During the American solar eclipses of October 2023 and April 2024, hundreds of radio amateurs will take to the airwaves. Their goal is to help scientists investigate what happens to radio signals when the Moon blocks the Sun.
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ARISS Contact With Covenant Christian Academy, West Peabody, October 13, 2023
From ARISS.org:
October 9, 2023—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Covenant Christian Academy (CCA) in West Peabody, MA. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
CCA is a private school that serves over 430 students, Pre-K through12th grade. To prepare for this ARISS contact CCA integrated space-themed aspects into its STEM program and STEM-related activities. The physics and chemistry students hosted “Space Week” where they put together interactive displays on everything from the physics of black holes, Doppler shift, life on the ISS, to the chemistry of astronaut cuisine. STEM-related activities engaged students in their newly instituted Rocketry Club, Women in STEM Club, and a robotics lab. Amateur radio activities, such as learning about ham radio and radio communications, are being provided during after-school programs by members of area amateur radio clubs.
This ARISS contact will allow students to ask their questions of Astronaut Loral O’Hara, amateur radio call sign KI5TOM. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners within the ISS footprint that encompasses the amateur radio ground station in West Peabody, MA.
Amateur radio operators using call sign N1DQF will operate this radio station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for October 13, 2023 at 9:47 am EDT (MA) (13:47 UTC, 9:47 am EDT, 8:47 am CDT, 6:47 am PDT). The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://vimeo.com/event/3761617.
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What happens with all the trash on the ISS?
2. What is the best part and worst part about living in space?
3. Is the wifi and internet connection better in space?
4. How do you get your supplies delivered to the space station?
5. Do you play games in space? If so, how are they different from the games you play on earth?
6. What is your favorite workout to do for two hours each day to keep your muscles in shape?
7. What has been one of your hardest or scariest moments on the ISS?
8. How do you train your bodies to fall asleep on the ISS since your circadian rhythm can’t be regulated to the earth’s rotation on its axis?
9. Does time feel different on the ISS?
10. Is there any research that you are currently involved in? If so, how does it benefit the earth?
11. What is your favorite meal or snack to eat in outer space?
12. What types of jobs do you do while on the International Space Station?
13. How do you fix the solar panels on the space station?
14. Do you have any animals on the ISS right now? What are they?
15. What happens when someone gets sick on board the ISS?
16. When you come back to earth from space, do you feel the pressure of gravity, and if so, how much does this affect you?
17. What was the most challenging part of your training that prepared you to work on the International
Space Station?
18. What’s the most amazing thing you have seen from space?
19. Has living on the ISS changed any of your perspectives on life?
20. Is all the training, preparation, and hardship you endure to be an astronaut on the ISS worth it?
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers.
The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see http://www.ariss.org.
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
Find us on social media at:
X: ARISS_Intl
Facebook: facebook.com/ARISSIntl
Instagram: ariss_intl
Mastodon: ariss_intl@mastodon.hams.social
New England Sci-Tech Code Course, October 16, 2023

Solar Eclipse QSO Party, Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge to Coincide with Solar Eclipse, October 12, 2023
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:
- 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.
Rhode Island Simulated Emergency Test, 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.
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
STATION: ________________________
TIME: ______ ZULU
WIND: _______ @ _______
VISIBILITY: __________
SKY CONDITION: __________
TEMPERATURE: __________
DEWPOINT: ___________
ALTIMETER:__________
REMARKS: Density Altitude __________
ARRL Foundation Accepting Applications for Grants in October
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
NEAR-Fest, Deerfield NH, October 13-14, 2023
The 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/.
September 2023 Rhode Island Section News Now Available
The Rhode Island September 2023 Section Newsletter is now available at <https://ri-arrl.org/ri-section-august-newsletter-september-31-2023/>.
Maine Telegraph October 2023 Edition
The October 2023 issue of the Maine Telegraph is available for viewing.