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Free Hiram Percy Maxim 150th Birthday Event Logging Software Now
Available
One Dead, One Injured in New Hampshire Ham Radio Tower Mishap
DXpedition Team Donates Part of QSL Fees to Galapagos Conservancy
The Doctor Will See You Now!
ARISS Next-Generation Radio System Completes Critical Flight
Certification Tests
Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, is 2019 Newsline Young Ham of the Year
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
AMSAT President Asks Members to Help Keep Amateur Radio in Space
IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Seeks Student CubeSat RF
Hardware Proposals
Cass Award Winners Announced
In Brief...
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Free Hiram Percy Maxim 150th Birthday Event Logging Software Now
Available
Scott Davis, N3FJP, perhaps best known for the ARRL Field Day software
that bears his call sign, has developed a free logging program for
ARRL's Happy 150! Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday Celebration on-the-air
event that gets under way on August 31 and runs for 9 days. Davis calls
his software Hiram Percy Maxim Contest Log 1.0. Maxim, 1AW, who
cofounded ARRL, was born on September 2, 1869.

"I've never created a program for a non-recurring event before, because
the coding time required is too large," Davis said in a post to the
N3FJP software user group. "I've made this exception because this is a
really nice, simple rule set with the very popular field day-style
exchange that has the added bonus in schedule flexibility of running for
9 days. The Hiram Percy Maxim celebration sure looks like a
well-designed event that will be a lot of fun for us all."

The Happy 150! event will begin at 0000 UTC on August 31 and continue
until 2359 UTC on September 8. It is open to all radio amateurs. The
goal is straightforward: Contact as many participating stations as
possible. W1AW and all ARRL members will append "/150" to their call
signs during this event (DX operators who are ARRL members may operate
as <call sign>/150, if permitted by their country of license.)
Participating stations will exchange a signal report and ARRL/RAC
Section. DX stations will send a signal report and "DX." All Amateur
Radio bands except 60, 30, 17, and 12 meters are available. Permitted
modes are CW, any voice mode, and digital.

Davis said Hiram Percy Maxim Contest Log 1.0 is full featured and "very
easy and intuitive to use."

"If the Hiram Percy Maxim celebration is received as strongly as it
appears, my hope is that ARRL will decide to make this an annual event,"
Davis allowed. "After all, birthdays come once a year, and we now have
the infrastructure to continue."

One Dead, One Injured in New Hampshire Ham Radio Tower Mishap
A tower dismantling turned tragic on Saturday, July 27, in Deerfield,
New Hampshire, when two radio amateurs working some 40 feet up on the
tower were carried to the ground when the structure collapsed. Joseph
Areyzaga, K1JGA, 52, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, did not survive
injuries sustained in the fall, while the tower's owner, Michael
Rancourt, K1EEE, 65, was seriously injured and remains


Joseph Areyzaga, K1JGA.

hospitalized. Rancourt was taking down the tower in preparation for
selling his house, and the pair had nearly completed their work. They
were tied into the tower and went down with it as it collapsed.

The tower, a tilt-over model said to be 40 to 50 feet, had been bolted
to prevent it from tilting as it was being dismantled.

A law enforcement source said a number of people were at the site for a
social gathering as the tower was being taken down, and they witnessed
the tragedy.

No official determination has been made regarding the cause of the
structural failure, but a radio amateur who visited the scene afterward observed that two of the tower's three legs were clearly compromised and
split cleanly and the third leg bent, just above the fully intact tilt
base.

The New Hampshire Amateur Radio tower-related fatality is the second
such deadly incident in a little more than 6 weeks. In mid-June, a
Pennsylvania radio amateur died when the tower he was installing
collapsed as he was attempting to attach a guy line to the structure's
bottom section.

DXpedition Team Donates Part of QSL Fees to Galapagos Conservancy
From February 28 until March 6, the HD8M Amateur Radio team operated
from the side of Cerro Crocker, a volcano high above the city of
Bellavista on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. The HD8M team
consisted of Jim Millner, WB2REM, a retired psychologist, and Bill Mims,
W2WCM, a retired airline pilot. The purpose of the operation was to
bring attention to the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands
through their Amateur Radio activity. As a part of the confirmation
process, the team exchanged QSL cards from which a dollar or more would
be donated to Galapagos Conservancy.


Bill Mims, W2WCM (left), and Jim Millner, WB2REM, at HD8M. [Photo
courtesy of Jim Millner, WB2REM]

"We used ClubLog's Online QSL Request System (OQRS), bureau requests
associated with ClubLog, and SASEs for QSLing," Millner explained. "When stations used OQRS and requested a direct QSL Card, they were charged a
$4 fee. We mentioned in the OQRS system that of every $4 received, were
going to donate $1 to the Galapagos Conservancy. As it turned out,
however, we donated all extra money to the Conservancy."

At the time, the HD8M team was the only Amateur Radio operation in the Galapagos Islands, making it a rare entity, so they found themselves in
high demand. In just 6 days of operation, they contacted more than 8,000 stations in 140 DXCC entities as well as in all 50 US states.

Millner and Mims operated two stations equipped with Icom IC-7300s and band-pass filters, operating on SSB, CW, and FT8, and using all wire
antennas. HD8M took part in the ARRL International DX Phone and, despite
poor conditions on the equator, they were able to make more than 600
contacts. "FT8 was a particularly a good mode despite the conditions,"
Millner said, noting that the location at 1,500 feet elevation on the
side of a volcano gave the pair "an amazing view" of the ocean and
outlying islands. "The wildlife was abundant with many colorful birds
and land iguanas, as well as huge Galapagos tortoises that roamed around
the 10-acre property.

In addition, they added a fundraising component to their outreach and on
their website, where donations were made directly to Galapagos
Conservancy. As a result of HD8M's unique approach to fundraising, they
were able to donate $2,285 to the Galapagos Conservancy in April. In
September 2017, the HD8M team operated from Isabela Island, and amassed
$1,200 in donations to the Conservancy. -- This is an expanded version
of a story that appeared in Galapagos News spring/summer 2019 issue and
appears by permission.

The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Noise Blankers and Noise Reduction" is the topic of the new (August 1)
episode of the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required, or
browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS,
Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

ARISS Next-Generation Radio System Completes Critical Flight
Certification Tests
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
next-generation Interoperable Radio System (IORS) successfully completed
a battery of stress tests, required as part of the final certification
of the hardware for launch to and operation on the International Space
Station (ISS). The IORS consists of a JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver and
the AMSAT-developed Multi-Voltage Power Supply (MVPS). In early July,
the equipment successfully completed a series of electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests to ensure that
the ARISS hardware will not interfere with ISS systems or other
payloads.

The IORS also successfully passed power quality and acoustics testing,
which verified that the ARISS IORS will not introduce harmful signals
back into the ISS power system and is quiet enough to meet ISS acoustic requirements. ARISS Hardware Team members Lou McFadin, W5DID, and Kerry
Banke, N6IZW, were at NASA's Johnson Space Center to support the 2-week
battery of tests in concert with the NASA test and certification team.


The ARISS MVPS, which is part of the ARISS Interoperable Radio System.

"Since the IORS is being qualified to operate on 120 V dc, 28 V dc, and
Russian 28 V dc, as well as transmit on VHF or UHF, a lot of test
combinations were required to cover all cases," Banke said. "Each input
voltage type was also tested at low, medium, and high line voltage.
Moreover, additional permutations were required to test the IORS under
no load, medium load, and full load at each voltage level. So it should
not be surprising why the tests took 2 weeks to complete."

Successful completion of these tests represents a key milestone in
preparing the IORS for launch. ARISS says it now can begin final
assembly of the flight units and prepare for their safety certification
before launch. ARISS is working toward launch-ready status by year's
end.

Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, is 2019 Newsline Young Ham of the Year
Fifteen-year-old ARRL member Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, of Normal, Illinois,
has been selected as the 2019 Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, Memorial Amateur
Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year (YHOTY). His parents are Hari
Rebba, VU2SPZ, and Shailaja Panyam. A rising sophomore at the Normal
Community High School, Dhruv is a member of the Central Illinois Radio
Club. He has been licensed since 2013, after a visit to Dayton
Hamvention« with his dad sparked his interest in Amateur Radio.


Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, operates PJ2Y from Curacao Island during the 2018
Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure. [Photo courtesy of KC9ZJX]

After getting his license, Dhruv became involved in ARRL Field Day and
public service events with the Central Illinois Radio Club, including
the We Care Twin Cities Half Marathon and the Hop on for Hope Bike
Ride/Walk. Dhruv says he found a way to combine his interest in space
and engineering with his new hobby, joining AMSAT and pursuing his dream
of a school contact with an astronaut aboard the International Space
Station.

In October 2017, he served as lead control operator for an Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students at his
school, Chiddix Junior High, who spoke to astronaut Joe Acaba, KE5DAR.
On July 27 of this year, Dhruv helped to facilitate another ARISS
contact with Scouts attending the World Scout Jamboree in West
Virginia.

ARISS presentations at Dayton and Huntsville, Dhruv's selection as an
ARISS mentor, and networking with those putting together the ARISS
contact for the World Scout Jamboree led to his involvement in the July
27 contact.

In 2018, Dhruv was selected to take part in the Dave Kalter Memorial
Youth DX Adventure. He traveled to Curacao last summer, where the PJ2Y
team logged a record 6,262 contacts with 135 entities. His favorite mode
is SSB.

Dhruv has earned many accolades for his Amateur Radio pursuits,
including the Young Ham Lends a Hand Award at the 2019 Dayton Hamvention
Youth Forum; a Presidential Award from AMSAT, and the Radio Club of
America Young Achiever Award. He also has traveled to India to promote
Amateur Radio awareness.

The Young Ham of the Year was established in 1986 by Amateur Radio
Newsline cofounder Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF (SK), in 1986. Dhruv will
receive the 2019 YHOTY award during the Huntsville Hamfest on August 17.
Read more. -- Thanks to Amateur Radio Newsline

The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots were observed over the
past week, and solar flux remains flat, with average daily values
declining from 67.3 to 67. The average daily planetary A index edged
down slightly, from 5.3 to 5, and the middle latitude A index dipped
from 6.3 to 5.9. Predicted solar flux for the August 1 - September 14 is
67 -- every day.

Predicted planetary A index is10, 8, 5, and 5 on August 1 - 4; 8, 16,
12, and 8 on August 5 - 8; 5 on August 9 - 16; 8 on August 17 - 18; 5 on
August 19 - 26; 8, 16, 8, 5, 8, 22, and 16 on August 27 - September 2; 5
on September 3 - 12, and 8 on September 13 - 14.

George, N2CG, in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, wrote to report that on July
28, 6 meters opened to northern Europe -- mainly Finland -- with very
good FT8 signals for more than an hour. "This was my very first time
working Finland on 6 meters, and shortly after my QSO with OH3SR, he
verified our QSO on LoTW!" he wrote.

Sunspot numbers for July 25 - 31, 2019 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0,
with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 68.2, 67.6, 66.7, 67.1,
66.1, 66.2, and 66.9, with a mean of 67. Estimated planetary A indices
were 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 8, and 8 with a mean of 5. Middle latitude A index
was 3, 4, 4, 7, 5, 8, and 10, with a mean of 5.9.

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 K9LA's Propagation Page.

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

Share your reports and observations.

Just Ahead in Radiosport
August 3 - 4 -- 10-10 International Summer Contest, SSB

August 3 -- European HF Championship (CW, phone)

August 3 -- WAB 144 MHz Low Power Phone

August 3 - 4 -- North American QSO Party, CW

August 3 - 4 --ARRL 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest

August 4 -- SARL HF Phone Contest

August 4 - 6 -- G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest

August 6 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

AMSAT President Asks Members to Help Keep Amateur Radio in Space
"It takes considerable volunteer effort and real dollars to keep Amateur
Radio in Spac," AMSAT President Joe Spier, K6WAO, has reminded the organization's members in a message that included an invitation to the organization's 50th anniversary Space Symposium and Annual Meeting in
October. In addition, Spier put out a call for "important assistance" in
the areas of User Services and Engineering (prospective volunteers may
contact Spier via email).

"AMSAT has several fundraising needs," Spier said, noting that
contributions to AMSAT are tax deductible to the extent permitted by IRS
rules. "The daily operation of AMSAT is accomplished by donations to the General Fund. The other main department needs are the fund for GOLF 3U
CubeSats design/construction and Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS)."


AMSAT-NA President Joe Spier, K6WAO.

Spier pointed to the 2018 successes of AO-92 (Fox-1D) and the launch of
AO-95 (Fox-1Cliff). "AMSAT partnered with Spaceflight Inc. by
contracting and paying for these launches," Spier noted. "Fundraising
for Fox-series satellites has not yet recouped this expenditure, so
donations are still being accepted." AMSAT expects to launch of
RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E), in partnership with Vanderbilt University, by the
end of summer. AMSAT is also partnering with several universities to fly
the same linear transponder on their CubeSats.

AMSAT has been selected for two CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI)
opportunities for GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1. "GOLF's 3U spaceframe is being
designed with versatility to add mission-specific radios, power
supplies, and experiments," Spier noted. "A series of GOLF CubeSats will provide better coverage, and a greater footprint will allow more
coverage by fewer satellites."

One-time or recurring donations to AMSAT and ARISS are welcome. Read
more.

IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Seeks Student CubeSat RF
Hardware Proposals
The IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) has announced
the MTT-Sat Challenge for groups of students developing RF hardware for
CubeSat applications. The MTT-Sat Challenge is a worldwide competition
for teams of undergraduate and graduate students to design and build RF hardware for small satellites. The most promising designs will undergo
space environmental qualification testing and could be incorporated into
an actual CubeSat.

"The main goal of the MTT-Sat Challenge is to advance space RF and
microwave education, inspire students to pursue science and engineering education and careers, and prepare tomorrow's leaders with the interdisciplinary teamwork skills, which are necessary for success," the society said in announcing the competition. The MTT-Sat Challenge is
intended to run over 4 academic years (starting in June 2019) and is
divided into several phases spanning overall technology readiness
levels. Proposals may be submitted for every phase.

At this time, the IEEE MTT-Sat Challenge is calling for ideas that could
come from among the following fields: Transceivers based on commercial
of the shelf (COTS) components; antenna systems and arrays for CubeSats;
ground terminals for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites;
radiation-hardened electronics based on COTS components; inter-satellite communication; electromagnetic sensors for CubeSats, and novel RF
technologies for space applications.

Detailed information is available on the MTT-Sat Challenge. The
submission deadline is October 2, 2019, 0900 UTC (October 1, 11 PM HST).
Those planning to submit proposals should send a brief letter of
interest by August 31.

Cass Award Winners Announced

Janusz Wegryzn, SP9FIH, receives the Single-Operator Cass Award plaque
from his sister, Elzbieta.

Janusz Wegrzyn, SP9FIH, has been named the winner of the 2018
Single-Operator Cass Award for the second year in a row. While active
from Sint Eustatius Island as PJ5/SP9FIH in March 2018, Wegryzn
contacted 8,257 unique stations during the 14 days of his one-person DXpedition.

The 3C0W Annobon Island DXpedition team was the recipient of the first Unlimited Cass Award for its effort in


Vilnis Vosekalns, YL2KF (left), presents the Unlimited Cass Award plaque
to YL2KL, YL2GM, and YL1ZF during the Latvian Amateur Radio League's
summer gathering.

logging as many DXers as possible. During March 2018, Girts Budis,
YL2KL; Yuris Petersons, YL2GM, and Kaspars Uztics, YL1ZF, contacted
18,812 unique call signs on the DXpedition.

Sponsored by Club Log, DXLab, and the Northern California DX Club, the
annual Cass Awards encourage DXpedition operating excellence by
recognizing DXpeditions that contact the greatest number of unique call
signs. Running leaderboards for the 2019 Cass Single-Operator and
Unlimited awards are available on the Club Log website.

These awards honor the wisdom and spirit of Cass Cassidy, WA6AUD (SK),
whose weekly stories in the West Coast DX Bulletin, published from 1968
to 1979, engaged a generation of DXers.

In Brief...
Ham radio volunteers assisted in the search for a missing teen this
week. Many radio amateurs were among the fire and police department
personnel, search-and-rescue teams, and citizen volunteers who took part
in the July 29 search in Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania, for a
13-year-old youth with autism who was missing from his home. Hams served
as leads for volunteer search teams, and ham radio provided solid
communication with searchers. "We started the operation [at] about 1300
UTC, and he was located about 1900 UTC, safe," said Ralph Brandt, K3HQI.
"Ham radio played a significant part in this." Brandt and Yvonne
Roberts, AC3CM, handled communications during the search. Brandt said
that about 25 of the radio amateurs taking part had been students in his Technician licensing classes. "It gives a good feeling when it works,"
said Brandt, who is the Affiliated Club Coordinator in the ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section.

The spherical Chinese CAS-7B (BP-1B) Amateur Radio satellite carrying an
FM transponder launched on July 25 at 0500 UTC. Signals from both the FM transponder and the telemetry beacon have been received. CAS-7B (BP-1B)
was developed by the Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) in
cooperation with the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), and AMSAT
has designated the satellite as Bit-Progress OSCAR 102 (BO-102). CAMSAT completed the project planning, design, build, and testing, and manages
the satellite's on-orbit operation. BIT provided the satellite
environmental testing, launch support, and financial support. Many
students from BIT were involved with the project, learning about
satellite technology and Amateur Radio.CAS-7B is expected to have a
lifetime of about a month before reentry. The satellite was launched on Hyperbola-1 from Jiuquan into a 300 kilometer, 42.7░ inclination orbit.
The CW telemetry beacon transmits on 435.715 MHz; the V/U FM transponder downlink is 435.690 MHz (16 kHz passband), and the V/U FM transponder
uplink is 145.900 MHz. Further information is available from Alan Kung,
BA1DU, at CAMSAT.

ARRL is seeking a Development Manager for full-time employment at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. The Development Manager is
responsible for the development and implementation of strategic plans to maximize funding from donors for the organization through creative and effective campaign management and relationship building. This individual holding this position is responsible for developing and managing
fundraising campaigns, building strong and successful relationships, maintaining communication with donors, and collaborating with and
supervising staff to effectively execute fundraising efforts, in
addition to managing individual and corporate gifts. To apply, or for
more information, see the complete opening announcement on the ARRL
Employment Opportunities web page.

The FCC is seeking to hire an electronics engineer for a full-time,
permanent position at the Commission's Enforcement Bureau, Office of
Field Director in Columbia, Maryland. The incumbent resolves RF
interference, educates users, enforces regulations, and investigates all services for violations. This individual serves as a point of contact
for FCC licensees in matters of fixed and mobile radio direction-finding
and interference resolution, and initiates Official Notices of
Violation, Warnings, Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, and
other orders to radio operators and licensees. A Security Clearance is required. Apply by August 26. See the job opening announcement for
details.

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
August 2 - 3 -- Austin Summerfest, Austin, Texas

August 3 - 4 -- Cedar Valley ARC Hamfest/Midwest STEM Techfest, Central
City, Iowa

August 8 - 10 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Ogden, Utah

August 9 - 11 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett, Washington

August 17 - 18 -- Huntsville Hamfest, Alabama State Convention,
Huntsville, Alabama

August 24 -- Society of Midwest Contesters Specialty Convention, Normal, Illinois

August 23 - 25 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia

September 6 - 7 -- Arkansas State Convention, Mena, Arkansas

September 6 - 7 -- Wyoming State Convention, Gillette, Wyoming

September 6 - 8 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
Massachusetts

September 7 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia

September 13 - 14 -- W9DXCC 2019, St. Charles, Illinois

September 21 - 22 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico

September 27 - 28 -- Central Division Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

September 28 -- Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota

September 28 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information.

Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most
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Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.
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by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and
QSO parties.
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features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other
items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members...

Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest
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NNNN




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* Origin: HAMRADIO telnet lu9dce.dynu.com (21:5/101)