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The ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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November 9, 2023

John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor <news@arrl.org>

ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Letter Archive
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> IN THIS ISSUE

- The First Worked All States Certificate Awarded for the 33-Centimeter
Band
- FCC Hiring for Maryland Facility
- Changes in the ARRL Pacific Section
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> THE FIRST WORKED ALL STATES CERTIFICATE AWARDED FOR THE
33-CENTIMETER BAND

On November 4, 2023, Al Ward's, W5LUA, 38-year quest to contact all 50
states on the 33-centimeter band ended when he received the first-ever
Worked All States (WAS) certificate for (902 - 928 MHz). Ward started
collecting states on the band shortly after it was opened in 1985.

"I am extremely grateful to Peter Van Horne, KA6U, for his EME
[Earth-moon-Earth] efforts. I was able to work Wisconsin for my last
state [on] the 33-centimeter band on October 21. At the end of
September, I was sitting at 32 states confirmed with cards and/or the
Logbook of The World (LoTW), when Van Horne went on a 25-state
expedition providing my last 18 states," said Ward. In recent
expeditions, Brian McCarthy, NX9O, and Jason Baack, N1AV, also provided
several states that were needed.

Al Ward, W5LUA, holds his WAS certificate in front of his 5-meter dish.
[Photo courtesy of W5LUA]

Ward's station consists of a 5-meter dish with 400 W of power
obtained from two 300 W Motorola amplifiers in parallel. His feed is a
dual polarity patch feed.

ARRL Radiosport and Regulatory Information Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ,
was one of the first people to congratulate Ward on his accomplishment.

Jahnke stated, "Hearty congratulations! It's my privilege to confirm
the ARRL Awards Department has received your WAS application, plus Card
Checker document, and we have issued the 33-centimeter (902 - 928 MHz)
Worked All States Award number 1 to you in culmination of your 38-year
quest to contact all 50 states on the 33-centimeter band."

Other stations on the hunt for the 33-centimeter WAS certificate that
are nearing completion include AC0RA, K0DAS, and N1AV.

In 1985, the Federal Communications Commission allocated the frequency
band between 902 and 928 MHz to Part 18 industrial, scientific, and
medical (ISM) equipment. In that proceeding, the band was also
allocated to the Amateur Radio Service on a secondary basis, meaning
amateurs could use the band if they accepted interference from and did
not cause interference to primary users.

==> FCC HIRING FOR MARYLAND FACILITY

In what could be a perfect job for a radio amateur, The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) is hiring a Telecommunications
Specialist. The position is based at the Public Safety & Homeland
Security Bureau, Operations and Emergency Management Division, High
Frequency Direction Finding Center in Columbia, Maryland.

The Telecommunications Specialist will perform "watch duty" and serve
as a technical authority providing technical assistance and guidance to
communication systems users to resolve radio interference complaints
and problems and collect radio signal analysis information.

Detailed information about the position, its qualifications, and how to
apply can be found at https://www.usajobs.gov/job/758731700.

Editors Note: ARRL also seeks qualified applicants
<https://arrl.org/employment-opportunities> for the position of Sr. Lab
Engineer at our Newington, Connecticut Headquarters. ARRL is an equal
opportunity employer.

==> ARRL HQ WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2023, IN OBSERVANCE
OF VETERANS DAY.

There won't be any W1AW bulletins or code practice that day. ARRL
Headquarters will reopen on Monday, November 13, 2023, at 8:00 AM
Eastern time.

We are grateful for the sacrifices and service of veterans.

==> CHANGES IN THE ARRL PACIFIC SECTION

Section Manager of the ARRL Pacific Section Joe Speroni, AH0A, has
retired from the position.

Speroni served in the role for 7 years. He was active with ARRL in a
variety of positions dating back to the creation of the Volunteer
Examiner program in 1984. He has also been an instructor and Affiliated
Club Coordinator (ACC). His contributions to emergency communications
and management in the Hawaiian Islands have long been recognized by the
amateur radio community. ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters,
W8ZY, said, "With 40 years of service as a volunteer, he is one of the
best examples of making the world a better place through amateur
radio." Speroni is an ARRL Life Member.

The Section Manager position is being filled by Alan Maenchen, AD6E,
for the remainder of the term.

Maenchen is also an ARRL Life Member and has served as an ACC, an
Assistant Section Manager, and a DXCC Card Checker.

He assumes the duties of Section Manager with experience in emergency
communications and a background of assisting amateur radio clubs in the
Section.

==> AMATEUR RADIO IN THE NEWS

ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other
member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news
<http://www.arrl.org/media-hits>.

"A look at the questions Valley Stream South students sent to the
International Space Station
<https://www.liherald.com/valleystream/stories/valley-stream-south-international-space-station-andreas-mogensen,200149?>"

/ LI Hearld (New York) November 3, 2023 -- The Long Island Mobile
Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Radio enthusiasts flock to 75th annual 'Hamarama Hamfest' in Ardmore
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/radio-enthusiasts-flock-to-75th-annual-hamarama-hamfest-in-ardmore/ar-AA1j1mw0>"

/ KXII (Oklahoma) November 6, 2023 -- 75th annual 'Hamarama Hamfest' in
Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Share <newsmedia@arrl.org> any amateur radio media hits you spot with
us.

==> ARRL PODCASTS

On the Air
Sponsored by Icom <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/>

The Value of Contest Clubs

"Contesting encompasses so much of the hobby," says seasoned contester
Craig Thompson, K9CT, "from station building, learning how to operate,
understanding propagation, knowing the rules, learning from your
peers," that there's something in it for every ham radio operator. As
current member and former president of the Society of Midwest
Contesters, Craig knows the ins and outs of a running a contest club
and ensuring that the value proposition makes sense to the average
member. In this episode, Craig talks about why you might want to get
involved with a contest club, what it entails, and how these
specialized clubs stir up on-air activity that benefits every ham. This
discussion extends the November/December 2023 On the Air, "Joining a
Contest Club," by Leanna Figlewski, KC1RMP.

ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/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 is available on iTunes. The On the Air podcast
and ARRL Audio News are also on blubrry -- On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio News
<https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

==> ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARRL has a list of special event stations
<http://www.arrl.org/news/veterans-day-2023-special-events> that offer
many opportunities for amateur radio operators to honor Veterans and
make contacts for Veterans Day. They include:

- The K1USN Radio Club <http://www.k1usn.com/>
- The American Legion Post 111 Amateur Radio Club
- The Liberty ship S.S. John W. Brown, K8JWB
<https://www.qrz.com/db/K8JWB/>
- The Central Ohio Radio Club <http://www.corc.us/>
- The Charles County Amateur Radio Club
<http://k3smd.net/index.php/special-events/> in Maryland
- The USS Midway CV-41 COMEDTRA amateur radio station, NI6IW

A complete list of special event stations, including Veterans Day
stations, is available at www.arrl.org/special-event-stations.
<http://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations> Type "Veterans" in the
keyword search bar to find the stations.

==> IN BRIEF...

The Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) is sponsoring the third
annual W2MM special event station to celebrate their 76th anniversary
on December 5, 2023. Beginning on the first weekend of December, QCWA
members in the US and its territories will be able to activate W2MM for
this event, which will run for 7 days. Stations activating W2MM must
submit their log as an ADIF file to activitiesmanager@qcwa.org by the
end of the third week of December. When naming your file, use the
following format: (your call sign) -SE2023.adf. At the end of December,
all of the stations that worked W2MM will be able to download a
commemorative certificate <http://cert.elemcoshopfloor.com/>. Louis
Maggio, NO2C, is providing this service on a volunteer basis, so please
expect a 2- to 3-month lead time for certificates. Contact QCWA
Activities Manager John Kludt, K7SYS, at activitiesmanager@qcwa.org for
more information and scheduling. The QCWA was founded in 1947 to
provide an organization for the hobby's pioneers. QCWA promotes
friendship and cooperation among amateur radio operators licensed at
least a quarter century ago and who remain licensed today.