Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2227, for Friday, July 3, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2227, with a release date
of Friday, July 3, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A former Newsline anchor becomes a Silent Key.
A petition in India focuses on amateur satellites -- and a VERY
special event station celebrates an equally special wedding. All this
and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2227, comes your way
right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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NO 'NIGHT OF NIGHTS' EVENT AT HISTORIC MORSE STATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A cherished tribute to radio history has been called
off just before it was scheduled to happen. The annual Night of Nights
event, held annually on July 12th, at a historic maritime commercial
telegraphy station, will not be taking place at radio station KPH this
year. The building is one of several shuttered inside the Point Reyes
(RAZE) National Seashore by the COVID-19 pandemic. KPH was originally
silenced on July 12, 1999, but was soon restored by the Maritime Radio Historical Society, which put it back on the air, with the station's
vintage equipment, and the amateur callsign K6KPH.

Idled once by history, it is silenced this time by a pandemic. Richard
Dillman W6AWO, the society's founding member, said however, that hams
may opt to activate on July 12th, from their homes instead, using their personal calls followed by slash MRHS. Watch for updates on the society's website radiomarine.org

Meanwhile, the New England Historical Radio Society, licensed operator
of commercial ship-to-shore station WNE, hopes to uphold the spirit of
the evening. The station is expected to be on the air that same night
at 8 p.m. local time, transmitting high seas weather for the North
Atlantic, according to the group's president Stephen Russell WA1HUD.
Be listening on 472 kHz.

(TECHCRUNCH.COM. RADIOMARINE.ORG)

**

SOTA ENTHUSIASM REACHES NEW HEIGHTS IN EUROPE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: What happens when a good idea for an activation just
keeps growing and growing? Undeterred by COVID-19, that's what is
happening in Europe among SOTA enthusiasts. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, explains.

ED: This year's Austrian SOTA Activities Day is planned for September
19th. It's normally a radio event combined with a social event afterward,
but with the COVID-19 safeguards in place, organisers are looking for a
new way to gather safely in the bier garden outside the "Gasthaus."
Meanwhile, SOTA operators in Switzerland have become inspired by the SOTA
day announcement by Martin OE5REO. The Swiss association manager Jurg,
HB9BIN, has suggested that operators there could hold a second activity
day, coinciding with the one in Austria. Now, SOTA organisations in other German-speaking countries are hoping to expand this yet further, garnering interest from Alpen countries such as France and Italy. Could this become
the first Europe-wide event of its kind?

One thing is for sure, on September 19th. the Alpen hills will be alive
with RF-music!

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(MARTIN OE5REO)

**

HAMS IN INDIA KEEP WATCH DURING QUARANTINE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in India who put public service first, are taking on
new responsibilities in the age of quarantine. John Williams, VK4JJW,
explains.

JOHN: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ham radio operators' roles
have been evolving in India. Hams have helped distribute food where it was needed, and have helped direct airport and rail travelers, who have
required quarantine. Now, hams are being dispatched to monitor individuals
who must comply with home quarantine. According to a recent article in The Hindu newspaper, amateur radio operators throughout Bengaluru, have joined
a volunteer task force, to ensure that the proper protocol is followed for persons who are mandated to stay home.

The director of the Indian Institute of Hams, Shankar Sathyapal, VU2FI,
told the newspaper that HF and VHF radio operators have been on the air, working in shifts, assisting with neighborhood watch, but said that the
hams are limiting their mobility in the communities to minimize risk. He
said that the risks of dealing with quarantine violators are also being mitigated. He said that the hams are not trained to intervene, but will
instead transmit messages to senior officials who are better-equipped to
handle the situation.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(THE HINDU)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2228, for Friday, July 10, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2228, with a release date of
Friday, July 10, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Radio assists a dramatic rescue at sea. Swiss
SOTA activators mark 15 years on the air -- and love is in the air
and on a summit. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2228, comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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SAILOR IN DISTRESS GETS HAM RADIO HELP

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with news of a sailing vessel in distress,
and the hams who stepped in to help. For that story, we turn to Dave Parks, WB8ODF, who happens to be a proud former net controller for the group
involved, the Maritime Mobile Service Network.

DAVE: In a dramatic rescue, amateur radio operators came to the aid of a sailing vessel set dangerously adrift in the ocean by engine failure off
the Florida coast. According to an account from the Maritime Mobile
Service Network, Captain Ian Cummings, KB4SG, was piloting the Mystic
Lady, in the Atlantic Ocean, about 40 miles off the Florida coast, when
the vessel's engine died, and a strong current began pulling him back out
to sea. His distance from shore made it impossible for him to reach help
on any of the VHF marine frequencies. On 14.300 MHz, he reached out to the Maritime Mobile Service Network, advising Net Control Operator Steven Carpenter, K9UA, that he was in distress. The contact with Steven, and
fellow net control operator Robert Wynoff, K5HUT, came just as the captain reported he was now being pushed by the wind toward the South Carolina
coast, possibly toward a shallow area known as a Lee shore, where boats
often run aground, and break up. The U.S. Coast Guard kept watch, as hams
with the net kept the captain's family updated via land line. Hours later,
the Mystic Lady was close enough to shore to allow Sea Tow, which provides
boat assistance, to assist with the ride back to port. The vessel's return
was monitored by the Pacific Seafarers Net, which continues operations
from the West Coast on 14.300 MHz after the Maritime Mobile Net is off the
air.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(JEFF SAVASTA KB4JKL)

**

SWISS SOTA ACTIVATORS MARK 15 YEARS ON AIR

JIM/ANCHOR: How do SOTA activators mark a special occasion? Hint: It often involves mountains, but it always involves radio. Here's Ed Durrant, DD5LP, with a report about some special radio events across the world.

ED: Fifteen years ago, a group of amateur radio operators in Switzerland decided to join the growing world-wide community activating Summits on the
Air, becoming an association.

With 15 years, and countless QSOs behind them, SOTA Group Switzerland is marking this anniversary year with special event station HB15SOTA, and
will keep this call sign on the air until May 8, 2021.

Awards are available for summit-to-summit contacts, as well as those from chasers.

Be listening for HB15SOTA, but please be patient for QSL cards, which will
be sent after the special call sign period ends. It won't take another 15 years, of course, but it may take awhile.

Last week, we told you about the planned Austrian SOTA activity day on September 19th, and how it started to expand into a Europe-wide event.
This week, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, and Croatia, have added their names
to the list from last week, which included Austria, Switzerland, Germany,
Italy and France, let's hope for a lot more European country associations committing to take part in the next couple of months.

Meantime, over the other side of the pond, not to be outdone, the "SoCal SOTAfest" is scheduled for August 1st and 2nd. This will be a two-day summit-to-summit event, with activators from both southern California,
and southern Colorado, taking part from some of the highest summits in
the Rocky mountains. Details at socalsota (dot) com.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(SOTA GROUP SWITZERLAND)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2229, for Friday, July 17, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2229, with a release date of
Friday, July 17, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams challenge a shortwave proposal near Chicago.
A DMR network gets completed in Ireland -- and meet Newsline's Young Ham
of the Year for 2020. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2229, comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR: MEET CHRIS BRAULT KD8YVJ

PAUL/ANCHOR: We take great pride in our top story this week: Introducing
our winner of the Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline
Young Ham of the Year Award for 2020. Here's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, who
spoke to him.

BRAULT: Okay then! Not quite sure how to respond to that! I'm speechless
to tell you the truth! I don't know what to say.

ABRAMOWICZ: That was the reaction when Christopher Brault, KD8YVJ,
learned at the end of a Zoom conversation, that he had been selected
the 2020 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young
Ham of the Year.

BRAULT: It's a goal that's achieved. I've had it set for awhile, and
we did it.

ABRAMOWICZ: Brault, who's 17, is the son of Jocelyn Brault, KD8VRX, and Kimberly Brault, of Liberty Township, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati.

Brault says he first got interested in amateur radio through his father,
whose curiosity was piqued by exposure to Jamboree on the Air as a youth,
and late,r an adult in the Boy Scouts of America.

BRAULT: "Most of the time, it was just driving in the car. He would have
a mobile radio in the car, and the antenna on the roof. We would be on a
road trip somewhere we'd be talking to people along the way, it seemed
like fun."

ABRAMOWICZ: Brault said that sparked his desire to get a license.

BRAULT: "Eventually got my license in 2014, and then a year later, got
my General. Hopefully, once this whole school thing and college search
thing dies down, I'll try and get my Extra."

ABRAMOWICZ: Brault is a member of the Dayton Amateur Radio Club, the
West Chester Amateur Radio Club, the Ohio Valley Experimenters Club,
and the St. Xavier High School Radio Club in Cincinnati, where he's
an honor student, and helped restart the school's club and will be
going into is senior year there.

He has earned recognition for his achievements in promoting amateur
radio to his peers, including the Hiram Percy Maxim Award, and the
Great Lakes Division Young Amateur of the Year.

In 2017, Brault was invited the join the Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure
to Costa Rica, where he joined Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, our 2018 YHOTY
award winner, and Austin Harris, WA8CCS, in making more than 3,100
contacts.

Brault also helped in the planning of an Amateur Radio on board the International Space Station contact in 2016, and spoke with Astronaut
Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, while she flew overhead.

But, Brault says two contacts during a Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air
event, sparked his interest in exploring a career in aviation.

BRAULT: "So, we had one guy in Texas that was in like a single-prop,
just flying around, I think it was on 20 meters. And then, we had
someone else, I think he was flying a 767 or 747, an actual airliner.
He was coming from Heathrow to O'Hare, or something of that nature.
And, he was just like, 'Yeah, I'm a United captain, and we're just
bored, so I thought I'd just play radio up here.' I'm like, 'Okay,
nice!'"

ABRAMOWICZ: Brault said he's working a part-time job right now at the
Butler County Regional Airport near his home, and was invited to take
flying lessons. He said he's on his way to earning his private pilot's
license, and is now seriously pursuing a dream of flying as a career.

BRAULT: "Weighing out my options, seeing if I want to do the college
route, or if I want to do it on the side. But, I'm starting to lean
that I'm probably going to do the college route. For now, I think
that's the plan is just become a commercial pilot."

"I mean, it's just from day-one, it's been something I've been
interested in, just like ham radio, and I think I could see myself
really enjoying it."

ABRAMOWICZ: From the judges, to the entire team here at Amateur Radio
Newsline, congratulations Chris!

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V.
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2230, for Friday, July 24, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2230, with a release date
of Friday, July 24, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The world's biggest amateur radio event
is cancelled. Hams assist a flight in distress en route to Easter
Island -- and amateur ingenuity simplifies social distancing.

All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2230,
comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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TOKYO HAMFAIR CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week with the latest and most likely
the biggest cancellation of an amateur radio event this year. The
Tokyo Hamfair, scheduled to open on the 31st of October, has been
cancelled by the Japan Amateur Radio League, which cited precautions
due to the coronavirus pandemic. Crowds at this major international
event have run as high in some years as 60,000 attendees, from
around the world, topping Friedrichshafen in Germany, and Dayton
Hamvention in Ohio. The Tokyo Ham Fair has been an annual event
since its first staging in 1977. Here's looking forward to Tokyo
Hamfair 2021.

(JARL, SOUTHGATE)

**

HAMS IN PERU ASSIST DISTRESSED AIR AMBULANCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Emergency intervention is what amateur radio operators
do best, and a recent crisis in the skies between South America and
Easter Island showed how it's done. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has those
details.

GRAHAM: Amateur radio operators in Peru were able to provide critical assistance recently, after an air ambulance from Chile, en route to
pick up a patient on Easter Island, suffered an emergency of its own.

On July 9th, after the aircraft's satellite communications equipment
failed, Guillermo (GHEE-YAIR-MOH), OA4DTU, and the Peruvian Relief Net
copied the pilot's signal on 7.100 MHz. This is the frequency on which
the net operates. The net had just ended an exercise a few moments
earlier, and Guillermo and Giancarlo, OA4DSN, were still on the
frequency. OA4DTU was able to contact Oceanic Air Control in Chile,
which had already grown concerned after losing radio contact with the
plane.

The Easter Island tower's HF radio was not functioning at the time,
making matters worse. The hams kept in touch with the plane, which was
finally able to make contact with the control tower via its VHF radio.
The plane was then able to receive instructions for landing safely.
The pilot, then able to pick up the patient, and make the return trip
to Chile.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(IARU-REGION 2)

**

ON THE TRAIL OF 'PARASITE ANTENNAS'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you think antenna or tower work can be dangerous
sometimes, consider a different kind of risk some tower workers in
Mexico have been taking, according to one news agency's report. Kent
Peterson, KC0DGY, has the details.

KENT: They're called "parasite antennas", and they're part of a
far-reaching network in Mexico that authorities say uses cellular
sites and other towers, to support illegal drug trafficking.

According to a recent report by Reuters, drug cartels often install
their antennas on towers, amid those of legitimate cellular carriers,
making use of the space to enable drug traffickers' two-way radio communications.

The Reuters report noted that use of the towers is actually more
advantageous to the traffickers, when it comes to avoiding detection:
in rural areas without the towers, the cartels are compelled instead
to install standalone antennas, which are more easily detected than
those piggybacked amongst the telecom users.

The Reuters report noted that the existence of these antennas puts
many of the telecom workers at risk, when they are doing repair work
at such a tower, and many fear for their lives. The same report noted,
however, that federal authorities are provided security from the Defense Ministry of Mexico, when they seek to dismantle the cartels' equipment.

When Reuters contacted Mexico's telecom and broadcast regulator, the
Federal Telecommunications Institute, the agency replied that none of
the companies under its jurisdiction have filed reports about the
existence of any such parasitic antennas.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(REUTERS)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2231, for Friday, July 31, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2231, with a release date of
Friday, July 31, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams activate as Hanna takes Texas by storm.
Indian radio operators staff a COVID "war room" - and some call sign
changes in Australia.

All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2231, comes
your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

**

ACTIVATIONS ASSIST AS HURRICANE HANNA STRIKES

JIM/ANCHOR: In our top story this week, Atlantic hurricane season once
again signals the time for extra amateur radio alertness. Christian
Cudnik, K0STH, gives us the details about Hurricane Hanna, and the
latest amateur activation.

CHRISTIAN: By the time Hurricane Hanna was downgraded to a tropical
depression near the border of the United States and Mexico, at least
four people were dead, and four others were missing. Amateur radio
operators were emerging from several tense hours of communications,
that began on the morning of Saturday, the 25th of July. Southeast
Texas, and the barrier islands, braced for the storm, where reports
said Hanna was to make landfall. The amateur radio station at the
National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, activated, and had the support of
the VoIP Hurricane Net, where hams activated to provide ground truth
data, including surface and damage reports. Hams in the Corpus Christi
and Brownsville areas, or those with relays into those areas, called
in to the VoIP Hurricane Net using SKYWARN reporting criteria. Hams
used modes including EchoLink, IRLP, and Allstar, with two other hams
using the private telephone network Hamshack Hotline.

Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, told Newsline that the net stood down at 8 p.m.
central, although some hams monitored the situation, because of
flooding conditions, and storms inland. He said that stations wishing
to become involved as a net control station should view voipwx dot net (voipwx.net), or email Rob, KD1CY, at kd1cy at voipwx dot net (kd1cy@voipwx.net).

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH.

(LLOYD COLSTON KC5FM)

**

AMATEURS IN INDIA STAFF A COVID-19 'WAR ROOM'

JIM/ANCHOR: In India, amateur radio operators have been staffing a
COVID-19 "war room", carrying critical information for public health
and safety. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, explains.

JASON: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a busy season for hams in
India, especially those working closely with the Indian Institute
of Hams, VU2IIH, in Bengaluru. The institute coordinated the response
of more than 260 hams across Bengaluru city, to keep information
flowing continuously, on such matters as arrivals and departures
into the city, statistics on infections, mapping the regions infected,
and monitoring families on home quarantine. The civil preparedness
effort included establishment of a COVID-19 "War Room", created by the government of Karnataka, providing both HF and VHF stations, which were
on the air around the clock. The HF station was provided by the National Institute of Amateur Radio, and an ongoing net permitted hams to check
in, and exchange information from all over. The Indian Space Research Organisation, and the Ham Action Force also sent hams and resources
for the massive effort. Hams provided radio connections as well for
government agencies at the airport, and communicated with hams in Pune (Poo-Nay), who assisted doctors and nurses returning from the shifts
treating COVID-19 patients.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AMATEUR RADIO)

**

ANTIQUE WIRELESS GROUP PRESENTATIONS GO VIRTUAL

JIM/ANCHOR: Although the Antique Wireless Association had to call off
its annual conference in Rochester, New York, because of COVID-19
precautions, the program itself is still being made available as a
series of online video conferences. Starting on August 11th, various presentations will become available on the AWA's YouTube channel, and
details will be posted on the AWA's website, antiquewireless dot org. (antiquewireless.org)

(ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2232 for Friday, August 7, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2232, with a release date of
Friday, August 7, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams respond to a tornado in New England.
U.S. astronauts have a historic splashdown -- and in Australia, a supercapacitor bears fruit. All this and more, as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2232, comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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SILENT KEY: NEWSLINE'S BOBBY BEST WX4ALA

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast on a somber note. Newsline
has lost one of its own. Bobby Best, WX4ALA, who was the backbone of
our weather and storm coverage for years, has become a Silent Key. He
died in his sleep on Sunday, August 2nd, at the age of 49. In addition
to his contributions as Newsline's staff meteorologist, Bobby enjoyed
a three-decade-long career as a professional broadcaster in his home
state of Alabama. He became part of the Newsline family in 2015 as a
reporter, and quickly carved out a niche for himself with his specialty
as a storm-chaser. His ham radio career found him active in both SKYWARN
and ARES, as he pursued his passion to report weather under challenging circumstances. His call sign WX4ALA stood for "Weather for Alabama" and reflected his responsibility to his calling. We here at Newsline will
miss Bobby's enthusiasm, his talents, and most of all, his friendship.
Rest in peace, friend.

**

U.S. ASTRONAUTS RETURN TO EARTH

NEIL/ANCHOR: The historic flight by two U.S. astronauts, one of them
an amateur radio operator, has come to an end. Let's hear more from
Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

SKEETER: Two months ago, they made history, and on Sunday, August 2nd,
they made a splash.

NASA's Doug Hurley, and Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, the first astonauts to fly
a SpaceX Dragon commercial spacecraft, returned to Earth from the
International Space Station, finishing their mission with a splashdown
in the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola on the coast of Florida.

The mission will be remembered for its notable firsts: The splashdown,
the first for a manned capsule after a break of 45 years, also marked
the first use of the Gulf as a landing site for a U.S. space crew. Bob
and Doug had already achieved notoriety for being the first crew on a
privately owned commercial spaceflight. The May 30 launch from Kennedy
Space Center was also the first for American astronauts since the
Shuttle's retirement in 2011.

There is still one more "first" yet to happen - and this one is a family
first: Bob's astronaut wife, Megan McArthur, has been chosen to be the
pilot of the same SpaceX Dragon next spring. Three amateur radio operators
will be on board with her.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

(WASHINGTON POST, NASA)

**

U.S. HAMS ACTIVATE FOR HURRICANE, TORNADO

NEIL/ANCHOR: Just days before the VoIP Hurricane Net and the WX4NHC net activated in anticipation of the Atlantic storm Isaias, amateur radio
operators in the northeastern United States were credited with playing
critical roles when a tornado touched down in western Massachusetts, on
August 2nd. The National Weather Service put out a statement thanking
the amateurs for their assistance in identifying areas of greatest damage
in an area that is not densely populated, and for making use of a drone
to gather video footage. According to the weather service, the maximum
wind speed was 80 miles an hour. The tornado covered a path of nearly 8
miles, damaging homes and trees, and taking down power wires. No injuries
or fatalities were reported.

(NWS, LLOYD COLSTON KC5FM)

**

PLANE CALLED A 'GAME-CHANGER' FOR SATELLITE LAUNCHES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Things might change very soon for the way small satellites
are launched. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us why.

JIM: Creators of small satellites such as CubeSats, and other amateur
radio satellites have their eyes on the latest iteration of a small
suborbital space plane known as the Dawn MK-II Aurora. It is the vision
of Dawn Aerospace, which operates in the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Dawn describes the plane as a potential game-changer for the smallest
of the small satellites, and touts its ability to carry payloads between
110 and 220 pounds, all the way to orbit. Smaller than a compact car, it
can make several flights a day, using conventional airport runways
anywhere in the world, eliminating the need for vertical launches.
According to the Dawn Aerospace website, the plane's first launch is to
take place from the South Island of New Zealand, and it will fly to an
altitude of more than 100 km, or 62 miles.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(DAWN, TECHCRUNCH)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2233, for Friday, August 14, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2233, with a release date of
Friday, August 14, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The first Virtual Ham Radio Expo breaks new
ground. Hams in India activate for monsoons - and a father pays
tribute to a son, who's a Silent Key. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2233, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

QSO TODAY VIRTUAL HAM RADIO EXPO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In a year when ham expos were cancelled, scaled-down,
or migrated to simple online platforms, this year's QSO Today Virtual
Ham Radio Expo, broke new ground on August 8th and 9th. Neil Rapp,
WB9VPG, was there.

NEIL: The QSO Today Virtual Ham Radio Expo was an unprecedented gathering:
An ARRL-sanctioned event, with major sponsors, 45 exhibitor booths, 65 speakers, and 26,000 amateurs registered to attend for free on a 48-hour accessible platform. With an exhibit hall, auditorium, and avatars, representing convention-goers and stall-holders, the specially designed
online environment replicated the in-person convention experience --
minus the parking hassles, and the food trucks.

It was the concept of Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, host of the popular QSO Today
weekly podcast, who like the rest of us, was missing Dayton this year.
The event came together through the summer, with the help of his team
of marketing and convention experts. Eric told Newsline that anyone
whose schedule prevented them from attending, can still attend the
sessions in an on-demand format through September 9th. Lectures will
also be available later on YouTube.

If you left hungry for more, Eric said he is already committed to a
second virtual expo -- this one to be held on March 13th and 14th -- and
in the meantime, an idea is being explored to hold something for European amateurs in December.

Eric told Newsline "amateur radio is like a huge tent", and this one was
the biggest in his life, which made it a learning experience. Speaking
of hunger - he also said he's thinking of ways to make food-delivery
service happen next time too.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

**

HAMS IN SOUTHERN INDIA AID AFTER MONSOONS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In southern India, hams were ready when the monsoons
rolled in. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, picks up the story from here.

GRAHAM: Authorities in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala (KER-uh-luh) have reported a growing activation of amateur radio operators in the monsoon-plagued state, which also suffered a deadly landslide. Several published reports noted that as rescue operations got under way in Idukki,
hams got on the air as well on Friday night, August 7th, establishing a
control unit of the radio station at the local fire station. As the storm submerged residential areas, red alerts were issued in six districts, with flooding in numerous low-lying areas.

The chief warden of civil defence volunteers said hams were making use of satellites for communications support, and that more radio operators were joining them as rescue efforts progressed.

The hams were helping with reports on evacuations of stranded people,
equipment shortages, and providing coordination among agencies.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(HINDUSTAN TIMES, TIMES OF INDIA, SOUTHGATE)

**

NEW ZEALAND EFFORT EXPLORES WIRELESS POWER DISTRIBUTION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: No wires, no problem! New Zealand innovators are exploring
a new way to distribute power, as we hear from Jim Meachen, Zed L 2 BHF.

JIM: Copper wire for electric-power transmission -- Who needs it? A startup company in New Zealand is suggesting it's not needed at all, replacing
wires with high powered "radar like" RF beams on the ISM band.

That's something that we amateur radio operators have known all along - wireless is the way to go. The company, Emrod, believes there is
commercial potential in this, and the country's second-largest distributor
of power has invested in Emrod's effort. Powerco is impressed with Emrod's technology, which advocates using line-of-sight relays to move large
amounts of electricity between two points. Emrod hopes to deliver a
prototype to Powerco by October, so that lab testing can begin in advance
of field trials.

Emrod says the transmission mode is reliable, and remains unaffected by
rain, fog, and dust. Emrod also says it has the potential to transmit
along thousands of kilometres, with less infrastructure and maintenance
cost. The company also believes the method creates a much smaller
environmental impact than does a wired system.

Powerco's Network Transformation Manager, Nicolas Vessiot, said the concept shows promise for the delivery of power to areas where the terrain is
either too challenging, or too remote. He also said it would prove useful
for keeping customers' lights on, when the company is doing maintenance on
its infrastructure.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(NEW ATLAS)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2235, for Friday, August 28, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2235 with a release date of
Friday, August 28, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Gulf Coast hams mobilize as hurricanes come
crashing in. Crisis hits a wartime epicenter for code-breaking --
and the DX of a lifetime for one ham in India. All this and more,
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2235, comes your way right
now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

HAMS ACTIVATE AS HURRICANE SLAMS U.S. GULF REGION

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with an update on Hurricane
Laura, considered one of the most powerful storms to hit the U.S. in
recent history. It made landfall in the U.S. Gulf Coast region,
focusing on Texas and Louisiana, shortly before Newsline went to
production on Thursday, August 27th. The Hurricane Watch Net, and the
VOIP Hurricane Net had both activated a day earlier, to begin reports
to WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center using Skywarn criteria.
Hams began reporting in via HF, as well as EchoLink, IRLP, AllStar,
DMR, and D-STAR, among other modes. The Hamshack Hotline was also
actively receiving reports. The ARRL reported that the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service teams in the region were also preparing for
overwhelming damage. This story was still developing as this report
got underway. Follow Newsline on Twitter and Facebook for additional
updates.

(LLOYD COLSTON KC5FM, ARRL, CNN)

**

FINANCIAL CRISIS FOR CODE-BREAKERS' HEADQUARTERS

NEIL/ANCHOR: One of the latest institutions facing a crisis because
of the COVID-19 pandemic is a national treasure in the UK, with a
reputation for being the epicenter of wartime code-breaking. Jeremy
Boot G4NJH picks up the story from here.

JEREMY: The Bletchley Park Trust has said it lost more than 95 percent
of its income between March and July as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, and it has proposed a restructuring that would include
elimination of as much as one-third of its workforce.

Bletchley Park, like so many other heritage organisations, shut its
doors on the 19th of March, and reopened on a limited basis on the
4th of July. An estimated 85 percent of the Trust's staff was
furloughed, and added funding was obtained through the National
Lottery Heritage Fund.

The museum celebrates the heritage of the codebreakers of World War
II, who operated there at the Milton Keynes country house. It has
since become home to the Radio Society of Great Britain's National
Radio Centre, which operates an educational communications exhibit
in partnership with the Bletchley Park Trust. It is also home to
NRC's amateur radio station GB3RS. The National Radio Centre,
however, remains closed until further notice.

In a number of media reports, Bletchley Park CEO Iain Standen described
the proposed cuts, saying: [quote]: "I had hoped that we might avoid
the need to do this, but we find ourselves with no other choice if we
are to secure the future of the Bletchley Park Trust.� [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(MKCITIZEN, SOUTHGATE, BLETCHLEYPARK.ORG)

**

AMATEUR ACCUSED OF ESPIONAGE IN GREECE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Sanctions against radio operators can range from operating
out of band, to malicious interference, to operating without any
license at all -- and then there's the case of this amateur from
Germany, charged by Greek police with espionage. Ed Durrant, DD5LP,
picks up that story.

ED: The German tourist wanted only to have a relaxing holiday, and like
many hams, brought along his radio equipment, hoping for portable
operations -- that is, until his arrest on August 9th. Police in
Rhodes charged him with espionage, after finding amateur radio equipment
in his rental car.

According to published reports in the Greek City Times, and the
Europost, the 51-year-old ham, whose identity and call sign were not
given, had equipment that included cables, an antenna, a transceiver,
and a laptop - but was not carrying a license from any relevant telecommunications authority. Rhodes is one of the focal points of
national tension with nearby Turkey, and police, being extra vigilant,
charged the man with spying saying he violated a law that covers use of electronic communications.

The man told authorities he had been on the air with about 250 other
hams - most of them from Germany, like him, and had been operating
legally on frequencies reserved for amateur radio use.

The charges were dismissed in court after authorities said they did not
have enough evidence to support their claims of espionage.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(EUROPOST, GREEK CITY TIMES)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2234, for Friday, August 21, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2234, with a release date of
Friday, August 21, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Digital frequency allocations in the HF
bands come under scrutiny. Youngsters in New Zealand prep for
Field Day in February - and Canada prepares to honor the best
of the best. All this, and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report Number 2234, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

IARU REGIONS COLLABORATE ON REVIEW OF DIGITAL BAND PLANS

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with encouraging news for
hams who prefer to use the digital modes. Band plan talks have begun
on an international level - as Andy Morrison, K9AWM tells us, these
are unprecedented discussions.

ANDY: Now that's teamwork! The three regions of the International
Amateur Radio Union are collaborating on HF band plans that are
designed to accommodate the exponential growth in hams' use of the
digital modes, most especially FT8. This effort closely follows a
recent move by the ARRL, which has asked the Federal Communications
Commission to allocate a portion of the HF bands specifically for
digital use. The three IARU regions have established a band-planning
committee with representation from each region, which is working to
establish allocations that are aligned with one another around the
world. There will be a review of the different digital modes using HF,
and members will study how these modes can share the limited space in
the spectrum.

IARU secretary, Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, noted that the cooperation of the
three regions, in a dedicated effort to coordinate band-planning, is unprecedented in the history of the organization.

Band plan revisions receive final approval at the regional conferences
held every three years.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(SOUTHGATE)

**

PUERTO RICO OBSERVATORY ASSESSES DAMAGED REFLECTOR DISH

PAUL/ANCHOR: The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is still trying to
solve the mystery behind the accident that knocked its reflector dish
off the air this month. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, has the details.

KEVIN: More than a week after a structural cable snapped, and damaged
a reflector dish at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, halting all observations, the mystery remains as to how it happened. The
space-research facility's work concentrates most prominently on deep
space, planetary exploration, asteroid characterization, and
gravitational waves. It is also home to the Arecibo Observatory Radio
Club, KP4AO.

According to several press accounts, the broken cable created a
100-foot-long hole in the giant reflector dish, shutting the National
Science Foundation facility, and halting all operations at the
observatory, which is managed by the University of Central Florida.

Shortly after the cable broke on the 10th of August, the UCF said said
that it would take about two weeks, before observation activity could
return. A spokeswoman for Francisco Cordova, the observatory's director,
told Newsline that the team assigned to asses the cause was still
studying the damage.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(ANDY MEYER N2FYE, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, THE VERGE)

**

NEW ZEALAND YOUNGSTERS PREP FOR FIELD DAY

PAUL/ANCHOR: In New Zealand, summer Field Day is expected to be a big
deal for young hams in February. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, shares that
report with us.

JIM M: When is it actually considered fun to get on the air when band conditions aren't quite the best? When it's part of a Youngsters on
the Air exercise. In New Zealand, YOTA Oceania is busy preparing for
the Jock White Memorial Field Day event, to be held in Wellington, at
the Kaitoke camping ground early next year. Organiser Benjamin Isaacs,
ZL2BCI, said that the HF contest is named to honor the former NZART
contest and awards manager, who is now a Silent Key. The challenge
facing the young hams who'll be participating on the 27th and 28th
of February, will be to work as many other ZL stations as possible,
and to listen for any potential contacts into Australia, even if
conditions are poor. The call sign details are still being finalised,
but you can be sure you'll be listening for the last four letters
which, of course, will be Y O T A.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(BENJAMIN ISAACS ZL2BCI)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2236 for Friday, September 4, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2236, with a release date of
Friday, September 4, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A radio upgrade for the ISS. Ham Radio
University considers a virtual venue -- and a global D-STAR Net
is on the move. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2236, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

'NEXT-GENERATION' RADIO SYSTEM ACTIVE ON ISS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with good news being
delivered from some 250 miles above the Earth. The first element of
the InterOperable Radio System has been set up and installed on the International Space Station for use in ARISS contacts, replacing the
old Ericcson radio system and packet module first certified for
amateur radio use in July of 2000.

The new system began its operations on Wednesday, September 2nd, in
FM cross-band repeater mode, with an uplink frequency of 145.99 MHz,
and an access tone of 67 Hz. The downlink frequency is 437.800 MHz.
It's been a bit of a wait for this next-generation system, which was
years in the making. In March, it rode the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply
mission to the ISS from Kennedy Space Center.

Its creation was the culmination of five years of work by ARISS'
volunteer hardware team.

With its higher power radio, APRS capabilities, voice repeater, and
slow-scan TV system, it is expected to have a profound impact for hams, students, and even members of the public watching future ARISS events.

(ARISS)

**

AFTER STORM, LOUISIANA HAMS FOCUS ON SAFE GENERATOR USE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With a major hurricane over, hams in Louisiana turned
their attention to other important work. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, tells us
what happened next.

PAUL: In the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, hams were mobilized in
and around Lake Charles, Louisiana, and other devastated areas in the
region to assist with public safety measures, especially concerning
portable generator use. Community Emergency Response Team members in
Denham Springs were asked by the state Fire Marshal's office to help
educate residents in proper use of generators being employed, due to
persistent widespread power outages. Hams from the Ascension Amateur
Radio Club in Gonzales, Louisiana, were also encouraged to help with
the volunteer effort.

The focus on generator safety was not insignificant: Although the storm
was called one of the most powerful to sweep through the Gulf of Mexico,
news reports noted that following the hurricane, more deaths were
reported due to carbon monoxide poisoning than to the actual storm
itself.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(JOSEPH HOLLAND KB5VJY, NPR.ORG)

**

BREAK-INS AT AUSTRALIAN MARINE DISTRESS RADIO SERVICE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Police are looking for burglars who broke into a
marine distress radio service on the Australian coast, vandalizing,
and stealing property. Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, tells us more.

ROBERT: Two break-ins have struck the marine distress reporting
service's radio facilities on the southeastern Victoria coast,
according to a report from the Wireless Institute of Australia.

In an August 14 email to WIA president Gregory Kelly, VK2GPK, Peter
Pokorny, VK2EMR, reported that in the first incident, 10 batteries
were stolen from the VHF radio facilities of Kordia Pty Ltd at
Mt. Cann/Mt. Bemm -- and that thieves returned, and stole the
remaining 38 sometime later. The facility also sustained damage, as
the thieves cut their way in, wrecking fences and gates to get to
the battery hut.

The WIA is a licensee at the site, which Kordia operates for the state government as the Victoria Marine Distress and Emergency Monitoring
Service, otherwise known as Marine Radio Victoria. Nine coastal marine
VHF sites are part of the service which covers the Victorian coast.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead, VK3DN

(WIA)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2237 for Friday, September 11, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2237 with a release date of
Friday, September 11, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A tower accident kills a ham in Maine.
Reactions to a U.S. license fee proposal fill FCC website -- and a
jury returns a guilty verdict in a ham's murder. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2237 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

GUILTY VERDICT IN 2018 KILLING OF CALIFORNIA AMATEUR

JIM/ANCHOR: A U.S Marine Corps lieutenant has been found guilty in
the beating death of a well-known amateur radio operator in his
Murrieta, California home. A Riverside County jury found First
Lieutenant Curtis Lee Krueger guilty of assault and second-degree
murder in the 2018 killing of Henry Allen Stange WA6RXZ, according to
John Hall, the DA's public information officer. The ham's body was
not located until June of 2018 when his remains were discovered in a
shallow grave in Joshua Tree National Park. Police said the beating
had also fractured his skull. The prosecutor said the 54-year-old
radio operator had been in a relationship with the Marine's
girlfriend at the time.

She pleaded guilty last year to being an accessory after the fact,
and received a sentence of 10 months in jail and three years
probation for the felony. Krueger is scheduled to be sentenced on
October 16th. He faces 16 years to life in prison.

(THE PRESS ENTERPRISE, RIVERSIDE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY)

**

RESCUE BY REPEATER FOR TWO U.S. HAMS

JIM/ANCHOR: Two dramatic rescues-by-repeater took place near the Nevada-California border in late August bringing home the reality
that amateur radio saves lives, especially in remote areas where
cell phones simply do not function. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, has
those details.

RALPH: Ham radio came to the aid of a critically injured motorcyclist
in a head-on highway collision in late August. Eric Bero, KI7WHH,
called in from the scene, where the victim remained on the center
line of Highway 89, west of Highway 395. Jim Sanders, AG6IF, heard
the details, and called 911, staying on the air with Eric while
highway patrol responded. The road was secured from traffic, while a helicopter was summoned to transport the victim.

Elsewhere, hams responded to a distress call from a radio operator
whose vehicle got stuck on a backcountry road. According to local
news reports, Tom Foss, K6ICE, was carrying only a day's supply of
water and no food when his Subaru Forester became immobilized. He
called for help on the Sierra Intermountain Emergency Radio
Association's NV7CV repeater. His situation was reported to police by
Rick Olson, KM6DYL, and his son, Ryan, KM6DYO, who were listening.

Another listener, Ed Terlau, KG7ZOP, guided Tom in finding his
location coordinates on his mobile phone, and Paul Gulbro, WA6EWV,
linked his repeater to widen the communications reach. Finally,
search and rescue, aided by John Abrott, KD7NHC, was able to bring
Tom to safety.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(RECORD-COURIER.COM)

**

HAM DIES IN FALL FROM TOWER IN MAINE

JIM/ANCHOR: Another tragic tower accident has claimed the life of a
ham radio operator - this time in Maine. Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
brings us that story.

HEATHER: A ham radio operator who worked part-time as a broadcast
engineer for WLBZ News Center Maine has become a Silent Key following
a fatal 80-foot fall from an amateur radio tower.

A friend who was on the scene in the rural town of Union, Maine, told authorities that James Larner, N1ATO, was secured to the tower using
a harness and carabiner clips. At the time of the accident on
September 2nd, he was taking apart an antenna that was mounted on the
tower.

James, who was 74, was no stranger to towers, having worked as an
engineer for a number of broadcast entities in his home state.

The accident is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, which will work in conjunction with the Maine
Medical Examiner.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.

(NEWS CENTER MAINE, WIRELESS ESTIMATOR)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2238, for Friday, September 18, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2238, with a release date of
Friday, September 18, 2020 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. U.S. hams activate again for hurricanes and
wildfires. A new UK ham club finds 'virtual' success -- and a
digital network for blind hams explores endless possibilities. All
this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2238 comes
your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

AMATEURS RESPOND TO WILDFIRES, HURRICANES

PAUL/ANCHOR: As wildfires raged in the American West and hurricanes
struck farther east, hams were mobilized on the Pacific Coast and in
the nation's Gulf Coast region to report and respond as needed. By
Wednesday, September 16th, the Voice Over Internet Protocol Weather
Net had secured as did WX4NHC, the amateur station at the National
Hurricane Center.

According to Lloyd Colston KC5FM, scores of weather reports were
submitted for Hurricane Sally in the Gulf Coast and Hurricane
Paulette which hit Bermuda. By Thursday, September 17th, ARES had
activated in northern Florida, anticipating Sally.

Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the
first two channels on the 5 MHz band available for interoperability
between hams and government agencies for both the weather systems
and the West Coast wildfires. Amateur radio is secondary on the 5
MHz band.

The Military Auxiliary Radio System was also prepared to assist with
response on the band as needed.

(SWLING POST, LLOYD COLSTON)

**

MILLIMETER WAVE RADAR SHOWS PROMISE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Scientists in a U.S. research lab have found a way
sound waves can give a mighty boost to radar. Skeeter Nash N5ASH has
that report.

SKEETER: As hams we all know the power of sound and the information
it can carry. Now, scientists at the United States Naval Research
Laboratory are harnessing the power of vibration sensing to tell
them more about moving targets.

According to an article on the lab's website, using a millimeter
wave radar lets operators sense what a target may be doing by
detecting subtle changes in vibration. Because it is a remote-
sensing technique it does not require proximity. According to the
article, even a low-power system can detect a one-square-meter
target that is about 10 kilometers, or 6 miles, away.

Christopher Rodenbeck, an electrical engineer in the lab's Radar
Division said the process adds sound to image collection already
being done by radar. It relies on a new algorithm that translates
small vibrations into sounds that can be measured and characterized.
That algorithm still has its patent pending.

Michael Walder, superintendent of the lab's Radar Division, said:
[quote] "Millimeter wave radar can see things that can't be seen at
other frequencies and can't be seen optically." [endquote]

Millimeter wave radar is extremely accurate and has a high
resolution. Its electromagnetic waves are between 1 and 10
millimeters -- at radio frequencies between 30 and 300 GHz.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

(U.S. NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY)

**

HAMS REUNITE MISSING MAN WITH FAMILY IN INDIA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams in West Bengal, India have helped reunite a
missing man with his family. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the details.

JIM: A family reunion that was more than 10 years in the making
finally happened earlier this month in India thanks to amateur
radio. According to local news reports, Govinda Munde, 60, had been
in treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Pune (Poo-NAY) and had not
seen his family for many years but turned up mysteriously in
February on the island where the Gangasagar (Gong-a-SOGG-ARR)
Festival had just concluded in West Bengal. He was found sleeping
beneath a tree, according to Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA, secretary
of the West Bengal Radio Club. The club had been asked by
authorities to have local hams assist in locating his family. The
man was admitted to a general hospital for treatment but walked out
two days later. He was tracked down and readmitted sometime
afterward. Hams meanwhile located his family in Maharashtra State.
After some delays, the man's brother arrived only to discover that a
caretaker had put him on a train. Ambarish said that Samarendra
Sekhar Das VU3XSS, Dibos Mandal VU3ZII and Kalipada Patra, a
shortwave listener, were able to find him on September 6th and with
the help of police, the family was reunited. By the 11th of
September, they were back in Maharashtra.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2239, for Friday, September 25, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2239 with a release date of
Friday, September 25, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hara Arena is coming down. Disaster-
preparedness goes global - and a popular ham shack for visitors to
Sweden is closing. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2239, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

DEMOLITION SET FOR HARA ARENA

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with the end of an era - and the
planned demolition of a Dayton, Ohio building that since 1964,
symbolized one of amateur radio's biggest international gatherings.
Hara Arena, already deteriorating by the time it was left damaged by
tornadoes in May of 2019, had been home to Dayton Hamvention until
2017 when it was moved to the Greene County Fairgrounds in nearby
Xenia, Ohio. The arena property will also be rezoned to allow for manufacturing and distribution use once the legendary building has
been taken down.

(WHIO)

**

GLOBAL EMERGENCY-PREP PROGRAM SEEKING HAMS

NEIL/ANCHOR: A global emergency-preparedness initiative is under way
and has put a call out to ham radio operators. They're being asked to
assist with preparedness and safe response and educating the next
generation. Christian Cudnik, K0STH, has that story.

CHRISTIAN: The most effective disaster plans involve training
tomorrow's EmComm operators and according to Gregory Lee, KI6GIG,
hams, more than anyone, can take an active role in this while helping communities respond to so-called geo-hazards. Greg says hams can
educate the very youngest students, right up to those of college age,
on the geography and hazards of their region. The basis of this
education is his free downloadable article, "Are You Living in a
Potential Disaster Zone?" Newsline has a link to the article in the
printed version of this week's script at arnewsline.org

Hams should also become aware of whether their country is a signatory
on the United Nations Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and
engage teachers in awareness of this formalized global response. Greg
said that COVID-19 should not get in the way of this kind of training.
He said the Amateur Radio Society of Bangladesh recently asked him to
assist with development of a national EmComm network, and he was able
to do a presentation to them in Dhaka from his QTH in Arizona.

He told Newsline that in the schools, preparedness studies can
complement class lessons as students learn how math, science, and
other disciplines play into weather forecasting, radio science and
effective communication. He encourages interested hams to write him at
g e c o r a d i o at gmail dot com (gecoradio@gmail.com)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH.

(GREGORY LEE KI6GIG)

[PRINT ONLY: https://vocal.media/wander/are-you-living-in-a- potential-disaster-zone]

(above URL all on one line)

NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, hams in Austria are preparing for a nationwide off-the-grid exercise to be held on October 3rd. The annual drill will
begin, as always, with the sounding of the emergency sirens. Hams will
be putting their emergency communications readiness to the test and
will be joined by members of the military, public broadcasters, the
Red Cross and energy suppliers.

**

HOLDING OUT HOPE FOR 'SUPERBATTERY'

NEIL/ANCHOR: Do you believe in superheroes? Well, the next big thing
might just be a superhero among batteries. At least that's what
scientists are hoping. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has that story.

ED: A German research university is working with an ultracapacitor
specialist in Estonia to develop what scientists are calling a
groundbreaking graphene battery. They're calling it the SuperBattery.

While it is not energy-dense enough to be a replacement for lithium-
ion batteries, it is being eyed for complementary use.

Skeleton Technologies in Estonia and the Karlsruhe Institute of
Technology in Germany say the battery will have a charge time of 15
seconds, with hundreds of thousands of charging cycles. The rapid
charging time is being attributed to the battery's use of Skeleton�s
patented Curved Graphene carbon material.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2240, for Friday, October 2nd, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2240 with a release date of
Friday, October 2nd, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The FCC weighs in amateur access to the 3.4
GHz band. A satellite marks 27 years in orbit -- and a celebration for
a ham of the century. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report Number 2240 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

THE FCC WEIGHS IN ON AMATEUR ACCESS TO USE OF 3.4 GHz BAND

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: As Newsline went to production, hams were waiting to
hear the outcome of an FCC meeting on whether to eliminate amateur
radio access on the 3.4 GHz band. The ARRL has urged the FCC once
again to preserve hams' secondary status on the 3.4 GHz band rather
than proceed with its proposal to remove amateur activity. In a recent
phone call with FCC staffers, the ARRL reiterated the argument it had
made earlier this year in formal comments filed with the commission.
The ARRL has maintained that preserving secondary use by radio
amateurs will not have a negative impact on any primary licensees in
the future, including those providing 5G services.

The FCC was to meet on Wednesday, September 30th on the matter. There
was no indication when that decision was to be made public. Please
visit Newsline's Twitter feed and Facebook page for updates.

(FCC, ARRL)

**

SINGAPORE HAMS OFFER ONLINE COURSE FOR LICENSE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Good news for hams in Singapore: It's now easier to
prepare for the full licensing exam thanks to a good friend in the UK.
Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, tells us more.

JASON: Hams in Singapore have received a big assist from an amateur in
the UK who has created a free online training course to prepare them
for their 800-watt amateur licence, a level equivalent to the UK Full
licence.

Peter Pennington, G4EGQ, has established a page on the website of the Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitting Society offering educational .PDF
files and sample questions to prepare candidates for the test.

Before candidates sit for the test by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, they can review the 14 sections on the website, become
familiar with the operating procedures outlined, and then challenge
themselves with the sample questions.

The page containing links to the course and the IMDA Amateur Handbook
are on the Singapore group's website at sarts dot org dot sg
(sarts.org.sg) A note on the website reports that the Radio Amateur Examination has resumed its normal schedule, allowing two candidates
per session to safely observe COVID-19 precautions.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(SINGAPORE AMATEUR RADIO TRANSMITTING SOCIETY, SOUTHGATE)

**

SOUTH DUBLIN LECTURE SERIES GOES VIRTUAL

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: What if a club scheduled a lecture series and no one
showed up? Actually that would be just fine - that's how it was
designed by one club in South Dublin. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: The South Dublin Radio Club, EI2SDR, is hosting a Tuesday
night lecture series on amateur radio, Science Technology Engineering
and Mathematics. Organisers hope the series will be so popular that no
one shows up -- except on Zoom. The lectures kicked off on September
29th with a discussion about Summits on the Air by Albert, EI6KO, one
of Ireland's most prominent SOTA operators. The 20-minute
presentations are followed by a 10-minute Q&A session.

Anyone interested in attending or contributing a topic for a future presentation is welcome to contact the club or follow updates to their accounts on Twitter and Facebook. The club's webpage can be found at southdublinradioclub dot weebly dot com

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(IRTS, SOUTH DUBLIN RADIO CLUB)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2241, for Friday, October 9th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2241, with a release date of Friday, October 9th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Orlando Hamcation is cancelled. Scouts prep for Jamboree on the Air -- and radio ambassadors reach out to kids in
California. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2241, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

ORLANDO HAMCATION 2021 CANCELLED

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with word that Orlando HamCation has become
the latest in a long line of cancelled amateur radio events around the
world. The news came in a joint statement from the ARRL and HamCation organizers on the ARRL website and on Twitter on Monday, October 5th. The annual event, which was also to be the ARRL National Convention, has been moved to February 2022. Tickets already purchased can be used for
HamCation 2022, can be donated to the Orlando Amateur Radio Club or can be refunded. Meanwhile, the in-person event is being replaced by a variety of webinars, a QSO party and some prize drawings for 2021. The event in
central Florida is among the nation's largest gathering points for hams. Reported attendance for this year was 24,200 over the course of the three days.

(HAMCATION, ARRL)

**

FCC REMOVES AMATEUR ACCESS TO 3.4 GHz BAND'S FREQUENCIES

JIM/ANCHOR: In a move that was not unexpected, the U.S. Federal
Communications Commission has eliminated amateur radio use on the 3.4 GHz band. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, has that report.

KENT: Amateur radio will no longer have use of the frequencies between 3.3
and 3.55 GHz. The FCC has acted to reallocate that portion of the spectrum
for use of 5G services. Its action during the meeting on September 30th is part of the broader plan to make more of the spectrum available to
commercial users by eliminating secondary user allocations such as ham
radio operators. Hams and other users are being relocated to a band
between 2.9 and 3.0 GHz on a secondary basis to federal government service operators.

The FCC is now seeking comment on how to sunset amateur use on 3.3 to 3.55
GHz and proceed with the relocation. The agency noted in a press release
that its action is another move toward fulfilling a directive from
Congress to free up spectrum for commercial and other purposes. The ARRL
and AMSAT were among those who had spoken up against the move.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(SOUTHGATE, FCC)

**

IARU REGION 2 ANNOUNCES PROCEDURAL CHANGES

JIM/ANCHOR: The IARU Region 2 has made changes in how it will be handling
band plan changes, approving a process that lets the plan be updated more efficiently. Changes can now be made in response to adjustments in
operating practice - in consultation with member societies. Previously,
all band-plan changes required approval at a General Assembly, which is
held only once every three years.

The new plan also includes the addition of an amateur satellite uplink sub-band between 21.125 MHz and 21.450 MHz on a non-exclusive basis,
matching the band plans in IARU Region 1 and 3.

Finally, the revised band plan added wording to make it clear to national regulators that compliance with the document is voluntary and some nations
may adjust their practices based on their nation's requirements.

(SOUTHGATE, IARU REGION 2)

**

AUSTRALIAN SCOUTS ACTIVATE FOR SPECIAL EVENT

JIM/ANCHOR: The Jamboree on the Air is coming up fast but some Scouts
living Down Under got a head start on the excitement. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us about them.

GRAHAM: Scouts in Australia who were growing a bit impatient for the start
of the worldwide Jamboree on the Air this month received a sampling a few weeks early of the friendship and communications ham radio is known for. Scouts in Australia who were enjoying school holidays were able to connect across the country as part of a special Echolink event held from Sunday
the 27th of September to Sunday the 4th of October.

The JOTA special event took place on the SCOUT-VK conference server which
was established earlier this year by the Victorian Scout Radio &
Electronics Service Unit. The conference server has also been a place for Scouts to host nets.

Now with the special event concluded, Scouts await the Jamboree on the Air
and Jamboree on the Internet. That's coming up fast: It takes place from
the 16th to the 18th of October.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(WIA, SCOUTS AUSTRALIA)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2242, for Friday, October 16th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2242, with a release date of Friday, October 16th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins is back on the ISS. A
ham in the Netherlands pays tribute to guitarist Eddie Van Halen -- and license exams are suspended in Belgium. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2242 comes your way, right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

HAMS IN SPACE: ANOTHER TRIP TO THE ISS

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week by saying "welcome back to the ISS" for
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins KG5FYJ, who joined two Russian cosmonauts on
the launch pad in southern Kazakhstan Wednesday October 14th, bound for
the International Space Station.

Kate and her fellow travelers will spend six months aboard the ISS. Their
stay in space will coincide with the 20th anniversary of a continuous
human presence on the ISS - an occasion being marked on the 1st of
November.

(CNN)

**

MID-ALTITUDE BALLOONS BEGIN JOURNEY EAST

PAUL/ANCHOR: Something else went up into the sky recently. They looked a little like party balloons but they weren't. It was a nationwide mid-
altitude ham radio balloon launch and it was festive even if it wasn't a
big party. Jack Parker, W8ISH, explains.

JACK: Fans of amateur radio balloons are reliving the moments of the
October 9th launch of 11 mid-altitude balloons as they floated up and
began their journey from various launch sites across the United States. As they headed east to begin their two-week trip around the globe, the event
was livestreamed on Facebook by the Smithsonian National Air and Space
Museum.

Each helium-filled Mylar balloon is equipped with APRS on both 144.390 MHz
and 144.340 MHZ, and travelling at about 20,000 feet above the Earth.

Students, teachers and other balloon fans are tracking the balloons via amateur radio and looking online for updates on their locations by
visiting aprsdirect dot com (aprsdirect.com). The balloons were launched
by students and their teachers in Washington, D.C., Alaska, Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Minnesota and Kansas. If you'd like to follow along and
track them, you can find their call signs on the link provided in this
week's printed script of this newscast at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:

https://airandspace.si.edu/events/live-balloon-launch-across-america]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM)

**

PAUL/ANCHOR: The man arrested in Denver Colorado in connection with the
fatal shooting of a Navy veteran on Saturday, October 10th, during two opposing political rallies downtown, is an amateur radio operator. The arrested man was identified in news reports as Matthew Dolloff KE0NKL, who
is said to have been working without a license as a Pinkerton security
guard for a local TV station. The 30-year-old man is suspected of killing
Lee John Keltner, a military veteran attending the protest. Witnesses said
the two men were arguing when Keltner used a pepper spray on Dolloff.
Keltner was then fatally shot. The incident was captured on video by CBS Denver Channel 4 and on cellphone video, and the scene has been widely
viewed on the internet.

**

SPECIAL TRIBUTE STATION TO EDDIE VAN HALEN

PAUL/ANCHOR: Rock legend Eddie van Halen, who died earlier this month, was
the pride of The Netherlands, where the guitarist was born 65 years ago.
Now, as his distinctive sounds resonate for his fans listening to
commercial radio stations around the world, one additional station joins
them - on the amateur radio frequencies - to pay tribute. Special event station PA5150EVH will be on the air from October 28th until January 31st, 2021 -- a few days past the musician's birthday on Jan. 26th. The special event is being activated by Frank, PF1SCT, a civil engineer who is also a guitarist himself - and needless to say, a Van Halen fan. A limited number
of QSL cards are available for contacts and those making successful
contacts should QSL to Frank's call sign by the bureau only.

(QRZ.COM, SOUTHGATE)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2243, for Friday, October 23rd, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2243, with a release date of Friday, October 23rd, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The FCC invites comments on its proposed license
fee. A ham is assaulted while operating portable in the UK -- and young hams pass the baton of leadership in Europe. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2243 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

FCC OPENS COMMENT PERIOD FOR $50 FEE PROPOSAL

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with word that the comment period has opened for the FCC's much-talked-about fee proposed for amateur radio licenses. Stephen Kinford, N8WB, has more.

STEPHEN: The comment period has opened for amateur radio operators and
others in the United States to weigh in the FCC's proposal to charge a $50
fee for license applications and renewals due every 10 years. In its notice published in the Federal Register, the FCC states that licenses, such as
those for amateur radio, are mostly automated processes not requiring staff review. As such, the FCC is calling the proposed fee "nominal," saying it covers the costs of routine ULS maintenance, the automated process itself
plus any occasional instance requiring staff input. Comments are due no
later than the 16th of November. Reply comments can be made on or before November 30th.

To file your comments visit the webpage for the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System at fcc dot gov stroke ecfs stroke (fcc.gov/ecfs/)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.

NEIL/ANCHOR: There's one more address for the FCC that hams in the U.S. need to be aware of too -- and it's not on the internet. It's at 45 L Street NorthEast, Washington, D.C. 20554. That's the new location of the agency's headquarters. The FCC is finally in its new offices after a delay in the spring caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

(FCC)

**

NEW LEADERSHIP FOR IARU REGION 1 YOUTH

NEIL/ANCHOR: In IARU Region 1, the chair of the Youth Working Group has
passed the baton, as we hear from Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

ED: By the time the IARU Region 1 Virtual General Conference closed on
Friday October 16th, the leader of the organisation's Youth Working Group
had passed the baton to the next generation. The youth group's chair, Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, ended her tenure, which had begun when the region-wide working group was formed in 2014. Lisa, who was 24 at the time, steps aside for two new leaders elected by the member societies at the conference:
Philipp Springer DK6SP, the new chair, and Markus Gro�er, DL8GM, the vice chair. Philipp, who is 22 years old, has been a ham since he was 10. In August, he joined the board of directors of the nonprofit World Wide Radio Operators Foundation.

The two new Youth Working Group leaders committed themselves to continuing
the Working Group's programmes and moving them forward. They pledged to
expand the YOTA program as well and help grow youth activities in the IARU's two other regions.

Region 1 represents international amateur radio societies in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Congratulations to Philipp and Markus.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR)

**

WORLD'S YOUNG AMATEURS PREP FOR YOTA MONTH

NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the world's young amateurs have been busy. We are
just about a month away from December, but it's worth planning ahead for
this event - it involves the world's youngest radio amateurs and they're looking for your show of support and your entry in their logbook. December
is YOTA Month - that means Youngsters on the Air. It's time for young people to experience their first DX, their first pileup or to show some of their friends who aren't yet licensed amateurs how much fun it is to key that mic.

YOTA is asking radio operators around the world to be listening for such stations as HA6YOTA, GB20YOTA, DB0YOTA, HS9YOTA and others who will be using the YOTA suffix and one by one callsigns ending in Y, O, T, and A from the United States. You can be a youngster OR an oldster. Just be listening!

(YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2244, for Friday, October 30th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2244, with a release date of
Friday, October 30th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A repeater is vandalized in the midst of a
raging wildfire. New Zealand hams lose the 5 MHZ band -- and setting
new distance records via satellite. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2244, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

VANDALS DESTROY FIREFIGHTERS' RADIO REPEATER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Colorado wildfires have been big news here in the
United States, and we open our newscast with that story. As firefighters struggled to contain one sprawling blaze, a critical radio repeater was destroyed by what authorities believe to be malicious vandalism. Jack
Parker, W8ISH, picks up the story from here.

JACK: A portable radio repeater, being used by firefighters at the
massive Williams Fork Fire in Colorado, has been vandalized. The United
States Forest Service is investigating, after one of its temporary
repeater sites was destroyed in early October, rendering the radios of firefighters useless, as they struggled against the blaze, which is
believed to have been started in August as a result of human activity.
The firefighters were using the radios to communicate with their command
post.

The fire burned more than 14,000 acres, but no evacuation orders were
given.

According to news reports, firefighters found the repeater in pieces,
with the guy wires cut. The antenna had been snapped off. Replacement
parts were found, and repairs were made, but the forest service is
continuing its probe.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(NBC CHANNEL 9, FOX NEWS 31)

**

NEW ZEALAND AMATEURS LOSING 5 MHz BAND

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Bad news for hams in New Zealand, who have been logging contacts on 5 MHz. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us what's happening.

JIM: Amateur access to the 5 MHz band was just a trial, and now, that
trial is coming to an end. Hams have gone off the air on the band, as of midnight on Saturday, the 24th of October. The New Zealand Association
of Radio Transmitters informed the amateur community that the New Zealand Defence Force was unwilling to grant yet another renewal for amateurs to continue the trial operation. The defence force needs this part of the HF spectrum for tactical radio equipment, refurbished HF site equipment, and
its various new platforms.

According to NZART, discussions will continue with the nation's regulator,
the RSM, to explore other ways that amateurs may be given access to those frequencies. Hams had been operating on 60 metres after access was renewed
for three more months this past July.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(SOUTHGATE, NZART)

**

RESEARCHERS DEVELOP 'GAME-CHANGING' SOLAR PANEL

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you enjoy operating portable with the help of a solar
panel or two, you might find this report particularly promising. Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH, shares the news.

JEREMY: Researchers are calling the work of scientists at the University
of York a potential "game-changer" in the world of solar panels. By
putting a checkerboard design on the panel's face, the researchers have upgraded its ability to absorb light by 125 percent. According to a
report posted on the website GoodNewsNetwork.org, the panel could
possibly be developed to absorb far more solar energy than today's
panels.

Replacing the traditional flat panel surface with a checkerboard design
is said to increase the diffraction rate, and thus the likelihood that
more light can be absorbed. The research team believes this could also
result in panels that are thinner, lighter, and more flexible.

The team's findings were published recently in the Journal Optica.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(GOODNEWSNETWORK.ORG)

**

VERMONT AMATEUR PREPARES TO DEFEND REVISED TOWER PLAN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our next story revisits a local battle against radio
towers. Newsline reported in July about the challenge facing a Vermont
ham, who had plans for two towers on his property. He has responded to neighbors' objections, and the next step comes in a few days, as local officials weigh in. Here's Andy Morrison, K9AWM, with an update.

ANDY: Addressing neighbors' concerns, Zach Manganello, K1ZK, has
downsized his original proposal for two 84-foot towers in his Vermont
backyard, and now hopes to get the nod from local officials for his
modified plan: a 36-foot antenna attached to his house, and a
freestanding 50-foot tower. On Thursday, November 12th, the
Telecommunications Review Board will hold a hearing to review his
changes, and the result of a visual impact test he did in October, a
balloon float designed to show what Zach has in mind will not block
neighbors' views of the Green Mountains.

Zach, who has been a ham since he was 14 years old, told Newsline in
an email, that he hopes to receive a decision before construction begins
in 2021.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(ZACHARY MANGANELLO K1ZK)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2245, for Friday, November 6th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2245, with a release date of Friday, November 6th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A triumph across seven summmits for Tokyo's Ham
Fair. The ISS crew has reason to celebrate - and Peru's selling part of its amateur spectrum. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2245 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

JAPAN'S HAM FAIR OFFERS REAL-TIME SOTA EXPERIENCE

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with yet another story of amateur persistence. Never let it be said that hams ever let their goals be
thwarted, even after COVID-19 cancelled such core events as Dayton
Hamvention and Ham Radio Friedrichshafen this year. The massive Tokyo Ham
Fair was also a casualty, but like so many others, the show went on - virtually. Here's John Williams, VK4JJW, with those details.

JOHN: The virtual doors were open in Tokyo on November 1st, as planned,
even though no one was physically present at the Tokyo Hamfair 2020 for the seminars and workshops. The presentations went forward, and one of them
turned out to have a respectable showing "in person": It was the ham fair's scheduled in-depth look at Summits on the Air, or SOTA. Fortunately, SOTA,
by virtue of its portable and socially distant operating environment, could keep things real. The programme included live-streamed video from seven
SOTA summmits throughout Japan, where hams were busy making activations.
Toru JH0CJH predicted that this activity would lead to many hams becoming
new SOTA enthusiasts in Japan.

Meanwhile, the Japan Amateur Radio League is back at work, making plans and deciding on dates for 2021, hoping for the best in the year ahead.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

NEIL/ANCHOR: For a look at some of the SOTA activations, follow the YouTube link posted on our Newsline website arnewsline.org in the printed version
of this script.

[FOR PRINT ONLY: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCPnFma21Uk&feature=youtu.be]

(SOTA REFLECTOR, TOKYO HAMFEST)

**

SPACE STATION MARKS 20 YEARS WITH ONBOARD CREW

NEIL/ANCHOR: Happy anniversary to the International Space Station, which on November 2nd marked 20 years of having a crew on board continuously. This
is an occasion being celebrated by the five space agencies involved in the
ISS project: NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA. Of note is the role that amateur radio has played up there through the ARISS program. Amateur radio
was already part of the Expedition One crew who arrived on board on
November 2nd, 2000: Commander William Shepherd, KD5GSL, Soyuz Commander
Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR.

(ARISS)

**

NY HAM CLUB DONATES TO HOSPITAL FOR COVID RESPONSE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams who have their go-kits at the ready know what it's like
to respond to a crisis. So this next gesture of appreciation by one New
York ham club shows particular understanding of vital emergency response. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us more.

KEVIN: On Long Island, New York, where the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard,
members of the Radio Central Amateur Radio Club W2RC decided that medical responders and their support teams needed a show of support for their
service.

The club took up a collection from among its 40 members for a donation to
the local hospital, St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson. In an article posted in the QRZ.COM forum, the club's president, Neil Heft, KC2KY, says: [quote] "We Wanted to do something more than just putting up a thank you sign." A one-thousand dollar donation was presented recently to the
hospital in recognition of the hard work by its doctors, nurses, security officers, medical support staff, and facility personnel.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(QRZ.COM)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2246, for Friday, November 13th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2246, with a release date of Friday, November 13th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A proud moment for satellite designers in Israel. Low-band operating loses a beloved leader -- and a net in Australia gets a
bit poetic. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2246, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

A SATELLITE 'FIRST' FOR UNIVERSITY TEAM IN ISRAEL

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin with a proud moment among students and faculty at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Their interdisciplinary effort will help launch a tiny satellite next year and yes, hams will play a part, as we hear from
Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

NEIL: Amateur radio will be on board early next year when the first nanosatellite designed, built and tested independently in a university
setting in Israel heads to the International Space Station.

The research satellite, known as TAU-SAT1, is in Japan undergoing pre-flight testing before it is taken to the U.S. for its ride on a resupply spacecraft to the ISS next year. It is designed to fly in low earth orbit measuring cosmic radiation in space and conducting other experiments. The small satellite, which is the creation of the new Nanosatellite Center in Tel
Aviv, will orbit the earth every 90 minutes at a speed of 27,600 kilometers or 17,150 miles per hour.

It will transmit its data to a satellite station on the roof of the campus' engineering building each time it makes a pass over Israel. Much of that
data will facilitate the design of improved protection for astronauts and space systems.

According to an article in The Times of Israel, the satellite will also be accessible to amateur radio operators around the world before it burns up in the atmosphere. Its orbit is expected to last several months.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(THE TIMES OF ISRAEL)

**

FREQUENCIES ON 3 GHZ BAND FACE AUCTION IN UK

JIM/ANCHOR: Increasing portions of the 3 GHz band continue to be made available to 5G wireless companies, with the UK planning their own auction soon. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has that story.

JEREMY: Ofcom has announced that it is ready to begin its auction of 120 MHz of bandwidth which it hopes to provide to 5G companies in the UK. This
section of the band is located above the UK's amateur 9 centimetre band at 3.40-3.41 GHz.The frequencies being offered for sale are between 3.6 GHz and 3.8 GHz, known as the midband region. It is also outside of the IARU region
1 9cm allocation of 3.4-3.475 GHz

The move in the UK differs from auctions in some other nations in that the UK's sale will avoid the frequencies used by amateur radio. Bidding is to commence in the UK in January 2021 and Ofcom stated that applications will
be received on the 2nd and 3rd of December.

In the U.S., the FCC awarded more than 20,000 licences for midband 3.5 GHz spectrum in August. Chile delayed its plan for an August auction and the telecommunications regulator Subtel expects to hold the sale this month. In Portugal, the regulator Anacom expects to award licences in February and
March of 2021 following that nation's 5G mobile telephony auction. India is also among those nations planning an auction and telecommunications
officials there hope to hold that sale in the first quarter of 2021.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE, CNET, TELECOMPAPER)

**

ARRL DEFENDS SECONDARY USE ON MICROWAVE BANDS

JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile in the U.S., the ARRL has reaffirmed the need for amateurs' secondary use on some of the microwave frequencies. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, gives us those details.

ANDY: The ARRL has weighed into the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 agenda for the microwave bands, reaffirming the need for amateur radio to
have secondary allocations there.

The league wants frequencies identified in the 3.3 GHz to 3.4 GHz and 10.0
GHz to 10.5 GHz bands, stating that hams continue to experiment there and
have designed systems that protect the bands' primary users, with no reports of interference. The League advises that WRC-23 not consider changing their secondary allocation.

The league's remarks were contained in two draft recommendations for WRC-23.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(ARRL)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2247, for Friday, November 20th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2247, with a release date of Friday, November 20th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. An all-ham launch to the ISS. A propagation
experiment needs your help -- and 'Get on the Air for Christmas' debuts
in the UK. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2247, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

FOUR AMATEURS IN SPACEX CREW DRAGON LAUNCH

DON/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the launch of the SpaceX Crew
Dragon capsule from the Kennedy Space Center. On board? A crew of four,
all amateur radio operators. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, has the details.

DAVE: Four amateur radio operators launched into space on Sunday night, November 15th, bound for their destination aboard the International Space Station. Seated inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, astronauts Michael Hopkins, KF5LJG, Victor Glover, KI5BKC, Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, and
Japanese Space Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, comprised the
first fully operational mission for the private SpaceX company. The
Falcon 9 rocket launched with the capsule, named Resilience, at 7:27 p.m. Sunday night.

The quartet's 27-hour journey marked the second manned launch of Crew
Dragon from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. A test mission that went up
in May sent NASA's Doug Hurley, and Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, into history as Dragon's first space passengers, and the first NASA astronauts to launch
from American soil since 2011.

The four amateur radio operators are expected to remain on the ISS for
the next six months.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(CNN, NASA, NYTIMES)

**

AMATEUR INPUT SOUGHT FOR PROPAGATION EXPERIMENT

DON/ANCHOR: Hams, if you love experimenting - and who doesn't? - this
might just be something to get involved in. HamSCI, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, needs amateurs around the world who can help
collect propagation data during the eclipse happening across South
America on December 14th. To do this, you'll need to have a computer
connected to your HF radio.

Hams are being asked to record data between the 9th and the 16th of
December so that there is plenty of control data gathered for this
experiment. There will be two 24-hour practice runs beforehand: one on
the 21st of November, and the other on the 5th of December.

Visit the Newsline website at arnewsline.org to find the link to the
webpage containing further details about the experiment. Instructions are
in English, Spanish and Portuguese. If you're interested in signing up, contact Kristina Collins at kd8oxt at case dot edu (kd8oxt@case.edu)

[DO NOT READ, FOR PRINT ONLY: hamsci.org/december-2020-eclipse-festival- frequency-measurement]

(KRISTINA COLLINS KD8OXT)

**

PROMINENT CROATIAN AMATEUR DIES OF COVID-19

DON/ANCHOR: A prominent ham in the Croatian amateur radio community has
become a Silent Key. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us about him.

ED: One of the founders of the Croatian Flora Fauna program, and the
president of the Croatian Flora Fauna amateur radio club, has become a
Silent Key. Emir Mahmutovic (MAH-MYU-TO-VICH), 9A6AA, died on November
13th of COVID-19, according to a report in DXNews. Although hams in
Croatia knew him well from his work with the Flora Fauna program, hams
around the world also logged their contacts with him as an active
contester and DXer.

Emir also served, between 1994 and 2009, as the first award manager for
the Islands of Croatia Award program, according to Neno, 9A5N. Neno said
the program had been the vision of three other radio amateurs in 1991 but
was not put into place until after the war in Croatia. In 1994, Emir
helped Daki, 9A2WJ, with the launch.

According to Mark, 9A8A, his friend of more than 40 years, and his former co-worker, Emir spent the last two or three years devoting himself to
helping young radio amateurs, working with Ivica, 9A2HW, to teach the
children the basics of radio technology. He also helped at school competitions. Mark said in an email "he had incredible energy."

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(MARK 9A8A, NENO, 9A5N)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2248, for Friday, November 27th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2248 with a release date of Friday, November 27th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. New satellite access for emergencies in India.
Hams in Israel plan 9 nights of special activity -- and Ham Radio
University goes virtual. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report Number 2248, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

INDIAN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS GAIN SATELLITE ACCESS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story brings word of a major step forward in communications for eastern India, where cyclones often rip through,
destroying communities and communications. Amateur radio operators there
have gained access to a major asset-in-the-sky to help them with
emergency communications. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has the details.

GRAHAM: The West Bengal Radio Club and the Indian Academy of
Communication and Disaster Management have installed the capability to communicate with amateur radio satellites from the club station in
India. The radio club's secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, reported
that hams recently used the setup to contact many amateurs in Southern
India as well as in more than 15 countries.

He said the capability will be especially important during natural
disasters such as cyclones, when hams generally use VHF and HF radios
but often face propagation issues during these emergencies.

Ambarish Nag Biswas, who is also chairman of the disaster management
academy, writes: [quote] "It is the first satellite communication setup
in our entire eastern India," [enquote] and he called it a success of
the team of the two organisations working together.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA)

**

HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY GOING VIRTUAL

PAUL/ANCHOR: In the U.S., organizers of Ham Radio University, who have
been preparing for the 22nd annual all-day event in January, are taking
the program online instead. We have details from Jim Damron, N8TMW.

JIM: With COVID-19 restrictions preventing the annual gathering of
amateur radio operators on Long Island, New York, the Ham Radio
University organizers are adapting the agenda to take place as a virtual conference. Ham Radio University will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on
the 9th of January, 2021 as a GoToWebinar video conference on the
internet. HRU will also serve as the online convention of the NYC-Long
Island section of the ARRL.

The agenda features 14 presentations, from the basics of remote-station operation over the internet, to software-defined radios, emergency communications and the nuts and bolts of HF operating. This year's HRU
is being presented in memory of its founder Phil Lewis, N2MUN, who
became a Silent Key earlier this year.

Advance registration begins on December 15th. For additional details,
visit hamradiouniversity dot org.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW.

**

UNIVERSAL RADIO CLOSING ITS DOORS

PAUL/ANCHOR: A store that was an Ohio mainstay with a specialty in
shortwave radio equipment is closing its doors. Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
has more details.

STEPHEN: Owners Fred Osterman, N8EKU, and Barbara Osterman, KC8VWI, have announced their retirement, and the closing of their longtime business, Universal Radio, which they operated for nearly 4 decades. A report in
the SWLing Post noted that the couple were big supporters of amateur
radio clubs, and other nonprofit organizations over the years.

The company website posted a message from the couple, which notes that
even though their current location in Worthington, Ohio, is closing on November 30th, the company will fulfill all existing orders, and
continue to close out its inventory. The company will also maintain its website for the meanwhile.

The message concludes by saying that between operations at Universal
Radio and, before that, Radio Shack: [quote] "It has been a privilege to
have a continuous career in the fascinating field of radio since 1969." [endquote]

Universal was founded in 1942 by F.R. Gibb, W8IJ, in downtown Columbus,
Ohio and was known as a specialist in shortwave and amateur equipment, including Millen, Drake, Collins and Hammarlund. Barbara and Fred became
the third owners in 1982, after buying Universal from Thomas Harrington, W8OMV, who had acquired it after F.R. Gibb became a Silent Key.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.

(SWLING POST, UNIVERSAL RADIO WEBSITE)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2249, for Friday December 4th, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2249 with a release date of
Friday, December 4th, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A collapse destroys the Arecibo radiotelescope. Welcome to December - YOTA month! And meet Newsline's winner of this
year's International Newsmaker Award. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2249, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

COLLAPSE DESTROYS NOTED ARECIBO RADIOTELESCOPE

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with news that the noted Arecibo radiotelescope, famous in groundbreaking scientific research and seen
in a number of Hollywood movies, is no more. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY,
has the details.

KENT: The historic Arecibo radiotelescope in Puerto Rico, once the
largest in the world, has collapsed before its scheduled demolition
could begin. The telescope, which had been shut by the U.S. National
Science Foundation following storm damage, was credited with unlocking
numerous astronomical mysteries for more than 50 years.

On Tuesday, December 1st, the telescope's 900-ton receiver platform
fell 400 feet, landing on its reflector dish. It was the final blow to
the radiotelescope, where an auxiliary cable had snapped in August,
causing damage to the reflector dish and receiver platform. Then last
month, a main cable broke.

Built in the 1960s, the telescope was part of a 1974 research project
into gravitational waves that led to a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1993.
The telescope also followed asteroids on their earthbound paths but
became quite an attraction itself, drawing some 90,000 visitors a year.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(GUARDIAN, NOBELPRIZE.ORG, NPR)

**

WELCOME TO DECEMBER - IT'S YOTA MONTH

JIM/ANCHOR: Nothing speaks so well to the future of ham radio than
hearing young voices calling QRZ. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, lets us in on
what's happening.

JASON: If you listen on the air through the month of December, you'll
be hearing the voices of the future. December is YOTA Month -
Youngsters on the Air - and teams of operators younger than 26 are
hoping for pileups. They're calling from Pakistan, Serbia, Iceland,
Sweden, Bulgaria and places beyond. Each team carries the suffix
"Y O T A", along with the hope that their logs will be filled with
call signs from around the world. This is a chance to showcase amateur
radio for the unlicensed, and help those newly licensed to gain
confidence.

Stations include TF3YOTA in Iceland, DB0YOTA in Germany, GB20YOTA in
the UK and II1YOTA in Italy. You will hear them on HF, repeaters and
even satellites. Because so many YOTA summer camps were cancelled in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, these young operators are more eager
than ever to show what they can do.

Support the world's future amateur community and who knows? You may
become eligible for a bronze, silver, gold or platinum award just for
working as many YOTA stations on as many bands and modes as you can.
The teams have their own collective goal as well: to beat last year's
total of 130,000 QSOs logged by 47 participating stations.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

JIM/ANCHOR: Also be listening for Youth on the Air stations in the
United States, where the call signs will be K8Y, K8O, K8T, and K8A.
For more information about Youth on the Air in the Americas, visit the
website youthontheair dot org (youthontheair.org)

(YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR)

**

FCC CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI STEPPING DOWN IN NEW YEAR

JIM/ANCHOR: Here in the United States, Ajit Pai, who has been chairman
of the Federal Communications Commission since 2017, has announced he
will be stepping down on January 20th, the day President-elect Joe
Biden is inaugurated.

Pai served the commission for five years as an appointee of then-
President Barack Obama previous to being named commissioner by
President Donald Trump. He was hailed as the first Asian-American
chairman of the agency. His term was scheduled to expire in June of
2021. His announcement, made on Monday November 20th, comes as the FCC
reviews its proposal to charge a $50 fee for each application for an
amateur radio license.

(CNBC)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2250 for Friday, December 11, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2250, with a release date of
Friday, December 11, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Australian hams are denied access to 60
metres; Northern Lights in the northern U.S. -- and a talk with
Newsline's International Newsmaker of the Year. All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2250, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

SOLAR FLARE BRINGS VISIBLE AURORA TO NORTHERN U.S.

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In our top story this week, the Northern Lights put on
a big sky show for the northern portion of the United States following
a coronal mass ejection's collision with the Earth's magnetosphere.
Starting on Wednesday, December 9th, northern U.S. residents had their
eyes on the skies for the aurora borealis from Washington state and
Oregon all the way east to Maine. The Space Weather Prediction Center
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the light
show was set off after a solar flare erupted from a sunspot on Monday, December 7th. Though the conditions may have created a thing of beauty
in the sky, amateurs may not have felt the same way dealing with
intermittent conditions on the HF bands.

(USA TODAY, FORBES, NOAA SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER)

**

FACTORY FIRE EXPECTED TO AFFECT AUDIO SUPPLY CHAIN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Japan, fire damage to a major semiconductor factory
is expected to disrupt the availability of audio components worldwide.
Graham Kemp, VK4BB, gives us those details.

GRAHAM: An inferno that raged recently at a major audio-semiconductor
factory in Japan is expected to have a stifling effect on the supply
chain for both professional audio and upscale consumer audio
components, including amateur radio equipment.

The three-day blaze consumed the AKM factory over an 82-hour period in
late October. By the time firefighters got it under control, the
building was so damaged that operations had to be shut.

AKM is known for its DACs and ADCs - the digital-to-analog converter
chips and analog-to-digital converter chips - used in the music and
film industries, and in radios.

SemiMedia, a news source for the semiconductor industry, reported that production of the chips is not likely to resume for at least six
months, prompting companies reliant on AKM to anticipate being caught
short. In November, however, AKM issued a statement saying it plans to
work with cooperating manufacturers, and will prepare to outsource its production of the chips. A report in SemiMedia noted that despite
this: [quote] "Industry insiders said that the shortage will be
difficult to solve in the short term, which will become the biggest
chip supply difficulty encountered by the audio industry over the
years." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(STRATA-GEE.COM, SEMIMEDIA)

**

AUSTRALIAN HAMS DENIED 60M ACCESS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Australian amateurs have been denied use of the 60-
metre band. Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, brings us that report.

ROBERT: On the heels of a similar move by regulators in New Zealand, Australia's communications regulator has decided not to permit
secondary access to the 60-metre band for the nation's hams. The
December 7th announcement comes in spite of positive results to the
survey done by the Australian Communications and Media Authority,
favouring secondary-use status. The decision affects access to the
5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz band.

The ACMA supported its decision in a statement saying: [quote] "Public
and non-public submissions from the Department of Defence showed that expanding the use of the 5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz band to potentially
several thousand amateur operators could impact important
radiocommunications operations. The ACMA recognises the high level of
interest shown by the amateur community in adding this band, and
understands there will be disappointment." [endquote]

The ACMA called its decision appropriate and consistent with the Radiocommunications Act of 1992. It added [quote]: "In particular,
this includes supporting defence and national interest objectives."
[endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead, VK3DN.

(ACMA)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2251, for Friday, December 18, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2251 with a release date of Friday, December 18, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Ham Radio University and Winter Field Day gear up
for action, despite the pandemic. A government report calls RF the source
of workers' illnesses -- and a Christmas tradition here at Newsline's own shack. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2251,
comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

RF TRANSMISSIONS EYED AS SOURCE OF ILLNESSES

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with an ominous report from a U.S. agency
that believes RF transmissions may have contributed to the illnesses of numerous government employees overseas. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, tells us more.

DAVE: A report commissioned by the U.S. State Department has concluded that radiofrequency transmissions, including microwaves, may have been
responsible for neurological symptoms in American spies and diplomats
abroad in the past several years. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine called the headaches, dizziness and other ailments the result of so-called "sonic attacks" in its report published this month.

The findings by experts in medicine and related fields attempt to explain
what came to be known as "Havana syndrome" suffered by employees of the
U.S. government at the U.S. Embassy in Havana in late 2016. U.S. workers assigned to China, Russia and elsewhere also suffered similiar symptoms.

The report did not conclude, however, that the microwaves were transmitted
to cause deliberate harm but noted that such transmissions could indeed be used for those purposes.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(CNN, NYTIMES)

**

PREP CONTINUES FOR WINTER FIELD DAY

NEIL/ANCHOR: A number of activities are taking place despite the continued global pandemic. With barely a month to go, Winter Field Day organizers are getting ready for the big event, with allowances for COVID-19 precautions. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, has that story.

KEVIN: The need for emergency preparedness doesn't drop when the
temperatures do, so organizers of the Winter Field Day event are putting
the final details in place for the next activations on the final weekend of January 2021. They have posted the official rules noting that there are no basic changes from last year's exercise - with the exception that COVID-19 rules are going to be in effect for clubs and groups. As always, modes that can transmit the exchange without a conversion table are being allowed. For this reason, FT8 and FT4 are excluded. Allowable modes include CW, SSB, AM, FM, D-STAR, C4FM, DMR, satellite and others that are posted on the Winter Field Day website. Remote station operation is also permitted.

Club members operating as a group, but not congregating on one site for the activation, are advised to check the rules on the website to ensure their scoring methods comply with the rules to simply the tallying of points.

For more details, visit winterfieldday dot com (winterfieldday.com). Winter Field Day, which began in 2007, is taking place on January 30th and 31st.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(WINTER FIELD DAY ASSOCIATION)

**

REGISTRATION FOR HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY, PROPAGATION SUMMIT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Another popular winter event, Ham Radio University, has opened registration to all its forums taking place on January 9th, 2021. HRU will
not be held in its usual location on Long Island but is going forward as a virtual event through GoToWebinar. This means, of course, you don't have to
be in New York to attend this annual daylong amateur radio convention. If
you are interested in attending you need to register individually for each
of the forums you wish to attend. Each forum's attendance is capped at 500 participants. Details are available at the website hamradiouniversity dot
org slash forums (hamradiouniversity.org/forums) That's hamradiouniversity
- one word - dot org slash forums.

Meanwhile, Contest University which was held as a virtual event in May, has
a free virtual propagation summit planned for the 23rd of January. It's
being held as a Zoom webinar and runs from 1600 UTC to 2000 UTC, covering
such subjects as HF ionospheric propagation, predictions for Solar Cycle
25, maximizing antenna performance with irregular terrain and an update on HamSCI activities for the year ahead. To register, visit contestuniversity
dot com (contestuniversity.com)

Don't forget Contest University itself. Registration for that begins on February 1st!

(CONTEST UNIVERSITY, HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2252, for Friday, December 25, 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2252, with a release date of
Friday, December 25, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The FCC goes after landlords with tenants
running pirate radio stations. Ham-Com calls it quits for good in Texas
-- and hams report new distance records for meteor scatter and
sporadic-E. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2252, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

FCC HOLDS LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR RADIO PIRATES

SKEETER: In our top story this week, the Federal Communications
Commission has a new crackdown in the U.S. but this time it's not aimed
at illegal radio operators - it targets their landlords. Jack Parker,
W8ISH, explains.

JACK: Using expanded powers recently granted by Congress, the U.S.
Federal Communications Commission has put property owners on notice,
telling them that they face stiff financial sanctions if they permit
pirate broadcasting on their premises. The agency sent out its first
so-called Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting to property
owners in New York City on December 17th, giving them 10 days to
respond.

Rosemary Harold, chief of the FCC's enforcement bureau, issued a
statement saying: [quote] "Pirate radio is illegal, and can interfere
with not only legitimate broadcast stations' business activities, but
also those stations' ability to inform the public about emergency information." [endquote] She noted that the PIRATE Act does not permit property owners to look the other way or ignore pirate operations. They
will be served with Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting which
will grant them time to eradicate the problem before enforcement action
goes forward.

Congress' recent enactment of the so-called PIRATE Act grants the FCC
tougher authority and the ability to order fines of as much as $2
million for property owners who knowingly violate the law and permit
illegal broacasting on their premises. Congress passed the measure
earlier this year after previous FCC warnings to landlords produced
little or no results.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(QRZ.COM, FCC)

**

TEXAS' HAM-COM CALLING IT QUITS

SKEETER: Hams in Texas have suffered a big loss with the announcement
that Ham-Com, which grew to become the state's biggest hamfest, is
calling it quits. After more than four decades, it has become yet
another casualty of COVID-19. the Ham-Com president Bill Nelson, AB5QZ,
posted on Ham-Com's Facebook page that pandemic restrictions, coupled
with the rising costs of producing the event, made it unsustainable. He
wrote: [quote] "The decision was not made lightly, but the safety and
wellness of our volunteers, vendors, clubs, presenters, and attendees
is our paramount concern." [endquote]

(HAM-COM)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2253, for Friday, January 1st, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2253 with a release date of Friday, January 1st, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A satellite 'first' for a small island nation.
A California community rallies around a damaged radio tower - and hams
in the US face new fees for their licenses. All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2253 comes your way right now.

**

HAM RADIO IS PART OF MAURITIUS' FIRST SATELLITE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to a small island nation
in the Indian ocean that is poised to enter the world of amateur radio satellites in the new year. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has the details.

GRAHAM: Get ready for a history-making satellite to launch in February
of 2021: Mauritius is preparing to send MIR-SAT1, the nation's first
CubeSat, to the International Space Station. The nanosatellite will be carrying an amateur radio digipeater and a whole lot of national pride.
It is the creation of a team of engineers from Mauritius working with a
ham radio operator from the Mauritis Amateur Radio Society. The project
was also a collaboration with AAC-Clyde Space UK. "MIR" stands for
Mauritius InfraRed satellite.

According to the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council, the
satellite will use the digipeater to enable experimental communication
with other islands via the satellite, both for emergency purposes and scientific research. The CubeSat will also collect land and ocean data. Management of ocean resources is a top priority of the government of
the Republic of Mauritius.

It is expected to be deployed in May or June from the Japanese
Experimental Module on board the ISS. MIR-SAT1 has an expected lifetime
of between two and three years and during that time it is expected to
make ground contact with Mauritius four to five times daily.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(AFRICA NEWS, MAURITIUS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION COUNCIL)

**

NEW FCC FEE REQUIRES US HAMS TO PAY $35

PAUL/ANCHOR: In an action that many hams throughout the US had been
watching closely for months, the Federal Communications Commission is
now requiring amateurs to pay a $35 application fee for new licenses, renewals, and vanity call signs. The controversial move by the agency
is a modification of its earlier proposed fee of $50. The FCC announced
its decision on December 29th, after reviewing nearly 4,000 public
comments submitted. Commissioners said they determined that amateurs,
who previously paid no fees for their licenses, were not considered
exempt from such payments. In another action, US hams are also being
required to post their email addresses in the FCC's Universal Licensing System, or ULS, enabling the agency to email their licenses to them.
Hams may either log into the ULS itself or apply for an administrative
update through a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator. This change is an
important step for hams, because the FCC plans to use email for all notifications to licensees.

(FCC)

**

COMMUNITY RALLIES TO REPAIR CALIFORNIA RADIO TOWER

PAUL/ANCHOR: Efforts are under way to help rebuild a California radio
tower that was devastated by wildfires in the summer of 2020. Ralph
Squillace, KK6ITB, has that story.

RALPH: When wildfires ignited by lightning swept through northern
California this past summer, they consumed more than 86,000 acres in
San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. The fires also left another
casualty: the Empire Grade Radio Tower and its equipment. The tower
provided critical connections for firefighters, hams and Community
Emergency Response Teams. The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz has
pledged $25,000 from its Fire Response Fund to the restoration of this important radio tower and is using the pledge to match donations, many
of which are being collected via the GoFundMe site.

The nonprofit organization wrote on the fundraising site: [quote] �The
loss of this tower has impacted several community organizations. Fire departments relying on the Alertwildfire camera; community fund-raisers
like bike and horseback rides that rely on the ham radio communicators
who used repeaters at the tower site; and emergency preparedness, like
the CERT teams and equine evacuation teams that also relied on the communication resources made possible by this tower.

According to the Salinas Valley Repeater Group website, the tower's destruction impacted the W6WLS 2 meter repeater, the W6DXW 70 cm
repeater, and the WB6ECE 70 cm simulcast repeater. The website said
that the W6WLS repeater returned to the air in October with a temporary
setup in the Santa Cruz mountains, running analog only and on battery
or generator power.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2254, for Friday, January 8th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2254 with a release date of
Friday, January 8th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The FCC looks to add coordinators for increased license-testing. Japan studies satellites made of wood - and a probe
into the collapse of the Arecibo radiotelescope. All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2254, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

FCC EYES ADDING VOLUNTEER EXAMINER COORDINATORS

STEPHEN: Our top story this week finds the Federal Communications
Commission asking: Is 14 enough? That's the current number of Volunteer Examiner Coordinator organizations who oversee VEs, or volunteer
examiners, hams who administer the US license exams. In a notice posted
on January 5th on the FCC website, the Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau announced it would like public input on whether it should
authorize additional coordinators - as many as five - to support the
volunteer examiners' ongoing work. Since 1983, VE coordinators have
overseen the accreditation of the volunteer examiners, managing
administrative tasks connected to the exams they give, and coordinating
when the tests are given.

The scene changed last year when new rules took effect in July
permitting VE Coordinators to conduct remote exam sessions. They did so
most recently this past December in Antarctica.

The FCC notice said: [quote]: "The Commission has long maintained 14
VECs, and now seeks to consider whether they continue to serve the
evolving needs of the amateur community, or whether there are unmet
needs that warrant considering expanding the number of VECs." [endquote]

Comments are due by the 4th of February. Details about filing
electronically or on paper are available on the FCC website.

(FCC.GOV)

**

BREXIT DOESN'T CUT ALL UK TIES TO EU SATELLITES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A late-December agreement has preserved the UK's
involvement in some European satellite programs, post-Brexit. Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH, picks up the story from here.

JEREMY: An agreement between the UK and the EU has clarified the post-
Brexit relationship between the two with regard to scientific research, permitting the UK's continued participation in Copernicus, the EU's
Earth monitoring programme. The deal also ensures that the UK and a
number of private satellite operators based there will also retain
access to the Space Surveillance and Tracking Programme established by
the EU for space situational awareness.

The deal, however, does not provide the UK with access to encrypted or
secure services on Galileo, Europe's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Galileo was established to assist emergency response-services on Europe's roads making railways and roads safer. Although smartphone
users may not notice any difference, the UK itself will no longer have
access to the satellite services for defence or national infrastructure.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(GOV.UK, AMSAT, SCIENCEBUSINESS.NET)

**

WOODEN SATELLITES SEEN AS FIX TO 'SPACE JUNK'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: How do you build a satellite that is kinder to the environment? A partnership in Japan is exploring the answer - and Graham
Kemp, VK4BB, has those details.

GRAHAM: Solutions to the growing problem of "space junk" don't grow on
trees - or do they? Perhaps yes: In Japan, a forestry company has
partnered with Kyoto University to work on building a robust and
resilient satellite out of wood - something that would be Earth-friendly
as well as space-friendly. Their goal is to have one such satellite
ready for launch by 2023. The experimental work includes exposing
different varieties of wood to extreme temperature changes and sunlight,
to see how a wooden satellite might behave in space. An added plus: Upon re-entry, wooden satellites could return to Earth without releasing
harmful substances or debris on the way down.

Kyoto University professor Takao Doi, a Japanese astronaut, told the
BBC: [quote] "We are very concerned with the fact that all the
satellites which re-enter the Earth's atmosphere burn and create tiny
alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many
years." [endquote]

He said the next step is to develop the engineering model of the
satellite and after that, a flight model.

The BBC reports that nearly 6,000 satellites are now orbiting the Earth, according to figures from the World Economic Forum. Some 60 percent of
them are considered "space junk," meaning they are no longer in use.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(BBC)

**

SEA-PAC ANNUAL CONVENTION CANCELLED

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: COVID-19 precautions have led to the cancellation of yet another major amateur radio gathering. SEA-PAC, the 2021 ARRL
Northwestern Division Convention, has been called off as an in-person
event in Oregon where it was scheduled to be held in June. Chairman John Bucsek, KE7WNB, said alternative activities online, and on the air were
being explored.

(SEA-PAC)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2255, for Friday, January 15th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2255 with a release date of
Friday, January 15th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hamvention is cancelled for the second time.
Spain's satellite launch is postponed -- and propagation research gets
a new tool in Finland. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report Number 2255, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

*****

HAMVENTION 2021 CANCELLED

JIM/ANCHOR: With distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine falling behind
schedule in the U.S., organizers of Hamvention 2021 have called off
the annual event for the second consecutive year. The executive
committee posted the news on various social media outlets on Monday,
January 11th, citing several setbacks related to the pandemic, with
the vaccine delay named among them.

The posting said: [quote] "We make this difficult decision for the
safety of our guests and vendors. Those who had their tickets deferred
last year will be deferred again." [endquote]

The theme for this year's Hamvention was to have been "The Gathering." Instead, a Hamvention QSO Party is planned instead on the dates the
event was to have taken place.

The organizers added: [quote] "We'll be back next year!!!"

(HAMVENTION)

**

IARU EVENT ADOPTS THEME SPURRED BY PANDEMIC

JIM/ANCHOR: The same pandemic that has forced cancellation of so many
events has also given radio amateurs a reason to step up their game on
the air. One of the next big events has been announced by the
International Amateur Radio Union. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, has those
details.

JASON: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided inspiration for a World
Amateur Radio Day theme similar to a popular campaign in the UK. The
IARU has chosen the theme of "Home But Never Alone" when World Amateur
Radio Day kicks off on Sunday, April the 18th. The theme also carries
forward the activities that sprang up around the world last year, from
special event stations that reminded people to stay home and safe, to
local wellness nets where the elderly and others in isolation could
check in regularly.

According to the IARU, on-the-air activity reached unprecedented
levels and participation in major contests soared in 2020.

World Amateur Radio Day is observed every year on the 18th of April to
mark the date in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union was
formed in Paris.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(IARU, SARL)

**

EARLY-BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR QSO TODAY'S 2ND VIRTUAL EXPO

JIM/ANCHOR: Early bird tickets have become available for the second
QSO Today Expo, which is being held online on March 13th and 14th.
Forty-eight hours of panel discussions, kit-building workshops and an
array of new speakers will be part of the experience, which is being
organized in partnership with the ARRL in the United States. The wide
range of topics includes 3D printer basics; Arduino in the shack; and DXpeditioning to the DXCC's Most Wanted locations.

Early bird tickets are $10. During the event itself, the tickets will
be $12.50. Tickets to the live event include access to the 30-day on-
demand period that follows, continuing until April 12.

The first QSO Today Expo held last August attracted more than 16,000 participants.

To register visit qsotodayhamexpo.com.

(QSO TODAY)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2256, for Friday, January 22nd, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2256, with a release date of
Friday, January 22nd, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Will Arecibo rebuild its radiotelescope? A call
sign backlog nears its end in Australia - and American TV's 'Last Man
Standing' plans a lasting farewell. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2256, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

U.S. RESEARCHERS ENVISION AN ARECIBO REPLACEMENT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week asks: Is an Arecibo replacement a
dream or a reality? With the ruins of the historic Arecibo telescope
still fresh in people's minds, there's already a movement to rebuild
one that's bigger and better. Jack Parker, W8ISH, picks up the story
from here.

JACK: Researchers have presented the National Science Foundation with
a proposal for a $400 million replacement of the Arecibo telescope - on
the same site where its iconic predecessor suffered its fatal collapse
late last year in Puerto Rico.

Speaking in a January 14th post on the Science Magazine website, the
scientists described what they said would be a system that would prove
useful to astronomers, as well as researchers who study the planets,
and the atmosphere.

Anish (Ah-NEESH) Roshi, head of astrophysics at the observatory,
outlined the scope of the proposed replacement, known as the Next
Generation Arecibo Telescope. It was described as a flat,
300-meter-wide, rigid platform, bridging the sinkhole, and studded
with more than 1000 closely packed 9-meter dishes. Hydraulics would
make the telescope's disk steerable, tilting it more than 45 degrees
from the horizontal. Modern receivers would be built into each dish,
covering a broader frequency range than that of the previous telescope.
It would be designed to have almost twice the sensitivity of the original telescope, and four times the radar power.

The project would, of course, need funding from the U.S. Congress -- and
as the Science Magazine article points out, Puerto Rico's representative
in Congress is a nonvoting member. Nonetheless, engineer Ramon Lugo said:
"We have to be optimistic that we will make this happen." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(SCIENCEMAG.ORG)

**

ACMA REPORTS PROGRESS ON CALL SIGN BACKLOGS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Officials have encouraging news for hams Down Under who are awaiting call sign changes. Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, gives us more details.

ROBERT: The Australian Communications and Media Authority has announced
that processing backlogs affecting amateur radio call signs, are close to
being resolved. The Australian Maritime College, which handles these
changes for the ACMA, was challenged by disruptions caused by COVID-19,
as well as a large influx of requests for call sign changes. The wave of requests followed an announcement by the ACMA that hams would be permitted greater flexibility in call sign choice. The changes included permitting Foundation licensees, the option of a three-letter call sign, instead of
one with four letters, making the callsigns more compatible with the
protocols of digital communiciation.

The AMCA writes in a recent bulletin: [quote] "We understand that the AMC
has almost cleared the backlog of applications, and will revert to normal processing times shortly. We will continue to monitor processing times,
and work with the AMC to ensure qualifications and call sign services are provided for the benefit of the amateur radio community." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead, VK3DN.

(ACMA)

**

AMSAT CUBESAT PART OF UNUSUAL VIRGIN ORBIT LAUNCH

NEIL/ANCHOR: An unlikely launch system, one using a 70-foot rocket fired
from a converted jumbo jet, sent 10 small satellites into low-earth orbit
on Sunday, January 17th. One of those cubesats was AMSAT's RadFxSat-2/Fox
1E, the fifth and final FOX-1 satellite built by AMSAT. It was constructed under a partnership between AMSAT and Vanderbilt University, and carries a radiation effects experiment. Hams will be able to decode data from
telemetry, and experiments using FoxTelem version 1.09 or later.

The cubesat launch was a demonstration flight staged by billionaire
Richard Branson's California-based company, Virgin Orbit. The successful launches from the Boeing 747 took place almost eight months after the
failed try last May.

(WALL STREET JOURNAL, CNBC)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2257, for Friday, January 29th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2257 with a release date of
Friday, January 29th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The Bouvet Island team is on track. COVID
safety is a priority for Europe's major ham radio convention - and
NASA's probe has close encounters of the solar kind. All this and more,
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2257 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

REBEL DX GROUP POISED FOR BOUVET ISLAND

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story brings an update on the Bouvet Island 3Y0I Dxpedition. All of the team are pushing to make it happen in 2021! John Williams, VK4JJW, has that story.

JOHN: Paperwork and equipment checks have kept some members of the
Rebel DX Group occupied since their arrival in Cape Town, South Africa
in early 2021. The team writes on the DX News website and their
Facebook page: [quote] "The Bouvet trip is on track!" [endquote] They
report that they are going forward with a 2021 DXpedition in spite of
not yet having the full operating budget, noting that they are not
applying to any DX foundations or clubs for assistance. Polish
DXpeditioner Dom 3Z9DX has organised this trip, which is the team's
second attempt at the sub-Antarctic island, one of the most coveted DXs
on the planet. The expeditioners' first attempt in 2019 was scrapped by
the ship's captain after a severe cyclone swept in, damaging the vessel,
and making a safe landing unlikely.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, there are reports in the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin
that Dom, 3Z9DX, has been heard on the air from South Africa recently, operating from Cape Town as ZS/3Z9DX. He has been heard on 80/20/17
meters. QSL via ClubLog's OQRS.

(DX NEWS, FACEBOOK, OHIO PENN DX)

**

INTREPID-DX GROUP SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR INTREPID SPIRIT AWARD

PAUL: Speaking of DX and DXpeditions, there is still time left to
nominate candidates for the Intrepid Spirit award given annually by the Intrepid-DX Group. This award is presented to an individual or a group
and it honors those who have activated rare, difficult and often
dangerous places, showing courage, generosity and dedication in their activities.

Deadline for the 2020 nominations is February 15th. Submit nominations
via email to intrepiddxgroup@gmail.com. The award will be presented in
May. It is given in memory of James McLaughlin, WA2EWE/T6AF. James was a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. He was shot to death in
April of 2011 while working as a contractor for the U.S. government in
Kabul, Afghanistan.

(INTREPID-DX GROUP)

**

HAM RADIO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN OUTLINES COVID PRECAUTIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Not all organizers of amateur radio events are looking to
cancel their plans for 2021. With COVID-19 precautions in place,
Europe's major gathering is feeling optimistic about its summer plans.
Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us more.

ED: Mark your calendars for now: A COVID-19 safety and hygiene plan has
been drawn up to enable Ham Radio Friedrichshafen to take place between
June 25th and 27th in Germany. Details have been released by organisers
and the DARC who are hoping to avoid the second cancellation of the
largest amateur radio convention in Europe. The safety procedures are
outlined on the event website and give details about mask and
disinfectant use as well as cleaning, distancing and contact tracing
that will be taking place. The procedures also outline other ways to
avoid contact, which include the absence of greeting rituals and
cashless payment for anything purchased.

For a link to an online PDF outlining the precautions, see the printed
version of this week's ARNewsline script. The information will be
updated in the weeks ahead.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: tinyurl.com/yxnl9kg9

(HAM RADIO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2258, for Friday, February 5, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2258 with a release date of Friday, February 5, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. In Canada, a microwave solution for EmComm needs. Restoration begins on wartime code machines -- and the space station
contact that wasn't. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2258, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

TECHNICAL TROUBLES FOIL ARISS SCHOOL CONTACT

JIM/ANCHOR: January 28th was supposed to be a day to remember for students
in Newcastle, Wyoming: They had an on-air date with the International
Space Station. It never happened due to technical troubles, however,
making it a day to remember for the crew and the ARISS program. Paul
Braun, WD9GCO explains.

PAUL: As students at Newcastle High School in Wyoming waited for their
chance for radio contact with the ISS, Jan, (YON) ON7UX, the Telebridge station in Belgium, called as ON4ISS as the spacecraft came up on his
horizon -- but only noise came back. Several minutes passed as Jan kept trying; still nothing. Science teacher Jim Stith, KI7URL, had helped prep
the students on radio protocol in anticipation of their questions to Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG. Ultimately, however, that contact never happened.

ARISS executive director Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said in a press release
later that a technical problem had apparently taken the ISS radio out of service. He said additional troubleshooting was needed but possibilities
point to trouble with the new external RF cable recently installed or
related to the interior coax cable. The press release said that NASA has opened a Payload Anomaly Report for the issue. In the meantime, ARISS has asked Sergey Samburov, who heads the Russian team, whether the Russians'
radio can be used for school contacts until the problems can be resolved.
The Wyoming students have been told that their contact will be
rescheduled.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(ARISS, YOUTUBE)

**

FRENCH AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITE PART OF SPACEX RECORD LAUNCH

JIM/ANCHOR: The SpaceX launch late last month set records for the number
of satellites aboard but hams are especially interested in one, as Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us.

JEREMY: When a record number of small satellites left earth aboard a
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday January 24th, France's UVSQ-SAT satellite carrying an FM amateur radio transponder was among them. The satellite is focusing on broadband measurements of Earth Radiation Budget and on Solar Spectral Irradiance in the Herzberg continuum. Amateur radio operators are being encouraged to contact the satellite as well. Toward this end, AMSAT-Francophone is providing hams with software to receive,interpret and upload telemetry to the AMSAT-F server or the SatNOGS database. The
software runs on both Linux and Windows platforms.

The satellite, designed by LATMOS, has had its frequencies coordinated by
the IARU. The Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Radio-Club F6KRK was also involved
in the project.

It was among the 143 satellites carried on SpaceX's first dedicated
SmallSat Rideshare Program mission, which broke the previous record of 104 simultaneous launches aboard an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in
2017.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SPACEFLIGHT NOW, AMSAT, LATMOS)

**

DEVICE PREVENTS 'SPACE JUNK' BY ALTERING SATELLITE ORBITS

JIM:/ANCHOR: Let's face it, no one likes clutter: not in the shack and certainly not out in space where CubeSats and other amateur radio
satellites keep us connected. Well, help with cleanup has arrived. Neil
Rapp, WB9VPG, has the details.

NEIL: It's called the Iodine Thruster, and it hates "space junk" so much
that it's helping prevent it, using an unconventional, nontoxic
propellant: Iodine. The electronic thruster is being used to control a satellite's height above the Earth.

That means that when a satellite reaches the end of its mission, it can be sent down into the atmosphere where it can safely burn up rather than add
more dead clutter to the skies.

The device has already proven its worth: It successfully changed the orbit
of a commercial research nanosat that was launched last November.

Iodine is seen as an ideal propellant to use for this technology because
it is solid at room temperature and pressure, becoming gas when it's
heated without having to liquefy first. It also only takes up a small
space onboard on the satellite. This technology isn't just for dead and
dying satellites, however; experts speculate it can help small CubeSats
extend their mission lifetimes before dying because the thruster can raise
the satellites' orbits if they start to drift back toward earth.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(SOUTHGATE)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2259, for Friday, February 12, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2259, with a release date of Friday, February 12, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A local EmComm conference goes virtual and
possibly global. Hams in Austria challenge proposed rule changes -- and
can spinach transmit wirelessly? All this and more, as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2259, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

PANDEMIC GIVES LOCAL EMCOMM CONFERENCE INTERNATIONAL REACH

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Regrouping to accommodate the pandemic, a respected
emergency communications event has been able to extend its reach far
beyond the Pacific Northwest. Christian Cudnik, K0STH, tells us what's happening.

CHRISTIAN: For the first time in its 20 years, Communications Academy is
going global. The pandemic has turned the two-day emergency preparedness conference in Pacific Northwest into a live online event with
possibilities for international participation. It's being held this year
on April 10th and 11th. Although it attracts a sizable number of hams, attendees needn't be amateur radio operators. In fact many of the
presenters are hams, including Tom Cox, VE6TOX, ICS Consultant for Alberta Emergency Management Agency; Jason Biermann, KI7KVP, director of
Snohomish, Washington's Department of Emergency Management; and Ward
Silver, N0AX, who will present on station grounding and bonding.

If you're anywhere in the world and want to sharpen your emergency communications skills, this is a free opportunity to receive training
while getting realtime access to presenters. Although the presentations
will be recorded, the experts will be available for live chat with
attendees in question-and-answer sessions.

Tim Helming, WT1IM, told Newsline in an email that Comm Academy is the
only surviving significant event in Washington state and was made possible
by switching to a virtual event. He said: [quote] "It promises to be a
great training Opportunity for all of us in Washington state and perhaps beyond." [endquote] Tim said graduates of the two-day academy often go on
to do good work, putting their knowledge into action - which is of course
what it's all about.

For details or to register, visit commacademy dot org (commacademy.org)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH.

(TIM HELMING WT1IM)

**

HAMS SEE THREAT IN PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO AUSTRIAN TELCOM LAW

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Austria's main amateur radio society is fighting back
against proposed laws it considers unfriendly to hams. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, brings us that story.

ED: The Austrian Amateur Radio Society, OVSV, is challenging proposed regulation changes by Parliament that the amateurs say would diminish privileges and spectrum allocations. Society president Mike Zwingl,
OE3MZC, told Newsline that a pending amendment to the Telecommunications
Act of 2020 contains language that would erode previous gains made by
radio amateurs, and fail to protect their licences.

Mike said that the new law's language institutes measures which would
impede hams' roles in emergency communications and passing welfare
traffic. The change would also raise costs for licences and impose larger fines for violations. The amendment also would leave amateurs with no protection against harmful interference. With lifetime licences abolished,
all new licences being issued would expire after 10 years. The radio
society would also lose the ability to administer license exams.

Mike told Newsline that hams enjoyed robust activity following the passage
in 2003 and 2007 of amateur radio laws favouring experimentation and new technologies.

He said a change in government in 2018 led to a new more complex Telecomms
Law that took over the administration of amateur radio laws as well.

The Austrian ham organisation is encouraging amateurs to contact the
ministry and telecommunications authority indicating their support for the group's position. Mike said the society had filed its comments earlier
with Parliament.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(MIKE ZWINGL OE3MZC)

**

FIELD DAY RULES MODIFIED AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR PANDEMIC

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: To ensure that clubs and individuals have adequate
planning time for Field Day this year, the ARRL has announced that the
same modified rules from last year's pandemic plan will be in place this
year, along with new power limits for Class D and Class E stations. Both
are home stations, with Class E operating on emergency power. Both will
have a limit of 150 watts PEP. As with last year's scoring, club scores
will be a sum of all individual entries attributing their points to a
club.

Field Day will be held on June 26th and 27th. Additional updates are
available on the Facebook page of the ARRL and the ARRL's own Field Day
page on its website arrl.org.

(ARRL)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2260, for Friday, February 19, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2260, with a release date of Friday, February 19, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The pandemic stirs a radio training surge in the
UK. Huntsville's Hamfest is back -- and an antenna reconnects Voyager 2 to earth. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2260,
comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

SURGE IN DEMAND FOR HAM RADIO IN UK

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week brings us back once again to COVID-19
and its impact on amateur radio. The news here, however, is good. Very,
very good. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: The challenge of a deadly pandemic has stirred unprecedented
interest in amateur radio in the UK.

As the COVID-19 crisis kept most of the country immobilised, last year the Radio Society of Great Britain rolled out remote invigilation of licence exams. Now, some of the free popular distance learning programmes are reporting a surge in applicants: for Foundation licence and upgrade exam training.

Approaching its 17th February application deadline, the Bath Based
Distanced Learning Team told Newsline its new Full Licence course has had
an overwhelming response. Team leader Steve Hartley, G0FUW, said, in an
email, that with 100 spaces available, the class is already oversubscribed,
as organisers sort through some 250 enquiries. This exceeds the previous
annual registration for the course - one of several offered by the Bath & District Amateur Radio Club. Steve continued, that some registrants for
the Full licence class are those who had trained in its intermediate class.

In another email, RSGB President, Dave Wilson, M0OBW, praised those
providing online training, saying the society website offers a list of
these groups. RSGB communications manager Heather Parsons added that
having more time to devote to radio now was only one reason amongst many
given for the upsurge in interest. In Nottingham, the South Notts Amateur Radio Club said enrollment for its Foundation, Intermediate and Full
licence online training classes have likewise attracted high levels of applicants. Club secretary Simon Strange, M0SYS, told Newsline that he now
has to lead training three nights a week to meet the intense demand. He
said the classes include men, women and children.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

PAUL/ANCHOR: To see the full list of organizations offering online
training in the UK, see the printed script of this newscast on our
website, arnewsline.org We also note that the RSGB has announced a consultation seeking views of a new direct Full License exam to run
parallel to the three-tier system in place. The Society's Examinations Standards Committee is keeping the consultation period open until the 14th
of March. A link to the proposed syllabus is also on our arnewsline.org website.

[FOR PRINT ONLY: www.rsgb.org/online-training]
[FOR PRINT ONLY: www.rsgb.org/direct-to-full]

(SIMON STRANGE M0SYS, RSGB, STEVE HARTLEY G0FUW)

**

HUNTSVILLE HAMFEST GOING FORWARD IN ALABAMA

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you'd like to go to a hamfest - really GO to a hamfest -
you'll get your chance this August at the Von Braun Center. Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has the details.

DON: Finally, some good news about ham radio conventions. On Tuesday, February 16th it was announced that plans are going forward for the
Huntsville Hamfest in Alabama. Mark Brown, N4BCD, Huntsville Hamfest
chairman made the following statement on the convention website,
hamfest.org.

The Hamfest Board has met with the Von Braun Center to learn about the
current rules & regulations for mass-gatherings. In short, the
insurmountable obstacles that prevented us from hosting a Hamfest last
year have relaxed to the point where we can host a safe and successful
event.

Additionally, our survey of commercial and flea-market vendors on their
plans to attend returned very encouraging sentiments.

Adjustments to the floor plan are being made to keep everyone safe, in particular 12' aisle spacing. Additional space will be utilized this year
to accommodate the commercial & flea-market vendors and visitors. Once
that floor plan is defined in a few weeks we'll open the web portal up for vendor registration.

We highly recommend visitors to purchase tickets on-line this year.
Will-Call windows will be set up to streamline the Saturday morning crush.
The ticket web portal will open in a few weeks.

The Hamfest Board is excited at the prospect of holding a live gathering
in a safe way for everyone attending and we look forward to seeing many of
our friends again.

Thanks and 73, Mark, N4BCD, Huntsville Hamfest chairman.

The Huntville Hamfest is a world class ham radio gathering and, since
1993, the home of the Newsline Young Ham of the Year presentation. Mark
your calendars for this one, and we will see you there August 21st and
22nd.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2261, for Friday, February 26, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2261, with a release date of Friday, February 26, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Earthquake researchers partner with hams.
Australian hams weigh in on a proposed license change - and it's time to
think about nominating the Young Ham of the Year for 2021. All this and
more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2261, comes your way right
now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

EARTHQUAKE STUDIES EMPLOY AMATEURS' WINLINK

DON/ANCHOR: In our top story for this week, a United States government
agency is relying increasingly on amateur radio operators to further their understanding of devastating earthquakes. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, gives
us the details.

RALPH: Ham radio operators are partnering with the U.S. Geological Survey
in helping to report realtime details about seismic activity and
earthquake damage, especially when other means of communication have gone offline: They're using the radio email platform Winlink to carry data from
the survey's questionnaire-based system known as DYFI, for "Did You Feel
It?"

ARES members transmit the DYFI reports even if an earthquake has knocked
down the region's internet. Receiving stations outside the earthquake
region receive the data contained in the Winlink transmission and forward
it to the USGS via their own internet access. The DYFI system gathers macroseismic intensity data, allowing scientists to more accurately
pinpoint where people felt the earthquake and at what intensity.
Researchers also rely on the reports' data to further their general study
of earthquakes.

According to an article on the website EOS, an estimated 90 percent of
DYFI reports are sent by observers within the first hour of an earthquake. Hams can transmit the reports over VHF, HF and even local high-speed mesh networks, many of which have the ability to interface with satellite-
connected cells-on-wheels. Cells-on-wheels have proven useful in emergency response already during the California wildfires of 2017 and 2018. ARES is
now promoting the DYFI protocol and training hams in California,
Washington, Arizona, Hawaii, and Mexico.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(EOS)

**

WIA POLLS AUSTRALIAN HAMS ABOUT ACMA'S LICENSE PROPOSAL

DON/ANCHOR: Hams throughout Australia are being asked to weigh in on a fundamental license change being contemplated. John Williams, VK4JJW,
tells us what will happen next.

JOHN: As the Australian Communications and Media Authority seeks input on whether to replace amateur radio operators' apparatus licence with a class licence, the Wireless Institute of Australia has asked for feedback from members and other interested amateurs. The WIA's formal polling opens this week. The ACMA has stated that it would like to see the Class Licence established. The licence would be available without a fee and would not
change any amateur privileges but it would no longer ensure protection
against interference.

WIA president Greg Kelly, VK2GPK, wrote members calling the proposal
[quote] "a non-trivial change" saying it had long-range impact on amateur radio in Australia. In 2004, the ACMA's predecessor, the ACA, did not implement a proposed move to such a licence.

The ACMA supports the change, however, saying it hopes to reduce its regulatory burden and make costs more bearable for licensees.

The WIA poll is available to all radio amateurs in Australia. A link to
the online registration is available in the script of this newscast on the
AR Newsline website, arnewsline.org

Hams who register will receive their copy of the poll in their email.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: tinyurl.com/wiapoll

(ACMA, WIA)

**

MAJOR ELECTRONICS RETAILER SHUTTING IN U.S.

DON/ANCHOR: In the United States, another major retailer that was a
mainstay for amateur radio operators is shutting its doors. Fry's
Electronics, which did business online and at retail centers through the western U.S., announced that online competition and the effects of the pandemic were too much to overcome. The 36-year-old chain had 31 stores in nine states, with seven of them in California.

(KCAL LOS ANGELES)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2262 for Friday March 5 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2262, with a release date of Friday,
March 5, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Wyoming students finally get their space QSOs. A
solar panel promises more energy for Earth -- and a new video tells the
story of a classic broadcast transmitter's rescue. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2262 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

***

WYOMING STUDENTS GET QSO WITH ISS AT LAST

DON/ANCHOR: We begin this week with the story of a promise fulfilled: In
the language of space, Perseverence isn't just the name of a rover on
Mars. It's a quality that paid off among students in Wyoming who - after
a failed attempt in January - finally got their QSO with the International Space Station. Here's Mike Askins, KE5CXP, with the details.

MIKE: Students at Wyoming's Newcastle High School were flying high, at
least in spirit, on Monday, March 1st. Their amateur radio contact with
ISS Commander Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, was a success at last, after their
first try failed as a result of technical troubles with the U.S. astronauts' radio. With that radio down for repairs, the QSO took place via the
Russians' 2-meter rig instead and the students' questions rolled in fast, making the most of their precious 10-minute window for contact.

After hearing how bok choy and mustard is grown in space, how astronauts gently toss a football around for amusement and how a microgravity
environment can cause fluid in the ears, the students wrapped things up
by saying 73.

The contact, accomplished with the help of a multi-point telebridge
network, was a triumph for the high school as much as the ARISS program:
It marked the first time in the ARISS program's 20-year history, that it
has organized a QSO with students in Wyoming.

To hear the QSO, visit the YouTube site that appears in the printed
version of this week's script.

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2EYvX27Ujo]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

DON/ANCHOR: In the meantime, ARISS chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, announced
that efforts were under way to identify the issue that caused the radio
to fail in January, and a team is working with NASA and the European
Space Agency on a solution.

(ARISS, YOUTUBE)

**

SPACEWALKING AMATEURS PREP FOR POWER UPGRADE

DON/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, big things have been happening OUTSIDE the ISS,
too. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, picks up the story from here.

PAUL: For two amateur radio operators aboard the International Space
Station, it was their moment in the sun. Literally. NASA flight engineers
Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, and Victor Glover, KI5BKC, took the first moves
toward a power upgrade for the space station, during a seven-hour and four-minute spacewalk to outfit the new solar arrays with modification
kits.

If the view for observers was a little more spectacular than usual,
consider that Rubins' helmet held a high definition video camera for the
first time and was streaming the action live. Videos had been taken
previously using a helmet cam, of course, but only with standard
definition.

NASA was quick to point out that the present solar arrays on the ISS are working fine but they're degrading and are approaching the end of their
useful life. The spacewalk was designed to prepare for the installation
of new solar arrays which are expected to be sent to the ISS aboard a
SpaceX vehicle starting in June.

Meanwhile, there is still work to be done. NASA officials said that the upgrade is to be completed by Friday March 5th, with Rubins returning accompanied by another amateur radio operator: Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(CNN, SPACE.COM)

**

RF INTERFERENCE REPORTS DRAW RAPID RESPONSE FROM OFCOM

DON/ANCHOR: In the UK, the telecommunications regulator recently
delivered a rapid response to a report of radio interference - but this
wasn't exactly an amateur radio crisis. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: It took barely a half-hour as Ofcom, the telecommunications
regulator in the UK, responded swiftly to an urgent report of widespread
RF interference, calling it a high priority case. Even the local police
got involved and awaited the arrival of a spectrum engineer dispatched
from Ofcom's Spectrum Management Centre, which operates around the clock.

The crisis at hand wasn't jammed signals reported by radio operators but
the failure of shoppers at a Hertfordshire superstore to use their key
fobs to unlock their vehicles in the car park. Because the key fobs use
radio spectrum at very low power they are subject to interference issues
the same as other radio equipment.

Using his spectrum analyser, the engineer was unable to pinpoint the
source of the interference, which could have been simply lightbulbs or a malfunctioning doorbell. The situation had already resolved itself by the
time he arrived.

Hams in the UK should report any and all interference to Ofcom, via the
web address given in the text version of this report at
arnewsline.org.... even if their vehicle's key fob is working fine.

[PRINT ONLY: Don't read out:
https://ofcomforms.secure.force.com/formentry/ ]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE, OFCOM)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2263, for Friday, March 12, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2263, with a release date of
Friday, March 12, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A digital amateur TV experiment soars in
Australia. Big changes for ham tests in France -- and hams
troubleshoot an inoperable radio on the Space Station. All this
and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2263, comes
your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

EXPERIMENTERS LAUNCH AN EYE IN THE SKY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week with the story of a long-awaited accomplishment: a successful high-flying experiment conducted by a
group of innovative amateurs in Australia. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has
that story.

GRAHAM: Members of the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group in Adelaide,
Australia are celebrating the much anticipated launch of Horus 55, a high-altitude balloon sent aloft on the morning of March 7th with a
digital amateur radio TV transmitter as its payload. As the balloon
soared skyward, after a brief launch delay due to rain, it relayed
its TV signal to YouTube in a livestream that was broadcast worldwide.

The TV transmitter payload, which was the main experiment, required
extensive testing before launch day, especially with regard to its
tolerance for low temperatures. It utilised a Raspberry Pi Zero W
which captured and compressed video for the modulation of a 445 MHz
DVB-S transmission generated by a LimeSDR Mini.

Team members Mark, VK5QI, Matt, VK5ZM, Pete, VK5KX, and Grant, VK5GR,
shared the triumph of the project. According to the AREG website, the challenges included devising a transmitter system that could provide
sufficient signal and still withstand the thin atmosphere at high
altitudes. There was also the small detail of getting the signal from
the high-performance receive system uploaded to the internet.

Shortly into the one-hour flight, signal reports arrived from
receiving stations from around the region, including Ian, VK5ZD, near
Kapunda, and Joe, VK5EI, in Adelaide.

Horus 55 also carried an experimental LoRaWAN tracking payload
transmitted position data into TTN, the Things Network, which has
receiver stations across Australia. It too was a success, according
to the AREG website. Built by Liam, VK5LJG, its performance exceeded expectations.

To watch the experiment unfold and soar, visit the YouTube site that
appears in the script of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

[FOR PRINT: DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vYcVRWrdhs]

(AREG)

**

ARISS RADIO TROUBLESHOOTING CONTINUES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: As Newsline went to production, astronauts aboard the International Space Station were preparing for two spacewalks to
troubleshoot and restore the full functionality of the Columbus
Interoperable Radio System for ham radio contacts. Technical issues -
what ARISS is calling a "radio anomaly" - turned up on January 28th
after a failed radio contact with students in Wyoming.

At a press conference on Wednesday, March 10th, ARISS' Frank Bauer,
KA3HDO, and Oliver Amend, DG6BCE, outlined in detail how the
investigation identified three probable areas where the failure may
have occurred, including a break in one of the cables, trouble with
one of the connectors or improper alignment of the connector with the
system itself. Michael Hopkins, KF5LJG, and Victor Glover, KI5BK,
were scheduled to continue the troubleshooting outside the ISS on
Saturday, March 13th, and Sunday March 14 - work that was to include reinstalling the cable that had been swapped out during the January
27th spacewalk.

Frank said that if there were still problems after the weekend, there
were other options to investigate, including another possibly suspect
cable or the radio itself.

(ARISS)

**

FRANCE OVERHAULS AMATEUR RADIO TESTING

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Regulators in France have announced major modifications
to the nation's amateur radio exam. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has the details.

ED: There are big changes in amateur radio testing in France. The
government's official journal has released an outline of the changes,
which were eight years in the making. France's radio exam contains 40 questions, with a total time limit of 45 minutes, combining technical
theory with rules and regulations. The material in France's only level
of Amateur radio licence is compatible with CEPT HAREC full licence requirements, and a recent addition to the syllabus are questions on
digital signal processing.

Candidates need to get at least half of the questions correct in both
the technical theory segment and the rules and regulations segment
before they can attain a pass.

The changes do not take effect for another three months.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands, radio exams are returning for the first
time since November of last year. The Radio Exams Foundation is
permitting the tests to go forward. News reports say there is a backlog
of about 200 candidates waiting. We wish them all luck.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(SOUTHGATE)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2264, for Friday, March 19, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2264 with a release date of Friday,
March 19, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. ARISS is back on the air from the Columbus module. Hams activate during a record storm in Colorado -- and there's optimism for two major radio events later this year. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2264 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with good news for U.S. astronauts aboard the International Space Station: their amateur radio came back on
the air just in time to keep a date with some youngsters in Australia.
Paul Braun, WD9GCO tells us more.

PAUL: The return to service of the ARISS Columbus radio was especially good news to school children in Adelaide, Australia who were able to keep their date with astronaut Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, on March 17th. During a
spacewalk with Victor Glover, KI5BKC, just a few days earlier, astronaut
Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, restored the cabling outside the ISS to its original configuration. A test of the equipment in Packet Mode, as the ISS passed
over the West Coast of the United States, was a success: The signals were almost immediately heard in Idaho, Utah and California – and later in South America and the Middle East. The radio had been out of service since a malfunction was detected in late January just as the ISS attempted a QSO
with students in Wyoming.

Fortunately, hams were able to conduct subsequent ARISS contacts with
schools using the cosmonauts' radio in the Service Module, thanks to Sergey Samburov, RV3DR.

Now that the radio's antenna connection is fixed, the grateful students at Goodwood Primary School have become the first phone contacts made with the newly reconnected Columbus module radio. Next up will be students at the Oakwood School in Morgan Hill, California on Monday, March 22nd; and then,
two days later, it's back to Down Under with students at the School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, in Mawson Lakes, South Australia.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(FRANK BAUER KA3HDO, DAVID JORDAN AA4KN, ROSALIE WHITE K1STO)

**

TIME-KEEPING BROADCAST SYSTEM GETTING UPGRADE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Don't worry, time isn't going to stand still anytime soon but
it is definitely going to be undergoing an upgrade. Well, maybe not time itself but the time-keeping broadcast system of WWVB, the radio station of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology near Fort Collins, Colorado. An announcement on its webpage reports that because of work begun
on March 9th, the transmitter may be operating on a single antenna at about
30 kW of radiated power for periods of several days. There may even be occasional outages. The web page notes: [quote] Periods of reduced power operation lasting longer than 30 minutes will be logged on the WWVB Antenna Configuration and Power web page, and any outage longer than five minutes' duration will be recorded on the WWVB Outage web page." [endquote]

Don't worry: The upgrade being undertaken is designed to improve the reliability of the signal, so things are bound to get better by March 31st when the upgrade is expected to be finished.

(NIST website)

**

ARES TEAM DIGS IN DURING COLORADO BLIZZARD

NEIL/ANCHOR: A record snowstorm hit Colorado and one local ARES team was
able to dig in and help. Here's Amanda Alden, K1DDN, with those details.

AMANDA: Members of Arapahoe County ARES were deployed and ready for a snowstorm in Colorado that was declared Denver's fourth largest since 1881
-- and the second-largest ever in March. After spending Saturday, March
13th on standby, 19 hams went into action the next morning, providing
reports on weather and road conditions even as the snow continued unabated.

Mike Curta, KD0UFO, the severe weather coordinator for the ARES group, said that nearly 28 inches of snow fell in a little more than 24 hours and winds kicked up to 40 miles per hour. By Monday, March 15th, the hams had logged more than 260 hours working in support of the county sheriff's department
as well as the city of Aurora. They assisted local agencies as officials
got busy handling numerous storm-related crises, including the rescue of
as many as 200 people who were left trapped in their cars.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Amanda Alden, K1DDN.

(MIKE CURTA KD0UFO)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2265, for Friday, March 26, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2265, with a release date of Friday,
March 26, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A leader in the shortwave radio community dies in
a fire. A first time Dxpedition is in the works -- and our April Fool's correspondent, Pierre Pullinmyleg, is back. All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2265, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

SHORTWAVE-LISTENING LEADER GEORGE ZELLER DIES IN FIRE

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week marking the tragic death of a well-known
member of the shortwave-listening community. Stephen Kinford, N8WB, tells
us about this leader among radio hobbyists.

STEPHEN: The world of shortwave-listening enthusiasts has lost one of its
long time leaders tragically in a house fire in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland.com said the victim was George Zeller. George was a radio
hobbyist since the early 1960s and spent decades reporting on hundreds of pirate radio operators and other shortwave stations. His column had an
active following in "The Journal," the monthly publication of the North American Short Wave Association. He was a contributing editor to a number
of other radio publications and was a longtime contributor to the
publication of the Association of Clandestine Radio Enthusiasts. George
was also a popular host of the pirate radio forum at the annual Winter
SWL Fest since its early years.

His reputation earned him an induction into the North American Pirate
Radio Hall of Fame in 2011. His personal website, georgezeller.com, gives
the details of what he considered his best QSL verification letter in all
his years of radio listening: It was a confirmation from the FCC that
he'd copied the enforcement action on the air of WHBH radio in February
of 1990.

By profession, George was an economist, who carefully watched his home
state's financial health, and was quoted often in the mainstream media.
His other love was sports, particularly baseball and football. According
to the Cleveland.com website, the fire department determined that the
blaze was set off by an overloaded extension cord. George Zeller was 71
years old.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.

(SWLReport, THE FREE RADIO NET WEBSITE, CLEVELAND.COM)

**

FCC GRANTS CONTINUED ACCESS BETWEEN 3.3 - 3.45 GHz

JIM/ANCHOR: There's good news for hams who enjoy operations on the
frequencies between 3.3 and 3.45 GHz. Amateur radio operators may
continue using this segment of the band indefinitely. The FCC's
announcement this month is seen by many, including the ARRL, as an
alternative to ham radio's removal from the entire band. It also adds
50 more MHz than the FCC's original proposal for amateurs' secondary operations on the band.

Meanwhile, auctions seeking commercial 5G buyers have begun for
frequencies between 3.45 and 3.55 GHZ and amateurs have been told to
cease secondary operation in the 3.45 – 3.50 GHz band 90 days after
public notice is given that the auction has closed, and licensing has commenced. The FCC has identified 3.45 GHZ as the frequency at which the
band will be split. Hams will continue to operate in the band's lower frequencies while the FCC reviews whether or not to reallocate that part
of the spectrum later.

(FCC, ARRL)

**

HAMS IN UK GET PREVIEW OF NEW LICENSE DOCUMENT

JIM/ANCHOR: The amateur radio license is getting a new look in the UK,
and hams there are getting a sneak peek. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us
more.

JEREMY: Hams in the UK can get a preview of what the new amateur radio
licence will look like by visiting the website of Ofcom. It is available
there in draft form and comments are being accepted until the 18th of
April. The new licence will become effective on the 18th of May, and
contains a number of changes, including details about Electromagnetic
Field exposure compliance.

The EMF wording has been somewhat controversial among some amateurs,
who consider its inclusion unnecessary. Ofcom has also opted to delete
the reference to the old Full Reciprocal licence that was abolished in
2016.

See the printed version of this script at arnewsline.org to find the URL
where you can download a PDF of the draft licence, or to submit your
comments.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: New draft licence

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/214116/emf-draft- amateur-licence-terms-and-conditions.pdf

Comment submissions:

https://ofcomforms.secure.force.com/formentry/SitesFormLicensingEMFEnquiry]

(OFCOM)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2266, for Friday, April 2, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2266, with a release date of Friday,
April 2, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The UK prepares to resume in-person license exams.
A worldwide balloon launch marks the equinox -- and the "Last Man Standing" special event goes out with a bang. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2266, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

ARCTIC DXPEDITION PACKS UP BENEATH NORTHERN LIGHTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to a frozen Arctic island, where the rewards of a physically grueling DXpedition included something even more
than the thousands of contacts logged by the team. Graham Kemp, VK4BB,
brings us that story.

GRAHAM: The RI0Q (R EYE ZERO Q) DXPeditioners have arrived back on the mainland following a challenging but successful activation of the rare
Arctic IOTA, AS-152. The island, named Bol'shoy Begichev (BEG-i-chev) after its discoverer Nikifor Begichev in 1908, held many discoveries for the team during their one-week activation. Challenges included making a large part
of the trip by snowmobile. Once they arrived on March 20th, they remained constantly vigilant for polar bears, wolves and incoming blizzards
especially as they were setting up for operations.

By March 26th, as the activation was winding down, they were able to enter into their online diary that they'd logged 6,913 QSOs representing more
than 4,000 unique callsigns.

Their departure came just as a blizzard was supposed to come blasting in. There was one event they did not miss, however, nor did they want to miss
it — because it was spectacular. DXworld-net reported on its Twitter feed
on March 27th: [quote] "The RI0Q team are already back on the mainland. As they left the island, the Northern Lights started to show. Looks like they left at the right time!" [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(DXWORLD-NET, RI0Q DIARY)

**

'LAST MAN STANDING' TRIBUTE WRAPS UP ACTIVATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the activators of the "Last Man Standing" special event which went QRT on Wednesday March 30th. Starting on March
24th, the team logged more than 85,000 QSOs, contacting 1,850 counties in
50 states and 138 countries. There were 134 contacts using moonbounce;
and yes, there were pileups. The multi-mode effort was also a multi-media
one, featuring livestreaming of operators as they navigated pileups. Coordinated by Lou Maggio, NO2C, and Salli Rosato, K2RYD, of the Great
South Bay Amateur Radio Club, and the show's executive producer, John
Amodeo, AA6JA, it was an experience many of the dozens of operators in
both the US and Canada said will remain with them even as the studio
goes dark after the show's final day of production. "Last Man Standing" featured Tim Allen, KK6OTD, as Mike Baxter KA0XTT, and was celebrated
for putting amateur radio in a positive light in the public eye.

**

IN-PERSON EXAMS TO RESUME IN UK

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the UK, the Radio Society of Great Britain has resumed
booking in-person exams. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, gives us those details.

JEREMY: Examiners in the UK have begun planning the resumption of exams for amateur radio candidates wishing to sit them in a club setting with in-
person invigilation.

With this in mind, the Radio Society of Great Britain said it anticipates bookings for the in-person exams from club examination secretaries once the government has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in their part of the UK.
The booking process is expected to be more streamlined than previously. The remote invigilations, which began last year during the pandemic lockdown,
will continue as an option.

Mandatory practical assessments at Foundation level will remain suspended until a review led by the Examinations Standards Committee and Exam and Syllabus Review Group can determine their long-term future, clarifying
whether they should continue and, if so, in what form.

In yet another sign of post-COVID life in the UK, the RSGB Contest
Committee began accepting portable entries in contests from stations in England, provided the stations strictly follow local COVID measures.
England dropped its "Stay at Home" restriction on the 29th March, meaning portable operations can resume. The RSGB cautions however, that portable multi-operator entries must comprise people from the same households
because vans, cars and tents are considered indoor environments and indoor mixing of households is still prohibited.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

NEIL/ANCHOR: In other business that has caught Newsline's attention: Paul Devlin, G1SMP, the joint winner with the Radio Society of Great Britain of
the 2020 Amateur Radio Newsline International Newsmaker of the year award
for the "Get on the air to care" public campaign, is standing for election
as a director of the RSGB board at the upcoming AGM in April. As there are
two nominees for two positions, I think we can say Paul will be elected and
we at Newsline would like to be the first to congratulate Paul and wish him well in his new role.

(RSGB)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2267, for Friday, April 9, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2267, with a release date of Friday,
April 9, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Get ready to work Bouvet Island later this year. Antarctica gets an unexpected activation -- and a renowned hexbeam creator becomes a Silent Key. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2267 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

PAIR OF DX GROUPS SET EYES ON BOUVET ISLAND

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a big DXpedition update - and you
know that has to mean Bouvet Island. But - TWO DXpeditions? John Williams, VK4JJW, brings us the details.

JOHN: The date is set - December 15th of this year - for the Rebel DX
Group to depart Cape Town, South Africa for Bouvet Island and the Three Y
Zero Eye (3Y0I) activation. The team said it is as ready as ever, following the cancellation of their 2019 DXpedition when they were within sight of
the remote island and turned back during a cyclone for safety reasons. The team of eight, led by Polish DXpeditioner Dom, 3Z9DX, expects to be on
Bouvet for as many as 30 days and will operate eight stations on 160
through 6 metres, using CW, SSB, FT4/FT8, RTTY and operations through the Qatar-Oscar 100 satellite. The team has continued to appeal for donations
to meet its remaining need for $32,000.

Meanwhile, the Intrepid-DX Group has announced that they will be activating the island as well using the call sign Three Y Zero Jay (3Y0J). Their 20-
day stay on the island is set for January 2023. The team's immediate goal
is to continue fundraising to meet their budget of $764,000 before their planned trip aboard the MV Braveheart.

The Rebel DX Group, in response to the other team's announcement, said in a press release: [quote] "We would like to wish the recently announced 3Y0J Bouvet DXpedition all the best for a successful activity in 2023. There is enough space for even 3 more activities from Three Y Zero land. We know how much detailed planning goes into a project like this and cross fingers for them." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(INTREPID DX WEBSITE)

**

ANTARCTIC ASSIGNMENT EVOLVES INTO DXPEDITION

PAUL/ANCHOR: Occasionally there's a DXpedition that didn't start out quite
so ambitiously. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has this story about one ham whose activation of Antarctica just grew from its humble beginnings.

GRAHAM: For Paul Daniels, VK2PAD, this was the Antarctic DXpedition that,
well ... just sort of happened. An instrument electrician and trades supervisor, Paul was assigned to work at Casey Station in Antarctica where
he expects to be for the next nine months or so. Of course, he brought his radios and lots of wire for some antennas. Initially, he just wanted to
chat with people on the air: that's what he told Newsline. A conversation
with the Australian World Wide Flora & Fauna manager changed all that.
Being a SOTA activator, he was game for adventure, and he was convinced to activate the WWFF park he was in, as well as the continent.

He's using the callsign VK0PD, and trying his best on HF, including two
bands new to him: 17 and 24 metres.

Paul told Newsline: [quote] "Somehow this quickly morphed into what feels
like being a rare contest station. My usual style is halfway between a
quick QSO and a ragchew. I like to get to know people and make friends, so this fast-paced action is not a familiar thing for me." [endquote] The activation has shown Paul that the peaks of SOTA summits have got nothing
on the peaks of massive pileups for a coveted DX location. Email him if
you want to learn more about his availability. His email address is in the printed version of this week's Newsline script.

VK0PD only operates on the weekends but is eager to - what else? - break
the ice.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

FOR PRINT ONLY: Paul's email is exile06_1980@hotmail.com

**

ANOTHER 'FIRST' FOR HAMS ON THE ISS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Commercial spaceflight logged another first on Monday, April
5th, as the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft undocked from the forward port
and moved to the zenith port of the ISS with the crew of four amateur radio operators aboard. The complex maneuver was the first of its kind undertaken
by a commercial crew and it makes way for the next Crew Dragon spacecraft's docking at the ISS later this month. On board Crew Dragon "Resilience"
during the undocking were NASA's Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, Victor Glover,
KI5BKC, Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, and JAXA's Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP. The relocation was carried live on NASA TV.

The new four-member crew will consist of NASA's Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD,
and Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, and Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, from the European Space Agency.

(SPACENEWS.COM, NASA, AMSAT)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2268 for Friday, April 16, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2268 with a release date of
Friday, April 16, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Volcanic eruptions stir hams on St. Vincent
to activate. The FCC sets deadlines for RF exposure assessments --
and receiving the QSL of a lifetime. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2268 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

ISLAND HAMS ON ALERT AMID VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week comes from the Caribbean.
Just weeks after receiving an emergency supply of batteries to
assist with communications during a volcanic disaster, hams in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines are now facing that exact scenario. Randy
Sly, W4XJ, has that story.

RANDY: St. Vincent islanders knew the eruptions were coming. The La
Soufriere volcano had been dormant for 42 years on the Caribbean
island until Friday, April 9th. As the volcanic unrest began and the
pace of evacuations quickened, local hams maintained daily contact
with regional disaster agencies.

Carlos Alberto Santamaria, CO2JC, the IARU's Region 2 Emergency
Coordinator, told Newsline in an email that hams throughout the
region have been on the air around the clock, mainly using HF
frequencies on 80 and 40 meters. Hams are also in contact with the
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Winston Jeffery, J88AZ, is maintaining an Echolink gateway on 2
meters while another VHF repeater is being used for domestic
communications. As Newsline reported just a few weeks ago, hams
living in the Red Zone were given emergency batteries at the request
of Donald De Riggs, J88CD, director of the Rainbow Radio
League/Youlou Radio Movement amateur radio club.

Ash is also blanketing the nearby island of Barbados. According to a
report on CNBC, the West Indies Seismic Center said eruptions could
continue for weeks or months.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

(CNBC, Carlos Alberto Santamaria CO2JC, The Daily DX)

**

FCC REQUIRES RF EXPOSURE EVALUATIONS STARTING MAY 3

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Starting May 3rd, hams and many other radio users in
the US are being required to evaluate human exposure to RF at their
stations. The April 2nd public notice from the FCC does not change
any RF exposure limits but sets a deadline for such evaluations at
stations that are new or have added or modified their existing
antennas or power. Amateurs will need to determine if their existing
stations retain the same exemptions they had under the old rules.
Hams who have already performed these evaluations needn't repeat
them, unless changes have been made to their stations.

The FCC has set a two-year period in which to conduct the exposure
assessment. A free downloadable booklet about RF exposure, and other
details about RF safety are available at the ARRL website.. Details
about the FCC's policy on human RF exposure are available at the
agency's website. See the printed version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org for links to both web pages.

FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:

http://www.arrl.org/rf-exposure

https://www.fcc.gov/general/fcc-policy-human-exposure

(ARRL, FCC)

**

TENNESSEE REPEATER SYSTEM AIDS STRICKEN HIKER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A linked repeater system in Tennessee provided a communications lifeline for a woman hiking in a national park. Kevin
Trotman, N5PRE, brings us that story.

KEVIN: A woman in distress while hiking with a group inside the
Great Smoky Mountain National Park was brought to safety late on
Sunday night, April 11th, with the help of communications over the
W4KEV repeater system in Tennessee. With no cellular service
available in the park, hiker Timothy Luttrell, KA9EBJ, used his HT
to hit the repeater in Gatlinburg which was linked to one in
Knoxville, which was being monitored by David Manuel, W5DJR. Timothy
told David that a woman in the hiking party had suffered exhaustion
and possibly dehydration and needed assistance. David notified
Emergency Medical Service as well as a medic who was part of the
park search team to help assess her condition via a series of
questions. Meanwhile, phone calls were placed to the hiker's family.
With questions relayed over the repeater, the medic determined the
woman was stable enough to accompany the other hikers as they
continued slowly down the trail, maintaining contact when possible. Arrangements were made for the hikers to meet with search and rescue
officers in a parking area - and ultimately for the woman's safe
pickup by her family.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(KEVIN DUPLANTIS W4KEV)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2269 for Friday April 23, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2269, with a release date of Friday,
April 23, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. History is made with a first flight on Mars.
Youth ham radio camp is postponed again in Region 1 -- and supersleuth
ham helps rescue a stranded hiker. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2269 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

DRONE MAKES 1ST POWERED FLIGHT ON MARS

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with the greatest moment not on
Earth....but on Mars. The American aviation pioneers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, would be proud that the spirit of their 1903 achievement lives on
173 million miles away - on Mars. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, brings us that
story.

PAUL: It only lasted a minute but it was the moment of many lifetimes. Ingenuity the drone aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover, took to the
air on Monday April 19th, marking the first powered controlled flight of
an aircraft on another planet. With Mars' freezing temperatures, plus an atmospheric density that is 1 percent of Earth's and a gravity one-third
of Earth's, the challenge of achieving liftoff was different from what
the Wright brothers faced in 1903 with their pioneering flight here on
Earth. In fact, a tiny portion of the original Wright flyer was on board.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California were hailing
the pioneering flight as a "Wright Brothers Moment" on Mars. The little
drone achieved a height of about 3 metres during the 40-second flight.
Data was sent back to Earth via the Mars rover. There will be other
flights, expected to be farther and at greater heights. NASA announced
that this newest of all airfields on the red planet would be named Wright Brothers Field. Following the flight, the International Civil Aviation Organization, an agency of the UN, gave NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration an official designator of IGY, call-sign INGENUITY.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(NASA, BBC)

**

REGION 1 YOUTH AMATEUR RADIO CAMP POSTPONED

JIM/ANCHOR: Young amateurs in IARU Region 1 are going to have to wait
another year to attend ham radio camp. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, brings us up to date.

ED: Concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic have postponed the YOTA summer
camp planned for this summer by the Youth Working Group of IARU Region 1.

In making the announcement, Philipp, DK6SP, and Markus, DL8GM, the
group's chair and vice chair respectively, said that the organisers'
intention is to reschedule the camp for the summer of 2022. This is the
second pandemic-related postponement for the camp, which was being held
with support from the Croatian Amateur Radio Society. In place of in-
person events, Youngsters on the Air in Region 1 has been hosting a
number of online workshops.

Meanwhile, in IARU Region 2, planners have said they are still optimistic
that they will be able hold the first Youth on the Air camp for young
amateurs in North, Central, and South America this summer, and will be providing a COVID-regulations-compliant environment.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

JIM/ANCHOR: As Newsline went to production, we also learned that the IARU Region 1 YOTA Subregional Camp in Hungary was also being postponed. The Hungarian Amateur Radio Society made the decision based on Region 1's
COVID-19 event cancellation policy.

(SOUTHGATE, YOTA REGION 1)

**

EXPERIMENTAL SENSOR SHOWS NOISE-REDUCTION POTENTIAL

JIM/ANCHOR: If you're constantly battling noise in the environment in
your attempts to get on the air, this next story from Kent Peterson,
KC0DGY, might just show some promise.

KENT: Researchers in the US who have been working with atom-based sensors
and receivers say their work holds potential for weeding out environmental noise and other radio interference. Scientists at the National Institute
of Standards and Technology see the sensor as a vital component because
of its ability to measure what they call the "angle of arrival" of a
wireless signal, a capability that they believe will have a positive
impact on transmissions for radar, 5G and other modes. According to an
article in phys.org, the system is able to take incoming signals, and
convert them to different frequencies. After measuring the separate electromagnetic waves' frequencies and their phase–that is, the position
of the waves relative to each other–the system can determine where the signal is coming from. The scientists say that's necessary in order to differentiate real communications from interfering signals. According to
the phys.org article, atom-based radio receivers and antennas have other
added benefits: They can be a great deal smaller than their traditional counterparts and, by making use of atoms to do the main work, have no
need for more conventional forms of electronics to do signal conversion.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(PHYS.ORG)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2272 for Friday May 14, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2272, with a release date of
Friday, May 14, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams bring compassion and critical supplies to COVID-ravaged India. A solar probe unlocks mysteries of a planet's
ionosphere -- and a shipboard amateur delivers some very rare grid
squares. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2272, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

INDIAN HAMS ASSIST WITH SUPPLIES TO COVID PATIENTS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is a tale of compassion and
community service arising out of a landscape in India ravaged by the
deadly pandemic. John Williams, VK4JJW, brings us those details.

JOHN: As COVID-19 continues to devastate India, amateur radio
operators in West Bengal are helping health care workers and patients
by providing a network of support. Club secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas,
VU2JFA, told Newsline that the West Bengal Radio Club and the students
of the Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster Management are
providing access to food as well as to lifesaving medicines, plasma
and oxygen, assisting the neediest with admission into health care
facilities. The academy is an amateur radio training institute headed
by Rinku Nag Biswas, VU2JFB. He said other hams in these two groups
are also arranging for mental health support to be provided online for
those who need it. Meanwhile, club members Arnab Roy Chowdhury VU3JWN,
Arub Bhattacharya (Botta-Charr-Ya) VU3ZIB, Debdutta (deb-DUTTA)
Mukherjee (Mook-Er-Gee), VU3JXA, and Jayanta (Jiy-YONTA) Baidya (BYE-
DEE-YA), VU3YJB, have been working around the clock, even as two other
members of the club became stricken with COVID and are now receiving treatment. Ambarish Nag Biswas told Newsline: "We are happy to help
people in this crisis period. We believe 'ham' stands for Help Always Mankind.' "

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA)

**

BRAZILIAN AMATEURS SEEK EQUIPMENT TAX EXEMPTION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Brazil, hams are renewing their efforts to have
taxes eliminated on amateur radio equipment, as we hear from Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Brazil's national amateur radio society has intensified its
ongoing efforts to have ham radio equipment declared exempt from
import tax and the tax on industrialized products. The exemption being
sought by the Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de R��dio Emiss�o would be
granted to any qualified amateur radio operator and participant in
Rener, the National Amateur Radio Emergency Network or member of
Sindec, the National Civil Defense System.

The bill was introduced in 2009 but there has been no action on it
since 2018 when it was given to lawmakers in the Finance and Taxation Committee. LABRE is asking hams in Brazil to push for a renewal of the
effort to get parliamentarians to vote on the measure. LABRE is
collecting signatures on a petition on its website to send to the
National Congress.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE, LABRE)

**

DEBRIS FROM CHINESE ROCKET SCATTERS IN INDIAN OCEAN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Although China successfully launched the first module
for that nation's space station, the mission launcher re-entered
Earth's atmosphere along an uncontrolled path. We hear more about its
fate from Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

JASON: The uncontrolled low orbit of a Chinese Long March rocket ended
in a flare of light over the Arabian Peninsula before the rocket
plunged into the Indian Ocean near the Maldives. The dramatic re-entry
into Earth's atmosphere came late on Saturday May 8th, quieting
nervous speculation that the space debris from the empty core of the
Long March 5B would land in a populated region. The Chinese space
agency said much of the rocket was consumed during re-entry. At 22
tons, it was considered one of the largest objects to re-enter the
atmosphere with an uncontrolled trajectory. Its path had been followed
by the US Space Command's Space-Track Project and European Space
Surveillance and Tracking. There had been concern that the rocket's
fate might have been similar to that of the first Long March 5B.
During a similar uncontrolled re-entry in May of last year, debris
from that rocket fell in an area of Ivory Coast in Africa where it
damaged several buildings.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(WASHINGTON POST, CNN, REUTERS)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2273, for Friday May 21, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2273 with a release date of Friday,
May 21, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. China lands a rover on Mars. An amateur radio foundation helps a prominent academic resource—and battery technology
takes a big leap forward in Australia. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2273 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

CHINA'S ZHURONG ROVER EXPLORES MARS

DON/ANCHOR: For our top story this week, we look skyward: Hams and
others with an amateur interest in astronomy have been tracking the
journey of the rover that China sent to Mars. It landed there recently;
and Paul Braun, WD9GCO, picks up the story with this update.

PAUL: Although the China National Space Administration remained tight-
lipped about its Tianwen-1 mission which landed that nation's first
rover on Mars, amateur astronomers had been monitoring the spacecraft's signals intensely. They were listening for encouraging signs regarding
the deployed capsule that was carrying the rover Zhurong to the planet's surface. The Chinese rover's arrival on May 15th (which was Friday, May
14th in the US) follows the arrival of the Americans' Perseverance
rover in February. While Zhurong goes about its business on the surface
of Mars, the Chinese orbiter will be relaying signals between ground controllers in China and the rover. Zhurong is equipped with cameras, a magnetic field detector, ground-penetrating radar and a weather station.

Having landed on Mars, China's next venture into space will be sending
three astronauts to the nation's new space station.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(CNET, SPACE FLIGHT NOW, TECH TIMES)

**

ARDC GRANT HELPS PRESERVE USE OF MIT'S 'RADOME' ON CAMPUS

DON/ANCHOR: In the US, an unprecedented grant from a major foundation
that supports experimentation in amateur radio has helped save an
important tool on one prominent college campus. Sel Embee, KB3TZD, has
that report.

SEL: Amateur radio generosity has played a major role in saving an
important part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A beloved
part of the campus skyline (the radar dome, or "radome," as it is known)
has been spared, thanks to a student-led fundraising campaign and an unprecedented grant from the nonprofit foundation Amateur Radio Digital Communications. ARDC has provided $1.6-million—the largest gift in its history—to replace the aging fiberglass radome and renovate the 18- foot-wide, steerable parabolic dish it houses. The radome and dish were
to be removed permanently to enable new roofing to be installed on the
campus' tallest building, which has been its home since 1966.

The fiberglass radome and its dish, which were once used for weather
research, have been used most recently by the MIT Radio Society, W1MX,
for microwave experiments, moonbounce communication and other radio-
related activities. According to the MIT website, it most recently took
on a new role beyond contacts with deep space lunar CubeSats and low-
earth orbit satellites. During the pandemic, it also allowed students to conduct radio astronomy experiments remotely.

ARDC director Bob McGwier (pron: Mugwire), N4HY, issued a statement
saying: [quote] "We also hope this contribution helps get the message
out that ARDC is excited to support amateur radio and digital
communications projects of all sizes - including big ones, especially
when the results will be so long-lasting." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Sel Embee, KB3TZD.

(MIT, ARDC)

**

SILENT KEY: MILE SEKULOVSKI Z31JY, MACEDONIA'S OLDEST HAM

DON/ANCHOR: A noted radio amateur known throughout Macedonia for his
longevity on the air has become a Silent Key. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells
us about him.

JEREMY: The amateur radio community in Macedonia has lost its most
senior member: Mile Sekulovski, Z31JY, who became a Silent Key recently
at the age of 95. Mile was widely admired and respected for his
proficiency in CW, which he sharpened up during a World War II military telegraphy course.

According to his biography on the web page of the Radio Amateur Society
of Macedonia, he worked for the post office as a telegraph operator
after the war and later became employed as a telegrapher in civil
aviation.

He was also a dedicated homebrewer of electronic keys, transmitters, receivers, antennas and linear amplifiers.

According to his QRZ page, Mile—who was active on the air even into his later years - was the first ham in the former Yugoslavia to receive the individual call sign YU5JY in 1950.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(QRZ, RADIO AMATEUR SOCIETY OF MACEDONIA)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2274 for Friday May 28, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2274, with a release date of Friday,
May 28, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams mobilize in search for preteen boy. There
are six new inductees in the CQ Hall of Fame -- and Bletchley Park is reopening. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2274 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

**

INDIANA HAMS MOBILIZE IN SEARCH FOR YOUNG BOY

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with an account of amateur radio responsiveness in a human drama that turned to tragedy: a sweeping search
for a missing 12-year-old boy with autism which ended with the discovery
of his body in the Little Calumet River. Members of the Amateur Radio Association of Newton County, Indiana, were among the hundreds of
volunteers aiding the search for Kyrin Carter, the Missouri youth who was
last seen on May 15th leaving the Indiana hotel where his family had been staying. Club president Mike Swiader [pronounced: SWAYDER], KA9E, told Newsline that the hams provided VHF digital communications and GPS for
the northwest Indiana's K9 search and rescue teams, serving as their communications branch. Working inside the association's mobile
communications unit, the hams logged coordinates from the teams while
they were deployed, providing digital tracking to help create a search
map. Meanwhile, other searchers were deployed on foot, on horseback, by helicopter and by boat and were joined by the FBI and police from Indiana
and nearby Illinois. On Monday, May 24th, the body of the little boy was
found in the river, and dive teams pulled him out.

By then, Mike said, the hams' team had been demobilized because the
nature of the search had changed. They learned of the boy's death through their liaison to local law enforcement.

(MIKE SWIADER KA9E, NW INDIANA TIMES)

**

HAMS INVITED TO JOIN IN HONORING WORLD WAR II HERO

JIM/ANCHOR: Hams are being invited to help honor the last surviving
recipient of the most prestigious military award given after World War
II. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us how.

KEVIN: Not everyone has a United States Navy warship commissioned in
their honor but Hershel "Woody" Williams, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Medal of Honor recipient was present in Norfolk, Virginia for just such a ceremony last year.

This year, amateur radio operators are planning a unique gesture of their
own at a birthday reception for Woody. Woody, the nation's last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor from World War II, turns 98 on October
2nd.

Donna Snow, W5SML, known for the American reality TV show "Texas Flip N
Move," has begun collecting QSL cards and birthday greetings to be
presented to him at the reception in Texas on October 13th.

Woody received the Medal for bravery during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He continues his service through the Woody Williams Foundation, which
assists Gold Star Families, people whose family members have lost their
lives in service to their country..

Amateur radio operators who want to help honor Woody can send a QSL card
with their wishes to the address at the bottom of Donna's page on
QRZ.com. Donna also writes: [quote] "Don't worry about sending too many,
I have BIG trailers!" [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

Jim: Woody is from right here in West Virginia, I'm proud to say.

(REX KING W5EAK, QRZ)

**

SENDING A MESSAGE TO SAMUEL F.B. MORSE

JIM/ANCHOR: If you could contact Samuel F.B. Morse, what would you tell
him? Newsline's Randy Sly, W4XJ, posed that question to mark an important anniversary.

RANDY: On May 24, 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse sent the first telegraph
message from Washington, DC to Alfred Vail in Baltimore, Maryland. In
addition to helping invent the telegraph, Morse also developed the code
he sent.

Today, the preservation of Morse Code has been left primarily in the
hands of amateur radio operators. On this anniversary, Amateur Radio
Newsline asked a few hams what they would say to Samuel Morse if he were
alive today.

Howard Bernstein, WB2UZE, co-founder of the Long Island CW Club said:
"Thank you so much for having the forethought and vision to create one of
the most internationally beneficial modes of communication still in use
177 years later."

Steve Szabo, WB4OMM, of the North American QRP CW Club said: "No one
could have envisioned the future communications technology that you originated. I'm in awe that low power Morse Code using a simple
transceiver and a wire can span the globe."

Finally, Stew Rolfe, GW0ETF, President of the CW Operators Club said:
"Well Sam, I bet you never thought your simple code would be heard across
the airwaves well into the 21st century, kept alive and lovingly cared
for by a bunch of hobbyists in pretty much every country of the world!"

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Randy Sly, W4XJ. Thank you, Mr. Morse for giving us the original digital mode.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2282, for Friday, July 23, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2282 with a release date of Friday,
July 23, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Ham radio at the ready in flooded parts of
Europe. Radio responds to Cuba's humanitarian crisis - and the FCC OKs an experimental station on 40 MHz. All this and more, as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2282 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

HAMS AT THE READY AFTER WESTERN EUROPE FLOODING

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Europe where nations in the
western part of the continent have suffered disastrous flooding. As
Newsline went to production, amateur radio operators were on alert and awaiting word on possible deployment. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us more.

ED: As record rainfall and some of the worst flooding in decades
devastated an area in the west of Europe, amateur radio operators stood
by to help. As the death toll rose and the search continued for those missing,Germany took the worst hit. Belgium, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands suffered, with Belgium holding a national day of mourning on
July 21st. In part of Belgium where water submerged an antenna vital for crisis communication, hams stepped up to volunteer in three provinces.

Meanwhile as the European Civil Protection mechanism was activated, the
Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service, the Belgian Amateur Radio
Emergency Service and the emergency communications unit of the DARC,
awaited word as to whether additional communications help would be
needed.

Greg Mossop, G0DUB, emergency communications coordinator in IARU Region
1, told Newsline in a recent email that Germany's deployment of soldiers
to assist in relief efforts bolstered the Technisches Hilfswerk, the
nation's Civil Protection organisation which had thousands of volunteers working to remedy the physical damage.

Greg told Newsline that the situation continued to evolve as bursting
rivers damaged power and communications networks along with bridges. An
update on the IARU Region 1 website said [quote] "This emergency will
last for some time as infrastructure is repaired and the threat from
damaged dams and more rainfall is reduced." [endquote] Meanwhile, in
Germany's southeast, water flowing down from the Alps stirred mudslides
and overflowing rivers, causing yet another disaster area. Casualties
were reported to be less than those affected in the northwest.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(IARU REGION 1, GREG MOSSOP G0DUB, BBC)

**

INDIAN AMATEURS HELPING WITH DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING

PAUL/ANCHOR: In India, amateurs are helping train additional volunteers
to respond to their region's disasters. John Williams, VK4JJW, brings us
up to date.

JOHN: A new educational partnership has been formed between civil defence officials in coastal West Bengal, India and amateurs in the West Bengal
Radio Club. Hoping to improve communications and emergency response
following intense cyclones and other disasters in remote regions,
officials have asked for training from the Indian Academy of
Communication, the ham club's educational wing. Going online with the
Google Meet platform, hams will train a total of more than 90 civil
defence volunteers. Posupoti Mondal, VU3ODQ, will lead the instruction
under the guidance of the academy's secretary Rinku Nag Biswas, VU2JFB.

Officials decided that ham radio training is essential for civil defence volunteers after previous efforts by the West Bengal Club proved
invaluable in earlier disasters.

West Bengal club secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, said eventually
there will be more than 90 students.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA, MILLENNIUM POST)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2285, for Friday, August 13, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2285 with a release date of
Friday, August 13, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams step up to help in California's deadly
Dixie Fire. Amateur radio catches a ride on the Perseids meteor shower
-- and a World War II veteran gets IN the air. All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2285 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

BREAKING NEWS: HAMS RESPOND AS ALGERIAN FIRE GROWS

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with breaking news. As Newsline went to production on August 12th, hams from the Algerian National Society ARA
had begun assisting with emergency communications as deadly forest
fires swept through the northern region. The International Amateur
Radio Union Region 1 reported that at least 65 lives were claimed by
the blaze raging in the town of Ouacif (wa-SEEF) in the Province of
Tizi Ouzou (Tee Zee OO ZOO). Operating on 7.110 MHz, 3.650 MHz and
14.300 MHz, hams were establishing communications between the mobile
station in Ouacif and the crisis centre in Tamda. Watch Newsline's
Twitter feed and Facebook page for updates.

(GREG MOSSOP G0DUB, IARU, REGION1 )

**

CALIFORNIA AMATEURS STEP UP DURING DEADLY DIXIE FIRE

JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in the US, in Northern California, nearly one
month after its flames began, the Dixie Fire has become the second
largest wildfire in the state's history. One group of radio amateurs
stepped up to keep the lines of communication open for local
firefighters when communications failed. Randy Sly, W4XJ, has that
story.

RANDY: With the Dixie Fire knocking out communications, wiping one town
off the map, and forcing thousands in northern California to evacuate,
a group of amateur radio operators helped emergency responders continue
to get the word out. The Lake Almanor [PRONOUNCE: Al-muh-noor]
Emergency Radio Net was on the air trading realtime information with
one another and neighbors. Hams were monitoring 7.199 MHz and
conducting their emergency net on 147.420 simplex. They also jumped in
to help the Peninsula Fire Department troubleshoot their problems when
the main firehouse radio failed, along with repeater issues. Mark
Burnham, K6FEJ, one of the net's members, said that modified 2-meter
radios had to be installed in the fire chief's vehicle for backup and
at the firehouse crew's quarters. Mark said the Yaesu radio was
modified by Ron, NB6X, to operate on fire department frequencies and a
12-volt power supply and J-pole were added outside the building. The
hams also set up a scanner on the main fire frequency near the
firefighters' sleeping quarters so they would be able to hear calls.
Another member of the net, Dale, KM6BQY, remained in the mandatory
evacuation zone, because he is also involved in search and rescue work.

By the middle of the second week of August, the Dixie Fire was declared
the largest wildfire burning in the United States. It had already
destroyed nearly 500,000 acres and was only 21 percent contained.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

(NPR, NBC, MARK BURNHAM K6FEJ)

**

CATCHING A RADIO RIDE ON THE PERSEIDS

JIM/ANCHOR: If you haven't tried meteor scatter, now's the time. The
Perseid Meteor shower is here. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, spoke to someone
who's having a whole lot of fun with them right now.

PAUL: One of the hottest topics in amateur radio today is the digital
mode developed by Dr. Joe Taylor K1JT, that is, FT8 and its relatives.
But the upcoming Perseid meteor shower should bring the mode's origins
into focus as Dr. Taylor originally developed it specifically to work moonbounce and something called meteor scatter. Mike White, K7ULS, from
Utah is an experienced moonbounce and meteor-scatter operator. I asked
him about this facet of the hobby. He said that the object is to bounce
the signal off of the ionized trail that a meteor leaves. I asked what
bands are used the most to work that and he told me:

WHITE:  Six meters is the easiest, and then two meters is the next
hardest one. But with the upcoming Perseids meteor scatter shower on
the 12th through the 13th you should have at least one hundred meteors
per hour.

PAUL: I asked White about the other VHF and UHF choices, but he
confirmed that while the others can work, the size of the antenna and
the power required goes up quite a bit. As far as six meters goes:

WHITE: Yeah, it's the best option. You can use as small as a three-
element Yagi.

PAUL: I then asked White about what kind of antenna setup he used. He explained:

WHITE: I use an elevation system on my antenna because I don't have big
towers here. I actually have everything mounted on the back of an RV
trailer. I just tilt it up into the meteor stream, and away we go.

PAUL: I can vouch for that. I had to work our interview in between
rounds of EME or moonbounce activity over several days.

White said that if conditions are right, you can often work a station
up to 900 miles away bouncing the signal off of the meteor trails.

So, this weekend, you may want to just crane your neck skyward and
watch the meteors as they pass by, or you may want to fire up the radio
and the computer and point your antenna skyward and try your luck with
meteor scatter.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2287, for Friday, August 27, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2287, with a release date of
Friday, August 27, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A dispute over a medical device and suspected
RFI. NASA plans a radio telescope on the moon -- and in New York, a
special event station marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2287, comes
your way, right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

DISPUTE OVER SUSPECTED RFI AND INSULIN PUMP

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week involves suspected RF interference
that appears to be affecting a medical device. But does this point to
ham radio? Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, explores that question.

RALPH: A ham radio operator in Florida is off the air, following a
challenge by a neighbor in his retirement community, that his amateur
radio station is causing life-threatening interference to the wireless communications in her insulin pump.

According to a report by WFTV Channel 9 Orlando, an independent
consultant hired by the residential community known as On Top of the
World, near Ocala, Florida, believes that RF from the ham station
"could have produced" interference with the pump's delivery of measured
insulin doses.

WFTV reported that the woman, Michelle Smith, is a Type 1 diabetic,
who claims that David Birge, WB9UYK, had put her health at risk by
operating his station.

David is now off the air in compliance with the community board's order
to him. It remains unclear, however, whether the consultant's findings definitively proved that RFI was a factor. In 2019, the US Food and
Drug Administration issued an alert that some models of insulin pumps
with unencrypted wireless connectivity had cybersecurity flaws that
left them vulnerable to hacking that could modify the settings.

Eric Koester, KA0YWN, an electrical design engineer in Minnesota, who
is not involved in the Florida dispute, told Newsline in an email, that
he has been familiar with RF emissions testing and RF immunity testing
since 1995. He said that the more subtle kind of changes Michelle Smith reported seeing in her insulin pump are inconsistent with the larger
scale reactions he has seen documented in devices compromised by RF interference.

Meanwhile, the WFTV report noted that the Florida community's board of directors has already modified its regulations on antennas in a way
that would permit operations by licensed radio amateurs living there.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(WFTV, FDA, ERIC KOESTER KA0YWN)

**

NASA MAKING PLANS FOR A 'LUNAR ARECIBO' DISH

PAUL/ANCHOR: Radio astronomers' beloved Arecibo dish is no more - at
least not in Puerto Rico. But how about a replacement that's....not
of this earth? Kent Peterson, KC0GDY, explains.

KENT: How do you top Arecibo, the iconic radio telescope that collapsed
last December, leading to its dismantling?

You build one similar to it - and you do it on the far side of the moon.

The Lunar Crater Radio Telescope is just a concept for now, but in
theory, its massive dish would be capable of detecting those radio
waves that eluded even the best of the telescopes here on earth. Better
yet, that reception wouldn't be competing against the atmospheric
interference that challenge earth-based telescopes. The lunar telescope
would be able to more clearly detect radio waves above 10 metres, which
were inaccessible to the Arecibo dish.

Joseph Lazio, one of the NASA radio astronomers on the lunar radio
telescope project, was quoted on the Business Insider website as
saying [quote] "With a sufficiently large radio telescope off Earth,
we could track the processes that would have led to the formation of
the first stars, maybe even find clues to the nature of dark matter."
He made his remarks in a press release about the project, which is
still considered very preliminary. This past spring, NASA awarded
$500,000 for further research and development on the telescope, which
will be designed to rest inside a lunar crater on the far side of the
moon.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(BUSINESS INSIDER, EARTH SKY)

**

AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: AMSAT's 39th space symposium and annual general meeting
is now accepting registrations for the event, which is taking place
Friday, October 29th through Sunday October 31st, in Bloomington,
Minnesota. Students are also invited to register. AMSAT is issuing
a call for papers by presenters. Last year's event was held virtually,
but this year's symposium is to take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel
at Minneapolis International Airport.

See the link to the registration website in the printed version of this newscast at arnewsline.org

https://launch.amsat.org/Events

To submit a paper, see details that are in this week's newscast script.

https://www.amsat.org/2021-amsat-symposium-proceedings-call-for-papers

(AMSAT)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2288 for Friday, September 3rd, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2288, with a release date of Friday, September 3rd, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. US hams respond to a devastating hurricane in the
Gulf region. Solar storms are called a threat to the internet - and the Newsline team suffers a personal loss. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2288, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

US HAMS STEP IN AS HURRICANE SWEEPS GULF REGION

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with Hurricane Ida. The storm battered the state of Louisiana, and the Gulf region in the US -- and hams were ready. Here's Randy Sly, W4XJ, with that report.

RANDY: As Hurricane Ida approached the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday morning, August 29, amateur radio operators were already active
with the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), VOIP Hurricane Net, and local
emergency nets in the affected areas.

It was the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, when this new contender headed inland near Grand Isle, Louisiana. With winds over 148 mph at
landfall, Ida devastated areas of Louisiana and Mississippi, before
moving north and east, dumping torrential rains as it went. This Category
4 hurricane left four people dead, and millions of utility customers
without power.

Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, net manager of Hurricane Watch Net, told Amateur
Radio Newsline that weather models warned him this storm would be
serious. The net was active for 26 hours, with 47 reporting stations.
More than 120 reports were sent to the National Hurricane Center through WX4NHC. According to Rob Macedo (Mah-see-doh), KD1CY, director of
operations for the VOIP Hurricane Net, the net provided the hurricane
center with additional details as hams checked in with traffic from
weather stations, social media outlets, public safety outlets and
contacts in the affected areas.

Amateur radio and government also worked hand-in-hand as FEMA declared Channels 1 and 2 on 60 meters available for interoperability as late as September 6th if needed. As before, the FCC authorized a higher symbol
rate than the 300-baud limit for hams' hurricane-related transmissions.

If you would like to volunteer to help the American Red Cross, or any of
the amateur radio groups mentioned in this report, please see contact information in the printed version of this week's newscast on our
website, arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

For the American Red Cross, Contact Steve Irving, DST Lead, Louisiana
Region, Cell: (225) 933-4993, steve.irving2@redcross.org.

For the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness, Auxiliary Communications Support and Amateur Radio Station WB5LHS, matthew.anderson3@redcross.org

For the Hurricane Watch Net (www.hwn.org), Bobby Graves, KB5HAV - Net
Manager, kb5hav@hwn.org

For the VOIP Hurricane Net, Rob Macedo, KD1CY - Director of Operations rmacedo@rcn.com

**

SOLAR STORMS CALLED THREAT TO INTERNET

JIM/ANCHOR: Most of us know what solar storms can do to our plans for DX
or even a friendly ragchew when they mess with the earth's geomagnetic
field. Well, according to one California researcher, internet-users could
soon be sharing our pain. Here's Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, to explain.

RALPH: If you rely on the internet as much as you rely on your amateur
radio, you may have twice as many reasons for being wary of space
weather, according to a California professor. Sangeetha [Son-Geeta] Abdu [Ab-Doo] Jyothi [Joe-Tee], a computer scientist as the University of California, Irvine, believes that major solar storms are capable of compromising the internet's global infrastructure -- and probably will.

It's not that a coronal mass ejection can disable the fibre optic cables
that form the foundation of the internet. They can't: Those cables remain unaffected and local internet service would remain intact. But, the
researcher said, a global network of undersea communications cables that
boost the internet's international signals -- the equivalent of
repeaters -- would suffer directly from electromagnetic fluctuations
brought on by severe solar eruptions. In a recently released research
paper, the professor speculated that this could knock nations off the internet, isolating them for as long as several weeks. The professor
presented her findings in a paper in late August at a conference held virtually by the Association for Computer Machinery. She noted that astrophysicists say there is a likelihood of between 1.6 percent and 12 percent that a strong enough storm of this sort will occur within the
next decade.

For many, her findings describe a future version of the Carrington Event,
a geomagnetic storm in September of 1859, that damaged the earth's ozone layer, and disrupted telegraph lines around the world.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(FROM JENNY TUPPER, the DAILY MAIL, ACM SIGCOMM)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2289, for Friday, September 10th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2289 with a release date of
Friday, September 10th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A rocket explosion destroys two European
satellites. Hams help safeguard animals in a California wildfire --
and have you ever logged a contact with a hot-air balloon? All this
and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2289, comes your
way, right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

RADIO OPERATORS SUPPORT WILDFIRE ANIMAL RESCUE

DON/ANCHOR: We begin this week with an update on the wildfires
plaguing the US West Coast. In California, the Caldor Fire hasn't
just left its impact on residents and business owners in the more
than 200,000 acres it has destroyed: The animals who live there are
suffering as well. Amateur radio operators are stepping in to help
these victims of this historic blaze too. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB,
has the details.

RALPH: As flames of the Caldor Fire began sweeping perilously close
to their homes starting in mid-August, residents were quickly
evacuated to safety, often having to leave behind their pets and
livestock. That's where hams in the El Dorado County Amateur Radio
club and members of its Neighborhood Radio Watch program have
stepped in. They've been providing radio communications support to
those who have not forgotten the animals. According to Alan
Thompson, W6WN, the club's public information officer, radio
operators have been assisting the South County Large Animal Rescue
Group, El Dorado County Animal Services and the various emergency
response agencies around California. The organizations are
conducting welfare checks throughout the fire-damaged county,
looking after animals who are sheltering in place—or facilitating a
rescue when necessary. The hams themselves are getting support too:
They're being joined by volunteers in the club's Neighborhood Radio
Watch program, area residents using inexpensive General Mobile Radio
Service, or GMRS, radios.

Alan wrote to Newsline: [quote] "We desperately love our animal
companions." [endquote] The club reminds people in the affected
areas to contact El Dorado County Animal Services or the shelter if
they have animals they are concerned about. You'll find the phone
numbers in the printed script of this week's newscast at
arnewsline.org.

[PRINT ONLY, do not read: Western slope: 530-621-5795; the shelter: 530-621-7631; South Tahoe area: 530-573-7925]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(ALAN THOMPSON W6WN)

**

GENESIS SATELLITES DESTROYED IN EXPLOSION

DON/ANCHOR: Two European-built amateur radio satellites were
destroyed in an explosion during their rocket's first test flight.
Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has details.

ED: The pair of AMSAT-EA Genesis satellites that were aboard the
first test flight of Firefly Aerospace's Alpha launch vehicle were
destroyed when the rocket, fueled by kerosene, launched from the
Vandenberg Air Force Base north west of Los Angeles—and then
exploded. The blast blew apart the GENESIS-L and GENESIS-N
satellites that had been built in collaboration with the Universidad
Europea and ICAI. The satellites were outfitted for amateur
communications using Amplitude Shift Keying and CW. Earliest reports
on Twitter described what happened two and a half minutes after
lift-off, saying the vehicle [quote] "appeared to lose control and
tumble moments before the fiery explosion." [end quote]. According
to a report on SpaceNews, the lift-off occurred only after a first
launch attempt was made an hour earlier but was aborted in the final
seconds of the countdown. The two digital repeater satellites were
among several on board the rocket built by Texas-based Firefly
Aerospace. Firefly tweeted [quote] "Alpha experienced an anomaly
during first stage ascent that resulted in the loss of the vehicle."
[end quote] The company was previously known as Firefly Space
Systems before entering bankruptcy, which it emerged from in 2017
with new owners.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(TWITTER; SPACENEWS, AMSAT)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2290 for Friday, September 17th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2290 with a release date of
Friday, September 17th, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Tokyo's ham fair is cancelled because of
COVID. A special event station marks a birthday for a Voice of
America station -- and 1,000 new parks join the POTA program. All
this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2290 comes
your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

COVID SPURS CANCELLATION OF TOKYO HAM FAIR

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the cancellation of Tokyo
Ham Fair 2021, the world's largest ham radio event. Yoshinori
Takao, JG1KTC, chairman of the Japan Amateur Radio League,
announced that JARL had been committed to holding the ham fair as
planned on October 2nd and 3rd using extreme preventative measures
against COVID-19 but new waves of infection made it necessary to
call everything off. He expressed hope for better chances in 2022.
The 2020 ham fair was also called off due to the pandemic.
According to the JARL website, more than 42,000 people attended
the fair in 2019 over the course of two days.

(JARL)

**

IARU REGION 3 OPTS FOR VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

NEIL/ANCHOR: The IARU Region 3 is also responding to the pandemic
—by holding its first digital regional conference. Jason Daniels,
VK2LAW, brings us that story.

JASON: The IARU Region 3 Conference kicks off on September 20th
and for its hosting organisation, RAST, it was supposed to be
three days of business and fellowship in Bangkok, Thailand. It
will instead be held digitally: a first for Region 3, but a
necessary response to the extraordinary circumstances of the
COVID-19 pandemic. RAST's president, Jack Hantongkom, HS1FVL,
writes on the conference website: [quote] "We are excited about
the opportunities of holding an innovative virtual conference."
[endquote] As such, the member societies will still meet in
working groups to deal with technical, operational and policy
matters, typical of any such conference except that this, the 18th
regional conference, will take place on the Zoom platform. The
tentative list of participants on the conference website includes
attendees from ORARI, the Indonesian amateur radio society; the
Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League; the Chinese Radio Amateurs
Club; the American Radio Relay League and the Malaysian Amateur
Radio Transmitters Society, among others. Jack writes further:
[quote] "This conference will bring us together at what is a very
difficult time for us all. " [endquote]

For full details of the conference go to the URL given in this
weeks script at arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://www.iarur3conf2021.org/ ]

(IARU REGION 3)

**

AMSAT SYMPOSIUM MOVES FROM HOTEL INTO VIRTUAL MODE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in the US, AMSAT has also announced a
change in plans for its 2021 Space Symposium and Annual Meeting.
Originally scheduled to take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in
Bloomington, Minnesota, it will instead be held on Zoom on
Saturday, October 30th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. The
program will be a mix of live Q&A sessions and pre-recorded video
segments. Registration is required through the AMSAT member
portal. AMSAT plans to make the event available for public viewing
later on its YouTube channel. AMSAT announced the changes, citing
concerns about safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(AMSAT)

**

SPACEX RECOVERY VESSELS NAMED FOR 'BOB AND DOUG'

NEIL/ANCHOR: Remember Bob and Doug? No, not the fictional McKenzie
brothers, but the NASA astronauts. SpaceX is remembering them and
Paul Braun, WD9GCO, tells us how.

PAUL: In August of 2020, Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, and Doug Hurley,
became the first astronauts launched aboard a crew Dragon
spacecraft in a historic commercial flight. This year, Bob and
Doug were to play key roles in the splash-down stage of another
history-making mission called Inspiration4. Well....at least their
namesakes were ready: Two vessels in SpaceX's recovery fleet
were named for the pair, in a nod to last year's mission which
helped signal a new era in spaceflight. The ships bearing their
names became part of the recovery fleet for Inspiration4, which
-- with a crew of four private citizens aboard -- marked the
world's first all-civilian space flight.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(NASA, SPACE.COM)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2291, for Friday, September 24th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2291, with a release date of
Friday, September 24th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hospitalized children talk to the ISS via ham
radio. Researchers call for new regulations for satellites -- and
youthful SOTA activators in Romania have a meeting with meteors. All
this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2291 comes your
way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN CONTACT ISS VIA HAM RADIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a story that shows the power
that amateur radio can have in the lives of children, especially those
who have been hospitalized for serious illness. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE,
brings us that report.

KEVIN: It was a remarkable 10 minutes that students and patients at the Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., are not likely to
forget: a question-and-answer exchange on Tuesday, September 21st,
between an ISS astronaut and the young patients in the pediatric acute
care hospital in America's capital city.

According to Bob Koepke, AA6TB, the event's technical mentor, the ARISS contact was arranged with Seacrest Studios, the educational space
inside the hospital to continue patients' education while they are
receiving treatment there. The space and communications component is coordinated with the help of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, NASA
and the local Alexandria Amateur Radio Club. Bob said the hospital's
proposal for the ISS contact had been accepted in March of 2020 but
concerns for COVID safety changed the shape of the event. Instead of
using an on-site amateur radio station for the contact, it would rely
instead on a multi-point telebridge with Claudio Ariotti, IK1SLD, in
Italy, eliminating the need for a large gathering of people. The
patients stayed in their rooms, connecting to the action via an iPad
and the help of a hospital staffer.

JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, KE5DNI, was ready and fielded 16
questions, using the callsign OR4ISS, during the 10-minute pass. More
than 1,300 students and patients from kindergarten to 12th grade
enjoyed the event, along with 500 parents and 400 professionals. A
recording of the contact is available on YouTube at the link that
appears in this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

Meanwhile, the application period begins on October 1st for proposals
for ARISS contacts in 2022.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKDjGxmcE-Y

(ARISS, BOB KOEPKE, AA6TB)

**

RESEARCHER BLAMES SATELLITES FOR NIGHT SKY 'POLLUTION'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Look! Up in the sky! That is, if you can. Light
pollution is becoming an issue and researchers in Canada have what they
hope is a solution. With that story, here's Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

ANDY: A Canadian astronomer is urging that international regulations be established to set limits on permissible levels of satellite brightness. Samantha Lawler of the University of Regina (ruh-JYE-nuh) in Saskatchewan
said the ever-increasing population of communications satellites, such as
those launched by SpaceX's Starlink, generate the kind of light pollution
that hampers astronomers' research. The scientist was part of a team that included researchers from the University of British Columbia and the
University of Toronto who studied the optical brightness of thousands
of satellites, including those in so-called megaconstellations.

The team concluded that in the not-too-distant future one in every 15
points of light in the sky will actually be a satellite. The research
team also expressed concern about the crowding of satellites in orbit, increasing the possibility of more collisions.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(GLOBAL NEWS, SOUTHGATE, CJWW RADIO)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2293, for Friday, October 8th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2293 with a release date of Friday, October 8th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A breakthrough in licensing for several British islands and territories in the South Atlantic. In the US, the Appalachian Trail comes alive with amateur radio - ham radio gets a supporting role in
a new short film. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2293, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

NEW CALLSIGN PREFIX SETTLES FALKLANDS ISLAND DILEMMA

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with report of a development that spells
good news for DXpeditioners and chasers: At long last a new callsign
prefix has evolved out of a long-simmering issue over licensed operations
in the former Falkland Islands Dependencies. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, brings
us that report.

JIM: Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, has agreed to use of a
new prefix for the former Falkland Islands Dependencies, which had been mistakenly omitted from the Falkland Islands Communications Ordinance in
2017. The prefix Victor Papa Zero, VP0, has been assigned to these territories, and the Falkland Islands Communications Regulator, which was
part of the discussions with Ofcom, is to administer these licenses on
behalf of the governments of the British Antarctic Territory and South
Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. The prefix will also apply to the
British sector of the Antarctic mainland, including the Antarctic
Peninsula and nearby islands as well as the South Orkney and South
Shetland Islands. This brings welcome news to DXpeditioners and others who have been unable to use VP8 licenses in these former dependencies for
years. The new call signs will only be issued with three-letter suffixes.

Hams assigned VP8 call signs under the old Falkland Islands Communications Ordinance will remain valid until the licenses require revalidation. At
that time, they will be reassigned a VP0 call sign.

Hams may coment on the draft of this policy until the 18th of October, Falklands Island Time. Follow the link that appears in the script for this week's newscast at arnewsline.org.

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: www.gov.gs/amateur-radio-licences-policy- consultation/]

(above URL all on one line)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(OHIO PENN DX, SOUTHGATE)

**

WEST BENGAL HAMS ASSIST MOTHERS OF NEWBORNS

JIM/ANCHOR: In India, West Bengal hams turned their efforts recently to aiding two displaced mothers of newborn babies. John Williams, VK4JJW, has more.

JOHN: Relying on their amateur radio skills and the vast network of connections that enables members to reconnect missing persons with their families, members of India's West Bengal Radio Club came to the
asssistance of two women shortly after they had given birth.

According to a report in the Sujanya News, a woman who was in the advanced stages of pregnancy was taken to Diamond Harbour Super Specialty Hospital
in West Bengal by police who found her at the local railway station and noticed she appeared to be mentally challenged. The child was born on September 10th, and according to the news account her family was located
in Punjab after police requested intervention by the amateur radio club. Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of the club, said the connection was made
with the help of Satnam Singh Birdi, VU2COR, in Punjab state. According to
the newspaper story the woman's brother told the hams she had been missing
for more than two months and that her husband also appeared to be
suffering from mental illness. The brother made the trip to the hospital, accompanied by other relatives, to retrieve the woman and her newborn
baby.

In another more challenging case, however, the fate of another mother and
her newborn child at that same hospital is less certain. The West Bengal
hams learned that the woman, who also appeared to be mentally challenged,
is a widow and the mother of two older children who are now being cared
for by neighbours. Ambarish Nag Biswas told the newspaper that no one has stepped forward to bring the woman home, claiming her pregnancy was the
result of sexual assault, and a stigma to her family.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(SUJANYA NEWS, WEST BENGAL RADIO CLUB)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2298 for Friday, November 12th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2298, with a release date of Friday, November 12th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams in Japan homebrew their own virtual hamfest.
A popular digital amateur TV magazine halts publication -- and QSL cards
are racing their way to you from the Indianapolis Speedway.

All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2298, comes
your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

BREAKING NEWS: DAYTON HAMVENTION IS A 'GO'

STEPHEN: We begin this week with breaking news.

Dayton Hamvention 2022 is not just going to be a premier hamfest but a reunion, as organizers prepare for the first gathering at the Xenia
Fairground and Expo Center in Ohio after two years of cancellations. Hamvention's general chairman Rick Allnut, WS8G, told Newsline in a phone interview that committees have been meeting and volunteers are committed
to making up for the time lost to pandemic cancellations.

Hamvention will be happening on Friday May 20th through Sunday May 22nd,
with an international reception scheduled on Thursday May 19th. Rick said
the registration site is already taking bookings from vendors and inside exhibitors and individual visitors can already buy their tickets. All
details are available on the hamvention.org website. RIck said: "Tickets
are all printed and ready to go."

**

HAMS IN JAPAN HOMEBREW THEIR OWN FEST

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams have always believed that if you really want
something, sometimes it's better to build it yourself. Nowhere is that
more evident lately than in Japan, where radio operators were
disappointed once again this year by cancellation of that nation's major
radio event. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us more.

GRAHAM: Never mind that the Tokyo Ham Fair was cancelled again this year
by the Japan Amateur Radio League because of COVID-19 precautions. The
Virtual Ham Festa 2021 has taken its place thanks to the creativity of a
group of independent dedicated radio amateurs. Scheduled speakers
included Shiro Sakai, JH4PHW, explaining the best practices for using
eQSL, and Yuki Shimizu We, JO2ASQ, explaining amateur satellite communications. One of the biggest topics on the agenda was the
resurgence of CW.

A true homebrew project built on the Zoom platform, the November 13th
hamfest was designed with a Main Stage for seminars and live
presentations. Other features included booths and a space for eyeball
QSOs. The organising committee was headed by Taka, 7K1BIB, who said that
like all major ham radio events, an on-the-air component was also a big
part of the plan: As a social experiment an international FT8 QSO Party
was to take place on 40 metres in parallel to the virtual event.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(TAKA 7K1BIB, SOUTHGATE)

**

THE NATURE OF EXCITEMENT FOR SLOVENIA'S WWFF

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The World Wide Flora & Fauna program has welcomed S5FF
- Slovenia - and hams there are eager to share the excitement. Ed
Durrant, DD5LP, brings us up to date.

ED: Radio operators in Slovenia held a quiet but well-earned celebration during the first full weekend in November as they marked their nation's arrival as a registered region in the Worldwide Flora & Fauna programme.
It was the culmination of two months of intense effort by a team of hams including Mike Gregoric, S55GX, who said the team members are all
experienced SOTA, IOTA and World Castles Award activators. Mike, who has
been a ham since 1995, told Newsline that he realized this past summer
that Slovenia needed to organize and become part of the awards programme,
which would require adding a national log manager and coordinators. WWFF
vice chairman Manfred Meier, DF6EX, and member administrator Luk
Waterschoot, ON4BB, encouraged the Slovenian team's efforts. Mike, who
serves as coordinator, told Newsline that the team pulled all the
essential ingredients together, a web page, an S5 logo and the definition
of all the new activation areas. Mike said that there are now 191 such
sites - and the numbers are growing.

Some other possibilities are growing too: Mike hopes Slovenia's
participation will encourage more portable operations and even boost
amateur radio tourism from abroad. He told Newsline: [quote] "Everyone
can make nature their shack." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(MIKE GREGORIC, S55G; MANFRED MEIER, DF6EX, WWFF WEB PAGE)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2301 for Friday December 3rd, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2301 with a release date of Friday, December 3rd, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Ham radio marks 100 years of signals crossing the ocean. A well-known author and podcaster becomes a Silent Key -- and we announce the winner of the 2021 Amateur Radio Newsline International
Newsmaker of the Year award. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2301, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

AMATEUR RADIO'S 100 YEARS OF TRANSATLANTIC SIGNALS

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week by marking a turning point in amateur
radio history: the first transatlantic communications on the amateur
portion of the spectrum 100 years ago this month. A video from the Antique Wireless Museum in New York celebrates the one-century-mark of what the
museum is calling "The Triumph of the Amateurs," which began with the
first test on Dec. 11 1921. Jack Parker, W8ISH, picks up the story from
here.

JACK: A dramatic video released recently by the Antique Wireless Museum
tells how hams conceived of a historic test in 1921 that showed the world
that the shortwave spectrum below 200 meters was anything but useless when
it came to sending messages across the ocean. This was the now-famous Transatlantic Test Project. In a one-hour video, Ed Gable, K2MP, and Mark Erdle, AE2EA, tell how the amateur spirit of experimentation put ham
station 1BCG on the air with a tube-based transmitter on 1.3 MHz. The CW transmission from Connecticut by the Radio Club of America was
successfully copied in Scotland.

As hams prepare to re-enact that day on its anniversary using a replica of
the original transmitter, hams everywhere can learn all about the moments
that made history on 160 meters. Find a link to the YouTube video in the
text version of this week's newscast on our website arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt_M5VVsR1Q )

(YOUTUBE, ANTIQUE WIRELESS MUSEUM)

**

RADIO CAROLINE SEEKS REPORTS ON NEW TRANSMITTER

NEIL/ANCHOR: Who doesn't love the thought of a better, more powerful transmitter? You don't even have to be a ham: In the UK, an upgrade has
been made at Radio Caroline, a once-notorious pirate radio station,
leaving the station feeling loud and proud. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, picks up
the story from here.

JEREMY: If you can hear the new, high-power signal of Radio Caroline on
648 KHz AM, you can thank its new 25 kW transmitter, a Harris DX25U which
is a nice step up from the station's older 10 kW Nautel model.

The station manager, Peter Moore, writes on the Southgate Amateur Radio
News website that the station is keen to know how much further its signals
are reaching these days. He asks for reception reports to be sent to help
the crew achieve even more improvements. You can find a link to the
reception report at radiocaroline.co.uk

Peter said: [quote] "Now the new transmitter is in service covering a much larger area than before, we hope to reconnect with more of our listeners
from the past." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RADIO CAROLINE, SOUTHGATE)

**

CYCLING HAMS HELP RAISE FUNDS TO BEAT CANCER

NEIL/ANCHOR: All hams know that public service is a big part of what we do
— but it isn't always done holding a radio, as we hear from Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

GRAHAM: When the Great Cycle Challenge rolled out in October to raise
funds to find cures for childhood cancers, the Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club was ready for this monthlong bicycle-based event. This
time, however, members weren't stationed along any particular route, as
hams often are during one-day events; they were on the road themselves throughout the month, pedaling more than 600 kilometres toward their
financial destination. The club reports that the BAREC Pedal Radio Group's efforts helped raise nearly AU $1,400.00 for the cause, adding their total
to the national fundraising total of more than $6.9 million.

Of course, that's not to say there wasn't some kind of radio involved.
BAREC pedal group member Graeme Knight, VK3GRK, said afterward in a press release: [quote] "Some of our radio club members enjoy bike riding, and
some of us even use radios to keep in touch with others while out riding." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(BAREC)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2303, for Friday, December 17th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2303, with a release date of
Friday, December 17th, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams on alert during deadly US tornadoes.
Radio re-enacts historic transmissions - and everyone's on the air
this holiday season: even Santa. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2303, comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

CENTRAL US TORNADOES BRING HAMS INTO ACTION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week with deadly tornadoes that
devastated homes and lives recently in Kentucky and nearby states.
Randy Sly, W4XJ, shares those developments.

RANDY: SKYWARN nets were activated across much of the central
United States from Friday evening into early Saturday, December 10th
and 11th, as a tornado outbreak of unprecedented proportion tore
through Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri,
Ohio, and Tennessee.

Christine Weilgos (Well-gus), Warning Coordination Meteorologist for
the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, which covers one
of the hardest hit areas, reported that their SKYWARN desk was manned
by two local amateurs, Garry Wheatley, KD4GCY, and Jeff Estes, KM4LDP.
The SKYWARN linked repeater system across Arkansas was also active
throughout the night.

At least 50 tornado reports were received by the NWS during the
evening. Of the four strongest tornadoes reported in western Kentucky,
the largest was tracked for over 200 miles on the ground. At least 88
people are known to have perished across five states. The highest
impact was in Kentucky, where the death toll stands at 74, with an age
span from 2 months to 98 years of age. There are reports that
approximately 100 people are still unaccounted for. Early estimates of
damages and economic losses have ranged into the billions of dollars.

ARES and other amateur emergency resources across the area are still
ready to go, should additional communications support be needed.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

**

AMATEURS MARK 2 MARCONI ANNIVERSARIES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Radio operators on both sides of the Atlantic marked
two big moments in radio history as Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us.

JEREMY: The two Marconi anniversary activations had everything but
Guglielmo Marconi himself. Members of the Marconi Radio Club of
Newfoundland and the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club in Cornwall, England
paid tribute to Marconi's first experimental radio transmission across
the Atlantic. The Newfoundland amateurs contacted the Poldhu radio
operators marking December 12th, 1901, the day Marconi first heard a transatlantic transmission, Morse Code for the letter "s," sent from
Cornwall to Cabot Tower in Canada.

There was even more excitement, however, the previous day in Ardrossan, Scotland. Amateurs there received a duplicate of a message sent 100
years earlier from the US on amateur radio frequencies in the shortwave spectrum.

Shortly after the re-enactment of the December 11th, 1921 transmission
got under way in Connecticut, however, the replica of the 1BCG
transmitter failed and went off the air. The replica, built for the
75th anniversary of the transatlantic tests, had been restored earlier
this year by the Antique Wireless Association in Bloomfield, New York.

The association's Mark Erdle, AE2EA, told Newsline in an email that
that the transmitter suffered a plate choke failure. He said the
association hopes to get it back on the air by February of 2022.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(QRZ.COM, MARK ERDLE AE2EA)

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In case you missed this test re-enactment, up until
December 26th you can still work UK stations using a "/2ZE" (Slash
Two - ZED -E) suffix on their normal call signs. Until the end of
December, the special event stations GB2ZE (G B 2 ZED E) and GS2ZE
(G S 2 ZED E) will be on-air to celebrate Paul Godley's achievements
back in 1921.

(RSGB)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2304, for Friday, December 24th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2304 with a release date of Friday, December 24th, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A first-time activation of a South Pacific Island.
A solar probe 'touches' the sun -- and Newsline's annual Christmas card to
our listeners. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2304 comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**

NEW IOTA ACTIVATED BY TEAM FROM INDIA

DON/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with a group of adventurous DXpeditioners. They have succeeded in activating a new Island on the Air in the South Pacific, in a quest worthy of the 19th century science fiction masterwork, "Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne. Here's Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

GRAHAM: It is not science fiction, but radio fact, that the Manic Monkeys
team of radio operators made a 600 kilometre journey this month from Bangalore, India to Sao Jorge Island, designated AS-177 by IOTA, activating the remote island for the first time. They had gone in search of the
fictional Lincoln Island that appears in Jules Verne's classic novels but
the adventuresome hams with the callsign AT7SJ were also in search of QSOs. Between December 3rd and December 6th, they logged 1,600 such contacts on
SSB, CW and FT-8, while camped in difficult terrain, according to team
leader Madhu Prasad, VU3NPI. Madhu told Newsline of other discoveries:
[quote] "The island had mysterious propagation conditions: the signals
would go up and down like the tide and mysteriously close abruptly on all bands with S9 noise." [endquote]

Madhu said that the team had been landlocked in India for two years by the pandemic and were still grieving the loss of the team's Elmer, Dev, VU2DEV,
to cardiac arrest. Now they can proudly add this uninhabited, thickly forested, island to their earlier activations of St. Mary's Island AS-096
and Danushkodi Island AS-173.

Madhu told Newsline that the team unfortunately did not find mysterious Lincoln Island, nor did they locate the Aquaphone, the fictional wireless device used by Jules Verne's protagonist, Capt. Nemo. They're leaving that quest - and Lincoln Island - for 2022.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(MADHU PRASAD, VU3NPI)

**

NASA SOLAR PROBE 'TOUCHES' THE SUN

DON/ANCHOR: With Solar Cycle 25 upon us, who isn't even a little bit
obsessed with the sun? So this news from NASA is well-timed, as we hear
from Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

NEIL: NASA has announced a milestone moment in the life of the Parker Solar Probe: this year it reached the corona of the sun, a move into the solar atmosphere that is expected to yield more - and more detailed - insights
into space weather. The US space agency is commenting only now on the achievement, which happened last spring, three years after the probe's
launch, following the publication of a recent paper in the Physical Review Letter, which discussed the latest chapter of the Parker probe's journey.
NASA said the probe's entry into the super-hot corona meant it was [quote] "flying into the eye of a storm." [endquote] Once there, it studied solar
wind and examined magnetic patterns known as "switchbacks" which have their origins on the surface of the sun itself.

The paper's lead author, Justin Kasper, was quoted by National Public
Radio, as saying that entry into the corona lasted for several hours and
was an expected and much-anticipated occurrence. The probe, which is built
to tolerate more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, is expected to re-enter the corona in January of 2022.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, SPACE.COM)

**

OPEN SOURCE WORKSHOP AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE

DON/ANCHOR: YouTube once again provides an opportunity for those who missed
an amateur radio event. This one's on Open Source CubeSats. Here's Ed
Durrant, DD5LP.

ED: If you missed a chance to attend the Open Source CubeSat Workshop held virtually on December 9th and 10th, you can still view the two days of presentations by visiting the Libre Space Foundation Channel on YouTube.
This virtual workshop held on Zoom was its fifth iteration since its launch four years ago in Germany.

The opening remarks by Artur Scholz, DO4ALS, of the Open Source CubeSat Workshop Committee, stressed the importance of open-source CubeSats as a
means of conducting small space missions. Developers and mission operators attended the online sessions to collaborate, compare notes and build community. As with previous sessions, attendees participated as members of research institutes, businesses, learning institutes or as individuals.

See the link to the two days of presentations in the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

[FOR PRINT: DO NOT READ, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCzrYL9QmZiR7vmiQBZYV9E2WGyDmiC3m]

(AMSAT, YOUTUBE)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2308, for Friday, January 21st, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2308, with a release date of
Friday, January 21st, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Disaster and a communications blackout in
Tonga. Preserving DX access on remote central Pacific Islands --
and an online museum with some very old and very rare QSL cards.
All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2308
comes your way right now.

**

DISASTER CUTS TONGA'S COMMUNICATIONS WITH REST OF WORLD

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a developing story. As
Newsline went to production, relief and communication efforts were
coming slowly to the island nation of Tonga, which was left cut off
from the rest of the world after two consecutive natural disasters.
Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, fills us in.

JIM MEACHEN: The eruption of an underwater volcano triggered a
deadly tsunami that devastated the nation of Tonga, throwing the
Pacific island chain into a communications blackout. While military
relief efforts struggled to bring clean water and basic supplies
from Australia and New Zealand to residents, Tonga's apparent lack
of active amateur radio operators spelled silence on those
frequencies. As Newsline went to production amateurs in New Zealand
who are also active first responders awaited word on what help was
needed - by radio or other means. Don Wallace, ZL2TLL, a director
of IARU Region 3, told Newsline in an email he and Andrew Bate,
ZL1SU, manager of the New Zealand Red Cross IT & Telecom Emergency
Response Unit, were among those awaiting word on whether they would
be deployed. Don said the Red Cross itself was already providing
aid. In a public posting on Facebook, Mark Hanrahan, VK4DMH,
president of the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Society VK4WIG, said the
only communications available from Tonga appeared to be via a few
satellite phones, which were proving unreliable.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(BBC, DON WALLACE ZL2TLL; ANDREW BATE, ZL1SU, FACEBOOK)

**

RESEARCHERS BUILD WORLD'S SMALLEST ANTENNA USING DNA

PAUL/ANCHOR: While we hams work with conductive metal wire when we
set out to build the best antenna for our purposes, a group of
researchers in Canada used something else: DNA. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
has that story.

JEREMY: Researchers in chemistry at the University of Montreal have
created what they call the world's tiniest antenna, one they have
engineered using DNA to let them study structural changes that
occur within proteins.

This nanoantenna uses light instead of the radio frequencies we
hams are so accustomed to. Researcher Scott Harroun said in a
report [quote]: "The DNA-based nanoantennas can be synthesised with
different lengths and flexibilities to optimize their function."
[endquote]

He added later: [quote]"By carefully tuning the nanoantenna design,
we have created a five nanometre-long antenna that produces a
distinct signal when the protein is performing its biological
function." [endquote]

The researchers reported their findings recently in the journal
Nature Methods. They compared the fluorescent nanoantenna's
performance to that of a repeater: It receives light in one
wavelength and transmits back at another, depending on what
behaviour it detects in the protein.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(TECHEXPLORIST.COM)

**

ISRAELI STUDENTS' SATELLITES ENTER ORBIT

PAUL/ANCHOR: Students in Israel recently experienced the thrill of
seeing amateur radio satellites of their own design....sent into
space! Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, has more on that story.

JASON: Eight satellites designed and built by students throughout
Israel were sent into space on January 13th aboard SpaceX's FALCON
launcher. The eight satellites, Tevel 1 through 8, have amateur
radio FM transponders and beacon transmitters, all operating on the
same frequency. They entered their planned orbits about 90 minutes
after departing the launcher. The beacon transmissions can be heard
on 436.400 MHz. The FM transponders are using an uplink frequency
of 145.970 MHz and a downlink frequency of 436.400 MHz. The mission
also carried AMSAT-EA's HADES and EASAT-2 satellites. HADES is
using the callsign AM6SAT and EASAT-2 is using the callsign AM5SAT.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(OBSERVATORIAL.COM, AMSAT)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2309, for Friday, January 28th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2309 with a release date of Friday, January 28th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. There's progress in restoring some of Tonga's communications. Researchers create a new transistor that uses sound
waves - and hams in the UK prepare for the Queen's platinum jubilee. All
this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2309, comes your
way right now.

**

PROGRESS IN RESTORING TONGA'S COMMUNICATIONS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to the struggling
island nation of Tonga, which is still cut off from the world following back-to-back natural disasters. Hams continue to keep a watchful eye.
Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, picks up the story from here.

JIM: Efforts have been ongoing to restore communications to Tonga, where
an undersea volcano left a vital fibre-optic cable broken beneath the
ocean, isolating the island nation. According to a BBC report, 2G
wireless service has been set up on the archipelago's main island with
the help of a satellite dish from the University of the South Pacific.
Other than the intermittent service of satellite phones, however,
outside contact has been limited as the country struggles with a
contaminated water supply and other concerns brought on by a subsequent tsunami.

Tonga apparently has no active amateur radio operators and hams in the immediate Pacific region have reported that the amateur HF bands are
presently unusable. Some marine VHF bands are said to be active. Hayden Honeywood, VK7HH, is among those amateurs using YouTube and other social
media channels to provide updates whenever possible. One of Hayden's
most recent accounts came from Roly, ZL1BQD, whose friend in Tonga
operates a 1-kilowatt broadcast radio station at 91.3 FM. The station
was unaffected by the tsunami and is carrying public service messages.

0Meanwhile, New Zealand's ministry of foreign affairs estimate it will
take at least a month, if not more, before the cable can be fixed.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(HAYDEN HONEYWOOD VK7HH, BBC)

**

FAA SETTLES INTERFERENCE ISSUE WITH MAJORITY OF AIRCRAFT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The US FAA has made major progress on the issue of interference between 5G transmissions and airline altimeters. Kent
Peterson, KC0DGY, brings us this update.

KENT: For some models of Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft, radio interference isn't just an annoyance; it has the potential for deadly consequences. That was at the root of the US Federal Aviation
Administration's concern about 5G cell phone signals, which use the same C-band spectrum as some of the airliners' altimeters.

The FAA said planes landing in low-visibility conditions risked
interference from mobile phones, naming Verizon and AT&T as two of the carriers. Now, in a dramatic turnaround of its position, the FAA has
said that more than three-quarters of planes have altimeters that can
filter out 5G transmissions and are in the clear. Some telecom and
consumer advocates, such as attorney Harold Feld, publicly criticized
the FAA for taking too long to evaluate altimeters after the FCC
approved the cellular carriers' use of the C-band in 2020.

According to an article on the ArsTechnica website, the FAA only began
vetting the altimeters in February 2021 once the FCC had auctioned off
the spectrum to the carriers. The ArsTechnica article said that in 40
other countries where C-band spectrum is in use for cellular service,
there have been no reports of 5G causing trouble with altimeters.

In the US the FCC standards place a 200 MHz guard band between the
cellular carriers and the frequencies used by the altimeters.

More approvals are expected soon.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(ARS TECHNICA)

**

PORTUGAL CRACKS DOWN ON RADIO INTERFERENCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the Portuguese communications regulator
cracked down late last year on what it called abuse and interference on
a number of frequencies, including maritime mobile and amateur bands.
IARU Region 1 reported that ANACOM, the Portuguese Communications
Authority, in partnership with the Maritime Police, sought to verify the proper and legal use of radios by conducting inspections on vessels
between the ports of Caminha and Peniche. According to the report, unauthorized use of frequencies was the most common violation. The
report indicated that such practices, in addition to being illegal, can
cause interference, especially to radios being used for emergency
response. ANACOM noted in the report that it was leaving the matter of sanctions to the Maritime Police.

(SOUTHGATE, IARU REGION 1)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2310, for Friday, February 4th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2310 with a release date of Friday, February 4th, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Radio adventure in the sea north of Russia. Japan reaches out to young amateurs -- and hams honor one of America's best-
known presidents. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2310, comes your way right now.

**

PLANS ARE ON ICE (AND SNOW) FOR RUSSIAN ISLAND ACTIVATION

DON/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a tale of adventure. While many of
us in the Northern Hemisphere may be bitterly complaining about winter's
bite, here are some amateurs who are actively seeking out the most wintry
of winters -- north of Russia. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has the details.

JEREMY: It is little more than a month before a team of six adventurers
from the Russian Robinson Club departs for Rykachev Island in the Kara
Sea. The island, which is number AS-104 in the Islands on the Air awards scheme, bears the name of the late Russian meteorologist who was devoted
to the study of Russia's northern seas. The team departs on March 3rd,
and will travel to their activation site by snowmobile, setting up camp,
and using the call sign R150WS. The call sign is a nod to the 150 years
that have elapsed since Rykachev Mikhail Alexandrovich and other
scientists founded the Russian weather service. According to a Twitter
posting by Andy, EU7A, the team may also try to operate enroute from
Isachenko Island, IOTA number AS-050. If they are successful, they will
be active there as RI0BI. This adventure is the sixth in the club's
series of "Legends of the Arctic" DXpeditions. According to the club's
website, they are also planning a video documentary similar to those
created on previous Dxpeditions.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RUSSIAN ROBINSON CLUB, OHIO PENN DX)

**

CARIBBEAN ISLAND HAMS MARK 27 YEARS SINCE CLUB'S FOUNDING

DON/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in the much warmer Caribbean, amateurs are
marking nearly three decades of success for their club in Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines. John Williams, VK4JJW, has that report.

JOHN: The view of Mount St. Andrews could not have been more perfect
for members of the Youlou Radio Movement in Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines. On January 22nd, members of the ham radio organisation
and their families gathered within view of that important summit to
mark 27 years since the group was founded atop that peak -- 2,000 feet
above sea level -- by five amateurs. Known originally as the Rainbow
Radio League, its purpose remains the same today: providing a team of volunteers available for disaster communications by radio. Sean
Patterson, J88CU, one of the original five, spoke at the recent
celebration, sharing the story of the hams' first portable operation
as a formal group in 1995. The anniversary celebration, included the
induction of two honoured guests - Ira Harris, VP2EIH, from Anguilla,
and Donald Howe, 9Z4FV, from Trinidad - as Youlou members. The next day,
the celebration continued as some of the hams visited Mary Barnard,
J88AM, and Martin Barnard, J88AA, to thank the two longtime hams for
their years of personal assistance to Youlou. Moving forward, the
group's next step is to consider a name change to the Youlou Amateur
Radio Association, and make plans for several SOTA and POTA activations
this year.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(SOUTHGATE, YOULOU RADIO MOVEMENT, SEARCHLIGHT NEWSPAPER)

**

STRAIGHT KEY MONTH MARKS 16TH YEAR OF SPECIAL EVENT

DON/ANCHOR: CW enthusiasts: Were you busy with your straight key for
the first few weeks of the year? You're likely in the log for a very
successful event by the Straight Key Century Club. Randy Sly, W4XJ,
is here to tell us more.

RANDY: "The Party's Over," says the welcoming message on the Straight
Key Century Club website. That means that January's Straight Key Month,
the club's 16th annual event, ended in a flurry of final contacts fast approaching a total of almost 50,000, according to their website. In
addition to congratulating all club members who signed up to be operators
for this special event, the club also thanked Justin, KF0GZB, for
submitting the design that is being featured in this year's Straight
Key Month QSL card. The event also marked the 16th anniversary of the
Straight Key Century Club, which encouraged all operators to celebrate
the original tools of the early days of radiotelegraphy by using straight
keys, bugs or cootie keys during their shifts on the air. Official
stations operated in all 13 US regional call areas. Separate stations
were on the air from six IARU continental regions along with those in
Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ, operating this year as
K3Y/0.

(SKCC)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2311, for Friday, February 11th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2311, with a release date of Friday, February 11th, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A peak moment for a SOTA activator in Argentina. A preeminent microphone company changes hands -- and an APRS pioneer becomes
a Silent Key. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2311, comes your way right now.

**

ONE HAM'S HF RADIO 'FIRST' ON HIGHEST PEAK IN THE AMERICAS

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with the story of a ham who has
just achieved a peak experience atop another peak - this one in South
America. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us about him.

ED: An Argentine amateur radio operator has accomplished the first HF activation of the highest peak in the Summits On the Air programme,
fulfilling a long-standing goal. On January 10th, Diego Lizarraga, LU9MZO, operated from Aconcagua (Pron:a.kon.ta.gwa), which at nearly 7,000 metres
high and is also the highest peak in the Americas. This is the first time
any amateur radio operator has made contacts from Aconcagua using one of
the HF bands (the previous and first activation in 2019 was executed using
2 metres FM). According to reports, he spent an hour and a half on the air using 40 metres and found time as well to work some stations on VHF and
UHF. His total for the day was 64 contacts, with 15 of them on HF. He was heard as far away as Buenos Aires, San Luis (Pron:San Luise), Mendoza provinces in Argentina as well as into Chile. His dream of operating from there on HF had been a few years in the planning and the timing worked out well for him. As he descended from the peak to a base camp some 4300
metres below, snow had already begun to fall. On January 12th, he returned
to the entry of Aconcagua Park where he was cheered on by friends and relatives.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(SOTA, THE YL BEAM)

**

PROMINENT US MIC COMPANY HEIL SOUND IS SOLD

JIM/ANCHOR: In the United States, Heil Sound, which has been run by Bob
Heil, K9EID, and his wife, Sarah, for decades, has been sold. The Heils announced the purchase of the well-known professional microphone company
by Ash Levitt and Steve Warford. Ash, the company's president and CEO, and Steve, director of operations, are veterans of the business, having worked with Bob since they were teenagers. Bob will remain with the company as founder and CEO emeritus, continuing to do product design for the amateur radio market. Heil Sound has been in business since 1966.

(HEIL SOUND)

**

INDIA'S NEWEST HAMS PREP FOR DISASTER

JIM/ANCHOR: In India, a group of newly licensed hams is about to prep for
the worst with a mock disaster drill. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has those
details.

GRAHAM: Civil defense volunteer Dipak Giri is awaiting his new call sign
and a new assignment. He was recently among the more than two dozen
volunteers who successfully completed the three-month amateur radio
training course online with the Indian Academy of Communication and
Disaster Management in West Bengal. Rinku Nag Biswas, VU2JFB. secretary of
the academy, is proud of all the graduates, who like Dipak, now face their next challenge: a mock disaster drill that will be held in March by the
local government to test their capabilities in handling real-life crises.
In a real disaster, such as a tornado, earthquake or cyclone, they would
be the first responders in an area near the Sundarbon Forest which has no internet or mobile phone service. According to Ambarish Nag Biswas,
VU2JFA, many of the academy's students received their field training
during January's Ganga Sagar Mela, a religious pilgrimage that draws
thousands to West Bengal from across India. Ambarish Nag Biswas is
secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club whose hams have traditionally
provided emergency communication during this massive gathering.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(WEST BENGAL RADIO CLUB)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2312, for Friday, February 18th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2312, with a release date of Friday, February 18th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Police identify the body of an Australian
amateur. New insights into an RFI mystery -- and there's still time for a contact with Pluto...the special event, that is. All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2312 comes your way right now.

**

AUSTRALIAN HAM'S BODY IDENTIFIED IN DOUBLE MURDER

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with the tragic conclusion to a missing persons story reported here on Newsline on two years ago. The
bodies of an amateur radio operator and his companion have been
positively identified. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, brings us that story.

GRAHAM: Russell Hill, VK3VZP, and Carol Clay, disappeared two years ago
in the Victorian bushland where the two had gone camping. The last
message heard from Russell was on March 20th of 2020 when he made a QSO
on one of the HF bands, reporting his location at Wonnangatta Valley in
the Victorian Alps. No one heard from them again. One day later, campers discovered the radio operator's vehicle, and the couple's campsite
destroyed by fire.

Forensic testing has now confirmed the identity of remains found last
November as those of the radio ham and his friend. A pilot who worked for Jetstar Airways -- and who had been camping nearby -- was arrested last November and charged with two counts of murder. The pilot, Greg Lynn, 55,
is due in court in May.

Police have described the couple's disappearance as one of their most high-profile cases.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(THE NEW DAILY, SKYNEWS.COM)

**

RFI ISSUES TIED TO PLANES' OLDER ALTIMETERS

PAUL/ANCHOR: A further look into airliners' RFI problems following the
recent launch of 5G service by US cellphone carriers has turned up an interesting technical finding. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, has that update.

KENT: Despite a protective guard band to separate frequencies used by cellphone carriers and airliners, signals from newly deployed 5G wireless service in the US are still capable of compromising commercial airplane
safety in aircraft using older altimeters lacking filters, an expert
witness told US lawmakers in Washington, DC. Dennis Roberson (ROE-BURR-
SON) told a subcommittee in the US House of Representatives that older
radio altimeters lack filters that prevent that kind of risky signal
conflict that can interfere with critical navigation, especially during landing. His testimony came following airlines' decision to ground or
redirect some of their flights scheduled to land in airports near 5G
cellphone towers. Carriers including AT&T and Verizon now operate on the C-band spectrum between 3.7 and 3.98 GHz. Altimeters are designed to
operate on frequencies between 4.2 GHz and 4.4 Ghz. Roberson said this
kind of interference is not believed to have been a factor in any crashes
but the potential does exist because older altimeters are capable of
picking up transmissions outside of their assigned band, such as those
used by 5G service. He said that a guard band provided a "large cushion" between the carriers' and the altimeters' allocations on the spectrum,
but nonetheless, without filters in place on the altimeters, signal
conflicts could still occur.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(URGENTCOMM)

**

SILENT KEY: HAMVENTION VOLUNTEER GREGORY DEAN, N9NWO

PAUL/ANCHOR: This year's Hamvention will be going forward in Xenia, Ohio without one of its dedicated volunteers. He became a Silent Key this
month, as we hear from Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

KEVIN: A well-respected volunteer at the annual Hamvention in Xenia has
become a Silent Key. Greg Dean, N9NWO, died on February 5th in a
Lafayette, Indiana hospital. According to QRZ.COM, Greg was a veteran of
the US Army National Guard and Army Reserve with tours in Desert Storm, Bosnia, the Gulf War and Afghanistan. Licensed since 1968, he belonged to
the Quarter Century Wireless Association and the Straight Key Century
Club. Friends posted on his Facebook page, praising his volunteer work at Hamvention and the regular help he provided with QSLs for the W9IMS
event.

Greg was 71.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(QRZ, FACEBOOK, HIPPENSTEEL FUNERAL SERVICE)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2313 for Friday February 25th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2313, with a release date of Friday, February 25th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Ukraine bans ham radio before Russian invasion.
An amateur in Pennsylvania faces criminal charges -- and a historic
Marconi hut goes digital in England. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2313, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

UKRAINE BANS AMATEUR RADIO AS PART OF STATE OF EMERGENCY

NEIL/ANCHOR: A decree by Ukrainian officials imposing a state of
emergency, including a ban on amateur radio operation, took effect on Thursday, February 24th. Officials had announced the previous day that
they would do so in anticipation of a Russian military invasion. The
decree can last as long as 30 days, with an option to be extended.

The International Amateur Radio Union was monitoring the events. Greg
Mossop, G0DUB, IARU Region 1's emergency communications coordinator, told Newsline in an email [quote] "The events in Ukraine are obviously fast
moving and although there were early reports of telecommunications
failures it appears these may have been due to the volume of calls on the networks. Webcams in the area are functioning and people do seem to be
able to make calls. Sadly, the Ukrainian National Society has reported
that a ban on the operation of amateur stations in Ukraine has been put
in place for 30 days commencing February 24th. IARU Region 1 and its
member societies are monitoring the situation closely but remind all
amateur radio operators they must follow their national laws and
regulations." [endquote]

The US news website Politico quoted Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, describing the actions
as [quote] "preventive measures to keep calm in the country." [endquote]

The declaration is not in effect in the political subdivisions of eastern Donetsk and Luhansk, which have been occupied by Russian-backed
separatists since 2014.

(GREG MOSSOP, G0DUB; IARU REGION 1; POLITICO)

**

PENNSYLVANIA HAM CHARGED WITH FALSE INFORMATION, BOMB THREATS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the United States, a ham faces serious criminal charges
for on-the-air activities. Sel Embee, KB3TZD, has that story.

SEL: An amateur radio operator in Erie, Pennsylvania has been charged
with transmitting false weather emergencies on the radio and making bomb threats, according to published reports.

The Erie Times-News identified the ham as Richard L. Wagner, whose call
sign is listed as N3BWG on QRZ.COM. The newspaper said that Erie County detectives charged him with reporting bogus weather emergencies while on
the air and with making threats against other hams who told him to stop.
The news report said that a criminal complaint was filed on Monday,
February 14th, alleging that between the 19th of December and February
13th, he went on air with threats to bomb public buildings, including the
city police station and the county courthouse.

There were no details about any involvement in the case by the US Federal Communications Commission.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 3rd.

(ERIE NEWS-TIMES)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2314, for Friday, March 4th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2314, with a release date of Friday, March 4th, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Medium and shortwave carry messages into embattled Ukraine. A transatlantic triumph for a replica transmitter - and what
lengths would you go to with a portable antenna? All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2314, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART HERE

**

MEDIUM and SHORTWAVE CARRY MESSAGES TO EMBATTLED UKRAINE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to the medium wave and shortwave bands, where broadcasters are responding to the ongoing crisis
in Ukraine. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, brings us those details.

KEVIN: With amateur radio banned in Ukraine following the Russian
invasion, broadcasts on the medium wave radio frequencies have taken on increasing importance in the past week. In the US, the Miami, Florida commercial shortwave station WRMI has been carrying broadcasts six days a
week of Radio Ukraine International, the official overseas service of
Ukraine radio on 510 kHz. There are no Friday broadcasts. The schedule can
be found on the website at wrmi dot net.

There are also reports that the BBC World Service has begun carrying
shortwave broadcasts directed towards Ukraine. According to the website hfunderground dot com, those broadcasts began on February 24th, covering
news events.

In Italy, the NEXUS International Broadcasting Association, an apolitical, global organization, announced on its website that it has increased its transmitter power on 1323 kHz medium wave into Central and Southern Europe
and has a good reach into the area of conflict as well as Poland, Romania, Belarus and Western Russia. A note on the website says: [quote] "We have increased our special news coverage, adding repeats of the most
informative and inspirational programs in English to support displaced
people and cover the latest events in Ukraine and nearby countries."
[endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(WRMI, HFUNDERGROUND, SWLING POST, NEXUS-IBA)

**

IARU REGION 1 EMERGENCY TEST TAPS INTO SATELLITE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In an environment of global challenges, emergency communication becomes even more critical. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us
about an international exercise that succeeded recently in sharpening ham radio's preparedness.

JEREMY: IARU Region 1 conducted its first test of the newest tool in its emergency communications toolbox on the 26th of February. Stations representing 14 countries around the region included use of the
geostationary satellite QO-100 as part of their response to a simulated
global emergency. There were 22 stations in all demonstrating how the
amateur radio community can be effective, passing messages despite the inevitable language barriers and equipment failures. According to Greg
Mossop, G0DUB, the IARU's emergency communications coordinator, the
exercise was a success, underscoring how amateur radio stations can
respond across a region that stretches from South Africa north through to Europe and into the United Kingdom. The next test is planned for October.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(GREG MOSSOP, G0DUB)

**

HAMS IN EMCOMM GROUP FEAR NEW FEE WILL HAMPER OPERATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A proposed fee to be levied on communications equipment in federal forests is a major concern for one group of hams in Michigan. Christian Cudnik, K0STH, has that story.

CHRISTIAN: Hams in Michigan who provide emergency communications have told local officials that because they rely on the use of a tower located
inside a national forest, they may now face a new fee of $1,400 to
operate. According to a report in the Manistee News, the Manistee County Amateur Radio Operators Club received notice from the US Forest Service
that there might be a fee for their use of the tower. Forest Service
officials announced in December that they have proposed such fees for any communications users, including cellular phone providers, maintaining permanent equipment on Forest Service land.

The agency has reopened the public comment period on the proposal through March 31st. Comments can be posted online at federalregister dot gov (federalregister.gov)

The American Radio Relay League has filed comments asking for hams radio operators to be exempt from the fee.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH.

(MANISTEE NEWS)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2315 for Friday March 11th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2315 with a release date of Friday,
March 11th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A look at receivers' role in rejecting RFI. A
ham is killed in war-torn Ukraine -- and Hawaii needs amateurs for a
statewide emergency drill. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline,
Report Number 2315, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART HERE

**

FCC TO STUDY RECEIVERS' ROLE IN REJECTING RFI

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story is about the ongoing issue of RFI that
plagues us all. In the US, the head of the FCC recently announced a new approach to studying it, as Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, tells us.

SKEETER: The chairwoman of the US Federal Communications Commission has pledged that the agency will take a closer look at the role receivers
play in rejecting the increasing levels of RF interference. Speaking at
the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on March 1st, Chairwoman
Jessica Rosenworcel said that until now, most discussions of RFI have
focused predominantly on transmitters, with rules put in place regarding transmitter performance to remove RFI. She said this approach was being rethought at the FCC, adding [quote] "wireless communications only
exists when transmitters are connected to receivers. Both are vital.
Both matter. And going forward policymakers need to consider both
transmitting and receiving. Not just the former at the expense of the
latter." [endquote]

She said she expected to move forward on an inquiry into receiver
performance next month. The goal is to explore regulations, guidelines
and incentives for better performance on specific frequencies or across
all bands. She said she is seeking [quote] "a more transparent and
predictable radiofrequency environment for all spectrum users - new and
old." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

(FCC)

**

HAMS AFFECTED BY WEST BENGAL INTERNET OUTAGES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams in the Indian state of West Bengal are adapting to the temporarily intermittent use of internet-assisted radio modes. Jim
Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the details.

JIM: Hams throughout West Bengal state in India are experiencing limited access to Echolink and other internet-assisted amateur radio services
through the 16th of March. The hams are among hundreds of others
affected after the state government announced the restrictions to
contain what they called illegal activities on the internet. News
reports gave no specific details beyond the announcement itself. The
report on the India TV News website quoted an official in the Home and
Hill Affairs Department in announcing that [quote] "The government has received intelligence reports that unlawful activities can be carried in certain areas over internet transmissions and voice over internet
telephony and hence restrictions are being imposed on the use of the internet." [endquote]

Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club,
told Newsline that daytime use of the internet is off limits, but there
is still access in the evenings. He said everyone in West Bengal state
has been affected.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA, INDIA TV NEWS)

**

SILENT KEY: IVAN LYSENKO UR8GX, POPULAR DXER

NEIL/ANCHOR: The global amateur community has been rocked by the tragic
death of a well-known ham in Ukraine. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us about
him.

JEREMY: A popular DXer and CW enthusiast known for his expeditions with
his fellow hams in the Ukraine has become a Silent Key. DXWorld.net has reported that Ivan Lysenko, UR8GX, was killed in his home city of
Kherson amid the fighting following its invasion by Russian troops.
Ivan's many adventures included the expedition in the summer of 2019 to
the Kalanchakskiye Islands for the IOTA contest. He participated with
fellow members of the Ukrainian Radioclub Sputnik UR6GWZ. Ivan also
served as the QSL manager for UR1G, the callsign for the club's team of operators. His death was reported on the Facebook page of DXWorld.net, prompting hams from around the world to post their condolences and
remember their QSOs with him, particularly his many DX contacts.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(DXWORLD.NET, FACEBOOK, QRZ.COM)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2316 for Friday, March 18th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2316, with a release date of Friday, March 18th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A push for shortwave broadcasts to a war zone.
COVID cancels a youth ham camp in Germany -- and Hamvention announces its award-winners. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2316 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART HERE

**

GRASSROOTS PUSH TO BEAM SHORTWAVE TO RUSSIA, UKRAINE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Our top story this week focuses on the war between Russia
and Ukraine and a grassroots push in the United States to keep the people
of both countries informed via shortwave radio. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, has
that report.

DAVE: Voice of America news programming may soon be beaming from the
United States to overseas listeners via shortwave - most particularly
Russia and Ukraine - through a citizen-based effort known as Shortwaves
for Freedom.

The US Agency for Global Media, the umbrella under which VOA and Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty operate, is not involved in any of these planned transmissions. Instead, Shortwaves for Freedom is making use of the fact
that VOA programming is public domain and easily downloadable from the
VOA website for transmission over the air. According to a report on Washington, DC-based political news website, The Hill, Miami Radio International in Florida has already agreed to transmit the broadcasts.
The Hill's story said that Shortwaves for Freedom is receiving technical assistance from Gerhard Straub, who retired as director of broadcast technologies at the VOA's parent agency.

The general manager of Miami Radio International told The Hill that his
radio station is already transmitting the VOA program "Flashpoint
Ukraine," which is in English. The same news report said there are plans
to add programming in Ukrainian and expand the broadcasts.

Voice of America was originally part of the United States State
Department. In 1947, VOA commenced shortwave transmissions of Russian-
language programming into what was then the Soviet Union.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(THE HILL, POLITICO)

**

NASA: US ASTRONAUT, RUSSIANS TO RETURN TO EARTH TOGETHER

SKEETER/ANCHOR: High above the Earth, a US astronaut who's been active in numerous amateur radio contacts, will share the return trip to Earth with
two Russian cosmonauts. We hear more from Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

KENT: Despite terrestrial tensions dividing the nations, US astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, is preparing to return to Earth from the International Space Station this month with two cosmonauts on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The scheduled landing in Kazakhstan on March 30th is being
planned in cooperation with the Russian space agency Rocosmos. According
to several news reports, the three crew members' return comes amid
fiercely growing tensions between the two countries - tensions that have reportedly spilled over into the space program, particularly with the head
of Russia's space agency, Dmitri Rogozin, being a longtime supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin. However, despite the fact that SpaceX vehicles are now being used for travel to and from the ISS, NASA confirmed
on Monday, March 14th that plans continue to go forward for the three men
to return to the Earth together.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(CNN, ABC NEWS)

**

COVID PRECAUTIONS CANCEL FRIEDRICHSHAFEN HAM CAMP

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Citing caution over the continued pandemic, organizers
have cancelled the annual ham camp that was scheduled to be held in
Germany for young amateurs this summer. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has that story.

ED: The young amateurs who had hoped to attend "Ham Camp" during Ham Radio Friedrichshafen this coming June will have to wait another year. Although
Ham Radio Friedrichshafen, Europe's largest ham radio event, is still
taking place on June 24th through the 26th, organizers have said the
logistics of housing more than 100 youngsters and supervisors in close quarters during the same weekend would prove risky under COVID-19
conditions. The IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group wrote on the IARU
website that the organizers said their decision was not taken lightly and
is based on the need to protect participants of minor age and under supervision. The camp is expected to be held in 2023.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(IARU REGION 1)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2317 for Friday March 25th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2317 with a release date of Friday,
March 25th, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. China's space station makes room for amateur
radio. Russia and Belarus are suspended from CEPT -- and hams help other
hams after Australia's wide-ranging flood damage. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2317 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART HERE

**

CHINA'S SPACE STATION TO PUT HAMS IN ORBIT

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to the space station that
China is building, module by module. The latest word is that one of
those modules will have room for amateur radio. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has
those details.

JIM: China's Tiangong space station, which is being constructed in low
Earth orbit following the launch of its first module last May, is
expected to have room for astronauts, experiments and now, amateur
radio. The IARU's satellite frequency coordination panel reports that it received an application on March 8th for an amateur radio payload to be
on board. The station is being proposed by the Chinese Radio Amateurs
Club in cooperation with the Aerospace System Engineering Research
Institute of Shanghai and the Harbin Institute of Technology. Previous
news reports have noted that the Chinese Manned Space Agency plans to
have three astronauts on board continuously for a minimum of 10 years.
One module will house the astronauts; the space station expects to use
the remaining two of its three modules to host scientific experiments of researchers from all nations of the UN.

The amateur radio station is applying to use portions of the VHF/UHF
amateur radio band and will consist of communications by voice,
repeater, AFSK digipeater and SSTV or other digital imaging modes. Not
unlike the radios on board the International Space Station, the ham
radios on the Chinese space station are intended for a variety of uses, including contacts with students to inspire careers in science,
technology, engineering and math. According to the application, the
payload would launch in the third quarter of this year.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(SPACE.COM, AMSAT-UK)

**

EUROPEAN CONFERENCE SUSPENDS RUSSIAN, BELARUSIAN MEMBERSHIP

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams from Belarus and the Russian Federation are feeling
the impact after their nations' memberships were suspended from the
European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has an update.

ED: The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications
Administrations has indefinitely suspended the membership of Belarus
and the Russian Federation, in a sweeping action that has an impact on
amateur radio operators. An agreement within the conference, known as
CEPT, grants amateur radio privileges to qualifying hams traveling
between signatory countries without the need to obtain additional
permits or licences. The CEPT was formed to foster cooperation among its member nations with regards to postal and electronic communications.

The suspension, which comes in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
took effect on the 18th of March. The Russian Federation joined CEPT in
1994. Belarus became a member in 2003.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

**

SILENT KEY: GILES READ, G1MFG, RSGB's TECHNICAL EDITOR

PAUL/ANCHOR: The Radio Society of Great Britain has suffered a great
loss with the death of one of its key team members. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
has that story.

JEREMY: Giles Read, G1MFG, had been the technical editor for RadCom
magazine, the widely read publication sent free every month to Society
members throughout the world. The Society announced that Giles, who had
been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer just days earlier,
became a Silent Key on Friday, March 18th. No further details were
immediately available. We here at Amateur Radio Newsline extend our condolences to his family and friends.

The Society will be posting additional details about Giles on its
website at rsgb.org/sk

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2318, for Friday, April 1st, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2318, with a release date of Friday,
April 1st, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A DXpeditioner and humanitarian becomes a Silent
Key. Radio triumph atop the Caribbean's highest point -- and special
report from Newsline's April Fool's Day correspondent, Pierre Pullinmyleg.
All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2318, comes
your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART HERE

**

SILENT KEY: YASUO "ZORRO" MIYAZAWA, JH1AJT, DXPEDITIONER AND HUMANITARIAN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week with news of the death of a beloved DXpeditioner who touched the world in more ways than by radio. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has that story.

ED: Hams around the world are grieving the death of the noted DXpeditioner
and humanitarian known as Zorro, JH1AJT. Zorro, whose name was Yasuo
Miyazawa, { pronounced Ya Su oh Me ah za wa } became a Silent Key at 72
years of age on March 22nd. He had been diagnosed with cancer. Known as
much for his optimistic outlook on life and his generous heart, Zorro was
a key part of DXpeditions in Yemen, Laos, Ethiopia, and Bhutan, to name a
few. In 2015, Zorro received the Intrepid Spirit Award from the Intrepid
DX Group for his achievements in Eritrea, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. His
many humanitarian efforts include the establishment of a prep school in
Japan that specializes in the education of students with special needs,
and his gifts of thousands of dollars to programmes in Myanmar to serve
the nation's medical and educational needs. Zorro also created and endowed
the Humanitarian Aid Fund of the International DX Association.

A statement from one of that association's directors, Ralph Fedor, K0IR, lauded Zorro as a skilled operator who mentored and encouraged less experienced operators. The statement also praised him for his humanity.
The statement said [quote] "Through his schools and his humanitarian
trips in Asia and Africa he brought a better life to all of those he
touched." [endquote] The statement went on to add: [quote] "The world
lost a great man...he was truly a brother to us all." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(INTREPID DX GROUP, OHIO PENN DX, PAUL EWINGX N6PSE, RALPH FEDOR, K0IR)

**

SHORTWAVE STATION SENDS MUSIC, MESSAGES TO COMFORT UKRAINE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Shortwave radio signals coming from the United States
have been sending comfort in the form of music and recorded messages of
hope to people in Ukraine and Russia. We hear those details from Skeeter
Nash, N5ASH.

SKEETER: Using the power of a 100,000-watt shortwave transmitter in
Tennessee, two radio amateurs are using the additional power of rock and
roll to send some upbeat moments to the people of Ukraine and Russia.

Ted and Holly Randall, WB8PUM, and KG4WXV, operate short-wave AM
Broadcast station WTWW located in a warehouse building from their nearby
home. The transmitter is overseen by the couple's son, David, KG4WXW.

Music isn't the only thing the couple has been transmitting. They are broadcasting recorded messages left by callers to the radio station
carrying messages of hope and encouragement to be received on the small shortwave receivers many of the Ukrainian listeners have. Ted Randall
told the local TV station WVLT: [quote] "These people are listening in bunkers. They are listening in shelters and those little radios, that's
the type of radio they are listening on." [endquote]

As a ham, Ted also recognizes that radio's power goes beyond any mere measurement in wattage. He told the TV station: [quote] "If we can touch
lives through radio, then that’s our responsibility.” [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

(WVLT-TV, SOUTHGATE, NBC PHILADELPHIA)
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2319, for Friday, April 8th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2319 with a release date of Friday,
April 8th, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Two hams face criminal charges in the US and
France. The FCC clarifies its new license fees -- and get ready for
World Amateur Radio Day. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report Number 2319, comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART HERE

**

FRENCH AMATEUR SENTENCED FOR ON-AIR THREATS

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with two stories about amateur radio
operators charged with using their licenses for criminal purposes. The
first story comes to us from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, and concerns a radio
amateur in France.

JEREMY: A French radio amateur was found guilty of making threats,
insults and homophobic remarks on the air, has been sentenced to a year
in prison suspended for two years and put on probation, according to
various reports in the French media. He was also ordered off the air and
to pay a fine of �5,000, and further pay compensation to two plaintiffs.

The ham, who is 65 years old, was identified only as "G�rard" in the
news reports. His callsign, which he had apparently used on the air to identify himself, was not provided. The court of Versailles sentenced
him on Monday the 28th of March. The complaints against him included
both death threats and a false report of someone's death. He had been
arrested a number of times, going back to late 2020 when his radio
equipment was seized. But according to news reports, he then went on to purchase yet more radios.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(OUEST FRANCE, SOUTHGATE)

**

PENNSYLVANIA AMATEUR FACES NEW CRIMINAL CHARGES

JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile in the United States, a ham charged earlier this
year with using the airwaves for criminal activity is back in the news
with new charges filed against him. Sel Embee, KB3TZD, has the details.

SEL: Richard Wagner - the Erie, Pennsylvania radio amateur charged with
making bomb threats and bogus weather reports over the air late last
year and earlier this year - faces new charges of again using the
airwaves for criminal purposes. According to a report in the ERIE TIMES-
NEWS, detectives in Erie County filed charges on Tuesday, March 29th,
saying the radio amateur used emergency frequencies in late March to
make threats against witnesses, victims and a judge who had presided
over his earlier criminal cases. Richard Wagner's callsign is listed as N-3-B-W-G on Q-R-Zed-dot-com.

Meanwhile, all but two of the 37 criminal charges in those earlier cases
had been dropped on March 3rd and the bond money holding him in prison
was substantially reduced.

In the latest development, detectives claim that Wagner made the new threatening transmissions over frequencies used by the county Emergency Management office and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. He
was arrested and placed in Erie County Prison on $175,000 bond, and now
faces charges of bomb threats and retaliation against a prosecutor or
judicial official.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Sel Embee, KB3TZD.

(ERIE TIMES-NEWS)
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2320, for Friday, April 15th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2320 with a release date of Friday,
April 15th, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. New software for the world's largest radio
telescope. Young hams start thinking about amateur radio camp - and the amateur community gives advice to one YL in these troubling times. All
this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2320, comes your
way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART HERE

**

SOFTWARE PROJECT TO GUIDE WORLD'S LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a story that doesn't get much
bigger than this: the world's largest radio telescope, an array of
antennas and dishes that spans the hemispheres, is getting software to
help in its operation. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, picks up the developments
from here.

JEREMY: Prototype software for the world's biggest radio telescope will
be built by a group of universities and labs in the UK with money just released by the UK government's Science & Technology Facilities Council (SFTC). The software for the Square Kilometre Array, or SKA, will direct
the telescope's gaze at the sky, translate its signals into data and
diagnose issues. BBC news reported that on Monday, the 11th of April,
the Council released 15 million pounds, the equivalent of more than
$19.5 million in US currency for the work that will involve teams at
Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester universities as well as those at the
STFC's own labs in Edinburgh, Daresbury, and Harwell.

The SKA is an array of 197 dishes and 130,000 antennas in both Australia
and South Africa, and the software will allow astronomers to interpret
what is received by the SKA, at an intensely high resolution and it is a
most sensitive radio signal receiving device.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(BBC)

**

GET READY FOR WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY

NEIL/ANCHOR: Events, on and off the air, are marking the global
celebration that is World Amateur Radio Day on the 18th of April, the
date the IARU was founded. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has that roundup.

JIM: April 18th will be a day of pile-ups and celebration for hams
around the world marking World Amateur Radio Day. In Denmark, hams are activating the callsign 5P0WARD. They are also making special awards
available for contacts with stations having different suffix extensions.
This year's global celebration also marks the return of the TEN-TEC
Legacy Nets, which will be posting operating schedules on their
groups.io page. A Clean Sweep endorsement is available for check-ins on
all three bands. The South African Radio League will be issuing a commemorative certificate to radio amateurs who make QSOs on April 18th
and submit a log sheet. In India, meanwhile, more than 65 new license
holders are expected at a VHF/UHF disaster operations workshop cohosted
by the West Bengal Radio Club and the Indian Academy of Communication
and Disaster Management. Attendees will build antennas and use them
afterwards in a fox hunt. Also don't forget the World Amateur Radio Day VOIP/Echolink Net. Using the callsign W2W, the 16-hour global net starts
at 9 a.m. US Eastern Daylight Time on April 18th on the ROC-HAM Echolink Conference node 531091. A special QSL card will be available to hams who
send a stamped self-addressed envelope. Details are available at r o c
hyphen h a m dot net (www.roc-ham.net)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY WEBSITE)

**

DX MARATHON IN SEARCH OF NEW MANAGER

NEIL/ANCHOR: CQ magazine's popular DX Marathon is looking for a new
manager to help things run smoothly. Jack Parker, W8ISH, asks: Could
this be you?

JACK: It is time to pass the torch for the CQ magazine DX Marathon and
its longtime manager, John, K9EL, is looking for a successor. John has
been at the helm of the contest since its creation in 2005 is hoping to
find someone who can infuse the competition with a fresh look, and new
tools to encourage this pursuit of DX. In a special statement on the DX Marathon website, he wrote that the marathon has reached a turning point
and many of the processes that have supported it all these years need to migrate away from being handled manually. He wrote: [quote] "In summary,
the DX Marathon needs a fresh look, some updated tools, and some serious
work on evaluating submitted logs." [endquote] This is John's final year managing the marathon. The search is on for an individual or group to
carry this popular contest forward. For additional details, visit dxmarathon.com

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(DXMARATHON)
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)