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Radio Club de Chile Active after Earthquake (Mar 1, 2010) -- Earlier today, IARU Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH, spoke via telephone with Radio Club de Chile (RCCH) President Dr Galdino Besomi, CE3PG. “He informed me that soon after the earthquake, an Emergency Net was activated in the whole country-- first on VHF and then on HF. All the RCCH Board and club members are actively working in close coordination with civil and military authorities,” Leandro posted to the IARU Region 2 e-mail reflector. “Three days after the earthquake, the requests for news about people in the affected areas is one of the main activities occupying the Chilean radio amateurs.” Link to this item

Hawaii Hams Spurred to Action by Chilean Earthquake (Mar 1, 2010) -- On Saturday, February 27, 60 Amateur Radio operators participated in a tsunami radio net that operated throughout the island State of Hawaii. More than 25 real-time reports from observers around the state were relayed simultaneously to the State Emergency Operating Center (EOC) and the four county EOCs, providing timely information via Amateur Radio on sea level changes to emergency management officials. Full Story

TAPR President Emeritus Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ (SK) (Mar 1, 2010) -- Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ -- President Emeritus of Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) -- passed away Friday, February 26after a long battle with cancer. He was 55. A resident of Spencerville, Ohio, Toth served as a Director and Executive Vice President of TAPR in the 1980s and was elected President of the organization in September 2005. With his advancing illness, he decided not to stand for re-election last October and was instead named President Emeritus with Steve Bible, N7HPR, taking the reins as TAPR President. Full Story

Feature: ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up to Lately? (Mar 1, 2010) -- 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 February. Full Story

Paul Christensen, W9AC, Wins February QST Cover Plaque Award (Mar 1, 2010) -- The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for February is Paul Christensen, W9AC, for his article "An SWR Null Meter." Congratulations, Paul! 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 March issue by Wednesday, March 31. Link to this item

Feature: It Seems to Us: Emergency Preparedness and the FCC Rules (Mar 1, 2010) -- Meeting January 15-16 in the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti, the members of the ARRL Board of Directors had emergency communications very much on their minds. Full Story

FCC Denies ARRL's Request for Declaratory Ruling (Feb 28, 2010) -- In 2005, after the State of Florida adopted statutes aimed at pirate broadcasters and making it a felony to make a radio transmission without Commission authorization or to interfere with a licensed public or commercial radio station, the ARRL -- through General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD -- filed a Request for Declaratory Ruling (Request) with the FCC, seeking a declaratory ruling on portions of that statute. The ARRL argued that the Statute was written so broadly that one could infer that Commission-licensed Amateur Radio stations in Florida would be subject to felony prosecution if their transmissions interfered with broadcast or other radio receivers. In 2006, New Jersey adopted a similar statute and the ARRL's Request was modified to include that state. Five years and one day after the original Request was filed with the Commission, the FCC denied the Request. Full Story

IARU Region 2 and Radio Club de Chile Request Amateurs to Keep Emergency Frequencies Clear (Feb 27, 2010) -- A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile today at 0634 UTC, triggering a potential tsunami. IARU Region 2 and the Red Chilena Nor Austral de Servicio (RECNA) have suggested Amateur Radio operators monitor the following emergency communications frequencies for traffic pertaining to the earthquake and tsunami: 3.738, 3.750, 7.050, 7.100, 14.200, 14.350, 21.200, 21.350, 28.300 and 28.500 MHz. IARU Region 2 Area Emergency Coordinator Jorge Sierra, LU1AS, reports that there is now traffic at frequencies of 40 meters from people seeking information from people in Chile: “We would appreciate if amateurs would leave free the frequencies used by RECNA, as well as the usual IARU Region 2 frequencies on in 20, 40, and 80 meters.” In addition to the above frequencies, you may also want to listen to the worldwide emergency communication Center of Activity frequencies: 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz. Other suggested monitoring frequencies are 3.720, 7.045 and 7.060 MHz. Hawaiian Amateur Radio operators on the lookout for a possible tsunami are monitoring 7.088 and 3.888 MHz.  -- Thanks to Radio Club de Chile’s (RCC) Emergency Coordinator Aldo Oppici, CE3WAD, and W2VU, KI6SN, K3ZO, PY2ZX, PY5YA and El Grupo Argentino de Radiotelegrafia for the information. Link to this item

The K7RA Solar Update (Feb 26, 2010) -- Two new sunspot groups -- 1050 and 1051 -- appeared on February 23 and 24. We've now seen 38 continuous days with sunspots (including today); the last time there were no sunspots for two or more days in a row was back on November 23-December 8 when we saw 16 days with no sunspots. If sunspots continue through Sunday (they will!), February will be the first calendar month since January 2007 with sunspots every day. Sunspot numbers for February 18-24 were 17, 23, 19, 17, 14, 31 and 40, with a mean of 23. The 10.7 cm flux was 85, 83.7, 83.8, 83.5, 83.7, 84.2 and 82.6, with a mean of 83.8. The estimated planetary A indices were 4, 3, 1, 1, 4, 2 and 3, with a mean of 2.6. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 3, 0, 3, 3, 2 and 2, with a mean of 2.1. Full Story

Feature: Surfin': Hamming Your Way to Fame (Feb 26, 2010) -- This week, Surfin' visits museums and the halls of fame of the baseball and ham radio variety. Full Story

FCC Allows Robotic Device in Amateur Band (Feb 25, 2010) -- In January 2008, a company called ReconRobotics filed a request with the FCC for a waiver of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules with respect to the Recon Scout -- a remote-controlled, maneuverable surveillance robot designed for use in areas that may be too hazardous for human entry. A waiver is required to permit licensing of the Recon Scout because the device operates in the 430-448 MHz band, which is allocated to the Federal Government Radiolocation service on a primary basis, as well as the Amateur Radio Service and certain non-federal radiolocation systems on a secondary basis. More than two years later, the FCC granted the waiver request in the form of an Order (WP Docket No 08-63), subject to certain conditions. Full Story

ARRL Continuing Education Online Course Registration (Feb 24, 2010) -- Registration remains open through Sunday, March 21, 2010, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, April 2, 2010: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation; Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics. Full Story

Launch of New ARRL Web Site Delayed to "Get it Right" (Feb 24, 2010) -- After meeting with ARRL staff on February 23 -- two days before the new ARRL Web site was to launch -- ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, made the decision to delay the unveiling of the Web site until late March. "Work on the new ARRL Web site has progressed at a frantic pace but there are still some potential 'bugs' that could affect members. We need to be sure we get it right," Kramer said. "Our members' security, information and ability to actually use of all the options on the new site outweigh any rush to meet an artificial deadline. It's just good customer service." Full Story

Feature: ARDF Update: Foxes, Fitness and Fun in 2010 (Feb 24, 2010) -- There are radio transmitters to find and medals to be won at ARDF events around the nation and the world. Make this your year to get involved! Full Story

ARRL DX Phone Contest Brings DX in Full Force to the HF Bands! (Feb 24, 2010) -- With the 2010 ARRL International DX CW Contest now history, the first weekend in March brings the next round of competition: the 2010 ARRL International DX Phone Contest. Like its CW predecessor, this event focuses on DX stations working all US states and Canadian provinces, while US and Canadian amateurs try to work as many DX countries as possible over the 48 hour contest period. Full Story