U. S. Hams Get a New Ham Band (Sorta)

The FCC just gave American hams more frequency space on the 60 meter band, taking it from a limited channelized space into a frequency agile allocation.  See the FCC ruling here. 

The FCC just handed American hams an early Christmas present.

U.S. hams now have access to a brand-new chunk of the 60-meter band: 5351.5-5366.5 kHz. That’s on top of the discrete 60m channels we’ve been using up to this point.

Here are the only caveats (and they’re pretty minor): you’ll need at least a General Class US license to use the new allocation. And if you’re working the new band, you’re limited to 9.15 watts ERP.

Phone, CW, RTTY, digital–seems like it’s all fair game. We just need to keep our bandwidth no wider than 2.8 kHz.

The ruling also notes power restrictions in the 70-centimeter band for operators in military coordination areas, but that’s outside the scope of the operations of most hams.

These changes will go into effect on January 8, 2026 (30 days after their December 9 publication in the Federal Register).

Superbolt

UPPER ATMOSPHERIC LIGHTNING OVER ITALY

There’s a famous scene in the movie Independence Day where the alien mothership deploys its lightning weapon over the White House. It looked something like the above pic.

This is not a scene from a movie. It’s a real photo of upper atmospheric lightning taken on Nov. 28th by Valter Binotto of Possagno, Italy. "This is a rare double formation of sprites and ELVEs," he says.

The sprites are the red, tentacled objects in the middle. The red 'flying saucer' surrounding them is the ELVE.

"Both were sparked by a single powerful lightning bolt over the Adriatic Sea," adds Binotto. "The positive lightning strike had a peak current of 387 kA, about ten times greater than a normal lightning bolt."

       The above map shows the location of the 387 kA lightning bolt.  Binotto was 350 km away.

Even professional monitoring stations rarely catch both phenomena at once. For example, a 2025 conference paper from the Pierre Auger Observatory describes their first clearly simultaneous observations using dedicated TLE cameras. The fact that they’re publishing "first observations" in 2024–2025 tells you this combination is noteworthy.

ELVEs are harder to catch than sprites in part because they require very strong lightning--the kind of bolt that generates an intense electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The red ring marks the spot where the EMP hit Earth's ionosphere, fading away after less than a millisecond.

"Thanks to the stars present, I was able to measure the altitude of the ELVE at about 85 km and its diameter at about 230 km," says Binotto.

For comparison, the mothership in Independence Day was 550 km in diameter, so this ELVE was a lesser but worthy rival.

The Toys of Sumner

I'm not much of a Morse Code guy, although from time to time I try to be, even though I'm continually challenged by it.

Morse Code is actually a language of dits and dah sounds that had its origins in the 19th century thanks to Samuel F.B. Morse and his partner Alfred Vail who together invented the system.  The Morse code that hams use (and until a few years ago, the maritime service, etc.) has a different "vocabulary" of dit and dah sounds than the old American Morse system which was used by the railroads in the early days.  

These days, many hams still use Morse (or as we call it, "CW", which stands for "continuous wave").  Why do hams use it?  (I'm sometimes guilty of asking that question myself, as I enjoy talking in plain vocal English) .  The answer has both practical and historical reasons though, even in today's digital age.  (Ironically, cw is a type of digital mode, in that it really utilizes a binary on/off state....which of course, is digital!)

Some advantages of using code:

Emergency Communication: Morse code can be transmitted using simple tools like flashlights or sound signals, making it effective when modern communication fails.

Universal Distress Signal: The SOS signal is widely recognized, allowing for quick communication in emergencies.

Cognitive Benefits:  Enhances Mental Skills: Learning Morse code improves concentration, memory, and listening abilities.

Fun and Challenging: It offers a unique skill that can be enjoyable to learn and master.

Historical and Cultural Significance: Understanding Morse code provides insight into the evolution of communication technologies and their impact on society.

Maritime Heritage: It played a crucial role in maritime safety and military operations, with ongoing relevance in some areas.

Multiple Transmission Methods: Morse code can be sent through sound, light, or touch, making it adaptable to various environments.

Efficiency: It allows for long-distance communication with minimal power, making it especially popular among hams..

Supports Communication for Disabled Individuals: Morse code can be used as an alternative communication method for those with limited motor skills, enabling them to convey messages effectively.

Effective in Noisy Environments: Morse code can cut through interference, making it a reliable option for communication in challenging conditions.

All that being said, I've been toying with the idea of (again) trying to restore some long lost code skills.  To this end, I dusted off a couple of old code paddles in addition to my straight key.  My favorite is an early model CW Touchkeyer which was designed and built by  Sumner Eagerman, WA1JOS, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in the early 80's.  Sumner was a super nice guy and very helpful to his customers.  Unfortunately Sumner has since passed on but his legacy lives on.

Some keyer paddles run hundreds of dollars and are works of art (mechanically as well as artistically).  Not Sumner's keyer though.  It consists of a circuit board inside a black plastic box with two paddles sticking out the front.  What's different is that the paddles don't move.  There are no moving parts.  At all.  The Touchkeyer works by capacitive touch with  the thumb and index finger.  It works like a dream and is by far the best paddle that I've ever used.

Thank you Sumner.

Ring Of Fire

This one is a short one, but I think it's very cool (despite the obvious temperatures involved).  

My friend Ken spotted this in a group called The Brain Maze on Facebook.  

In zero gravity, a candle flame forms a small blue sphere instead of the familiar teardrop shape.

Without gravity, hot air doesn’t rise, so the flame no longer stretches upward.

Instead, gases spread evenly in all directions, creating a smooth, round flame.

This environment allows the fuel to burn more completely, which is why the flame appears blue and produces no soot.

The result is a calm, gentle orb of fire that behaves very differently from a candle flame on Earth.  

Just amazing.