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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2282 for Friday July 23, 2021
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2282 for Friday July 23, 2021
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2282 with a release date of Friday July
23, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Ham radio at the ready in flooded parts of Europe.
Radio responds to Cuba's humanitarian crisis—and the FCC OKs an experimental
station on 40 MHz. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2282 comes your way right now.
***
BILLBOARD CART
**
HAMS AT THE READY AFTER WESTERN EUROPE FLOODING
PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Europe where nations in the western
part of the continent have suffered disastrous flooding. As Newsline went to
production, amateur radio operators were on alert and awaiting word on
possible deployment. Ed Durrant DD5LP tells us more.
ED: As record rainfall and some of the worst flooding in decades devastated
an area in the west of Europe, amateur radio operators stood by to help. As
the death toll rose and the search continued for those missing,Germany took
the worst hit. Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands suffered, with
Belgium holding a national day of mourning on July 21st. In part of Belgium
where water submerged an antenna vital for crisis communication, hams
stepped up to volunteer in three provinces.
Meanwhile as the European Civil Protection mechanism was activated, the
Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service, the Belgian Amateur Radio Emergency
Service and the emergency communications unit of the DARC, awaited word as
to whether additional communications help would be needed.
Greg Mossop G0DUB, emergency communications coordinator in IARU Region 1,
told Newsline in a recent email that Germany's deployment of soldiers to
assist in relief efforts bolstered the Technisches Hilfswerk, the nation's
Civil Protection organisation which had thousands of volunteers working to
remedy the physical damage.
Greg told Newsline that the situation continued to evolve as bursting rivers
damaged power and communications networks along with bridges . An update on
the IARU Region 1 website said [quote] "This emergency will last for some
time as infrastructure is repaired and the threat from damaged dams and more
rainfall is reduced." [endquote] Meanwhile, in Germany's southeast, water
flowing down from the Alps stirred mudslides and overflowing rivers, causing
yet another disaster area. Casualties were reported to be less than those
affected in the northwest.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.
(IARU REGION 1, GREG MOSSOP G0DUB, BBC)
**
INDIAN AMATEURS HELPING WITH DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING
PAUL/ANCHOR: In India, amateurs are helping train additional volunteers to
respond to their region's disasters. John Williams VK4JJW brings us up to
date.
JOHN: A new educational partnership has been formed between civil defence
officials in coastal West Bengal, India and amateurs in the West Bengal
Radio Club. Hoping to improve communications and emergency response
following intense cyclones and other disasters in remote regions, officials
have asked for training from the Indian Academy of Communication, the ham
club's educational wing. Going online with the Google Meet platform, hams
will train a total of more than 90 civil defence volunteers. Posupoti Mondal
VU3ODQ will lead the instruction under the guidance of the academy's
secretary Rinku Nag Biswas VU2JFB.
Officials decided that ham radio training is essential for civil defence
volunteers after previous efforts by the West Bengal Club proved invaluable
in earlier disasters.
West Bengal club secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA said eventually there
will be more than 90 students.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams VK4JJW.
(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA, MILLENNIUM POST)
**
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)
**
FCC OKS EXPERIMENTAL 40 MHZ STATION FOR HAM IN GEORGIA
PAUL/ANCHOR: The FCC has given the go-ahead to an amateur in Georgia who is
operating an experimental station on 40 MHz. Kevin Trotman N5PRE brings us
those details.
KEVIN: For the next two years, anyone tuning to the frequency 40.662 MHz is
likely to hear a two-minute Weak Signal Propagation Reporter transmission
coming from an omnidirectional antenna in Atlanta, Georgia in the United
States. Experimental station WL2XUP went on the air in mid-July under an
experimental license granted through July 1st, 2023 by the FCC. Gregory
Holcomb NI4Y, who is assigned the new callsign, will be conducting tests on
the band and his two-minute transmissions occur every 10 minutes. He is
permitted a maximum output of 400 watts Effective Radiated Power.
Details about the station were reported in the EI7GL blog, where the author,
John wrote: [quote] The really big challenge now is trying to raise
awareness amongst the amateur radio community in North America and making
them aware of the 40 MHz band and the activity on it. [endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE.
(EI7GL BLOG)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W4EDP
and N4LMC repeaters in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. local
time.
**
COMMERCIAL TELEVISION INDUSTRY RETIRES LAST NTSC TRANSMITTER
PAUL/ANCHOR: The commercial TV industry has retired the last of its
transmitters employing the original system used for black-and-white and
early color TV. Jack Parker W8ISH gives us the details.
JACK: Those of us who love our straight keys, our boat anchors, our tube
radios and other parts of early ham radio have it easy. We can still use the
technology from which our roots have sprung. Television, however, recently
hit a milestone in the United States, where the industry retired the last
few remaining commercial transmitters that use the system developed by the
National Television Standards Committee. The NTSC system, which first
defined black-and-white transmissions and later color, generated pictures
comprising 525 lines displayed at nearly 30 frames per second. This produced
the familiar analogue TV broadcasts that delivered programming to American
audiences for more than 70 years. Now, in an age of digital and HDTV, NTSC
screens have gone dark.
The Hackaday blog, which reported the development in its July 14 post,
wrote: [quote] "We have to admit to being sorry to see the passing of
analogue TV, it was an intricate and fascinating system that provided a
testbed for plenty of experimentation back in the day. Perhaps as we see it
slip over the horizon it’s worth pondering whether its digital replacement
will also become an anachronism in an age of on-demand streaming TV. "
[endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jack Parker W8ISH.
(HACKADAY)
**
ARRL REOPENS CONNECTICUT HEADQUARTERS
PAUL/ANCHOR: The ARRL's headquarters is back in business. Sel Embee KB3TZD
gives us the details of the ceremonial reopening of the doors.
SEL: The doors are open again in Newington, Connecticut, home to the
American Radio Relay League. The ARRL hosted a rededication ceremony there
on July 15th to coincide a return to business as usual as pandemic
restrictions have eased. Members of the ARRL’s board of directors were in
town from around the country to attend board and committee meetings and were
present at the ceremony.
The league shut its building at the close of the day on March 23, 2020 in
response to the governor's executive order for businesses. It was just days
after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global
pandemic. Many ARRL staffers worked remotely instead. Other services, such
as the W1AW bulletin and the code-practice transmissions continued.
ARRL CEO David Minster NA2AA said he was pleased to see the league's
services and staffing bounce back. He said [quote] "This speaks to the
resilience and dedication of our staff, board members and volunteers."
[endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Sel Embee KB3TZD.
(THE BRISTOL PRESS, ARRL)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the world of DX, the Willis Island DXpedition planned for November has
been cancelled. DXpedition leader Tommy Horozakis VK2IR said the activation
cannot go forward following the spread of COVID-19 to four Australian states
and a set of new rules from the Coral Island Management Authority banning
the installation of any structures on the islands. The DXPedition would have
coincided with 100 years of the weather observation station being on Willis
Island.
Bo, OZ1DJJ will be active from Tasiilaq Island as OX3LX from July 28th
through to August 13th. Bo will be on HF but his main bands will be 6m and
4m. Send QSLs via OZ0J.
Look for Yuris, YL2GM, and Ziedonis, YL2GN, to be on the air from the
Estonian island of Hiiumaa during the RSGB IOTA contest. Be listening July
23rd through to the 25th.QSL via their home callsigns.
Phil, M7CBK is using the callsign ZC4CBK while operating at the Akrotiri
British Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus. Be listening to him through October.
He'll be operating FT4 and FT8 on 20 metres. According to his QRZ page, he
will also be on 2m in the hopes of using the FM and D-STAR repeaters in the
Troodos Mountains. Send QSLs to EB7DX.
Laurent, HB9HKE, is active from Iceland as TF/HB9HKE through to August 7th.
Be listening on the HF bands. QSL via LoTW but also on QRZ and eQSL.
(DX-WORLD.NET)
**
KICKER: COLORADO AMATEUR RADIO CLUB REACHES A NEW HIGH POINT
PAUL/ANCHOR: In all of our amateur radio experiences, we've all had our high
points. For our final story this week, we visit a high point that's at an
elevation of 11,724 feet. Mike Askins KE5CXP takes us there.
MIKE: The Colorado site is called Sargents Mesa and on July 17th it became
the scene of many firsts: It was a first-time SOTA activation for 12 members
of the San Luis Valley Amateur Radio Association K0SLV, and the first-time
activation of the summit which carries the code W0C/LG-027 [W-ZERO-C slash
LG dash Zero Two Seven].
Like the summit, the hams' hopes were high as they started out under blue
skies. Club president Bob Galey NO1PB told Newsline that the location is a
place that feels like hallowed ground, a fact that further elevated the
purpose of their visit. A polished granite monument there called
SoldierStone honors the soldiers and civilians from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
and elsewhere who fought alongside American GIs during the Vietnam War. Bob,
a military veteran himself and now a pastor, made sure the activators shared
a formal moment of respect and prayer before hiking a mile or so to the
activation zone where a total of eight operators got busy calling QRZ.
According to the SOTA database, the activation ended successfully with 61
contacts. The activation was a high point capping a day of firsts for this
club, which is less than two years old. It held added meaning too for hams
such as Rick, KF0DCY, who had recently become licensed.
Bob said a special QSL card will mark the occasion with a group picture
taken in front of the monument, a shining symbol of valor tucked away
quietly in a national forest high in the Rocky Mountains.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP.
(SARA, SOTA ATLAS, BOB GALEY NO1PB)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Andover Advertiser; Amateur News Weekly;
the ARRL; the BBC; Bob Galey NO1PB; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DX-
World.net; the EI7GL Blog; the Framingham Source; Greg Mossop G0DUB;
Hackaday; IARU Region 1; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great Britain; Southgate
Amateur Radio News; Summits on the Air; SOTA Atlas; shortwaveradio.de; Ted
Randall's QSO Radio Show; WTWW Shortwave; and you our listeners, that's all
from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at
newsline@arnewsline.org. For more information or to support us visit our
official website at arnewsline.org. Be sure to follow some of these stories
as they get a more in depth look on the YouTube Channel of 100 Watts and a
Wire. Search for the video segment with the title "Two Stories."
For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our
news team worldwide, I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso 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
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BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 23-jul-2021 07:46 E. South America Standard Time
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