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ARRL News
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[l] at 6/2/20 12:58pm

Three incumbent ARRL Section Managers were returned to office, while one challenger outpolled an incumbent Section Manager (SM) in contested elections this spring. Section Manager ballots were counted on Monday, June 1, at ARRL Headquarters. Three other incumbent Section Managers were unopposed and will continue with new terms of office, while one candidate was declared elected as the only nomi...

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[l] at 6/2/20 10:48am

The Frankford Radio Club Scholarship will join the growing list of scholarships administered by the ARRL Foundation. The Frankford Radio Club (FRC) is a very active contesting club centered in Alburtis, Pennsylvania, dedicated to increasing operating skill and technical expertise through radiosport. The club’s motto is “Proficiency Through Competition.”

The scholarship will be $1,500, with the f...

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[l] at 6/2/20 10:45am

Along with many other ham radio events, SEA-PAC 2020, which was to host the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention, fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. Standing in for this year’s live event will be the SEA-PAC QSO Party on Saturday, June 6, starting at 1600 UTC and continuing until June 7 at 0400 UTC.

“We may not be able to be with our 2,000+ fellow amateur radio friends this year on this day...

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[l] at 6/1/20 1:06pm

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, has appointed Dan Grady, N2SRK, of Aurora, Colorado, as the new Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director. Grady will succeed Robert Wareham, N0ESQ, who has stepped down from that post to accept appointment as Colorado Section Manager (SM), taking the reins from SM Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, who resigned effective on June 1 to relocate.

“I am delighted to welcome Dan to ...

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[l] at 6/1/20 12:55pm

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, and Doug Hurley, are settling in on board the International Space Station (ISS) after arriving aboard the first commercially built and operated US spacecraft to transport humans into orbit. Behnken and Hurley headed into space on Saturday, May 30, in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, powered by a Falcon 9 launcher from Cape Kennedy. They docked at the ISS Harm...

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[l] at 5/30/20 2:30pm

A radio amateur is one of two NASA astronauts headed to the International Space Station (ISS) following a May 30 launch of a SpaceX rocket that marked the return of human spaceflight to US soil for the first time in almost a decade. The Saturday launch from Cape Kennedy also marked the first time humans traveled aloft via a commercial spacecraft.

Astronauts Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, and Doug Hurley h...

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[l] at 5/30/20 9:49am
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[l] at 5/29/20 11:33am

Listen to the new episode of ARRL Audio News on your iOS or Android podcast app, or online at http://www.blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/. Audio News is also retransmitted on a number of FM repeaters. Click here and then scroll down to see the list.

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[l] at 5/29/20 9:44am

A recent in-person “social-distancing” amateur radio exam session in Indiana and a “drive-in” session in California are representative of those that are relieving some of the pent-up demand for testing. As the COVID-19 pandemic lumbers on, in-person exam sessions have begun to resume across the US and elsewhere in the world.

“With in-person sessions starting up again around the country, we are h...

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[l] at 5/29/20 7:34am

No significant solar activity over the past week, and still no sunspots observed since the end of April. According to Spaceweather.com, the percentage of spotless days in 2020 has inched up another notch to 79%.   The percentage of days showing no sunspots for all of 2019 was 77%.

Average daily solar flux for last week was 69.6, up from 69 during the previous week. Average mid-latitude A index wa...

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[l] at 5/28/20 3:19pm

ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director Robert Wareham, N0ESQ, has stepped down from that post to accept appointment as Colorado Section Manager. Wareham would succeed veteran Colorado SM Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, who resigned effective on June 1 after serving since 2011.

“Jack will be moving to the East Coast to be closer to family, and I wish him only the best as he transitions to this next phase...

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[l] at 5/28/20 1:33pm
No more information available.
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[l] at 5/28/20 1:24pm
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[l] at 5/27/20 2:43pm

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, and Doug Hurley will have to wait a few more days to see if the can make US space history, as human spaceflight is poised to return to the US for the first time in almost a decade. SpaceX and NASA scrubbed the launch, which was set for 1833 UTC on May 27. It has been reset for Saturday, May 30, at 1922 UTC.

“Standing down from launch today due to unfavorable ...

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[l] at 5/27/20 1:19pm

If all goes according to plan, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, and Doug Hurley will make US space history today [May 27], as human spaceflight returns to the US for the first time in almost a decade. Behnken and Hurley will be on board a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the “test flight” powered by a Falcon 9 launch vehicle, headed to the International Space Station (ISS).“We are go for launch...

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[l] at 5/27/20 11:09am
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[l] at 5/27/20 11:05am

A new beta (“release candidate”), WSJT-X version 2.2.0-rc2, is now available for downloading from the WSJT-X website, along with a list of new features. The WSJT-X development team has also published additional FT8 “overflow” frequencies. The WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc2 Release Notes explain:

“Increasing FT8 usage on 40, 30, and 20 meters means that the default 3 kHz subbands are often wall-to-wall with si...

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[l] at 5/22/20 12:39pm

Listen to the new episode of ARRL Audio News on your iOS or Android podcast app, or online at http://www.blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/. Audio News is also retransmitted on a number of FM repeaters. Click here and then scroll down to see the list.

 

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[l] at 5/22/20 9:33am

Nominations are being invited in five ARRL Divisions for the volunteer positions of Director and Vice Director, for 3-year terms that start January 1, 2021. Affected Divisions are Atlantic, Dakota, Delta, Great Lakes, and Midwest. A nominee must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid amateur radio licensee, and have been a full ARRL member for a continuous term of at least 4 years immediately p...

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[l] at 5/22/20 9:27am

The nearly 46-year-old AO-7 amateur satellite made a remarkable contact possible on May 4 between Diego Feil, LW2DAF, in Buenos Aires, Argentina (GF05rk), and Tom Ambrose, ZS1TA, in Cape Town, South Africa (JF95fx). The contact spanned 4,329 miles across the South Atlantic, with both stations aiming at only 2 or 3 degrees above the horizon.

Both stations had been watching orbital predictions for...

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[l] at 5/22/20 9:24am

A US federal judge in Virginia has given permission to retrieve the ill-fated RMS Titanic’s Marconi wireless gear, which transmitted distress calls from the sinking ocean liner during its maiden voyage. Judge Rebecca Beach Smith of the US District Court in Norfolk ruled that the radio gear is historically and culturally important and could soon be lost within the rapidly decaying wreck. The Tit...

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[l] at 5/22/20 5:45am

Still no sunspots to report. Spaceweather.com reported on May 20 that the current stretch of days with no sunspots has now reached 18. And with that the 2020 percentage of days with no sunspots has risen to 77%, equal to 2019. Until May 15 that statistic stood at 76%.

Average daily solar flux for the week rose to 69, marginally higher than last week’s average of 68.5. Average planetary A index d...

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[l] at 5/21/20 8:22am

Judging by the outcome of two tests so far, the new Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio concept appears to be a winner. ARISS completed the second test of the new-style radio contact called Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio on May 15, when Airdrie Space Science Club members in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada, interviewe...

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[l] at 5/21/20 7:24am

Peter Kobak, K0BAK’s, article “Canadian NPOTA Maritimes Rove” detailed his adventures while operating in several parks in the Canadian Maritime provinces.

QST Cover Plaque Awards are given to the author or authors of the most popular article in each issue. You choose the winners by casting your vote online at www.arrl.org/cover-plaque-poll. Log in now and pick your favorite article in the June i...

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[l] at 5/21/20 5:35am

CQ has announced the 2020 inductees to its three halls of fame. The magazine named three new members to its Contest Hall of Fame, seven new members to its Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, and two new members to its DX Hall of Fame.

CQ Contest Hall of Fame

Geoffrey Howard, W0CG/PJ2DX. In 2000, Howard purchased and restored the former PJ9JT contest station owned by CQ Contest Hall of Famer John Thompso...

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[l] at 5/20/20 1:36pm

Islands On The Air (IOTA) users may now obtain contact credits via ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW). A similar arrangement is already in place with Club Log.

“Islands On The Air (IOTA) Ltd. is delighted to announce the implementation of the ARRL application which allows the use of QSO-matching via LoTW,” IOTA’s Roger Balister, G3KMA, said. “We wish to thank ARRL for having made their applicat...

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[l] at 5/19/20 8:11am

ARRL is inviting applications to fill the position of Awards and Programs Assistant at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. This is a full-time, non-exempt opening in the Radiosport and Field Services Department. The pay range is from $16.08 to 19.30 per hour.

The Awards and Programs Assistant will help with all Radiosport and Field Services Department activities, with an initial priorit...

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[l] at 5/18/20 5:18pm

ARRL is seeking an experienced radio amateur to be Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at its headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. The CEO is the top compensated employee in ARRL’s management structure and oversees all operations in collaboration with the President and the Board of Directors, in accordance with ARRL’s Articles of Association, Bylaws, and Board policies. The successful candidate wi...

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[l] at 5/15/20 10:39am

Listen to the new episode of ARRL Audio News on your iOS or Android podcast app, or online at http://www.blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/. Audio News is also retransmitted on a number of FM repeaters. Click here and then scroll down to see the list.

 

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[l] at 5/15/20 7:29am

No sunspots appeared last week. The previous seven days had only one big sunspot group on one day, with a sunspot number of 35. Over the seven-day period this averaged out to a sunspot number of 5, so average daily sunspot numbers declined from 5 to 0 this week.

Average daily solar flux also declined, by one point from 69.5 to 68.5.

Geomagnetic indicators were quiet, with average daily planetary ...

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[l] at 5/14/20 4:30pm

For most of us, ARRL Field Day 2020 is going to look quite different than it did in past years. Considering the impact of social distancing due to the pandemic, many radio clubs and large groups will not gather in their usual Field Day locations this year. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a Field Day first-timer, there are many questions about how to participate in amateur radio’s largest ...

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[l] at 5/14/20 1:24pm

For the first time in its 68-year history, Dayton Hamvention® will not take place, due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. ARRL understands that many members will miss going to Hamvention, which is always an occasion to catch up with friends, explore new products, and connect with ARRL via our Expo in the exhibit area. While we can’t be together in Dayton in 2020, ARRL has put together ...

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[l] at 5/14/20 9:30am
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[l] at 5/14/20 8:01am

The ARRL Board of Directors recently voted to create a special Life Membership opportunity for individuals who are at least 70 years old. Starting on June 1, the Life 70+ Membership will be available to individuals who have turned 70 and have a combined 25 years of paid annual ARRL membership.

Life 70+ Members receive all benefits of an annual membership, including their choice of print magazine...

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[l] at 5/14/20 7:49am

Extended-range forecasts for the 2020 Atlantic Basin hurricane season anticipate above-normal activity, although a low-pressure system now off the coast of Florida could get a jump on things and develop into a subtropical depression or storm this weekend. The Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t start until June 1 and extends until November 30. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) 2020 outlook call...

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[l] at 5/14/20 7:49am

The latest episode of the   On the Air   podcast (Episode 5) focuses on the various types of modulation and tips on go kits. The   On the Air   podcast is a monthly companion to On the Air magazine, ARRL's magazine for beginner-to-intermediate ham radio operators.

Click here to listen online, or use the podcast app in our iOS or Android device.

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[l] at 5/13/20 1:48pm

ARRL has filed a Petition for Clarification addressing two issues arising from amended FCC RF safety rules that go into effect on June 1 for the Amateur Service and other FCC-regulated services. Licensees will have 2 years to determine if an RF safety evaluation is now required under the new rules and to perform an evaluation and implement any needed mitigation measures. Current rules already r...

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[l] at 5/13/20 1:10pm

A new beta version of the WSJT-X software suite has been released that includes the first updates to the popular FT8 and FT4 protocols since last fall. Co-Developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, said the “candidate release” WSJT-X version 2.2.0-rcl represents significant program upgrades to FT8, FT4, and other protocols. The beta version will be valid for a month.

“This candidate release is your first chanc...

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[l] at 5/13/20 8:53am

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is hoping to refine its new “multipoint telebridge” system for handling scheduled ham radio contacts between International Space Station crew members and schools or organizations on Earth. On May 15, it will conduct the second test of its new protocol in a contact with students in South Africa. The pandemic eliminated all conventional opp...

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[l] at 5/12/20 8:51am

Two new Chinese amateur radio satellites are expected to launch on September 15. CAS-7A and CAS-7C follow in the wake of numerous amateur radio satellites put into space by CAMSAT. CAS-7A, a 27 kilogram microsat, will carry several transponders, including a 15-meter-to-10-meter (H/t) linear transponder, and a 2-meter-to-70-centimeter (H/u) linear transponder. CAS-7A also will include a V/u (2 m...

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[l] at 5/12/20 8:39am
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[l] at 5/12/20 8:21am

Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez has declared May 12 Amateur Radio Day in Puerto Rico. Vazquez took special note of amateur radio’s role in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, pointing out hams’ ability to help various agencies responding to the emergency and the general public after all telecommunications on the island went down. She also noted that in January, hams promptly ...

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[l] at 5/11/20 1:00pm

With some states starting to relax restrictions on events and activities, the Grant County, Oregon, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®) held an in-person exam session on April 26 in the town of John Day that adhered to social distancing recommendations. Exam organizers held the gathering to within Oregon’s 10-person limit for gatherings, keeping everyone 6 feet apart and requiring all parti...

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[l] at 5/8/20 3:46pm
No more information available.
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[l] at 5/8/20 3:38pm

Listen to the new episode of ARRL Audio News on your iOS or Android podcast app, or online at http://www.blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/. Audio News is also retransmitted on a number of FM repeaters. Click here and then scroll down to see the list.

 

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[l] at 5/8/20 8:10am
No more information available.
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[l] at 5/8/20 4:08am

We haven’t seen a sunspot since Thursday, April 30 when the daily sunspot number was 35. This is a relatively high sunspot number based on recent activity, although not historically. In fact, the daily sunspot number has not been as high since March 21, 2019 when it was 49, and prior to that we need to look back further to the previous year, when the daily sunspot number was 41 on June 22, 2018...

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[l] at 5/7/20 11:57am

International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU R2) virtual emergency communication workshops got under way on April 29, when the first of the programs in English and Spanish, “What is Winlink and its Importance during Emergency Communications,” was presented in Spanish. Workshop presenter Alfonso Tamez, XE2O, of the Mexican Federation of Radio Amateurs, offered insights into the usefulness an...

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[l] at 5/7/20 7:50am

Guatemala’s first satellite, a CubeSat called Quetzal-1, was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on April 28. Its primary mission is to test a sensor for remote data acquisition for natural resource management, which could be used to monitor water quality in inland water bodies.

The satellite is part of the Japanese Kibo CubeSat program, a product of the cooperation between, amon...

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[l] at 5/7/20 6:00am

The May/June digital edition of ARRL’s On the Air magazine is now available. Read it and other ARRL digital publications by browsing to the ARRL Magazines page. In this issue:

  • Tips for better repeater operating

  • Understanding modulation

  • Go-kit basics

  • Building a portable antenna mount

  • Shopping for a mobile radio

…and much more!

You can also read the issue on your Apple, Android, or Kindle device by ...

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[l] at 5/7/20 4:18am

An update of the popular MMSSTV slow-scan television (SSTV) software is now available. Eugenio Fernández, EA1ADA, has introduced YONIQ, which he calls a modern version of MMSSTV. “We are excited to finally be able to offer the entire radio community the revamped MMSSTV with the nickname YONIQ also in English,” he said. YONIQ is available in English and Spanish. The software offers several impro...

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[l] at 5/5/20 5:49pm
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[l] at 5/4/20 5:11pm
No more information available.
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[l] at 5/4/20 5:07pm

Ham-Com will not take place in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “While we have held out hope that this year we would be able to host Ham-Com 2020 as a light at the end of the long tunnel of the COVID-19 virus, it is with great sadness that we must inform all that we are canceling Ham-Com 2020, with the event postponed until June 17, 18, and 19, 2021,” Ham-Com Board of Directors President Bil...

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[l] at 5/4/20 5:07pm

AMSAT is soliciting candidate nominations for the 2020 Board of Directors Election set for later this year, to fill the seats of three incumbent Directors whose 2-year terms expire in 2020: Tom Clark, K3IO; Mark Hammond, N8MH, and Bruce Paige, KK5DO. AMSAT members may further elect up to two Alternate Directors for 1-year terms. Valid Director nominations must be in writing and require either o...

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[l] at 5/3/20 2:06pm

The FCC has clarified that nothing in its rules prohibits remote amateur radio testing, and no prior approval is needed to conduct remote exam sessions.

“The Commission provides flexibility to volunteer examiners and coordinators who wish to develop remote testing methods or to increase remote testing programs already in place,” the FCC said in an April 30 news release. “We recognize that some ...

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[l] at 5/1/20 1:43pm

Listen to the new episode of ARRL Audio News on your iOS or Android podcast app, or online at http://www.blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/. Audio News is also retransmitted on a number of FM repeaters. Click here and then scroll down to see the list.

 

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[l] at 5/1/20 10:13am

In anticipation of its upcoming move, the FCC has adopted a new FCC seal. The redesigned seal is the product of an agency-wide contest that solicited proposals from employees and contractors. The winning design, submitted by Umasankar Arumugam, was selected by a vote of the agency’s employees and contractors.

The revised design incorporates several elements: communications technologies currently...

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[l] at 5/1/20 10:10am

The amateur radio linear transponder (SSB/CW) on the Russian DOSAAF-85 (RS-44) has been activated. Dmitry Pashkov, R4UAB, explains that RS-85 is a small scientific satellite built by specialists at Information Satellite Systems and students at Siberian State Aerospace University (SibSAU).

The satellite’s name commemorates the 85th anniversary of the Voluntary Society for the Assistance to the Ar...

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[l] at 5/1/20 9:31am

A fixture on 160 meters, Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ, of Christiansted, Virgin Islands, died on April 29. An ARRL member, he was 84. Licensed in 1954 as W0VXO, Schoenbohm became KV4FZ after relocating to the US Virgin Islands in 1968 to further his career as a sales representative for broadcast equipment manufacturers on the international market, primarily in Latin America.

A regular participant in ...

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[l] at 5/1/20 6:08am

There were several sunspot appearances this week. Sunspot numbers on April 25-29 were 11, 14, 12, 0 and 24, giving a weekly average of 8.7. Average daily solar flux changed from 69 to 69.2.

Geomagnetic activity remains quiet, with average daily planetary A index declining from 7.3 to 5.6.

On Thursday, new sunspot activity continued, with the daily sunspot number for April 30 at 35, and the total ...

As of 6/3/20 9:19am. Last new 6/2/20 6:51pm.

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