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The ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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April 25, 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

- T-Minus 3 Three Weeks: 2024 ARRL National Convention at Hamvention®
- Colorado Students Contact the International Space Station
- Amateur Radio Contact in Space and on the Ground
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> T-MINUS 3 THREE WEEKS: 2024 ARRL NATIONAL CONVENTION AT HAMVENTION®

The 2024 ARRL National Convention is just 3 weeks away, on May 17 --
19, 2024. The event is being hosted by Dayton Hamvention in Xenia,
Ohio.

ARRL has a significant amount of technical content planned for the
convention program. (see the full rundown at www.arrl.org/expo
<http://www.arrl.org/expo>). There are also presentations planned to
challenge and inspire attendees throughout each step of a radio
amateur's journey in the world of wireless communication technology.

Calling All Technicians

"Beyond Repeaters: See How Far Your Tech License Will Take You" will be
an exciting presentation from ARRL Digital RF Engineer John McAuliffe,
KD2ZWN, who will be at the convention representing the ARRL Laboratory.
Geared for Technician class hams, attendees will explore all that can
be done within Technician class privileges. (Hint: it's a lot!)

McAuliffe will lead an engaging discussion that will focus on three
main areas: UHF use and potential projects and activities that can be
enjoyed beyond 70 centimeters; 10-meter digital modes, satellite, and
long-range communications; and HF CW privileges including a short guide
on how to build your own CW encoder/decoder.

Build Your Ham Community

Amateur radio clubs can be a driving force for getting people licensed
and keeping them engaged. In "Tips for Successful Radio Clubs", ARRL
Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, will share some of the best
practices that can be learned from high performing ARRL Affiliated
Clubs.

This forum will include a discussion of ideas and opportunities for
radio clubs that are seeking growth and greater member participation.
Topics will include recruitment, licensing, training, engagement, and
leadership development.

These forums are part of the 2024 ARRL National Convention track. Plan
your must-see presentations using the ARRL Events app. Find the app in
your devices' app store or at this link
<https://www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl>.

You can learn more about Hamvention and buy tickets at
www.hamvention.org <http://www.hamvention.org>.

==> COLORADO STUDENTS CONTACT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, students at the Thrive Home School
Academy <https://www.thrivehsa.org/> (THSA), along with students at
Stratton Meadows Elementary (SME), were able to have a space chat with
NASA astronaut and mission specialist Jeanette "Jo" Epps, KF5QNU, on
board the International Space Station (ISS) on April 22, 2024. At the
time of the contact Epps, a member of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission, was on
her 47th day of the 180-day mission.

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
<https://ariss-usa.org/> (ARISS) event was organized with equipment
provided by ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio
<http://www.arrl.org/>® and NASA for science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) education and outreach purposes. The Pikes Peak
Radio Amateur Association <https://ppraa.org/> (PPRAA) helped with
technical coordination and Harrison School District 2 provided a link
to livestream the event.

Students were able to ask questions ranging from

"Do things smell or taste differently in space?" to "What is your
favorite thing you have seen in space?"

THSA opened in 2009 and serves homeschooled students with a
1-day-per-week school day program that is highly interactive and
experiential and engages students in hands-on activities.

Amateur radio is used extensively in their classrooms to provide
hands-on STEM learning and prepare students for future careers.

ARRL prepares teachers to engage students with amateur radio through
the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology
<http://www.arrl.org/ti>. ARRL TI graduate Dara Gardner, KF0NIX, is a
teacher who helped organize this contact.

==> AMATEUR RADIO CONTACT IN SPACE AND ON THE GROUND

On April 22, 2024, students at Pleasant Knoll Middle School in Fort
Mill, South Carolina, enjoyed a full day of learning all about amateur
radio from the Earth to the stars. In all, nearly 2,000 students
learned how to operate VHF, UHF, and HF amateur radios in four sessions
throughout the day, as well as listened, watched, and participated in a
contact with the International Space Station (ISS), coordinated by the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
<https://www.amsat.org/amateur-radio-on-the-iss/> (ARISS) program.

Nine volunteers from the York County Amateur Radio Society
<https://www.ycars.org/> (YCARS)

Pleasant Knoll Middle School students and science teacher Allison
Killowitz during a "space chat" with astronaut Matthew Dominick,
KC0TOR, aboard the International Space Station. [Photo courtesy of
Section Manager of the ARRL South Carolina Section John P. Gendron,
NJ4Z.

helped coordinate the event and ARISS contact. Thirteen students,
along with eighth grade science teacher Allison Killowitz, asked
astronaut Matthew Dominick, KC0TOR, 23 questions during their 10-minute
contact. Their questions ranged from how an astronaut uses the bathroom
on the ISS to what astronauts eat. Dominick is also a Navy test pilot,
and he's on the ISS as part of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission.

Four members of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
<https://www.amsat.org/amateur-radio-on-the-iss/>, known as AMSAT,
volunteered to help with equipment. They provided the school with a
communication trailer and van with 52-foot masts, equipped with
high-gain Yagi and vertical antennas, an elevation and azimuthal
rotator, and multiple computers and IC-9700 radios. ARRL South Carolina
Section Traffic Manager Dean French, N4AJK, helped coordinate and
produce a livestream of the event to YouTube channels for the ARRL
South Carolina Section, ARISS, YCARS, and YouTuber Steve McGrane, KM9G.
Currently, there are 2,000 views between all four YouTube channels. The
event was also covered by two local television channels.

ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies
and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, participating
organizations include NASA's Space Communications and Navigation
program (SCaN), the ISS National Laboratory -- Space Station Explorers,
ARRL <http://www.arrl.org/>, and AMSAT.

==> 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>.

"Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club site agreement ends, and an urgent
search for a new location is underway
<https://keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s-county/2024/04/18/santa-barbara-amateur-radio-club-site-agreement-ends-and-an-urgent-search-for-a-new-location-is-underway/>"

/ KEYT-TV (California) April 18, 2024 -- The Santa Barbara Amateur
Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"South Carolina middle school makes contact with International Space
Station
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/south-carolina-middle-school-makes-contact-with-international-space-station/ar-AA1nt71D>"

/ WCNC -TV (North Carolina) April 23, 2024 -- The York County Amateur
Radio Society 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/>.

==> ANNOUNCEMENTS

2024 ARRL Field Day gear is now shipping! ARRL Field Day
<https://www.arrl.org/field-day> is June 22-23. Get ready for amateur
radio's largest on-air operating event with official 2024 ARRL Field
Day merchandise <http://www.arrl.org/shop/fieldday>, now available.
T-shirts, hats, mugs, pins, patches, and more are a great way to show
off your involvement in this annual event. This year's design features
the theme "Be Radio Active." The back of the t-shirt includes a
check-off list of ARRL and RAC Sections - a fun way to keep track of
your Field Day contacts.