The Question Pool Committee (QPC) of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) released the new Technician class (Element 2) question pool on Monday, January 4. This new question pool will become effective for all examinations administered on or after July 1, 2010; it will remain valid until June 30, 2014. The current Technician question pool that became effective July 1, 2006 will expire June 30, 2010. The new Technician pool contains approximately 400 questions, from which 35 are selected for an Element 2 examination; it will contain graphics and diagrams, something new for this element. The current General class question pool was effective July 1, 2007 and is valid through June 30, 2011. The current Amateur Extra class pool was effective July 1, 2008 and is valid until June 30, 2012.

What piece of active equipment in the ham shack doesn't have a transistor in it somewhere? Could you troubleshoot that equipment? While transistors are nearly ubiquitous, we often don't understand their inner workings as well as we might like. Here are some sharp questions to put an edge on your solid-state know-how.

This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of December.

The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December is Robert H. Welsh, N3RW, for his article "How the Ionosphere Was Discovered." Congratulations, Robert! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the January issue by Sunday, January 31.

This week, Surfin' checks out the stacks at Linux Journal and Tucson Amateur Packet Radio.

The FCC raised a few eyebrows by including the following sentence in its Public Notice DA 09-2259 (see page 72, this issue): "While the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communications service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications, is one of the underlying principles of the amateur service, the amateur service is not an emergency radio service [emphasis added]."

Here we are, on the last day of the year, with finally some very positive indicators for Solar Cycle 24. Each day since December 9 (except for Christmas Day), sunspots have been visible. The average daily sunspot numbers for the week December 24-30 were 12.9, an 18.5 point drop from the previous week, which was a 10.3 point rise from the previous week, December 10-16. Sunspot numbers for December 24-30 were 11, 0, 13, 17, 17, 17 and 15 with a mean of 12.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 77.1, 76, 75.9, 76.8, 75.8, 75.1 and 76.9, with a mean of 76.2. The estimated planetary A indices were 2, 2, 3, 2, 1, 0 and 0, with a mean of 1.4. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 0 and 0, with a mean of 1.1.

Fine Business

The mystery of space and weightlessness is one that inspires the imagination. The dream of conquering what lies beyond our atmosphere spans generations. It is that mystique and dream that has driven many dedicated Amateur Radio operators and science enthusiasts to find a little fun in the unknown.

Registration remains open through Sunday, January 24, 2010, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, February 5, 2010: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation; Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics.

Knut Magne Haugland, LA3KY, of Norway, passed away on December 25. He was 92. Haugland was one of six men, who with Thor Heyerdahl in 1947, successfully crossed the Pacific Ocean in a 45 foot raft made of balsa wood and bamboo -- named Kon-Tiki -- to prove that people from South America could have settled Polynesia in pre-Columbian times.

This week, revisit past installments of Surfin' and the history of wireless communications.

On Wednesday, December 23, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued an Instruction concerning MARS, effective immediately. This Instruction gives the three MARS services -- Army, Air Force and Navy/Marine Corps -- a new focus on homeland security and a new name: Military Auxiliary Radio System. The Instruction is the first major revision to MARS since January 26, 1988 -- as such, the first revision since the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, two major events that changed the way Amateur Radio dealt with emergency communications.

AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, has announced its annual Straight Key Night will take place from 0000-2400 UTC on January 1, 2010. Get out your straight key and join amateurs the world over as they connect with each other via the OSCAR satellites. According to AMSAT past vice president Ray Soifer, W2RS, the AO-51 satellite will be configured as an SSB/FM Repeater, V/U (CW QSOs only on Straight Key Night) with an uplink of 145.880 MHz USB and a downlink: 435.150 MHz FM during the event. "Participating in SKN 2010 on all satellites is easy," Soifer said. "No rules, no scoring and no need to send in a log -- just operate CW through any OSCAR between 0000 and 2400 UTC on January1, 2010 using a straight hand key. In keeping with the friendly nature of this event, all participants are encouraged to nominate someone they worked for 'Best Fist.' Your nominee need not have the best fist of those you heard, just of those you worked. Please send your nomination via e-mail. A list of those nominated will appear in AMSAT News Service and The AMSAT Journal."

Many of us are nearly giddy with joy over the recent steady increase in sunspot activity that seems long overdue. Average daily sunspot numbers rose more than 10 points this week compared to last -- from 21.1 to 31.4! The monthly average daily sunspot numbers for September, October and November were 6.6, 7 and 7.7, so this is quite a large jump. Sunspot numbers for December 17-23 were 24, 20, 43, 42, 42, 26 and 23, with a mean of 31.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 86.9, 84.2, 81.7, 83.7, 82.7, 82.2 and 78.4, with a mean of 82.8. The estimated planetary A indices were 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 and 2, with a mean of 1.4. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 2, 0, 2, 1, 2 and 3, with a mean of 1.7.

On Tuesday, December 22, President Barack Obama named Howard A. Schmidt, W7HAS, as the new White House Cybersecurity Coordinator. According to the White House, Schmidt -- an ARRL member -- is one of the world's leading authorities on computer security, with some 40 years of experience in government, business and law enforcement and "will have regular access to the President and serve as a key member of his National Security Staff. He will also work closely with his economic team to ensure that our cybersecurity efforts keep the Nation secure and prosperous."

Registration remains open through Sunday, January 24, 2010, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, February 5, 2010: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation; Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics.

Radio amateurs are making true advances in the state of the art through antenna experimentation. The most effective effort begins with an idea -- and that idea is developed into a workable antenna design. Aided by personal computers and antenna modeling software, today's reliable antenna solutions move from the drawing board to construction with greater ease. The ARRL Antenna Designer's Notebook by Brian Cake, KF2YN, is certain to open a window into the mind of the antenna designer as the design is imagined, perfected and finally constructed.

The ARRL currently has an opening for an Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager to be based at ARRL HQ. The successful applicant will represent the League with governmental and non-governmental emergency and disaster response organizations and partners -- primarily at the national level -- for planning, continuity and operational purposes.

Periodically, the ARRL’s Atlantic Division hosts a “webinar” -- an interactive Web-based seminar, designed to facilitate communication between a small number of presenters and a large remote audience using the Internet. On Wednesday, January 6 at 9 PM EST, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, along with attorneys Bob Famiglio, K3RF, and Mike Lazaroff, K3AIR, will present a webinar for Amateur Radio club officers or prospective club officers entitled Presentation on Legal Issues for Amateur Radio Clubs. According to Bill Edgar, N3LLR, this presentation will touch on legal issues for Amateur Radio clubs or organizations. The panel will cover club incorporation, liability issues and legal issues for clubs. Please click here to register for this informative, interactive Internet meeting.