I was certain that this was one of the photos I had taken of the Aurora and this was confirmed by watching the show on their Internet broadcast at 17:20.

The photo is published on my web site in this post.

I am delighted that RÚV chose one of my photos for their show, it has now been seen by an entire nation, I wonder how many photographers can say that !  

UPDATE:  My investigations into how RÚV came to use my photo have revealed that when the icelandic word for Aurora – Norðurljós – is entered into Google Search, my photo is the seventh photo that comes up in the search results under images!

It appears that RÚV staff may have simply done a search for an Aurora image and grabbed the first image they liked.

This is an amazing coincidence, especially considering that I was watching TV when the clip was shown for a  few seconds only–  the Internet sure works in mysterious ways.

Greetings from the Twilight Zone…

Exposure: 20mm lens, 15 minutes at ISO 200, f /8   shot in full darkness around Midnight.

In view of the controversy surrounding remote operation from my station and to be fully abreast of current legal aspects of these issues, I ordered the ARRL OPERATING MANUAL FOR RADIO AMATEURS. 10th EDITION published 2012.

“Every chapter of this 10th Edition has been updated to reflect the most current information, including a brand new chapter on remote station control over the internet.”

Chapter 12 Remote Station Control Over the Internet is written by Steve Ford, WB8IMY.

“If we start talking about Internet remote control that extends across international borders, the legal aspects become more complicated.
A foreign amateur can access and operate an US-based Internet remote control station only if he or she is a citizen of a country that has entered into a multilateral operating agreement with the United States or a citizen of a country that shares a bilateral reciprocal operating agreement with the US. The latest list of participating countries is available on the ARRL website at http://www.arrl.org/bilateral-reciprocal-agreements.

When operating in this fashion, the individual at the client station must identify using “W” and the number of the FCC call letter district in which the host station is based, followed by a slash and his or her non-US call sign, for example W3/G1ABC.

An American amateur can access and operate a foreign based Internet remote control station only if the host station is in a country that allows remote station control under its regulations. Ask the owner of the host station to check with the authorities and make sure such operating is legal. If remote operation is allowed, the American amateur must use the call sign prefix of the country where the host station is located, followed by his or her call sign. For example, if the host station is in Austria, I would need to identify as OE/WB8IMY. “

To be certain that I understand these terms correctly, I looked up the definiton of “bilateral” :

Affecting or undertaken by two sides equally; binding on both parties: a bilateral agreement; bilateral negotiations.

And the definition of “reciprocal” :

1. given or felt by each toward the other; mutual: reciprocal respect.
2. given, performed, felt, etc., in return: reciprocal aid.
3. corresponding; matching; complementary; equivalent: reciprocal privileges at other health clubs.

Iceland - has – a bilateral operating agreement with the US and there is no requirement for US amateurs holding Extra Class licences  to apply for a formal permit from the PTA  since the US is also a signatory to CEPT.

Furthermore, WB8IMY clarifies the issue of the DXCC validity of remote operations.

How Does Remote Operating Impact Contesting and Awards?

“Every contest and award program has its own rules. Take care to read them carefully before you consider using a remotely controlled station as part of your contesting or paper-chasing strategy. Concerning ARRL awards and contests…

The DX Century Club (DXCC): Remote-control contacts are valid as long as the host and client are located within the same DXCC entity. For instance if you live in New York and use a host station in New Mexico to make DX contacts, those contacts are eligible for DXCC credit since both the client and host are within the United States. However, you can´t claim DXCC credit for contacts you might make while using a host located in, say, Australia. And credit can only be claimed for the call sign you are using on the air – either the host´s or your own”

There has been general misunderstanding with regard to this rule, even by myself and KL1A, but the meaning is now clear.  The rule applies only to the DXCC Award by the ARRL and has no legal bearing on the matter.

The rule to applies to the remote control operator´s DXCC award -not to those who contact him.

For example, KL1A can not claim DX contacts made from the TF4M remote station for his own DXCC award (i.e. KL1A DXCC since he is operating from TF and not from the USA or where ever he might be located), but DXCC credit for TF is certainly valid for those who contacted TF/KL1A.

It is therefore not correct to state that contacts made with TF/KL1A are not valid for DXCC.

A case in point : The remote operation of CQ8X in the Azores by OH2UA in Finland.

The website of Radio Arcala —– http://www.radioarcala.com/nbspRemote/CQ8Xremote/tabid/463/Default.aspx —- states : “These QSOs do not count for DXCC but they do count for the true spirit of Amateur Radio, being in the vanguard of state-of-the-art technology and its applications.”

These QSOs do not count for OH2UA´s DXCC Award (obviously since he was operating a station in the Azores and not his own in Finland), but they are valid for the CQ8X DXCC Award and for the DXCC Award of all who contacted CQ8X in the contest, who receive DXCC credit for the Azores.

I concede that the controversy here in Iceland over the remote operation of my station by KL1A was understandable since the ARRL was demonstrated  to have published erroneous information  with regard to CEPT regulations in their publication “Remote Operating for Amateur Radio“.

Apparently, Icelandic radio amateurs appear to consider remote-control of any kind what so ever to be illegal..whether inside or outside the country.

I am given to understand that this is because such operation is not specifically permitted in our radio regulations.

The consensus is that it is forbidden to connect an amateur station to the telephone system or the Internet!

I agree with the Radio Arcala group, remote operation falls under “the true spirit of Amateur Radio, being in the vanguard of state-of-the-art
technology and its applications.”

Ken Downs, W1KRT said in a letter published in QST March 2013: “our reason for being is to learn about communications electronics, experiment with and develop new technologies, and also just enjoy chatting with new and old friends while growing our skills as radio operators.”

A working group has been established to advise on the future policy of Icelandic Radio Amateurs, in harmony with international guidelines  of remote-control, which is being formulated.   Their recommendations may influence Icelandic Radio Amateurs towards a more progressive view of new technologies so that our experiments may continue in the true spirit of Amateur Radio.

Interesting times are ahead.

I spent a few chilly hours (-7°C) attempting to capture the Aurora, but the expected magnificent display did not materialize.

A very bright Moon lit up the night sky and made the Auroral display less impressive than it otherwise might have been.

What a privilege  to witness such beauty.

The power line seen in some of the photos will be removed in the spring.

I took a couple of photos on the beach.

The explanation turns out to be a Coronal Mass Ejection, a powerful solar eruption which may have released billions of tons of solar particles into space racing their way toward Earth, potentially making impact within three days.

I fully expect radio conditions to get even worse in the coming day, with attenuation levels on the order of 100 dB here in the Auroral Zone.

At the same time, stations outside the Auroral Zone may experience enhanced radio conditions.

I expect there will be even more Auroral displays too and hopefully I will finally be able to capture a decent photograph of the Aurora…

These photos were taken in complete darkness around Midnight.