Issue 19 July 19th, 2014

Campaign underway to promote "Amateur Radio Parity Act"
The measure, introduced in the US House with bipartisan support on June 25, would call on the FCC to apply the "reasonable accommodation" three-part test of the PRB-1 federal pre-emption policy to private land-use restrictions (homewoners' convenants) regarding antennas.
ARRL

Sunspot number drops to zero
For the first time in nearly 3 years, the sunspot number dropped to zero. Is Solar Max finished?
Southgate

Fox-1C satellite to launch with amateur FM repeater
AMSAT is excited to announce a launch opportunity for the Fox-1C Cubesat in the third quarter of 2015.
AMSAT

VHF simplex for hundreds of miles from a fire tower in Tennessee
N4AOW has a fire tower atop a mountain in Tennessee. One ham searched to learn more about the tower and the man who built it.

Editor's note
I had the pleasure of speaking to N4AOW earlier this week during my daily commute in to Nashville. He had one of his beams pointing to a local Nashville repeater, easily making the ~170 mile VHF QSO out of East Tennessee. --KK4HSX
CQ VHF magazine

Do you have a cool SQL card?
KB6NU asks readers to send in scans of their favorite SQL cards for display on KB6NU.com.
KB6NU.com

Photos working DX from Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire
I only operated for 10 minutes, but worked two German stations. The view was extraordinary.
amateurradio.com

Now you can spy on the spies using free web-based shortwave radio
Unlike regular stations with local news bulletins, music and talk shows, numbers stations feature broadcasts where a computerised female voice reads out endless lists of numbers or a child recites an endless series of letters.
International Business Times

How Arecibo Observatory Transmits to the ISEE-3 Spacecraft
We were talking about the ISEE-3 spacecraft during lunch at Arecibo Observatory some day in early June, just another day on the job.
The Planetary Society

HAARP facility being dismantled piece by piece
The US Air Force has given the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility in Gakona, Alaska, a death row reprieve of sorts.
ARRL

Lightweight antenna masts -- a few thoughts [PDF]
Lightweight masts make portable operation easy, but there is a skill set required to get the most out of your mast. SOTAbeams offers a few tips to consider.
SOTAbeams

Designing a truly portable SDR
A portable SDR (software defined radio) system based on a Toshiba Encore 8" Windows tablet, FunCube Dongle Pro+, and supported by the excellent SDR# application.
The SWLing Post

Repeater operation tips for new Hams
For new Hams, AF4TZ describes the difference between CB and Ham lingo when operating on a repeater system.
rsmt.org

Web based radio control interface
W2CYK has created a web interface that can program frequencies into a radio connected to a Raspberry Pi.
YouTube

ISS cargo ship activities to air on NASA TV
NASA Television will broadcast live the departure of an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, July 21, and the launch and docking of its replacement Wednesday, July 23.
Southgate

View of the radio industry as it existed in 1940
1940s era film introduces the new industry of television, emphasizing its need for specially skilled workers.
YouTube

Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by KK4HSX. Thank you for reading! 73!