American Radio Relay League

1. The K7RA Solar Update

   Geomagnetic conditions were very quiet last weekend, good conditions
   for the ARRL Phone Sweepstakes. But there was much more geomagnetic
   activity toward the end of the reporting week, when the planetary A
   index jumped to 30 and Alaska's College A index reached 60, a very
   high value.
   
   This past weekend was the CW portion of the CQ World Wide DX
   Contest.
   
   Solar activity really picked up in the past few da...

2. 2023 Fall Section Manager Election Results

    

   Two balloted Section Manager elections were conducted this fall. Ballots were counted on Tuesday, November 21, at ARRL Headquarters. All two-year terms of office will begin on January 1, 2024.

   For Section Manager of the ARRL Alaska Section:

   • David Stevens, KL7EB (incumbent), received 105 votes

   • Jeffrey Wolf, N8EX, received 72 votes

   David Stevens, KL7EB, of Anchorage, Alaska, has been declared re-el...

3. ARRL Headquarters to Be Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

   ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 23, 2023, and Friday, November 24, 2023. There will be no W1AW bulletins, code practice, or visitor operations during that time.
   
   ARRL Headquarters will reopen at 8:00 AM Eastern Time on Monday, November 27, 2023. We wish you and yours a hap...

4. Former Illinois Section Manager Tom Ciciora, KA9QPN, SK

   ARRL is sad to report that Thomas "Tom" T. Ciciora, KA9QPN, of Sandwich, Illinois, has become a silent key. He was 66 years old. Ciciora served as the Section Manager of the ARRL Illinois Section from 2006 - 2017. He was an ARRL Life Member.

   According to an obituary, Ciciora was active in several amateur radio clubs and had been the director of the Sandwich Emergency Management Agency.

   Ciciora w...

5. 2023 ARRL Board of Directors Election Results

   ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® announces the results of the 2023 ARRL Division elections.

   ARRL Great Lakes Division Vice Director Scott Yonally, N8SY (2,175 votes), of Lexington, Ohio, defeated candidate Michael Kalter, W8CI (2,023 votes), for the position of Division Director. Yonally will assume the role when Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, who has held the seat since 2014,...

6. The K7RA Solar Update

   "ASWFC GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING ISSUED AT 2306 UTC 16 NOVEMBER 2023 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE.
   
   "Two recent CMEs associated with small solar filament eruptions are
   expected to increase geomagnetic activity from mid 19-Nov to 20-Nov.
   
   "INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION FROM 19-20 NOVEMBER 2023."
   
   Solar activity was lower this week, Nove...

7. SKYWARN Recognition Day Is Ready to Go

   The 2023 SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) is December 2 from 0000z to 2400z.

   The event honors all SKYWARN storm spotters and amateur radio operators for their contributions to the National Weather Service (NWS) during severe weather. Amateur radio operators also provide vital communication to the NWS and emergency management when normal communications fail.

   The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin...

8. The University of Scranton Amateur Radio Club, W3USR, Got a Facelift

   With a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) for almost $200,000 and private donations of more than $20,000, the University of Scranton Amateur Radio Club in Scranton, Pennsylvania, has installed new amateur radio equipment and antennas for its station, W3USR.

   The station is now located on the fifth floor of the university's Loyola Science Center and features state-of-the-art op...

9. 2023 ARRL November Sweepstakes Continues

   The second part of the ARRL November Sweepstakes is for phone contacts, and it begins Saturday, November 18 at 2100 UTC, and runs through Monday, November 20 at 0259 UTC.

   The contest objective is to support amateur self-training in radiocommunications, including improving amateur operating skills, conducting technical investigations, and intercommunicating with other amateurs. Amateur stations i...

10. The K7RA Solar Update

    "ASWFC GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING ISSUED AT 2310 UTC/09 NOVEMBER 2023 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE:
    
    "G1-G2 geomagnetic conditions are expected over 11-12 Nov, with a
    slight chance of G3 due to the anticipated arrival of a halo CME
    first observed 09-Nov. Conditions are expected to ease to background
    levels on 13-Nov."
    
    A great, big geomagnetic storm on Sunday disrupted the s...