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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2468 for Friday, February 14th
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2468 for Friday, February 14th, 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2468 with a release date of Friday,
February 14th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. In the US, two radio-related proposals return for
consideration among lawmakers. NASA spots metallic vapors from
disintegrating Starlink satellites -- and the special event honoring the
discovery of Pluto enters its 5th year. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2468 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
DEVELOPING STORY: RIGEXPERT'S UKRAINE OFFICES DESTROYED BY MISSILE
SKEETER/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a developing story. As Newsline went
to production, the amateur radio developer and manufacturer RigExpert
reported the destruction of its administrative office at its headquarters in
Ukraine. The company said on its website and in social media posts that the
offices were struck by a Russian ballistic missile. RigExpert said that all
its personnel were safe, production remained unaffected and that its
customer support operations will continue. The company issued a statement on
Wednesday, February 12th, saying: [quote] "Even though this is difficult
situation, the RigExpert team is committed to restoring operations as soon
as possible to continue providing our great products to you. We are working
tirelessly to minimize delays and fulfill our commitments." [endquote]
**
NEW EFFORT TO SAVE AM RADIO IN US VEHICLES
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Our next two stories take us to Washington, D.C., where
proposed laws have been reintroduced for yet another year's consideration by
the US Congress. The first measure tackles the debate over whether AM radio
should be required in vehicles sold in the US. Kent Peterson KCØDGY has that
story.
KENT: The US Senate is getting ready to vote on a proposed law that would
retain consumers’ access to AM radio in all new vehicles sold around the
country. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which is being challenged by a
number of automakers, has support from a number of major lawmakers in both
parties. The bill has a version that is also being considered in the House
of Representatives.
The act was introduced last year but lawmakers failed to move forward on it
in time before the end of the last congressional session in December.
The bill’s advocates have said that they acknowledge the important role that
AM radio plays in the nation’s emergency alert system and in transmitting
lifesaving information during disasters. Proponents include the National
Association of Broadcasters and the new FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. An
article on the Radio World website noted that this measure is one of the
few to have both political parties behind it, both among lawmakers and at
the FCC.
The road has not been a smooth one, however. The RadioInk website reported
that carmakers have made a formidable investment worth 6.73 million in
lobbying against the bill’s passage. Disclosures in lobbying documents
showed that Detroit-based General Motors was among the top 10 corporate
spenders in the fourth quarter of 2024, allocating -million to their
efforts to win lawmakers over. Other big spenders included Toyota, Honda
and Ford. Manufacturers of electric vehicles, such as Tesla and Rivian, have
been in the vanguard of opposition, claiming that the high-voltage
electrical systems in their vehicles are not compatible with AM radio and
cause distortion and interference. Those carmakers spent 090,000 and
0,000, respectively.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(RADIO WORLD, RADIO INK)
**
LAWMAKERS RECONSIDER MEASURE TO PROTECT ANTENNAS IN HOAS
SKEETER/ANCHOR: The US Congress has also returned to considering a measure
giving hams the right to install antennas that, until now, have been banned
or restricted by homeowner associations. We have more on that from Paul
Braun WD9GCO.
PAUL: A proposed law has been reintroduced in Washington, D.C. to restrict
the power that homeowner associations, or HOAs, have to prevent ham radio
operators from installing antennas outside their residences.
This is the latest version of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act,
which has been considered by US lawmakers over the past several years
without taking any action.
The measure prohibits HOAs from writing rules that ban amateur radio
antennas, which are recognized as part of an essential disaster
communications system for public safety. The act also provides hams with a
means of resolving disputes that arise in connection with their antennas.
The sponsors are US Senators Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, and
Richard Blumenthal a Connecticut Democrat. Opponents of the measure in
previous years have raised concerns that large antennas spoil the aesthetics
of a community. Many of the measure's supporters have countered that ham
radio antennas should be given the same consideration as satellite dishes
and TV antennas, which many HOAs permit.
This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.
(SEN. ROGER WICKER WEBSITE)
**
METALLIC VAPORS DETECTED AFTER STARLINK RE-ENTRIES
SKEETER/ANCHOR: The oldest of the Starlink satellites are coming back to
Earth - and NASA has detected metallic vapors in the atmosphere as they
disintegrate. We have more details from Andy Morrison K9AWM.
ANDY: The disintegration of retired Starlink satellites has introduced
vapors containing aluminum and other metals as they re-enter the atmosphere
and burn up, NASA has found.
These are among the so-called “Generation 1ö satellites that were launched
starting in 2018.
According to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at Harvard University’s Center
for Astrophysics, four or five of these satellites are incinerated daily. He
told the SpaceWeather website that [quote] “the sustained rate of daily
reentries is unprecedented.ö [Endquote] He said that the fireballs are not a
surprise to the constellation’s planners, who are removing the oldest
satellites and replacing them with the next generation.
All that debris is adding up and apparently having other effects: The
SpaceWeather website said that just one of these satellites can produce
about 30 kilograms, or 66 pounds, of aluminum oxide. This compound is known
to erode the Earth’s ozone layer.
This is Andy Morrison K9AWM
(SPACEWEATHER.COM)
**
HAM RADIO OPERATOR IS FRONT-RUNNER TO LEAD GERMANY
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Amateur radio and politics may not always mix but almost
everyone knows a few names of public officials who have led their nations.
In Germany, one amateur radio operator has set his hopes high too. We hear
more about him from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: Although there are numerous amateur radio awards, such as DXCC and
Worked All Europe, Frederich Merz, DK7DQ, is hoping for an achievement that
could be thought of as “Worked All Germanyö even though, in this case, it's
outside the realm of amateur radio.
Frederich Merz is leader of Germany's CDU party and a possible front-runner
in this month's elections to replace Olaf Scholz. A win would make the
political conservative the nation's new Chancellor and as such he would join
the ranks of other licensed heads around the world - most notably the late
King Hussein of Jordan, who held the callsign JY1, and the present King of
Thailand, whose callsign is HS1ØA.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
**
HAMS INTERCEPT "SUSPICIOUS" RADIO SIGNALS ON INDIA'S BORDER
SKEETER/ANCHOR: In India, hams have intercepted questionable radio signals
on the border with Bangladesh, as we hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
JASON: Amateur radio operators have told the Ministry of Communications in
India that they have been hearing radio signals late at night in South
Bengal near the Indo-Bangladesh border, in an area of international unrest.
The transmissions are reportedly in coded Arabic, Urdu and Bengali. They
have been intercepted by hams since December of last year, according to news
reports.
The Ministry of Communications has forwarded the information to the
International Monitoring Station in Kolkata and hams have been advised to
continue monitoring and reporting what they hear. Various news media in
India said that the radio transmissions have spurred concern over possible
activities by extremists, amid escalating Bangladeshi hostilities toward
India.
This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
(ASSAM TRIBUNE, MILLENNIUM POST)
**
PLUTO SPECIAL EVENT IN ITS 5TH YEAR OF ORBIT
SKEETER/ANCHOR: If you have enjoyed the past four years of logging contacts
with W7P, the Pluto Special Event station, you now have your chance to work
it again. The Northern Arizona DX Association is putting W7P back on the air
from the 15th through to the 23rd of February. This is year five of a 10-
year-old special event marking the 100th anniversary of the discovery of
Pluto in 1930 from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. One of the
operators will be Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, the nephew of astronomer, Clyde
Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto. Doug will be using the callsign W7P/0. See
QRZ.com for QSL and certificate details.
(AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the CQØUAR
repeater in Arestal Mountain, Portugal, on Saturdays and Sundays at noon
local time.
**
ISS CONDUCTS "REHEARSAL" OF FRAM2 IMAGE TRANSMISSIONS
SKEETER/ANCHOR: The International Space Station is helping with a rehearsal
for an important SSTV event sometime this spring. John Williams VK4JJW
explains.
JOHN: TV fans have grown accustomed to previews but most of the time that
means they are watching scenes from popular shows or movies from the comfort
of their couches. The International Space Station is giving hopeful viewers
a different kind of preview via SSTV. To help educators and students prepare
to copy transmissions from the Fram2 mission sometime this spring, the ISS
is transmitting images on 437.550 MHz beginning February 13th through to the
17th. This is a departure from the ISS' customary 2m frequency but it is
designed as a practice session to get participants accustomed to the
receiving equipment and Doppler effect they will encounter on 70cm. The
Fram2 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon will be the first spaceflight to
orbit the Earth over the North and South poles.
This is John Williams VK4JJW.
(AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY)
**
AM RADIO STATION BACK ON FREQUENCY AFTER REPORTED TOWER THEFT
SKEETER: Alabama AM radio station WJLX, which reported the mysterious theft
of its broadcast tower and destruction of its transmitter one year ago, has
gone back on the air on its assigned frequency of 1240 AM.
According to a story on the Radio World website, the station's signal was
restored quickly before the one-year expiration date of the special
temporary authority the FCC granted it after the incident was reported. The
station has come under different management following the subsequent death
of Brett Elmore, the general manager who had reported the theft and
vandalism. The station has been back on the air on AM since the 1st of
February using a temporary setup transmitting 100 watts. A 195-foot tower is
expected to be installed soon. The station also has a new 1kW transmitter.
It can also be heard via an iHeartMedia translator on FM and will soon be
taking over FM operations at 90.1 MHz.
The case of the missing transmitter and 200-foot tower has not been solved.
(RADIO WORLD)
**
AMATEUR ASTRONOMER ACTIVATES METEORITE'S LANDING SPOT
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Meet a ham radio operator who loves astronomy so much that
he's activating a very old meteor crater in India. We learn more from Jim
Meachen ZL2BHF.
JIM: As an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer, Datta VU2DSI enjoys
catching meteors with the lens of his telescopes or camera. As an amateur
radio operator, he also chases after them with his radio signal. Here on
earth, he often shares his love of the heavens with students by presenting
“Sky Watchingö programs in schools and colleges around India.
So when a meteorite falls to earth, as it did millions of years ago, Datta
is not likely to ignore what it left behind. He has traveled to Lonar Lake
in the Buldhana district of India’s Maharashtra state for his first-time
encounter with what he calls an “astronomical wonder,ö the crater that the
massive impact left behind, with the meteor buried 600 metres below.
Researchers from the Physical Research Laboratory of India, the Smithsonian
Institution and the Geological Society of India have probed its mysteries.
Now it is Datta’s turn to do some exploring. At the edge of the crater, he
hopes to discover the wonder and the appeal it holds for amateurs around the
world.
Using the callsign AU6LON, Datta is calling CQ from Lonar Meteor Lake.
Operating from what has since been declared a wildlife sanctuary, he will
call CQ from the 20th through to the 24th of February. He will be joined by
two other radio enthusiasts, Ajay [Uh-JIE] VU3LPQ, and Suhas [Sue-HOSS], a
short-wave listener. QSL information and other details about the activation
can be found on the QRZ.com page of AU6LON.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(DATTA, VU2DSI)
**
RULES PUBLISHED FOR WORLD RADIOSPORT TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 2026
SKEETER/ANCHOR: If you've got your eye on the World Radiosport Team
Championship 2026 in the UK, you may want to read the competition rules
which have just been published by the championship's committee. The rules
have been adjusted slightly from the previous competition to ensure that
this a fair test of operator skills. Questions may be submitted to the
committee via social media, on the WRTC reflector or at amateur radio
conventions.
Find a link to the rules in the text version of this week's newscast script
at arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: https://www.wrtc2026.org/2025/02/10/wrtc-uk-competition-
rules/ ]
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, a team of operators from the D A R C are using the
special event callsign DAØIARU to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
IARU. They are on the air through to the 27th of April. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.
In France, Georges, F6IMD, is activating with a team using the callsign
TMØ6CDN between the 15th of February and the 2nd of March to celebrate the
Nice [pron: NEECE] Carnival. Only downloadable eQSLs will be provided.
Yuri, VE3DZ, is on the air until the 18th of February using the callsign
FM/VE3DZ from Martinique, IOTA Number NA-107. Yuri will take part in the
ARRL DX CW Contest as TO4A [Tee OH four Ay]. See QRZ.com for QSL details.
The special callsign IRØAPTT is on the air to mark the 50th anniversary of
the ARI Porto Torres radio club, IQØAK, in Sardinia. Listen on all bands
through to the 12th of May. See QRZ.com for QSL details.
Herbert, DL5AXI, is operating holiday style as OZ/DL5AXI from Fano Island,
IOTA number EU-125, until the 20th of February. Herbert is using CW and SSB
on 40 through 10 metres. QSL via his home callsigns.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: FOR POLISH YL, 50 YEARS OF MAGIC AND ADVENTURE
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Our final story takes us to Poland where a devoted amateur
is celebrating a half-century on being on the air by...................going
on the air! Jeremy Boot G4NJH introduces us to her.
JEREMY: Wanda, SP5IWA/SP7IWA cannot imagine what her life would be like
without amateur radio. Fortunately, since the age of 15, she hasn’t had to.
Curious about the magic and the science behind it all, she enrolled in a
course offered by the local radio club, SP5KMB, while she was still a
secondary-school student in Poland. By June of 1975, her first license in
her hand, bearing one of the two callsigns she still uses today, with a
radio, a microphone and a telegraph key, Wanda was on her way. Before too
long she was DXing, operating in contests and going off into the mountains
of southern Poland for a radio adventure.
So many years later, Wanda is embarking on another adventure - special event
station SN5ØIWA, marking the 50 years that have passed since she first went
on the air as a ham. The years between have been marked by QSOs and making
friends. She fell in love with CW and ultimately, she fell in love with the
man who was to become her husband - another amateur radio operator.
She is most active these days on CW but to Wanda, the most important thing
is just to be on the air, which is exactly what she will be doing until the
end of 2025 with her special-event callsign on the HF bands. Though amateur
radio has certainly changed in the decades since she first touched a
telegraph key or picked up a microphone, Wanda still believes that the old-
fashioned QSL card is relevant. To her it has always been the final courtesy
of a QSO - and it remains so, 50 years later.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(YL BEAM, QRZ.COM, WANDA SP5IWA/SP7IWA)
**
Have you sent in your amateur radio haiku to Newsline's haiku challenge yet?
It's as easy as writing a QSL card. Set your thoughts down using traditional
haiku format - a three-line verse with five syllables in the first line,
seven in the second and five in the third. Submit your work on our website
at arnewsline.org - each week's winner gets a shout-out on our website,
where everyone can find the winning haiku.
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Assam Tribune; Amateur Radio Daily;
Datta, VU2DSI; David Behar K7DB; Millennium Post; QRZ.com; RadioWorld.com;
Sen. Roger Wicker; shortwaveradio.de; SpaceWeather.com; Wanda SP5IWA/SP7IWA;
Wireless Institute of Australia; and you our listeners, that's all from the
Amateur Radio Newsline. We remind our listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline
is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that incurs expenses for its
continued operation. If you wish to support us, please visit our website at
arnewsline.org and know that we appreciate you all. We also remind our
listeners that if you like our newscast, please leave us a 5-star rating
wherever you subscribe to us. For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the
news desk in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Skeeter Nash N5ASH
in Jonesboro, Arkansas saying 73. As always we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025. All rights reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
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BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 14-fev-2025 08:06 E. South America Standard Time
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