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On July 28, the FCC approved a modification that expands the ARRL’s 500 kHz experimental license WD2XSH. According to Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, the expansion allows for more frequencies, more stations and portable operations.

After reading the August 2005 QST article by Chris Ormsby, K0CAO, and Bob Witte, K0NR, I thought what fun a HF low power (QRP) operation from a Colorado 14er (A mountain over 14,000 feet high.) would be. The “carrot” would be that an out-of-state 14er to 14er HF contact had yet to be made.1 After the N7UN and WG0AT fun-packed hike through the Canyonlands National Park in April 2008, Steve and I made plans to participate in this unique Colorado operating event. 2 It was after we heard that Brian Boschma, N6IZ, was planning to HF QRP activate Mt Whitney (14,491 feet) the same weekend as the Colorado 14er event that our mutual plans solidified. We would take a crack at making the first out-of-state summit HF QRP contact between a Colorado 14er and Mt Whitney in California.

No sunspot activity this week, and if no sunspot appears today, July 31, the average sunspot number for July will be 5.1; this is down from June’s average of 6.6. The monthly average of the daily sunspot number, January-July 2009, is 2.8, 2.5, 0.8, 1.3, 4, 6.6 and 5.1. The three-month averages for October 2008-June 2009 were 4.5, 4.4, 3.6, 2.2, 2, 1.5, 2, 4.2 and 5.2. This takes into account all the daily sunspot numbers for September 2008-July 2009, and those numbers are for the center months of each of those three month moving average periods.

This week, Surfin’ further explores the possibilities and practicalities of getting electricity from your own resources.

On July 28, the FCC issued a Citation to Hobby Lobby International (HLI) for marketing non-compliant radio frequency devices. According to the Commission, these devices were in violation of the Communications Act of 1934, As Amended and the Commission’s Rules, as well as United States Customs and Border Patrol regulations.

On the afternoon of July 16, ARRL Elko County (Nevada) Emergency Coordinator Greg Barker, K7CWL, was making his way home from Eureka on Nevada Highway 278 when a van sped past him. About 60 miles into his trip, he saw the van slow down and pull over to the side of the road. Barker, a physical therapist, pulled over and asked if he could assist. An elderly couple, their daughter and granddaughter were on the way to the hospital in Elko — another 60 miles — as the grandmother was experiencing what they believed were a series of mini-strokes.

AMSAT-UK has announced a new amateur satellite project — FUNcube — an educational single cubesat project that features a 435-145 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW operation. According to AMSAT-UK, FUNcube will "enthuse and educate" young people about radio, space, physics and electronics. "The idea of FUNcube is to combine an educational project to excite young people with a simple linear transponder for radio amateurs to use with either legacy modes like CW and SSB, or, still to come, digital ones," said IARU Region 1 Satellite Coordinator Graham Shirville, G3VZV. Shirville is also affiliated with AMSAT-UK and ARISS-Europe.

When you live on a remote island with numerous mountains and valleys, communications can be tricky. Add interference that blocks the main communications frequency used by the local emergency rescue squad and you’ve got a disaster waiting to happen. That’s what responders and residents on St John in the US Virgin Islands recently found themselves facing.

On Friday, July 23 at 2 PM, Sacramento City CERT activated Sacramento City Fire CERT and Sacramento County ARES® for a large natural gas leak in South Sacramento. According to ARRL Sacramento Valley Section DEC and CERT Communications Manager Frank Reshke, N6SNO, a two block area was evacuated due to the leak. “Around 30 people came to a shelter that had been set up at a local church,” he said. “This is where the CERT and ARES amateurs established a communications network with the Unified Command of Sacramento City Fire and Police and the Red Cross.” Reshke said the incident lasted for four hours: “At 6:05 PM, the Unified Command allowed the evacuees back into the neighborhood.” — Information provided by Frank Reshke, N6SNO

The space shuttle Endeavour is due to land Friday, August 31, but before it leaves orbit it will deploy four student-built satellites, all with telemetry downlinks in the 2 meter, or 70 cm, amateur bands.

Registration remains open through Sunday, August 23, 2009, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, September 4, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation; Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics.

On Friday, July 24, the Senate confirmed the nominations of Meredith Attwell Baker and Mignon Clyburn as FCC Commissioners. Both nominees appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on July 15 to be vetted by the 25 members of the committee. Baker and Attwell were nominated by President Barack Obama on June 25; no date has been set for their swearing in.

The June 2009 event wasn’t my first Field Day. Several years ago the members of the St Charles Amateur Radio Club invited me out to their site. I accepted and spent several hours wandering around taking pictures, poking my nose into tents, and tripping over things. Since I didn’t do anything, I counted that as Field Day 0.1. A few years later I was invited to and attended the Jefferson County Amateur Radio Club’s Field Day event. And since I didn’t do anything there, either, I figured that was number 0.2.

Ham Radio operators enjoing RVing caravaning and camping

Operating Modes/EME
Comparison of some popular 432 MHz EME antennas by DF9CY