Aroostook Amateur Radio Association

ICOM to Support Boy Scouts at National Jamboree and at Local Council Level

k1fs — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Against the backdrop of the 2012 Dayton Hamvention® -- the largest gathering of radio amateurs in the US -- ICOM America announced a sponsorship agreement with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for the organization’s 2013 National Scout Jamboree. As the BSA’s official Amateur Radio transceiver supplier for the jamboree, ICOM will provide equipment and technical support for the K2BSA radio operati...

The K7RA Solar Update

k1fs — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:20:00 +0000

The average daily sunspot numbers for the past week rose nearly 25 points, or about 27 percent, to 117.3. The big day was Monday, May 14 when the daily sunspot number jumped to 156. This was the day after four new sunspot groups, numbered 1481 through 1484 arrived. Sunspot numbers for May 10-16 were 93, 102, 85, 138, 156, 125 and 122, with a mean of 117.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 130.7, 136.4, 129...

Enter the Seventh Annual ARRL Photo Contest!

k1fs — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:12:00 +0000

Have you ever wanted to see a photo of yours in QST, the annual ARRL Amateur Radio Calendar or another ARRL publication? Well, here’s your chance! If you’re among the winners, not only will your photographic skill be propagated far and wide, but we’re offering $100 as the First Prize. The winning photo and three runners-up will be published in QST. All submitted photos will also be considered f...

Surfin’: Old Magazines and More Ducks

k1fs — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:13:00 +0000

By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor

This week, Surfin’ tries to unclutter the house and learns about more open source software.

Old Magazines Fill My House

I have copies of every issue of QST going back to the mid-1960s, when I first became interested in ham radio. In addition to QST, I also have mass quantities of QEX, NCJ, CQ, Ham Radio, 73, Popular Communications and numerous other radio...

CQ Announces 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees

k1fs — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

CQ magazine announced its 2012 Hall of Fame inductees on May 18, welcoming 16 new members into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, three new members of the CQ DX Hall of Fame and two new members of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame.

The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors those individuals, whether licensed hams or not, who have made significant contributions to Amateur Radio, as well as those amateur...

Amateurs Asked to Listen for HORYU-2 Satellite

k1fs — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Japanese HORYU-2 research satellite was launched May 17 at 1639 UTC as part of a mission that included the JAXA climate observation satellite Shizuku.

HORYU-2 was built by students at the Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) and it carries the call sign JG6YBW. The satellite will conduct a variety of experiments including high-voltage power generation and space debris measurements.

Amateurs h...

New "PRB-1" Law Now in Effect in Ohio

k1fs — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:49:00 +0000

On May 15, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed a bill into law granting comprehensive rights to Amateur Radio operators in that state. Several key players in the successful effort to enact a “PRB-1” law in Ohio were present for the signing, including Section Manager Frank J. Piper, KI8GW; Rick Swain, KK8O; Bill Carpenter, AA8EY; Steve Katz, N8WL, and Constance Barsky, WD8ODC. ARRL Great Lakes Div...

Former ARRL Vice Director Jim Mozley, W2BCH, SK

k1fs — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:17:00 +0000

James M. Mozley, W2BCH, who served as Vice Director of the ARRL Atlantic Division from 1986-89, died May 13 at age 89 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Syracuse, New York. A long-time resident of Camillus, New York, Jim was active in the ARRL Western New York Section as an Assistant Section Manager and as an Official Emergency Station. He also served as an Official Observer from 1991 ...

ARRL Responds to FCC Request for Comments on Impediments to Amateur Radio Communications

k1fs — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:03:00 +0000

On Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the ARRL filed comments in response to the FCC’s Public Notice seeking comments on Emergency Communications by Amateur Radio and impediments to Amateur Radio communications. Known as Docket 12-91, the Commission is soliciting comments from the public as it writes the report they were directed to present to Congress as part of Public Law No. 112-96.

At the direction of...

The Amateur Amateur: Standoffish

k1fs — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:23:00 +0000

By Gary Hoffman, KB0H
Contributing Editor

It was a matter of getting more metal into the air. That’s what started it all. I had hundreds of great ideas -- perhaps a dozen that I might actually be able to do -- but only three of four transceivers with which to do any of it. The real limitation, however, was that I only had two antennas up, and only one of those could see over the hill to my south....