THe K7RA Solar Update 

No sunspots this week. The pattern persists, and this surprises me. But Spaceweather.com reported a couple of weak, barely emerging spots, never numbered, and by their magnetic polarity were from new Cycle 25.

We rely on NOAA for official sunspot numbers, and the most recent one reported was 11 on June 15. See ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/indices/DSD.txt.

Average daily solar flux over the recent r...

Intrepid-DX Group Announces Youth Essay Contest 

The Intrepid-DX Group, a US-based IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes amateur radio in developing countries, has announced its first Youth Essay Contest. The prize is a new Icom IC-7300 transceiver, which the winner must agree to keep and use for 1 year.

Participants will prepare a two-page essay answering these questions: (1) What are your amateur radio goals? and (2) What can w...

 

On May 30, operators at WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), working from home, conducted the annual readiness check of the station and of other amateur radio stations and operators around the country and world. WX4NHC is marking its 40th year of public service in 2020. Assistant Amateur Radio Coordinator at the NHC Julio Ripoll, WD4R, reported that five WX4NHC operators made 146 cont...

AMSAT Announces 2020 Board of Directors Candidates 

The following candidates for seats on the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors have been found to have their membership in good standing and their nomination credentials in order:

• Howard DeFelice, AB2S
• Mark Hammond, N8MH
• Jeff Johns, WE4B
• Robert McGwier, N4HY
• Bruce Paige, KK5DO
• Paul Stoetzer, N8HM.

AMSAT will elect three voting members of the Board this year, with seats going to the three candidates receiv...

K9JM to transmit CW Version of 2020 W1AW Field Day Bulletin 

West Coast ARRL Qualifying Run station K9JM will transmit the CW version of the 2020 W1AW Field Day Bulletin on 80 and 40 meters. On Saturday, June 27, the CW version will be transmitted at 7:30 AM PDT (1430 UTC). On Saturday evening, the CW version will be transmitted at 5:30 PM PDT (Sunday at 0030 UTC). On Sunday, June 28, the CW version of the bulletin will be transmitted at 7:30 AM PDT (1...

Illinois Section Manager Steps Down, New SM Appointed 

Illinois Section Manager Ron Morgan, AD9I, has stepped down due to health concerns that became apparent just as he was ready to start a new term. He was re-elected in the spring Section Manager election cycle. Morgan, of East Peoria, has been Section Manager since February 2017. Thomas Beebe, W9RY, of Marion, has been appointed as the Illinois Section Manager, effective July 1, to fulfill the 2...

THe K7RA Solar Update 

No sunspots were observed since June 15, when the daily sunspot number was 11. This does not mean there were 11 sunspots seen, but instead it means that one sunspot group was observed containing one sunspot. The sunspot number is derived by assigning 10 points for each sunspot group, and one point for each sunspot. So, 11 is the minimum non-zero sunspot number.

On June 8, the daily sunspot numbe...