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Youth@HamRadio.Fun: A Small Island, a Young Ham and a Whole Lot of Spirit!
Mercer Island is a small island in Washington, located a few miles outside of Seattle; it has a population of approximately 22,000 people. The local radio club on the island is the Mercer Island Radio Operators (MIRO), W7MIR. MIRO is always prepared to aide with communications in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. Alex Banbury, KE7WUD, is proud to call himself the youngest member of MIRO, and possibly the youngest ham on the island!
Gary L. Robinson, WB8ROL, Wins December QST Cover Plaque Award
The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December is Gary L. Robinson, WB8ROL, for his article "Ghost QSOs -- Olivia Returns from the Noise." Congratulations, Gary! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the January issue by Saturday, January 31.
FCC Commissioners: Now There Are Four
The term of FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, a Republican from Tennessee, came to an end on January 3 as the 111th Congress convened for the first time. Originally selected by President Bush to fill the unexpired term of then-Chairman Michael Powell, Tate joined the Commission in 2005. In June 2007, Bush announced his intention to nominate Tate to a full five year term, but when the Senate failed to confirm her nomination by the close of the 110th Congress, Tate's tenure as a Commissioner came to a close.
Foundation for Amateur Radio Invites Scholarship Applications
The non-profit Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) is now accepting applications for 48 scholarships for the academic year 2009-2010 to assist radio amateurs pursuing higher education. FAR fully funds two of scholarships and administers 46 others without cost on behalf of various club and individual donors. Amateur Radio licensees pursuing a full-time course of study beyond high school and accepted by or enrolled in an accredited university, college or technical school are eligible to apply. Scholarship grants range from $500 to $5000, and preference in some cases goes to applicants living in particular geographical areas or pursuing certain studies. Non-US residents are eligible to apply for some of the scholarships. FAR encourages clubs -- especially those in California, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin -- to announce these scholarship opportunities at meetings, in newsletters, during training classes, on nets and on their Web sites. More information and an application form may be requested by letter via e-mail or by sending a QSL card postmarked prior to March 30, 2009, to FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738. The application deadline is May 1, 2009. Headquartered in Washington, DC, FAR consists of more than 75 area Amateur Radio Clubs. FAR is devoted to promoting the interests of Amateur Radio and those scientific, literary and educational pursuits that advance the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service.
Son Charged with Murder of Florida Ham
Robert Farley, of Lakeland Florida, has been charged with first degree murder in the death of his father Walter Farley, K4QE, also of Lakeland. The Ledger, a newspaper in Farley's hometown, reported that authorities allege Robert killed his father New Year's Eve during an argument over family matters. Walter Farley was 93. Authorities said that on Saturday, January 3, Robert Farley confessed to the killing and led detectives to a lake where he had discarded the murder weapon; the weapon was recovered by dive team members later that afternoon. Walter Farley served in the US Army during World War II as a telephone and radio repairman. He fixed tape recorders for the blind and was involved with the local historical society. A member of the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club, Walter was active on local Nets.
ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up To Lately?
This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of December.
The K7RA Solar Update
2008 was a year of very low solar activity. More than 40 percent of this year's propagation bulletins reported zero sunspots for their respective weeks. The average daily sunspot number for the year was 4.7; in 2007, it was 12.8. The yearly averages of daily sunspot numbers for 1999-2008 were 136.3, 173, 170.3, 176.6, 109.2, 68.6, 48.9, 26.1, 12.8 and 4.7. Sunspot numbers for December 25-31 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux was 69.3, 69.2, 69.4, 69.8, 69.8, 68.5 and 69.3 with a mean of 69.3. The estimated planetary A indices were 3, 1, 1, 2, 0, 1 and 10 with a mean of 2.6. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 and 8 with a mean of 2.3.
Surfin': Check Out One Heck of a Mode
This week's Surfin' visits a Web site devoted to the Hellschreiber facsimile Amateur Radio mode.
The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler
A return to the vintage ham radio theme of December 2007 -- this time with an embedded sub-theme.
It Seems to Us: Triple Play!
To baseball fans, a triple play is that rare event — one that occurs just a few times a year — when the defensive team manages to get three outs on a single play. Pulling off a triple play usually requires a combination of perfect execution and good luck. In the telecommunications world, “triple play” is a marketing term denoting a company's ability to offer television, high-speed Internet access, and telephone service in a single package — that is, to offer customers three solutions in one.
ARRL Audio News: Dec 19, 2008; Vol 27 Number 50
ARRL Audio News--OPEN--In this edition . . .; Restrictive Local Zoning Ordinance Proposed as Court Date in California Antenna Case Nears; Hams Stand By to Help as New England Recovers From Ice Storm and Prepares for More; ARRL Audio News ID--Satellite Update--BREAK; 75th Sweepstakes Mug, Pin Orders Accepted Through January 31, 2009; ARISS Finalizes Plans for Silver Anniversary of Amateur Radio from Space; Frequency Change for Canadian Time Transmission Station CHU; ARRL Audio News--IN BRIEF/CLOSE
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