Month: October 2023

Solar Eclipse QSO Party, Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge to Coincide with Solar Eclipse, October 12, 2023

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HamSCI Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science logo

 

Gary Mikitin, AF8A <gmikitinaf8a@gmail.com> writes on the HamSCI mailing list on October 7, 2023

Greetings, solar eclipse enthusiasts – Perhaps no reminders are needed, but just to be safe, here goes:  

 
The Solar Eclipse QSO Party and the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge will be held in ~1 week.  Both commence at 1200UTC on 14 October and continue for 12 hours, until 2200UTC.
 
Both rule pages (SEQP and GSSC) have been updated with log submission and entry details.  
  • An email address for bonus point file submissions has been added to both
  • The GSSC entry form, at the end of the rules page, is ready for post-contest use. 
  • The SEQP log submission robot will accept both Cabrillo and ADIF file types – which should be popular with FT4/8 operators
  • A Checklog entry category has been added to the SEQP.  Details below.
Annular Eclipse Saturday coincides with 4 popular state QSO parties (AZ, NV, SD and PA).  Some hams will choose to exclusively operate the state contests, and that’s fine.  If they are on the air, especially on CW or digital modes, their activity will add to the data collected by the automated receiving networks, a plus for HamSCI.  They may upload their AZ or NV or SD or PA logs as check logs using the SEQP robot and receive an SEQP participation certificate from HamSCI.
 
The SEQP log upload robot coding is almost complete – a link will be added to the SEQP rules just before the contest begins.
 
Questions?  Feel free to email them to the hamsci <at> hamsci <dot> org address.
 
73 de Gary, AF8A
HamSCI Amateur Radio Community Coordinator

Rhode Island Simulated Emergency Test, October 7-8, 2023

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ARES logoRhode Island ARES will participate in a Simulated Emergency Test and the “Communications Exercise 23-04 Airport Weather Report” conducted by the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) on October 7-8, 2023.

RI ARES members will attempt to receive local airport weather broadcasts in the VHF-AM Aviation Band from 119-136 MHz. A list of local airport weather frequencies will be provided. Members may elect to establish a temporary station at an advantageous position in order to improve their chances of receiving one or more airports.

Members who are able to receive these reports will transcribe the weather reports so that they may be reported to US Army MARS.

Members who are unable to receive airport weather reports are requested to report that fact, along with their location, in order to alert authorities to any airports that may not be operational or that may have degraded weather reporting capabilities.

ARES members will check in to local ARES nets to pass the weather reports to any MARS station on the Net, or to Net Control who will aggregate these into a book of messages that can be passed to US Army MARS stations. Members may also send these reports via WinLink at any time during the exercise period. Members may alternatively complete a google form with the information.

Amateurs are asked to listen to aviation stations:
 
1. KBID Block Island, RI AVIATION 134.775 
2. KPVD Warwick, RI AVIATION 124.2 
3. KSFZ Pawtucket, RI AVIATION 120.775 
4. KUUU Newport, RI AVIATION 132.075 
5. KWST Westerly, RI AVIATION 132.375 
6. KOQU N. Kingstown, RI AVIATION 118.6 
 
and report the following information:
 
Reception Location: ________________________________________
STATION: ________________________
TIME: ______ ZULU
WIND: _______ @ _______
VISIBILITY: __________
SKY CONDITION: __________
TEMPERATURE: __________
DEWPOINT: ___________
ALTIMETER:__________
REMARKS: Density Altitude __________
 
For more information, contact RI Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator Jeremy Taylor, K1JST, at <k1jst@riares.org>.

ARRL Foundation Accepting Applications for Grants in October

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From ARRL News:

10/04/2023—The ARRL Foundation is now accepting grant applications from amateur radio organizations for eligible amateur radio-related projects and initiatives, particularly those focused on educating, licensing, and supporting amateur radio activities. To grow amateur radio’s future, youth-based projects and initiatives are especially encouraged. The ARRL Foundation grants program accepts proposals on a cyclical model three times a year: in February, June, and October. Proposals for the June grant period are accepted through October 31. Awardees will be notified approximately 1 month after the closing of each cycle.

The ARRL Foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Foundation carefully manages a portfolio of endowments where donors have provided specific goals for their gifts, and that portfolio is invested and managed in a way that it can continue to support those goals for many years to come.

Additional information and a link to the grant application can be found at http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-grants

Russian ARISS Team to Transmit SSTV, October 3-5, 2023

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From ARISS:
 
From October 3-5, 2023, the Russian team will do a test of   some replacement components for the transmission of SSTV from the ISS–note, this is not a fully operational system yet. Some  SSTV images will be downlinked from the ISS on 145.800 MHz.
 
A full set of images is not expected as with previous sessions. This is  not an ARISS SSTV event, but posting your images to https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/  and giving SWL  reports will help to evaluate the test and are very welcome!
 
No ARISS SSTV awards will be given. A window may open at 1400 UTC  but start time for images is unclear.

NEAR-Fest, Deerfield NH, October 13-14, 2023

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NEAR-Fest logoThe New England Amateur Radio Festival (NEAR-Fest) will be held Friday October 13 and Saturday, October 14 at the Deerfield, New Hampshire, Fairgrounds. Besides the flea market, we will have a full slate of forums during the day on Friday. While we encourage everyone to attend the show, the forums will also be available to view on-line for those who cannot be present. The schedule (subject to change) can be viewed at: http://hamclass.net/nearf23.html. Details for viewing on line will appear the day before.

Further details on NEAR-Fest can be found at: https://near-fest.com/.

Emergency Alert System Test Message, October 4, 2023

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EAS logoAnyone with a cellphone in the United States will hear an alarm go off on their device on October 4. 

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), at approximately 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time, a national test will be conducted of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts.

The message on all consumer phones will read “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

Those whose device is set to Spanish will receive a message that says “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

FEMA says the purpose of the test “is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.

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