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The ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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April 18, 2024

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

- 2024 ARRL National Convention at Dayton Hamvention -- Program and App
Available
- Amateur Radio Provides Communications Support for Boston Marathon
- Armed Forces Day Crossband Test May 11, 2024
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> 2024 ARRL NATIONAL CONVENTION AT DAYTON HAMVENTION -- PROGRAM AND
APP AVAILABLE

The 2024 ARRL National Convention, hosted by Dayton Hamvention®, is
just a month away, and the convention program guide is now available at
www.arrl.org/expo <https://www.arrl.org/expo>. The ARRL Events app is
also ready to use, encouraging everyone planning to attend to preview
all of the Hamvention exhibits, forums, and related activities.

Download the free ARRL Events
<http://www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl> app, or access the content
from an internet browser <https://www.tripbuilder.net/html5/arrl>. The
app is offered in partnership with Hamvention, and it contains
Hamvention's full program and live updates, so attendees can browse and
schedule forums, find affiliated events, and preview the extensive list
of exhibitors. During the event, attendees can use many of the app's
other features to follow the hourly prize drawings organized by the
Dayton Hamvention Prize Committee and browse building and site maps.

The MyProfile icon in the app allows users to add their name, call
sign, email address, and any additional information they would like to
share with other Hamvention attendees. Additionally, the MyBadge icon
displays a QR code of your event badge that can be scanned by another
attendee or exhibitor using the Scan Badge icon to instantly share
contact information with other hams at the event. The app is available
for Apple and Android smart devices. You can also access the web
browser version, which is optimized for nearly any browser or mobile
device.

Use the app to preview many of the informative presentations planned by
Hamvention and ARRL that cover a variety of topics and interests to
help grow your skills as a radio amateur -- no matter where you are in
your journey.

Young hams and young newcomers to amateur radio are reminded to
register for the 2024 ARRL Youth Rally, which will be held on Saturday
during the convention. While Hamvention offers free tickets for youths
aged 12 through high school, advance registration for the Youth Rally
($20) includes a tee shirt to wear on Saturday, a badge, a lanyard, and
a reusable tote bag. Register
<https://form.jotform.com/240775423915157> for the Youth Rally now (11
to 21 years of age).

Hamvention and the 2024 ARRL National Convention is May 17 - 19 at the
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, in Xenia, Ohio. In the
lead-up to the convention, the venue has finished making improvements
to the flea market area. The walking paths have been topped with gravel
and rolled to make the paths smooth and safe.

Complete information about this year's event can be found on the
Hamvention <https://hamvention.org/> website, Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/Hamvention/> page, and at www.arrl.org/expo
<https://www.arrl.org/expo>.

==> AMATEUR RADIO PROVIDES COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT FOR BOSTON MARATHON

On Monday, April 15, 2024, ham radio operators provided communications
for the 128th running of the Boston Marathon. More than 280 radio
amateurs participated in the event.

The marathon is one of the largest events for which hams provide
communications support.

It drew volunteers from many different places. "Operators are
volunteering across Start, Course, Finish, Transportation, and various
operations centers, including the Massachusetts Emergency Management
Agency (MEMA) State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) Unified Command
Center (UCC) and the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) Race Operations
Center (ROC) in Boston. They are performing communications duties that
include logistics support as a primary function, and backup support for
medical and other public safety requests for the race as needed," wrote
District Emergency Coordinator for the ARRL Eastern Massachusetts
Section Rob Macedo, KD1CY.

Amateur radio operator volunteers supported the BAA, the American Red
Cross, and other agencies surrounding the event, according to Macedo.

==> ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST MAY 11, 2024

The US Department of Defense will host this year's Armed Forces Day
(AFD) Crossband Test on May 11, 2024. For more than 50 years, military
and amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is an
interoperability exercise between hobbyist and government radio
stations. The event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators and
will not impact any public or private communications. The AFD Crossband
Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between
military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service
(ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111.

These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to
demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled
exercise scenario. Military stations will transmit on selected military
frequencies and announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All
scheduled times will be in Zulu (Z), and all scheduled frequencies will
be upper sideband (USB) unless otherwise noted.

Information on frequencies, times, and other technical information can
be found at DoD MARS - Armed Forces Day
<https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day>.
Information for QSL cards and contact information is available at Armed
Forces Day QSL request form
<https://www.usarmymars.org/armed-forces-day-qsl-card-request>.

AFD is classified as an observance -- not a federal holiday. It will be
celebrated on Saturday, May 18, 2024, and it will be a time of honor.
The establishment of AFD was first announced on August 31, 1949, by
then US Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson. It was meant to replace the
separate Army, Navy, and Air Force Days. All branches were combined to
create the US Department of Defense. The first Armed Forces Day was
held on May 20, 1950. The day is celebrated with special events,
tributes, observances, and parades.

==> 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>.

"Amateur radio operators gather at the Expo
<https://www.yahoo.com/tech/amateur-radio-operators-gather-expo-184900331.html>"

/ The Claremore Daily Progress (Oklahoma) April 13, 2024 -- The Green
Country Hamfest.

"Going the extra mile: the radio operators who connect all 26.2 miles
of the Boston Marathon
<https://huntnewsnu.com/77235/city/metro/going-the-extra-mile-the-radio-operators-who-connect-all-26-2-miles-of-the-boston-marathon/>"

/ The Huntington News (Massachusetts) April 15, 2024 -- The
Northeastern Wireless Club.

"World Amateur Radio Day is April 18
<https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/local/2024/04/16/world-amateur-radio-april-18-ham-radio-monroe-county-radio-communications-association/73325623007/>"

/ The Monroe News (Michigan) April 16, 2024 -- The Monroe County Radio
Communications Association.

"A Stroudsburg teens' passion for radio
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-stroudsburg-teens-passion-for-radio/ar-BB1lFZID>"

/ WBRE (Pennsylvania) April 16, 2024 -- The Eastern Pennsylvania
Amateur Radio Association.

"Amateur radio club collaborates to help during emergencies
<https://vp-mi.com/news/2024/apr/17/amateur-radio-club-collaborates-to-help-during-emergencies/>"

/ Clark Fork Valley Press (Montana) April 17, 2024 -- The Clark Fork
Valley Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

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/>

Served Agencies: Who They Are and How We Serve Them

We often hear about served agencies when hams talk about disaster
response and emergency communications. ARRL Director of Emergency
Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins the podcast this month to
discuss exactly what and who served agencies are, and where the Amateur
Radio Service fits into their responses.

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 and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry,
iTunes, and Apple Podcasts -- On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio News
<https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.