AMAZON'S KUIPER SYSTEM GETS FCC'S OK

NEIL/ANCHOR: Amazon's ambitious plan for its satellite constellation is
moving ahead. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, gives us that update.

PAUL: The FCC has approved the deployment plan of Amazon's Kuiper
satellite system, which is designed to provide high-speed broadband
internet service to government, business, and consumers, using 3,236 satellites. The system is to include customer terminals, gateway earth stations, software-defined network, and satellite control functionality,
among other components. Kuiper has stated that it can commence service
after the first 578 satellites are launched. There will be five phases
of deployment. For space-to-Earth communications, Kuiper plans to operate
on 17.7-18.6 GHz and 18.8-20.2 GHz. For Earth-to-space communications, it
will use 27.5-30.0 GHz.

Amazon has already posted 104 new job openings in support of the low-earth-orbit project. Many of the jobs are in various parts of the engineering field, and in wireless communications, and are based in the
states of Washington, Virginia, and Georgia.

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

(FCC, AMAZON)

**

SILENT KEY: BOB REYNOLDS WB3DYE

NEIL/ANCHOR: The amateur radio and commercial broadcast communities are
both grieving the loss of a seasoned professional. Bob Reynolds, WB3DYE,
became a Silent Key on the 2nd of August. In addition to being an
enthusiastic amateur radio operator, and a ragchewer on all the bands,
Bob was perhaps best known to non-hams in northeast and central
Pennsylvania as a longtime reporter for Newswatch 16 on WNEP-TV. Before
his retirement in 2014, he had long since established a reputation as an investigative reporter.

Bob was 67.

(WNEP, QRZ.COM)

**

EXTRA ONLINE SUPPORT FOR NEW HAMS IN THE UK

NEIL/ANCHOR: New hams in the UK are getting extra support that's
personal - even if it's from a distance. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us
how.

JEREMY: New licence-holders, especially those who took their exams via
remote invigilation, now have a place to call their own, even if it is
only in the virtual universe. The Radio Society of Great Britain has established a group on Facebook, to provide guidance to new hams, as
well as those who are returnees to radio. The group provides guidance
on establishing a home station, and a connection to a number of
experienced hams, who can advise on a range of issues.

The Facebook page is one of several resources the society is making
available at this challenging time of social distancing. New hams
interested in exploring this, and other resources, should visit the
website at rsgb dot org slash beyond hyphen exams
(rsgb.org/beyond-exams.)

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

(RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN)

NEIL/ANCHOR: It is also worth noting that OFCOM has also made changes
in testing for the Intermediate Level license, elimimating the practical
test, as it did with the Foundation level. This means Intermediate Level
exams can now be given over the internet via remote invigilation.

**

AMSAT OF SOUTH AFRICA HOSTING SPACE SYMPOSIUM

NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateur satellite enthusiasts in South Africa are getting
ready for their annual space symposium, as we hear from Graham Kemp,
VK4BB.

GRAHAM: There's still time to register for the annual space symposium
of AMSAT of South Africa, which is taking place as a live event online,
on Saturday, the 22nd of August.

The programme will feature discussions about using simple hardware and
software to track and decode small satellites in orbit; SATNOGS, and of
course, AMSAT OSCAR 7, the longest operating amateur radio satellite.

Software engineer Burns Fisher, WB1JF, a prominent volunteer in the
creation of the Fox1 series of satellites, will deliver two presentations -
one on satellite telemetry collection, and another on a simple telemetry station called Fox-in-a-Box.

Visit amsatsa dot org dot za (amsatsa.org.za) for details on how to
register, and an explanation of costs. The event will begin at 0800 UTC
and conclude at 1700 UTC. It will include a lunch break -- but you'll
have to provide your own sandwiches.

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

(SARL, AMSAT)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Reading
(REDDING) Radio Club's W3BN repeater, in Reading (REDDING), Pennsylvania
on Fridays at 8 p.m. local time.
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UK EXAMS ARE BOOKED THROUGH SEPTEMBER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you've been waiting to take your license exams in the
UK, you're going to have to wait a little longer. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
explains.

JEREMY: Hams in the UK who had hoped to gain their Foundation licence or upgrade to Intermediate this month, are going to need some patience:
demand has been so great, that most available slots for the Radio Society
of Great Britain's online exams, are already booked through late September.
The remote-invigilation exams were previously only given to Foundation candidates, but they were recently opened up to Intermediate candidates
as well. The requirement for a practical has been dropped for both levels
of licence.

To register for an exam, visit rsgb.org/exampay

The changes have resulted in big growth in online training. Free coursework
is available from a number of sources, including Essex Ham, and the GM6DX website.

Links to both websites are available in the printed script of this week's report.

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

[PRINT ONLY: https://gm6dx.thinkific.com/ and https://www.essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/ ]

(SOUTHGATE, RSGB)

**

SWISS AMATEUR RADIO GROUP OFFERS RECRUITMENT INCENTIVES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There's a bonus for hams in Switzerland, who help boost membership in the national amateur radio organization. Ed Durrant, DD5LP,
gives us the details.

ED: The USKA, the Union of Swiss Shortwave Amateurs, has a recruitment
drive under way, with a bit of a financial twist. They're offering a
financial bonus for members who successfully sign up new members,
especially those under the age of 25. According to the group's website,
the effort began as a way to address declining membership, and does not
apply to former USKA members who are rejoining.

In 2018, 3,070 of Switzerland's 4,877 amateur radio licensees were members
of the USKA. The USKA recently focused as well on promoting youth
involvement in amateur radio, after noticing that its roster of new members included only one amateur younger than 25 in 2018.

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

(USKA, SOUTHGATE)

**

SPECIAL EVENT RECALLS 2 DEVASTATING U.S. HURRICANES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hurricane season is under way in parts of the U.S., and
for many, it evokes painful memories. A special event station is marking
the 15th anniversary of two of the most devastating, as we hear from Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

DON: Fifteen years ago, residents of Louisiana and Texas were bracing for
two devastating storms that swept the region. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed communities, displaced families, and cost lives, putting 2005
on one part of the U.S. hurricane map that so many would like to forget. Katrina was described as the largest natural disaster in U.S. history, and
one month later, Rita swept through, deepening the tragedy.

Special Event Station K5R is marking the anniversary, and on the weekend
of August 28th through the 30th. Hams will be mostly on 40, 20, and 17
meters, using SSB and CW, and successful contacts can be awarded a
certificate.

Scott Hernandez, KD5PCK, is sponsoring the special event, and asks all
hams to visit the station's page on QRZ.com for more details, or the
Facebook page for K5R Special Event Station. A number of operators
calling QRZ are, like me, Katrina survivors. I'll be on the air as well,
so be listening.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

(SCOTT HERNANDEZ KD5PCK)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the KV3B repeater
in Rockville, Maryland, on Sunday nights at 8 local time.
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SILENT KEY: GLEN ZOOK K9STH

PAUL/ANCHOR: The Collins Collectors Association is grieving the loss
of a treasured longtimer, who has become a Silent Key. Jack Parker,
W8ISH, tells us about him.

JACK: Members of the Collins Collectors Association, treasured the
friendship and expertise of Glen Zook, K9STH, who was known to fellow
hams as a valued technical expert. Glen became a Silent Key on August
13th. One of the early members of the Collins group, the electrical
engineer from Indiana moved to Texas after college, to take up a job
with Collins Radio. CCA president Scott Kerr, KE1RR, told Newsline
that Glen had [quote] "a passion for getting things right" [endquote],
and often shared his expertise with members posting on the CCA
reflector.

Glen had also been the first FM editor of CQ Magazine, and author of
more than 1,000 articles for various other publications, including
Popular Electronics, and 73 magazine, according to his profile on
QRZ.com. His website k9sth dot net [k9sth.net], with its array of
downloadable files, shows his range of projects, and serves as a
window into his own ham radio station.

Glen was an amateur radio operator for more than 60 years, and
according to his family, he was a mechanical and electronics wizard,
who could fix anything, especially the antique radios he loved so
much. His daughter, Rebecca, posted on her Facebook page: [quote]
"A profoundly gifted man, there wasn't much he couldn't accomplish."

Scott Kerr added that as one of the CCA's particularly patient
oldtimers: [quote] "Glen will be especially missed." [endquote]

Glen Zook was 76 years old.

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

(FACEBOOK, QRZ.COM)

**

SILENT KEY: NASA ENGINEER JOHN CHITWOOD K3RGB

PAUL/ANCHOR: Another Silent Key - this one in Florida - was most
especially celebrated for his long years of work with the NASA
space program. Jim Damron, N8TMW, has the details.

JIM: A ham who enjoyed a prominent career for nearly four decades,
working at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, has become a Silent
Key. John Stephen Chitwood, K3RGB, of St. Petersburg, Florida, has
died of COVID-19. He had been hospitalized following a fall in June,
and then tested positive for the coronavirus.

A radio tinkerer and a builder since he was a child, he received his
Novice license in 1961. Though he became a DJ at his college radio
station at Drexel University, his time in college also provided entry
into the world of space travel. He began working on the Greenbelt,
Maryland campus of NASA's Goddard center, while still at the university.

He later became part of the team on the Cosmic Background Explorer,
or COBE. Measurements made with the help of the COBE satellite later
helped two scientists win the Nobel Prize in physics in 2006, for
their study of the origin of stars and galaxies.

According to his obituary in the Washington Post, John also served as secretary and treasurer for the Foundation for Amateur Radio, and was
part of its Scholarship Committee for 46 years.

John Stephen Chitwood was 73.

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

(WASHINGTON POST)

**

CANADIAN AMATEUR RADIO HALL OF FAME SEEKS NOMINEES

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams in Canada are being asked to name names - the best
of the best - for induction into the Radio Amateurs of Canada Hall of
Fame. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, has that story.

DAVE: If you live in Canada, and know someone who you think deserves
a place in the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, now's your chance
to make it happen. Radio Amateurs of Canada is accepting nominations
until the end of September, and the trustees of the hall are looking
for hams who have performed great service to amateur radio in Canada
over a sustained period of time. All nominations should include a
biographical information about the nominee, and three references.
The RAC prefers nomination documents via email in PDF format, but
will also accept those delivered by regular mail.

Now can you keep a secret? You'll have to: All nominations are
required to be kept confidential, which means you can't tell anyone
you're nominating them, nor can you ask their permission. Simply go
to the hall of fame web page, and download the nomination form to
get started. You can find it at wp dot rac dot ca forward slash carhof,
which is spelled "c a r h o f" for Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of
Fame. (wp.rac.ca/carhof)

Deadline is the last business day of September.

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

(RAC, SOUTHGATE)
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WEST BENGAL HAM'S DX: FROM INDIA TO ANTARCTICA

NEIL/ANCHOR: Sometimes you wait a lifetime for that big DX -- and for
one ham in India, it finally happened just a few weeks ago. John
Williams, VK4JJW, picks up the story from here.

JOHN: Babul Gupta, VU3ZBG, has been DXing since childhood, listening
to the radio for those far-away signals. A radio enthusiast for more
than five decades, he received the signals of a lifetime this month,
when he picked up a transmission from the Antarctic, while he was near
the shore in West Bengal, India.

He told the Times of India, and New Delhi Television, that the signals
were sent on 15476 kHz from an Argentinian scientists' base camp at
Esperanza, Antarctica. He verified the contact by emailing the
scientists a recording of the audio, and the scientists replied with
an acknowledgment.

According to Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, secretary of the West Bengal
Radio Club, this is the first time in recent years, that anyone from
that Indian state has been able to copy a radio signal from the
Antarctic.

As for Babul Gupta, he told local media it was nothing short of a
defining moment in his life -- one he has no doubt awaited for 50
or so years.

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

(SOUTHGATE, NDTV)

**

HAMS HELP IN COVID CONTRACT-TRACING

NEIL/ANCHOR: A successful contact is something to be celebrated, but
in the age of COVID-19 contacts have come to mean something else. In
India, amateur radio operators are doing their part to trace those
kinds of contacts. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, has those details.

JASON: Ham radio has become a powerful tool to help authorities in
Bengaluru, India, with contact tracing, and other tasks related to
keeping track of the COVID-19 spread. Working mainly from their home
QTH, 80 to 100 radio operators are assisting as volunteers and conduct
surveys and assist patients, relaying information for government use.

According to a report in The Times of India, the hams previously were
involved in monitoring individuals who were required to be on home
quarantine and in assisting with reports of violations.

The director of the Indian Institute of Hams, Shankar Satyapal VU2FI,
told the newspaper that he hoped the realtime communications made
possible by ham radio would keep authorities provided with as much
up-to-date information as possible.

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

(SOUTHGATE, TIMES OF INDIA)

**

FOUNDATION ADDS YOUNG CONTESTER TO ITS BOARD

NEIL/ANCHOR: The World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, has added a
prominent young amateur from Germany to its board of directors. Twenty-two-year-old Philipp Springer, DK6SP, is a member of the Youth
Working Group of IARU Region 1, and a lead planner for the Youngsters
on the Air - Team Germany program. Philipp was among the well-ranked contesters at the WRTC 2018 in Germany, as part of Team Y82D. The
foundation's chairman Tim Duffy, K3LR, praised the selection of Philipp
for the board, and said he was encouraged by the youthful enthusiasm he
brings to the hobby. Congratulations Philipp!

(QRZ.COM)

**

AUSTRALIAN YL CONTEST BREAKS THE QUARANTINE ICE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Sometimes a contest is more than just a contest - especially during quarantine. In Australia, a group of YLs has set out to show how
it's done. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has those details.

GRAHAM: This year, the 40th contest of the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association, or ALARA, doesn't just provide an opportunity to do your best
on the air - it's being seen as a way to chip away at the social isolation that has become so entrenched during this global pandemic.

The contest begins on Saturday, August 29th, at 0600 UTC, and finishes on Sunday the 30th, at 0559 UTC.

As Sue, VK5AYL, contest manager for ALARA said: "We are really looking
forward to hearing some young and new YLs in the contest this year, and catching up with many amateurs along the way."

An Alara Contest page has been established on Facebook, and its use is optional: It's available for hams to spot any contacts they have made with other YLs - but self-spotting is not permitted in this event.

As organisers state on their Facebook page [quote] "We hope to meet you on air." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. 73 and 88!!

(WIA, ALARA)
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HAMS SAVOR TRANS-ATLANTIC TRIUMPHS ON 2 METRES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateur signals went the distance in late August,
crossing the Atlantic from Europe to the Caribbean. John Williams,
VK4JJW, has those details.

JOHN: August ended with a flourish for a number of amateur radio
operators who had a wild ride across the Atlantic Ocean, thanks to
an opening on 144 MHz between the Canary Islands and the Caribbean.
On the 27th and 28th of August, operators using FT8 and SSB on the
island of Tenerife, successfully contacted stations in Guadeloupe,
Martinique, and Puerto Rico.

Cesar, EA8CXN, reported that he successfully logged at least two
trans-Atlantic contacts on SSB with Yoyo, FM5CS, on Martinique,
and Burt, FG8OJ, on Guadeloupe. That's a distance of approximately
4,800 kms, or nearly 3,000 miles.

The Puerto Rican contacts set a new distance record across the
Atlantic, according to a report on the EI7GL blog. The distance
there was 5,200 kms, or a little more than 3,200 miles. That broke
the record set on April 8th of this year, between a Cape Verde
station, and an operator in Curacao - a distance of 4,759 kms, or
about 2,950 miles.

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

(SOUTHGATE)

**

HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY CONSIDERS VIRTUAL VERSION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With COVID-19 still in the picture, Ham Radio
University's planners are said to be rethinking their strategy
for the big annual day of radio education in January. Jack Parker,
W8ISH, gives us the details.

JACK: Organizers of the popular Ham Radio University, held for more
than two decades on Long Island, New York, are considering the
likelihood of hosting it in January as a virtual conference instead.
Founded by Phil Lewis, N2MUN, who became a Silent Key this past March,
Ham Radio University is a day of workshops, learning, and fellowship.
Its website notes that it is presently scheduled to take place on
January 9, 2021, on the campus of Long Island University, in
Brookville, New York. A message from the ARRL Hudson Division quotes
Richie, K2KNB, of the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club, as saying
the HRU committee is leaning toward a virtual event. More details are
expected from the organizing committee.

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

**

ANTIQUE RADIO CONTEST GETS A 'VIRTUAL' VIEWING

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: You won't have to travel to New York this year to vote
on the beloved old radio equipment that competes each year in a kind
of popularity contest. Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, explains the new option
available.

SKEETER: The Antique Wireless Museum isn't letting a pandemic get in
the way of its popular People's Choice Contest, which is usually held
at its facilities in Bloomfield, New York. This year, the entries are
visible - and available for people's votes - on the AWA website
instead.

You don't need to be a member of the AWA to vote on some of these
beautiful old oscillators, receivers, and transmitters. All you need
to do is send an email, noting the entry number of your favorite item.
The email should be sent to voting at antiquewireless dot org (voting@antiquewireless.org).

You have until the first of October to send in your selection. The
winner will be announced on October 5th, and voting has already opened.

The address for viewing entries can be seen in the printed version of
this script at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ - FOR PRINT ONLY: antiquewireless.org/homepage/2020-virtual-peoples-choice/]

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

(AWA)

**

LONG-RUNNING INTERNATIONAL D-STAR NET IS ON THE MOVE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The long-running KB0ZSG [KAY BEE ZERO ZED ESS GEE] International D-STAR Net is on the move. The net is moving from
Reflector 1C to Reflector 91C, effective the 13th of September.
The day and time for the net will remain the same - 7 p.m. Central
Time in the U.S. on Sundays.

The net bears the call sign of its founder Connie Ballantyne, now
a Silent Key, and it is run by Steve, KC9SIO. With the changes
happening, it is recommended that hams wanting to connect starting
on the 13th update their settings. Steve said the move became
necessary to resolve a problem of having too many hotspots
connected to Reflector 1 and 30 at the same time.

(DARYL STOUT WX4QZ)
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MIXED RESPONSE ON FCC'S PROPOSAL FOR HAM RADIO FEES

JIM/ANCHOR: While the FCC has not set a date to vote on imposing a
$50 charge for a new amateur radio license or renewal, the agency has
been accepting public comments about its Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking, with a mixed response. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, has that story.

NEIL: Wil Wiquist, the FCC's associate director of media relations,
told Newsline in an email that the FCC is mandated to charge a fee to
hams, because of changes Congress enacted in 2018. The law is known
as the RAY BAUM'S Act, an acronym for Repack Airwaves Yielding Better
Access for Users of Modern Services. It directly impacts personal
licenses such as amateur radio.

Opinions thus far in the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System have
included numerous arguments against the fee, saying it would deter
young people, and keep ham radio out of the reach of retirees and
low-income applicants. A Michigan amateur wrote, however, that he
considered the proposal reasonable, suggesting a fee waiver for
individuals younger than 18. The Valley Amateur Radio Association in
Virginia suggested fees of no more than $15 for initial licenses and modifications, and a waiver for operators active in emergency
communications and community events. One ham wrote, from North
Carolina: [quote] "I am in favor of the fee, if the fees will be used
to strengthen enforcement. If the fees are just going to go into the
treasury, then what's the purpose?" [endquote]

The FCC calls the fees cost-based. Wiquist said that in addition to
its automated system, the FCC also employs a Special Temporary
Authority for Personal Licenses, using such non-automated agency
resources as analyst review and processing and engineer technical
review. He said the process' cost is about $135.

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

(FCC)

**

REGULATOR PROPOSES REMOVING LICENSE TEST IN BRAZIL

JIM/ANCHOR: Imagine getting your ham radio license without having to
pass a test! Well in Brazil, that might just become a reality. Graham
Kemp, VK4BB, has that story.

GRAHAM: Taking the Brazilian Amateur Radio League by surprise, the
nation's regulator, the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency,
has proposed eliminating the amateur radio certificate exam for all
classes. Regulator ANATEL's published proposal outlines a structure
that would grant free access to the Class C licence, which would
align the process with that used for citizens band radio. The
regulator is proposing advancement to subsequent classes B and A
after the applicant presents a certificate of completion for
technical classes in communications - or a minimum of three years' instruction.

ANATEL has requested support from the Brazilian radio group, LABRE,
which is a strong proponent of minimum requirements for a radio
amateur licence. The regulator's move also contradicts most practices
in the international regulation of licences. LABRE has asked for a
meeting with the regulator to clarify the proposal.

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

(SOUTHGATE)

**

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE SENDS UP BALLOON FOR THESIS

JIM/ANCHOR: Want to help a university student work toward a
doctorate? Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us all you have to do is....use
your radio.

ED: A balloon experiment launched on Saturday September 12th by
students at the Warsaw University of Technology is carrying important
data for one student pursuing a doctoral degree. The ballon has an
unusual VLF 210m-long fully-airborne antenna system which creates an electromagnetic field on 14.2 kHz. Listeners in Poland may recall
this was once the frequency of the Babice Radio Station, which played
an important wartime role relaying messages to the German submarines
in the Atlantic. Radio enthusiasts have been asked to listen for the transmission and provide feedback on signal reception during the
three-hour flight -- everything from location, SNR and bandwidth.

The operation will commence while the balloon is still on the ground,
and the antenna will rise as the balloon ascends to its maximum
altitude of 30 km.

Hams will be able to track the balloon via APRS on 144.800 MHz. The
balloon's call sign is SP5AXL -- the call sign assigned to the
Heritage Park Society of the old Babice Radio Station.

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

(SOUTHGATE, THE ALEXANDERSON ASSOCIATION)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
W2VL repeater on Long Island, New York at 8:30 p.m. local time on
Mondays.
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IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON HAM RADIO DISCUSSED AT MINI-CONFERENCE

PAUL/ANCHOR: In Canada, organizers have added a mini-conference to
the RAC's annual general meeting and one of the bigggest topics is
COVID-19.

JOHN: The COVID-19 pandemic itself will be a kind of headliner when
Radio Amateurs of Canada hosts a mini-conference just before its
annual general meeting on the 20th of September. In addition to
talks about satellite, engaging more youth, remote operations and a
recap of the St. Paul Island DXpedition, the day's programme will
feature what's being billed as "a fireside chat" on amateur radio
during the global pandemic. Panelists will be Tim Ellam, VE6SH:
president of the International Amateur Radio Union; Rick Roderick,
K5UR, president of the American Radio Relay League; and Steve Thomas
M1ACB, general manager of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB)

Moderator will be Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA, president of the Radio
Amateurs of Canada.

This is to be the first time the annual general meeting will be held virtually, and the RAC has opted to add the interactive mini-
conference to round out the day. The annual general meeting will
begin at 4 p.m., at the conclusion of the mini-conference.

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

(RAC)

**

TWO HAMS IN INDIA SCORE A 'PERSONAL BEST'

PAUL/ANCHOR: The recent AMSAT-UK OSCAR QSO Party has given 2 hams in
India reason to celebrate, as Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, tells us.

JASON: Marathon runners aren't the only enthusiasts who are proud of
achieving what's called their "personal best." Ham radio operators
have their big moments too. Two hams in India -- Rajesh VU2EXP and
Lucky VU2LBW -- reported recently that during the AMSAT-UK OSCAR QSO
Party they worked six different FM satellites in one day, September
9th.

Rajesh is the regional coordinator for the West India Zone of
AMSAT-India. He writes: [quote] "It's a personal record for us for
such satellite activities in the region." [endquote] The satellites
included AO-27, a 27-year-old satellite and SO-50, launched 18 years
ago.

To add to the thrill, said Rajesh, it should be noted that he
achieved the contacts using a portable setup from his terrace in
Gujarat (Goo-Juh-Rott), using a pair of HTs and a homebrew antenna.

He added: "What a memorable day!"

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

(SOUTHGATE)

**

SILENT KEY: BILL SEXTON N1AN, PROMINENT MEMBER OF MARS

PAUL/ANCHOR: A New York ham who achieved distinction - both as a
journalist and in ARMY MARS - has become a Silent Key. Caryn Eve
Murray, KD2GUT, has that report.

CARYN: An amateur radio operator with a prominent role in the Army
Military Auxiliary Radio System has become a Silent Key. Bill Sexton,
N1AN, devoted himself to serving MARS following a long, prominent
career in journalism that included reporting from foreign bureaus in
Tokyo and Beijing for the Long Island daily newspaper, Newsday.

A Korean War veteran, he retired from the paper in 1991 and served as
the public affairs officer for MARS for 13 years. During the 9/11
terror attacks in the U.S. - and later during Hurricane Katrina -
Bill assisted with emergency radio communications, earning him the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Bill was also the
author of "Army MARS at 90: Helping Protect the Homeland," a 100-page
study of the organization's role in national security. Bill held the
Army MARS callsigns AAR1FP, and AAA9PC.

Bill had suffered a stroke one week before his death on September
6th. He was 91.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT.

(NEWSDAY)

**

SILENT KEY: AVUTU NAGI REDDY VU2ANI, LEADER IN INDIAN AMATEUR RADIO

PAUL/ANCHOR: A leader in amateur radio in southeastern India has
become a Silent Key. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us more.

GRAHAM: Avutu Nagi Reddy, VU2ANI, was a homebrew enthusiast, a
helping hand at antenna installations and an all-around guide who
shared the science of ham radio with others. Avutu became a Silent
Key on Thursday the 10th of September at home in the Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh. He was heard often on the HF bands, and was a
familiar voice particularly on 40 meters. He was also a leader,
serving as secretary of the Coastal Amateur Radio Society. His love
of radios extended to his impressive collection of radios and
amplifiers.

Avutu was 64.

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

(NEWS TRACK LIVE)
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PRIDE RADIO GROUP LAUNCHES IN AUSTRALIA

NEIL/ANCHOR: We all take pride in who we are as amateur radio
operators. Now a new club is forming as a virtual collective, hoping
to provide a welcoming spirit to amateurs who are also part of the
world's LGBTQI community. Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, has that story.

ROBERT: The Pride Radio Group launched itself on the 13th of September
and within the first week alone, it had become a group of 50. A virtual community organised by Michael Wheeler, VK3FUR, the group encourages discussions on SDR, antenna design, and HF operating -- much of it on
the Discord app for now -- and it promises what Michael calls a "safe
and friendly environment." Michael said the group's origins are rooted
in the hope to provide representation for radio operators in the
LGBTQI community in Australia and the Oceania region, and that it just
grew from there. While the group awaits its Australian call sign to be granted, plans are in the works for a future with special event
activations, DMR talkgroups, and a pride-focused contest, likely for
June of 2021. Michael said other ham clubs have already reached out
asking how their own organisations can become more inclusive and
welcoming. Michael told Newsline: [quote] "I've had a number of people personally reach out to me to tell me that a group like this might be
just the sort of thing they need to get back on the air." [endquote]

For more details about this emerging group, visit the website
prideradio dot group (prideradio.group)

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

(QRZ FORUMS, MICHAEL WHEELER VK3FUR)

**

'GET ON THE AIR' CAMPAIGN DRAWS NATIONAL EXPOSURE, NEW HAMS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the UK, the Get On the Air To Care campaign has
accelerated since the Radio Society of Great Britain and the NHS
teamed up to highlight ham radio as an antidote to the malaise of
pandemic lockdown. In fact, national media, such as the BBC and the
"i" newspaper, have shared such stories as this next one, as Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: Caitlin Field, M6XTT, is the third generation ham in her
family - and its first YL. She joins grandfather Don, G3XTT, and
father, Ed, 2E0WWF, in her fascination with radio and science. When
lockdown happened, Caitlin made the most of her time by studying the Foundation course provided online by Essex Ham. Using Zoom, Don
supplemented his granddaughter's studies with regular tutoring
sessions and proclaimed her an eager student. It also gave the two
some quality "grandpa-and-granddaughter time" which they both
thoroughly enjoyed during an otherwise isolating lockdown. On her
third try, Caitlin passed the exam given by remote invigilation by
RSGB president, and exam quality manager, Dave Wilson, M0OBW. Soon the 10-year-old was the holder of her father's old Foundation call sign.

Getting on the air to care - or caring enough to help someone new get
on the air in the first place - is the essence of this joint campaign
with the health service, according to Steve Thomas, M1ACB, the RSGB's
general manager. Now, it seems, that mainstream media also cares - and
cares enough to put amateur radio stories like this on the air.

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

NEIL/ANCHOR: We also mention that the RSGB has begun making remote invigilation available for applicants for the Full license. On
Thursday, September 24th, the society began accepting exam bookings
for all three levels of license. Exams are now being booked for
Wednesday, October 21st, and beyond.

(STEVE THOMAS M1ACB, DON FIELD G3XTT)

**

VISITORS' AMATEUR STATION TO SHUT IN SWEDEN

NEIL/ANCHOR: A popular ham station for guest operators in Sweden has
become another casualty of the global pandemic. Graham Kemp, VK4BB,
has those details.

GRAHAM: There's little more than two months to go before SI9AM, the
Visitors Amateur Radio Station in Utanede Sweden closes its doors
permanently. It was established 20 years ago and is owned by eight
radio clubs in Sweden's third call area. There have been no guest
operators, however, since the COVID-19 pandemic and its board has
opted to cease operations on the first of December.

Since the visitors station opened on July 19, 2000 it has logged about
160,000 QSOs. The station is known as the King Chulalongkorn (Chew Luh
Long Korn) Memorial Amateur Radio Visitors station, and is located near
the Thai Pavilion that opened in 1998 to honor the Thai king's visit
to the Swedish town in 1897.

SI9AM president J�rgen, SM3FJF, made the announcement, adding that all
QSL cards and SI9AM awards will still be sent for confirmed radio
contacts.

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

(SI9AM)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the K4LYL repeater in Bedford, Virginia on Tuesdays and Thursdays at
10 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time.
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HOSPITAL HELPS WASHINGTON HAMS EXPAND EMCOMM COVERAGE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: When it comes to planning for emergency coverage,
hospitals and hams are a natural team. Christian Cudnik, K0STH, tells
us about one such effort in Washington State.

CHRISTIAN: With the help of a local hospital, hams in Clallam County, Washington are hoping to provide the county with a security blanket of
RF coverage. Their effort has been a two-year project between the
Clallam County Amateur Radio Club and Forks Community Hospital.
According to club member Joe Wright, KG7JWW, who is also an area
emergency coordinator for ARES in Forks, the goal is to establish
"operational areas" throughout the county including the vast prairie
and serve those areas with more radios and repeaters. While standard communication will continue to rely on the VHF repeater and vertical
antenna, the goal is to extend the range, linking to UHF repeaters
beyond.

Joe credited the hospital for having established an on-site amateur
radio station after 9/11 for Clallam County ARES. He said the hospital
has also assisted in other ways, including with installation of a
repeater and equipment for an emergency radio site on Gunderson
Mountain, just outside of town.

He told Newsline "the new repeater location has significantly
increased our coverage" and other expansions are in the planning
stages. One of them is for a location that will cover the county's
farthest northwest areas and cross over to Vancouver Island, British
Columbia.

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

(THE FORKS FORUM)

**

AMATEUR TO CAST HER ABSENTEE BALLOT FROM ISS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Although more voters than ever in the U.S. are
expected to use absentee ballots in November's presidential election,
one amateur radio operator will be casting her ballot from space. Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has those details.

DON: Astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, has a few important things on her
agenda following her mid-October launch from Russia to the
International Space Station. Once there, she will begin her research
using the Cold Atom Lab aboard the ISS. She will also work on a
cardiovascular experiment.

And, she plans to cast an absentee ballot, and vote in the United
States presidential election. According to Space.com, her vote will
take the form of a secure electronic ballot which gets transmitted to
Mission Control, and sent on from there to the county clerk back home
in Texas.

Of course, high-flying absentee ballots are nothing new for her.
According to the Associated Press, she and fellow astronaut Shane
Kimbrough, KE5HOD, voted for president the same way in 2016, hoping
their votes would go the distance.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

(SPACE.COM, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
N9EOC repeater of the Central Indiana Amateur Radio Association in Noblesville, Indiana, on Sundays at 8 p.m. local time.

**

AMATEUR SATELLITE MARKS 27 YEARS IN ORBIT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Imagine 27 years on the job: The team behind a
satellite called AMRAD-Oscar 27 has no trouble imagining it at all.
The satellite just marked its birthday in space, as Neil Rapp, WB9VPG,
tells us.

NEIL: Happy 27th birthday to the satellite that was launched from
French Guiana in September of 1993 and is still on the job. Hams
around the world have made contacts with AMRAD-Oscar 27, which has
also been used for a successful D-STAR mode satellite QSO. Even after
a temporary outage in 2012, the team behind the project couldn't be
prouder of the satellite's longevity and its reputation for being
relatively easy to work. AO-27 was built by the Amateur Radio Research
and Development Corporation (AMRAD) in McLean, Virginia.

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

(SOUTHGATE, AMSAT)
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ON-AIR EXCITEMENT FOR WORLD'S LARGEST SCOUTING EVENT

JIM/ANCHOR: Yes, it's almost time for Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on
the Internet. Bill Stearns, NE4RD, gives us those details.

BILL: Radio Scouters are getting ready for the world's largest scouting
event just one week away, Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet
on October 16th through the 18th local times. With current COVID-19
guidelines varying from state to state and country to country, this year's event will no doubt be somewhat of a challenge.

With the guidelines in place, we have definitely seen a decrease in
planned participation and as such we only have 4 call areas with reserved K2BSA callsign usage.

Mark Hughes, KG4VWE, will be activating K2BSA/4 in West Point, GA, at the Chattahoochee Council Fall Family Camp.

David Mulvey, K5DCM, will be activating K2BSA/5 in San Angelo, TX, with a location of To Be Determined.

Brandon Arias, KM6WZP, will be activating K2BSA/6 in Riverside, CA, at
Mount Rubidoux.

Lori Abraham and Robert Crow, KA8CDC, will be activating K2BSA/8 in
Wheeling, WV, at the Sandscrest Scout Reservation.

Registration for JOTA/JOTI is located at jotajoti.info this year. Please communicate your intentions for your activity with your local district and council for any approvals needed under the current guidelines in your
area.

For more information on this and radio scouting, please visit our website
at k2bsa.net.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association, this
is Bill Stearns, NE4RD.

**

HAMS ON HIGH ALERT DURING SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST

JIM/ANCHOR: Hams around the United States were on high alert on Saturday October 3rd, and if the situations they faced felt a little unreal, that's because they were: The carefully scripted emergencies were part of a drill
for the Simulated Emergency Test of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Christian Cudnik, K0STH, has that story.

CHRISTIAN: From Bedford County, Pennsylvania to Cherokee County, Georgia -
and beyond - emergencies suddenly seemed real as first responders and
amateur radio operators played it for keeps in the Simulated Emergency
Test. The scenario there was a search for missing hikers in the woods.

Lloyd Roach, K3QNT, public information officer of the Bedford County
Amateur Radio Society, told WTAJ news that it was a chance to polish coordination skills with the area's firefighters, fire chiefs, police and
even the search-and-rescue teams.

Hams in Northern Florida responded to a simulation in which excessive heat taxed the power grid, prompting the state to begin rolling blackouts. The focus there was on response to heatstroke patients and individuals with critical needs requiring hospital transport.

In Georgia, the Cherokee ARES group tackled a simulated earthquake rocking
the state. Hams in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, responded to flooding
evacuations and illness from polluted water, ARES members in Hawaii
deployed EmComm stations for a simulated hurricane, communicating with shelters providing assistance.

In the days following the Simulated Emergency Test, organizers are
expected to assess the activity and uncover any weaknesses in procedures
and communications to better prepare for the real thing.

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

(WTAJ, WQOW, ARRL NORTHERN FLORIDA, CLAY TODAY)

**

SILENT KEY: ARRL NNJ SECTION MANAGER STEVE OSTROVE K2SO

JIM/ANCHOR: A New Jersey amateur radio operator who was a leader in the
radio community has become a Silent Key. Steve Ostrove, K2SO, Northern New Jersey Section Manager, died of cancer on October 2nd.

Steve became section manager in 2019, and had previously served in the position from 2016 to 2017.

Steve Ostrove was 74.

(ARRL)

**

RESEARCHERS CLAIM 'LIMITLESS' LOW-VOLTAGE POWER SOURCE

JIM/ANCHOR: Hams who operate portable, and even those who don't, are
always in search of the "perfect" power source. Researchers are too - and Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us about some findings from scientists in Arkansas.

KEVIN: Physicists at the University of Arkansas have created a circuit
that they say can harvest the thermal motion inside graphene - an
electrically conductive form of elemental carbon - and turn it into low- voltage electrical current to power sensors or small devices.

They also say the power is clean and limitless. They created the circuit
by using two diodes to convert AC into DC. The pulsing DC current performs work on a load resistor.

The researchers claim the diodes have a symbiotic relationship with the graphene and increase the circuit's power. They believe that this project
has proven that graphene�s thermal motion at room temperature induces an alternating current in a circuit -- an achievement that some physicists
have said is not possible.

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

(PHYS.ORG, TECH EXPLORIST.COM)
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HAMS PREP TO COMMUNICATE WITH HAWAIIAN RESEARCH SATELLITE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Elsewhere in the sky, and a bit higher up, there are plans
for hams to be part of a satellite mission that began as a project in
Hawaii. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, explains.

NEIL: The Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory has plans to collaborate with
amateur radio operators to communicate with its Neutron-1 satellite to
send and receive messages after the satellite is released in November from
the International Space Station. Neutron-1 is carrying an FM repeater with
a downlink on 435.300 MHz and an uplink on 145.840 MHz. It is expected to
be in space for about one year.

The satellite will be controlled through a ground station at a local
community college. The space flight lab will control the Neutron-1 via the GlobalStar network.

The Neutron-1 was launched aboard an NG-14 rocket from Virginia on Friday October 2nd as part of a resupply mission to the ISS. It is a project involving students, volunteers, faculty and staff at the University of
Hawaii. Its mission is to measure neutrons in space and radiation coming
from the sun.

The satellite is the space flight lab's second completed spacecraft. In
2016, the failure of a suborbital rocket after launch caused the loss of
the first iteration of the Neutron-1 payload.

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

(AMSAT)

**

CLASSES BEGIN (VIRTUALLY) AT ARES ACADEMY

PAUL/ANCHOR: School is in session for the New England ARES Academy in the
U.S. but not the way it was originally planned. Heather Embee, KB3TZD, explains.

HEATHER: The Northeast HamXposition/ARRL New England Division Convention
was supposed to be hosting classes for the first New England ARES Academy
but the current pandemic called everything off. Well, almost. Academy
classes have still been going forward but now they are virtual. The
coursework is being offered instead on the Zoom platform. The courses accommodate beginners with five Basic Track classes and work with more advanced amateurs in additional sessions and workshops. One-hour classes
are being held on weeknights, and two-hour workshops take place on
Saturday mornings.

The courses provide additional guidance in the ARRL's ARES training
standards. The newly created New England ARES Academy grew out of the successful New Hampshire-ARES Academy program, which held classes for
eight years at the New Hampshire State Fire Academy.

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

(SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION)

**

BELGIUM HALTS HAM RADIO EXAMS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Not everything can be done remotely, however, Amateur radio candidates in Belgium may have to wait a little longer to take their
tests. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has the details.

JEREMY: While many organisations around the world have gone online to administer amateur radio exams safely to candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic, Belgium has announced all testing must be halted.

The communications regulator BIPT said its decision was made out of
concern for the health and safety of BIPT staff and licence candidates. As
a result, testing has been suspended temporarily.

Belgium's national amateur radio society said that the BIPT will contact
the interested parties when examinations can return to normal. Candidates
who have already registered and paid for the test will be able to re-
register without incurring extra costs and will receive priority for
testing.

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

(SOUTHGATE)
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BALLOONS ARE JAMBOREE HEADLINERS FOR INDIANA SCOUTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Remember last week's big balloon launch by students from around the United States? Well those balloons just gained some company up in the
sky. Boy Scouts in Indiana did a launch as part of Jamboree on the Air - and Andy Morrison, K9AWM, shares those details.

ANDY: Boy Scout Troop 1 in Jeffersonville Indiana places a special emphasis
on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math skills. So when the scouts
hosted their local council's Jamboree on the Air event on Saturday, October 17th, they naturally had everything down to a science. Or perhaps - UP - to
a science is a more accurate description: In addition to making HF contacts, fox-hunting and playing Morse Code games, the scouts launched lightweight helium balloons, each carrying a payload of no more than 13 grams. Now
they're tracking them using APRS in the hopes they can follow the planned circumnavigation of the Earth in the jet stream. Using the callsign N9BWT-
12, the balloons transmit their location every two minutes.

The project is nothing new to this science-minded group of scouts. During
last year's JOTA event, the lightweight balloon made its way around the
world one and three-quarter times before it was lost in a thunderstorm
in southern California.

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

(STEVEN DRIVER N9BWT)

**

COMPETITION IS IN THE CARDS FOR STRAIGHT KEY CENTURY CLUB

NEIL/ANCHOR: For members of the Straight Key Century Club, the competition's
in the cards - the QSL cards, that is. Skeeter Nash N5ASH explains.

SKEETER: CW enthusiasts who've had their fill of sprints, QSO Parties, marathons, and other on-air contests, are being invited to take their competitive spirits off the air for a little while, and express themselves
with something other than their straight keys. This is a QSL Card contest,
and it's for members of the Straight Key Century Club, which is marking
its 15th anniversary in 2021.

Members are being asked to provide designs for QSL cards to be used during
the club's annual Straight Key Month, which begins on January 2nd, 2021. The call sign for the event is, once again, K3Y.

If you belong to the club and have an idea for a catchy card, submit your entry no later than December 14th. Members will vote online for their
favorite designs starting on December 15th. The most popular design is the
one that gets the distinction of being the official K3Y QSL card for
Straight Key Month. Even if you don't win the top honors, if your QSL card lands among the top 12 in popularity, it will be among those featured in the club's printed calendar for the new year.

Members of the Straight Key Century Club should send their images to Drew at AF2Z at skccgroup.com (drew@skccgroup.com)

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

**

THE LAST OF TV'S 'LAST MAN STANDING'

NEIL/ANCHOR: Attention TV fans, Tim Allen, KK6OTD, is going QRT on the Fox Network. The American TV sitcom "Last Man Standing" will begin its ninth and final season on the network early next year. The Fox network has carried the series since May 2018, following its cancellation by ABC a year earlier. The show features Tim as amateur radio operator Mike Baxter, KA0XTT.

Producer John Amodeo, AA6JA, told Newsline in an email that cast and crew
are now in the process of shooting 21 shows to begin airing in January. All
is not lost, however: As John noted, even after Season 9 is done, the show's 194 episodes will live on in syndication.

(TV LINE)

**

DEADLINE APPROACHES TO APPLY FOR ARISS CONTACTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Only a few weeks remain for teachers and other educators to be
a part of the next series of radio contacts with the International Space Station. Here's Paul Braun, WD9GCO, with those details.

PAUL: If you are an educator or part of an educational organization, this is
a reminder that you only have a little more than a month to apply for a ham radio contact with astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The proposal window closes on the 24th of November. Contacts are now being
planned to take place between July 1st and December 30th of next year. ARISS is looking in particular for organizations that will attract a high number
of participants and intend to use the experience as part of a larger
education plan.

Visit the website ariss dot org (ariss.org) for more details and to find a proposal form.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
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BUSINESSMAN CLOAKS ANTENNAS SPROUTING UP IN NETHERLANDS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you think the next news item could be a great
opportunity for someone to help hams living in restrictive communities
to hide their towers and antennas, you're right. In fact, an
entrepreneur has done just that - in the Netherlands -- only he gets
hired mostly by telecomm companies. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has the rest
of that story.

GRAHAM: The Dutch company appropriately called Camouflage BV, is in the business of making it seem like all those antennas have gone away. The company's chief, Anton Hermes, is an expert at hiding them.

Hermes has earned the nickname "Antenna Man" for good reason. He's
helping cloak many of the tens of thousands of antennas cropping up in
The Netherlands, including the new influx serving the growing 5G networks.

Antenna cloaking no longer means just pretending they are part of some
very tall trees. Hermes takes a more creative approach, using objects that resemble a church spire, fake windows, or the roof of a clock tower. The
only catch is that the camouflage must be crafted of polyester, since
many building materials block radio waves.

Although these antennas are for commercial ventures, hams can relate to
what he recently told a reporter for the online newsletter Vice
Netherlands. Hermes said: "This war against antennas upsets me."

Hams might say he has plenty of company.

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

(VICE NETHERLANDS)

**

THE GERATOL NET IS BACK FOR WINTER OPERATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The GERATOL Net is back. A new season of operating has
begun on this Worked-All-States Net. Extra Class operators in the U.S.
gather on 3.668 MHz every evening starting at 0100 UTC. Visit their
website at geratol.net - spelled G E R A T O L - and then plan to check
in. Newcomers as well as old members are welcome.

(GERATOL.NET)

**

FRENCH AMATEUR LOGS RECORD CONTACTS VIA SATELLITE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There have been some new records set for satellite
contacts logged - and Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, is here to tell us about them.

NEIL: Two thousand twenty has turned out to be a record year for Jerome LeCuyer, F4DXV, and his satellite contacts. He and Casey Tucker, KI7UNJ,
told AMSAT that they have set a new record via the RS-44 satellite. On
October 19th, the French amateur completed a QSO of 8,402 km -- or 5,220
miles -- with Casey in Idaho. This broke the previous record of 8,357 km -
or just under 5,200 miles - set in May between a ham in Germany, and a
ham from Louisiana.

Meanwhile, Jerome reported another record-setting contact - this one on
AO-27, working Michael Styne, K2MTS, in New York. The distance of this
QSO was 5,904 km -- or 3,668 miles -- beating the previous record of
5,682 - or a little more than 3,500 miles - set in June between operators
in Russia and Thailand.

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

(AMSAT)

**

SILENT KEY: CLIFF KAYHART W4KKP

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A ham radio operator who had just turned 109, has become
a Silent Key. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, shares this remembrance of him.

PAUL: Back in 2016 my editor, Caryn Eve Murray, gave me an assignment to contact and interview a man, who was believed to be the oldest living ham.

Cliff Kayhart, W4KKP was 104 years old at the time and had been a licensed, active ham for 79 years. He was an absolute delight to talk to, bright and sharp, and still active on the air. Our conversation was mostly about his
age and activity, but that story led to talk about World War II, and his experiences before, during, and after the war. As Newsline went to
production on Thursday, Oct. 29th, we learned that Cliff had become a
Silent Key on Oct. 26th, just a few days past his 109th birthday. Our condolences to his family and all who knew him.

After our Newsline report ran, we posted an extended version of my
interview with Cliff on our website as an "Extra." You can listen by
following the link in the text version of this newscast.

[[https://www.arnewsline.org/extra/2016/9/1/amateur-radio-newsline-report- 2027-extra.html?rq=cliff%20kayhart]]

(above URL all on one line)

On a personal note, the phone call I had with him remains one of the
highlights of my career with Newsline, and one of the most memorable of
my life. W4KKP has gone QRT one last time.

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

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WA2EHL
repeater in Burlington, New Jersey, on Fridays at 7 p.m. local time.
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SILENT KEY: JIM TIEMSTRA K6JAT, ARRL PACIFIC DIVISION DIRECTOR

NEIL/ANCHOR: A prominent radio amateur on the U.S. West Coast has become a Silent Key. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, has that story.

RALPH: ARRL members on the West Coast have lost a leader: The ARRL's
Pacific Division Director, Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT, has become a Silent Key.
The Oakland, California amateur died on October 30th.

Before becoming director in 2018, Jim had served as vice director from 2009 through 2017. He also served on a variety of committees and had a number of board assignments. An ARRL Life Member, Jim became a ham in 1970 in his Chicago, Illinois hometown where with the call sign WN9ELU he was president
of his high school radio club. Jim was best known for his enthusiasm for contesting and DXing and his commitment to public service and emergency response. He belonged to the Oakland Amateur Radio Emergency Service Group
and was part of the team responding in 1989 to the Loma Prieta earthquake
and in 1991 to the Oakland Hills firestorm.

Jim, a retired attorney, was the first president of the Oakland Radio Communication Association, which he incorporated in 1998 and served as a founding director. He was trustee of the club's call sign WW6OR.

Jim Tiemstra was 65.

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

(ARRL)

**

TURNING TO VINTAGE PUBLICATIONS ABOUT VINTAGE GEAR

NEIL/ANCHOR: Because radio waves are as old as nature itself, even the
oldest books rarely go out of style - just out of print. However one ham in Romania is making them available as free digital downloads. Ed Durrant,
DD5LP, picks up the story from here.

ED: There are hams who enjoy vintage rigs and antique straight keys but how about hams who appreciate historic publications about radio? Iulian Rosu, YO3DAC / VA3IUL, an accomplished QRP contester in Romania who loves
homebrew in addition to QRP operating, is one of those enthusiasts. Now he
is sharing free downloadable PDFs of some old books about radio that date
back as much as 100 years.

The titles include "The Wireless Experimenters Manual," by E. Bucher, published in 1920, and "Radio, Miracle of the 20th Century," by F. Drinker
and J. Lewis, published in 1922. He also has a collection of old radio magazines in downloadable format - publications such as the archive
collection of Radio Times, dating to 1923 and The Wireless Constructor,
from 1926. There's even a General Electric handbook on sideband, first published in 1961.

They are all there -- for the curious as well as the collector -- the
website URL appears in the printed version of this newscast on our website
at arnewsline.org

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

[FOR PRINT ONLY: DO NOT READ - https://www.qsl.net/va3iul/Files/Old_Radio_Frequency_Books.htm]

(SOUTHGATE, QSL.NET)

**

FCC OKS DIGITAL OPERATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL AM RADIO

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams who have great enthusiasm for various modes of digital operation are getting some more company on the air - just in a different
part of the spectrum. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has told commercial AM radio stations that they will be allowed to convert to an all-digital broadcast if they are presently using analog or a hybrid of
analog and digital signals. The stations' changes are to be voluntary.

The FCC's late October announcement clears the way for AM stations to
provide an all-digital signal that gives better coverage over a wider area
of listeners and enables the signal to carry additional information, such
as the title and artist for a particular song -- details that are visible
on a compatible digital radio receiver.

The stations are required, however, to notify the FCC at least 30 days
before making their change. They are still required to be a part of the Emergency Alert System.

(FCC)

**

IRELAND'S 1st SATELLITE SEEKS AMATEUR RADIO INPUT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Ireland takes particular pride in the fact that it is
launching its first satellite in 2021 - but the team behind it is looking
for some amateur radio help. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, to explain.

JEREMY: The Educational Irish Research Satellite 1 or EIRSAT-1, will be launched sometime early next year, carrying three science experiments on behalf of students at University College Dublin and other researchers. The
Low Earth Orbit CubeSat was designed by engineering and space science
students and academic staff as part of the European Space Agency's Fly Your Satellite programme.

Hams are being asked to help out with signal acquisition shortly after the satellite's launch on the Vega rocket. Hams, scanner, listeners and others
are being asked to help with ground station operations. In a recent visit
to the South Dublin Radio Club, David Murphy EI9HWB, and Fergal Marshall of the EIRSAT-1 team explained the satellite's operations and how hams can assist. Their talk is available on YouTube where the two explain the uplink and downlink schemes and the role amateurs can play.

To see the video, visit the club's website at southdublinradio club dot
weebly dot com (southdublinradioclub.weebly.com). Then get ready for the
new year when Ireland's first satellite will make history.

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

(SOUTHGATE, EIRSAT-1)
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SILENT KEY: NOTED LOW-BAND DXER JOHN DEVOLDERE ON4UN

JIM/ANCHOR: A noted DXer, a leader in low-band operations, and a friend to amateurs worldwide, has become a Silent Key. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us
about him.

ED: Many amateurs in the DXing world are grieving the loss of a friend, a mentor and a guiding spirit: John Devoldere, ON4UN, became a Silent Key on
the 9th of November. According to a post from his daughter Marleen on DX- World, John had been in poor health for sometime. His daughter said he died peacefully at his home in Belgium.

A prominent figure in low-band communications, he was celebrated by many for his friendship, his enthusiasm and his willingness to share what he knew. Known for his extensive writing, his popular book, "Low-Band Dxing," was the guide for many amateurs. He was elected to the CQ magazine Contest Hall of Fame in 1997 and the CQ DXing Hall of Fame in 2008.

John wrote on his QRZ page that he was a proud amateur for 59 years, having first been licenced in 1961 at the age of 20.

His daughter said a digital farewell ceremony was being planned for Saturday the 21st of November, and that details would follow. She said anyone with questions can email her directly at ON4UN dot SK at gmail.com (ON4UN.SK@gmail.com)

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

(DX-WORLD, QRZ)

**

HAMS HELP CHILDHOOD FRIENDS HAVE ONLINE REUNION

JIM/ANCHOR: Amateur radio is all about making connections -- and in India,
two long-lost childhood friends who aren't hams learned they could rely on radio to bring them together, at least virtually. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells
us how it happened.

GRAHAM: It is said that amateur radio is one of the best places to meet new friends. But a ham radio club in the northeastern state of Tripura recently showed that amateur radio is also one of the best ways to meet up with old friends.

Just ask Chandana Basu and Sabita Roy. The two women were schoolmates 40
years ago in northern India, but after Chandana's family moved to West
Bengal in 1981, the friends lost touch. They both kept their childhood memories but also held onto hope they might see one another again someday.

That "someday" happened recently after Chandana acted upon her long-held
wish to see her friend. She learned that the Tripura Ham Radio Club had members who might be willing to assist.

She gave them her friend's old address, and club members eventually tracked Sabito to the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan, another northern state in India. This isn't the end of the story, however.

The two women finally had the first face-to-face communications in four decades, arranged by the Tripura Ham Radio Club and the Calcutta Ham Radio Club. The reunion took place over a video conference which, at least for non-hams, is the closest thing to a meaningful QSO as one can get.

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

(NORTHEAST NOW)

**

NEW MARIANAS ISLANDS CLUB HAS AMBITIOUS AGENDA

JIM/ANCHOR: One of the newest clubs in the Marianas Islands is small - but
it hopes to be mighty. Here's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, with the details.

JIM: The Radio Amateur Marianas DX Club has only had its licence since September but they are making up for lost time. Cris Francisco Jr., club president, told the Saipan Tribune in a recent news article that the club expects to be busy in this disaster-prone Pacific island commonwealth which was devastated after Super Typhoon Yutu struck in 2018 with rebuilding work continuing for months afterward.

Cris told the newspaper that a ham radio club would also enable better communications with the American Red Cross and other humanitarian aid
groups.

The 20 or so members also hope to be available for larger-scale events that are more upbeat, such as triathlons and other public events.

Cris said that ham radio is nothing new in the region and said many of the club members had belonged to organisations that are now gone. The club recently bought a repeater, which has the call sign WH0ACH.

He said there hasn't been an operating repeater in the Marianas since the typhoon destroyed the single repeater serving the region at that time.

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

(SAIPAN TRIBUNE)
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REALTIME SPECIAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTS VIRTUAL SCI-FI CONVENTION

DON/ANCHOR: When COVID-19 turned a popular sci-fi convention into a
virtual, socially distant event, some Chicago area hams got creative with
some plans of their own. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, explains.

ANDY: In the Chicago suburbs, what started out as science fiction ended
up as science fact. WindyCon, the well-attended annual science fiction convention had to be scrapped due to COVID-19 - but the event went
forward anyway as a virtual convention known as Breezycon, on November
13th through 15th. While sci-fi enthusiasts enjoyed panels, music and
gaming during those three days, with socially distant chatter on the
Discord app, hams from the DuPage Amateur Radio Club W9DUP showed their support as well. Taking their cue from Breezycon's change in plans - the
move from in-person to virtual - special event station W9W got on the air
too, just as scheduled -- and just as it had done in previous years for Windycon.

As things turned out, its operation was a virtual success: Using SSB, CW
and FT-8, DuPage Amateur Radio Club hams operated their personal stations
and paid tribute to sci-fi fans who were attending the big event from a
safe distance.

Some might say this is truly the stuff of sci-fi. But for those radio operators among us who already lost this year's in-person opportunities
at Hamvention, Friedrichshafen and the big Tokyo Ham Fair, this was
simply ham radio, doing what it does best.

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

DON/ANCHOR: According to club vice president Daniel Gunderson, N9MUF, the
four operators logged 149 contacts over the weekend -- 93 SSB, 49 FT8,
and 7 CW. Well-done.

(QRZ.COM, WINDYCON, DANIEL GUNDERSON N9MUF)

**

FLORA & FAUNA ACTIVATIONS SWEEP AUSTRALIA

DON/ANCHOR: Whether you're an activator or a chaser, you don't want to
miss Australia's World Wide Flora & Fauna activation this month. Here's
Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, to tell us more.

ROBERT: Hams in Australia are getting ready for their big World Wide
Flora & Fauna activation weekend on the 28th and 29th of November. They
are registering their call signs and locations with Paul, VK5PAS, the
national coordinator. Paul is keeping track of amateurs who are involved
so he can prepare a report at the conclusion of the event, and send out Activation Participation certificates.

The many sites include Cape Blanche Conservation Park, Mornington
Peninsula National Park, Murray Sunset National Park and Echo Sugarloaf
State Reserve. There are more than 680 national parks throughout
Australia so there's plenty to choose from.

By the way, if you're planning to chase the activators, they will be
posting alerts to spot their operations on the website parksnpeaks.org

You can also consult the DX cluster at wwff dot co slash dx hyphen
cluster (wwff.co/dx-cluster)

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

(WWFF AUSTRALIA)

**

ON-AIR TRIBUTE BEGINS TO INDIA'S PIONEER BOSE

DON/ANCHOR: How do you pay proper tribute to an early pioneer of wireless communication? You go on the air, of course -- and that's what is
happening now in India, as we hear from John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: He is honored by many in India - and well beyond - as the father of wireless communication. There is no question that Jagadish Chandra Bose,
who was born on the 30th of November in 1858, left a sizable legacy to
radio when he died in 1937. Every year for the past 15 years, Datta
VU2DSI has gone on the air as a reminder to hams everywhere that we owe
much to this progressive-thinking 19th century born man of science and
his experiments, including communication in the microwave frequency range using a Galena crystal in his 60 GHz receiver.

This year, Datta will honor Bose by operating with the call sign AU2JCB, between the 20th of November and the 15th of December. He will be joined
by a number of other stations operating as well with JCB in the suffix.

For more details visit the QRZ.COM page for AU2JCB, and be listening.

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

(DATTA VU2DSI, QRZ.COM, BRITTANICA)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W4HPL repeater of the Cookeville Repeater Association in Cookeville, Tennessee,
on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. Central Time.
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EVENT HONORS HAMMARLUND RADIO'S FOUNDER

PAUL/ANCHOR: Speaking of Hammarlund radios, do you remember them?
Perhaps you even own and still use one. This next story - from Mike
Askins, KE5CXP - is for you.

MIKE: By the time the Hammarlund Radio Hullabaloo special event station
W4H went off the air, the 11 operators from the High Appalachian
Mountain Amateur Radio Society had logged contacts and countless
stories. The three-day event between the 19th and 21st of November was a celebration of the November 19th birthday of company founder Oscar
Hammarlund in 1861. The operation also gave a respectful nod to the
presence of Hammarlund's radio factory right there in Mars Hill, North Carolina, between 1951 and 1973.

Mostly, however, the special event was a celebration of the famous
Hammarlund radios, some of which were pressed into service to make
contacts during this successful special event. According to Ralph,
W4RRJ, one operator was even using a Hammarlund SP-600 JX-17 receiver
and a Johnson Viking 2 when he made his contacts using AM mode. This
wasn't the only vintage equipment: Ralph said that about one-third of
the SSB contacts were made by operators using a Collins KWM-2.

Ralph told Newsline that the most common stories operators heard were
from hams who'd regretted having sold their old Hammerlund radios years
ago when they drifted away from amateur radio, not knowing they'd return someday. Another ham recalled growing up near the Mars Hill factory and remembering the silver dollars the company gave employees on the
business' tenth anniversary.

The special event also called for contacts on the Mt. Mitchell 2-meter repeater, the highest repeater east of the Mississippi River, so that
hams unable to get on HF could still check in. Ralph said next year's
plans are even bigger: it will be the 140th anniversary of Hammarlund's
birth and the 70th anniversary of the factory's move to Mars Hill.

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

PAUL/ANCHOR: Ralph told Newsline that in all there were 975 contacts in
49 states, 11 provinces, and 30 foreign countries.

(RALPH ROGNSTAD JR W4RRJ, HIGH APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN AMATEUR RADIO
SOCIETY)

**

GOING OFF ROAD AND ON AIR IN KENTUCKY

PAUL/ANCHOR: You don't always need to script a simulated emergency to
sharpen your emergency prepardness. One ham radio club in Kentucky demonstrated that recently by going on-air when a group of Jeep
enthusiasts went off-road. Christian Cudnik, K0STH, tells us what
happened.

CHRISTIAN: Members of the Lake Cumberland Amateur Radio Association
partnered in early November with the Somernites Cruise organization for
the inaugural Jeep Nationals Trail Event in the back woods of Kentucky. According to Chris Perry, KY4CKP, while 38 Jeeps had off-road adventures
in a local state park a number of LCARA operators were at remote support locations with access to the 2-meter repeater as well as to their EmComm trailer.

During the three-hour event, club members tracked the progress of the
event and were prepared to summon help if any vehicles broke down or any medical issues arose. Chris said the trail ran through an area where
cell service is practically nonexistent so the presence of the hams was
vital.

A YouTube video of the adventure, narrated by Brian Perry, KY4BDP,
summed up the point of the whole exercise. Brian says: "It doesn't have
to be an emergency, you can practice your emergency communication
procedures in a fun event where everybody has a good time." Video of the
event can be seen on the LCARA channel on YouTube.

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

(CHRIS PERRY KY4CKP)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
WA7ABU repeater in Salem, Oregon, on Saturdays at 6 p.m. local time.
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DISCOVERY EXTENDS LIFESPAN OF SOLAR PANELS

JIM/ANCHOR: There's some good news for hams who use solar panels when
they operate portable. Well, it's good news - but it's still in the
future. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the details.

JIM: Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have announced
their discovery of a means of extending the lifespan of perovskite-
based solar cells, using a method that is also environmentally
friendly.

Perovskite, which is used as a semiconductor, is light-sensitive
material that degrades over time.

The researchers are calling their finding a cost-saving measure because
it allows perovskite-based cells to be recycled. The process renews the
cells' ability to absorb light by restoring a panel's photovoltaic
capability.

One of the PhD students on the research team in the Department of
Applied Physics told the Jerusalem Post that the key is the use of a
layer of stable oxides. The student, Avi (Ah-Vee) Schneider said the
layer [quote] "acts as an electrode of the cell but it's also a stable material that allows for us to be able to remove any degraded
perovskite." [endquote]

He said that perovskite is the most sensitive component in the solar
cell and the most likely to suffer damage over time.

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

(JERUSALEM POST)

**

MARKETER OF MOBILE RADIOS AND HTS CHARGED BY FCC

JIM/ANCHOR: The FCC has cracked down on a California-based company,
saying it sold radios capable of transmitting illegally. Jack Parker,
W8ISH, tells us more.

JACK: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has charged a radio
marketer with the sale of six models of mobile and handheld two-way
radios that allowed transmission outside authorized frequencies. The
November 24th action by the agency's Enforcement Bureau notified Rugged
Race Products, also known as Rugged Radios, that the California company
must immediately stop selling the radios in the U.S. or face fines.
According to the FCC citation, the agency's inquiry of the company's
marketing dates back to its initial contact in August of 2018 in
response to complaints.

The citation says Rugged Radios acknowledged that it marketed each of
the six models identified in the letter of inquiry, dating as far back
as February 2014.

The citation further says: [quote] "Rugged Radios acknowledged that all
six models were 'sold with the capability of being face-programmable to
allow a user to enter new operating frequencies' and that the
associated manufacturer or supplier delivered the radio to the Company
with this capability." [endquote]

The FCC acknowledges, however, that after the first letter of inquiry,
Rugged Radios did take steps to comply with agency rules and halted its marketing of four of the six models and later ensured that new models
included the appropriate FCC ID and labeling information. The company
also made firmware changes that disabled face-programming changes on
the two remaining models, but ultimately pulled them from the market as
well in May of 2020.

The FCC has given the company 30 days to respond to the citation.

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

(FCC)

**

CHANUKAH SPECIAL EVENT LIGHTS UP THE AIRWAVES

JIM/ANCHOR: If you're looking to grab some DX from Israel, you'll have
nine special days and nights in December. John Williams, VK4JJW, has
that story.

JOHN: Get ready for a number of Israeli radio amateur stations to light
up the airwaves throughout Chanukah, the festival of lights, for nine
days beginning at 1400 UTC on December 10th. The special event stations
will include 4X1C, which will be activated by a team of hams as the
first candle of the holiday is lit. On the next night, 4X2H, will join
4X1C on the air as the second candle is lit. Subsequent activations
will be by 4Z3A, 4X4N, 4X5U and others, with the number in each call
sign representing the number of candles to be lit on that day. All new stations will join the ones previously activated.

The team activating 4X0NER will be on for the duration of the special
event. Be listening on all the HF ham bands including the WARC bands
and the QO-100 satellite.

Operations end at 2159 UTC on December 19th. There are special
certificates available for Israeli amateurs, European amateurs and hams
from outside Europe. The certificates are digital downloads provided by
the Israel Amateur Radio Club. The club is also offering a prize for
best menorah and invites hams to email pictures of menorahs in and
around their QTH from their part of the world.

For details about the certificates and the photo contest, visit the
club website at iarc.org/iarc.

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

(ISRAEL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)
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ARISS CONTACT TOUCHES DOWN IN OKLAHOMA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In a part of Oklahoma with a proud space legacy, a new generation is touching the sky, this time via amateur radio. Here's
Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

MIKE: There's been a nice bit of astronaut history going on for years
in Tucumseh, Oklahoma, and perhaps no one knows that better right now
than the students in the Tecumseh High School Amateur Radio Club,
K5THS. On Friday, December 4th, they added themselves to that local
history book when they spoke over amateur radio with ISS astronaut
Shannon Walker, KD5DXB. The nine-minute Q&A happened over a 2-meter
station built by 20 ham radio operators. Teacher Bill Crow, K5LUO, led
the group in its effort to get the station, with its beam and
rotators, up and running.

One by one, the students quickly stepped up to the microphone inside
the school auditorium to deliver their questions to Shannon Walker,
who this year became the first woman to fly inside a SpaceX Crew
Dragon capsule. You can see a video of the exchange in the printed
version of this report's script on the Amateur Radio Newsline website. [arnewsline.org]

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://tinyurl.com/y3kofh36]

Making space history seems to be a natural for this part of Oklahoma.
Gordon Cooper, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, was a native
of nearby Shawnee, and attended Shawnee High School, where he played
on the school's football team. Gordon Cooper Drive is named for the
space pioneer, and it runs between Shawnee and Tecumseh.

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

(MARK KLEINE N5HZR, W5NOR.ORG)

**

'12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS' RETURNS FOR 3RD YEAR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In just a few days, the 12-day countdown to Christmas
begins - and so does a popular holiday special event. Jim Damron,
N8TMW, tells us how to get involved.

JIM: If Salli Rosato, K2RYD, is feeling a little bit like Mrs. Santa
Claus right now, there's good reason: For weeks now, she's been
getting wish lists from hams everywhere, and it seems they're all
asking for the same present: Another chance to work the operators in
the Annual 12 Days of Christmas Special Event. Well, that wish has
been granted. The third annual special event begins on December 14th
at 00:00 UTC, and runs until Christmas Day at 23:59 UTC. Operators
from the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club on Long Island will be
back on the air, as will operators from Michigan, Arizona, and
Virginia. As you've all been good little OMs and YLs, you're getting
an extra special present: Some of the operators will be calling QRZ
with two call signs - so you can grab your French hens, and your
turtle doves at the same time, and qualify more easily for that Clean
Sweep certificate. Be listening on 10 through 160 meters on SSB and
CW. There will also be satellite operations. The party, however,
doesn't end there. On Christmas Day, get back on the air, and work K2B,
the Christmas Birthday Special Event, and celebrate with three amateur
radio operators who will be a year older on December 25th.

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

**

CHRISTMAS EVE A SILENT NIGHT FOR SAQ TRANSMITTER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: COVID precautions have cancelled the traditional
Christmas Eve transmission from Grimeton (pronounced: GRIMMA-ton)
Sweden by the Alexander Association. The SAQ transmitter's message is
sent every year on 17.2 kHz. The association website posted a notice
saying: [quote] "We find it sad to have to make this decision, but see
it as a necessary measure to protect everyone involved." [endquote]
The website directs fans of the historic transmitter to clips on
YouTube where previous transmissions can be heard.

(GRIMETON WORLD HERITAGE FOUNDATION)

**

FORMER HAM IN ILLINOIS GETS PRISON FOR CHILD PORN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A judge has ordered an 80-year-old former ham radio
operator who was also a Scout leader to prison. Andy Morrison, K9AWM,
has the rest of the story.

ANDY: A former amateur radio operator and Scout leader in Illinois,
who had helped more than 300 young men attain the rank of Eagle Scout
over 40 years, has been sentenced to prison for child pornography,
according to various news reports.

A U.S. District Court judge ordered Milton Forsberg, formerly K9QZI,
to prison for 6 and a half years, a shorter sentence that the judge
said takes into account his age and poor health. Forsberg pleaded
guilty in August of this year.

A report in the News-Gazette said that Forsberg told the judge, during
a sentencing done via video, that he was ashamed of himself. The
prosecutor said police had also received tips about inappropriate
behavior when he was a Scout leader but he has not been criminally
charged.

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

(NEWS GAZETTE, WCIA)
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VIDEOS AVAILABLE FROM QRP VIRTUAL CONVENTION

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you weren't able to attend the convention of the G-QRP Club this past September, there's still time to attend - virtually. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us how.

JEREMY: The G-QRP Club, which devotes itself to low-power ham radio, is
making presentations from its two-day Virtual Convention available on its
new YouTube channel and on the 9th of December began uploading videos of
the various sessions.

Welcoming visitors to the opening session, Nick Bradley, G4IWO, called the virtual event "a first for the QRP community" and called the attendance overwhelming. It was a new experience for the club, which was founded in
1979 by the Rev. George Dobbs, G3RJV. George became a Silent Key in March
of 2019.

The club's call sign is G5LOW. Its virtual convention was the concept of
club chairman Steve Hartley, G0FUW, who said during the opening session [quote] "I am proud we have been able to do something and see everyone turn out." [endquote] This was one of the ham radio events to take its
activities online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presentations covered such topics as HF propagation tools, going portable
QRP with SDRs, battery technology for QRP use and the FT4 and FT8 modes.

To find the archived presentations from the convention, visit the G-QRP
Club channel on YouTube.

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

(G-QRP CLUB)

**

SOLAR CELL SETS UNPRECEDENTED EFFICIENCY

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you make use of solar energy when doing portable
operations, this next story may be a ray of sunshine - literally. Here's
Ed Durrant, DD5LP, with the details.

ED: An international team headed by scientists has announced the
development of a solar cell that has beat the world record for efficiency.
The research center Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin said that the development of a perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell has created a 29.15 percent
efficiency, pushing it ahead of the existing maximum of 28 percent. This is
an important increase in the amount of energy produced using the same
amount of sunshine hitting the same surface area. The efficiency rating
means that these panels convert 29.15 percent of the incident light into electrical energy.

The researchers are encouraged that they will reach their long-range target
of more than 30 percent.

Silicon cells are the global standard used in solar farms and it has been developed separately from perovskite as a semiconductor for solar panels.
The researchers' published paper on the development calls the tandem solar cells "a promising option." The researchers also noted that combining the
two semiconductors doesn't notably increase the cost of the panels' manufacture.

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

(SCIENCE ALERT, SCIENCE MAGAZINE, HZB)

**

CHANGES TO NEW ZEALAND'S GENERAL USER RADIO LICENSE

NEIL/ANCHOR: In New Zealand, there have been some changes to the General
User Radio License, Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, gives us the details.

JIM: Recent changes by New Zealand regulators to the General User Radio Licence now permit the use of an increased number of unlicenced low-power wireless devices across frequencies that include the HF spectrum. The
changes permit the use of wireless microphones and Radio Frequency Identification transmitters in the gigahertz bands and Radio Spectrum Management is now allowing frequencies starting with the AM medium wave
band right up to 10 metres to be used for other low-power purposes, such as wireless charging devices.

The devices must be used in a manner that does not cause interference to licensed radio services, such as military, broadcast or amateur radio. If
that happens, the user must stop using the device.

The GURL requires use of equipment that complies with radio standards and
the technical parameters of the licence and mandates that each device carry
a label saying it is RSM-approved.

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

(NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, SOUTHGATE)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the KV3B repeater in Rockville, Maryland, on Sundays after the net at 7:30 p.m. local time.
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IN AUSTRALIA, SPORADIC-E GOES THE DISTANCE

SKEETER: Two meters has been going the distance recently in Australia.
John Williams, VK4JJW, picks up that story for us.

JOHN: A remarkable opening recently on 144 MHz helped radio amateur transmissions in Australia span 3,200 km, or not quite 2,000 miles on
the 15th of December. According to a report on the EI7GL blog, summer Sporadic-E season takes the credit for the big opening in which WSPR
signals from John, VK2IJM, and David, VK2DVM, in Sydney, were copied in Western Australia near Perth by Peter, VK6KXW. One-hop Sporadic-E is
typically limited to a distance of 2,300 kms, or 1,429 miles.

The blog post goes on to say that the amateurs believe this distance
was perhaps accomplished with two Sporadic-E hops. They noted that it
is rare for this to occur at 144 MHz and more commonly seen on the 6
metre band.

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

(EI7GL BLOG)

SKEETER: From that same EI7GL blog comes another bit of news -- this
time by way of meteor scatter. During this year's Geminid meteor
shower, a 144 MHz signal from Jon, OY9JD, in the Faroe Islands was
heard 3,075 kms - or 1,910 miles -- away in Bulgaria by Stamen,
(pronounced STAMMIN) LZ1KU. The blog notes that typically meteor
scatter contacts' maximum distance is about 2,300 kms, similar to that
of Sporadic-E. So the contact couldn't be attributed to one-hop meteor scatter. According to the blog, it's now believed that Jon's signal may
have bounced off the International Space Station as it passed over
Europe.

**

EXTENSIONS GRANTED FOR GERMAN RADIO OPERATORS

SKEETER: German authorities have granted extensions to temporary
operations on various bands for radio amateurs - and they did it right
on deadline. Here's Ed Durrant, DD5LP, with the details.

ED: Just a little more than a week before a December 31st expiration
date, the German regulator BNetzA has extended the temporary use of a
number of bands for amateur radio operators and increased weekend top
band power levels, ensuring continued operations there through until
the end of 2021.

The IARU Region 1 website reports the weekend power increase to 750
watts output for class A and 100 watts for class E operators on the
1850-2000 kHz part of the German 160 metre band at which time contest
stations are allowed to use the band.

The regulator is also extending temporary use for 2320-2450 MHz (13cm), 5650-5850 MHz (5cm), 50-52 MHz (6m) and 70.150�70.200 MHz (4m) bands.

Amateurs in Iceland have also received a renewed authorisation for the
use of 1850-1900 kHz in international contests in the new year. The
national group - Icelandic Radio Amateurs or IRA received the approval
on December the 4th from the Post and Telecom Administration (PTA). The
use is subject to the same requirements as use of the frequency range 1810�1850 kHz.

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

(SOUTHGATE, IARU REGION 1)

**

AUSTRIAN HAMS GAIN ACCESS TO 60 AND 630 METRE BANDS

SKEETER: There's more room on the bands as well for amateurs in
Austria. Hams now have access to the 60 metre band from 5351.5 to
5366.5 kHz with a maximum EIRP of 15 watts and to 472 � 479 kHz at 1W
EIRP. This is consistent with other countries 60 metre access under the
ruling made at the ITU's World Radio Conference in 2015 and 630 metre
access from the ITU's WRC in 2012. Hams are secondary users on both 60
and 630 metres in countries where the bands are available.

(SOUTHGATE, SOTA REFLECTOR)

**

WHEN MORSE CODE GROWS ON TREES

SKEETER/ANCHOR: You may remember Newsline's story earlier this month
about London's Shard building sending Morse Code holiday messages from
its uppermost lights. In a similar way, a market town in Cheshire
England is using the lights on this season's Christmas tree to send the
dits and dahs of CW. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, to decode that tale.

JEREMY: This Christmas, the residents of Macclesfield are learning what
many military and ham radio operators have known all along: if you want
to ensure that a message gets out, send it in Morse Code. That's
particularly true this year with the town's Christmas tree. The tree
has traditionally been decorated with paper stars bearing handwritten
messages - but that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the
town council had a bright idea - an idea as bright as the lights on the Macclesfield tree itself. The council commissioned a local art
collective to install holiday lights that would be able to flicker
messages sent in CW. People now send those messages by texting to a
dedicated phone number and they are converted into the flickering
language of illuminated dits and dahs.

The installation is being called Message in Lights, and it is designed
to encourage appreciation of the tree for everyone from a safe
distance. Who knows? It might also encourage appreciation of Morse
Code, too.

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

(SOTA REFLECTOR)
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PROJECT KUIPER UNVEILS ANTENNA DESIGN

PAUL/ANCHOR: As any ham will tell you, when it comes to a good signal
it's all about the antenna. That wisdom is also a guiding principle for Project Kuiper, the Amazon satellite constellation designed to provide internet access from space. Here's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, with that
report.

KENT: Following development and testing this past fall, Amazon has
unveiled its single aperture phased-array design antenna it plans to
use on customer terminals with the company's Project Kuiper satellite constellation. The details were made public on December 16th, revealing
a small, light antenna no more than 12 inches across and with the
capacity of a maximum throughput of as much as 400 Mbps. The small size
has been designed to keep production costs low.

Amazon's planned deployment of the 3,236 low-earth orbit satellite
group got the go-ahead this past summer from the Federal Communications Commission. The project's goal is to provide low-latency broadband
internet access with a focus on serving communities in remote regions
without traditional high-speed internet access.

The project's senior manager of hardware and antenna development, Nima Mahanfar, has said in published reports that the single-aperture
antenna design is unprecendented for the Ka-band, which is in the
microwave range where the transmit and receive frequencies are very far
apart. Project Kuiper boasts a major advancement here, combining
transmit and receive phased-array antennas into one aperture.

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

(THE VERGE, SATELLITE TODAY, AMAZON)

**

SILENT KEY: TORONTO'S ALBERT VANDERBURG VE3ARV

PAUL/ANCHOR: A ham who made many contributions to amateur radio in the
Toronto, Canada, area has become a Silent Key. Dave Parks, WB8ODF,
tells us more about him.

DAVE: Albert Vanderburgh, VE3ARV, who was known in the ham community as
Van, was described as one of the core members of the Toronto FM
Communications Society. Paying tribute in his post on Ham Radio
Canada's Facebook page, Michael Walker, outlined some of Van's further accomplishments. He said Van had also been part of a group that
designed a repeater-linking controller in the 1970s that was so
advanced at the time that the professional engineering association, the
IEEE (Eye Triple E) wrote about it.

In the mid-1960s, Van had been a partner in a startup tech company
called Teklogix. It was there that he helped develop wireless
controlled conveyor systems and handheld devices used to manage
inventory back in the days before electronic barcodes came on the
scene.

Van was 96.

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

(LEGACY.COM, FACEBOOK)

**

SILENT KEY: CW MENTOR ROY CLAYTON G4SSH, SOTA MAINSTAY

PAUL/ANCHOR: The SOTA community is grieving the loss of one of its
mainstays and mentors. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us about him.

JEREMY: Roy Clayton, G4SSH, has become a Silent Key. According to a
notice on the SOTA Reflector, Roy died on Christmas Day, another
casualty of COVID-19.

In posting the memorial to Roy, John, G4YSS, recalled that Roy had been
a ship's op on Shell Tankers and other marine radio shacks and the UK's
chief Morse Examiner for a good decade. Roy excelled in CW and John
described him as a CW mentor to many, including to himself.

He was also devoted to the mentoring of the next generation. As John
wrote: [quote] "It was Roy's idea. The Scarborough Special Event Group
gave a lot of pleasure and enjoyment over the years as avid collectors
of a series of colourful QSL cards will testify. It also taught several youngsters how to run a GB station and handle a pile-up, some of which
were massive." [endquote]

John wrote that Roy's affections also extended to Citizens Band radio,
where he ran The Chairman Network near Scarborough on Channel 17-FM.
John said: "He would give advice and loan equipment there too, even
sending around a monthly news-letter and was very much looked up to." [endquote]

Roy was 84.

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

(SOTA REFLECTOR)

**

'GET ON THE AIR' CW KEY AUCTION BENEFITS UK CHARITY

PAUL/ANCHOR: The Get on the Air to Care campaign in the UK, which won
this year's Amateur Radio Newsline International Newsmaker Award, has
won another victory for encouraging increased radio contacts during
lockdown. The Radio Society of Great Britain, which partnered with the
UK's National Health Service in this campaign, has raised more than
2,000 pounds - or nearly $2,800 in equivalent US currency, following
its charity auction. An anonymous CW enthusiast made the winning bid of 1,025.99 pounds for a handcrafted Bug CW Key made by Roy Bailey, G0VFS.
The RSGB is matching the funds and donating the sum to the NHS
Charities Together fund. Meanwhile, the related campaign, Get on the
Air for Christmas, continues until January 9th, encouraging holiday
QSOs as a way to ease isolation.

(RSGB)
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LAWMAKERS SEEK PROBE INTO ARECIBO COLLAPSE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the US, Congress is taking a second look at the
collapse of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Paul Braun, WD9GCO,
tells us more.

PAUL: Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., plan an investigation into the
December collapse at the Arecibo Observatory, just weeks after Puerto
Rico's outgoing governor committed $8 million in resources to rebuild
its historic radiotelescope.

In the December 1st collapse, the dish was gashed beyond repair
following the crash of a 900-ton instrument platform. The telescope, a
valued cornerstone in modern astronomy, was being decommissioned by the
US National Science Foundation following other damage that occurred
weeks earlier. At the time of the final collapse, it had been earmarked
for dismantling.

Congress has requested a report by the end of February.

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

(SPACE.COM)

**

IOWA STUDENTS' BALLOON CIRCLES EARTH A THIRD TIME

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The world has kept turning into the new year and so too
has one Iowa amateur radio club's balloon project. Jack Parker, W8ISH,
has that story.

JACK: Three circumnavigations after its launch, the Pella Amateur Radio
Club's APRS balloon was still the pride of the Jefferson Intermediate
School fifth graders who'd helped launch it back in November. It ended
the year 2020 as a success in the sky. Transmitting on 144.39 MHz with
the callsign WB0URW-8, the helium-filled balloon had completed three
trips around the world since its November 5th launch and seemed
unstoppable. It was still making its rounds as 2021 dawned, according to
radio club member Jim Emmert, WB0URW. Jim told KNIA-KRLS radio that in
its third trip around Planet Earth, the balloon passed over Canada,
Greenland, Portugal, Spain, Albania and North Macedonia - among many
other places. Powered by solar panels, the balloon can be tracked by
following the link that appears in this week's script on our website at arnewsline.org.

[for print only, do not read: https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FWB0URW- 8&timerange=604800&tail=604800]

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

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: According to a January 6th report by the radio station,
the balloon has since completed its fourth trip - a journey that takes
about two weeks. The students have reason to be proud.

**

PROJECT EYES DIRECT WAY TO GATHER SOLAR POWER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Imagine collecting the solar power you need from a spot
much, much closer to the sun. Jim Damron, N8TMW, tells us about a
project that's doing more than just imagining.

JIM: The US Air Force Research Laboratory is hanging its hopes on
something called Helios. It's a key component named after the Greek sun
god and is part of an experiment known as Arachne (Uh-RACK-Knee)
expected to be launched into space in 2024. The formal name of the
project is the Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research
solar beaming project.

What's that? The Air Force lab describes it as a project that will
explore a way to harvest solar energy directly from space, where
sunlight is more potent outside the Earth's atmosphere and where solar
panels have more hours of exposure. Through use of something called
"sandwich tiles" and other systems, the experiment will convert the
collected energy to radio waves for beaming back to Earth as usable
power.

Helios, which is being supplied by Northrup Grumman, will house the
platform on which these solar beaming experiments occur. Northrup
Grumman's role has left the Air Force lab free to concentrate on
acquiring a spacecraft where it might all begin to happen.

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

(CLEAN TECHNICA, POPULAR MECHANICS, US AIR FORCE)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WB
ZERO YLE (WB0YLE) repeater on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., through Allstar, in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Fall River, Massachusetts.
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REVERSE BEACON NETWORK ADDS NODE IN FINLAND

JIM/ANCHOR: Researchers whose studies focus on propagation have gained
a new tool in their arsenal. It's in Finland - and Ed Durrant, DD5LP,
tells us about it.

ED: A new node has become active in northern Finland as part of the
Reverse Beacon Network, thanks to the support of the Yasme Foundation.
The new node was set-up at Radio Arcala OH8X, near the Lapland border
to help in the study of a propagation mode known as the Polar Path.
This propagation occurs in northern Europe during winter. At night,
the Polar Path provides several hours' worth of coverage over North
America.

Radio Arcala's node will become one of the research tools being used
by the researchers in that part of the world. The Yasme Foundation's
grant programme was announced last year, providing grants to regions
studying reception reports and conducting geophysical research. A
Yasme-funded node was installed last October in Tunisia, bolstering
the Reverse Beacon Network's presence in northern Africa.

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

(WIA, EHAM.NET)

**

POPULAR TV PERSONALITY GETS HAM RADIO LICENSE

JIM/ANCHOR: It seems that "Last Man Standing" actor Tim Allen isn't
the only main player on a TV show to get a ham radio ticket. Meet
Donna Snow, who has been a fixture on a popular DIY Network program in
the U.S. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, introduces her to us.

KEVIN: Donna Snow of the long-running reality show "Texas Flip 'N
Move" recently became Donna Snow, W5SML. Although her call sign is a
lot newer than the name she made for herself on the popular home-
makeover series, she is hoping for changes in her own shack soon.
Inspired by her ham radio mentor Rex King, W5EAK, a Vietnam veteran
and a former Navy radioman and officer, Donna is exploring ways to use
ham radio as a tool to connect veterans struggling with life after
military service. She has already accomplished that through renovation projects that included making a bathroom safer for a Vietnam vet, and repairing a flood-damaged American Legion Post. She is presently
redoing the yard outside the home of a widow of a veteran who fought
at Iwo Jima.

While studying to upgrade to General class, she is also making plans
for a TV show featuring amateur radio and, of course, the veterans
themselves. Her progress reports appear every week on her QRZ page.

Donna told Newsline in an email: [quote] "I am on a mission to tell
everyone about ham radio and the benefits it offers to all, no matter
their age." [endquote] She said she is living the spirit of her vanity
call sign W5SML - SML for "Snow Much Love."

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

**

LAUNCH OF SPAIN'S HAM RADIO SATELLITE POSTPONED TO MARCH

JIM/ANCHOR: Two ham radio satellites from Spain have had their
launches put off for a few more weeks. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: A delay by SpaceX has postponed Spain's scheduled amateur
radio satellite launch on January 14th. The departure of the EASAT-2
and Hades satellites is now on the calendar for sometime in March to
coincide with the Starlink mission.

According to the AMSAT-EA website, both satellites are carrying an FM
/ FSK repeater and are capable of voice and digital communications.
EASAT-2 is assigned the callsign AM5SAT and Hades is assigned AM6SAT.

SpaceX is to launch the satellites via the in-space transportation
provider Momentus aboard the Falcon 9 Launcher.

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

(AMSAT-EA, SOUTHGATE)

**

SPACECRAFT COPIES FM SIGNAL NEAR JUPITER'S MOON

JIM/ANCHOR: Think of this as perhaps the world's tiniest space QSO.
NASA reports that its Juno spacecraft which is orbiting Jupiter copied
an FM radio signal from its largest moon, Ganymede (GANNY-MEED). It
turns out that the radio emissions were the result of electrons
oscillating at a lower rate than they were spinning, causing them to
amplify radio waves. Juno picked it up as it was passing by a polar
region of Jupiter where the magnetic field lines connect to Ganymede.

It's called "cyclotron maser instability" and it's a natural
occurrence. The excitement only lasted 5 seconds -- but it was a
first.

(EOS.ORG)
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CITY ANTENNA LAW UPTURNED BY FCC RULING

NEIL/ANCHOR: The FCC has invalidated one U.S. city's law challenging
satellite antenna installations. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, has the details.

ANDY: The FCC has declared that federal law protects the right of
property owners and tenants to install and use satellite dish antennas,
even if the antennas are visible from the street. The panel's ruling
on January 11th, invalidates an ordinance in the city of Chicago,
Illinois, that restricts such installations. The FCC says that its
rule - known as the Over the Air Reception Devices rule, or OTARD -
protects the antennas' use, and allows video consumers greater choice
of content. Chicago had argued that its law, enacted in 2012, was put
in place to enforce "aesthetic standards", and that the measure does
not violate the federal ruling. The petition had been brought by the
Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association, DirecTV, and the
DISH Network.

The Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule does not apply, however, to
AM/FM radio, CB radio, or amateur radio.

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

(FCC)

**

PROPOSAL TO SUPPORT JAPAN'S STUDENT RADIO OPERATORS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Students in Japan could get more opportunities in amateur
radio, if a requested change in national regulations wins approval.
Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has that story.

GRAHAM: Elementary and junior high school students in Japan can expect
greater opportunities in amateur radio. This, under a proposal from the
Japan Amateur Radio League. League president Yoshinori Takao, JG1KTC,
has asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, for
changes in regulations that would create greater chances for students interested in volunteering activities, especially disaster communications.
The change, if approved, would require a partial amendment to the Radio
Law Enforcement Regulations. In a translation from the Japanese, posted
on various news websites, Yoshinori said: [quote] "We would like to
nurture a wide range of amateur radio operators, who will lead the next generation." [endquote] The initiative is being undertaken, in
cooperation with the Japan Amateur Radio Development Association.

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

(SOUTHGATE, JARL)

**

FCC REMINDER ISSUED DAYS BEFORE U.S. INAUGURATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: With fears of further civil unrest in Washington, D.C. at
the presidential inauguration on January 20th, the U.S. Federal
Communications Commission issued a warning several days earlier, in the
form of an enforcement advisory to all licensed and unlicensed radio
services, stating that providing any support to such activity could be considered a criminal act. The advisory was directed at amateur radio operators, operators on the General Mobile Radio Service, Family Radio
Service radios, and Citizens Band. The advisory noted that this applies
as well to messages that are encoded to mask their meaning. The advisory states: [quote] "Individuals using radios in the Amateur or Personal
Radio Services in this manner may be subject to severe penalties,
including significant fines, seizure of the offending equipment, and, in
some cases, criminal prosecution." [endquote]

(FCC)

**

GOLD RUSH SPECIAL EVENT STATION IS MINING FOR CONTACTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In California, a special event station, marking America's
Gold Rush is mining for contacts, as we hear from Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

MIKE: You might say this event is as good as gold and, well, you wouldn't
be exaggerating. The El Dorado County Amateur Radio Club is marking the discovery of gold in 1848 at Sutter's Mill -- a discovery which most
students of American history know sparked the Gold Rush the following
year. This year, the mad rush on January 23rd and 24th will be on the HF
bands. As hams look to strike QSO gold using CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK-31, and
JS8, they will be digging deep through all those pileups, and hoping to
log the club call sign AG6AU. By the way, it's no exaggeration to say
you'll strike gold if you get a valid contact. The callsign suffix "AU"
means gold on the periodic table of elements.

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

(EL DORADO AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, and now being heard as well
on the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club's W2GSB and WB2QGZ repeaters,
on Saturday mornings at 8, following the 7 a.m. check-ins of the club's
new "Newsline With a Cup of Joe" Net. Newsline is also heard on Monday
nights at 8 p.m. after the club's Info Net.
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FIRST DIGITAL SYSTEM OPERATIONAL IN NORTH DUBLIN

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams using digital modes in one part of Ireland have
something to be grateful for, as Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us.

JEREMY: In Ireland, hams in North Dublin who use the digital modes are celebrating the area's first digital system, which was put into use on
the 19th of January. The C4FM Wires-X Gateway became operational thanks
to the efforts of Ger EI4HOB and the North Dublin Radio Club EI0NDR.
With the call sign EI2PMD, it is available to local hams at 144.825 MHz.
The repeater is linked to the CQ-IRELAND Room, as are systems from
Galway, Limerick, and Northern Ireland.

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

(IRTS)

**

QCWA IN SEARCH OF TREASURER

PAUL/ANCHOR: The Quarter Century Wireless Association is looking for an amateur radio operator who doesn't just love radio but has a talent for finance and numbers too. In short, the nonprofit group is in search of a treasurer to fill the post left vacant last year. The treasurer is
responsible for preparing the proposed operating budget for approval by
the Board of Directors. The treasurer also provides the Board with
quarterly income statements along with a year-end income statement and
balance sheet. The treasurer's responsibilities also include preparing
the necessary paperwork at tax time, which includes the proper documents
for employees and contract workers and the federal tax return, among
other forms.

Members who are interested should contact Ken, VE6AFO, at
president@qcwa.org.

(QCWA)

**

SKYWARN PREPS FOR SEASON'S STORMY WEATHER

PAUL/ANCHOR: Stormy weather is a reality this time of year in many parts
of the world. In the U.S., a special group of hams is always preparing
for it, as we learn from Randy Sly, W4XJ.

RANDY: While we normally think of Skywarn activations during tornadoes
and hurricanes, winter storms also require “ground truth,” actual
reports from the field to confirm what meteorologists are observing on
radar and with other instruments. While spotters can report by phone,
email or online, those from the Amateur Radio community can also
communicate such things as snow depth and ice accumulation to
meteorologists quickly and efficiently through local repeater nets
connected to the weather services office.

Christopher Strong, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office, states, "Reports of snow
and ice are vital to keeping the forecast on track. Automated reporting stations are great at detailing temperatures, rainfall, and winds, but
do not report snow and ice accumulation. So, spotter reports really help
us see how much is accumulating and match it up with how much we
expected through that time."

Reports from radio amateurs and other spotters help the National Weather Service save lives and property in the community and minimize the impact
of severe weather on the public. To find out more about becoming a
Skywarn Spotter, please visit the Skywarn page on the National Weather
Service Website and click on the link to contact the Warning
Coordination Meteorologist in your area.

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

**

CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE SOLAR KIND

PAUL/ANCHOR: In the U.S., the Parker probe sent up by NASA has just made
a close encounter of the solar kind. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, gives us the details.

KENT: For the first time since last September, NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft made a close approach to the sun just as solar activity began
to kick into high gear.

From a distance of 8.4 million miles, or 13.5 million kilometers, the
probe made its approach on Sunday, January 17th. There's plenty of data
for it to collect, especially with Solar Cycle 25 now well under way.
Last November, the sun had its first major flare in three years.

NASA has planned four close approaches to the sun this year along with
two flybys of Venus, with the first one happening on February 20th.
After that, it's back to the sun for another close look on April 29th.

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

(SPACE.COM)
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RESTORATION BEGINS ON WORLD WAR II ENIGMA MACHINES

JIM/ANCHOR: If restoring old boat anchors, or even making ancient straight keys usable, is a challenge that appeals to you, consider this monumental
task being undertaken in Germany right now. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us
about it.

ED: It looks like restoration experts at Germany's State Archaeological
Museum in Schleswig-Holstein are looking at additional work. After
starting the one years desalination and restoration work on a World War II enigma machine found in the Baltic Sea off the north east coast of Germany
in December last year, another six units have been found. Unfortunately
many of this find had been made unusable before they were thrown into the
sea from German Warships at the end of the second world war.

The machines, which resemble old typewriters, have inner workings that
include three interchangeable rotors used to scramble messages. These
messages were then sent using Morse code to another ship or land station
that had another enigma machine to decode the message.

Restored enigma machines have been shown and operation demonstrated both
at Friedrichshafen, and Dayton Hamfests.

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

(LIVESCIENCE, PHYS.ORG)

**

HAMS IN INDIA HELP ID MISSING MAN AS AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN

JIM/ANCHOR: Amateur radio operators in India are being credited with
helping make an important contact in Australia but the communication here
has nothing to do with DXing. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, tells us what
happened.

JASON: A man who had been found wandering disoriented on the streets of Kolkata, India several weeks ago has been identified as an Australian
citizen with the help of local amateur radio operators. According to a
report in the Times of India, the 69-year-old man, who is of Indian
origin, is from Sydney, Australia. He has been in one of the local state-
run hospitals since he was found.

The West Bengal Amateur Radio Club intervened at the request of local
health department officials who wanted the man's family located and knew
the club has a long track record of helping reunite families.

Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, club secretary, said that although there were still many missing details, paperwork found in the man's possession
indicated he was residing in Sydney but had formerly owned property in
India. The newspaper report said the man speaks English but appears to
have some kind of mental disorder. The Australian Deputy High
Commissioner's Office in Kolkata told the newspaper that efforts are under
way to contact his family members.

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

(TIMES OF INDIA)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K3ALG repeater
in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. local time.
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YOUNG CALIFORNIA AMATEUR WINS CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the California ninth grader and
amateur radio operator who is among those students to win the prestigious Congressional App Challenge. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, has the details.

NEIL: Sean Donelan, KM6NGN, is the author of an amateur radio app for
mobile devices that simplifies coordination tasks for net controllers overseeing hams in the field at public service events. The app, NetHam,
was the top winner in the 2020 Congressional App Challenge in his home
state's 11th congressional district. The United States House of Representatives established the nationwide award eight years ago to
inspire students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Math. The award is being given out this year in 308 of 435 congressional districts.

The app makes use of a Raspberry Pi4B, an Arduino, and a Nextion HMI
Touch Display. To see it in action, watch Sean's demonstration video
at the web address you'll find in this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org. Well done, Sean!

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

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: vimeo.com/454747550]

(PATCH, SOUTHGATE)

**

QSO PARTY BRINGS ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES IN MINNESOTA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The biggest challenge of a QSO Party isn't necessarily
the propagation. Here's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, with the story of one
group of hams who found that out.

KENT: Members of the Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association were up
for the challenge of the Minnesota QSO Party and hoped their brand-new
Mobile Communications Bus was too. The hams crossed the state border from their Wisconsin home into a Minnesota county that is considered rare in
these operating events. Using CW and phone, they joined the action from a parking lot at a high point in Houston County for the February 6th
contest. They used the call sign Whiskey Zero Minnesota (W0M). Vice
president Bill Kleinschmidt, N9FDE, told Newsline that 11 hams
participated, two serving as the main ops while others filled in and
provided support.

Bill said Mother Nature was ready for the QSO Party too - in a different
way. He told Newsline: [quote] "She dumped six inches of snow on us just before the contest, then to add insult, she dropped the temperature ten to twenty below zero for setup and takedown operations." [endquote] The bus passed the test and kept everyone warm for the full 10 hours. The club did well too with a total score of 203,392, combining the 1,816 QSO points to
the state, province, country and DX scores.

Bill told Newsline the real challenge of the day came later, when the bus brakes failed just as the hams prepared to drive down from the hill. The brakes had begun to leak.

The hams made one final call of the day: to Craig, N9ETD, who runs a
towing business. Bill told Newsline that repairs were under way, and the
club should be back on the road soon for new adventures. Next up: their
home state Wisconsin QSO Party on March 14th and 15th.

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

(BILL KLEINSCHMIDT N9FDE)

**

MARS MEMBERS AND HAMS PREP FOR INTEROPERABILITY EXERCISES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Members of the Military Auxiliary Radio System will have
their first interoperability exercise with the amateur radio community on February 23rd through the 27th. Exercises will begin on Channel 1, the
initial calling channel on 60 meters, but may not necessarily be limited
to that channel.

US Army MARS Chief Paul English, WD8DBY, issued a statement saying that
ICS 213 messages will be passed in both voice and digital modes. Radio operations will also take place in the usual voice modes.

Following this month's exercise, the next one will be held from March 1st
to March 7th.

(MARS)

**

U.S.-BUILT RF JAMMERS TO ASSIST AUSTRALIA'S MILITARY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: An American-built RF-jamming system is about to begin production to help the military in Australia. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW,
explains what it will do.

JASON: Australia's military is expected to benefit from the protective
power of RF jammers under a system being developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation in the United States. The system of open-architecture RF
jammers will be built by electronic warfare experts to provide protection
from radio-controlled improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. The system
is designed to minimise disruption to communications systems while establishing a protective barrier for the warfighters and their equipment.

The $329.9 million order for the system, which is designed to protect foot soldiers, vehicles and permanent structures, according to officials of the United States Naval Sea Systems Command, which announced the order. Work
will be done in San Diego, California and is expected to be ready for
delivery to Australia by December of 2022.

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

(MILITARY AEROSPACE.COM)
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VARIETY OF EVENTS MARK WORLD RADIO DAY CELEBRATIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: A lot of celebrating took place around the world and on the
air during the weekend of February 13th and 14th. It was the 10th
anniversary of UNESCO's World Radio Day, recognizing radio as the single most-consumed medium with an ability to reach the world's largest and most diverse audiences. Amateur radio was, of course, a big part of the global activities. In Spain, call signs were activated with the suffix WRD from
the 12th to the 14th of the month. Hams throughout India had a variety of activities on tap. In the southern Indian state of Kerala (KER-uh-luh),
the Institute of Amateur Radio had hams on the radio reminding people of
the rescue and disaster assistance hams provide during floods, cyclones
and other events. A radio festival displayed antique and unusual
equipment, from handhelds to rare transmitters. Hams also got busy
preparing for a two-day Field Day in India on the 27th and 28th of
February where emergency communications will be given a test run. The
website, weather.com, even got into the act by posting an article
reminding people of hams' unique ability to assist in emergencies even
when commercial power has been cut off. One celebration began over the
weekend and will continue at least for a while longer. Be listening for
the callsign 4U13FEB until the 28th of February. Members of the UN Global Service Center ARC in Brindisi, Italy, are calling QR Zed until then to promote World Radio Day. Meanwhile, get ready for the next big event specifically for hams: Sunday, April 18 is World Amateur Radio Day.

(SOUTHGATE, WEATHER.COM, INDIAN EXPRESS)

**

REVIVED ANTENNA RECONNECTS WITH VOYAGER 2

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you've ever been off the air for a year or so, you know
that your first contact has got to be a good one. Especially if it's
serious DX like the one we hear next about from Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

GRAHAM: The completion of a complicated upgrade of an aging antenna at the Deep Space Network in Canberra, Australia has restored full contact
between Earth and the Voyager 2 probe. The trailblazing spacecraft, which
was launched 44 years ago by NASA, had been crossing the heavens in
relative silence after a 70-meter dish there known as DSS 43 was shut down
and dismantled for a needed refreshing. In space as on Earth, however, few things are immune to the impact of the global pandemic. The ordinarily
large team of experts NASA would have sent to Canberra for the makeover
was limited to four for safety reasons — and the reduced size of the team delayed the upgrade's progress. With DSS 43 being the only antenna capable
of communicating with Voyager 2, the probe had few options for
communicating: It could only transmit to the smaller dishes in Canberra
but was unable to receive any commands, especially those that could have
fixed problems if any had been detected on board.

After a test message was sent last October when DSS 43 was partially reassembled, NASA and other experts were optimistic.

Now with DSS 43 back in business, the long silence is over but two-way
contact still requires something of a wait: Round-trip communication
between Earth and the far-away Voyager 2 takes 35 hours.

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

(NYTIMES)

**

SILENT KEY: LIGHTHOUSE ACTIVATOR HANDEL 'ANDY' BLUER G3UUZ

PAUL/ANCHOR: A ham known for years of powerful operations at lighthouses throughout the UK has become a Silent Key. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us
about him.

JEREMY: Handel Bluer, G3UUZ, who was also known as Andy, is perhaps best recalled by hams throughout in the UK for the remarkable longwire antennas
he would string from atop whatever lighthouse he happened to be
activating. That included those times he operated from Bishop Rock between 1976 and 1980 where he worked pileup after pileup, according to his son Redders M5ACT. Redders told Newsline he remembered his father saying that
he was able to work stations in America from there long before anyone else
in the UK was able to do so.

Andy became a Silent Key this month at the age of 92. He had achieved recognition in The Short Wave Magazine in July of 1971 for his noted
abilities in Top Band operation from such lighthouses as Nash Point in
South Wales. Andy's fondness for lighthouse operations earned him a
profile in the March 2000 issue of Practical Wireless magazine where the authors of the article said they were pleased to be shared his insights
into [quote] "finding a happy medium between being a lighthouse keeper and
a radio amateur." [endquote]

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

(REDDERS BLUER M5ACT, THE SHORT WAVE MAGAZINE, PRACTICAL WIRELESS)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K7ECI repeater
of the Elmore County Amateur Radio Club in Mountain Home, Idaho on
Wednesdays at 8 p.m. local time.
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COLORADO STUDENTS MAKE CONTACT WITH ISS

DON/ANCHOR: It was worth waiting for: A contact at last between the ISS
and students in Denver, Colorado. Amanda Alden, K1DDN, has those details.

AMANDA: After dealing with strict COVID safety guidelines and numerous schedule changes, STEM students from John F. Kennedy High School in
Denver, Colorado, finally got the green light for their QSO with Commander Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday, February 24th. The successful telebridge contact was arranged using a
relay station in Portland, Oregon with David Payne NA7V as the controller.
The last ARISS attempt with a school failed to take place because of
technical difficulties.

During the 11-minute pass, students were able to ask 20 questions, ranging from the way COVID-19 has impacted space travel to whether any data-
collection done in space has helped in an emergency situation on Earth. In late 2019 the JFK school partnered with members of Rocky Mountain Ham
Radio and the Cherry Creek Young Amateur Radio Club who mentored the
students on the use of amateur radio communications to prepare them for
their ARISS contact.

To hear the contact, visit YouTube at the link printed in this week's
newscast script at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgszX0npbQ]

**

INDIA HOSTS NET IN THE LANGUAGE OF FRIENDSHIP

DON/ANCHOR: Friendship has many languages in amateur radio. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us about one recent net that celebrated all of them.

JIM: Amateur radio operators in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and elsewhere checked into a special 90-minute friendship net held on the 21st of
February, marking the UN's declaration of International Mother Language
Day. The more than 100 check-ins came throughout Asia as well as Mexico, Ukraine and the United States via EchoLink while those in the Kolkata,
India region connected through the local VHF repeater. The net had been organised by the Amateur Radio Society of Bangladesh and the West Bengal
Radio Club as a celebration of cultural and linguistic diversity. The
United Nations created International Mother Language Day in 2000 in the
hopes of fostering multilingualism and a general appreciation for other languages.

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

**

MULTI-LINGUAL HAM HANDBOOK GOES ONLINE

DON/ANCHOR: Speaking of languages, which one do YOU speak? An online
project by a YL in Russia has helped hams make their QSOs a little more multi-lingual. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us more.

ED: Radio communication needs language as much as it needs good equipment
in the shack and now many of the languages of amateur radio are more accessible than ever. A guidebook written 40 years ago by two brothers in Finland - Jukka (YOOKA) OH2BAD and Miika (MEEKA) OH2BR – has been
converted into an online interactive guidebook, with the brothers'
permission. Raisa R1BIG, a popular YL in Russia well-known for videos of
her amateur radio journey, told Newsline she and a friend who is an IT specialist created the online guide over the course of the past few weeks.
She said she was inspired by the brothers' original handbook, "The Radio Amateur's Conversation Guide," which Jukka (YOOKA) had shared with her two years ago.

With one mouse-click you can now read and hear almost 200 ham radio
phrases. Eight languages are available on the site, and more are in the
works, including the next one - Polish, being recorded by Darek, SP3TLJ.
Raisa herself recorded the Russian-language entries and Pete, M0PSX, is working on a new version of the English language sound files.

Although English is still the predominant language heard on the bands,
imagine being able to call "CQ 20 metres" or ask "When did you first get
your licence?" in Japanese or German. A link to the online guide can be
seen in the printed version of this week's newscast script at
arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Ed Durrant, DD5LP (please repeat this
in German, Ed!)

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: https://raisa.blog/how-to/the-radio-amateur-s-conversation-guide]

(RAISA, R1BIG)
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THOUSANDS OF QSOS MADE TO HONOR DISCOVERY OF PLUTO

DON/ANCHOR: Imagine getting a QSL card from Pluto. Thousands did. Well,
OK, it was really the next best thing: a special event station
celebrating Pluto. Here's Randy Sly, W4XJ, with the details.

RANDY: Amateur radio operators from around this world recently celebrated
the discovery of another world: Pluto, which was first seen in 1930 by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. Special event station W7P - with "P" for Pluto
- was activated last month by the Northern Arizona DX Association for the Pluto Anniversary Countdown Special Event. There will be an event
counting down each of the next 10 years, ending with the centennial year
2030.

This was a particularly special event for Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, nephew of
the astronomer who made the discovery. Doug marked the occasion by
operating along with three other amateurs as W7P/0, logging 1,191
contacts. He said he especially enjoyed talking with other amateurs who
knew his uncle or were involved in other activities related to Pluto.

Countdown coordinator Bob Wertz, NF7E, said in all 15 amateurs logged
more than 7,000 contacts from their home QTHs as well as from a
communications trailer on the grounds of Lowell Observatory, where Clyde
first made his discovery.

The countdown begins again next year on February 12th – the last Saturday before the February 18th anniversary itself.

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

**

SOLAR PANEL PROMISES MORE STREAMED ENERGY TO EARTH

DON/ANCHOR: Now here's a story that should energize you: A ham radio
operator has helped develop a way to bring more of the sun's power home
to Earth. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, sheds light on this.

KENT: Amateur radio ingenuity has helped lead to the development of a prototype solar panel designed to transmit electricity to Earth from
outer space.

Launched in May of 2020 aboard a Pentagon drone, the device is known as
the Photovoltaic Direct Current to Radio Frequency Antenna Module, or
PRAM for short. Project co-developer Paul Jaffee, KJ4IKI, said in a
recent CNN report that the PRAM underwent a successful test recently by
the United States Department of Defense at the U.S. Naval Research
Laboratory.

He said the PRAM produces about 10 watts of energy for transmission but
could be scaled up, bringing the promise of transmitting energy to the
power grids back on Earth. The panel uses the blue waves of light in
space which become diffused when entering the Earth's atmosphere. It
captures these waves, which are more powerful than sunlight on Earth, and retains that energy.

No, the PRAM hasn't yet sent any of that power back home, but scientists
say the tests have shown it works. The concept is to beam microwaves to
Earth for conversion into electricity wherever it is needed. Paul told
CNN that the next move would be to expand its ability to collect even
more sunlight to prepare it for that microwave transportation back to
Earth.

Team co-leader Chris DePuma told CNN the technology would be especially
useful in regions where natural disasters have taken down the power grid.

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

(CNN)

**

AMATEUR MAKES PLANS FOR 'FLYING HAMS' PODCAST

DON/ANCHOR: If you're one of those amateur radio operators who likes to
get on air FROM the air, as a pilot, this next story from Andy Morrison, K9AWM, might have you in mind.

ANDY: Dan Hileman, WO5WO, is a ham with a high-flying idea. A former
airline pilot-turned-middle school teacher has another project on the
runway. He's planning to start a podcast this summer devoted to hams who enjoying being IN the air....as much as they like to be ON the air. He'd
like to bring hams on board for ragchews about fly-ins, DX-peditions, FAA flight safety tips, and projects that combine being a pilot and an
amateur radio operator. He's especially interested in stories of famous – and not-so-famous – hams in the sky. He told Newsline in an email that
the podcast is [quote] "just a fun way to connect already connected
hobbies" [endquote] and he can't guarantee there won't be more than a few corny jokes along the way. He said he hopes the half-hour, bi-weekly
podcast will inspire youngsters to think about flying and radio as two
related hobbies.

He's working with a ham radio friend who's a former Air Force pilot and together they're hoping to, well, get things off the ground. Dan welcomes
any and all ideas. You can reach him via email at flyinghams78@gmail.com
Who knows what ideas might just take wing?

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

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WA2EHL repeater
in Burlington, New Jersey, on Fridays at 7 p.m. local time.
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VIDEO TRAINING GIVES BASIC SKILLS TO UK HAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: School is in session in the UK for hams who believe
that in radio, the learning never stops, even if your classroom is a
remote one.

Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us about the lessons they're taking.

JEREMY: University students and young schoolchildren aren't the only
ones learning new skills remotely. Hams at all levels of licence in
the UK are being introduced to common amateur radio construction
basics through a new video series from the Radio Society of Great
Britain. The videos are part of the society's "Get on the Air to
Care" campaign to highlight amateur radio's abilities to reduce
social isolation. They are also being released in conjunction with
British Science Week which spotlights the importance of science,
technology, engineering and math skill. This year's annual event
began on the 5th March and runs on to the 14th. The videos, which
grow increasingly ambitious as the series goes forward, demonstrate
ways to tune a dipole using a NanoVNA, how to build a simple balun,
as well as a more ambitious project: creating an audio interface
between the transceiver and computer to permit operation in the
popular data modes.

To see the videos, visit the RSGB's channel on YouTube or its website.

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

(RSGB)

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Society has also announced a record number of
hams passing their Foundation license exam taken remotely during
the past year. In a message on shared on Twitter, the RSGB said
3,000 people have passed the exam since April of last year. The
society compared that with the previous average of only 1,350
people a year.

**

YLS BEING CHALLENGED TO SHARE RADIO STORIES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you're a YL with a radio story to tell, listen
carefully to this next report from Sel Embee, KB3 T Zed D.

SEL: Grassroots Emergency Communications Operations and Greg Lee,
KI6GIG, are challenging the world's YLs - and the world's would-be
YLs. Greg has announced an activity called "Choose to Challenge,"
on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8th. Women
who are amateur radio operators, or interested in becoming hams,
are being asked to tell their stories.

It's that simple: why they became hams, the challenges they faced,
and, of course, their successes. They're being asked to share advice
for other women and young girls - and even for men - and to offer
ideas that will encourage others to study and become licensed.

Although responses in languages other than English are welcome,
Greg said those submissions will be run through Google translate.
The organization plans to run responses in its newsletter, "Sticky
Notes." Greg said all responses should be sent via email to gecoradio@gmail.com, that's spelled g e c o radio at gmail dot com.

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

(GREG LEE KI6GIG)

**

SPECIAL NET IN INDIA MARKS INT'L WOMEN'S DAY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Another event celebrating women worldwide was a net
based in India. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has more.

JIM M: In India, four YLs helped the West Bengal Radio Club mark
International Women's Day by serving as net control operators during
the March 8th VHF-Echolink net on the VU2WB repeater. The 90-minute
net had 112 check-ins who will each receive a special eQSL card
marking the occasion. The net control operators were Rinku, VU2JFB,
Saborni, VU2JFC, Sangita, VU3ZIH, and Amrita, VU3ZHH. Saborni is the
daughter of club secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, who said this
was the first year the club was hosting the special net.

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

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard of bulletin stations around the world, including the
Kanawha (kuh-NAW-uh) Amateur Radio Club Two Meter repeater W8GK in
West Virginia during the club's Sunday net at 8:30 PM Eastern time.
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GERMAN 'HEALING' DEVICE BANNED OVER RFI

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Germany, a device marketed for its alleged healing powers
has been banned for interfering with amateur radio communications. Ed
Durrant, DD5LP, picks up the story from here.

ED: Marketers selling an electronic device in Germany claimed that for the steep price of 8 thousand Euro – the equivalent of more than $9,000 US dollars – it could awaken the healing powers of the human body by revitalising its water content.

Apparently, what it really awakened was amateur radio interference. A
recent news report by the Associated Press said that the device being sold
by the Swiss company Wassermatrix AG uses frequencies allocated for amateur radio operators. According to the DARC website, RFI has been reported by
hams using the low end of 2 meters in the weak signal / EME segment.

A posting on the QRZ.com forum cited claims made by the device's developers that operation was based on principles used by Nikola Tesla and Georges Lakhovsky, claiming that it was especially effective because the human body
is comprised of a high percentage of water.

The RFI complaints are what set the regulator's actions in motion. The device's sale and use are now banned in Germany. Use of already purchased units would be a prosecutable offence.

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

(ASSOCIATED PRESS, QRZ.COM)

**

MAJOR HAM EVENTS MAKE ON-SITE PLANS CAUTIOUSLY

NEIL/ANCHOR: Plans are moving forward cautiously for major on-site amateur radio events in Germany, and in the UK. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, fills us in.

ED: Even as the organisers of Ham Radio Friedrichshafen proceed with plans
for a COVID-compliant in person conference in June, they are also advising caution that plans may need to be modified to be a hybrid event with an
online component. In a statement, organisers said they were taking into account the slow vaccination rate in Germany and how quarantine
restrictions or test requirements could impact the number of foreign
attendees. The 45th event is scheduled for June 25th through 27th.

Meanwhile, organisers of the UK's National Hamfest also remain somewhat optimistic about their event to be held in September. The directors said on the event website: "We are closely monitoring the ever changing health landscape, government guidance and roadmap steps coming out of lockdown,
and are optimistic that we can arrive at a decision in June for this
year's event."

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

(SOUTHGATE)

**

RSGB ELECTIONS BEGIN

NEIL/ANCHOR: For members of the Radio Society of Great Britain, it's
decision time again, as we hear from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Voting has begun for the Radio Society of Great Britain's elections and will continue until 9 a.m. local time on Thursday the 22nd of April. Election details are available in the April issue of RadCom which is
currently being sent to RSGB members. The Society is also preparing for its annual General Meeting which will be held online and will be available on livestream on Saturday the 24th of April. If members have questions for any
of the directors they will be able to submit them in advance using the form available on the society's website at rsgb.org.

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

(RSGB)

**

PLANS FOR 2 x 1 CONTEST CALL SIGNS IN AUSTRALIA

NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, hams in Australia will be pleased to learn that the Australian Maritime College has indicated system changes are in the works
to enable them to issue 2x1 contest call signs. The changes, however, are expected to take several months.

(AUSTRALIAN MARITIME COLLEGE)
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FIRST-TIMERS SET SIGHTS ON ISLAND DXPEDITION

JIM/ANCHOR: There's a first for everything, and one group of ham radio operators has decided it's time for them all to jump into the water (at
least figuratively) for their first DXpedition. Jack Parker, W8ISH, has
the details.

JACK: This is going to be a summer of firsts for the amateur radio team descending on C6A IOTA NA-048 FL05, also known as Bimini Island in the Bahamas. According to DJ, N4RRR, one of the organizers, it will be a first DXpedition for everyone on the team, which includes some disabled military veterans. DJ said that because the Caribbean Island is also a prime tourist destination, some of the hams will be bringing their wives for vacation activities. The hams have applied to use the call sign C6AHA. He said some
of their antennas will be positioned to enable Europe, the Pacific Islands
and Australia to get C6A in their logs.

DJ told Newsline: "We plan to light up C6A for everyone to get it in their
log books" adding that "we hope people will be nice and forgiving with us
and let us make the most of this trip, being first-timers receiving pile-
ups."

The trip is scheduled for July 14th through the 21st.

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

(DJ FINCH N4RRR)

**

EMERGENCY BATTERIES HELP HAMS IN CARIBBEAN 'RED ZONE'

JIM/ANCHOR: In the Caribbean, amateur radio stations in a hazardous region near a volcano got a gift to help their vital operations. John Williams, VK4JJW, gives us the full story.

JOHN: A gift of emergency batteries provided to amateur radio operators in
the highest hazard zone of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has put those stations back on the air. The 12-volt batteries, provided through the country's General Services office, have enabled hams to get on the air in
the nation's northernmost settlement of Fancy, and in Rose Hall, the settlement with the highest altitude. The amateur stations are both in the
Red Zone, a highly hazardous region because of its proximity to a volcano.

Officials regularly monitor activity at the La Soufriere (soo-free-AIR)
volcano in the north, where an activity known as effusive eruption has been noted in recent weeks.

The hams received the batteries at the request of the Rainbow Radio League/Youlou Radio Movement amateur radio club. Its director Donald De
Riggs J88CD made the request on behalf of Elna Michael, J88NEK, of Fancy,
and Percy Lampkin, J88NEB, of Rose Hall.

According to a news report on the Searchlight VC website, the station in
Fancy now maintains contact with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Management Agency and the station in Rose Hall has been checking into
local and regional nets.

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

(SEARCHLIGHT VC, CDEMA)

**

NOVICE RIG ROUNDUP CELEBRATES 'YESTERYEAR'

JIM/ANCHOR: Hams who like getting on the air the old-fashioned way got that chance recently in a special operating event, as we hear from Randy Sly,
W4XJ.

RANDY: If you were beginning in ham radio 50 or so years ago, your amateur radio experience would begin with a Novice Class license, good for only a year, and you would operate a crystal-controlled 75-watt CW transmitter. Often, these rigs were homebrew, drifted in frequency, with chirps and key clicks on the signal. By modern standards, this all sounds archaic, but
each year hams from around the country dust off their old radios, dig out their straight keys and return to the good ol’ days of yesteryear.

This year, there were more than 292 such hams and they logged 4,300
contacts the old-fashioned way, most of them adhering to Novice
restrictions. They were part of the annual Novice Rig Roundup, co-chaired
by Dan Sands, N7SU, and Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT. The event, held annually
during the third week of February, was established in 2015 by Bry Carling, AF4K, now a silent key. This year's event was a showcase for talking about
such now-obsolete radios as Heathkit DX-40’s, Drake, and Hallicrafters,
as well as homebrew rigs with exotic vacuum tubes like 807's and 6146's.

Novice Rig Roundup is more than just an annual event. For information and
to join in the fun, visit their webpage at novicerigroundup.org.

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

**

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN NEWSLINE'S SURVEY

JIM/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Newsline would like some help from listeners.
We want to know whether you would like to continue hearing the World of
DX each week or if we should switch to a contest calendar instead. Please visit our website where you'll find a survey asking you to tell us your preference. The survey can be found on the right-hand side of the page at arnewsline.org
--- SBBSecho 3.13-Win32
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ALABAMA TORNADOES HIT HOME FOR ONE AMATEUR

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Alabama, where tornadoes raged through part of the
landscape in late March, one radio amateur made an especially painful discovery about the importance of preparedness. Randy Sly, W4XJ, brings us that story.

RANDY: James Spann, WO4W, is no stranger to severe weather. As chief meteorologist for WBMA in Birmingham Alabama, he is a familiar TV face
during tornado activations, always reminding viewers that they need a
severe weather plan. If fact, when he and his wife built a new home a few years ago, they included a storm shelter

Last week, tornadoes and other severe weather pummeled the state, wrecking buildings and killing at least five people in one county. During his report
on a long track of violent storms, he suddenly said, "What I'm doing is texting my wife to be sure she's in the shelter.." -- He moved off camera
with a co-worker taking over.

Rejoining less than 15 minutes later, he shared some bad news with viewers. His home was hit by a tornado.

"The reason I had to step out," he explained, "We had major damage at my house. I had to be sure. My wife is okay, but the tornado came right
through there and it's not good. It's bad. It's bad."

However, their preparedness made the difference. "My wife got the warning,"
he said, "she had a plan, she was in the shelter and she's fine."

Then, Spann was back to work making sure others would be informed and safe too.

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

**

RECORDINGS AVAILABLE ONLINE FROM HAMSCI EVENT

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you missed the HamSCI virtual event which was livestreamed
on March 19th and 20th, you can attend via YouTube where videorecordings of the workshops are now available. This is the second year HamSCI went
virtual in response to the global pandemic. The free program, supported by
the National Science Foundation and the University of Scranton, featured presenters on such topics as personal space weather stations, mid-latitude sporadic-E, weak signal VHF propagation and related topics.

A link to the recorded programming for Days 1 and 2 can be found in the printed version of this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org

FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ:

FOR DAY 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfhAxuViTYQ

FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ:

For DAY 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CrvuS0h9XA

**

WORLDWIDE BALLOON LAUNCHES MARK EQUINOX

NEIL/ANCHOR: Spring in the Northern Hemisphere isn't just about flowers
waking up and starting to bloom. It's also about..... balloons! Mike
Askins, KE5CXP, explains.

MIKE: When the medium altitude balloon launched by science teacher Jill Gravante took to the sky on March 20th from an upstate New York junior high school, the event was part of a wide-ranging celebration dispatching 14
such balloons, linking students and teachers involved in STEM activities worldwide. In what was called the Equinox Balloon Launch, each balloon
carried a lightweight Skytracker APRS and WSPR payload, all solar-powered. They were launched from various spots in the US, Argentina and Australia on paths that, one week later, had them sailing over Siberia, China and South Africa. After the launch at Winburn Middle School in Kentucky, science
teacher Jenny McCall, and Ron Malinowski, WX4GPS, later tracked the balloon named "Bessie" over southern Siberia, heading into Mongolia. Although it's
not spring in his part of the world, the launch even attracted involvement
by Melbourne teacher Greg Hellard.

Bill Brown, WB8ELK, the designer of the Skytracker technology, said the launches were coordinated by Washington State high school teacher Trevor MacDuff, KS1LAS, with help from Los Angeles science educator Joanne
Michael, KM6BWB. The enthusiasm, however, needed no coordination at all.
In fact, Joanne posted on Facebook that befitting a project that involved students, it was a "textbook launch."

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

(BILL BROWN WB8ELK)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including WA5AIR, the Texas
Link System which carries Newsline on seven repeaters on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
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SILENT KEY: HEXBEAM INNOVATOR WALDI SP7IDX

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hexbeam users and DXers alike are marking the loss of a
popular and prominent figure. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us about Waldi, SP7IDX.

JEREMY: An amateur radio operator considered one of the world's foremost makers of hexbeam antennas has become a Silent Key.

The death of Waldi was reported on the DX-World.Net website. Reportedly recovering from COVID-19, he suffered a fatal heart attack on 4th April.

His QTH in southeast Poland was also the company headquarters for his successful hexbeam antenna, used widely by Dx-peditioners around the world.
He was a well-known Dxpeditioner, most particularly in the Islands on the
Air awards scheme.

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

(DX-WORLD.NET)

**

JS8CALL DEVELOPER WINS SPECIAL RECOGNITION

PAUL/ANCHOR: The developer of a popular new software that enhances weak-
signal communication has received special recognition. Sel Embee, KB3TZD, tells us about him.

SEL: The creator of the weak-signal digital communication conversational application known as JS8Call is this year's recipient of the Amateur Radio Software Award. The award, founded by Claus AE0S, is an international honor recognizing the spirit of innovation given freely to the amateur radio community. Congratulations to Jordan Sherer, KN4CRD, of Atlanta, Georgia,
who created the application as an extension of the FT8 protocol. According
to the awards website, the application was five years in the works and has added new vitality to digital communications, most particularly among
members of ARES. It is available to users as a free download. On his
QRZ.com page, Jordan describes the application as "a derivative of QSJT-X
that focuses on long-form keyboard-to-keyboard style communication similar
to what you'd see in Fldigi or FSQ."

Jordan will receive his award certificate and a grant of $300.

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

(RICH GORDON K0EB)

**

RSGB ANNOUNCES 'FRIENDSHIP ON THE AIR' AWARD

PAUL/ANCHOR: Most of us know that for a good ham radio experience you need good components. One of the most important components, however, is an intangible one: friendship. The Radio Society of Great Britain hopes to
change that by making that friendship tangible and rewarding it. Here's
Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, to explain.

JEREMY: Making contact is at the heart of the latest award being offered by the Radio Society of Great Britain. The Friendship on the Air award has
been launched to celebrate contacts that turn into friendships amongst
hams. It's a noncompetitive award that encourages amateurs to dispense with the quick QSO and really connect with other radio operators. It's an
outgrowth of the "Get on the Air to Care" campaign launched last year by
the RSGB and the National Health Service to reduce social isolation during
the global pandemic. The RSGB said that the award ties in with the theme of World Amateur Radio Day on Sunday the 18th of April: "Home but Never
Alone."

For details on how to qualify for the award, visit the link provided in
this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

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

[FOR PRINT ONLY: www.rsgb.org/friendship-award]

(RSGB)

**

NOMINATE A YOUNG HAM FOR NEWSLINE'S AWARD

PAUL/ANCHOR: There's one more award worth mentioning here: The Bill
Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year
award. Just a reminder that the nomination period is open. Think of a young amateur whose commitment to community and whose enthusiasm for radio has inspired you and others and submit their name. Nominees must 18 or younger living in the United States, its possessions or any Canadian province. Downloadable nomination forms can be found on our website arnewsline.org

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including D-STAR Reflector 91
C in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Australian Eastern
Time.
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HISTORIC SITES BEING ACTIVATED FOR MARCONI DAY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateur radio stations in the UK, Europe, the US,
Canada and elsewhere will be celebrating the anniversary of the
birth of Guglielmo Marconi and their connection to the wireless
pioneer as International Marconi Day stations get on the air on
Saturday April 24th. The annual event is sponsored by the Cornish
Radio Amateur Club, operating as GB4IMD. Stations from around the
world may contact operators who are on the air at historic Marconi
sites using special call signs to mark the day. In New York, a
consortium of amateur radio stations on Long Island will be on the
air at such sites as the original Marconi wireless telegraph station
in the Village of Babylon, where they will operate as K2S. Station
K2M will be at the Marconi Tower in Binghamton New York. In the UK,
GB4LD will operate at the site of the old Marconi Hut in Cornwall
and VP8VPC will be operating from the Falkland Islands. Awards are
available for shortwave listeners as well as amateur radio
operators. For details about awards and a list of the registered
Marconi Day stations, visit the website of the Cornish Radio Amateur
Club at gx4crc.com

(CORNISH AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, WALT GROSSER W2TE)

**

WRTC PLEDGES TO GO FORWARD WITH BOLOGNA EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The organizers of a prestigious worldwide amateur
radio competition are proceeding with a means to hold it safely next
year in Italy. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, picks up the story from here.

ED: Recognising that challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic may still
remain next year when the World Radiosport Team Championship takes
place in Bologna, Italy, organisers have pledged to go forward with
plans for the competition. The committee announced on its website
that the qualifying events and schedule remain the same as printed
in the qualification rules but that different options are being
looked at as the impact of the pandemic remains uncertain. The
committee also acknowledged that travel and other factors have been
affected differently around the world and this is, of course, a
consideration in such a global contest. Board president Carlo De
Mari, IK1HJS, wrote on the website: [quote] Please continue with your
plans as best you can for now. We will make announcements here on
the WRTC 2022 reflector as soon as they can be made public."
[endquote]

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

(WRTC WEBSITE)

**

YOUTH CAMP FOR HAMS MOVES AHEAD CAUTIOUSLY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Another long-awaited amateur activity - this one for youngsters in IARU Region 2 - is moving ahead with an eye on the
pandemic as well. Here's Jack Parker, W8ISH.

JACK: The first Youth on the Air camp for young amateurs in North,
Central and South America is moving ahead with its plans to open in
July. Camp organizers said in a press release that the camp, which
was postponed by the pandemic in 2020, will comply with state and
federal COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. A maximum of 30
youngsters will be able to attend the camp from July 11th through
July 16th at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in
West Chester Township, Ohio. Camp staffers are either fully
vaccinated or in the process of completing the vaccine series by the
end of April. Campers themselves may be asked to take a COVID-19
test or self-quarantine before arriving, depending on guidelines
being recommended in July.

Twenty-eight campers have already registered. The application period
ends June 1st and there is no fee to apply. The cost of the camp is
$100 plus transportation and scholarships are available for campers
who cannot afford the camp's cost.

For more details, download the camp brochure available online at YouthOnTheAir.org. Or, you can also contact Camp Director Neil Rapp,
WB9VPG, at director@youthontheair.org.

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

**

SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Don't forget that the Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial
Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year award is looking to
honor a deserving young ham. Think of a young amateur whose
commitment to community and whose enthusiasm for radio has inspired
you and others and submit their name. Nominees must 18 or younger
living in the United States, its possessions or any Canadian
province. Downloadable nomination forms are due no later than May
31st and can be found on our website arnewsline.org

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
NM5EM repeater in Grants, New Mexico, on Thursdays at 8 p.m. local
time.
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CALIFORNIA AMATEUR HAILED AS 'GPS SLEUTH'

JIM/ANCHOR: A California amateur has used his skills to help in the
rescue of a missing hiker as we hear from Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

MIKE: The Los Angeles Times is calling Ben Kuo, AI6YR, (Ay EYE Six Y R) a "tech-savvy good Samaritan" and a "GPS sleuth." Ben, whose ham radio activities have proven especially critical during California's wildfires, recently used his skills to assist in another emergency: Los Angeles
County officials were frantically searching for a hiker who'd gone
missing on a peak in California's Angeles National Forest on Monday,
April 12th. Ben's only clue was a photo the sheriff's office had posted
on its social media accounts: the hiker's photo of his legs atop a rocky cliff. Ben, who knows the area as a hiker and SOTA activator, realized he might be able to match the terrain in the hiker's photo by using publicly available satellite imagery. According to the Times story, when he
thought he found a close enough match, Ben sent authorities the GPS coordinates. The location was close enough: Using the coordinates, a
rescue team picked up the hiker the next day just as temperatures were
set to plummet to below-freezing levels. The hiker was in a remote,
almost inaccessible area about three-quarters of a mile away from the
spot Ben had pinpointed.

Ben told Newsline he's grateful he could call upon his experience as a
hiker and SOTA activator, both of which keep his map and navigation
skills sharp. In fact, he said, the hiker was found not far from SOTA
summit W6/CT-064, East Twin Peaks. According to news reports, the hiker
was airlifted to safety by a search-and-rescue team, and did not require hospitalization.

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

(BEN KUO AI6YR, ABC CHANNEL 7, LOS ANGELES TIMES, VENTURA COUNTY STAR)

**

OREGON UTILITY FUNDS PURCHASE OF SOLAR-POWERED RADIOS

JIM/ANCHOR: Solar-powered emergency radios are being made available to
some hams in coastal Oregon thanks to the local utility. Christian
Cudnik, K0STH, brings us those details.

CHRISTIAN: The sun is shining in more ways than one for the members of
the Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem (nuh-HAY-lum) Bay in Oregon. The local electric utility has given them a $5,000 grant to help them buy ham radio base stations that run on solar power. A "go-box" has already been designed to serve as a solar-powered station with a 25-watt radio,
antenna, battery, solar panel and other equipment, enabling emails to be transmitted over the air. The volunteer corps plans to set the stations
up around the northern part of Tillamook (tilla-MOOK) County as part of
their long-range plan to help bolster the coastal region's resilience following any major calamity. This is included in an overall
communications plan that incorporates General Mobile Radio Service as
well as amateur radio. According to an article in the Tillamook County
Pioneer website, the region has more than 100 amateur radio operators,
and 400 more residents using GMRS.

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

(THE TILLAMOOK COUNTY PIONEER)

**

NEW DISCOVERY FOUND IN FAST-RADIO BURSTS

JIM/ANCHOR: Is changing frequencies a good thing? Well hams do it all the
time and now a mysterious transmission in space known as an FRB, or
fast-radio burst, has been found to be engaging in that practice too.
Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has more on that story.

JEREMY: Researchers have made a discovery that they say changes the shape
of their search for the source of FRBs, fast-radio bursts detected in
space that appear to come from – well, no one quite knows. Scientists in McGill University's physics department have detected bursts down to 110
MHz, a good deal lower in frequency than the previously detected 300 MHz. Writing in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, the researchers write that
this new discovery has led them to think differently about where the
bursts are coming from. Using radiotelescopes in British Columbia and the Netherlands, the team detected the significantly lower frequencies and a consistent delay of about three days between detection of the higher and
the lower frequencies. They're still hot on the trail of the source of
the bursts but say that the ability to detect 110 MHz transmissions
brings them much closer to understanding things, especially one burst
that was first detected in 2018 and is relatively close to Earth.

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

(PHYS.ORG)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N2JDW repeater
in New York City, on Monday at 8 p.m. local time.
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PARKER PROBE EXPLORES SUN'S IMPACT ON VENUS' IONOSPHERE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Much farther out in space, a probe has unlocked some
mysteries that will surely pique the interests of watchers of solar
weather. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, gives us the details.

PAUL: As it moves through its solar cycle, the activity of the sun
causes changes in the ionosphere of the planet - but the planet we're
talking about here is Venus. The Parker Solar Probe, in a flyby of the
planet last summer, picked up a naturally occurring low-power radio
signal and determined that the Venusian ionosphere is thinner during
solar minimum than during solar maximum. Last summer's flyby happened
six months after solar minimum. The probe found changes that had
occurred in Venus' upper atmosphere since data collection nearly three
decades ago by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter in 1992 during a high
activity period.

Although the Parker probe's primary mission is to study the sun, it
does interact with Venus because it uses gravity assist from the
planet to bend th orbit of the probe and bring it closer to the sun.

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

(CNN)

**

NEW ZEALAND AMATEURS APPROVED FOR 60M OPERATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There's good news in New Zealand for hams who have
been hoping to make contacts on the 5 MHz band. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF,
has that report.

JIM: Amateurs in New Zealand have won the right to use 60 meters on a secondary basis operating as sub-licencees of the New Zealand
Association of Radio Transmitters. NZART's president Mark Gooding,
ZL2UFI, announced the decision, which followed successful talks with
the regulator, RSM. This approval is being treated as the precusor to
adding the 5 MHz band to the General User Radio Licence at the end of
12 months. This would eliminate the need for any further sub-licences
for use of the band. In the interim, RSM will assess interference
issues before moving forward.

Hams who hold the old sub-licence are being advised that it will not
be grandfathered in under the new agreement and they must complete the
new application and send it to NZART headquarters. All hams are being
asked to review a list of frequently asked questions which can be
found on the NZART website, nzart dot org dot nz (nzart.org.nz)

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

(NZART)

**

RSGB ADDS RESOURCES FOR RADIATION MEASUREMENTS, OPERATOR EXAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The website of the Radio Society of Great Britain has
added new material to guide hams in two areas of their biggest concerns:
safety and licensing. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has been following that
development.

JEREMY: New resources are available on the website of the Radio
Society of Great Britain to help amateurs with upcoming examinations
and to assist as well with the new requirement to measure their
stations' electromagnetic radiation.

Two new videos assist with measuring a station's electromagnetic
radiation as is now required by Ofcom for public safety and which
explain the reasons behind the new rules. Stations with power of more
than 10 watts must perform these measurements and calculations as part
of their licence requirement. Both videos feature EMC Chairman John
Rogers, M0JAV, who explains the procedure in one video - and in the
other, demonstrates how to use the downloadable calculator.

Meanwhile, the Society's Examinations and Syllabus Review Group has
updated its collection to include two new mock exams for the Full
licence, adding PDFs that show the questions' answers and explanations
for each. The Society notes that these are not the same questions that
would appear in a Full licence exam and are provided merely as a study
aid. Mock exams for Foundation and Intermediate level licences will be
added later.

Links to both videos as well as the mock exams can be found in the
print version of this script on our website arnewsline.org

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

PRINT ONLY: To see both videos go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lL_gdUU3Wo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9NYlQwbCZQ

PRINT ONLY: For exams, www.rsgb.org/mock-exams

(RSGB)
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BATTERY DEVELOPED IN AUSTRALIA PROMISES IMPROVED ENERGY

DON/ANCHOR: If you're a portable operator always on the lookout for
changing battery technology, this new development from Australia might
make you stop and think. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us about it.

GRAHAM: A manufacturer in Brisbane, Australia is claiming to have
created an aluminum-ion battery with a charging speed as much as 60
times faster than that of top-quality lithium-ion cells. The company,
Graphene Manufacturing Group, also says the newly developed aluminum-ion
coin cell is capable of holding three times the energy of other
aluminum-based cells. The batteries are said to last three times longer
than the lithium-ion variety.

This development relies on nanotechnology developed at the University of Queensland, according to a recent article in Forbes magazine. The
battery was created by inserting aluminum atoms into perforations made
in graphene planes.

The company claims that because the batteries lack an upper Ampere limit
that would otherwise cause spontaneous overheating, the batteries are
also safer. The stable base materials also facilitate their recycling
later.

The company hopes to bring these cells to market by the end of 2021 or
early 2022.

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

(FORBES)

**

BRIDGING THE GAP: HAM CAM INTERNATIONAL

DON/ANCHOR: With eyeball QSOs becoming less likely during the past
pandemic year, hams have relied on different ways to get together when
they're not on the air. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, tells us about an
international group that employs a unique hybrid of voice and video that
taps into the internet.

DAVE: The friendships that amateur radio operators form over the air
have taken on a new dimension for the 240 or so hams in 45 nations who
belong to Ham Cam International. These licensed amateurs contact each
other using streaming video over internet protocol, or SVOIP, using a streaming video system known as Jitsi.

Murray Green, K3BEQ, one of the core members, told Newsline: [quote]
"These dedicated amateurs have the best of two worlds. They not only communicate with each other by voice but have the added benefit of video
and that makes a big difference in bonding with each other." [endquote]
By adding video, the hams can visit one another's shacks, tour parts of
one another's countries and have more personalized discussions about
their other ham activities such as DXing, contesting, digital
communications and satellites.

He said that this has given an especially big advantage to hams who live
in neighborhoods with antenna restrictions, or have financial issues that preclude them from setting up a home station capable of DX. It's a
cultural exchange featuring amateurs from the US, Africa, Isle of Man,
Kuwait, Australia, Europe, Israel, and elsewhere having round table discussions on a daily basis. Membership is free to licensed amateurs. Additional details can be found at hamcaminternational dot com (hamcaminternational.com)

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

**

ARISS SELECTS 9 US GROUPS FOR 2022 CONTACTS

DON/ANCHOR: A Michigan library; a Long Island, New York Boy Scout
district; and an Ohio high school are among the nine organizations
chosen by Amateur Radio on the International Space Station to begin the planning process for students to make contacts with crew members on the
ISS between January and June of next year. The successful applicants
are: Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio; Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell, Virginia; Lewis Center for Educational
Research in Apple Valley, California; Matinecock (Muh-TINNA-COCK)
District of the Suffolk County New York Boy Scouts in Medford, New York; McBride High School in Long Beach, California; Old St. Mary's School in Chicago; Salem-South Lyon District Library in South Lyon, Michigan;
Sussex County Charter School for Technology in Sparta, New Jersey and
the Space Hardware Club in Huntsville, Alabama.

Their selection means each group must now present an equipment plan to
ARISS' technical team describing how they will successfully host the
contact. ARISS will then select the final organizations for the contacts
and place them on the schedule.

(ARISS)

**

ISS RADIO OPERATING IN CROSS-BAND REPEATER MODE

DON/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the Interoperable Radio System aboard the
International Space Station is active in cross-band repeater mode
through mid-June, according to the ARISS website. The radio will be
turned off on the 2nd of June during the Russians' EVA. The cross-band repeater operates on an uplink of 145.990, with a 67 Hz tone, and a
downlink of 437.800 Mhz. In mid-June, the radio will change to the
Automatic Packet Reporting System mode. ARISS spokesman Dave Jordan
AA4KN told Newsline that since the interoperable radio system is
considered an experiment, modes in use are subject to change.

(ARISS)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

BLETCHLEY PARK REOPENING

JIM/ANCHOR: Enthusiasts of code, and of history, are grateful to learn
that Bletchley Park and the National Radio Centre are reopening in Great Britain. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us more.

JEREMY: Bletchley Park, which was the heart and soul of codebreaking
during World War II, has reopened its doors to visitors as pandemic restrictions become less stringent in Great Britain. At the same time,
the National Radio Centre of the Radio Society of Great Britain, which is located on the historic site, will resume its own array of activities.
The National Radio Centre reopens daily starting on Friday the 28th of
May and will offer demonstrations of amateur radio from the GB3RS
station. Visitors may observe operations, but for now will not be
permitted into the radio room.

The welcome being extended by Bletchley is being delivered cautiously, however, and is following COVID-19 safety guidelines. Visitors are being
asked to book their visits in advance by going online and selecting a predetermined time of entry. Beginning on the 7th of June, Bletchley Park
will also welcome educational groups who will again be able to make use
of on-site resources.

For details or to book a visit visit bletchleypark.org.uk

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

(BLETCHLEY PARK, RSGB)

**

SILENT KEY: FORMER MINNESOTA BUSINESSMAN RICHARD PHILSTROM W0TLE

JIM/ANCHOR: The former owner of a successful ham radio supply center in Minnesota has become a Silent Key. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, tells us about
him.

KENT: Richard Philstrom, W0TLE, a lifelong radio amateur in the
Minneapolis area, and creator of a business that served local amateurs in
the 1980s, has become a Silent Key. A veteran of the US Navy, Dick became
a licensed ham in 1965, receiving the callsign WN0NHL shortly before
entering the military service. When he left the Navy, he was hired at Electronic Center in Minneapolis, reporting to Ward Jensen who became his
ham radio mentor. At Electronic Center, Dick eventually became manager of
the business' ham radio department. By 1980, he had purchased the
department and opened it in North Minneapolis as Midwest Amateur Radio
Supply. Four years later, he left the business to begin work for various companies dealing in super computers and eventually left the industry to
work for a medical supply company.

Dick was a charter member of the Handi Hams organization, which serves amateurs with disabilities; a life member of the ARRL, and a member of
the Quarter Century Wireless Association.

Dick died May 8th at the age of 76. His callsign had formerly belonged to
his mentor Ward Jensen, W0TLE.

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

(QCWA, LEGACY.COM)

**

CQ MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES 2021 HALL OF FAMERS

JIM/ANCHOR: There are some familliar names being added to the CQ Amateur
Radio Hall of Fame this year, and Stephen Kinford, N8WB, tells us who
they are.

STEPHEN: Six amateur radio operators have been added to the CQ Amateur
Radio Hall of Fame, which honors individuals who have made prominent contributions to the community either as hams or through their
professional careers. This year's inductees, announced on Friday, May
21st, include Archibald Doty, W7ACD, a Silent Key. A cofounder of the
second oldest college radio station in the US, he was also heavily
involved in research into vertical antennas. Other inductees include
Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, founder of Ham Radio Science Citizen
Investigation and organizer of the 2017 Solar Eclipse QSO Party. Another honoree is concert pianist Lorin Hollander, WA1PGB, who augments work as
a performer with deep involvement in music and arts education. CQ is also honoring former ARRL counsel and general counsel Christopher Imlay, W3KD; noted propagation researcher Cathryn Mitchell, M-Zero-IBG; and Admiral
Charles Richard, W4HFZ, commander of USSTRATCOM, the United States
Strategic Command, one of eleven unified commands of the Department of Defense.

The Hall, created in 2001, now has a total of 339 members.

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

(CQ MAGAZINE)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world as well as anytime, on
demand, through the Hamshack Hotline system. Choose Extension 7008,
Option 1.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

SPECIAL EVENT STATION TO HIGHLIGHT CUBAN CRISIS

PAUL/ANCHOR: The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Cuba is gaining a
worldwide voice for the remainder of July through special event station
W4C. Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has that story.

DON: Radio operators from around the US have been on the air as W4C since
July 19th and will continue through to the end of the month, calling QRZ
and carrying word of the economic and medical challenges in Cuba. The
special event, SOS Cuba, has been organized by Florida ham Alexander Valladares (PRONOUNCED: BAYA DARE EHZ) W7HU, who was formerly a citizen
of Cuba. Alex's YouTube Channel, W7HU, Alex, will be livestreaming as he operates Whiskey Four Cuba. Hams have reported difficulty making contact
on the air with amateurs in Cuba, indicating widespread jamming. This
special event will carry a message of support for those struggling on the island.

Alex writes on the station's QR Zed page: [quote] "Instead of taking to
the streets we realized that our efforts will be more efficiently
utilized by getting on the air and making a special event out of it." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the FCC has reportedly begun an investigation
into the jamming of radio signals on a number of frequencies on the 40-
metre band, based on complaints from amateurs who say they have been
unable to communicate with radio operators in Cuba. Motherboard and other media outlets are reporting that FCC field agents are becoming involved,
as is the US State Department. The investigation is looking into a
possible connection between the jamming and the Cuban government in
Havana.

(ALEX VILLADARES W7HU, SOUTHGATE)

**

TOWER BATTLE ENDS IN FAVOR OF MASSACHUSETTS HAM

PAUL/ANCHOR: A long-running battle over an amateur radio tower has ended
with a positive outcome for one ham in the US. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY,
tells us why this Massachusetts ham is so happy.

KENT: The on-again, off-again amateur radio tower project outside the Massachusetts home of Mikhail Filippov, KD1MF, is on again. A judge in
the city of Framingham has ruled that local zoning officials were wrong
last year when they revoked the project's building permit. The zoning
board said at the time that the tower project did not comply with zoning requirements and could not go forward—but on July 14th, the judge said
that ham radio towers are among those structures exempt from those such requirements, provided the project has a building permit.

As Newsline reported more than a year and a half ago, Mikhail and his
wife, Galina, had received the city building permit for the 80-foot
structure despite neighbors' challenges that it would damage their
property values and become an eyesore. Mikhail had already poured the
tower's foundation but agreed to halt the project until zoning dispute
could be resolved.

That appears to have happened.

Writing on the web page of the ARRL's Eastern Massachusetts Section,
Mikhail's attorney Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, declared [quote]: "Mr.
Filippov is a very happy radio amateur."[endquote]

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

(EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION, ARRL; THE FRAMINGHAM SOURCE)

**

BATTLE OVER ANTENNA MAST CONTINUES FOR UK AMATEUR

PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pond, an amateur in
England is at odds with the local officials over a retractable antenna
mast, something he had installed six years ago.

JEREMY: The Wiltshire Council rejected the application of Tidworth
amateur Bob Coleman, G0WYD, calling his plans for the structure in his
back garden "unneighbourly" and incompatible with the area.

Bob told the Andover Advertiser newspaper [quote] "Due to various spinal surgeries, I am unable to play the sports I used to love. Radio
communication is one of the few hobbies I can do and it plays a large
part in keeping me mentally healthy, especially in the last year."
[endquote]

Neighbours had filed complaints about the mast as far back as 2019,
leading the council planning officials to inform Bob he needed
permission. According to the newspaper, he applied but the forms were reportedly not valid, and so he reapplied.

The newspaper story noted that neighbours understand his love of amateur radio, but report that the antenna reaches from his property into theirs,
and they worry about a storm knocking it over.

Bob has the option to appeal the decision.

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

(ANDOVER ADVERTISER, QRZ)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY WRAPPING UP W9IMS EVENT

JIM/ANCHOR: Hams are nearing the final lap of the big W9IMS event at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Here's Jack Parker, W8ISH, with more.

JACK: As summer comes to a close, members of the W9IMS special event
station are busy wrapping up another week of world-wide contacts during
the annual Brickyard race. As the official amateur radio club for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the W9IMS group has been logging hundreds
of contacts during the Indy Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race
and now the Brickyard race.

The official numbers will be tabulated in the coming days and then each contact will receive a special QSL card, designed for each event. Those stations that made the log for all three races will receive a
commemorative certificate as well.

This is the 18th year for the W9IMS special event station and despite
weak band conditions this spring, early reports indicated they logged
over 6-thousand contacts during the first two races. The W9IMS team is
hoping to double that amount in the final race of the season. They
should cross the finish line and take the checkered flag on a record
number of contacts for the racing season at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.

Reporting from Indianapolis, this is Jack Parker, W8ISH.

**

SILENT KEY: LIFELONG AMATEUR, JAZZ 'AMBASSADOR' BOB RINGWALD K6YBV

JIM/ANCHOR: The music world and the amateur radio world are both
grieving the loss of a friend. We turn to Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, for
that story.

RALPH: Robert Ringwald, K6YBV, was a lifelong amateur radio operator,
who also made his mark in the jazz world as a jazz ambassador and co-
organizer in 1974 of California's first Sacramento Jazz Festival where
his band was a headliner. A professional jazz pianist, he was also an enthusiastic radio amateur. First licensed in 1957, he soon became
adept in CW which he identifies on his QRZ page as his most frequent
mode. Bob became a Silent Key on August 3rd.

Blind almost since birth, Bob became known to many checking into the
Alaska Pacific Preparedness Net on 20 meter SSB, California Traffic
Net, 75 meter SSB, Northern California Net, Region Net 6 and the
Pacific Area Net on 80- and 40-meter CW. He was especially proud of his daughter, actress Molly Ringwald, and took great pains to keep things authentic when she portrayed an amateur radio operator in one episode
of the NBC sitcom, "The Facts of Life." Bob wrote: "Naturally the
writers had Molly's lines all wrong. I volunteered to write the ham
talk to be authentic and they gratefully accepted." Molly also used her father's callsign in the episode.

With his passing, Amateur Radio Newsline has also lost a friend. Bob
Ringwald was a frequent contributor of story ideas that listeners have
heard each week. He died at the age of 80.

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

(ASSOCIATED PRESS, QRZ, RINGWALD.COM)

***

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
K2BNL repeater in Upton, New York during the 8 p.m. Thursday night Tech
Net.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

US MONITORING PROGRAM SENDS HAMS ADVISORY NOTICES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the US, a program overseen by the FCC and the ARRL has
just put a number of amateurs on notice for questionable on-air behavior.
We hear more from Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN.

GERI: Hams around the US have been sent advisory notices from the
Volunteer Monitor Program operated jointly by the FCC and the ARRL. A
report released by program administrator Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH,
gives details of the notices sent to hams deemed in violation of FCC Part
97. The program's July report, released recently, gives the results of
more than 3,000 hours of observation combined on the HF, VHF and UHF frequencies. Although these were advisory notices, one notification --
sent to a ham in Parks Arizona -- was referred to the FCC for enforcement action. In that instance, the ham is being reported for failing to honor
a request to stay off a repeater.

Some of the other notices included the following: A General class
licensee in Acworth, Georgia, received a notice for failing to identify properly, and for repeatedly making contact with unlicensed stations on
3.895 MHz. A notice was sent to an Extra Class ham in Keansburg, New
Jersey, involving threats made on the air to another operator while on
3.844 MHz. Notices were also sent to some General class licensees for operating on 20 meters in the Extra Class portion of the band. Those hams
are in Marco Island and Arcadia, Florida, and in Maryland.

Technician-class licensees also received notices. Those hams were in
Spring Valley, Smith River, and Nipomo, California; Oneonta, New York;
Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Center, Texas. The notices indicate they were operating FT8 on frequencies not authorized to Technician licensees.

The Volunteer Monitor program began operation in 2020. It was established
to underscore the need for amateur compliance on the air. Trained
Volunteer Monitors also recognize hams who are observed engaging in commendable conduct.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN.

(FCC, ARRL)

**

HAMS HELPING RADIO STATION MARK CENTENNIAL

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: What could be better than radio honoring radio? When it's amateur radio honoring professional radio, it's a natural combination, as
we hear from Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

SKEETER: New England's oldest broadcast station is marking its 100th anniversary this year and two amateur radio clubs in Massachusets are
inviting everyone to the party on the amateur bands. The Billerica
Amateur Radio Society and the Hampden County Radio Association are having
a special operating event planned for September 17th through September
19th. The dates closely follow the first day Westinghouse put WBZ on the
air as an AM radio station: September 15th, 1921. It began life as a 100-
watt station in East Springfield, Massachusetts but by the time it moved
to Boston in 1931, it had a 15,000-watt transmitter. By 1933, that power
had gone up to 50,000 watts.

So be listening for the callsigns W1W, W1B, W1Z, and WB1Z. Hams will be calling QRZ on all bands using CW, SSB, the digital modes and, of course,
AM.

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

(ARRL NEW ENGLAND; BILLERICA AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY)

**

SCHOOLS MAKE CONTACT WITH MAURITIUS' CUBESAT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The first satellite launched by Mauritius has been busy
doing its part to further students' education. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, brings
us up to date.

GRAHAM: Although the first CubeSat launched by the nation of Mauritius
is still not available for amateur radio use, it has already accomplished
an important educational mission in STEM education: According to the
Mauritius Amateur Radio Society, students at three schools in Mauritius
have received and decoded signals from the satellite, known as MIR-SAT 1, which stands for Mauritius Imagery and Radiotelecommunication Satellite
1. AMSAT reported the news from the ham radio society, saying that other schools and educational institutions are preparing to follow suit.

According to AMSAT, the satellite is still in safe mode and being tested.
The radio society expects to announce when hams will be able to use it.
The satellite was deployed from the International Space Station on June
22nd. 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.

(AMSAT)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N8NC repeater
of the North Coast Amateur Radio Club in Brunswick, Ohio, on Sundays at 8
p.m. during the weekly information net.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

SPAIN PREPARES FOR TWIN SATELLITE LAUNCHES

PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in Spain, hams await the scheduled launch next
month of two AMSAT-EA Genesis satellites. John Williams, VK4JJW, brings
us up to date.

JOHN: The satellites are called GENESIS-L and GENESIS-N, and their
planned launch on September 2nd has been eagerly anticipated by Spain's national amateur radio society, the URE. The launch is to take place
at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base, where the two digital
repeating satellites will take to the sky along with a number of other satellites. The GENESIS satellites, built by students from the European University, wlil be using Amplitude Shift Keying, and CW.

Additional details, and a list of the satellites' working frequencies,
can be found on the URL website, which is listed in the script of this
week's newscast at arnewsline.org

https://www.ure.es/satelites-genesis-de-amsat-ea-2/

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

(URE, SOUTHGATE)

**

SWEEPING ANTENNA ARRAY DELIVERS GALAXIES IN HIGH-DEFINITION

PAUL/ANCHOR: Back here on earth, many of us know the benefits of high- definition, especially when it comes to video images. But now scientists
in the UK are making use of some benefits of high-definition imagery,
thanks to a huge antenna array in Europe. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has those details.

JEREMY: Scientists are crediting 70,000 one-metre-high antennas with
helping unveil new insights into how our solar system came into being,
by providing as-yet unattainable visual details. The array is letting scientists gather ultra-high-definition imagery to get a clearer picture
of various galaxies as they give birth to planets and suns. The radio
imagery they are using is the result of a linked international network
of telescopes known as LOFAR, for Low Frequency Array. Although most of
the antennas are in nine nations throughout Europe, the majority are in
The Netherlands.

According to Neal Jackson of the University of Manchester, the imagery
is permitting researchers to see more clearly what happens inside
galaxies when planets and suns are being created. He told the BBC,
"These high-resolution images allow us to zoom in, to see what's really
going on when supermassive black holes launch these jets of material."

The project leader, Leah Morabito, of Durham University in the UK, said scientists believe images such as these are giving greater insight into
the creation of our own solar system too. According to the BBC, for the
array to work, the team had to find a way to gather and digitise signals received by each antenna. The signals were then sent to a central
processor for combination with all the other images being gathered by
the rest of the array.

Leah Morabito told the BBC that the team plans to scan numerous galaxies
in the years ahead, adding, "I think we're definitely in for some
surprises."

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

(BBC)

**

SPECIAL NYC EVENT MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11

PAUL/ANCHOR: Many of the hams who will be on the air on September 11th
calling QRZ from New York City, were in a very different place 20 years
ago. Some of them hurried to the World Trade Center in Manhattan, as first-responders to the terror strikes that day. They were answering a
call then - and this year, they are the ones calling to mark the painful anniversary.

The first-responders and their friends and supporters are hams in the Northeast Wireless Radio Club, NW2C, and the Great South Bay Amateur
Radio Club, W2GSB. They will be on the air together from 10 a.m. to
8 p.m. Eastern Time, operating special event station W2T, using CW,
SSB, and the digital modes.

Hams may also contact them via satellite. In the words of their station, Whiskey Two Tango, "We Will Never Forget." Mark it on your calendar.

(MIKE SARTORETTI, KC2SYF)

**

IN NEW ZEALAND, BACKYARDS GO BACK ON THE AIR

PAUL/ANCHOR: What do SOTA activators do when the summits are off limits?
In New Zealand, the answer is right there in their backyards. We hear
more from Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Nothing - not even a solar flare or even a pandemic - could stop
the Backyards on the Air activation from going ahead recently in New
Zealand. The pandemic, in fact, was actually the inspiration for the
event on Sunday, August 22nd. It was born in the spring of 2020, as
lockdown enveloped the nation. A group of SOTA activators looked for
new options, because their beloved summits had been declared off
limits.

Organiser Mark Sullivan, ZL3AB, said this recent activation found
participants once again in their backyards, and after two hours of
calling QRZ, some boasted contacts with the US and VK, as well as
around New Zealand. Mark described his own activation as a bit less
successful, owing to a pole that collapsed, and someone's child
next-door playing with an incredibly loud toy lawn mower.

Mark did encourage and reward experimentation, however. In his
invitation to participants, he wrote: "It should go without saying
that double points will be awarded to anyone who operates using.....
a Delta loop."

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

(MARK SULLIVAN ZL3AB)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

AMATEUR RADIO TEAM EYES NASA'S GATEWAY PROJECT

JIM/ANCHOR: If you're old enough to remember when amateur radio first
went on the air on the International Space Station almost 21 years ago,
you can probably appreciate the slow and careful effort that's being made
now with respect to NASA's Gateway project, the multi-purpose station
being designed for eventual lunar orbit. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, tells us
about ham radio's interest in the project.

NEIL: The amateur radio exploration team (AREx), an international team of
ham radio organizations, is crossing its collective fingers that one day
ham radio will be welcome aboard the NASA's Gateway project in much the
same way ham radio eventually ended up on the ISS.

Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, a co-leader of the team, said AREx is "cautiously optimistic" that at some point one of the modules to be launched later
for the Gateway may provide some optimal conditions for a ham shack,
including access to reliable power from the sun and a good field of view
of the earth to enable radio contacts. Even with those conditions met, however, NASA would still have to commit to a ham radio presence on
board. Frank said: [quote] "We are being patient and working with NASA as
to what is the best approach...We are just staying engaged." [endquote]

The Gateway's first modules are already earmarked to launch together commercially. Those are the HALO, the astronauts' pressurized living
quarters, and the Power Propulsion Element. Frank said that modules to be launched after these first two may provide even richer fields of view of
the earth. Meanwhile, unlike the development of the ARISS program on
board the ISS two decades ago, he said, progress is expected to be intermittent.

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

(NASA, FUNK TELEGRAMM MAGAZINE, FRANK BAUER KA3HDO)

**

FATHER-DAUGHTER CYCLISTS CONCLUDE RADIO EXPEDITION

JIM/ANCHOR: After a successful bicycle tour and fundraiser, a bicycling father-daughter team is back home in England. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us
how their adventure went.

ED: The father-daughter cycling ham radio team of Kevin Richardson,
G0PEK, and Lauren Richardson, 2E0HLR, have come to their journey's end.
Their Megacycle Expedition finished as planned on August 25th in northern Scotland. Starting at Land's End, it was a 28-day trek of more than 1,700-kilometres and was a fundraiser for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. They also raised contacts along the way via amateur radio,
using their home call signs while on VHF and UHF during the day and using MX0KRO, the callsign of the Kent Active Radio Amateurs group, when
camping.

Hams and non-hams alike followed them on Twitter and their Megacycle Expedition Facebook page where they got to see the two adventurers reach
their finish line in northern Scotland. There, the duo even participated
in International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend operating on HF from
the lighthouse at Cape Wrath.

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

(FACEBOOK)

**

BONAIRE AMATEURS FORM NEW AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

JIM/ANCHOR: What does it take to form a new amateur radio club? Sometimes
it's just a handful of willing radio operators who share the same island
in the southern Caribbean ocean. John Williams, VK4JJW, takes us there.

JOHN: The newest ham radio club on the world map is wasting no time
getting things done. The Bonaire Amateur Radio Club PJ4BAR celebrated its recent birth by hosting a field day on Sorobon Beach from August 27th
through to the 29th. For now, the fledgling club's membership boasts all
nine active radio amateurs who call Bonaire their home fulltime, with additional membership among those amateurs who have addresses on the
island but live elsewhere much of the time. Still, the club does enjoy fellowship on and off the air and its weekly meetings often last until
late into the night. So if you should hear the club callsign on the air,
be sure to work the station -- and don't forget to send those QSL cards
to M Zero U R X [M0URX].

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

(OHIO PENN DX)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the AH6LE repeater
in Beavercreek, and Wilsonville, Oregon, on Sundays, at 6 p.m. local
time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

MEET ARRL MAXIM AWARD WINNER: KATHERINE FORSON, KT5KMF

DON/ANCHOR: A Texas high school honor student has received the
ARRL's premier honor, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award. Paul
Braun, WD9GCO, introduces us to her.

PAUL: As we discover every year with our Young Ham Of The Year
award, there are some amazing young people in our hobby today. One
of those is Katherine Forson, KT5KMF, the American Radio Relay
League's 2021 Hiram Percy Maxim Award winner.

I spoke with the remarkable young woman, who was licensed as a Tech
at the age of nine, and was an Extra five years later. Forson said
she loves the public-service aspect of amateur radio, and
participates in a variety of local events throughout the year. She's
also fascinated by the opportunities that the digital modes, such as
FT-8, afford operators. But what's most interesting to her is that
ham radio has helped her decide her future:

FORSON: This is actually pretty interesting because ham radio has
helped me a lot in figuring that out. Yes, I am a trained Skywarn
storm spotter - I actually want to be a meteorologist. I finished
just a couple weeks ago my application to Texas A&M. They have an
incredible geosciences program there and specifically meteorology.
They have the oldest ham radio club in Texas on campus and they also
have a student storm chasing team.

PAUL: When asked if she had any advice for other young women who may
be hesitant about getting into radio or science, like she did, she
offered this:

FORSON: If it's something you want to do, you go for it. I can
remember when I first got licensed, when I was taking my test it was
this room full of adult men and I was this tiny 9-year-old girl and
I tried to use a giant calculator. It was awkward at first, but it's
become something that I love, it's given me something that I have in
common with my family, and it's helped me figure out what I want to
do with my life so I think, even if it's intimidating at first,
don't let that stop you. Don't let being one of the few women, one
of the few young girls, stop you.

PAUL: Forson is working with other Texas-area female hams to create
a YL-friendly online community tied into the ARRL North Texas
section website.

Promoting youth in amateur radio is something near and dear to our
hearts here at Amateur Radio Newsline. Our 2020 Young Ham of the
Year, Chris Brault, was a former Maxim Award winner himself.
Congratulations from all of us at Newsline to Katherine Forson, who
has a bright future ahead. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun,
WD9GCO.

**

US HAMS ACTIVATE THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

DON/ANCHOR: America's Appalachian Trail has always captured hikers' imaginations, and next month, it will be capturing hundreds and
hundreds of miles of radio signals. Jim Damron, N8TMW, has that
report.

JIM: In the United States, the 2,190-mile-long Appalachian Trail
will present 2,190 miles of possibilities for SOTA and POTA
activators on Saturday, October 2nd. SOTA enthusiasts are already
registering to activate summits that are within a short distance on
the trail and hams will be calling between 1200 UTC and 2100 UTC
throughout the day. If you're an avid hiker as well as a SOTA or
POTA activator, you have time to add your name and your summit or
park of choice to the list by sending an email to A T ontheair at
gmail dot com (ATontheair@gmail.com). SOTA activators may also post
an alert on SOTAWatch. This event is being held on the same day as
the W7A s2s 10-point madness so it's recommended that SOTA chasers
stand by and defer to summits calling other summits.

For details visit the Appalachian Trail on the air website. The URL
is listed in the printed script of this week's newscast at
arnewsline.org

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

[DO NOT READ: atontheair.com]

(SOTA REFLECTOR, ATONTHEAIR)

**

LISATS HAM CLUB TO RETRANSMIT INSPIRATION4 LAUNCH

DON/ANCHOR: If you want to hear history as it happens, be listening
for the audio retransmissions provided by the Launch Information
Service and Amateur Television System. They'll be retransmitting
feeds of the countdown and the booster recovery for SpaceX's
Inspiration4, a three-day mission featuring the first all-civilian
crew inside a Crew Dragon spacecraft. It's a charity flight for the
benefit of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. At the time
Newsline went to production, liftoff was scheduled for September
15th. According to Joe Dolinsky, W0WD, the LISATS (LEE-SATS) Amateur
Radio Club repeater will carry feeds of the transmissions. There is
also a "listen live" button on LISATS.ORG, the (LEE-SATS) website,
which has links to Broadcastify. Listening may also be possible via
EchoLink at WB4ATV.

(JOE DOLINSKY W0WD)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

SPECIAL EVENT CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY OF VOA RELAY STATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: The "voice of freedom" transmitted its first words
from West Chester, Ohio across the ocean in September of 1944 at
the then-new Bethany Relay Station of the Voice of America. The
West Chester Amateur Radio Association WC8VOA, which calls the
iconic building its home, is celebrating the relay station's
birthday this year with a special event station on September 25th
and 26th. Jocelyn Brault KD8VRX/VA2VRX told Newsline that the
club's shack is actually the original control room for the relay
station. For the special event, be listening on 20 and 40 meters
for SSB, FT8 and perhaps some CW as well. Those making a QSO are
eligible for a downloadable certificate available 24 hours after
the event.

(JOCELYN BRAULT KD8VRX/VA2VRX)

**

ULTRA-TINY BATTERY SHOWS POWER AND PROMISE

NEIL/ANCHOR: When it comes to batteries, tiny might just be the
next big thing. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, explains why.

KENT: The smaller the battery, the more powerful the
possibilities? The designers of a new battery technology being
used in a fitness tracker would like to think so. California-based
Sila created the battery for a wristband tracker that experts say
could revolutionize everyday electronics and perhaps have
implications for modes of transportation too. For now, the ultra-
tiny powerhouses are in a niche-market item, a fitness tracker
called the Whoop 4.0. According to a New York Times article, the
battery has the same lifespan as the power source used in the
previous model of that tracker but it's a whole one-third smaller.

Sila and Whoop together said the battery had potential for mass
marketing in other devices in the next couple of years. Unlike
lithium-ion batteries, which rely on the ionization and movement
of lithium atoms, these new batteries use an anode made of silicon
instead of graphite, requiring smaller space for the lithium atoms
as they move from the anode side of the battery to the cathode.

Sila and another company, QuantumScape, told the New York Times
that their batteries will likely be used in a few short years in
smart eyeglasses, electric cars and maybe even flying cars one
day.

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

(NYTIMES)

**

SILENT KEY: CHARLIE BYARS, W5GPO, LONGTIME WEATHER SPOTTER

NEIL/ANCHOR: A well-known weather-spotter and amateur radio
operator in north Texas has become a Silent Key. Randy Sly, W4XJ,
tells us about him.

RANDY: Charlie Byars, W5GPO, took the lead in tracking severe
weather with his local Amateur Radio Emergency Services Skywarn
group, which he helped create in 1974. A licensed ham since 1959,
Charlie died Sunday, September 12th. Devoted to alerting people in
Archer and Wichita counties about dangerous weather, Charlie was a
part of the crucial information network in operation on April
20th, 1979, when a deadly tornado swept through the region,
killing 40 people, and destroying thousands of homes.

Over the years, Charlie's commitment to weather reporting found him
in numerous roles, including ARES district coordinator for eight
counties. According to a report in the Times Record News of
Wichita Falls, he was also the recipient in 2005 of an award from
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Charlie Byars was 86.

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

(THE WICHITA FALLS TIMES-RECORD NEWS)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the D-Star Reflector 91-C in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday
nights at 7:30 local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

ESSEX HAM SPECIAL EVENT SUPPORTS NEW HACKSPACE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the UK, the ever-expanding universe of creative
workshops, known as hackspaces, just got an extra boost from some ham
radio friends. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us about it.

JEREMY: East Essex Hackspace became the newest of 70 hackspaces
throughout the UK on Saturday, September 18th, as this community-based "makerspace" opened as a welcoming place to encourage learning and
tinkering. It includes a construction and electronics workbench,
reflecting a spirit so familiar to amateur radio operators.

To help celebrate opening day at this new workshop, Essex Ham operated
special event station GB0EEH on HF and VHF, not just for the QSOs, but
to support the community effort and to demonstrate amateur radio to those attending at the Hawkwell location. According to the hackspace's Wiki,
the space in the pavilion has been provided by Rochford District
Council and the lease is in effect until October of 2027.

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

(EAST ESSEX HACKSPACE)

**

NEW MICROCONTROLLER EDITOR AT CQ MAGAZINE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Congratulations to Jack Purdum, W8TEE, who has become
the new Microcontrollers Editor of CQ magazine. Jack, who is an Arduino authority, will have his first column appear in the November issue, the magazine has announced. His predecessor, Anthony Luscre, K8ZT, is
starting up a new column called "Ham Radio Explorer" that will launch
in the December issue.

(CQ MAGAZINE)

**

SILENT KEY: EAST COAST REFLECTOR'S RICK BEUTNAGEL, N3RRB

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Another extended family of ham radio operators is
grieving for one of their own. We hear their story, and the story of a well-loved Silent Key, from Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

DAVE: An emotional last call has been made on the IRLP/Allstar East
Coast Reflector for Richard Beutnagel N3RRB, a mainstay of the
reflector. Rick, a licensed ham since 2018, became a Silent Key on
Wednesday, September 15th of COVID-19 while caring for his ailing
parents in Deltona, Florida.

Friends and members of the 9050 reflector told Newsline that Rick
arrived on the system in October of 2020 and immediately established
himself as a mentor. It was a role that came naturally to him on and
off the air, and in the reflector's Zoom room.

One of Rick's most selfless projects was the 40 meter QRP transceiver
he built for a 14-year-old amateur who came to call him "Uncle Rick" He
also made use of the electronics business he owned and operated to
create equipment and software for the East Coast Reflector's control
stations so they could track the number of connected nodes at any given
time.

Rick also believed in personal connections so even while riding his
bike around town, he would carry his HT on his handlebars and keep his
phone connected to the East Coast Reflector Zoom Room.

Reflector member Pres W2PW told Newsline: "The amateur community lost a
good one." I would like to add: "Rick, you will be missed but never forgotten."

For Amateur Radio Newsline and everyone on the East Coast Reflector,
I'm Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

**

BOUVET 3Y0J TRIP GETS ARRL GRANT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Next year's Bouvet Island DXpedition has been given its
latest financial boost, and it's from the ARRL. Skeeter Nash, N5ASH,
has that report.

SKEETER: The 3Y0J (Three Y Zero Jay) Bouvet Island DXpedition --
considered one of the costliest ever -- has been awarded $5,000 from
the ARRL. The amount given to the nonprofit Amateur Radio DXpeditions organization, which is based in Norway, is the same sum given back to
the ARRL following the Intrepid DX Group's cancellation of its Bouvet
trip, after the ship planned to carry them there was sold to new
owners.

Amateur Radio DXpeditions -- and its 12 operators -- are planning a
November 2022 activation, with a goal of 120,000 contacts. The team
will be on the island for 20 days. The grant is named for Silent Keys
Lloyd Colvin, W6KG, and Iris Colvin, W6QL, and supports international
DX teams to foster global goodwill. The DXpedition's $650,000 budget
makes it among the most expensive ones on record. The team earlier
received a $100,000 donation from the Northern California DX Foundation
and a gift from the German DX Foundation that is the equivalent of
$11,815.

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

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, it appears that the RV Braveheart, which was
sold by Nigel Jolly, K6NRJ, to new owners, may sail again with hams
aboard sometime. Paul, N6PSE, of the Intrepid DX Group announced
recently on the group's Facebook page that the ship will be relocating
from New Zealand to Ushuaia (Ooose-Why-Uh), in southernmost Argentina
and the new owner plans to make it available once again for amateur
radio DXpeditioners.

(INTREPID DX GROUP)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
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SILENT KEY: ACTIVE NET PARTICIPANT WALTER PAGE PYNE, WA3EOP

JIM/ANCHOR: A prominent active amateur radio operator and a well-known
voice on the OMISS and Century Club nets has become a Silent Key. Sel
Embee, KB3TZD, tells us about him.

SEL: Walter Page Pyne was known for identifying his callsign as WA3EOP -
We Are Three Elephants On Patrol - and his voice was a familiar one on the OMISS Net, the Century Club Net, the YL International Single Sideband Net
and numerous other nets. Page, as he was known to friends, died on
September 26th in his Maryland hometown of Hagerstown. A life member of
the Antietam (Ann-Tee-Tum) Radio Association and the International Order
of Odd Fellows ham club, he was also a cofounder of the Cheese Hollow
Amateur Radio Society in Maryland. He had served as Charter Year President
of the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Chapter (#222) of the Quarter Century Wireless Association. Page, a former phone activities manager for the
ARRL's Maryland/DC section, at the time of his death belonged to the
Maryland Emergency Phone Net.

Walter Page Pyne was 74.

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

(QRZ.COM, TRIBUTE ARCHIVE)

**

SCHOOL FOR DEAF PREPS FOR UNIQUE ARISS CONTACT

JIM/ANCHOR: Few things are outside the realm of possibility with amateur radio, as a group of deaf students in the UK is about to learn in an ARISS
QSO with an American astronaut. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: American astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, is scheduled to
complete a unique amateur radio contact from the ISS with students at Mary Hare School for deaf children in Berkshire, England.

Ciaran Morgan, M0XTD, the UK's ARISS operations lead, told Newsline that
the event will proceed like a standard ARISS contact for the astronaut,
but students and school volunteers will have access to a stenographer
using a device that projects what is being said onto a large screen in
their auditorium. Ciaran added that the text will also appear on a live
web stream which will also feature a sign language interpreter. Meanwhile, hams from the Newbury and District Amateur Radio Society have been
assisting the students by providing lessons on amateur radio.

The school noted on its blog: [quote] "These will be the first deaf
children to have done this, making it a world first." [endquote]

While some of the students will be linked to the action by a web feed,
others will be in the auditorium itself as socially distanced spectators.
It is scheduled to take place sometime during the week of October 10th.

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

(CIARAN MORGAN, M0XTD, ARISS-UK, MARY HARE SCHOOL)

**

CQWW DX CONTEST GAINS PLAQUE SPONSORS FOR YOUTH

JIM/ANCHOR: As the date inches forward for the CQ WorldWide DX contest,
there are new sponsors for categories featuring young competitors. Ed
Durrant, DD5LP, has those details.

ED: The IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group will be sponsoring plaques
awarded in the upcoming CQWW DX contest for competitors in Europe and
Africa who are 25 years of age or younger. Plaques will be given to young
SSB and CW operators. A number of other YOTA branches and IARU Youth
Working Groups are sponsoring other awards on other continents for young participants. The CQWW contest announced on its blog in August that
organisers have created a number of overlays within the contest, including those for young operators and for hams who are experimenting with new technologies. A new Explorer category has been created for those radio operators who are using SSB and CW while employing such new technologies
as internet-linked stations.

The contest dates are October 30th and 31st for SSB and November 27th and
28th for CW.

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

(CQWW BLOG)

**

IT'S 'FALLOUT' WEEKEND FOR 100 WATTS AND A WIRE

JIM/ANCHOR: Don't forget to be listening for operators calling "CQ FALL
OUT!" on October 8th, 9th and 10th. Those are the days for the portable operating event of the 100 Watts and a Wire community. Operators are being encouraged to work any band, any mode and alone or as a team. The exchange
is your call sign, your 100Watts ID if you have one, your state, province
or DX country and a true signal report.

For details, visit the website 100wattsandawire.com and use the numerals
"1 Zero Zero" for the word "one hundred."

(100 WATTS AND A WIRE)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K7MMA repeater
in Spokane, Washington, on Fridays at 5 p.m. local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

SPEEDWAY QSL CARDS RACE TO THE FINISH LINE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you're still waiting for your QSL cards from the three Indianapolis Motor Speedway special events, they're on their way. Jack
Parker, W8ISH, gives us a look behind the scenes of the massive mailing
that's been going on.

[sound clip: envelope being cut open]

JACK: That's the sound of another self-addressed, stamped QSL envelope
being opened for processing. Members of the W9IMS Special Event Station gathered to open, separate and then fill-in and mail out thousands of QSL cards following a summer of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

BILL: "This is what we call our Monster card party. We have a few others
that we do and then they trickle in all year long."

JACK: Bill Kennedy, W9YT, coordinates the special event stations and the Monster chore stuffing and returning thousands of QSL cards each fall. A behind-the-scenes look at this QSL process found it takes dozens of W9IMS members to get the job done.

BILL: "We have a big following. They want to work us every year and make
a big effort to get all three races."

JACK: W9IMS is the official special event station for three of the IMS
races. They operate 24/7 for a week prior to the Grand Prix and
Indianapolis 500 mile race in May. In August, they again fire up the
radios for the Brickyard 200-race. A custom-designed QSL card is
produced for each race. Those stations who log all three race events
receive a special certificate as well. This is the 18th year for this
W9IMS special event station. Bill says the summer time operation often reflects the solar cycles. This year's total contacts fell just short of
the 18,000 recorded contacts a few years ago. As the sun cycle fell, so
did the total contacts.

Bill: "You could follow the total card by following the solar cycle. As
the cycle came down so did our Qs. As the cycle is going back up, our Qs
are going back up."

Jack: Bill says this crew has become very proficient in not only logging contacts but in filling out the QSL cards and certificates after the
checkered flag falls on the last race of the season.

Bill: "That's a lot contacts and a lot of cards to do at the end of the
year."

Jack: For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Jack Parker, W8ISH.

**

NORWAY PLANS ENTRY-LEVEL CERTIFICATE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Norwegian Radio Relay League, Norway's national
amateur radio organization, is working with a research institute there to
help introduce an entry-level amateur radio category that would become available to operators as young as 12 or 13. Operators would be permitted
a maximum transmitting power of 10 watts. The goal is to encourage the
newest amateurs to build their own simple transmitters and receivers and
spur interest in technology and science to complement ther schoolwork.
NRRL is working to move this certificate forward with funds provided for
the study by the Norwegian Research Council. Norway presently has only
one class of radio operators.

(SOUTHGATE)

**

AUSTRALIAN 2x1 CALLSIGNS DEBUT IN WORLDWIDE CONTEST

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With the CQ WW SSB contest over, no doubt you have more
than a few contest callsigns in your log. How many of them are among the newest from Australia? Let's hear more from Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

JASON: The long-awaited 2 x 1 VK contest callsigns got their first
official run on the air during the big CQ WW SSB contest in late October.
The Wireless Institute of Australia reports that assignment of the calls
by the Australian Maritime College came just in time for the global competition. In fact, three of the WIA's own directors were assigned the
calls for use in the competition. Some reports say that many amateurs who heard the new contest calls were at first confused by the unusual single-letter suffixes but everything ultimately ran smoothly. If you
have thoughts you'd like to share about Australia's new contest
callsigns, the WIA is eager to hear your comments. Send them on to
national office at wia dot org dot au (nationaloffice@wia.org.au)

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

(WIA, SOUTHGATE)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

FINDING POWER WITHOUT RELYING ON BATTERIES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Imagine a world in which your various internet-linked devices didn't have to rely on batteries. Well, researchers in Spain can already
see that day coming. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, tells us more.

KENT: They've been on the wish list for lots of us but now battery-free devices have made the leap to the list of possibilities for some
researchers in Spain. Scientists at the IMDEA Networks Institute in Madrid
are using LiFi and Radio Frequency backscatter technologies to make it
happen. After three years of research, they've created a sustainable
wireless communication system that they call PassiveLiFi and say it could
be deployed for systems in smart agriculture, smart cities and even smart homes. A November 26th article on the Hackster website describes how LiFi happens. The article says: [quote] "IoT devices would transmit data by reflecting and modulating the incoming RF signals present in the
environment, a passive transmission technique known as RF backscattering
that consumes very little power." [endquote]. One of the researchers notes that when the scientists began their work, LiFi technology and RF backscattering were viewed as independent from one another.

Will they now make a winning and workable combination? With an estimated
64 billion or more users of battery-powered IoT devices in the world,
there'll be plenty of people watching to find out.

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

(HACKSTER)

**

SILENT KEY: QST COLUMNIST JOEL R. HALLAS, W1ZR

NEIL/ANCHOR: A longtime contributor to the library of amateur radio
knowledge and expertise has become a Silent Key. Joel R. Hallas (Hal
luss), W1ZR, was the author of numerous books and a contributing editor to
the ARRL's QST magazine, which he had formerly served as technical editor.
His QST column "The Doctor is In" also inspired a popular podcast. An
amateur radio operator since 1955, Joel died on November 25th at the age
of 79.

(ARRL)

**

BELGIUM PLANS TO OFFER EXAMS IN EARLY 2022

NEIL/ANCHOR: Radio exams will be back in Belgium in just a few weeks. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has the details.

ED: Shortly after announcing that it was suspending all amateur radio
licence exams through to the end of this year due to the pandemic,
Belgium's regulator BIPT has scheduled its first examination in 2022 for Friday, the 7th of January. The test will not be given at BIPT facilities, which the regulator has deemed insufficient to comply with COVID
precautions. The exam site will instead be the Euro Space Center, a
science museum in Wallonia in the Belgian-Luxembourg Province in southern Belgium. The testing procedures will be the same that are followed at the regulator's site.

The announcement was made public on the website of the UBA, the national amateur radio member society. Candidates may test for the basic ECC
report-89 ON3 licence; the CEPT Novice ON2 licence; or the HAREC Full
licence.

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

(SOUTHGATE, UBC)

**

ARISS NAMED NEWSLINE'S INT'L NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR

NEIL/ANCHOR: Following two great recipients in previous years - namely The West Bengal Radio Club in India and the Radio Society of Great Britain- National Health Service's Get-on-the-air-to-care project, both of whom continue to do great work, we are proud to announce the winner of the 2021 ARNewsline International Newsmaker of the Year Award. This year's honor
goes to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, an organization I've had the pleasure of working with myself. This group,
based across fifteen countries around the world, has been supporting
amateur radio from the space station and performing school links around
the world to astronauts for over 20 years. As well as enthusing youngsters
in the magic of space and radio, they have also generated publicity for Amateur Radio in the mainstream media channels of radio, TV and
newspapers. Congratulations to a deserving award-winner from all of us
at Newsline.

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Metro Area
Repeater Association's WD0HWT repeater in Oakdale, Minnesota, at 7 p.m.
local time on Sundays.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

MINNESOTA HAM GETS SPECIAL RECOGNITION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In amateur radio, where communication and public
service are core elements, some people really shine. One of them
was recently recognized for his efforts by the Civil Air Patrol's
Minnesota Wing. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, has that story.

KENT: Matt Stepaniak, N0TNL, calls his recent honor one of the
proudest moments in his life. The Civil Air Patrol volunteer has been
part of the Minnesota Wing for 20 years. His dedication as a squadron communications officer earned him honors in 2015, with the Robert
Dunbar Memorial Award, presented for his use of his amateur radio
technical skills in his work.

His latest honor came in October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month with a new spotlight shining on Matt, who's formally
known as 1st Lt. Matthew Stepaniak. In addition to training other
volunteers to use their radios, he has played a key role in emergency
response, coordinating his efforts with the local Salvation Army. On
Fridays at 9 p.m., he is dispatcher for the Viking squadron's FM
network. Matt has cerebral palsy, and fulfills all these
responsibilities and more from home, where his equipment includes his
ham shack, as well as his Civil Air Patrol radio and antenna.

In the Civil Air Patrol announcement of his honor, Matt describes his
Civil Air Patrol work as a perfect channel for volunteerism and public
service - two things that remain strong to his core, thanks to ham
radio.

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

(CIVIL AIR PATROL)

**

INDIAN HAM CONVENTION IN HYDERABAD DRAWS CROWD

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In India, a crowd of enthusiastic attendees showed
up for a convention that had been cancelled last year due to the
pandemic. Here's Graham Kemp, VK4BB, with details.

GRAHAM: Billed as the first technical convention for ham radio
operators to be held following India's COVID lockdown, the Lamakaan
Amateur Radio Club's fourth convention attracted enthusiastic
attendees to Hyderabad on Saturday, Dec. 11th and Sunday, Dec. 12th.
The convention drew a full array of speakers to the Muffakham Jah
College of Engineering and Technology, and was livestreamed via
satellite built by hams in India to those who were not among the 400
convention attendees. Last year's event was cancelled because of the
pandemic. This year, the programme included forums on Cubesats,
software defined radio, DXing, satellites and the digital modes. Hams
were encouraged to share their experiences in experimenting with radio
and other wireless technologies.

The college hoped that by hosting the event, students would also be
spurred to obtain their amateur radio licences. Professor Mohammed
Arifuddin Sohel, head of the school's Department of Electronics and Communications, said during the first day's opening remarks that he
believed the students would be inspired by what they saw and heard.

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

(YOUTUBE, TELAGANA TODAY, THE HINDU)

**

FOXHUNT ENTHUSIASTS PREP FOR BIG CHALLENGE IN TURKEY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With an ancient city as their backdrop, foxhunt
enthusiasts, are preparing for a big challenge in Turkey. Here's
Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, with that report.

JASON: Get ready for a gathering of nations in Turkey for some serious foxhunting this month. Between December 20th and 26th, amateur radio foxhunters will set off near the ruins of the 7th century Turkish city
of Side on the Mediterranean coast. The challenge is being called the
First International Radio-Orienteering Competition and it is being
hosted by the UA Foxhunters of Ukraine, and the NEO Sports Club.
Although the contest follows all the IARU rules for staging and
scoring, this is not an official IARU championship. There will be two
Classic events, a sprint competition, and radio orienteering over the
course of the seven days. For details visit the event website at
wrocturkey.com

Meanwhile, plans are already in the works for the next IARU world
competition. That is most likely to be hosted by the Amateur Radio
Union of Serbia in September 2022. This will be the 20th IARU ARDF
World Championship, and will closely follow World Cup competitions
for individual foxhunters.

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

(HOMINGIN.COM, WROCTURKEY.COM)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

NEW LICENSE LEVEL PROPOSED FOR IRELAND

DON/ANCHOR: Some changes are in the works for Ireland's amateur radio licenses. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us up to date.

JEREMY: ComReg, the Irish telecommunications agency, plans to introduce a
new level of amateur radio licence at either a novice or entry level, targeting younger licence candidates in particular. Ireland presently has
only one class of ham radio licence. The recommendation is outlined in the agency's recent statement on a Strategy for Managing the Radio Spectrum
from 2022 to 2024.

ComReg describes the rationale behind the introduction of the new licence, which would not require full knowledge of HAREC - the Harmonised Amateur
Radio Examination Certificate. The document further states that Ireland is interested in [quote] "nurturing, developing and deploying STEM talent and
the availability of a novice licence would enable the amateur radio service
to act in the national interest." [endquote]

Some clarification would still be needed with respect to CEPT, which has separate definitions and suggested syllabi relating to Entry, Novice and
Full licences.

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

(COMREG, SOUTHGATE)

**

HAM INVOLVEMENT SOUGHT FOR MOON MISSION

DON/ANCHOR: Japan's space agency is looking for hams to participate in the mission of a very tiny, ULTRA tiny, moon lander. John Williams, VK4JJW,
tells us what's involved.

JOHN: The JAXA Ham Radio Club, JQ1ZVI, has a date with the moon in
February, and is hoping to take the world's amateur radio community along
for the ride, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, is looking
for amateur radio operators to receive telemetry from the transmitters on board its 6U CubeSat, which it is calling OMOTENASHI. The 70cm amateur band signals will be sent from both the orbiting satellite and the moon lander. Described as the world's smallest moon lander, it will transmit on UHF
only. Although there is a ground station in Japan at Wakayama, hams around
the world will be asked to listen for the transmissions on 437.41 MHz.

More details about the project and how to QSL the reception of
transmissions can be found on the JAXA Ham Radio Club website. We are including a link to that in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

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

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/home/omotenashi/JHRCweb/jhrc.html ]

(JAXA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

CONTEST UNIVERSITY ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS

DON/ANCHOR: Are you ready for Contest University at Dayton Hamvention?
Well, you still have a few months before it happens of course but don't let that stop you from registering. Contest University takes place at the Hope Hotel in Dayton, Ohio, on May 19, which is the day before Hamvention itself opens. Returnees will notice that this is a change of venue. It's closer to the Hamvention site at the fairgrounds in Xenia, and will be the home of
all official contesting activities.

You can register and get more details at the website contestuniversity dot com.

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K5ARC repeater
in Gonzales, Louisiana, on Thursdays at 8:15 p.m. local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

DXERS PUSH TO RETAIN ACCESS TO ISLAND GROUP

PAUL/ANCHOR: The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is
on the map for many avid DXers. Now they're working to make sure
those islands get to stay there. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITF, explains
what's happening.

RALPH: Imagine logging a DX contact from any of the seven islands
and atolls in the central Pacific Ocean managed by the US Fish &
Wildlife Service. This group is known as the Pacific Remote Islands
Marine National Monument. DXpeditions don't happen often there --
in fact it's been almost four years since a five-member team from
the Northern California DX Foundation landed on Baker Island using
the callsign KH1/KH7Z. The foundation's Don Greenbaum, N1DG, is now
leading an effort to open the islands up for more DXers to have the
kind of experience he and his teammates had on Baker Island in
2018. The US Fish & Wildlife Service, along with the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have received public
comment on the proposal, which has the support of the Foundation.
As a new management plan is being drafted for the islands, DXers
want to be confident it will ensure continued occasional access
there. The comment window closed on January 20th but the Foundation
is hopeful. It said in a statement: [quote] "Ham radio was used by
the early colonizers of Howland, Baker and Jarvis Islands in the
mid 1930s. It is a tradition that extends to today with the 2018
Baker Island radio expedition." [endquote]

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

(OHIO PENN DX, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DX FOUNDATION)

**

ONLINE DX MUSEUM PRESERVES RARE AND VINTAGE QSLs

PAUL/ANCHOR: Speaking of DX, many of us would agree, DX never gets
old, even if those cards from far-away locations become vintage. Ed
Durrant, DD5LP, tells us about a unique online museum of sorts that
preserves QSL cards for sharing...we hope, forever.

ED: Jean Michel, F6AJA, has thousands and thousands of QSL cards,
some from rare DX entities, and he didn't even have to turn his rig
on once to get them. Jean Michel has created an online gallery of
images of nearly 20,000 QSL cards sorted into different albums,
including an assortment of the 10 most wanted DXCC entities,
spanning the years 2011 to 2020. The collection contains more than
500 cards from contacts on rare French Pacific Islands, more than
1,000 from the various research bases in Antarctica and
commemorative stations for the IARU and the ITU. That collection
has more than 900 cards. Hams collecting DX from the United States
have contributed images from each of the states, all dating before
1945. The site is in French but is available as an English
translation. We are including the address in the text version of
this week's newscast. You'll also find Jean Michel's email address.
He's always looking to add to his collection and you can write to
him if you're interested in contributing some of your own cards.

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: http://LesNouvellesDX.free.fr ]

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: LesNouvellesDX@free.fr ]

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

(OHIO PENN DX)

**

CLUB CREATES MAP TO CONNECT HAMS IN CANADA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams in Canada have a new resource to help them locate
other radio operators, as we hear from Sel Embee, KB3TZD.

SEL: The Georgian Bay Amateur Radio Club VE3OSR in Canada is
offering a way for hams to reconnect with one another through
clubs, especially if they have lost touch during the pandemic.
Clubs throughout Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, are now
shown on a colorful map display which is free online for all hams'
reference. The Georgian Bay amateurs are encouraging other clubs in
Canada to add themselves to the map, which can be done by using the
button labeled "CONTACT" on the bottom of the web page containing
the map. Visit gbarc dot ca stroke clubs dot php
(gbarc.ca/clubs.php)

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

(GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the KD5DMT repeater in Benton County Arkansas on Saturdays at 7
p.m. local times during the Amateur Radio Information Net on the
Benton County Radio Operators' Repeater System.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

HAMS IN UK PREP FOR PLATINUM JUBILEE SPECIAL EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There will be big celebrations everywhere in the UK this
year for the queens' platinum jubilee. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us how
ham radio is getting involved.

JEREMY: Hams in the UK who are planning to operate this June in
celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee should keep their eyes on
the website of the Radio Society of Great Britain. Ofcom has granted permission for callsigns to include the special regional secondary
locator letter Q but its use will require a Notice of Variation. The
website rsgb.org will carry those details shortly. Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II is Britain's longest reigning monarch and thus the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. Special use call signs have been used by
hams for previous occasions, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee in
2002 and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

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

(RSGB)

**

HAMS JOIN FCC'S TECH ADVISORY COUNCIL

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The two newest members of the FCC's Advisory Council are
radio amateurs. Sel Embee, KB3 T Zed D, has the details.

SEL: When the Federal Communications Commission's Technical Advisory
Council holds its first meeting of the year on Feb. 28, two amateur
radio operators will be part of the proceedings for the first time. Greg Lapin, N9GL, chairman of the ARRL's RF Safety Committee, and Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, CEO of the Open Research Institute, have joined the
council following their appointment by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
The FCC relies on the council's advice on a number of issues including artificial intelligence, emerging wireless technologies
and advanced spectrum-sharing technologies.

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

(ARRL)

**

DEADLINE NEARS FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT NOMINATIONS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you know a software innovator who's devoted to
helping amateur radio operations improve, you still have a little time
to submit their name for the Amateur Radio Software Award. The deadline
is February 14th. The international award is given each year to developers
of creative open-source programs that follow good development practices
and are available free to users. Previous winners have included Jordan
Sherer, KN4CRD, for JS8Call, and Anthony Good, K3NG, for the K3NG Arduino
CW Keyer.

For details and to find the official nomination form, visit arsaward dot
com (arsaward.com). The winner will be announced in April.

(ARS AWARD WEBSITE)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
VK3HJQ repeater in Victoria, Australia, and the EchoLink Conference
Server 69556 and IRLP Node 9556 on Sundays at 9 a.m. local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

CANADIAN AMATEURS RECEIVE GRANT FOR EMCOMM WORK

DON/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the members of the New Westminster
Amateur Radio Club in British Columbia which has been given an $8,000
grant from the province to support and develop its emergency radio
response capabilities. According to a report in the New Westminster
Record, the ham club is among 250 nonprofit groups to receive grants
from an estimated $140 million of funding, which supports public safety
and conservation programs. The grant to the amateur radio club is part
of about $5.5 million earmarked specifically for emergency and safety
services.

(THE NEW WESTMINSTER RECORD)

**

PILOTS FAULT ELECTRONIC 'SPOOFING' OF GPS SIGNALS

DON/ANCHOR: No one likes radio interference - not hams and certainly
not airline pilots. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us about interference
that's reportedly impacting planes' navigation.

ED: Radio interference that has created electronic spoofing of GPS
signals is reported to be interfering with aircraft attempting to land
at Israel's Ben Gurion airport, according to several news outlets. The
Times of Israel reports that the signals are coming from defense systems installed in Syria by Russia, and they are having an impact on commercial airliners.

State-owned Israeli TV station KAN said that Moscow has told Israel the signals are part of defense systems designed to protect Russian soldiers
in Syria. A pilot told the KAN news outlet that the signals during the
last four weeks have been as strong as those experienced in early 2019.
The pilot said however, that those earlier signals eventually stopped.
He told the station [quote] "What we've run into is [electromagnetic]
spectrum interference from the east, which has taken us a while to
understand what it is." [endquote]

The reports said that officials believe the interference with commercial planes is collateral damage and that the jamming is directed elsewhere.

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

(KAN ISRAELI TV, THE TIMES OF ISRAEL, THE TURKISH PRESS)

**

PANEL ASSESSES JAPAN'S EFFORT TO ATTRACT YOUNGER HAMS

DON/ANCHOR: In Japan, officials have begun taking extra steps to ensure amateur radio is accessible for the youngest of the young who aspire to
get their licenses. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, has been following that story.

JASON: Members of a new panel designed to make amateur radio more
accessible for beginners in Japan held their first meeting on January
26th. The Amateur Radio Advisory Board for Wireless Human Resource
Development was created by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications. One of its members is Yoshinori Takao, JG1KTC, president
of the Japan Amateur Radio League.

According to a press release on the Ministry's website, the goals
include fostering experimentation and research in amateur radio and
making activities more accessible for newcomers, especially the very
young. The creation of the panel follows efforts during the past few
years by Yoshinori and the JARL. Working in cooperation with the Japan
Amateur Radio Development Association, the JARL pressed the Ministry
two years ago to find more opportunities for elementary and junior high
school students to learn about amateur radio.

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

(JARL, SOUTHGATE)

**

AM RALLY PAYS TRIBUTE TO ORIGINAL VOICE MODE

DON/ANCHOR: Amplitude Modulation enthusiasts have been gearing up for
the AM Rally being held from 0000UTC Saturday, February 5th through to
0700 UTC on Monday, February 7th. Plans are in place, even with the
prospect of a CME impacting 40m and up. Technician Class licensees even
have a chance operating AM on 6m, with the preferred frequency of 50.400
MHz. If you don't want to keep a log, you can still submit details about
your participation on the event website. For details, visit amrally.com
Then start listening for the call of "CQ, AM Rally."

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Lookout Mountain Amateur Radio Community's N4LMC repeater and the LMARC SouthEast Link
Digital Systems on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

HAMS BUILD SKILLS, FRIENDSHIPS AT YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP

DON/ANCHOR: This year's Youth on the Air camp for young operators in the Americas is turning out to be a memorable one. Updating us now from the
middle of all the action is Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

NEIL: High temperatures and high winds haven't been enough to put a
damper on the 2022 Youth on the Air camp for the Americas in metro
Cincinnati, Ohio. Twenty-one campers have learned about contesting,
digital modes, and D-STAR, and built two direction-finding kits and a
code key. The team launched a high-altitude balloon with an APRS beacon
that reached just over 97,000 feet (30,000 metres), and a mid-altitude
balloon with a WSPR beacon that is still traveling around the globe at
about 30,000 feet (9,000 metres) with the identifier K4PRM-1. As this
story is being filed, the camp is approaching the halfway point and about
to embark on VHF contests at Kings Island amusement park -- and of
course, the campers have been on the air using the callsign W8Y.
Everyone is having a great time, learning a lot, and building a strong community of youth amateur radio operators.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm camp director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, in West Chester, Ohio.

**

NASA STUDIES DAMAGE TO WEBB TELESCOPE

DON/ANCHOR: Scientists are taking a second look at the damage caused by a fragment that struck the Webb space telescope recently. Paul Braun,
WD9GCO, brings us up to date.

PAUL: The US Space Agency NASA is assessing the impact that a
micrometeoroid strike had on the James Webb Space Telescope, which
it struck last month. The dust-size fragment is reported to have hit
one of the primary mirror segments used in data collection. Engineers'
initial assessments show only a slight change in the performance of
the mirror and were able to reposition it in an attempt to compensate
for the strike. Reports say this was the fifth impact of its kind since
the telescope was sent into space in December as the heir apparent to
the aging Hubble Telescope. NASA wrote in a blogpost that its analysis
and measurements will continue. NASA is still on track for its July
12th date to release the first images collected by the telescope.

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

(BBC, SPACEFLIGHT NOW)

**

PLANS PROCEED FOR OUTDATED SATELLITES' REMOVAL

DON/ANCHOR: The European Space Agency is involved in a project to reduce
the clutter of outdated satellites from the skies. John Williams, VK4JJW, explains.

JOHN: Think of it as a high-flying system of air traffic control — an extremely high-flying system of air-traffic control. The European Space Agency's Sunrise Programme is preparing to rid space of telecommunications satellites that have outlived their usefulness and are junking up the
skies. The removal process is being coordinated by Astroscale, a private company that removes orbital debris, and OneWeb, the satellite network providing internet broadband. The ESA Partnership Project is the first
of its kind and is expected to produce a prototype that can remove the
outdated satellites from their low earth orbits. The goal is to protect
the environment where low-earth orbits take place and to reduce the
chance of collisions.

When the contract was awarded to Astroscale in 2019, the company said the
ESA initiative would [quote] "advance the environmentally sustainable use
of space" [endquote] and preserve its use for generations to come.

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

(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, ASTROSCALE)

**

BRITISH HAMS ARRESTED AS SPIES IN ALBANIA

DON/ANCHOR: Two British radio amateurs were arrested by Albanian
authorities who claimed they were operating as spies. We have that report
from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Authorities in Albania are investigating the activities of two
ham radio operators from Great Britain who were arrested in May after
amateur radio transceivers were discovered in their baggage. A report of
the incident appeared in the UK's Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and Daily
Express newspapers. The men were not identified in the media accounts but
were said to have been charged with spying after being stopped at
Albania's Tirana International Airport on 30th May.

The news reports said that the men told police they were IT engineers on holiday. After extensive questioning, the men were permitted to return
home. Their Kenwood radios were taken for further examination to
determine whether they were capable of interfering with Albania's
military and secret service analogue radio frequencies. Investigators
were also studying the radios to see whether they could record
transmissions.

There were no further details about the case.

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

(THE DAILY MIRROR, DAILY MAIL AND DAILY EXPRESS)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

BALLOON LAUNCH TO FEATURE CROSSBAND REPEATER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateurs in Kansas have rescheduled the launch of a high- altitude balloon with a crossband repeater on board and they're hoping to
keep it busy making contacts. Jack Parker, W8ISH, has those details.

JACK: Good things are worth waiting for and members of the Independence Amateur Radio Club, N0ID, only have to wait a little bit longer for the rescheduled launch of the high-altitude balloon they are sending skyward
with a crossband repeater and APRS on board. The Kansas hams are
especially excited because the launch, rescheduled from earlier this
month, will coincide with the Great Plains Super Launch on July 16th. The Super Launch is a wide-ranging event in which a number of similar
balloons will be launched at sites throughout the Midwest. Stan Pierson, AE0LM, secretary of the Independence club, told Newsline that during the
club balloon's expected two-hour flight over southeast Kansas, it will communicate with one of the Super Launch balloons flying high over
Wisconsin. Using a common downlink, but separate uplinks, the balloons
will permit radio operators in both areas to talk to one another using
VHF/UHF radios. The crossband repeater has an uplink on 147.91 MHz and a downlink on 449.01 MHz. Stan said that the repeaters will be configured
to work bidirectionally so that anything received on the VHF frequency is repeated on the UHF frequency - and vice versa.

Those who cannot be on site at Riverside Park for the launch or reside
out of the area and wish to track the balloon can follow its journey
following the 8 a.m. launch that day at www dot aprs dot fi (www.aprs.fi)

Additional details are available at the club website at n0id.org

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

(SUPERLAUNCH.ORG, STAN PIERSON, AEØLM)

**

JUST FOR FUN: A NOT-SO-TRIVIAL QUIZ

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Now here's something that's just for fun: If you think
you know ham radio, play along with two teams during a trivia quiz you'll
be able to watch online starting Tuesday, June 28th. As we hear from Paul Braun, WD9GCO, one team's members are very familiar to Newsline
listeners.

PAUL: A team from Amateur Radio Newsline took part in an event that was
was both trivial and non-trivial at the same time.

The Newsline team, consisting of captain Paul, WD9GCO, Neil, WB9VPG,
Kevin, N5PRE, Andy, K9AWM, and Dave, WB8ODF, squared off against a team
from the Ham Radio Workbench podcast led by team captain George
Zafiropoulos, KJ6VU, in an amateur radio trivia contest hosted by Kyle
Krieg, AA0Z.

The two teams fought four rounds featuring questions that ranged from
general ham radio knowledge to specialized technical topics. We can say
that the teams were very evenly matched, but we won't tell you who won -
that would spoil all the fun, wouldn't it?

The competition will be released in two different forms on Tuesday, June
28th - in video on Kyle's YouTube channel and in audio format on the Ham
Radio Workbench feed. You will find links to both in the text version of
this newscast on our website.

According to all who participated, it was a lot of fun and both sides
made new friends, as should happen in ham radio events. And we’re ready
for a rematch any time they're ready.

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

[FOR TEXT VERSION OF NEWSCAST - LINKS ARE

https://www.youtube.com/c/KyleAA0Z

hamradioworkbench.com ]

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including WW7SEA, the
Columbia Center Repeater in Seattle, Washington at 444.550 MHz on Mondays
at 9 pm local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

SILENT KEY: ALPHA AMPS' RICHARD EHRORN W4EA/W4ETO

NEIL/ANCHOR: The man behind the highly successful company Ehrhorn Technological Operations has become a Silent Key. Dick Ehrhorn,
W4EA/W4ETO started the company in 1970 and began production of the
line of high-power Alpha RF amplifiers so popular in the amateur
radio community. Dick was a lifelong ham. Mary Bittner WB0PXM, told
Newsline that Dick and her late husband, the Rev. Paul Bittner, who
had held the call sign W0AIH, had been friends since their Minnesota
high school days when they met through a school amateur radio club.
She described Dick as a good friend and a man of faith.

She said Dick, who was in failing health, died on Sunday, June 26th
in Virginia. He was 88.

(EHAM.NET, MARY BITTNER WB0PXM, FACEBOOK)

**

SPECIAL EVENT STATION TO HONOR DXPEDITIONER, HUMANITARIAN ZORRO

NEIL/ANCHOR: A special event is under way to celebrate the life of a
ham known globally as a man of adventure and compassion. That story
comes to us from Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

JASON: The gifts of friendship, humanitarian gestures and good DX
that filled the life of Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT, are being celebrated
by operators of a month-long special event station, 3D2AJT, in Fiji
through to late July. Zorro, who had cancer, became a Silent Key in
March of this year. Throughout his long amateur radio career, his
DXpeditions helped put notable and coveted DXs in the logbooks of
hams around the world. Zorro was also known for his charitable work
on behalf of children in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Japan and elsewhere.
The special event operators will be on the air using CW, SSB, FT4,
FT8 and varAC HF digital chat until the 27th of July, which would
have been his 73rd birthday. According to the station's page on
QRZ.com, the final day on the air will be marked with a farewell
party organised by Zorro's widow at one of the schools her husband
founded in Fiji.

QSL via ClubLog.

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

(DX-WORLD.NET, QRZ.COM)

**

TRANSMITTER TO REMAIN OFF THE AIR ON ALEXANDERSON DAY

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Sweden, the Grimeton Radio Station is opening its
doors to visitors at last this year, but its historic transmitter
must stay off the air. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has those details.

JEREMY: For the first time since the pandemic began, the Alexander
Association in Sweden will be welcoming visitors to Alexanderson Day
on Sunday, 3rd July at the World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station.

Unfortunately, the 98-year-old mechanical transmitter will be unable
to get on the air. A note on the association website reports that a
shortage of components prevents this Alexanderson Day tradition from happening.

The 200 kW transmitter with the call sign SAQ will be started up
twice and visitors to the radio station can be present but no
transmission will be made into the top-loaded vertical antenna
customarily used for 17 kHz transmissions. The transmitter was
developed by the radio pioneer Ernst Alexanderson of Sweden who was
an engineer at General Electric in the United States. It first went
on the air in 1924.

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

(THE ALEXANDERSON ASSOCIATION)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
N5OZG repeater in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sundays at 8 p.m.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

HAMVENTION 2023 GETS NEW GENERAL CHAIRMAN

DON/ANCHOR: With Hamvention 2022 now just a memory, planning is already
under way for next year. Congratulations to Jim Storms, AB8YK, on being
named general chairman of Hamvention for 2023. The Dayton Amateur Radio Association announced Jim's new responsibility on Friday, July 1st. Jim
has served as vice president of DARA for three years and has been an
officer for several other local amateur radio clubs. He is a co-leader
for the Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure program, which he helped found.

Jim has been Hamvention's chairman of advance registration since 2017.
The DARA board also announced that Brian Markland, N8UDQ, will serve as Hamvention's assistant general chairman.

(DARA)

**

FIRST 'HAMCAMPTION' SET FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA

DON/ANCHOR: You've heard of Hamvention and Hamcation but are you ready
for HamCamption?? If your QTH is Down Under, it is coming your way!
Here's John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: Darren, VK6EK, has big hopes for Mayanup HamCamption, a weekend
getaway for recreation and radio. It is the fruit of a discussion Darren
had with Rob, VK6LD, president of the Southern Electronics Group, VK6SR,
in Western Australia, and it becomes reality on September 10th and 11th
at the sports ground in Mayanup. Darren said that with its dipole-
friendly trees as well as bathrooms and a shed facility, it is an ideal location for this first try at a radio camping event. More of a social
outing than a field day, it will present an opportunity for socialising
with like-minded hams and still present plenty of opportunity for radio.
There may even be a little fox hunting. Darren plans to run an FT8
station on 20 metres during the day and 40 metres at night. There is a
70cm repeater about 9 kilometres away from the grounds and it will be connected to the club's Allstar Node 42482.

Darren said the informal event is expected to be an ideal warmup for
Perth Tech, a camper-friendly symposium being held in October at the Gidgegannup Sport and Recreation Centre. He told Newsline that if all
goes well, HamCamption may return to the Mayanup grounds next May when
the weather is still a bit warmer and drier. The club will just need to schedule their time around the horse and pony clubs who also have their
own equestrian version of field day there.

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

(DARREN VK6EK)

**

NET IS REVIVED FOR ADVANCED CLASS HAMS

DON/ANCHOR: The A-13 Net is back on the air and it's going back - way
back - to its roots. The net, which is being organizd by the Advanced
Class Preservation Society, returns to 20m on Monday, July 11th. Instead
of being a formal net, it's going back to being the general roundtable it
had been at the very start. Be listening for Scott, W5URX, to kick things
off at 1700 UTC on 14.213 MHz.

Participants are holders of an Advanced Class license issued by the
United States FCC. The agency stopped issuing these licenses in the year
2000, but they are renewable.

Editor Paul Buescher, N8HHG, writes about the revival of the net in the
most recent A-13 Newsletter, saying [quote] "We will give this a try and
see how it works out. Please consider joining in the net and listen for future net days and times." [endquote]

According to the newsletter, the preservation society has 315 members in
50 states and two US territories.

(A-13 GROUP NEWSLETTER, LLOYD COLSTON KC5FM)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the KD2SL repeater
in Syracuse, New York on Mondays at 8 p.m. after the Fireside Chat Net.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

DIGITAL CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER

JIM/ANCHOR: Yet another amateur radio conference is taking place in person this year following COVID cancellations. Stephen Kinford, N8WB, gives us
those details.

STEPHEN: Hams interested in any and all forms of digital communication are welcome to attend the 41st ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference
in Charlotte, North Carolina, from September 16th to the 18th. In the meantime, organizers are looking for technical papers on such topics as digital satellite communications, digital signal processing, HF digital
modes. software defined radio, global positioning systems, peer-to-peer wireless networking and the role of homeland defense digital communications
in amateur radio. If you have expertise to share on these or other related subjects, you can submit your papers no later than September 1st to ARRL production coordinator Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB.

The three-day conference will be held at the Hilton Charlotte Airport
Hotel. Maty's address is m a t y at arrl.org (maty@arrl.org)

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

(ARRL)

**

PRESENTERS NEEDED FOR QSO TODAY VIRTUAL EXPO

JIM/ANCHOR: Preparations are already in the works for the next QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, and organizers are putting out a call for presenters.
Topics can be most amateur-radio related subjects worth sharing: an insight into technology, a skill, a ham radio project or invention - even a story.

The expo is being held on September 17th and 18th. According to an announcement by organizer Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, there will be a particular
effort to seek young active amateur radio operators as speakers.

For additional details about how to get involved, follow the link in the
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY: https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/speakercall.html ]

**

DIT DAH CW GANG CARRIES MESSAGE OF FRIENDSHIP

JIM/ANCHOR: There's more to Morse Code than just successfully logging QSOs, and few hams know that better than this next group. Randy Sly, W4XJ, tells
us about them.

RANDY: One of the things we experience each Field Day is that food,
fellowship and QSOs go together well for amateur radio operators. This
formula has also been followed for many years by a group in Michigan called the "Dit Dah CW Gang." Established by Ted Rachwal, K8AQM, Jeremy Downard, K8JAD and his father, Greg Downard, KE8CEW, the gang is an informal group
of CW operators who come together during the year for various events of the Straight Key Century Club as KS8KCC.

Ted told Amateur Radio Newsline that the friendships developed during those weekends and at other times is what draws amateurs from the region to join them. "Our plan," he said, "is to consume more calories than QSOs." But don’t let that fool you. As seasoned operators with a lot of power and
great antennas, they are always working pileups while on the air. In fact, when they call CQ they mean business! If you've already been fortunate
enough to be on the receiving end of one of their unique QSL cards, you'll recognize right away that the card's humorous but slightly menacing cartoon characters depicting different members of the "gang" can be quite
misleading: This is a decidedly friendly bunch that wants to hear from as
many operators as possible.

Since receiving their vanity call in 2016, the Dit Dah CW Gang has now been joined by other quasi-official clubs in all US call areas who obtained an SKCC-related call. So get out your straight key, dust off your bug and
listen for KS8KCC and its cousins during the next event.

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

(DIT DAH CW GANG)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Utah Amateur
Radio Club's W7SP repeater on Sundays as part of the club's 9 p.m. net.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

US LAB'S SOLAR CELL BREAKS EFFICIENCY RECORD

PAUL/ANCHOR: Scientists in a US military lab have announced that a newly developed solar cell has broken a record for efficiency. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, has more on that story.

KENT: You might call it the brightest world record under the sun. You
wouldn't be wrong, either: A US Department of Energy laboratory has
broken the record for solar-cell efficiency, creating a solar cell that
is 39.5 percent efficient under lighting conditions equivalent to that of
the sun.

The achievement was reported in a recent issue of the journal Joule. Scientists in the department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory are
also testing the solar cell for its usefulness in powering such devices
as communications satellites which require high cell efficiency. Under
those conditions, efficiency dropped somewhat to 34.2 efficiency.

Although a 41.1 efficiency has been reported with other experimental
solar cells, those levels were reached by cells using highly concentrated light.

In an article on the website Interesting Engineering, the principal investigator, Myles Steiner, said: [quote] "The new cell is more
efficient and has a simpler design that may be useful for a variety of
new applications, such as highly area-constrained applications or low- radiation space applications." [endquote]

For now, however, the bright light of promise is overshadowed by one
factor that cannot be overlooked: Production costs are prohibitive. Researchers are apparently working on that too.

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

(INTERESTING ENGINEERING)

**

SILENT KEY: MENTOR, EDUCATOR HERB COLEMAN, W4AVX

PAUL: The ham radio community in Alabama is grieving the loss of an
amateur who was considered an educator, an inspiration and a friend. The Birmingham Amateur Radio Club announced the death of Herb Coleman, W4AVX,
on July 18th. Licensed in 1953, Herb is credited with the establishment
of the first net for teenage amateurs in Alabama in 1955. He taught Morse
Code to many amateurs in the early 1960s and played a major role in
getting Birmingham's first 2m repeater on the air. A public posting on
the club's Facebook page said [quote] "He was a patient and encouraging
Elmer for many of us." [endquote]

We here at Newsline send our condolences.

(BIRMINGHAM AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

AMATEUR NUMBERS DECLINE IN AUSTRALIA

PAUL/ANCHOR: There are discouraging numbers reported for the amateur
radio population in Australia. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has that story.

GRAHAM: While hams are reported to be growing steadily in numbers in the United States and the UK, here in VK, the Australian amateur radio
population appears to be getting smaller. The Wireless Institute of
Australia, which issued the report on July 17th, cited no numbers or percentages of decline but said that during a recent board meeting,
members noted that the number of exams and licences had dropped. Figures
from the Ham Radio DX channel showed, however, that in early 2022, the
numbers stood at just over 13,400, down steadily over the years. In 2016, there were 14,619 licence holders.

This trend was noted just as the board announced it was preparing to
receive a batch of updated manuals for the Foundation licence level. The
board also made a commitment to continue working with ham radio
organisations around the world to ensure that Australian amateurs
visiting outside the country have expediated processing for their
applications to get temporary reciprocal licences.

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

(WIA, ARRL, HAMRADIODX PODCAST)

**

HF PROPAGATION PROJECT GOING FORWARD

PAUL/ANCHOR: A US project that makes use of sensors on satellites in very
low Earth orbit is looking for proposals that will help develop a better
way to predict HF propagation in the ionosphere in real-time. The program
is known as Ouija (wee-Jah) and is being undertaken by the Defense
Advanced Research Project Agency, or DARPA, which is part of the United
States military. The agency wants to monitor the ionosphere locally and continuously and believes that it will achieve its stated goal. The
program focuses on the section of the ionosphere that is between 125
miles and 185 miles in altitude, or 300 to 400 kilometers high. In
announcing the project this past spring, DARPA said a more predictable environment for communications will be an aid for military communication
which includes among its obstacles solar flares and the 11-year solar
cycle.

(IARU REGION I, SPACE.COM)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WB0QXW Repeater System in Saint Louis, Missouri on 145.210 Mhz Mondays after the World Friendship Net, beginning at 7 pm Central time.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

SILENT KEY: BEN HENLEY KI4IGX, LEADER IN FLORIDA EMERGENCY WORK

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A leader in emergency preparedness in the Florida amateur radio community has become a Silent Key. With those details, here's Jim Damron, N8TMW.

JIM: The amateur community in West Central Florida lost one of its
regional leaders recently. Ben Henley, KI4IGX, the former section
emergency coordinator for the ARRL, became a Silent Key on the 20th of
July. At the time of his death, Ben, who had congestive heart failure and ischemia, was awaiting a heart transplant.

Though he made his living in the field of information technology, he was deeply involved in his various emergency management roles that had
amateur radio at its core. Many of his initiatives stemmed from his work
as emergency management coordinator with Highlands County Emergency Management. He is credited for helping grow a partnership between that
office and Highlands County ARES. He also helped build a bridge between
three ARRL Florida Section ARES programs and the state's EOC for
emergency response.

Ben was 52 years old.

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

(ARRL)

**

APRS MAP SERVICE BECOMES MOTORIST RESOURCE IN NORWAY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There's a new option to help with navigating roads in
Norway and it's being provided through amateur radio. Ed Durrant, DD5LP,
brings us that story.

ED: In Norway, motorists and others needing information about accidents, construction projects and advisories on roads are now able to tap into a resource provided through amateur radio: The APRS map service operated by
the Norwegian Radio Relay League. According to a report from the league,
the amateur radio map service has integrated the data from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration into the APRS system. The messages are
categorized according to levels of urgency: low, high and highest. League members are able to get a user account enabling them to do limited
editing of map layers in the system.

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

(NRRL)

**

UK MAKES FAST TRACK TO FULL LICENSE AVAILABLE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There's a quicker way for hams in the UK to progress to
the top-tier license. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: The wait is over: Amateur licence candidates in the UK wishing to qualify immediately for a Full licence will be able to take the faster
track starting on the 1st January. This major change, which is being
called direct-to-full, has long been favoured within the amateur
community, according to surveys by the RSGB and Essex Ham.

The 75-question exam, which is in two parts, takes about 2 and a half
hours to complete. It will be available online but it is not yet clear
whether candidates may also sit for the test at a registered exam centre.
The test does not contain any practical assessments.

To clarify the process for candidates, Essex Ham has produced a video by
Pete, M0PSX, explaining that the exam is most suitable for individuals
who have a background in the RF field or some expertise in electronics
and don’t need the incremental steps through the two lower licence tiers. The syllabus for the direct-to-full is the same as for the traditional
licence path. Anyone may take the exam, including holders of Foundation
and Intermediate licences.

The cost of the direct-to-full exam has not yet been announced. To view
the Essex Ham video, find the link in the text version of this week's
newscast at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY:

https://www.essexham.co.uk/rsgb-launches-direct-to-full.html ]

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

(ESSEX HAM, RSGB)

**

BENDIGO CLUB ADDS FOCUS GROUP FOR FIELD WORK, EMERGENCY RESPONSE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Australia, one club has added a focus group
specializing on emergency response and field work. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW,
has that report.

JASON: The Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club is preparing for
the launch of its special interest group that focuses on field operations
and regional emergency support. The group will begin its activities when members meet on Friday, August 19th at the club hall in Bendigo, Victoria. According to an email from club president Neil, VK3ZVX, this is intended
to be a group that plans, prepares and trains for inevitable crises. The
first meeting will focus on "show and tell," allowing members to share
the equipment they have used in previous field operations such as Mills
on the Air, SOTA or parks activations. This includes any Go-Kits,
portable camping gear, solar panels and batteries.

Neil stressed that perfection is not required. In fact, he writes in his
email [quote] "Even if it is only a half-baked idea, a half-built project
or a pile of bits for one, bring it along and be prepared to explain it
if need be." [endquote] Neil said the point of the show-and-tell is to
obtain the widest range of ideas and inspiration.

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

(BAREC)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

SILENT KEY: JOHN DILKS, VK6CJW/M0CJW, FRIEND AND MENTOR

DON/ANCHOR: A well-known and well-regarded amateur in both
Australia and the UK has become a Silent Key. We hear more about
him from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: With regret it is announced that John Dilks, VK6CJW
(also M0CJW) is now silent key. He died on 29th July, aged 86 and
will be much missed on the air by his friends worldwide.

John was a character in the very best of amateur radio tradition.
He divided his time until recently between Perth in Western
Australia and his UK home near Newark. In his younger days, for
example, he took his whole family in a battered old van overland
through Europe, the Eastern Bloc countries, when travel was very
difficult, through the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka and beyond.
He was involved in many enterprises and international interests
and even politics. He would regale his adventures to amateur
clubs and others when invited to do so. He was to be found on HF
almost daily with VK when conditions allowed, and on repeaters
locally. He was also to be found at many radio rallies in the UK
with a keen following.

John was a good, dependable and loyal friend to many: always
happy to help and encourage, swap yarns and pass on his own tips.
He will be very much missed. Our condolences to his family and
friends.

Jeremy Boot, G4NJH

**

HAMFEST INDIA RETURNS WITH IN-PERSON EVENT

DON/ANCHOR: Hams in India have been waiting since 2019 for the
return of Hamfest India in person and it is now back on the
calendar. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, brings us that report.

JIM: The organising committee for Hamfest India has announced the
event's return on the 12th and 13th of November in Mysore,
Karnataka. As with so many other major amateur radio events, this well-attended event, which made its debut in India in 1991, had
not been held in person as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. K.
Shankar Prasad, VU2SPK, the event's general convenor, said the
committee is putting together an agenda and a website and both
should be available soon. The website is under development at www
dot hfi2022 dot com (www.hfi2022.com)

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(HAMFEST INDIA)

**

'TEAPOT' SPECIAL EVENT BREWING In WEST VIRGINIA

DON/ANCHOR: If special events are your cup of tea, try this one
in West Virginia. Jim Damron, N8TMW, tells us hams are ready to
serve.

JIM: Something's brewing in Chester, West Virginia: It's a
special event station celebrating a beloved local roadside symbol
which calls itself the World's Largest Teapot. Tea and QSOs will
be served starting August 8th through the 14th, in conjunction
with the local Teapot Festival that takes place in the northern
West Virginia community. Organized by the Hancock Auxcomm Team in
Hancock, West Virginia, this is very possibly the world's largest
tea party: Amateurs will be on the air with 1x1 call signs W0T
through W9T, and there will be a bonus station WV8HAT. Hams
contacting all 10 call signs will earn a certificate for a full
cup. Those working all 10 plus the bonus station are endorsed for
a full pot.

The roadside teapot itself is a former advertising symbol created
before World War II and before it gained its spout and handle, it
was a humble barrel that advertised a brand of root beer.
Standing 14 feet high, it is big enough to hold a colorful
history and this annual amateur radio ritual now marking sixth
year. As usual, however, you'll have to provide your own biscuits
and cakes.

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

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the WW8GM repeater of the General Motors Amateur Radio Club in
Detroit, Michigan on Saturdays at 9 p.m. local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

CANCER RECOVERY INSPIRES SPECIAL EVENT IN UK

NEIL/ANCHOR: Grateful for his recovery from prostate cancer, a
ham in the UK is operating a special event station to raise
awareness - and funds - for further research. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
brings us his story.

JEREMY: Writing on his blog, Andrew Brown, M0ONH, shares the
details of his early symptoms, diagnosis, surgery, treatment and
recovery from prostate cancer at age 41. His medical journey
began mid-2021 with visits to doctors to identify the source of
his symptoms. He had surgery last spring.

Andrew has been a ham since 2018 - hence his call sign suffix "O
N H" for "One New Ham." He began his blog as a way to encourage
others to join him in amateur radio. Now he is making use of
amateur radio to encourage others to do something more - be pro-
active in their own health care. He wants people to learn more
about prostate cancer and help raise funds for research.

Andrew has organised a special event station, GB8PCA, with the
support of three Essex clubs and Essex Ham. Activation takes
place on Saturday 13th August from 1100 to 1600 local time (GMT+
1); Monday 15th at 2000 during the Essex Ham Net on GB3DA, and on
Friday 19th at 2000 (all times local) during the TARG Club Net,
also on GB3DA. Listen as well for the special event station at
either Galleywood or at the Hackspace on Sunday 21st August from
1100 to 1600 local time.

Here's another reason to make contact: for every logged QSO using
the GB8PCA callsign, Andrew will donate �1 himself. If you cannot
contact him but want to support the cause, visit his JustGiving
Donation Page. You can read more about Andrew's story on his
blog. See the links for Andrew's blog and the Justgiving pages in
the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

[FOR PRINT ONLY: https://onenewham.uk/my-prostate-cancer-story/
and https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gb8pca]

(SOUTHGATE, ANDREW M0ONH BLOG)

**

PENNSYLVANIA CLUB MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY 'ABOARD' MARS ROVER

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams in one Pennsylvania club are celebrating a
relationship with the Mars rover that began 10 years ago. Randy
Sly, W4XJ, has those details.

RANDY: How do you celebrate a 10th anniversary? A Dinner? A
Party?

The Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club in Philadelphia decided to send
its club call, WM3PEN, on a long vacation that would take 255
days to get there. They teamed up with NASA’s Mars Science
Laboratory rover, Curiosity, to visit Bradbury Landing, on Mars.
The boarding pass was "purchased" on April 25, 2011 and Curiosity,
with their callsign on board, landed on the red planet in early
August, 2012.

Since the landing, Curiosity and WM3PEN have travelled nearly 18
miles searching for the perfect location for the Dxpedition.

The folks at WM3PEN also thought it would be a good trip to team
up with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (J-P-L) since they decided
to make it a CW event. To help measure size and distance, the
JPL engineers carved out the dots and dashes of the letters J-P-L
in the tire treads. How could a ham argue with a CW buddy along
for the ride?

NASA reports that engineers are devising ways to minimize wear
and tear and keep the rover rolling: In fact, Curiosity's mission
was recently extended for another three years.

When asked what's next for the WM3PEN team, callsign trustee Bob
Josuweit, WA3PZO, said that after just coming off Field Day and
the 13 Colonies Special Event in June and July, it will be time
to relax before planning the next adventure.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.

(BOB JOSUWEIT, WA3PZO)

**

ARDC GRANT PROVIDES STEM, TECH SCHOLARSHIPS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Four students at a private university in the United
States will receive full one-year scholarships for their studies
in the fields of science and technology with the help of a grant
from Amateur Radio Digital Communications. The $200,000 grant
will fund their studies as well as their involvement in related
activities. It will also cover the cost of producing programs on
the university's FM radio station highlighting scholars involved
in STEM topics. This financial gift is especially significant
because the private college in the state of Virginia houses a
School of Engineering and Technology that has a strong commitment
to recruiting women and African Americans to study for research
careers in engineering and materials science fields.

(ARDC)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

FINNISH HAM RADIO PUBLICATIONS GO DIGITAL

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With amateurs around the world going digital ON the
air, it would stand to reason that increasing numbers of publishers of
amateur radio media are opting to go digital OFF the air. Ed Durrant,
DD5LP, tells us about a magazine in Finland that is the latest to make
this change.

ED: The Finnish Amateur Radio Association has recognised that even
amateurs who don't operate with the digital modes might still want to
go digital when it comes to reading material about radio. The SRAL now
allows its members the option of receiving their magazines in a digital
format sent via email instead of waiting for the postal carrier to
deliver it. This follows the lead of a number of amateur radio
societies around the world who have already made that shift, including
the ARRL in the United States with its QST and On the Air magazines,
and the Radio Society of Great Britain with RadCom. Members of the
Finnish society are being given the option of receiving both the paper
and digital edition. An SRAL survey of members showed that 37 percent
of association members were strongly interested in a digital
publication. That bodes well for the society's budget: Digital
distribution is expected to reduce costs of producing the magazine,
which the association considers one of its biggest expenses.

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(SOUTHGATE)

**

AUTOMAKERS LOSE COURT BATTLE OVER 5.9 GHz BAND

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: It was a case of use it or lose it for the US auto
industry, which has lost its fight to retain a larger allocation of the
5.9 GHz band for wireless safety features in vehicles. Kent Peterson,
KC0DGY, has that story.

KENT: A federal court in Washington, D.C., has decided against US
automakers who had asked the US Federal Communications Commission to
restore its previously allocated frequencies on the 5.9 GHz band for
use by wireless safety technology known as vehicle-to-vehicle. The
court ruled on Friday August 12th that the V2V technology had not been deployed in commercially marketed vehicles and that much of the
spectrum was needed for Wi-Fi. In 2020, the FCC reallocated part of the
5.9GHz spectrum from V2V technology so it could be available for
unlicensed devices using Wi-Fi.

The court denied the challenge to that reallocation by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, arguing that the court was
unconvinced that sufficient advances had been made in V2V technology.
The FCC told the court that 30MHz of spectrum remained available for
these so-called intelligent transportation systems and the agency
considered that enough.

This is Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(US CIRCUIT COURT, WASHINGTON D.C.; THE VERGE)

**

A CENTURY OF PROUD CHALLENGES FOR WISCONSIN AMATEUR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There are always new challenges for ham radio operators
who are on the lookout for the next big thing to learn. Perhaps no one
knows that better than this Wisconsin amateur. He celebrated his 100th birthday this summer. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, has his story.

RALPH: In true amateur radio spirit, the learning hasn't stopped for
Arden Nelson, KA9WAR. He trained to fly military aircraft in the Army
Air Corps during World War II and 79 years ago this month he soloed a
PT-19 in Ballinger, Texas. He also learned to communicate using CW.
Although he regrets not having stayed with that mode when he became an
amateur radio operator 37 years ago, Arde - who turned 100 years old on
July 2nd - hasn't avoided conquering other modes since then. He devotes
three to four hours a day listening to the radio and trying to score
some good DX. He told Newsline in an email that with the assistance of
Dwight, NS9I, he made the leap into the digital realm and is active now
making contacts using FT-8.

Few hams could have been happier recently than Lou, N2CYY, who logged
an FT8 contact with him in his New Jersey shack on the 13th of August.
He was happy to learn his new friend had recently become a centenarian.
Even without making radio contact with him, however, other local hams
are sharing that joy: Fellow members of the Marinette and Menominee
Amateur Radio Club honored Arden recently with a birthday celebration
and a picnic at a local park.

There, fortunately, the only challenge he faced was cutting - and
eating - the cake.

This is Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(ARDE NELSON KA9WAR, PESHTIGO TIMES, LOU N2CYY)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

ROMANIAN STUDENTS RETURN FROM 4-DAY SOTA EXPEDITION

JIM/ANCHOR: Students in an amateur radio club in Romania have returned home with full hearts and full logbooks after four days of activating the countryside's beautiful mountains. More on their trip from Ed Durrant,
DD5LP.

ED: Accompanied by their teacher Adrian YO5IA, and other mentors, a group
of young amateurs from the school radio club YO6KGS in Romania set out from Râciu Village in late July for their latest adventure, a four-day SOTA expedition in the Giumalau Mountains. After watching demonstrations by
Csaba, YO6PIB, and Eva, YO6EVA, who activated their first summit, Giumalău Peak, the students joined them on 20m and 17m. Ranging in age from 12 to
20, many of the students had gone on previous activations with the school
club and their advisors. Mihaela, YO5MCM, could not be there in person this time but made sure to chase the group from her QTH in Cluj about 200 km
away. There was also a family reunion, ham radio style, as Nico YO6YLJ,
made a summit-to-summit contact with his father, Mihai YO6SM, who was operating from Norway using the call sign LB9HI. Mihai was able to give the other students their chance for a summit-to-summit contact too. Everyone
spent comfortable nights in a mountain cottage and by the final night they
had earned some bragging rights: The whole team had activated Giumalău summit, YO/EC-007, and logged summit-to-summit QSOs from Muncel, YO/EC-527,
to Giumalău on VHF and UHF. Daria YO6CDC wrote in her online diary that
until the next time: [quote] "We have the radio waves, the contests, the radioclub where we meet, while the memories last forever." [endquote]

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(ADRIAN YO5IA)


**

TOP HONORS FOR CALIFORNIA AMATEUR'S DOCUMENTARY AT LOS ANGELES FILM FEST

JIM/ANCHOR: A documentary film celebrating the spirit of invention has just won top honors at a Los Angeles Film Festival. Not surprisingly, the film's creative team included a ham. We hear more from Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

MIKE: "Pathways to Invention," a newly released documentary film directed
and coproduced by a Santa Barbara, California amateur radio operator, has
been chosen as Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards. Levi C. Maaia, K6LCM, is both a teacher and a tinkerer who believes that technology can be a driving force to power education. A proponent of the Maker movement, Levi and his production partner Noah G.
Mark follow 10 emerging innovators on their journeys to become inventors.
The film was made with the support of the Lemelson Foundation. At the festival, the film also received awards for best producer, best original
music score and best director of a documentary feature. The film is to premiere this year.

Levi has been active on the education committee of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. He is also a life member of AMSAT and a board member of the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club.

I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

(LEVI C. MAAIA, K6LCM)

**

INDIAN AMATEURS MARK NATION'S 75 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

JIM/ANCHOR: India has just marked its 75 years of independence and hams
have been busy celebrating on the air. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us some of
the ways they're marking the occasion.

JIM: Amateurs throughout India and beyond have been marking that nation's
75 years of independence with special event stations and commemorative
nets. Special event station AT75CW will be on the air using CW from
September 1st trough October 2nd from northern India. Rajesh, VU2CW, is the same operator who activated AT75RADIO earlier this month on SSB.

Meanwhile, the Indian YL Net on the India Conference Server on Echolink
marked the nation's independence with a series of guest net control
operators during the week of Monday, August 15th. Guests net controllers on this daily net included Dr. S. Sathyapal, VU2FI, director of the Indian Institute of Hams, using the call sign AU75IIH, and Omprakash Khiyani,
VU2KOC, who runs a popular net in India. He used the call sign AU75KOC.

India officially marked its independence on Monday, August 15th.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(QRZ, INDIAN YL NET)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

PRISON FOR RADIO AMATEUR AND HIS SON CONVICTED IN ASSAULTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: A judge in England has convicted a radio amateur and his son
for assaults going back several decades. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has more on
that story.

JEREMY: An amateur radio operator and his son have been sentenced to
prison following their convictions on rape and indecent assault charges
that date back to the 1980s and 1990s.

A report on ITV.COM identified the men as Arthur William Bowditch, 73
years of age, and his son, Arthur Stephen Bowditch, age 54.

The father was well-known among hams in the Summits on the Air programme,
and was identified on the SOTA reflector as having the callsign G4WSB.

Both men will become registered sex offenders for the remainder of their lives. William Bowditch received a 21-year extended sentence. He will be
given 20 years in custody followed by a one-year extended licence.
Stephen Bowditch received a sentence of 12 years in prison.

A note on the QRZ.com page for G4WSB marked him "QRT."

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(ITV.COM, SOTA REFLECTOR)

**

ROUTE 66 SPECIAL EVENT KICKS OFF ON SEPT. 10TH

NEIL/ANCHOR: Lyrics for the old American rhythm and blues song advises
people to "get your kicks on Route 66," but for hams, that doesn't
necessarily involve the thrill of automobile travel. The 23rd annual
Route 66 on the Air Special Event will take care of any and all such
adventure by getting on the air celebrating the famous United States
highway that travels between east and west, crossing eight states and
three time zones. Twenty-two stations using one-by-one callsigns will be activated at locations along the iconic highway, using CW, SSB, and the digital modes. This event was created by the Northern Arizona DX
Association but is now run by the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club. Three
of the 22 stations are being operated by the Northern Arizona Association.

So start listening on September 10th. The event runs through to September
18th at 23:59 UTC. Come along for the ride!

(CITRUS BELT AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

STARLINK SATELLITES TO ASSIST T-MOBILE SERVICE IN US "DEAD ZONES"

NEIL/ANCHOR: Mobile phones in the United States could start behaving like satellite phones under an agreement the carrier T-Mobile has reached with SpaceX Starlink. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, has that report.

KENT: T-Mobile and the Starlink satellite internet service are calling
the plan "Coverage Above and Beyond." At a recent press event the two companies announced a plan to help T-Mobile customers avoid service dead
zones by creating a connection in underserved areas between mobile phones
and satellites. The connection is to provide a total of between 2 and 4 megabits per second across the area for users of 5G mobile service. A T-
mobile press release said the service is entering beta testing next year
and will be available in the continental US, parts of Alaska, Hawaii,
Puerto Rico and US territorial waters. The satellite connection is being called sufficient for texting, MMS messaging and some messaging apps when
the users have a clear view of the sky.

This is Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(THE VERGE, T-MOBILE, SOTA REFLECTOR)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N8NC repeater
of the North Coast Amateur Radio Club in Brunswick, Ohio on Sundays, at 8
p.m. during the weekly information net.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

CONNECTICUT CW CLUB HOSTS FIRST CONTEST

PAUL/ANCHOR: Whoever said that fresh beginnings can't be fun probably
didn't belong to this small but growing group of CW enthusiasts. Randy
Sly, W4XJ, tells us about them.

RANDY: You don't have to live in the state of Connecticut to be a member
of the Connecticut CW Club but yes, it helps if you enjoy sending and receiving Morse Code. Members are going to get that chance in a big way
this month: The club is having its inaugural CW contest starting on
September 17th at 1200 UTC and ending September 18th at the same time. To participate and qualify for a certificate, you need to join the club --
and membership is free! Members have already signed up from North
Carolina, California, Arkansas, New Hampshire and yes.....Connecticut.

Operators who have the three highest scores - and the operator who makes
the longest-distance QSO - will receive certificates.

According to its website, the club has other goals too: sharing portable operations, including SOTA and POTA, having biweekly social meet-ups and teaching newcomers the ins and outs of CW. The group's meetings are held
in person and in Zoom so members who don't live locally can still attend.
See the website ctcw dot club (ctcw.club) for details.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.

(CONNECTICUT CW CLUB)

**

AMATEUR RADIO MENTORS TRAIN CANDIDATES ON INDIA'S 'TEACHERS DAY'

PAUL/ANCHOR: In India, where the birthday of the nation's second
president is celebrated as Teachers' Day, amateur radio educators marked
the occasion with a half-day training session for young license
candidates. John Williams, VK4JJW, has the details.

JOHN: In the spirit of a national holiday that honours mentors and
educators, 35 students at Sodepur High School in Kolkata, India attended
a practical class on electronics and amateur radio in preparation for
testing for their licences. The course was offered by the Indian Academy
of Communication and Disaster Management, an organisation founded at the school in 2010 with the help of the West Bengal Radio Club.

Nearly four hours of classes were conducted in the spirit of Teachers'
Day, a holiday marking September 5th, 1888, the birthdate of Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, a scholar, professor and philosopher who was elected
president of India in 1962.

The classes were taught by Pasupati Mandal, VU3ODQ, Dipak Chakraborty,
VU3OKT, and Rinku Nag Biswas, VU2JFB, the secretary of the Indian amateur organisation. The students are expected to sit for their licence tests
soon.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(INDIAN ACADEMY OF COMMUNICATION AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT)

**

BRAZIL REPORTS HIGHEST NUMBER OF HAMS ON AIR

PAUL/ANCHOR: The numbers have brought good news to the amateur radio
community in Brazil, where the figures show there are even more hams this
year than previously. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, picks up the story from here.

JEREMY: More amateurs than ever are on the air in Brazil and most of them
are Class C entry level operators, according to a recent study by the The
Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de R��dio Emiss��o, the national amateur radio society. The organisation used data provided by the nation's regulator, ANATEL, and analysed by Ricardo Benedito, PY2QB.

The data shows that this year's amateur radio ranks grew by 2.2 percent
over last year, with more than 40,000 now holding a radio licence. The
state with the most hams is S�o Paulo, where more than 10,000 amateurs
reside. Likewise, the city of S�o Paulo has the most amateurs among
Brazilian cities - with 2,430 operators - followed by Rio de Janeiro,
which has 1,521.

The number of stations also grew, according to the data: There were about 60,000 stations in 2021. The number is now in excess of 63,000, counting repeaters, mobile, fixed, beacons and terrestrial stations - with more
than 17,000 of them in the state of Sao Paulo.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(LABRE, SOUTHGATE)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

RSGB CANCELS JUBILEE ACTIVITIES AFTER QUEEN'S DEATH

DON/ANCHOR: In Great Britain, Jubilee activities have been halted on the
air during the somber time following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, is here with that report.

JEREMY: The Radio Society of Great Britain has halted its Jubilee
activities as a mark of respect for the Queen following her death. The
Society has updated its website to reflect this, and has cancelled its Innovation 70 award for creative and innovative design. Meanwhile, amateurs who collected QSOs for the Jubilee Award 70 during the month of June may
still apply for the award before the 31st of October. See the RSGB website
for details at rsgb.org.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

ACCESS TO 60M BAND GROWS ON AFRICAN CONTINENT

DON/ANCHOR: An increasing number of hams are getting access to 60 meters, including the latest group of nations in southern Africa. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, brings us that report.

JASON: Hams in various parts of southern Africa have gained access to the
60 metre band recently. The South African Radio League reports that South Africa is permitted the range of frequencies from 5.350.0 to 5.450.0 MHz on
a non-interference basis at a maximum output power of 100 watts EIRP and
5.290 MHz for WSPR beacons. Namibia, eSwatini, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe have been given the WRC-15 allocation from 5.351.5 to 5.366.5 MHz with 15W EIRP. Kenya has 5.275 MHz to 5.450 MHz on a secondary basis with 400 watts. The league wrote on its Facebook page that it is still awaiting official confirmation from Botswana, Lesotho, Angola, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania.

This is Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(FACEBOOK SARL)

**

GERMANY PROPOSES ENTRY LEVEL AMATEUR CLASS LICENSE

DON/ANCHOR: There may be big changes ahead in Germany later this year for people hoping to get an entry-level amateur license. We learn more from
Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Germany is hoping to make it easier for people to get involved in amateur radio by adding a third class of licence at the entry level, with
low power and restricted operations. Germany's Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport said in a press release that the proposed N-class licence would have a greatly simplified test concentrating on regulations, operations and basic technology. Germany's other two classes are the A, or Full class, and the E, which is Novice - or intermediate - class.

A report on the ICQ podcast noted that N class licensees will have access
to 2m and 70cm, using no more than 10 watts EIRP. Ronny Jerke, DG2RON, said
in the report that the beginner class is designed to comply with
international requirements. N class holders will also be permitted to use hotspots and other radio devices they have built themselves.

According to the Federal Ministry, the new regulation could be in place as early as November of this year.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(ICQ PODCAST, FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR DIGITAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Elmore County Amateur Radio Club's K7ECI repeater in Mountain Home, Idaho on Wednesdays
at 8 p.m. local time.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

YOUTH ON THE AIR TO GO CAMPING IN CANADA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Organizers have just announced that campers attending next
year's Youth on the Air camp in the Americas will be packing their bags
for a northern location. Jack Parker, W8ISH, has the details.

JACK: The Youth on the Air Camp, which was held in West Chester, Ohio,
for its first two years, is moving north to Canada for its third year.
The camp will be able to host as many as 30 young amateurs from North,
Central and South America on the campus of Carleton University in
Ontario, Canada. Applications will be accepted starting December 1st and
any amateur radio operators in the Americas who are between the ages of
15 and 25 are welcome to apply. Prospective campers who do not live in
Canada are being encouraged to apply for passports and tourist visas in
time to enable them to enter the country to attend camp.

Youngsters who attended previous sessions of Youth on the Air camp will
return to serve as leaders. Top priority for admission will go to first-
time attendees and youngsters who reside outside the United States.

The camp will take place from July 16th through to the 21st with Radio Amateurs of Canada serving as the local host.

For additional details, visit the camp's web page at YouthOnTheAir dot
org (YouthOnTheAir.org)

This is Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP)

**

VOICE OF AMERICA SITE MARKS 78TH ANNIVERSARY

PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, there are still big things happening in West
Chester, Ohio, which had been the host of the youth camp for the past
two years. Remembering the site's importance as a Voice of America relay station, hams are activating a special event station to mark its
important anniversary. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, brings us that report.

NEIL: Where it once carried vital news to people in South America,
Europe and Africa during troubled times in the world, the Voice of
America Bethany Relay Station in West Chester, Ohio, is now carrying a
message of celebration. Members of the West Chester Amateur Radio
Association, WC8VOA, which is housed at the VOA museum on the relay
station site, will be marking the 78th anniversary of the relay station
during a special event station on September 24th and 25th. VOA sent its
first news reports and programs out to the world from that former Ohio
farmers field in July of 1944 and continued to do so until the
transmitter went silent in 1994.

For the special event, hams will be using the club callsign and calling
QRZ using CW, SSB and the digital modes. The station will begin
operation at 12:00 UTC on Saturday and will go QRT at 00:00 UTC on
Sunday. Be listening on 15, 20 and 40 meters. Hams making contacts will
be eligible for a downloadable certificate from the club website. See
the *WC8VOA* page on QRZ.com for details.

I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(JOCELYN BRAULT, KD8VRX/VA2VRX)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
K7MMA repeater in Spokane, Washington on Fridays at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

TENNESSEE AMATEURS DONATE RADIO BOOKS TO LIBRARY

JIM/ANCHOR: Nothing can compare with the gift of knowledge and that's
what a group of hams in Tennessee recently gave to their local library -
ham radio knowledge, of course. Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, picks up the story
from here.

SKEETER: The Andrew Johnson Amateur Radio Club may not have written the
book on amateur radio but its members recently showed they know how to
share the wealth of radio knowledge contained in some valuable volumes.
The Tennessee club has donated a collection of new and used ham radio-
related volumes to the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library.

A press release from the club said the gift was part of the group's
mission to provide community service and advocate for radio knowledge and education. The group thanked the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Greene
County for a $500 donation that helped the club compile the book
collection. The books were presented to the library by president Ian
Bible KE4EAC and secretary/treasurer Larry Whiteside, KN4MVH.

The books include "Ham Radio for the New Ham," by Stan W. Merrill; two
copies of "Ham Radio for Dummies," by H. Ward Silver and "The World of
Ham Radio, 1901-1950: A Social History." For tinkerers there is "Antique
Radio Restoration Guide," by David Johnson; and "Antique Radio Repair and Restoration," (4th edition) by Alfred Corbin, which discusses vacuum tube radios. A number of ARRL publications are also in the collection,
including a digital handbook and a license manual.

This is Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

(THE GREENEVILLE SUN)

**

AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS INVITE THE WORLD TO PORTABLE EVENT

JIM/ANCHOR: A club in New South Wales, Australia, has big plans for some outdoor operation - and everyone is invited. John Williams, VK4JJW, tells
how you can attend.

JOHN: The Central Coast Amateur Radio Club in New South Wales is hoping everyone can join them at their next outing, a portable-op-and-picnic
event. Yes, this means hams in Europe. This also means hams in North
America. The club is setting up a big festive gathering on the 15th of
October at Terrigal Haven on Australia's South Pacific coastline where
members will socialize with one another while promoting amateur radio to strangers. Of course, if there is an ocean or a continent - or both - in
the way of your being there, that's no excuse for not participating.
Starting at 11:30 a.m. local time and going through at least until 4
p.m., radio operators at the outing will have a path on 20M into New
Zealand, North America and as the day wears on, signals will be favoured
into Europe. Listen for the club call signs VK2AFW and VK2WFD.

As with any picnic and any radio activation, everyone will keep an eye on
the weather -- terrestrial as well as solar.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(CCARC)

**

ACMA SEEKS INPUT ON NEW LICENCE CLASS

JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, as Newsline went to production, the Australian Communications and Media Authority announced it was asking for amateurs
to comment on the proposed class licence for non-assigned amateur and
outpost stations. The ACMA is also reviewing issues related to higher-
power operations. This process is part of the ACMA's ongoing five-year spectrum review. The ACMA website at acma dot gov dot au (acma.gov.au) is accepting submissions until the close of business on the 29th of
November.

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
heard on bulletin stations around the world including D-STAR Reflector
91C on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. local time in Melbourne, Australia.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)

FISTS CW CLUB PREPS FOR QSO PARTY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: October is also a big month for CW enthusiasts and one
club in the UK has picked a date for a big but very informal get-
together. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: Members of the FISTS CW Club in the UK know that you don't need a reason to declare it's time for a QSO Party. So organisers have declared
the 22nd of October as the date for the club's official autumn gathering.
The FISTS website says [quote] "This is simply an opportunity to rekindle
old friendships and make new ones." [endquote] This means that nonmembers
and radio ops who send QRS are just as welcome as are FISTS regulars. The
QSO party takes place on that date between 1900 and 2359 UTC.

As the club points out on its website, this is an activity that won't
help anyone score points or add another certificate to their ever-growing collection - but on the other hand, you might just make some new friends.
The website offers a few more encouraging words by adding: [quote]:
"Let's wheel out the homebrew, the military gear, the old stuff and the
new and let's just chat to each other." [endquote]

Details are available at fists dot co dot uk (fists.co.uk)

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

**

SKCC SEEKS DESIGNS FOR ANNIVERSARY QSL CARD

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Another group of CW enthusiasts has reached out to its
members to showcase a talent that doesn't require a straight key, cootie
or bug -- just perhaps some pen, ink and a little imagination. Kevin
Trotman, N5PRE, has that report.

KEVIN: The Straight Key Century Club is asking its members to call upon a skill that requires a good hand and a good eye instead of a good fist and
a good ear. The club is preparing for activities marking the 17th
anniversary of its founding -- and that means it needs a new and unique
QSL card for a special event. Every year the SKCC designates January as Straight Key Month and starting on the 2nd of January, operators get on
the air using the special event call sign K3Y.

Members have until the 14th of December to submit their designs and then
the club gets to vote on the submissions, which are displayed on the
event webpage. The design with the most votes becomes the design of the official K3Y QSL card and many of the others become part of the SKCC
print calendar for 2023.

No, it's not too early to start thinking about 2023 or this special
event. If you're a club member who likes to design QSL cards - or if you
want to try - this is your chance. Designers are permitted to submit
their cards from previous competitions in the hopes of making it to the
top this year. For details, see the link the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[PRINT ONLY: https://skccgroup.com/k3y/k3y-qsl-vote.php ]

This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(SKCC)

**

1st WOMAN TO LEAD ITU IS AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Members of the ITU have chosen their next leader and
she's not just the first woman - she's a ham. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, has
details.

DAVE: The International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations
agency that coordinates telecommunications operations globally, has
elected an amateur radio operator from the US as its new secretary-
general. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, KD2JTX, will be the first woman to hold
that office when she succeeds Houlin Zhao on January 1st.

Her campaign page on the US Department of State website lists her deep involvement with the ITU, most recently as director of the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. The website listed her
accomplishments in bringing about upgrades that better embrace digital advances, and that her work in the role supported global efforts to
promote school connectivity and greater involvement of youth. Under her leadership, the ITU focused on giving youth more of a voice in strategy
and programs.

She posted on her Twitter account on September 19th: [quote] "Immensely
proud to be the first woman ever elected to the post of ITU Secretary-
General. We've finally smashed a 157-y.o. glass ceiling! -- and I hope
this result inspires women and girls everywhere to dream big and make
those dreams a reality!"

Her rival for the post was Rashid Ismailov of Russia, who lost in a vote
of 139 votes to 25.

This is Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(US DEPT OF STATE, BBC NEWS)

**

DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR CLUB GRANT PROGRAM

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: This is a reminder that there is a little less than one
month left for interested clubs to apply to the ARRL Foundation Club
Grant Program. Deadline for applications is November 4th. The program is
run with the help of a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications
and allows clubs to expand such programs as those focused on education
and training, especially new radio amateurs. A total of $500,000 is
available to clubs and as much as $25,000 can be provided to any one club
for a worthy project. Ham clubs requiring more than that amount are being asked to apply directly to the ARDC.

Additional details about the ARRL program can be found at the link in the
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[PRINT ONLY: arrl.org/club-grant-program ]

(ARRL)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)