K9LA: Future Solar Cycles Likely to Be Weak But Present

Sunspots in Cycle 25? K9LA says
expect some, but not as many as
during the current cycle.
(National Weather Service photo)

Propagation expert Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, told a webinar in August that "we are headed for some small (solar) cycles," but he says data no longer support predictions of another "Maunder Minimum" with few to no sunspots at all. "There seems to be a good correlation," Luetzelschwab told a World Wide Radio Operators Foundation webinar, between how long a solar minimum is and the next solar cycle. The longer you spend at solar minimum, the smaller the next cycle." He said he expects the current cycle (24) to bottom out in 2020, but added that the downward trend of disappearing sunspots appears to have leveled off. This, he suggested, likely means that Cycle 25 will be weaker than the current one but will not be absent as some experts have predicted.

Applications Being Accepted as of October 1 for ARRL Foundation Scholarships

The application period opens on October 1 for eligible amateurs to apply for the 81 different academic scholarships administered by the ARRL Foundation. Awards range from $500 to $5000. Applicants for the 2017-18 school year must be active radio amateurs and fill out an online application, according to the ARRL. Applications and transcripts must be received by midnight (eastern time) on January 31, 2017. More information, including descriptions and requirements for individual scholarships, may be found at <http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-program>.

AC2SN Named One of the 25 Most Influential Women in the "Internet of Things"

Adafruit Industries Founder Limor Fried, AC2SN, has been named by the Internet of Things Institute

Limor Fried, AC2SN, at the White House Champons of
Change ceremony. (White House photo)

as one of the 25 most influential women in the IoT industry. IoT encompasses devices that are controlled remotely or communicate among themselves via the internet. Adafruit is an open-source hardware company based in New York City. Fried started the company in 2005 from her dorm room at MIT, according to the Adafruit website. Earlier this year, she was also named as a White House Champion of Change.