April 8, 2008 by kb3ljm.

The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the annual Military/Amateur Radio communications tests in celebration of the 58th anniversary of Armed Forces Day (AFD). Although the actual Armed Forces Day is celebrated on May 17, the AFD Military/Amateur Crossband Communications Test will be conducted on May 10 to prevent conflict with the Dayton Hamvention, scheduled for May 16-18.
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in ARRL Letter | Comments Off

April 8, 2008 by kb3ljm.

“Baltimore/Washington is the latest airport to embrace the new landscaping trend of installing artificial turf on the tarmac. It’s ideal for unpaved areas on the tarmac because foreign debris in dirt and soil near runways can be safety hazards, says Joe Dobson of AvTurf. Airports have typically grown natural grass in these areas, but grass can be difficult and expensive to maintain and attract unwanted animals and birds. In addition, Astroturf is being used to replace the green paint or yellow X signs used to help pilots distinguish decommissioned taxiways. Painted asphalt can be hard to see at night for pilots, especially if paint fades, says Dobson. Among airports that have recently laid down artificial turf: New York’s John F. Kennedy, Atlanta, Detroit, Toronto, Chicago O’Hare, Chicago Midway and Boston.”

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/04/airport-check-i.html

Posted in Travel, USA Today | Comments Off

April 8, 2008 by kb3ljm.

With more than 20,000 listings for VHF/UHF repeaters across the US and Canada, The ARRL Repeater Directory 2008-2009 is a must have. Once again, the ARRL is offering two sizes of the Repeater Directory — pocket size and desktop. This year, not only is the pocket-sized Repeater Directory a half-inch larger than previous editions, it boasts a larger font size, making for easier reading. For the first time ever, this year’s editions feature handy indexing tabs on the cover, easier to read listings and a “Key to Repeater Notes” located right up front in the Directory. Along with these new features, both editions have the features you know and enjoy from prior years: Repeater operating practices, repeater lingo and hints for newly licensed hams; Frequency Coordinator contact information; listings for D-Star and APCO 25 repeaters; a guide to using CTCSS tones and Digital Coded Squelch (DCS); VHF/UHF band plans and a 2 meter channel-spacing map; IRLP (Internet linked) nodes; tips for handling interference; listings for IRLP, WIRES-II and EchoLink (Internet linked) nodes; emergency message handling procedures, and a transceiver memory log. Order your copy of The ARRL Repeater Directory 2008-2009 today at the ARRL Online Store.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8118

Posted in ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off

April 8, 2008 by kb3ljm.

CROATIA, 9A.

Members from the Varazdin Radioclub are QRV as 9A60A until December 2008 in celebration of the club’s 60 years. Activity is on all bands. This includes entries in several upcomingcontests. QSL via 9A7A.

NEPAL, 9N.

Stig, LA7JO is QRV as 9N7JO until June 30. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31. QSL direct to his Thailand address.

QATAR, A7.

Bill, NM7H is QRV as A7/G0MKT until the middle of June. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters using mostly CW with some SSB and PSK. QSL to home call.

IRAN, EP.

Sadegh, EP3HF has been active on 15 meters around 0900z and 20 meters around 1530z. QSL direct.

MINAMI TORISHIMA, JD1.

Masafumi, JD1BMM has been active on 17 meters between 2100 and 2300z. QSL to home call.

WAKE ISLAND, KH9.

Colin, WA2YUN is QRV as WA2YUN/KH9 and is here probably until the end of 2009. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters. QSL via K2PF.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA, P2.

David, P29GQ is usually active on the ANZANet between 0500 to 0600z on weekends. QSL to home call.

FRANZ JOSEF LAND, R1FJ.

Station R1FJT is QRV from the Krenkel Polar station on Heyss Island. Activity is on 80 to 17 meters using CW. QSL via UA4RC.

OPERATION APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT.
The following operation is approved for DXCC credit: Wake Island, G4GIR/KH9, 2007 operation.

http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/2008-arld015.html

Posted in ARRL DX BULLETIN | Comments Off

April 8, 2008 by kb3ljm.

ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that DXCC has completed processing applications for 2007. As such, St Barthelemy (FJ) has been added to the DXCC computer system and Logbook of The World (LoTW). With the addition, this moves the #1 Honor Roll position to 338 current entities; operators now need 329 entities to qualify for Honor Roll. “While DXCC has completed applications for 2007, there are a number of application returns still being mailed, so it may be another 2-3 weeks before applicants receive their 2007 return,” Moore said. “LoTW is now accepting certificate requests for St Barthelemy; once those logs are submitted, the matches should occur and applicants can claim DXCC credit.” For programmers who use the DXCC entity numbering system, the entity code for St Barthelemy is 516.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8122

Posted in DXCC, ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off

April 8, 2008 by kb3ljm.

The ARRL VEC leads the way when it comes to licensing amateurs, thanks to the excellent work of thousands of volunteer examiners who give so generously of their time, energy and skill. Whether you have ever thought about becoming a Volunteer Examiner or you are a seasoned VE, the ARRL VEC Volunteer Examiner Manual is the complete guide to the ARRL Volunteer Examiner program. Packed with everything new and experienced ARRL VEs need to know, this book is loaded with information, including chapters on becoming a Volunteer Examiner, the Volunteer Examiner Team, preparing for the test session, Form 605; conducting the test session, session report and returning documents, FCC Part 97 Rules and more. Order your copy today.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8128

Posted in ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off