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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2265 for Friday March 26 2021
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2265 for Friday March 26 2021
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2265 with a release date of Friday
March 26 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A leader in the shortwave radio community dies in a
fire. A first time Dxpedition is in the works -- and our April Fool's
correspondent, Pierre Pullinmyleg, is back. All this and more as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2265 comes your way right now.
***
BILLBOARD CART
**
SHORTWAVE-LISTENING LEADER GEORGE ZELLER DIES IN FIRE
JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week marking the tragic death of a well-known
member of the shortwave-listening community. Stephen Kinford N8WB tells us
about this leader among radio hobbyists.
STEPHEN: The world of shortwave-listening enthusiasts has lost one of its
long time leaders tragically in a house fire in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cleveland.com said the victim was George Zeller. George was a radio hobbyist
since the early 1960s and spent decades reporting on hundreds of pirate
radio operators and other shortwave stations. His column had an active
following in "The Journal," the monthly publication of the North American
Short Wave Association. He was a contributing editor to a number of other
radio publications and was a longtime contributor to the publication of the
Association of Clandestine Radio Enthusiasts. George was also a popular host
of the pirate radio forum at the annual Winter SWL Fest since its early
years.
His reputation earned him an induction into the North American Pirate Radio
Hall of Fame in 2011. His personal website, georgezeller.com, gives the
details of what he considered his best QSL verification letter in all his
years of radio listening: It was a confirmation from the FCC that he'd
copied the enforcement action on the air of WHBH radio in February of 1990.
By profession George was an economist who carefully watched his home state's
financial health and was quoted often in the mainstream media. His other
love was sports, particularly baseball and football. According to the
Cleveland.com website, the fire department determined that the blaze was set
off by an overloaded extension cord. George Zeller was 71 years old.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB.
(SWLReport, THE FREE RADIO NET WEBSITE, CLEVELAND.COM)
**
FCC GRANTS CONTINUED ACCESS BETWEEN 3.3–3.45 GHz
JIM/ANCHOR: There's good news for hams who enjoy operations on the
frequencies between 3.3 and 3.45 GHz. Amateur radio operators may continue
using this segment of the band indefinitely. The FCC's announcement this
month is seen by many, including the ARRL, as an alternative to ham radio's
removal from the entire band. It also adds 50 more MHz than the FCC's
original proposal for amateurs' secondary operations on the band.
Meanwhile, auctions seeking commercial 5G buyers have begun for frequencies
between 3.45 and 3.55 GHZ and amateurs have been told to cease secondary
operation in the 3.45 – 3.50 GHz band 90 days after public notice is given
that the auction has closed and licensing has commenced. The FCC has
identified 3.45 GHZ as the frequency at which the band will be split. Hams
will continue to operate in the band's lower frequencies while the FCC
reviews whether or not to reallocate that part of the spectrum later.
(FCC, ARRL)
**
HAMS IN UK GET PREVIEW OF NEW LICENSE DOCUMENT
JIM/ANCHOR: The amateur radio license is getting a new look in the UK and
hams there are getting a sneak peek. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us more.
JEREMY: Hams in the UK can get a preview of what the new amateur radio
licence will look like by visiting the website of Ofcom. It is available
there in draft form and comments are being accepted until the 18th of April.
The new licence will become effective on the 18th of May and contains a
number of changes, including details about Electromagnetic Field exposure
compliance. The EMF wording has been somewhat controversial among some
amateurs who consider its inclusion unnecessary. Ofcom have also opted to
delete the reference to the old Full Reciprocal licence that was abolished
in 2016.
See the printed version of this script at arnewsline.org to find the URL
where you can download a PDF of the draft licence or to submit your
comments.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: New draft licence https://www.ofcom.org.uk/
__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/214116/emf-draft-amateur-licence-terms-and-
conditions.pdf Comment submissions:
https://ofcomforms.secure.force.com/formentry/SitesFormLicensingEMFEnquiry]
(OFCOM)
**
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 807s and 6146s.
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
**
BREAK HERE: Tme for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K6TZ
repeater in Santa Barbara California on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. local time.
**
NETS OF NOTE: THE FOOD NET
JIM/ANCHOR: Our occasional series, Nets of Note, turns to another popular
obsession among amateur radio operators. You guessed it: food. Here's Paul
Braun WD9GCO.
PAUL: This time on “Nets Of Note,ö we bring you the Food Net, started by
Daryl Stout, WX4QZ. As evidenced by the fact that any time a group of hams
get together, there will be food involved, this is one net that should
appeal to all of us. I asked Stout to tell me more.
STOUT: Food Net was founded on the premise that “H.A.M.ö stands for “Have
Another Mealö and you don't call us Late For Dinner. And on some nets when
some hams talk about what’s cooking invariably one will chime in with
something like, “I'll be there in 5 minutes!!"
Before COVID-19, food was a major part of hamfests and Field Day and
hopefully these activities will be able to resume.
The net itself discusses cuisines, recipes, meals, cooking methods, et
cetera. The bottom line is that everyone has to eat.
One ham said his wife marinated pork chops in an Instant Pot with Coca-Cola
and cooking them. He said they were the best pork chops he had ever eaten.
The Net meets on the Quadnet Array on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 4PM
Eastern. For details go to https://openquad.net for connection options via
D-Star, DMR, WIRES-X, and Fusion.
PAUL: The next net will be on Saturday, April 17th. Stout said that if you
go to the website referenced on his QRZ page, you can find spreadsheets with
information on many other nets that he’s involved with.??Now, please excuse
me while I go eat dinner. For Amateur Radio Newsline, Iöm Paul Braun,
WD9GCO.
**
HAMS TO ASSIST AT POLLING STATIONS IN REMOTE AREAS
JIM/ANCHOR: In West Bengal, India, amateurs will be bringing their radios to
some polling stations at election time. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us why.
JIM M: Just as they did in 2016 and 2019, amateur radio operators in West
Bengal, India are assisting at polling stations in remote locations to help
with reporting votes to the Election Commission. The commission has accepted
the offer from the West Bengal Radio Club to relay results in areas lacking
a strong mobile communications network. The hams' involvement recently won
approval from the Wireless Planning and Communication Wing of the Department
of Telecommunications located within the Ministry of Communications. Amateur
radio is regulated by the ministry. According to club secretary Ambarish Nag
Biswas VU2JFA, 30 hams will be deployed to a total 130 polling stations in
the Sunderbans area which is a remote part of Bengal. They will be using the
special call sign AU2ECI between March 29th through to April 1st. All the
participants assisting with communications have received training from the
Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster Management. Votes are to be
counted on May 2nd.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA, TIMES OF INDIA, MILLENNIUM POST)
**
SUMMIT AWARD SCHEME EXPANDS TO SOUTHERN GERMANY
JIM/ANCHOR: If you're hearing this newscast this in southern Germany, get
ready for a new operating challenge coming your way starting April 5th. Ed
Durrant DD5LP has those details.
ED: The mountain award scheme known as HEMA is about to arrive in southern
Germany. Created 10 years ago in the UK, it appeals to hams interested in
the range of operating challenges that exist between the Global Mountain
Award and Summits on the Air schemes. In fact, HEMA hams are more interested
in achieving interesting contacts with or between summits than merely
collecting points. Inclusion of the new Alpine "DL" area means that any hams
interested in getting their first contact as a chaser or activator should be
near their radios on Easter Monday, the 5th of April onwards. For rules, see
the HEMA webpage at hema dot org dot uk (hema.org.uk)/ where you can
register and access the spotting page. Then, keep your eye out for
activations of those newly authorised summits.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm HEMA DL coordinator Ed Durrant DD5LP.
**
SOYUZ ROCKET DEPLOYS NEW AMATEUR SATELLITES
JIM/ANCHOR: Fourteen new amateur radio satellites are in orbit following
their launch on March 22nd from Kazakhstan. They were deployed by a Soyuz
rocket. All are operating on bands allocated to the amateur satellite
service and have been coordinated by the IARU Satellite Frequency
Coordination Panel. Three other satellites launched with them — KMSL from
Korea, UNISAT-7 and WildTrackCube-Simba from the University of Rome — do not
have amateur missions.
(SOUTHGATE, AMSAT-UK)
**
HAM HELPS JAILED MAN RETURN HOME TO NEPAL
JIM/ANCHOR: For some hams, community service doesn't always involve using a
radio. In India, one leader in the ham radio community called on his skills
in the legal profession to help a man find freedom. Jason Daniels VK2LAW
brings us that story.
JASON: A citizen of Nepal is a free man after four decades in jail in India
thanks to assistance from an amateur radio operator who served as his
attorney. Hirak Sinha VU3ZHG successfully argued before the Kolkata High
Court to allow the repatriation and return of the man who had been held in
Darjeeling on murder charges since the age of 21. The man is now 62 years
old. The court released him in the presence of his brother and officials of
the Nepalese Consulate after a mental health examination confirmed he was
not fit to stand trial. Hirak Sinha is vice president of the West Bengal
Radio Club.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
(TIMES OF INDIA, AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA)
**
WORLD OF DX
A special event is commemorating the 117th anniversary of Italian settlers'
arrival in southern Chile. Three stations will be on the air until Sunday,
March 28th, from Italy, Argentina and Chile. They are II4CPC, LU6DK/D and
CB6I. There are three special event certificates available. For details see
QRZ.com.
(OHIO PENN DX)
**
KICKER: SOFTWARE DEFINED QSOs? NO FOOLIN' (WELL MAYBE)
JIM/ANCHOR: April 1st is coming up fast and Newsline listeners know what
that means. Our final story this week is from Pierre Pullinmyleg, the only
member of our team who works one day a year: on April Fool's Day. Pierre,
what fabulously remarkable story do you have for us now?
PIERRE: Bonjour, my ham radio friends. Zis is the famed French reporter
Pierre Pullinmyleg back by popular request. I have been testing a new
product that I think you will find more popular than croissants at zee
Hamvention. You know, sometimes zee bands... zay get lonely. It's so quiet
that Pierre has no one else to talk to but my brother Pierre. So we teamed
up the pair of Pierres to bring you zee very latest in QSO technology. We
call it the Software Defined QSO. When there's no one on zee bands, the
software defined bot has a ragchew just for you! And, since it's carefully
calculated by computer, the on-air manners are impeccable. We guarantee that
you will always get a 5 and a 9, and that you'll always get Good Operator
reports from zee FCC. There won't be a need for a dummy load, because your
QSO will be smart instead! Zis Software Defined QSO won't talk about those
things that make you cringe at night like on 75 meters... the location of a
new liver spot or the details of your last colonoscopy. You can even pick
from 73 different accents and 88 different voices to make your QSO more
authentic, including some of those YLs for a nominal fee.
Be sure to check out the Software Defined QSO from the pair of Pierres.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Pierre Pullinmyleg.
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Amateur News Weekly; Ambarish Nag Biswas
VU2JFA; AMSAT-UK; the ARRL; Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency;
Cleveland.com; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DJ Finch N4RRR; the Free Radio
Net website; Ohio Penn DX newsletter; QRZed.com; Searchlight VC; Southgate
Amateur Radio News; shortwaveradio.de; SWLing Post; Times of India; Ted
Randall's QSO Radio Show; WTWW Shortwave; and you our listeners, that's all
from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Please send emails to our address at
newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is available at Amateur Radio
Newsline's only official website at arnewsline.org.
For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our
news team worldwide, I'm Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston West Virginia saying
73. As always we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 26-mar-2021 07:44 E. South America Standard Time
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