Teen Radio Operators Relay Heartfelt Messages To Puerto Rico

Excellent work!

ARRL Letter for January 25, 2018

From the ARRL Letter for January 25, 2018 [SOURCE: ARRL]

Puerto Rico, US Virgin Island Amateurs are International Humanitarian Award Winners

The ARRL Board of Directors has conferred the 2018 International Humanitarian Award jointly on the Amateur Radio population of Puerto Rico -- served by ARRL Section Manager Oscar Resto, KP4RF -- and the radio amateurs of the US Virgin Islands, served by ARRL Section Manager Fred Kleber, K9VV. Radio amateurs in Puerto Rico and in the US Virgin Islands aided in the relief and recovery after a punishing hurricane season in the Caribbean.

The Board noted that radio amateurs in Puerto Rico and on the US Virgin Islands were "pressed into immediate service before and during the devastating storms" during the 2017 hurricane season. "The efforts of the local amateur communities continue to support the relief and recovery efforts even now," the Board said, "and the ARRL leadership in each section continues to do extraordinary service to their communities." ARRL established the International Humanitarian Award to recognize "truly outstanding Amateur Radio operators in areas of international humanitarianism and the furtherance of peace."

In a separate motion, the Board recognized the outstanding work and service and commended all involved with the various hurricane relief communication efforts during 2017. The Board cited the Amateur Radio communities of Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, the Caribbean islands, and in south Florida and Texas for "outstanding service during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season," calling their efforts "a demonstrable exhibition of Amateur Radio public service."

Central Kansas Amateur Radio Club

Radio club in Salina, Kansas. Visit their website here.

Article: Do Shortwave ‘Numbers Stations’ Really Instruct Spies?

Unidentified radio broadcasts have been transmitting coded messages, using numbers for years
(Source: Radio World)

10,555 miles

My FT8 signal was heard in Australia -- 10,555 miles away! 

Logbook of the World

After a few weeks of effort, LoTW is working for me. This is the #1 way I'm going to confirm QSOs. I also use eQSL but not as often. My dream is WAS for all of these digital modes:

• AMTOR
• CLOVER
• CONTESTI
• DOMINO
• FSK31
• FSK441
• GTOR
• HELL
• HFSK
• ISCAT
• JT4
• JT65
• JT6M
• JT9
• MFSK16
• MFSK8
• MINIRTTY
• MT63
• OLIVIA
• OPERA
• PACKET
• PACTOR
• PAX
• PSK10
• PSK125
• PSK2K
• PSK31
• PSK63
• PSK63F
• PSKAM
• PSKFEC31
• Q15
• RTTY
• RTTYM
• SSTV
• THOR
• THROB
• VOI
• WINMOR
• WSPR

Mobile

Winlink Express with the Yaesu FT-891

Winlink Express with the Yaesu FT-891

I think I figured out the high ALC issue

Adjusted RF PWR to 50 watts. Turned SignaLink TX knob to slightly below the 9 o clock position. Checking the PO meter shows an output of 10 watts. FT-891 is set in Data mode (which used to be in SSB per page 65 in the advanced manual from Yaesu) and this does better. Width is set to 3000Hz. The ALC is no longer visible in the meter!