radio is all about to the public. Some groups use Field Day as an opportunity to introduce youths to amateur radio.
Class A, B, and C scores are included in the 2024 QST results article. The scores for Class D, E and F stations and club aggregate scores are listed in the 2024 line scores on the web, as well in the digital edition of QST.
Results are available now on the ARRL Field Day website at https://field-day.arrl.org/fdresults.php and in the December issue of QST.
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Rare California Island to be Activated for Armed Forces Day, First Time in 53 Years |
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On Armed Forces Day, May 1971, 53 years ago, two amateur operators working as WZ6SNI, activated San Nicolas Island, IOTA NA-066. At 61 miles, San Nicolas is the most remote of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California and is owned by the US Navy.
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| Now, weather permitting, Will Costello, WC6DX, has been authorized to be active from San Nicolas Island November 8 – 12, 2024. He is taking a Buddihex antenna for 6 – 20 meters and a 100 watt rig.
For island chasers in southern California, Arizona, and southern Nevada who may not be able to hear because of skip, he will also take a Buddipole antenna for 40 – 30 meters daytime use. Operations will be primarily SSB, and CW if conditions deteriorate due to solar flares.
QSL instructions will be on WC6DX’s QRZ.com after the operation.
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Amateur Radio in the News |
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On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
ARES® Task Book Updates
The ARES® Task Book, an important resource and reference for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service®, is used by amateurs who want to be of service to their communities. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins the podcast to talk about the task book’s place in a ham’s training, as well as recent updates to the book.
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ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week’s top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features.
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
On the Air | ARRL Audio News
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| Throughout the month of November, AMSAT will celebrate the 50th anniversary of amateur satellite AMSAT OSCAR 7 (AO-7), a SmallSat launched on November 15, 1974. AO-7 is still working and has been nicknamed the “sleeping beauty” of satellites because it came back to life after years of “sleeping.” Designed by radio amateurs, the final assembly occurred in a basement laboratory not far from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. AO-7 lived a very healthy lifetime of 6.5 years but in late 1980, AO-7’s NiCad battery began to show serious signs of increased series resistance. This was a sure sign to AMSAT command stations that the end was in sight for AO-7. The cells had been originally matched for capacity by NASA and they all failed within a matter of weeks of one another. AO-7 stayed asleep for 21 years, but then one day in June 2002, the satellite woke up again. This was only possible if something caused an open circuit in the battery. On June 21, 2002, a very active user of AO-7, Pat Gowain, G3IOR, from the UK, made a telephone call to Perry Klein, W3PK, the first AMSAT president and designer of the VHF/HF transponder. Gowain was wondering if a new low-Earth-orbit (LEO) spacecraft had been launched. He was hearing Morse Code telemetry again on AO-7’s old beacon frequency. He played Perry a tape recording and it turned out to be AO-7 telemetry! AMSAT will honor this historic achievement with a series of short articles highlighting the life of AO-7. You can visit a special page on the AMSAT website where you will find a collection of AO-7 articles and links at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-ao-7-a-fifty-year-anniversary/.
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| ARRL Opening Late on Friday, Nov. 8 and Closed on Veterans Day, Nov. 11
ARRL® has two closures coming up for our headquarters in Newington, Connecticut:
ARRL will be closed on Friday morning, November 8, 2024, for an employee meeting. During the short closure, members are encouraged to use the ARRL website, www.arrl.org, for membership renewals, publication purchases, and to access most benefits, services, and programs. The ARRL Headquarters lobby & store, and W1AW will be re-open to visitors at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time (1700 UTC) on Friday. W1AW will not run the slow code transmission that morning. The previously scheduled W1AW Qualifying Run on Friday at 9 AM EST (1400 UTC) has been cancelled.
ARRL will be closed on Monday, November 11, 2024, in observance of Veterans Day. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice that day. ARRL Headquarters will reopen on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 8 AM EST. For ARRL News, publications, or to join or renew your ARRL membership, please visit www.arrl.org. We are grateful for the sacrifices and service of veterans.
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| On Armed Forces Day in May 1971, 53 years ago, two amateur operators working as WZ6SNI, activated San Nicolas Island, IOTA NA-066. At 61 miles offshore, San Nicolas is the most remote of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California, and is owned by the US Navy. Now, weather permitting, Will Costello, WC6DX, has been authorized to be active from San Nicolas Island November 8 – 12, 2024. He is taking a Buddihex antenna for 6 – 20 meters and a 100-watt rig. For island chasers in Southern California, Arizona, and southern Nevada who may not be able to hear because of skip, he will also take a Buddipole antenna for daytime use on 40 and 30 meters. Operations will be primarily SSB, and CW if conditions deteriorate due to solar flares. QSL instructions will be on WC6DX’s QRZ.com page after the operation.
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| Amateur Radio YouTubers are scheduled to host a telethon to benefit the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. The event will be hosted by Josh Nass, KI6NAZ, on his Ham Radio Crash Course channel. The live event will be on Saturday, November 30. Several generous donors have stepped up with a challenge grant to encourage other radio amateurs to donate to the ARRL Education and Technology Fund. Look for more details soon.
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| 2025 Dayton Hamvention® will be held at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio, on May 16, 17, and 18. The theme for 2025 will be “Radio Independence”. Dayton Hamvention is the largest hamfest in the country. Find tickets and more information at www.hamvention.org.
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| This image was taken on November 7, 2024. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] |
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For this Friday’s ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP045
Solar activity increased this week. The average daily sunspot number went from 197.4 to 193.4.
Predicted solar flux is 265 on November 8, 260 on November 9, 250 on November 10 – 11; 245 on November 12 – 13, 240 on November 14 and 165 on November 15.
Sunspot numbers for November 1 – 6 were 187, 210, 242, 220, 191, 149, and 155, with a mean of 193.4. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 252.2, 246.6, 236.7, 238.3, 241.4, 255.9, and 234.8, with a mean of 243.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 13, 11, 14, 11, 10, and 8, with a mean of 10.6. Middle latitude A index was 6, 9, 8, 11, 10, and 9 for November 1-6, with missing data for November 7. The mean of the six days was 8.8.
Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…,” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.
Share your reports and observations.
A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News.
Thanks to ARRL Central Division Director Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, for preparing this week’s solar report.
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ARRL is pleased to award a November Sweepstakes plaque to the Overall and Division Leaders in each category, thanks to Icom America — which is the 2024 Principal Awards Sponsor of the plaques and certificates — as well as the clubs and individuals who also sponsor some of the plaques. |
- November 7 — Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
- November 7 — NRAU 10m Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
- November 7 — SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)
- November 9 — FISTS Saturday Sprint (CW)
- November 9 – 10 — WAE DX Contest, RTTY (digital)
- November 9 – 11 — PODXS 070 Club Triple Play Low Band Sprint (digital)
- November 9 – 10 — International Fall Contest, Digital (digital)
- November 9 – 10 — JIDX Phone Contest (phone)
- November 9 – 10 — OK/OM DX Contest (CW)
- November 9 – 10 — SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
- November 9 – 11 — CQ-WE Contest (CW, phone, digital)
- November 9 – 18 — AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party (CW)
- November 10 — North American SSB Sprint Contest (phone)
- November 10 — FIRAC HF Contest (phone)
- November 11 — 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
- November 12 — DARC FT4 Contest (FT4)
- November 13 — RSGB 80m Autumn Series, SSB (phone)
Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar for more events and information
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Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions |
- December 13 – 14 | Tampa Bay Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida
- January 4 | Ham Radio University, sponsoring the ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Brookville, New York
- January 10 – 11 | 2025 Southwest Florida Regional Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers, Florida
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