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ARRL 10-Meter Contest, December 14-15, Great Opportunity for Technicians |
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| Read more about the peak of Solar Cycle 25 in the January 2025 issue of QST |
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We are at the peak of Solar Cycle 25, and the 10-meter amateur radio band has been providing impressive propagation lately. Recent reports of “wide open” band conditions make this weekend’s ARRL 10-Meter Contest a great opportunity to take advantage of the best conditions of a generation. “I’ve been leaving the mobile radio on 10-meters for the drive into work each day,” said ARRL Regulatory and Radiosport Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. “I’ve been working all around the world with a mobile antenna and no amplifier,” he said.
We are at the peak of Solar Cycle 25, and the 10-meter amateur radio band has been providing impressive propagation lately. Recent reports of “wide open” band conditions make this weekend’s ARRL 10-Meter Contest a great opportunity to take advantage of the best conditions of a generation. “I’ve been leaving the mobile radio on 10-meters for the drive into work each day,” said ARRL Regulatory and Radiosport Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. “I’ve been working all around the world with a mobile antenna and no amplifier,” he said.
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| ARRL 10-Meter Contest is this weekend starting on Saturday, December 14 at 0000 UTC (Friday evening in North America), and concluding on Sunday, December 15 at 2359 UTC. Stations may contact any other station, regardless of location, using CW and phone.
The 10-Meter contest is a great opportunity for Technician class licensees to get a taste of HF contesting using the CW and SSB modes. On 10-meters, Technicians have CW privileges from 28.0 to 28.3 MHz, and SSB phone privileges from 28.3 to 28.5 MHz. ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, hopes Techs seize the chance. “At the peak of the solar cycle, 10-meters can offer opportunities to work some great DX,” said Bourque.
For complete contest rules, visit contests.arrl.org/10m.
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Need an antenna for 10-meters? ARRL Dual-band Momobeam 6/10 Antenna features a 10-meter moxon (28 MHz) and 6-meter Yagi (50 MHz) in one innovative design. It’s lightweight, mast mountable, and includes extra hardware for fixed and portable use. |
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ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology Now Accepting Applications for 2025 Cohorts |
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The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI) continues to grow. Fresh off a highly successful YouTube telethon that raised more than $41,000 for the program, some of next year’s dates have been announced. Applications are now open.
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| The program is growing, and educators will have the opportunity to attend sessions around the country. “We love having the teachers here at ARRL Headquarters, but we wanted to bring this program nationwide,” said ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. Dates and details of the regional sessions are still being determined, but the hope is to touch many areas of the United States.
The application process is straightforward. Interested educators can find the web form at www.arrl.org/ti. ARRL covers all the costs of the TI, including travel, but there is a $100 application fee if the teacher is accepted.
The success generated from the program is demonstrable. “The teachers leave TI with energy and knowledge. They’ve taken that and built tremendous programs in their schools,” said Goodgame. The program isn’t necessarily designed to get young people licensed, but rather to get them thinking about radio in their other areas of study. Teachers work amateur radio and radio technology into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics lessons. Amateur radio is presented as a pathway to get hands-on with the concepts, and to use them in the real world.
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There are 16 cohorts planned for the 2025 ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. “The growth we’re seeing in TI is a result of the teachers’ experiences with the program, and the donors who enable it,” said Goodgame. The TI is funded entirely by donations to the ARRL Education & Technology Fund.
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Lipscomb University Receives $25,000 Scholarship Check |
| The Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, has received a check for $25,000 from Friends of Wireless (FOW) to establish an endowed scholarship for electrical engineering students. The FOW, based in Nashville, is a non-profit organization which makes grants to area organizations to further the field of amateur radio in Williamson County and the surrounding area.
Over the past several years, FOW has provided grants in excess of $10,000 to the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency, plus deeding over a repeater site and all of the equipment.
Hilton Dean, W4GHD, FOW Treasurer, along with FOW President Ed Hudgens, WB4RHQ, presented the check to Dr. David Elrod, WA4MRH, Dean of the Lipscomb College of Engineering. Hudgens is also ARRL Delta Division Vice Director.
“There are 55 electrical engineering students, all from different demographics and environments, who would qualify for the scholarship,” said Dr. Elrod. Elrod added that several students are already licensed amateur radio operators and use the equipment at the Lipscomb Engineering Amateur Radio Club, K4LRC.
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| From left to right Hilton Dean, W4GHD; Dr. David Elrod, WA4MRH; Ed Hudgens, WB4RHQ. [Photo courtesy of Hilton Dean, W4GHD] |
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Amateur Radio in the News |
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On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
Learn Even more with On the Air Live
In early 2025, the ARRL Education & Learning Department will launch an interactive livestreamed video podcast, On the Air Live. The monthly episodes will be aimed toward educating new and intermediate-level hams, inspiring them to explore the nearly endless aspects of amateur radio and develop their skills. ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, who will host each episode, joins the On the Air podcast to share more details, including upcoming topics and how to participate in real time.
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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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| On Christmas Eve morning, Tuesday December 24, 2024, SAQ Grimeton in Sweden is scheduled to be on the air to send its traditional Christmas message to the world, using the 200-kW Alexanderson alternator built in 1924, on 17.2 kHz CW. The event will be streamed live on YouTube beginning at 08:25 CET (Central European Time, 07:25 UTC). Startup and tuning of the of the Alexanderson alternator will start at 08:30 CET (07:30 UTC) followed by the 09:00 CET (08:00 UTC) transmission of the Christmas message. Test transmissions will be on Friday, December 20, 13:00 – 16:00 CET (12:00 – 15:00 UTC). Amateur radio station SK6SAQ will be QRV during the day on the following frequencies: 3.517.2 kHz CW; 7.017.2 kHz CW; 14. 017.2 KHz CW; 3.755 kHz SSB; 7.140 kHz SSB. Comments are welcome at info@alexander.n.se.
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| John J. Ellis, NP2B, former ARRL Section Manager for the US Virgin Islands, became a Silent Key (SK) December 3, 2024. He was 81 years old. Originally licensed as KØMMI in Kansas City in 1957, Ellis also held the calls W5RPI and W4MRJ, and was known as a DXer and contester. He and his wife, Jeanette, KB4XO, lived on St. Croix between 1988 and 2012. During hurricane seasons there, he served as net control operator for the Maritime Mobile Service Net and the Hurricane Watch Net. In 2012, Ellis and his wife moved to The Villages, Florida, where he was an active contributing member of The Villages Amateur Radio Club. A celebration of life service was held on December 9, 2024. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ellis’s name to American Radio Relay League at www.arrl.org/memorial-gifts or by mail to: Kevin Beal, K8EAL, ARRL Director of Development, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT. 06111-1494; telephone 860-594-0317.
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| ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, will be closed Wednesday, December 25, 2024, and Wednesday, January 1, 2025, in observance of Christmas and New Year’s Day. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice those days. There will be no issue of The ARRL Letter on December 26, 2024, or ARRL Audio News on December 27, 2024.
We wish you and yours the very best for the holidays.
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| The Delaware – Lehigh Amateur Radio Club will host the WX3MAS Christmas City special event December 12 – 15, 2024. Operating from the club station in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, WX3MAS will be on the air from 1400Z – 2200Z each day. Operations will be on the 20-, 40-, and 80-meter bands with some SSB, CW, and FT8. Published phone frequencies are: 3.850 MHz, 7.270 MHz, and 14.265 MHz. For more information, contact David, N3EYT, via mail at N3EYT@ARRL.NET.
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| This image was taken on December 12, 2024. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] |
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ARRL Propagation Bulletin 50 ARLP050 from Tad Cook, K7RA
Hard for me to believe, but solar activity dropped from recent record-setting values again this week. It looks like solar flux may peak for the short term around 190 on December 22 and again on December 24 and 28.
Predicted solar flux is 180 on December 13 – 14; 170 on December 15 – 16; 175 on December 17 – 20, 185 on December 21 and is forecast to peak at 190 on December 22.
Predicted planetary A index is 6 on December 13; 8 on December 14; 5 on December 15; 8 on December 16 – 18; 12 on December 19; and 8 on December 22.
More in Friday’s bulletin.
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.
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Celebrate a little holiday cheer with a new deal every day from ARRL in the online store. Beginning Monday, December 9, 2024, ARRL will be offering 7 days of deals. Sign up at www.arrl.org/holiday-deals and receive an email with a special ham radio deal every day for 7 days. ARRL members who have opted in to receive special offers and publication announcements will automatically receive the series of deals (signing up is not necessary). If you have a user account, you can manage your email preferences at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out. ARRL’s 7 days of deals concludes Sunday, December 15, 2024.
Don’t forget to check out the special ham radio holiday gift guide, brought to you by ARRL.
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- December 14 -15 — ARRL 10-Meter Contest (CW, phone)
- December 14 – 16 — PODXS 070 Club Triple Play Low Band Sprint (digital)
- December 14 – 15 — TRC Digi Contest (digital)
- December 14 – 15 — SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
- December 14 – 15 — ARI 40/80 Contest (CW, phone, digital)
- December 14 – 15 — International Naval Contest (CW, phone)
- December 15 – 16 — Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
- December 17 — Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest (phone)
- December 18 — NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)
- December 18 — Phone Weekly Test (phone)
- December 18 — VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (digital)
- December 19 – 20 — Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
- December 19 — NTC QSO Party (CW)
Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar for more events and information.
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Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions |
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