The Illuminator

August Meeting

The next regular meeting of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club will be held on Thursday, August 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Boulevard Restaurant on Route 443 in Lehighton. Note the change of location for this meeting.

Please also note that nominations and elections of officers are scheduled for the August meeting, so it is very important that we get a good turnout. The positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one At-large Director are to be decided at this meeting. Hope to see you there!

Treasurer’s Report

By John, W3MF

Previous Balance	1019.52
Receipts (dues)	0.00
Subtotal	1019.52
Disbursements (newsletter)	6.66
Final Total	1012.86

ARRL Receives Homeland Security Training Grant

(From the ARRL Letter)

The ARRL will receive a $181,900 homeland security grant from the US government to train Amateur Radio operators in emergency communication. The League was among several dozen nonprofit organizations designated to receive some $10.3 million in federal money to boost homeland defense volunteer programs. The grant, from the Corporation for National and Community Service special volunteer program, will provide free ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course training to 5200 volunteers nationwide, starting in 2003.

"ARRL is the national association for Amateur Radio and is the national leader in emergency communications by volunteers who operate their own equipment on their time at no cost to any government, organization, or corporation," said the July 19 announcement from Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. The ARRL plans to revise and update the emergency communications curriculum to incorporate additional elements of emergency preparedness and homeland security.

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, said he was extremely pleased by the news. "This adds legitimacy to the public service work Amateur Radio has been doing for years," he said.

ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, applied for the funding in May, inviting the Corporation for National and Community Service to become "a partner with the nation's oldest volunteer radio communications organization."

"I think this is an extraordinarily exciting day for Amateur Radio that the role of Amateur Radio in homeland security is recognized at the highest levels of government," Hobart said upon learning of the grant. The League's grant application characterized Amateur Radio as "the bedrock of communications when other outlets fail."

Citing Amateur Radio's response in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hobart said the federal grant "will help continue our work in providing public service and to protect lives, homes, businesses and our frequencies, as we have for decades."

The League had sought a three-year grant of $541,750. The $181,900 grant covers the first year's direct program costs. The proposed budget includes the cost of a project coordinator who would be responsible for overall fiscal management of the grant.

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said he was pleased that the League would be able to extend its Amateur Radio Emergency Communications program to thousands of amateurs who might otherwise not be able to afford the program. "We hope all who are interested will get on board," he said.

The grant announcement said that "expanding the opportunities for Americans to participate in meaningful volunteer service" is at the heart of President George Bush's USA Freedom Corps, of which the Corporation for National and Community Service is a part.

"We are deeply grateful to Tom Ridge and to the Corporation for National and Community Service for providing Amateur Radio with a unique opportunity to serve our country," Hobart said.

In June, the ARRL and United Technologies Corporation announced a partnership to provide free ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course training for up to 250 Connecticut amateurs.

ARRL DX Bulletin

DX Bulletin 31 ARLD031

From ARRL Headquarters

Newington CT August 1, 2002

To all radio amateurs

This week’s bulletin was made possible with information provided by Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin, DL4KQ, The Daily DX, QRZ DX, 425DXnews, The DXNL and Contest Corral from QST. Thanks to all.

MONACO, 3A. Look for IZ1DSH to be QRV as 3A/homecall from August 5 to 15. Activity will be on 40 to 10 meters. QSL to home call.

AZERBAIJAN, 4J. Yannick, F6FYD and Gerard, F2VX, will be QRV as 4J0FR and 4K7W, respectively, from Baku from August 6 to 23. QSL 4J0FR via F6FYD and 4K7W via operator's instructions.

UGANDA, 5X. Jay, K4ZLE is QRV as 5X2A until August 11 on Bavuma Island. This is not entirely an amateur radio operation, so his activity is limited. Most of his activity will be in the late night and early morning hours. QSL to home call.

NEPAL, 9N. Kiyo, JH3PAS will be QRV as 9N7AS from August 4 to 10. Activity will be on all bands, with an emphasis on the newer bands. This includes using RTTY, SSTV and PSK31. QSL to home call.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9Q. Gus, SM5DIC is QRV from the ARAC Club Station 9Q0AR until August 31. QSL this operation via SM5BFJ.

URUGUAY, CX. Geo, CX1SI is QRV daily on 160 and 80 meters. Look for him on 1823 to 1833 kHz from 0000 to 0300z and around 3505 kHz between 0930 to 1030z. QSL to home call.

GUADELOUPE, FG. Project DX Team Members Andrea, FG/IK2XDE, Giovanni, FG/IK2JYT, Mario, FG/IK2HAB and Luigi FG/IW2MVS will be QRV from Terre de Haut, Les Saintes Islands, IOTA NA-114, from August 5 to 17. Activity will be on all the HF bands, including 6 meters, using SSB and RTTY. QSL to home calls.

ITALY, I. Special call IU7LE will be QRV from ARI Lecce during the weekends in August to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Italian Amateur Radio IARU society, ARI. QSL via I7PXV.

NETHERLAND ANTILLES, PJ2. Mark, KD4D is active as PJ2/KD4D until August 14 from Curacao, IOTA SA-006. He will participate in the 2002 WAE DX CW Contest as PJ2M. QSL via home call. QSL PJ2M via N9AG.

SWEDEN, SM. Eric, SM1TDE is QRV as SM1T from Gotland Island, IOTA EU-020, until the end of August. QSL via bureau.

BENIN, TY. F5MOO, F5CWU, F5AOV and F1PJB are active as TY7Z, TY9F, TY4DX and TY6FB, respectively, from Grand-Popo until August 14. QSL to home calls.

MYANMAR, XZ. Look for nine operators to be QRV as XY3C on CW, XY5T on SSB and XY7V for the digital modes from August 4 to 22. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters. From August 4 to 8 they will be QRV from Yangon, and from August 9 to 22, QRV from Ngapal. QSL XY3C via DL4KQ, XY5T via IN3ZNR and XY7V via DL8KBJ.

Propagation Outlook

By Larry, N3CR

Greetings everyone and welcome to the land of surprises. The last week of July brought with it a jump in solar activity. Sunspots averaging 160 to 220 took a leap to 300 and stayed up there for several days. The solar flux also increased 50 points over the same period and is making a slow slide back to the 180 level once again. Now that we are on the down side of the solar cycle we can expect change and spikes in propagation but seldom more than two days at the 300 levels. What this is telling us is that there is a lot of fun ahead.

But wait a minute, where is all the DX? We are still in the summer mode experienced each year regardless of what point in the solar cycle. Seasonal changes affect us every year. High summer white noise, frequent double hop sporadic E skip, day long F layer propagation, and of course total loss of signals due to geomagnetic storms is all a part of the normal summer propagation. This will remain until mid September when the seasonal changes start all over again. The white noise of summer will subside, the bands close earlier due to less daylight, and the 40m, 80m and 160m bands start getting longer after dark. This isn't good for those who rely on the 10m, 12m, and 15m bands. Solid DX will become limited to five hours a day during good propagation. The 17m and 20m bands will see more activity as people move up the bands seeking DX and longer propagation to maintain schedules with friends around the world.

Had this sunspot activity happened in September, we may have seen some really great openings on 6 meters and possibly 2 meters. Sunspots and geomagnetic activity may have a way of erasing all activity on the DX bands but at the right time of year it can do a lot to enhance the quiet bands on VHF. This summer parts of the country enjoy some short-lived propagation of sporadic E brought on by the solar flares and coronal mass ejections of the sun. Some large explosions on the sun made TV news, as they feared signal losses from their satellite links. EVA's on the space station were cancelled due to the chance of high periods of ionized radiation. It also appears these same disturbances caused amateur and commercial satellites to shutdown forcing their systems to reset. Some have been lost while others will take months of earth commands to get back to normal operation.

What is ahead? Well, we can expect slow changes leading up to the fall equinox in October. Summer noise will begin disappearing. Big signals stateside will be heard again. When DX is good, the bands will be full. When the DX fades, the bands will fall silent ― except 20 meters. That is the band everyone seems to head for when the other DX bands begin closing early. Nighttime and weekends QRM on 20 meters will be the norm. At dusk, signals on 80 meters out to 500 miles will peak with the band getting longer as darkness sets in. Shortwave broadcast on 40 meters peaks around 6pm and remains until 2 am. All signals begin following the hours of darkness. This is where the "grayline" on satellite tracking programs comes in handy to predict where propagation may begin to show, the stations located in darkness or sunshine. Big signals on the bands will return all depending the number of sunspots, solar flux, and geomagnetic activity. With good numbers and no geomagnetic storms to deal with, the bands should all be busy with activity. Otherwise, it is HELLO STATESIDE!

Watch for the solar flux numbers around 220, an A Index under 10, a K Index less than 3 and WWV report on 10 MHz, 15 MHz and 20 MHz at 18 minutes past the hour. Monitoring WWV in Boulder, Colorado and WWVH in Hawaii are always a good way to check propagation. These stations run phased vertical antennas with the antennas at WWVH Hawaii phased away from the US to avoid QRM. Both share the same frequency and atomic clock. WWVH uses a female voice for time announcements and gives propagation reports at 40 minutes past the hour. WWV uses a male voice with propagation reports at 18 minutes past the hour. At certain times you will hear both stations. So start listening today, note the signal report and begin predicting where the DX will be today. But expect surprises! 73 de Larry N3CR

CC&R Bill HR 4720 Gains Additional Cosponsors

(From the ARRL Letter)

The bill now in Congress aimed at providing relief to amateurs faced with private deed covenants, conditions and restrictions ― CC&Rs ― in erecting antennas has gained additional cosponsors. Freshman Rep Steve Israel (D-NY) introduced the "Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act" on May 14. The measure ― HR 4720 ― would require private land-use regulators ― such as homeowners' associations ― to "reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communication consistent with the PRB-1 limited federal preemption. PRB-1 now applies only to states and municipalities. Rep Greg Walden, WB7OCE (R-OR) and Rep Pete Sessions (R-TX) signed on as original cosponsors of HR 4720.

Since its introduction, the bill also has attracted several additional cosponsors. These include Representatives J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), Patrick Tiberi (R-OH), Patsy Mink (D-HI), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA), John Duncan Jr (R TN), Dennis Moore (D-KS), Charles Stenholm (D-TX) and David Price (D-NC).

Visit the US House of Representatives "Write Your Representative Service" Web page, www.house.gov/writerep/ for information on how to contact your representative. The ARRL requests those writing or e-mailing members of Congress ― whether or not they are supporting this legislation ― to copy ARRL on their correspondence ― via e-mail to [email protected] or via US Mail to CC&R Bill, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Correspondents should include the bill number, HR 4720, as well as their name and address on all correspondence.

Where Have We Been

By Larry, N3CR

It all seems to have happened so fast. We waited for Memorial Day to start off the summer with a party. As it turns out, it was another cool one. The June VHF contest comes around and it is the same few worked all over again. What happened to all those high power VHF / UHF mountaintop stations and city stations? Yep, K3YTL was there. You can always count on them. Field Day comes and goes. With all the Americas participating this year, you realize the need to expand the contest. Running under emergency power, whether it is from home or mountain site, is a challenge being operated by fewer stations each year. However, with the increase in smaller radios able to run 100 watts or less from 12 volts, more battery-operated stations were being worked.

July turns into a barnburner, with lots of sunshine, high temperatures and a lack of rain. Drought emergency warnings appear and small stream flooding occurs when it does rain. We won't even begin to talk about forest fires, which continue today. With a barrage from the west and fires in Canada coming south, we live thru days of haze and smog. Hospitals fill with people complaining of breathing problems. All of a sudden, people comment about the lack of flags and crowds at the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades in communities. Has September 11th worn off? I don't think so. The threat of stateside terrorism affects everyone as some people avoid crowds and the chance of becoming one of the numbers. Heat indexes reaching to 100 degrees has people searching for air conditioning and shade.

And here we are, the first week of August. There is still time to get that last minute vacation in. It is apparent more people are traveling by vehicle rather than plane. Traffic is Lehighton and surrounding areas is backed up at all the stoplights. A steady flow of traffic from the Poconos travels down the Maury Road in Franklin Township heading for the turnpike. Weekends Mahoning Valley interchange backs up as people wait in line to get into Beltzville State Park. Few people get on the repeater or .52 simplex asking directions. They have all been here before or had someone show them all the shortcuts! Race weekends are over at Pocono but you could have fooled me. All the resorts are working overtime to draw the tourists to the area. County fairs get into full swing. Outdoor concerts are at their peak. The horrid thought of school or college starting puts everyone into a mass frenzy to get that last outdoor party in while the smell of charcoal is still fresh. Why do you think they call it a RUSH? (Much different than RAVE.)

Oh yes, the smell of charcoal lingers. And it will at my house for some time to come, at least until jacket weather and winds force me to reconsider. Who can resist charbroiled chicken or hamburgers? It is like everyone is unwilling to give up his summer habits, until reality sets in. Work schedules becoming boring again as people look for a reason to take a long weekend retreat. Holidays just don't have the impact of Memorial Day or Labor Day. The answer may be NASCAR! The Daytona 500 in February marks the countdown Spring is not that far away. And the thoughts of the last Memorial Day reappear! Have a safe and enjoyable summer! We are looking to share it with you. 73 de Larry N3CR [email protected]

ARRL Okays RTTY Contacts with P5/4L4FN for DXCC Credit

(From the ARRL Letter)

The ARRL DXCC Desk has announced that it will now accept RTTY contacts with Ed Giorgadze, P5/4L4FN, for DXCC credit, effective with contacts made on or after November 1, 2001. P5/4L4FN QSL Manager Bruce Paige, KK5DO, reports some good news and some bad news. Giorgadze has repaired his Ameritron AL-80A linear, which had a blown rectifier bridge. But he has had to take down the Hex Beam he'd installed, because the mast he was using wasn't strong enough to support it and the rotor. "He is looking for something that will work better, and that might have to wait until he goes back to Beijing in four to five weeks," Paige said. "His work at the present time has kept him from doing as much operating as he would like, but he will be back on more as things settle down." Giorgadze was featured in a program about Amateur Radio in North Korea that aired July 5 on Radio Austria. RealAudio or MP3 files in either English or German are available on the Radio Austria Web site <http://roi.orf.at/roi/intermedia/im_aktuell.html>. Scroll down and click on "DIE P5-STORY / THE P5-STORY Amateur Radio in North Korea." The 25-minute program covers all previous P5 operations plus interesting interviews with P5/4L4FN about his activity.

Helpful Hints

Buy a television set exactly like your neighbor’s. Then, annoy them by standing outside their window and changing their channel using your identical remote control.

Shallow Thoughts

If you’re a kleptomaniac, can you take something for it?

Check out http://incolor.inetnebr.com/n0ujr for other cartoons and to purchase N0UJR’s book, “N0UJR and His Friends.”

N2CQ QRP Contest Calendar

August 2002

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Summer Fox Hunts - 20 M CW QRP - Fri 0200z

(Thursday Evenings US Local Time)

Details: http://www.cqc.org/fox/index.htm

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Truffle Hunt 30 minutes before the Fox Hunt

Details: http://fpqrp.com/struffle.html

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Ten-Ten SSB Contest ... QRP Category

Aug 3 - 0000z to Aug 4 - 2400z

Rules: http://www.ten-ten.org/

"Encourage maximum cordial activity on the 10-meter band"

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North American QSO Party (CW) ...100W out or less

Aug 3 - 1800z to Aug 4 - 0600z

Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

"Work Anyone"

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Adventure Radio Spartan Sprint (CW) *** QRP CONTEST! ***

Aug 6 - 0100z to 0300z (Monday Evenings US/Can local time)

Rules: http://www.natworld.com/ars/pages/spartan_sprints/ss_rules.html

"Testing of lightweight radio gear for outdoor QRP expeditions"

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Worked All Europe DX Contest (CW) ... <100W category

Aug 10 - 0000z to Aug 11 - 2400z

Rules: http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/fedcw.htm

"THE most challenging DX contest in the world..."

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Maryland/DC QSO Party (SSB/CW) ... QRP Category

Aug 10 - 1600z to Aug 11 - 0400z

Aug 11 - 1600z to Aug 11 - 2359z

Rules: http://www.w3cwc.org/rules.html

"Work MD Counties. More points for QRP stations worked"

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North American QSO Party (SSB) ... 100W or less

Aug 17 - 1800z to Aug 18 - 0600z

Rules: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php

"Work Anyone"

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NJ QSO Party (CW/SSB)

Aug 17 - 2000z to Aug 18 - 0700z

Aug 18 - 1300z to Aug 19 - 0200z

Rules: http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/njqp.htm

"Work NJ Counties"

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Hawaii QSO Party (CW/SSB/Digital)

Aug 24 - 0700z to Aug 25 - 2200z

Rules: http://www.arrl.org/contests/months/aug.html

"QRP Category Gone"

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TOEC WW Grid Contest (CW) ... <100W category

Aug 24 - 1200z to Aug 25 - 1200z

Rules: http://www.qsl.net/toec/contest.htm

"Boost the interest on grid hunting on the HF bands"

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Ohio QSO Party (CW/SSB) ... QRP Category

Aug 24 - 1600z to Aug 25 - 0400z

Rules: http://www.mrrc.net/oqprules/

"Work OH Counties"

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BUBBA Summer QRP Sprint *** QRP CONTEST! ***

Aug 24 - 1800z to 2200z

Rules: http://www.extremezone.com/~nk7m/

"BURN YOUR B___ OFF "

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Colorado QRP Club - Summer QSO Party (SSB/CW) *** QRP CONTEST! ***

Aug 25 - 1800z to 2359z

Rules: http://www.cqc.org/contests/summer02.htm

"Single Band, Multi-band & Portable Categories"

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YO DX HF Contest (CW/SSB)

Aug 31 - 1200z to Sep 1 - 1200z

Rules: http://www.qsl.net/yo3kaa/contests/yodx_eng.htm

"Work Any DX"