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$41,000+ Raised by Donors, YouTubers, for ARRL Teachers Institute |
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A YouTube telethon to raise money for the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology
was a resounding success. More than $21,000 was contributed during the livestream, which unlocked another $20,000 that donors had set out as a challenge gift. ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL, says that upped the ante. “It's quite clear that even with the generosity of the donors in attendance, the challenge gift really pushed everyone until the end to meet that goal.” There were over 430 gifts made and the most frequent was $20.
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The event, hosted by YouTuber Josh Nass, KI6NAZ, on his popular Ham Radio Crash Course channel, drew thousands of views.
On the stream, several teachers and students who have benefited from the TI shared their stories of success.
“We were glad that teachers Everton Henriques and Drew Mortenson joined us on the stream.
Two of Everton's students attended and were inspirational and impressive.
They're the whole reason why we're doing this,” said Beal.
A face familiar to longtime ARRL members also paid a visit via video.
Former ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, shared her memories of the origins of the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, which she pioneered.
“People have stepped up in just the most wonderful ways over the years.
Large donations, small donations — whatever people are able to do — have made it possible to continue this program,” she told Beal in a video call.
Cragie attributed the program’s success to its flexibility and how it can evolve to meet the changing needs of educators.
ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, hopes to pivot the program again for 2025. “We’re taking it on the road.
Historically, we’ve flown teachers into ARRL Headquarters (in Newington, Connecticut), but we want to go meet some of them where they are,” said Goodgame.
The program has lofty goals for expansion next year.
In 2024, there were 7 cohorts – next year will have 16. “We’re grateful to everyone who participated in the livestream, whether they watched it, shared it, or donated to it,” said Goodgame. “They are enabling us to continue this growth.”
A replay of the live telethon can be seen at this link. If you’d like to contribute to the future of ARRL Teachers Institutes on Wireless Technology, visit www.arrl.org/GiveToSTEM.
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Register for 25th Annual SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 7 |
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The 25th Annual SKYWARNTM Recognition Day (SRD) is Saturday, December 7. SRD recognizes the work of amateur and non-ham SKYWARN storm spotters in keeping their communities safe during severe weather. Trained spotters provide observations of “ground truth” to regional National Weather Service (NWS) offices.
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While meteorologists have advanced remote sensing data like radar, satellite, and weather instrument networks available to them, the technology isn’t granular enough to replace trained human observation.
Via amateur radio repeaters, smartphone apps, phone calls, GMRS radios, and other means, SKYWARN spotters make sure the NWS has the information needed to make good warning and advisory decisions.
“Weather spotters provide extremely valuable information to both NWS and local emergency management officials,” said ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. Johnston served as an Emergency Management Director in Arkansas for 17 years before coming to lead ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) program. “The ground truth that spotters provide is vital during storms for responder safety as well as alerting the citizens of the community.”
In 1999, ARRL and NWS came together to recognize the importance of these spotters to the warning process, creating SKYWARN Recognition Day. SRD features an on-air operating event in which ham radio operators activate many of the NWS office stations, and other radio amateurs try to work as many of them as possible. Read more about the event at www.arrl.org/skywarn-recognition-day.
ARRL will be on the air from ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, as WX1AW during portions of the event.
QSL cards and certificates of participation will be available.
Participants are encouraged to register for 2024 SKYWARN Recognition Day at this link.
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2025 Youth on the Air Camp Application Period Open |
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Applications are now being accepted for campers interested in attending the 2025 Youth on the Air Camp. Licensed amateur radio operators, ages 15 through 25, who want to attend are encouraged to apply online at YouthOnTheAir.org. The camp is scheduled to take place June 15 - 20, 2025, in Thornton (Denver), Colorado and the Denver Radio Club, an ARRL Affiliated Club, is the local host.
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The current application period is for the fifth camp for young amateur radio operators in North, Central, and South America.
For the best chance at being selected, applications should be submitted by 2359Z on January 15, 2025. Campers will be selected by the working group and notified by February 1.
To encourage attendance from across the Americas, allocations for campers are being held open for various areas of North, Central, and South America.
If countries do not use their allocation or should someone within an allocation decline acceptance, those positions will be filled from the remaining pool of applicants.
As this will be an ongoing process, everyone will not receive notification of acceptance at the same time.
Preference will be given to first-time attendees.
Applications will continue to be accepted through May 1 and up to 50 campers will be accepted.
The application process is free, but a $100 USD deposit is required upon acceptance.
Should a potential camper be unable to pay the $100 deposit, they may apply for a scholarship or waiver.
Campers are also responsible for their own arrival and departure transportation to the camp location.
Travel assistance may also be available, especially for those traveling from outside of the USA and Canada.
Travel during camp events is provided.
For details about the camp, visit the camp web page at YouthOnTheAir.org
or email Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, at director@youthontheair.org.
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Get on the Air in December with ARRL 160- and 10-Meter Contests |
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December brings two ARRL-sponsored single-band contests. The ARRL 160-Meter Contest begins Friday, December 6 at 2200 UTC and concludes on Sunday, December 8 at 1559 UTC. Stations in the US (including Alaska, Hawaii, and US possessions) and Canada can contact any station; stations located overseas can only contact US and Canadian stations. Contacts may be made using the CW mode only. See the contest rules at www.arrl.org/160-meter
for more information.
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Next weekend, the ARRL 10-Meter Contest begins on Saturday, December 14 at 0000 UTC (Friday evening in North America), and concludes on Sunday, December 15 at 2359 UTC. Stations may contact any other station, regardless of location, using CW and phone. All stations send a signal report. Stations located in the US and Canada (including Alaska and Hawaii) send their state or province; Mexican stations send their state; DX stations send a serial number. Contest rules are available at contests.arrl.org/10m/.
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Amateur Radio in the News |
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“Grimes County nonprofit seeks donations to buy communication trailer” / 25 ABC KXXV (Texas) November 30, 2024 --The Grimes County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®) is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
“Joplin Amateur Radio Club connecting kids with Santa in special event” / KSNF (Missouri) December 3, 2024 -- The Joplin Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
“Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club offers free classes on ham radio starting Jan.
11” / The Daily Hearld (Illinois) December 3, 2024 -- The Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
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On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
December YOTA Month is Coming
December is Youth on the Air Month, also known as YOTA Month, and there are plans to celebrate young operators all month long. Blake Pearson, KN4VKY, one of the Americas YOTA Month Participation Coordinators, joins the podcast to explain how young hams can apply to use one of the official YOTA Month call signs, and how you can take part in the YOTA Month operating events no matter what age you are.
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ARRL Audio News
Listen to 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
| ARRL Audio News
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On December 17, 1903, after years of “tinkering” in their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first three flights in their new flying machine. The Bellbrook Amateur Radio Club
(BARC) in Dayton will commemorate 121 years of the Wright brothers’ first flights with special event station W8W on December 17, 2024, from 1400z - 2100z. Operation will be on 7.217, 14.317, and 21.317 MHz on all modes. An E-certificate is available by email at WrightFlight@bellbrookarc.org.
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The annual Lighthouse Christmas Lights (LCL) operating event begins Saturday December 21, 2024, 0001Z and runs through 2359Z January 1, 2025. Sponsored by the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society
(ARLS), the event promotes public awareness of amateur radio and lighthouses and contributes to the recognition of lighthouses, lightships, and their keepers. Licensed amateurs may use any and all bands, including WARC, and all modes that convey sufficient exchange details, including SSB, CW, RTTY, PSK, FM, and SSTV. A list of suggested SSB frequencies and CW center frequencies can be found at the club’s website.
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The Battleship IOWA Amateur Radio Association
(BIARA) and the Iowa’s Innovation, Engineering and Technology Team (IET) will activate the ship’s original NEPM Navy call sign on December 7 - 8, 2024. Hours of operation both days are expected to be from 0700 PST (1500 UTC) to 1700 PST (0100 UTC). This activation will be in memory of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and all the radio amateurs and aficionados who answered the call, taking their skills into the military and civilian war efforts.
ARRL requested, and received from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a waiver to Section 97.111(a) to allow appropriately licensed amateur radio operators to work NEPM for this limited event.
Amateurs are reminded that they may not transmit on the military frequencies issued to NEPM.
Amateur radio operators must operate within the privileges of their licenses.
Licensees of other countries not under the FCC’s jurisdiction are advised to refer to the regulations imposed by their licensing agencies before calling NEPM.
All phone operations are on upper sideband.
Here are the NEPM frequencies and modes:
Transmit Freq/Mode ... Listening Freq/Mode
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7.469 MHz USB/J3E ... 7.261 MHz USB/J3E
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12.382 MHz CW/A1A ... 14.061 MHz CW/A1A
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14.667 MHz USB/J3E ... 14.261 MHz USB/J3E
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19.160 MHz RTTY ... 21.150 MHz RTTY
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21.856 MHz USB/J3E ... 21.361 USB/J3E
The listening frequencies are a starting point. The operator will tell you where NEPM is listening to minimize causing interference to stations in band. For an NEPM QSL please follow the instructions found on the BIARA website. The USS Iowa is moored at Port of Los Angeles.
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(left to right) Councilwoman Soheila Bana, KO6GTV; ARRL Pacific Division Vice-Director John Litz ,NZ6Q; Rocky Saunders, KM6NKV, who helped organize the event for the community. [Photo courtesy of Annie Lewis,N6ACL] | | |
Soheila Bana, KO6GTV, Richmond California councilwoman and head of the city’s Public Safety Committee, passed her amateur radio license test and is a now a licensed Technician class amateur radio operator. On Saturday November 9, 2024, the Brickyard Landing Home Owners Association (HOA) hosted a one-day Technician License Class and VE Test Session.
The HOA has an active amateur radio/Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) presence and supports "reasonable" antenna requests to further that objective.
They are also looking at creating a club station in their common area facility for their licensed members.
Bana is working to bring VE Test Sessions to the city's community center so that more people can discover amateur radio and be better prepared to respond in the event of a city-wide emergency. In addition to Bana, there were 18 newly licensed hams from Richmond, Berkeley, San Francisco, Oregon and South Dakota who attended the VE Session.
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This image was taken on December 5, 2024. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] | | |
ARRL Propagation Bulletin 49 ARLP049 from Tad Cook, K7RA
Solar activity seems to have dropped dramatically from a recent peak.
Are we over the cycle peak and headed down again? Too early to say.
Daily average sunspot numbers this week sank to 120.1.
Predicted solar flux is 175 on December 6 – 8; 170 on December 9 – 10; 175 on December 11 – 12; and 205 on December 13 - 17.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on December 6 – 7; 5 on 8 – 12; 10 and 5 on December 13 – 15; 8 on December 16 – 18; 12 and 8 on December 19 – 20; and 5 on December 21 through January 6, 2025.
Commentary from František "Franta" Jand, OK1HH:
“After the unexpected solar proton flare of 21 November, which took place beyond the Sun's western limb, a rain of higher-energy protons hit the Earth's atmosphere. This solar radiation storm had a greater impact at higher latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, where it caused a significant increase in attenuation.
Two days later, two new large sunspot groups appeared near the southeastern limb of the Sun.
These produced moderate eruptions daily, which is more or less normal for the 11-year maximum. These are AR3905 and AR3906, which have grown rapidly to a size where they can be observed with the naked eye.
There is a relatively small coronal hole near them that could be influencing the solar wind enhancement.
Following the eruption of a plasma filament near AR3901, a G2 class geomagnetic storm is possible on November 28 - 29, when a coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to impact.
However, around 1900 UT on November 28, when this information is written as usual, nothing is still happening.
We will see what happens next.
It is quite possible that the plasma cloud will only hit the Earth a little and it is also not out of the question that it will miss the Earth completely.
So, any prediction at this point has a low probability of coming true.”
For more information concerning shortwave radio propagation, see arrl.org/propagation
and the ARRL Technical Information Service web page at, arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere.
Also, check this.
“Understanding Solar Indices” from September 2002 QST.
Sunspot numbers for November 28 through December 4, 2024 were 149, 162, 103, 83, 113, 126, and 105, with a mean of 120.1. The 10.7 -centimeter flux was 213.9, 219.8, 204, 186.3, 185.3, 174.2, and 174.7, with a mean of 202.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 8, 11, 7, 6, 13, and 7, with a mean of 8.3. Middle latitude A index was 3, 6, 9, 6, 6, 6, 10, and 5, with a mean of 6.
Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit
the ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...," and check out
the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
A propagation bulletin archive
is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.
Share
your reports and observations.
A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News.
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Celebrate a little holiday cheer with a new deal every day from ARRL in the online store. Beginning Monday, December 9, 2024, ARRL will be offering 7 days of deals. Sign up at www.arrl.org/holiday-deals
and receive an email with a special ham radio deal every day for 7 days. ARRL members who have opted in to receive special offers and publication announcements will automatically receive the series of deals (signing up is not necessary). If you have a user account, you can manage your email preferences at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out. ARRL’s 7 days of deals concludes Sunday, December 15, 2024.
Don’t forget to check out the special ham radio holiday gift guide, brought to you by ARRL.
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December 5 -- QRP ARCI Topband Sprint (CW)
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December 5 - 6 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
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December 5 -- NRAU 10m Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
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December 5 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)
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December 6 - 8 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest
(CW)
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December 7 - 8 -- Kalbar Contest (phone)
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December 7 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
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December 7 - 8 -- PRO CW Contest (CW)
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December 7 - 8 -- INORC Contest (CW)
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December 7 - 8 -- FT Roundup (digital)
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December 8 -- QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Sprint (CW)
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December 9 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
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December 10 -- Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest (phone)
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December 11 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)
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December 11 -- Phone Weekly Test (phone)
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December 11 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (digital)
Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar
for more events and information.
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Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions |
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December 13 - 14 | Tampa Bay Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida
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January 4 | Ham Radio University, sponsoring the ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Brookville, New York
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January 10 - 11 | 2025 Southwest Florida Regional Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers, Florida
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January 17 - 18 | Cowtown Hamfest 25, sponsoring the ARRL North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
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January 31 - February 1 | Jackson MS Capital City Hamfest 2025, sponsoring the ARRL Mississippi Section Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
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February 7 - 9 | Orlando HamCation, sponsoring the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida
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February 8 | Hendricks County Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL Indiana Section Convention, Danville, Indiana
Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database
to find events in your area.
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ARRL member Peyton Barnes Jr, KE5ZDZ, got help resolving his FT8 issues by contacting the Technical Information Services (TIS) as part of his ARRL member benefits. He stated, “Thank you very much for working with me so patiently (resolving my FT8 issues).”
Members can reach the TIS at tis@arrl.org or by calling the ARRL at 1-888-277-5289.
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Have News for ARRL?
Submissions for The ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to news@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor
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ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join ARRL or renew today!
No other organization works harder to promote and protect amateur radio. Membership supports benefits, services, programs, and advocacy to help you get (and stay) active and on the air. Membership includes access to digital editions of all four ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ.
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.
The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io
email group. The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it concerns blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of adaptive technology.
NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties.
QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
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to the ARES Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts, and much more!
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The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 51 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their profile at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.
Copyright © 2024 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission.
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