Looking for a contesting edge in 2021? Hoping to inch closer to earning your DXCC? Wondering if Solar Cycle 25 will be stellar or fizzle out like its predecessor? Then you’re in luck.
You’ll get all that—and the chance to win an Icom IC-705 All Mode Portable Transceiver—by logging on to the “2021 Propagation Summit” webinar, January 23, 2021, from 11 am to 3 pm USA EST. Hosted by Contest University, the event is open to all. Click here to register.
There will be a drawing for an IC-705 donated by Contest University sponsors Icom America and DX Engineering. To win, you must be present on Zoom. The event will also be streamed live on DX Engineering’s YouTube channel (YouTube viewers will not be eligible for the drawing).
This free event brings together some of the most influential names in amateur radio:
11 am—”Update on the Personal Space Weather Station Project and HamSCI activities for 2021,” Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF
Nathaniel is an assistant professor at the University of Scranton Department of Physics/Electrical Engineering and the lead organizer of the HamSCI (Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation) project, a platform to advance scientific research and understanding through amateur radio activities, encourage the development of new technologies, and provide educational opportunities for Hams and non-Hams alike.
Noon—”Solar Cycle 25 Predictions and Progress,” Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
A retired RF engineer who designed solid-state RF power amplifiers, Carl hosts the amateur radio propagation website, k9la.us, which includes articles and presentations about propagation and solar topics from his writings over the years. An amateur radio license holder since 1961, he is a DXpeditioner and serious DXer, earning Top of the Honor Roll (worked all current DXCC entities) and the 160 Meter DXCC, among other awards.
1 pm —”Maximizing Performance of HF Antennas with Irregular Terrain,” Dr. James Breakall, WA3FET
Antenna designer, ionospheric researcher, contester, and electrical engineering professor, James had a long relationship with the recently decommissioned 1,000-foot radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, where he first did research as a Penn State University student. Among many accomplishments, he designed the Three Dimensional Frequency Independent Phased Array (3D-FIPA) antenna.
2 pm—”HF Propagation: What to Expect During the Rising Years of Solar Cycle 25,” Frank Donovan, W3LPL
Since his first experiences at Field Day 1959, Frank, a retired electronics and systems engineer, has become a powerhouse in the Ham radio world. W3LPL multi-multi teams have completed more than one million QSOs and achieved more than 50 first-place USA finishes in CQWW and ARRL DX contests. A frequent speaker at Contest University, Frank was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 1999.
