• 2022 ARRL Field Day is This Weekend -- Are You Ready?
• Special Field Day Announcement
• More Amateur Radio Proclamations for Field Day 2022
• New Treasurer John Sager, WJ7S, Says ARRL a Perfect Match
• ARDC Grants Help Fund Elementary and College Projects
• ARRL Podcasts Schedule
• Amateur Radio in the News
• Announcements
• In Brief...
• The K7RA Solar Update
• Just Ahead in Radiosport
• Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

One of the most anticipated amateur radio operating events of the year in the United States, Canada, and worldwide is this weekend. ARRL Field Day kicks off at 1800 UTC on Saturday, June 25, and concludes at 2059 UTC on Sunday, June 26. Last year, almost 27,000 individuals participated in ARRL Field Day, logging over 1.4 million two-way radio contacts during the event.

For 2022, there are some new rule changes in effect. Beginning this

year, all stations, regardless of operating class, are limited to 100 W PEP transmitter output. The rule waivers that were in effect for the past 2 years -- allowing Class D (home stations) to contact other Class D stations for points, and the publishing of a Club Aggregate Score -- have been made permanent. Additionally, for groups claiming media publicity bonus points, the rules now stipulate that you must obtain media coverage for your event, not simply attempt to do so. For complete Field Day rules see www.arrl.org/field-day.

Field Day is amateur radio's open house -- it's an opportunity to showcase what amateur radio is all about to the public. Some groups use Field Day as an exercise in emergency preparedness, others treat it as a competition, and for some, it's a social gathering. Field Day is entirely what you make of it.

If you're a newly licensed ham and you would like to know where a group in your area is hosting a Field Day event, visit the ARRL Field Day Station Locator web page at www.arrl.org/field-day-locator.

How will you or your club participate in ARRL Field Day? You can let others know about your planned activity before, during, and after the event via social media on the ARRL Field Day Facebook page at facebook.com/groups/arrlfd. When sharing your activities or photos, please use the hashtag #ARRLfd.

After the event, be sure to submit your Field Day entry to ARRL by using the web-based submission form at field-day.arrl.org/fdentry.php. Participants are also encouraged to submit their Field Day stories and photos via the soapbox at field-day.arrl.org/fdsoapbox.php. Entries are due 30 days after the conclusion of the event at 2059 UTC on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

Join ARRL live from W1AW for 2022 ARRL Field Day! See all of the fun involved with Field Day or ask your questions about the event in the Live Chat and get them answered in real time. Watch at https://youtu.be/RN8mc3NVdwg starting on June 25, 2022, at 1:30 PM.

As the activity and excitement increases in advance of Field Day 2022, more states are issuing proclamations honoring the event.

Last week, governors of California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Florida issued special proclamations for Amateur Radio Week and Field Day weekend.

Just this week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a proclamation recognizing June 25 - 26 as Amateur Radio Operators' Appreciation days. In South Carolina, not only did Governor Henry McMaster issue a proclamation, but the general assembly also issued a resolution proclaiming:

"The members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, proclaim June 21 to 26, 2022, as Amateur Radio Week and June 25 and 26, 2022, as American Radio Relay League Amateur Radio Field Day throughout the State and encourage all South Carolinians to recognize the many contributions of amateur radio operators, including emergency communications and other public service work, for the continued safety of the residents of the Palmetto State."

Field Day is a great event to help amateur radio operators develop their skills, and it also increases public awareness of amateur radio's role in helping during emergency situations.

Every state section works hard to publicize Field Day and obtain government proclamations. We thank the following amateurs for their efforts toward securing these proclamations:

Florida -- Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, and Arc Thames, W4CPD

South Carolina -- Gordon Mooneyhan, W4EGM, and James F. "Jim" Boehner, N2ZZ

Michigan -- Ralph Katz, AA8RK

Ohio -- Thomas Sly, WB8LCD

Louisiana -- John M. Robertson, K5JMR

Massachusetts -- Hank McCarl, W4RIG

California -- Robert Hanson, W6RH, Jeffrey Reinhardt, AA6JR, and Santa Barbara Section Manager John Kitchens, NS6X

ARRL's new Treasurer, John R. Sager, WJ7S, officially took office on May 1, 2022, and is already helping to plan the ARRL's financial future.

Sager brings with him over 40 years of financial management experience. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst, a Certified Cash Manager, and holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business

New ARRL Treasurer John Sager, WJ7S

Administration degrees from the University of Utah. He is also a licensed amateur radio operator.

What led him to ARRL?

"The ARRL is the best organization out there to advocate for ham radio interests, and the best we have to ensure the hobby has a future," said Sager. "I support all the ARRL does, such as advocacy to protect antenna rights, and everything they do to keep this privilege."

Sager said that with the additions of CEO David Minster, NA2AA, and President Rick Roderick, K5UR, ARRL has turned a corner and he wanted to be a part of the effort.

"I have two big passions: amateur radio and the financial markets," he said. "Though retiring after 40 years, I saw the notice that ARRL Treasurer Dr. Rick Niswander, K7GM, was retiring. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to give back to the hobby and combine two interests that are very dear to me."

Sager got his start in amateur radio as a shortwave listener. His family moved to Holland when he was 10 years old, where he found an old Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio. With a little rehab, including soldering and tube replacement, he was able to listen to stations from all over the world, including the many pirate radio stations of the day. He learned Morse code and was able to listen to the "magic mode" (CW), which piqued his interest in amateur radio.

After returning to the states, he enjoyed visiting the ham shack of a friend's father and experiencing the many different modes of communications.

Sager earned his Technician- and General-class licenses in 2010, and his Amateur Extra-class license in 2011. Today, CW is still his favorite mode, and he is not sure if there is a microphone in his shack.

One of his first priorities as Treasurer is working with a new investment management committee.

"I believe in overseeing and monitoring the best investments, over a long period of time, to ensure ARRL survives and has the resources to pursue different ventures that come along in the future."

Sager hopes a solid investment program will result in a more effective strategy of attracting donors, ensuring ARRL has a legacy going into the future. Sager hopes all the work will pay great dividends that can help every amateur radio operator.

Like many other retired professionals, Sager believes the hobby of amateur radio opens many other doors and opportunities.

The California-based Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) foundation has issued two grants aimed at helping elementary schoolers and college students learn and experiment with amateur radio.

The first grant going to Science is Elementary (SiE) -- a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization -- will allow for the printing of "Jasmine and José Build a Radio," the next volume in the SiE series of books, which helps students solve problems using science. The grant also includes 2,240 kits for students, an onsite field trip for fourth graders, and all materials to help with the experiments. It is targeted for 7-year-old students and their families, including those with limited incomes, so that everyone can participate.

The "Jasmine and José..." story will find the pair visiting a friend who is an amateur radio operator. Intrigued with what they see and hear, they set out to build a radio of their own.

The kits will be distributed for free to students in Title 1 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. The book, which is in English and Spanish, will be available for free as an online PDF. The field trips will allow students to work in teams using simple components to build a working radio.

The ARDC says these lessons track the Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS), setting expectations of what students should know and be able to accomplish.

The second ARDC grant is to Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. It will allow three recent graduates to complete their work, which will allow amateur radio operators to experiment in the 33-centimeter band.

The project is known as the DAEMod-915 and is being developed by Peter Handler, W9PLH, Connor Dickey, KD9LSV, and Philip Pierce, AC9YC. Their work, using digital protocols, will allow amateur radio operators, developers, or other educational institutions to experiment and build hardware or software for their own unique applications.

The 33-centimeter band is 900 MHz (902 - 928 MHz) and is allocated on a secondary basis to amateur radio operators, although in some areas of the United States, there are restrictions from using all of the band.

Non-licensed users known as ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) can also use the band to develop applications and hardware for commercial uses.

Once the DAEMod-915 project is complete all the data and software will be available at https://github.com/DAEMod-915.

For additional information about ARDC, visit their website at ampr.org

The latest episode of the ARRL On the Air podcast (Episode 30) features a discussion with ARRL Contest Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, about ARRL Field Day and off-the-grid operating.

The latest edition (Episode 62) of the ARRL Eclectic Tech podcast features an interview with David Kazdan, AD8Y, about the work he and the members of Case Amateur Radio Club, W8EDU, of Case Western Reserve University are doing to create new applications for Coherent CW.

The On the Air and Eclectic Tech podcasts are sponsored by Icom. Both podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android), as well as on Blubrry -- On the Air | Eclectic Tech.

ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news.

"Easton Amateur Radio Society holds annual Field Day June 25-26" / The Star Democrat Easton, Maryland, June 23, 2022 --Easton ARS is an ARRL Affiliated Club

"Amateur radio operators field day set for June 25-26 in Manistee" / Huron Daily Tribune June 22, 2022 --The West Michigan Repeater Association

"It's all about communication for the Iredell Amateur Radio Society" / Statesville Record & Landmark Statesville, NC, June 23, 2022 -The Iredell County Amateur Radio Society is an ARRL Affiliated Club

"Sussex County Amateur Radio Club to participate in national event" / The Advertiser -- News South (New Jersey), June 13, 2022 -- Sussex County ARC is an ARRL Affiliated Club

Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.

To celebrate the first three stages of the 2022Tour de France bicycle race in Denmark, there will be a special event station on the air from July 1 - 3.

OZ22TDF will operate from 0800 - 1600 UTC using the 10 -12 -15 -17 - 20 - 30 - 40- and 80-meter bands using CW, FT8 and SSB.

D-STAR (Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) will also be available at, DCS994F.

All contacts will be logged and e-QSL will be used.

For more information visit, OZ22TDF QRZ.com

The Alexander Association in Sweden will celebrate Alexanderson Day on July 3, 2022.

Grimeton, Sweden, is the site of the World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station which includes a 98-year-old 200kW Alexanderson alternator.

Amateur radio station SK6SAQ will be in operation using the following frequencies:

3.535 kHz (CW)

7.035 kHz (CW)

14.035 kHz (CW)

3.775 kHz SSB

7.140 kHz SSB

QSL reports can be sent to SK6SAQ at [email protected]

Large Radio Wave Data Collected by Amateur Radio Operators

Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell, PhD, W2NAF, recently published a research article titled, "First Observations of Large Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Using Automated Amateur Radio Receiving Networks." Dr. Frissell is an assistant professor at the University of Scranton's Physics and Electrical Engineering Department. Supported by a team of researchers from NASA and the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI), he was able to observe the large waves for the first time. Volunteers from the amateur radio community collected the data. The waves are larger than the state of Texas and travel through the Earth's atmosphere faster than jet-powered aircrafts. They affect all forms of communication, including amateur radio. You can read the original research paper here or at the NASA Citizen Science Highlight website.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:

This past reporting week, June 16 - 22, 2022, recorded below, began with a bang when the daily sunspot number was 159. But the numbers declined every day, finally reaching 80 on June 22.

One new sunspot group emerged on June 15, June 16,

NASA SDO/HMI June 23, 2022

June 18, and one more on June 21.

The average daily sunspot number over the week was 124.6, up substantially from 74.3 the previous 7 days.

The average daily solar flux rose from 123.9 to 140.5.

The average daily planetary A index rose from 9.7 to 11.4, and the middle latitude numbers increased one point to 11.9

It was great to see the sun covered with spots on Spaceweather.com You can use the "archives" search function to see solar images on the left side of the page for any date in the past. I particularly appreciated the image of June 17 -- covered in sunspots!

ARRL Field Day is this weekend. What is the outlook?

The latest from the US Air Force (USAF) at the USAF 557th Weather Wing shows predicted solar flux at 120, 115, and 105 on June 24, 26, and planetary A index of 12, 15, and 8. Field Day is June 25 - 26, but it is useful to see the prediction for Friday.

Newsweek reported a recent sunspot:

bit.ly/3xNdZiB

ARRL Field Day:

http://www.arrl.org/field-day

The latest (Wednesday night) forecast from USAF shows solar flux at 125, 120, and 115 on June 23 -- 25, 105 on June 26 -- 27, 100 on June 2 -July 2, 105, 110, 115, 120, and 125 on July 3 - 7, 130 on July 8 - 9, 135 on July 10, 140 on July 11 - 16, then 138, 134, 125, and 121 on July 17 - 20, then 114, 118, and 105 on July 21 - 23, and 100 on July 24 - 29.

The planetary A index prediction is 8, 12, 15, and 8 on June 23 - 26, 5 on June 27 - July 7, then 8, 8, 12, and 8 on July 8 - 11, 5 on July 12 - 13, 12 on July 14 - 16, 10 on July 17, 5 on July 18 - 19, then 12, 18, 12, and 10 on July 20 - 23, and 5 on July 24 - August 3.

Sunspot numbers for June 16 - 22, 2022, were 159, 152, 145, 120, 112, 104, and 80, with a mean of 124.6. 10.7 centimeter flux was 146.7, 148.9, 140.2, 143.6, 136.5, 138.8, and 128.7, with a mean of 140.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 12, 13, 14, 12, 10, 8, and 11, with a mean of 11.4. The middle latitude A index was 14, 14, 15, 10, 10, 10, and 10, with a mean of 11.9.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...," and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

Share your reports and observations.

A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News.

• June 23 - RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB, phone)

• June 25 - Pajajaran Bogor DX Contest (phone)

• June 25 - UFT QRP Contest (CW)

• June 25 - 26 -- Ukrainian DX DIGI Contest (RTTY)

• June 25 - 26 -- His Majesty King of Spain Contest (SSB, phone)

• June 25 - 26 -- ARRL Field Day (CW, phone, digital)

• June 27 - OK1WC Memorial (MWC),(CW)

• June 27 - RSGB FT4 Contest (FT4)

Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar for more events and information.

• June 24 - 26 | HAM RADIO, the International Amateur Radio Exhibition, Friedrichshafen, Germany

• July 2 | Firecracker Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Pennsylvania State Convention, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

• July 15 -17 | Glacier Waterton Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Montana State Convention, Essex, Montana

• July 22 - 23 | Ham Holiday 2022, hosting the ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

• July 30 - 31 | ARRL West Virginia State Convention, Sutton, West Virginia

• August 6 - 7 | Cedar Valley ARC Techfest, hosting the ARRL Iowa State Convention, Central City, Iowa

• August 13 | Tidewater Hamfest and Swap Meet, hosting the ARRL Virginia State Convention, Portsmouth, Virginia

• August 20 - 21 | Huntsville Hamfest, hosting the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, Alabama

• August 26 - 28 | Northeast HamXposition, hosting the ARRL New England and Hudson Division Conventions, Marlborough, Massachusetts

Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database to find events in your area.

Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to [email protected]. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor

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