| |
PY2BIL > ARNR 02.04.21 14:52l 411 Lines 19005 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 29050PY2BIL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2266 for Friday April 2 2021
Path: DB0FHN<OE2XZR<OE6XPE<IW2OHX<IR1UAW<IZ3LSV<IW8PGT<I3XTY<GB7COW<GB7YEW<
PY2BIL<PY2BIL
Sent: 210402/1047 @:PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM Sally 7.2.048 $:29050PY2BIL
From: PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2266 for Friday April 2 2021
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2266 with a release date of Friday
April 2 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. The UK prepares to resume in-person license exams. A
worldwide balloon launch marks the equinox -- and the "Last Man Standing"
special event goes out with a bang. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2266 comes your way right now.
***
BILLBOARD CART
**
ARCTIC DXPEDITION PACKS UP BENEATH NORTHERN LIGHTS
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to a frozen Arctic island, where the
rewards of a physically grueling DXpedition included something even more
than the thousands of contacts logged by the team. Graham Kemp VK4BB brings
us that story.
GRAHAM: The RI0Q (R EYE ZERO Q) DXPeditioners have arrived back on the
mainland following a challenging but successful activation of the rare
Arctic IOTA, AS-152. The island, named Bol'shoy Begichev (BEG-i-chev) after
its discoverer Nikifor Begichev in 1908, held many discoveries for the team
during their one-week activation. Challenges included making a large part of
the trip by snowmobile. Once they arrived on March 20th, they remained
constantly vigilant for polar bears, wolves and incoming blizzards
especially as they were setting up for operations.
By March 26th, as the activation was winding down, they were able to enter
into their online diary that they'd logged 6,913 QSOs representing more than
4,000 unique callsigns.
Their departure came just as a blizzard was supposed to come blasting in.
There was one event they did not miss, however, nor did they want to miss it
— because it was spectacular. DXworld-net reported on its Twitter feed on
March 27th: [quote] "The RI0Q team are already back on the mainland. As they
left the island, the Northern Lights started to show. Looks like they left
at the right time!" [endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB
(DXWORLD-NET, RI0Q DIARY)
**
'LAST MAN STANDING' TRIBUTE WRAPS UP ACTIVATION
NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the activators of the "Last Man Standing"
special event which went QRT on Wednesday March 30th. Starting on March
24th, the team logged more than 85,000 QSOs, contacting 1,850 counties in 50
states and 138 countries. There were 134 contacts using moonbounce –and yes,
there were pileups. The multi-mode effort was also a multi-media one,
featuring livestreaming of operators as they navigated pileups. Coordinated
by Lou Maggio NO2C and Salli Rosato K2RYD of the Great South Bay Amateur
Radio Club and the show's executive producer John Amodeo AA6JA, it was an
experience many of the dozens of operators in both the US and Canada said
will remain with them even as the studio goes dark after the show's final
day of production. "Last Man Standing" featured Tim Allen KK6OTD as Mike
Baxter KA0XTT, and was celebrated for putting amateur radio in a positive
light in the public eye.
**
IN-PERSON EXAMS TO RESUME IN UK
NEIL/ANCHOR: In the UK, the Radio Society of Great Britain has resumed
booking in-person exams. Jeremy Boot G4NJH gives us those details.
JEREMY: Examiners in the UK have begun planning the resumption of exams for
amateur radio candidates wishing to sit them in a club setting with in-
person invigilation.
With this in mind, the Radio Society of Great Britain said it anticipates
bookings for the in-person exams from club examination secretaries once the
government has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in their part of the UK. The
booking process is expected to be more streamlined than previously. The
remote invigilations, which began last year during the pandemic lockdown,
will continue as an option.
Mandatory practical assessments at Foundation level will remain suspended
until a review led by the Examinations Standards Committee and Exam and
Syllabus Review Group can determine their long-term future, clarifying
whether they should continue and, if so, in what form.
In yet another sign of post-COVID life in the UK, the RSGB Contest Committee
began accepting portable entries in contests from stations in England,
provided the stations strictly follow local COVID measures. England dropped
its "Stay at Home" restriction on the 29th March, meaning portable
operations can resume. The RSGB cautions however, that portable multi-
operator entries must comprise people from the same households because vans,
cars and tents are considered indoor environments and indoor mixing of
households is still prohibited.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
NEIL/ANCHOR: In other business that has caught Newsline's attention: Paul
Devlin, G1SMP, the joint winner with the Radio Society of Great Britain of
the 2020 Amateur Radio Newsline International Newsmaker of the year award
for the "Get on the air to care" public campaign, is standing for election
as a director of the RSGB board at the upcoming AGM in April. As there are
two nominees for two positions, I think we can say Paul will be elected and
we at Newsline would like to be the first to congratulate Paul and wish him
well in his new role.
(RSGB)
**
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..ö 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,ö 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.ö
However, their preparedness made the difference. “My wife got the warning,ö
he said, “she had a plan, she was in the shelter and she’s fine.ö
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.
**
AUSTRALIAN REGULATOR SEEKS INPUT ON 5-YEAR PLAN
NEIL/ANCHOR: Do you have an opinion on radio spectrum use in Australia? The
Australian Communications and Media Authority wants to hear from you. Here's
John Williams VK4JJW.
JOHN: The ACMA is looking for input on a draft of its five-year spectrum
plan, a key document that will guide its priorities in allocating and
managing frequencies in the years ahead. The proposed changes are being
drawn up in consultation with members of the telecommunications industry,
radio hobbyists and others in the community. This is the first such draft to
be created under the Radiocommunications Legislation Amendment (Reform and
Modernisation) Act 2020.
Priorites are expected to be heavily impacted by the ACMA's goal to support
deployment of 5G services throughout Australia. A review is also ongoing to
replace apparatus licences with non-assigned amateur licensing arrangements
as a way of keeping licensees' costs affordable and to reduce the burden on
regulators. The ACMA has a number of options for replacing the current
apparatus licence but prefers the establishment of non-assigned amateur and
outpost stations under a class licence. The agency also plans to review the
prospect of creating licences for higher-power operations and intends to
consult with the amateur community on this issue.
Feedback may be submitted to the ACMA no later than April the 28th.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW.
(ACMA)
**
UTAH AMATEURS CELEBRATE CENTENNIAL
NEIL/ANCHOR: The Ogden Amateur Radio Club, one of Utah's oldest ham radio
clubs, bears the call sign of its founder Dr. W. Glen Garner W7SU. He became
its first president shortly after its founding 100 years ago this May.
The club is marking its centennial with an array of activities, including a
special event station in May and a centennial QSL card contest for its
members. Newsline congratulates the Ogden amateurs on 100 great years.
(OARC WEBSITE)
**
IARU REGION 1 EYES INVOLVEMENT BY YOUNGER GENERATION
NEIL/ANCHOR: IARU Region 1 is assessing its future and hoping for a younger
perspective. Here's Ed Durrant DD5LP to tell us what's up next.
ED: Faced with eroding enrollment in many of its member societies, IARU
Region 1 has begun organising a workshop on keeping amateur radio vibrant as
its licensees age. Discussions about the workshop were held at its General
Conference on March 24. The workshop itself will be held in October of this
year, hosted by the Serbian Amateur Radio Society. If COVID restrictions are
still in place at the time, the workshop will be conducted virtually
instead.
Participants are particularly concerned about the lack of top leadership
among amateurs 35 and younger. The committee wrote on the IARU website:
[quote] "The IARU Region 1 Executive Committee shares that it’s time for
change and we need to start moving forward. Working together and changing
the current trends. We need to focus our thinking and way of operating."
[endquote]
Towards that end, the committee said it was committed to bringing new people
into the discussion.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.
(IARU REGION 1)
**
MISSILE RANGE DEEMED VULNERABLE TO INTERFERENCE
NEIL/ANCHOR: RF control links being used at 420 and 430 MHz to set up a
linked repeater system in New Mexico are being cited as potential sources of
interference to critical systems at the nearby White Sands Missile Range,
the largest open air test range of the United States Department of Defense.
The department's Regional Spectrum Coordinator, the FCC and the ARRL worked
together to track down the amateur radio communications, which were
discovered to come from the repeater system's RF control links on 70
centimetres. Amateur radio is a secondary service on the band. The owners of
the control links have been asked to re-coordinate the frequencies by May
31st.
(SOUTHGATE, ARRL)
**
NEW ZEALAND YOUTH NET EXPANDS ITS REACH
NEIL/ANCHOR: A popular net among the youngest amateurs in New Zealand just
got a little bigger and a little more ambitious. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us
how they're growing.
JIM: Like everything that starts out in life young and small, the net
formerly known as Young Transmitters New Zealand has grown up. It has
rebranded and expanded to become the YOTA Oceania Net. The net's founder
Thomas Bernard ZL3TOM announced the change in a recent newsletter, telling
Newsline that the net is now run in partnership with Youngsters on the Air,
recognising that participants hope to connect with other hams in more
regions than before. The net is held Mondays at 0600 UTC on All-Star and
Echolink. Tom uses the special event callsign ZL6YOTA during the net to
encourage more young amateurs to check in.
For more information about the net and ways to join this growing community,
visit his website at zl3tom dot com [zl3tom.com]
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
**
WORLD OF DX
In the world of DX, Matthew M0ZMS has announced he will be heading to the
Falkland Islands at the end of April and hopes to get on the air from this
rare DX using the call sign VP8ZMS. He may also use the call sign VP8RAF on
occasion. Matthew will be promoting awareness of the Royal Air Force Amateur
Radio Society. Matthew is the serving members' representative of the society
and will be deploying to the British Forces South Atlantic Islands, Mount
Pleasant Complex for the activation. Find his operating details and other
information on the Twitter page for VP8ZMS. He will QSL on LoTW and ClubLog
and will issue paper QSL cards upon his return to the UK after August.
Be listening for John, MW1CFN, operating as GB ONE ZERO ZERO FOUR FTS
(GB1004FTS) from Anglesey Island off the Welsh mainland's northwest coast
until April 8th. He is marking the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air
Force's Number 4 Flying Training School. Listen for him on various HF bands
as well as 6 and 2 metres. He will be using SSB and the Digital modes. Send
QSLs directly to his home call.
Danish radio amateurs are active with two special callsigns OZ75BO and
OZ75MAY until April 11th to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of
Bornholm Island following the end of World War II. Be listening on all
bands, including the WARC bands, where operators will be using CW, SSB and
all the Digital modes. Operators on the island itself will be using the
OZ75BO call. Send QSLs via OZ1ACB or ClubLog's OQRS. Operators prefer to NOT
receive a paper QSL card. A special award is available.
(OHIO PENN DX, SOUTHGATE)
**
KICKER: HELPING HIS ALMA MATER GET BACK ON THE AIR
NEIL/ANCHOR: We end this week with the story of a grateful graduate of an
Indiana college. He and his wife have given the school the gift of amateur
radio. Here's Dave Parks WB8ODF with that story.
DAVE: Bill Becher AA8RW may have graduated from college in Indiana in 1950
but to a small group of undergrads studying there now, he is indisputably
the Big Man on Campus. During Bill's time as an radio engineering student,
the Angola, Indiana school was known as Tri-State College. Today its name is
Trine University and its campus is where the Michigan resident and his wife
Helen KG8TQ recently helped awaken the students' amateur radio club from
dormancy by donating money and equipment.
Many of the 15 members are studying electrical engineering, as Bill did, or
other forms of engineering and information technology. When they're not
tending to their academic obligations they're hosting the weekly net of the
Trine University Amateur Radio Club. According to the university's website,
the young hams are also mentoring would-be licensees and building new
equipment and antennas.
The club's president Tim Mayer KD2TCP, licensed for two years and majoring
in mechanical engineering, said the club also hopes to get involved next in
EME and satellite communications.
The students can look forward to aiming for the sky because of a generous
husband and wife who never forgot the thrill of keying the mic, or sending
some CW and discovering the world.
Said faculty advisor Kevin Woolverton KW9S: "Without them, it wouldn't have
been possible to start and continue."
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Dave Parks WB8ODF.
(TRINE UNIVERSITY)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the ACMA; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL; Bill
Brown WB8ELK; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; HamSCI; IARU
Region 1; Last Man Standing Special Event; RI0Q online diary; Trine
University; Ogden Amateur Radio Club; Ohio Penn DX newsletter; QRZed.com;
Radio World; Radio Society of Great Britain; Southgate Amateur Radio News;
shortwaveradio.de; Twitter; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; the Wireless
Institute of Australia; 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Bloomington, Indiana 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 02-abr-2021 10:46 E. South America Standard Time
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
