eHam.net News

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Propagation Forecast Bulletin #48 de K7RA:

Posted: 28 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38102


Over the past reporting week (November 17-23) average daily sunspot
numbers decreased from 28.7 to 14.1. Average daily solar flux
decreased from 78.5 to 77.1, although last week's bulletin
erroneously reported average solar flux for the November 10-16
period as 45.8. Thanks to several sharp-eyed readers who caught
this, including IK2AGX, G8XTJ, AA2F, K6MSM, and N8II.


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Hamvention Awards Nominations:

Posted: 28 Nov 2016 05:00 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38101


Once again, it gives me great pleasure to announce the opening of the 2017
Hamvention Awards nomination process. As in the past, this prestigious
program will bestow awards in the following categories: Technical
Achievement, Special Achievement and Amateur of the Year. Hamvention will
also be recognizing the Club of the Year.


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Ham College 23 is Released:

Posted: 28 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38100


Ham College 23 is now available.
Decibels, Metric Conversions and more
questions from the Technician pool.


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Aussie to Make an Impact on Mars:

Posted: 27 Nov 2016 04:01 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38099


On a salt lake in Central Australia early next year a radio amateur will
conduct tests of a wide area radio network destined for the planet Mars.
Robert Brand VK2URB, of Thunderstruck Aerospace, reports that it is an
essential part of a project to develop the Mars Nano-Lander and Methane
detection system called MEDIAN, set to land in 2025. Approval will be
sought from the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority for use of the
air space for the test. The project calls for 10 separate penetrators to be
ejected from the jettisoned heat shield at about 6km from the surface of
Mars. They are to spear into the surface of Mars and form a ring about 8km
wide. The radio systems will begin measuring distance between the other
landers and map the network. Robert VK2URB says they will then switch to a
random packet mode and begin sending messages to an orbiting craft. Even
the orientation of each probe covering an area around the size of a small
city, will be detected and used to calculate the direction that wind, and
hopefully any methane, on the thin Martian atmosphere. Robert VK2URB says
that the audacious mission is a joint project with the UK Methane detection
group at the University of Central Lancashire, and the Australian
Thunderstruck Aerospace team. Robert is the design architect of the landing
system, the mapping, orientation, communications, data relay, and the
on-going non-methane science package. He says that never before has a
network of probes been landed anywhere outside of earth and have impactors
with the intention of surviving the process. The possibility of microbial
life on Mars has been discussed by scientists since the presence of methane
gas on the red planet was found several years ago. MEDIAN will map possible
methane vent locations for a rover to investigate. If the rover fails to
land, the project will still relay local weather and subsoil information
back to earth. It's expected that the tests in Central Australia will
demonstrate the essential role that radio will play in mapping, locating,
orienting the network and then relaying data around the network.


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Quest for 1kW in Australia:

Posted: 27 Nov 2016 04:01 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38098


The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) is keeping alive its advocacy
that Advanced Licensees be allowed to use up to 1kW power. The WIA Spectrum
Strategy Committee has put to the ACMA the issue of high power beyond the
present limit of 400 watts peak, in its "log of claims" after the
now-infamous high power trial in 2013. Many radio amateurs ask why is it
that we just can't have it, like in so many other countries -- New Zealand,
America, Canada, Japan and so on? Spectrum Strategy Committee spokesman
Roger Harrison VK2ZRH says the central issue comes down to that of
compliance with electromagnetic radiation standards in Australia. The ACMA
uses the term "electromagnetic emissions" -- abbreviated EME - but the
acronym EMR (for electromagnetic radiation) is also widely used for the
same thing. Australia is unique in the world when it comes to
radiocommunications regulation, embodied in licence conditions, and
compliance with electromagnetic radiation standards. Here, the two things
are linked -- but nowhere else in the world.


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Amateur Radio Newsline Headlines for Ham Nation:

Posted: 27 Nov 2016 12:23 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38097


Amateur Radio Newsline Headlines for Ham Nation. November 30, 2016.


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IARU Emergency Telecommunications Guide -- Portuguese Translation:

Posted: 27 Nov 2016 12:23 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38096


The newest version of IARU Emergency Telecommunications Guide - Rev.
September 1, 2016 - translated to Portuguese.