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EchoLink connection to your PC via the optional PG-5H cable kit is easy with no expensive interface needed. Large dual color amber or green thirteen segment LCD. EchoLink®is a registered trademark of Synergenics, LLC. For more information please see: www.echolink.org. Customer Support:(310) 639-4200 Fax: (310) 537-8235 Scan with your phone to ADS#01415 download TM-V71A Brochure. For the Way You Operate... FLEX-6000 Series with Maestro “The FLEX-6000 Series, in combination with Maestro, is simply the best contest radio. It is simple to setup and operate with minimal cables and no interface boxes required for any coniguration. I can go from SO, M/2 to SO2R in just a couple of minutes. The Maestro is the perfect, easy to use, interface to the radio. Every K9CT operator states that the audio quality is excellent and less fatiguing. And it provides great ergonomics.” - Craig Thompson, K9CT For complete features, speciications and availability call 512-535-4713 or visit our website. FlexRadio SystemsÆ www.lexradio.com/maestro Software Defined Radios s JULY EDITORIAL STAFF t HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA — The Harrisburg Radio Amateurs Clubwill hold its 44thAnnual Richard S. Moseson, W2VU, Editor Firecracker Electronics Expo and Hamfestand 2016 ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention n Saturday, July 2 at the Harrisburg Area Community College, Fire Training Grounds. Contact: Tim Lehman, Jason Feldman, KD2IWM, Associate Editor KB3OZA, P.O. Box 453, Hummelstown, PA 17036. Phone: (717) 461-3398. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: Susan Moseson, Editorial Consultant <http://www.w3uu.org>. Talk-in 146.16+ (PL 100). DXCC/WAS card checking, special event station. e PLAINS, PENNSYLVANIA — The Murgas Amateur Radio Clubwill hold the 37thAnnual Wilkes-Barre CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Hamfest and ComputerfestSunday, July 3 at the Polish American Veterans. Contact: Herb, K2LNS, (570) Kent Britain, WA5VJB, Antennas 829-2695. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.murgasarc.org>. Talk-in 146.610- (PL Gerry L. Dexter,The Listening Post m 82.W5)A. VSEH IeNxGaTmOs.N, PENNSYLVNIA — The Washington Amateur Communicatorswill air special event sta- Joe Eisenberg, KØNEB, Kit-Building tion W3RSunday, July 3 through Friday, July 15 in honor of the Whiskey Rebellion. QSL to: WA3COM, 1645 Tony Emanuele, WA8RJF, VHF N. Main Street, Washington, PA 15301. Phone: (724) 228-2480. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: Tomas Hood, NW7US,Propagation <http://www.wacomarc.org>. Dennis Lazar, W4DNN, QRP e BEACH GROVE, INDIANA — The Indianapolis Hamfest Associationwill hold the 46thAnnual Indianapolis HamfestFriday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9 at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Contact: Irwin Math, WA2NDM,Math’s Notes Indianapolis Hamfest, P.O. Box 1672, Noblesville, IN 46061. Phone: (317) 829-6868. Website: Ted Melinosky, K1BV,Awards c <htMtpI:L//TwOwNw,. FinLdOyhRaImDAfe —st. cTohme >M. iTltaolnk- Ainm 1a4t6e.u7r6 R-. aVdEio e Cxalumbsw ailnl dh oDldX tChCe 2c1asrdtA cnhnecukailn Ag.RRL Northern Florida RJooen MOocehlul,, KKØOOØVZ,,HLoemarinnign gIn Curve Section Convention HamfestFriday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9 at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium. Contact: Ken Dunn, (850) 994-5726 or (850) 390-1665 (24/7). Email: <[email protected]>. Website: Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, Mobile/Radio Magic n <http://www.miltonarc.org>. VE exams. Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, Digital SANDY, UTAH — Utah Amateur Radio Events, Inc. will hold The Great Salt Lake Hamfestand 2016 Rob de Santos, K8RKD,Communications Horizons ARRL Utah State ConventionFriday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9 at the Salt Lake Community College Larry Cory GBSickles, WA3UVV, u H. Miller Campus. Contact: Utah Amateur Radio Events, 1493 Arapahoe Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84109. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.gslhamfest.org>. VE exams and special event station. Emergency Communications, Off the Air DUNSEITH, NORTH DAKOTA & BOISSEVAIN, MANITOBA — The 53rdInternational Hamfestwill be Bob Schenck, N2OO, DX o held Saturday, July 9 at the International Peace Garden. Contact: Richard Holder, VE4QK, P.O. Box 1011, David Siddall, K3ZJ, Contesting Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0 Canada. Phone: (204) 268-1702. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: Tom Smerk, AA6TS, International <http://www.mts.net/~holderr/ihf.htm>. Talk-in 146.52 or 146.85-. VE and Canadian exams. ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA — The Wattsburg Wireless Associationwill hold the 15thAnnual NW PA Dan Srebnick, K2DLS,RFBits n HamfestSaturday, July 9 at the Greene Township Municipal Building. Contact: NW PA Hamfest, 9333 Tate Jason Togyer, KB3CNM,Spurious Signals Road, Room #114, Erie, PA 16509. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.watts- Gordon West, WB6NOA, Short Circuits n burKgI-MwBireEleRsTsO.uNs,> .P TEaNlkN-iSnY 1L4V7A.3N1I5A-. —VE T ehxea mMsid.-Atlantic Amateur Radio Clubwill hold the Valley Forge Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, The Ham Notebook HamfestSaturday, July 9 at the Kimberton Fire Co. Fairgrounds. Contact: Mike Pilotti, KF3CD, (610) 696- AWARD MANAGEMENT 5040. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.marc-radio.org>. Talk-in 145.13- or 147.06+ PL 131.8). a VE exams and DXCC/WAS card checking. John Bergman, KC5LK,WAZ Award MONUMENT, COLORADO — The Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Associationwill hold the PPRAA Ham Steve Bolia, N8BJQ, WPX Award Radio MegafestSaturday, July 9 at the Lewis-Palmer High School. Contact: PPRAA, P.O. Box 16521, Keith Gilbertson, KØKG,CQ DX Award Colorado Springs, CO 80935. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://ppraa.org>. Talk-in 146.970- Ted Melinosky, K1BV, USA-CA Award (PL 100). VE exams. OAK CREEK, WISCONSIN — The South Milwaukee Amateur Radio Clubwill hold its Swapfest ‘16’ CONTEST MANAGEMENT Saturday, July 9 at the American Legion Post 434. Contact: Robert, WB9TIK, (414) 764-3871. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.qsl.net/wa9txe>. Talk-in 146.52. Andy Blank, N2NT, CQ 160 Meter Contest ROSEVILLE, MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Amateur Group Independent Communicatorswill fold Steve Bolia, N8BJQ,CQ VHF Contest the 13thAnnual MAGIC TailgaterSaturday, July 9 at the Galilee Lutheran Church. Website: <http://www.magi- Ed Muns, WØYK, CQRTTY Contest crepeater.net>. Talk-in 145.170 (PL 100). SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA — The Rowan Amateur Radio Societywill hold the 31stAnnual John Sweeney, K9EL, CQDX Marathon Firecracker HamfestSaturday, July 9 at the Salisbury, NC Civic Center. Contact: Ralph Brown, WB4AQK, Randy Thompson, K5ZD, CQ WW DX Contest (704) 636-5902. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.rowanars.org>. Talk-in 145.41 Terry Zivney, N4TZ, CQ WW WPX Contest (PL 136.5) or 146.52. VE exams. AURORA, ILLINOIS — The Fox River Radio Leaguewill hold its HamfestSunday, July 10 at the Aurora BUSINESS STAFF Central Catholic High School. Contact: Dave, K9WDB, <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.frrl.org>. Richard A. Ross, K2MGA, Publisher Talk-in 147.210+ (PL 103.5). VE exams. AUSTINTOWN, OHIO — The 20/9 Amateur Radio Clubwill hold its Hamfest, Electronics & Computer Charlie Payne, Advertising Director ShowSunday, July 10 at the Austintown Senior Center. Phone: (330) 651-8420. Email: <hamfest@ Emily Leary, Sales Coordinator 20over9.org>. Website: <http://www.20over9.org>. Talk-in 147.315+. VE exams and card checking. Doris Watts, Accounting Department CICERO, NEW YORK — The Radio Amateur of Greater Syracusewill hold the RAGS 2016 Hamfest Sunday, July 10 at the American Legion Post 787. Contact: Roger Hamilton, WA2AEW, or Rich Bell, KC2CZK, CIRCULATION STAFF <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.ragsclub.org>. Talk-in 146.91- (PL 103.5). VE exams. Cheryl DiLorenzo, Customer Service Manager ALEXANDER, NEW YORK —The Lancaster Amateur Radio Clubwill hold the Batavia Hamfest Saturday, July 16 at the Alexander Firemen Grounds. Website: <http://w2so.org>. Talk-in 147.285 (PL 141.3). PRODUCTION STAFF VE exams. ALLISON PARK, PENNSYLVANIA — The North Hills Amateur Radio Clubwill hold its 31stAnnual Elizabeth Ryan,Art Director HamfestSaturday, July 16 at the Parkwood Presbyterian Church. Contact: Eric Fowler, WV3E, 319 W. Ingomer Dorothy Kehrwieder, Production Director Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Phone: (412) 436-9833. Email: <[email protected]>. Talk-in 147.090 (PL 88.5). Emily Leary,Production Manager VE exams. ATHENS, TENNESSEE — The McMinn County Amateur Radio Clubwill hold its 12thAnnual MCARC Hal Keith, Illustrator HamFestSaturday, July 16 at the McMinn County Expo Center. Contact: Phil Pritchard, KC4JIY, 1978 Co. Larry Mulvehill, WB2ZPI,Staff Photographer Rd. 50, Riceville, TN 37370. Phone: (423) 368-1473. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: Rod Somera,Webmaster <http://www.mcminnarc.com>. Talk-in 146.06- (PL 141.3) or 145.15- (PL 141.3). VE exams. CARY, NORTH CAROLINA — The Cary Amateur Radio Clubwill hold its 44thAnnual SWAPFEST Saturday, July 16 at Harold Ritter Park. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.qsl.net/n/n4nc/ A publication of index.html>. Talk-in 146.28+. VE exams. CQ Communications, Inc. ELYRIA, OHIO — The Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Societywill hold NOARSFESTSaturday, July 16 at the Lorain County Community College-John A. Spitzer Conference Center. Contact: Darlene Ohman, 17 West John Street KA8VTS, (216) 398-8858 (before 11 p.m.) or David Fisher, KY8OSU, (330) 770-4090. Email: <noars- Hicksville, NY 11801 USA. [email protected]>. Website: <http://www.noars.net>. Talk-in 146.70 (PL 110.9). TEXAS CITY, TEXAS — The Tidelands Amateur Radio Societywill hold the Texas City, Tidelands CQ Amateur Radio (ISSN0007-893X) Volume 72, No. 7. HamfestSaturday, July 16 at the Doyle Convention Center. Contact: Tidelands ARS, P.O. Box 73, Texas Published monthly by CQCommunications, Inc., 17 West John City, TX 77592. Website: <http://idelands.org>. Talk-in 147.14 (PL 167.9) or 442.025 (PL 103.5). VE exams. Street, Hicksville, NY 11801, Telephone 516-681-2922. E-mail: WARRENSBURG, MISSOURI — The Warensburg Area Amateur Radio Clubwill hold its Hamfest 2016 [email protected]. Fax 516-681-2926. Web site: Saturday, July 16 at the Johnson County Fair Grounds. Contact: Ken Smith, KO9R, <[email protected]>. www.cq-amateur-radio.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at Website: <http://www.waarci.org>. Talk-in 146.880- (PL 107.2). Hicksville, NY 11801 and at additional mailing offices. WATERLOO, IOWA — The Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Associationwill hold the WØMG Swap Subscription prices (all in U.S. dollars): Domestic-one year Meet 2016Saturday, July 16 at the NCC Pavillion, National Cattle Congress Grounds. Phone: (319) 231- $38.95, two years $70.95, three years $102.95; Canada/ 7479. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.w0mg.net>. Talk-in 146.94- (PL 136.5). Mexico-one year $51.95, two years $96.95, three years AUGUSTA, NEW JERSEY — The Sussex County Amateur Radio Clubwill hold the SCARC Hamfest $138.95: Foreign Air Post-one year $63.95, two years $120.95, Sunday, July 17 at the Sussex County Farm & Horse Show Fairgrounds. Phone: (973) 862-8197. Email: three years $177.95. U.S. Government Agencies:Sub- <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.scarcnj.org>. Talk-in 147.300+ (PL 151.4). VE exams. scriptions to CQare available to agencies of the United States CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — The Harvard Wireless Club, MIT Electronics Research Society, government including military services, only on a cash with MIT UHF Repeater Association, and the MIT Radio Societywill hold Flea at MITSunday, July 17 at the order basis. Requests for quotations, bids, contracts., etc. will Parking Garage on Albany and Main Streets. Contact MIT Radio Society, P.O. Box 397082, Cambridge, MA be refused and will not be returned or processed. Entire con- 02139-7082. Phone: (617) 253-3776. Website: <http://www.swapfest.us>. Talk-in 146.52 or 449.725- (PL 114.8). PEOTONE, ILLINOIS — The Kankakee Area Radio Societywill hold Karsfest 2016,the 33rdAnnual tents copyrighted 2016 by CQCommunications, Inc. CQdoes not assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Allow six HamfestSunday, July 17 at the Will County Fairgrounds. Contact: Craig Cahan, N9FD, 7 Franklin Drive, Manteno, IL 60950. Phone: (815) 348-7752. Email: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://www.w9az.com>. weeks for change of address. VE exams and card checking. VAN WERT, OHIO — The Van Wert Amateur Radio Clubwill hold the 29thAnnual Van Wert Hamfest Printed in the U.S.A. Sunday, July 17 at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds. Contact: Steve Kouts, WA8WKF, (419) 771-8152. Email: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: <[email protected]>. Website: <http://w8fy.org>. Talk-in 146.850. CQ Amateur Radio, 17 W. John Street., Hicksville, NY 11801 (Continued on page 36) 2 • CQ • July 2016 Visit Our Web Site Compromise Language Reached on Antenna Bill pation of young hams in contesting. The survey is for hams of h all ages, with different sets of questions being asked based on Significant progress has been made in bringing legal protec- responses to preliminary queries, according to CAC Chairman tions to amateurs living in antenna-restricted private develop- George Wagner, K5KG. To take the survey, go to <tinyurl.com/ a ments or with deed restrictions that prohibit or severely restrict YouthHamRadio>. For more information, contact George at amateur operation. The ARRL reports that intensive negotia- <[email protected]>. tions with the Community Associations Institute (CAI), the m national organization for homeowners’ associations, have YASME Foundation Announces Awards, Grants resulted in agreement on revised language for the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 1301/S.1685) now pending before Three well-known amateurs have been honored with YASME Congress. The bill originally sought to extend to hams living Foundation Excellence Awards this year, while separate grants under private land use agreements the same “reasonable were awarded for scholarships and youth contesting efforts. r accommodation” protections currently in FCC rules regarding According to the ARRL Letter, Carole Perry, WB2MGP — a a state laws and local ordinances. long-time CQcontributor and WorldRadio columnist — received Under the revised language, according to a posting on the one of the Excellence Awards for her “many years of contribu- CAI website, the bill would mandate the FCC to implement new tions to teaching and mentoring youth interested in amateur d rules to require community associations to permit an amateur radio,” including her ongoing youth forums at the Dayton licensee “to install and maintain an effective outdoor antenna Hamvention® and work through the Radio Club of America. i on property under the exclusive use or control of the licensee,” Also honored were Tim Duffy, K3LR, for his development of the o to require that any rules regarding amateur antennas “consti- Contest University program, and Tom Rauch, W8JI, for his tute the minimum practicable restriction on (amateur) commu- “many contributions to the technical advancement of the nications,” and to invalidate any deed restriction or restrictive Amateur Service.” covenant that “on its face or as applied, precludes communi- In addition, grants were made to the ARRL Foundation and n cations in an amateur radio service.” the Foundation for Amateur Radio for scholarships, and an addi- Amateurs would still need to provide advance notice and tional grant went directly to help cover the expenses of two e receive association approval before installing an outdoor anten- young hams from Ethiopia who took part in the IARU Region I na and associations would retain the right to prohibit the instal- Youth Contesting Program in Estonia. w lation of an antenna on common property that is not under the licensee’s “exclusive use or control.” Milestones: Four Prominent Hams Become At press time, the amended language had not yet been for- Silent Keys mally introduced and no Congressional action had been sched- s The amateur radio community lost four well-known members uled. However, sources close to the negotiations have told CQ in May. Hollywood producer Dave Bell, W6AQ, who also pro- that eliminating CAI’s opposition to the bill should mean that it duced several amateur radio promotional videos in the 1970s can be considered as a “non-controversial” measure and move and ‘80s, passed away on May 14. He was a member of the quickly to a vote in both the House and Senate. The complete CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame and was Dayton’s Ham of the text of the revised bill language, as agreed to by ARRL and CAI, Year in 1984, according to the ARRL Letter. Dave was 84. is on the CAI website at <http://bit.ly/1XWL2sS>. Pat McPherson, WW9E, became a Silent Key on May 13 at age 70. A Major in the Salvation Army, Pat founded SATERN EmComm Around the World — the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network — in Ham radio emergency communications is in the spotlight in 1988 and served as its coordinator for more than 25 years, over- widely scattered parts of the globe this month. Massive flood- seeing its growth into an international organization with sever- ing in southeastern Texas resulted in the activation of ARES al thousand members worldwide. (the Amateur Radio Emergency Service) in and around Houston John Brosnahan, WØUN, passed away on May 4 at age 71 in late May and early June. At press time, the hams were pro- after suffering an apparent stroke. He was best-known as pres- viding “situational awareness” of changing conditions in differ- ident of Alpha Power but was also a research physicist who ent locations, according to the ARRL, but the situation was still worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admini- unfolding. stration (NOAA), according to the ARRL Letter, and was instru- In early May, a California ham monitoring the Maritime Mobile mental in designing and building the High Frequency Active Service Net frequency (14.300 MHz) long after the net closed Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility in Alaska. for the day picked up a distress signal from a sailing vessel that Former Communications Quarterlycolumnist, CQ contribu- had run aground on a reef in the South Pacific near French tor and educator Pete Kemp, KZ1Z, also became a Silent Key Polynesia and was taking on water. The situation was report- in May. He was 67. Kemp was a high school teacher directly ed to the U.S. Coast Guard, which in turn notified the French responsible for licensing over 700 hams and was very active in Navy, which rescued the crew safely. According to the ARRL the ARRL Field Organization in Connecticut and Florida. Letter, the Coast Guard later said the hams’ prompt action prob- ably saved the crew from “devastating consequences.” Trans-Atlantic ISS-Bounce Reported Moving well above sea level, Newslinereports that some two Two hams in England and Canada reported successfully bounc- dozen mountaineers in India have gotten ham licenses in order ing 2-meter radio signals off the International Space Station as to enhance climber safety, call for emergency rescues and, if it crossed over the Atlantic Ocean in early May. According to necessary, help with searches in the Himalayas. The newly- Southgate Amateur Radio News, VE1SKY in Nova Scotia was licensed ham-mountaineers will carry portable HF radios and able to monitor an FSK-441 transmission bounced off the ISS antennas in their backpacks, as well as transmitters that auto- by G4LOH in Cornwall, England, at a distance of 4,441 kilo- matically position information to their base camps for tracking. meters (2,759 miles). It is claimed to be the first “intentional” The training was coordinated by the West Bengal Radio Club. trans-Atlantic reception of a signal reflected off the space sta- tion. The stations were not able to complete a two-way contact. Hamvention®Attendance Reported Up Slightly In a different approach to a similar effort — bridging the Preliminary indications show a slight uptick in attendance at the Atlantic on 2 meters — three amateur radio clubs in Newfound- 2016 Dayton Hamvention®, according to General Chairman land have put a full-time digital receiver on the air at the sum- Jim Tiderman, N8IDS. Tiderman told the ARRL that final num- mer home of VO1HP. According to the ARRL, the VO1FN bers had not yet been calculated, but that several indicators “Transatlantic VHF Digital Beacon Receiver” is a software- routinely used to judge attendance all showed a slight increase defined radio listening continuously on 144.488 MHz for JT65 over 2015 attendance. This matches CQ(cid:182)s observations and signals originating in Europe. It is primarily listening for signals those of several other vendors as well. from Irish beacon station EI2DKH. However, VO1HP says oper- ators are willing to turn the station’s 5-element loop-fed array ARRL Youth Contesting Survey quad (LFA-Q) Yagi in any direction in order to conduct tests The ARRL’s Contest Advisory Committee (CAC) is conducting with distant digital stations. an online survey to get input on ways to increase the partici- (Continued on page 60) www.cq-amateur-radio.com July 2016 • CQ • 3 VOLUME 72 NUMBER 7 JULY 2016 CONTENTS FEATURES 10 W7P: THE “YEAR OF PLUTO” SPECIAL EVENT By Dave Brown, N7FYW and Bob Wertz, NF7E 14 LEARNINGCURVE: DIRECTIONAL HEARING AIDS: YAGIS FOR YOUR EARS By Ron Ochu, KOØZ 17 PROMOTING HAM RADIO TO YOUTH IN INDIA By Carole Perry, WB2MGP 20 RESULTS OF THE 2016 CQWW WPXRTTYCONTEST By Ed Muns, WØYK 28 (cid:33)(cid:46)(cid:46)(cid:47)(cid:53)(cid:46)(cid:35)(cid:41)(cid:46)(cid:39): THE 2016 CQ HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 31 AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROCONTROLLERS, PART VII: I2C Interface Links Math Chip and MCU By Jonathan A.Titus, KZ1G 96 COMPLETE SCORES OF THE 2016 CQWW WPXRTTY (cid:163)(cid:123) CONTEST COLUMNS 38 MATH’SNOTES: Logic Gates, Not Just for Software By Irwin Math, WA2NDM 42 THELISTENINGPOST: All India Radio Possibly Shutting Down By Gerry Dexter 46 CQWORLDWIDE: India Holds field Day and Hams Respond to Devastating Ecuadorian Earthquake By Tom Smerk, AA6TS 54 KIT-BUILDING: A Pixie Helper and a Receiver with a Slice of Pi By Joe Eisenberg, KØNEB 58 THEHAMNOTEBOOK: Preparing Ham Radio Projects for a Maker Faire By Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ 64 GORDO’S SHORT CIRCUITS: Ultra-Lightweight, Long Runtime, Batteries By Gordon West, WB6NOA 68 MAGICIN THESKY: More Laws Than Physics Can Accommodate By Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR (cid:123)(cid:200) (cid:120)(cid:123) 70 DIGITALCONNECTION: Instant Digital By Don Rotolo, N2IRZ DEPARTMENTS 50 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS: “Sorry, We’re Open” By Cory GBSickles, WA3UVV 74 VHF PLUS: The 13-Centimeter Band (And the Scratchi Connection) By Tony Emanuele, WA8RJF 77 AWARDS: QSO “Spots” on the Internet By Ted Melinosky, K1BV 80 DX: The Northern California DX Foundation: Supporting DX and DXing for 44 Years By Bob Schenck, N2OO 86 CONTESTING: CQWW VHFand IARU HF World Championship Kick Off Summer Contesting Season By David Siddall, K3ZJ 84 PROPAGATION: Space Weather and You By Tomas Hood, NW7US (cid:200)(cid:123) 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS 30 SPURIOUSSIGNALS 3 HAM RADIO NEWS 41 READERSURVEY 8 ZERO BIAS 110 HAMSHOP AARR--DDVV11 MMuullttii--mmooddee DDiiggiittaallll VVooiiccee RReecceeiivveerr The AR-DV1 can It’s the FIRST multi-mode digital voice receiver to receive be used with and decode virtually ALL popular digital modes including: or without a MOTOTRBOTM, DMR, dPMRTM, APCO P25, NXDNTM, Icom D-StarTM, computer. 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On the encouraging side, O not necessarily related to each other, but each wor- a combination of ongoing ham radio help in emergen- e M thy of mention and discussion. It may not be A-Z in scope cies and a concerted promotional effort by Indian hams H C (we do make it to “Y”), but let’s start with “A” anyway. and ham organizations is bearing fruit in terms of greater Q RI recognition of amateur radio’s value by government offi- Y Antennas, Advocacy and the ARRL cials and educators (see “Promoting Ham Radio to C B After three decades of trying to assure that amateurs Youth in India” on page 17, and the “CQ World Wide” living in deed-restricted or homeowner-association con- column on page 46). But at the same time, “Listening trolled homes have the same rights as other hams to Post” editor Gerry Dexter reports (p. 42) that All India a put up antennas and get on the air, the ARRL has found Radio — the country’s shortwave voice for decades — common ground with the trade group representing is likely to “go dark” in the near future. homeowners’ associations that may finally allow some As we’ve pointed out here before, such moves (gener- – significant progress in this vitally important area. ally to save money) are shortsighted at best. While short- As discussed in greater detail in our news column on wave broadcasting may be very expensive on the trans- s page 3, several months of negotiations between League mitting end, it is very cheap on the receive side. For a representatives and the Community Associations millions of people around the world, a shortwave receiv- Institute (CAI) resulted in an agreement to change the er is much more affordable and accessible than high- language in the Amateur Radio Parity Act now pending speed internet service or satellite radio. In addition, radio i b before Congress from requiring “reasonable accommo- waves don’t stop at international borders, while some dation” of amateur radio operation to guaranteeing governments routinely block internet sites to which they hams living under private land use regulations the right don’t want their citizens to have access (Yes, radio sig- to put up “an effective outdoor antenna.” With this nals can be jammed, but only with moderate effective- o change, the CAI said it would drop its opposition to the ness). Satellite radio is harder to block out, but the selec- bill, which should allow it to pass both houses of tion of international broadcasts is limited and there is r Congress as a “non-controversial” measure. some programmer (or accountant) out there someplace e At this writing, the amendment had not been formally deciding what listeners will be able to hear and when. made nor had any further action on the bill been sched- Gerry’s “leading logs” feature routinely lists opposition uled, so it is not yet a “done deal,” but hopefully it will groups and revolutionary “voices” transmitting to their tar- z be by the time you read this. get areas via shortwave. If radio is so expensive, why What impresses us is the apparent change of don’t these groups take their messages to the “free” inter- approach by the ARRL in dealing with long-standing net? Because they understand that radio is far more issues, working to find a satisfactory compromise rather effective at reaching large numbers of people. than “tilting at windmills” as was so often the case in the Radio is the most accessible form of information dis- past. We don’t know if this new approach is a result of semination on the planet and it is foolhardy for govern- the change of leadership at the League, but the timing ments to limit access to their messages to those with suggests that it might be, along with new CEO Tom the means to purchase high-speed internet or satellite Gallagher, NY2RF’s, extensive experience in the busi- subscriptions. Let’s hope that message gets through to ness and banking world prior to joining the ARRL staff. the bean-counters at broadcasting authorities around Business people tend to focus more on making things the world. work and getting things done, even if you don’t get exact- ly what you want; and if this change in focus in Yagis for Your Ears Newington is a result of Tom’s influence, then more We’d also like to highlight an article in this issue that is power to him. Credit also needs to go to Hudson Division not directly connected to ham radio, but that we think Director Mike Liscenco, N2YBB, who has been “out will be of significant interest to a lot of our older read- front” on this issue for several years. ers. This month’s “Learning Curve” column — on page An ARRL member’s $49 a year in dues “buys” three 14 — is all about a type of directional hearing aid that broad “things” — a magazine (which most members see not only can be focused in different directions, just like as their primary benefit); a professional staff in a Yagi antenna, but also can be fed directly with audio Newington to coordinate the organization’s many pro- from an MP3 player, a DVD player … or your ham rig! grams and activities; and, most importantly in our book, It’s really an amazing technology that looks like it can advocacy ... promoting and defending the interests of help many of us with some degree of hearing loss con- amateur radio on state, federal, and international lev- tinue to enjoy our primarily sound-based hobby for many els. Despite its flaws, no other organization in our years to come. hobby’s history has been able to advocate for amateur radio as effectively as the ARRL. If it were not for the Hamfesting League’s success in advocacy over the past 102 years, It was great to see so many of you at Dayton in May. there likely would be no Amateur Radio Service and thus We thank you for your overwhelmingly encouraging no need for magazines or staff members. So, after you comments and look forward to seeing more of you at renew your CQsubscription, try to budget another $49 the other hamfests we attend this year. for ARRL dues and help protect our hobby’s future. Enjoy your summer and do what you can to take your On … and Off … the Air in India hamming outside with you. And don’t forget the CQ World Wide VHF Contest on July16thand 17th. Let’s now take an F-layer hop from Connecticut and Washington, DC, halfway around the world to India, (cid:177)73, W2VU 8 • CQ • July 2016 Visit Our Web Site