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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2316 for Friday March 18th, 2
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2316 for Friday March 18th, 2022
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2316 with a release date of Friday
March 18th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A push for shortwave broadcasts to a war zone. COVID
cancels a youth ham camp in Germany -- and Hamvention announces its award-
winners. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2316
comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART HERE
**
GRASSROOTS PUSH TO BEAM SHORTWAVE TO RUSSIA, UKRAINE
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Our top story this week focuses on the war between Russia
and Ukraine and a grassroots push in the United States to keep the people of
both countries informed via shortwave radio. Dave Parks WB8ODF has that
report.
DAVE: Voice of America news programming may soon be beaming from the United
States to overseas listeners via shortwave - most particularly Russia and
Ukraine - through a citizen-based effort known as Shortwaves for Freedom.
The US Agency for Global Media, the umbrella under which VOA and Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty operate, is not involved in any of these planned
transmissions. Instead, Shortwaves for Freedom is making use of the fact
that VOA programming is public domain and easily downloadable from the VOA
website for transmission over the air. According to a report on Washington,
DC-based political news website, The Hill, Miami Radio International in
Florida has already agreed to transmit the broadcasts. The Hill's story said
that Shortwaves for Freedom is receiving technical assistance from Gerhard
Straub, who retired as director of broadcast technologies at the VOA's
parent agency.
The general manager of Miami Radio International told The Hill that his
radio station is already transmitting the VOA program "Flashpoint Ukraine,"
which is in English. The same news report said there are plans to add
programming in Ukrainian and expand the broadcasts.
Voice of America was originally part of the United States State Department.
In 1947, VOA commenced shortwave transmissions of Russian-language
programming into what was then the Soviet Union.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Dave Parks WB8ODF.
(THE HILL, POLITICO)
**
NASA: US ASTRONAUT, RUSSIANS TO RETURN TO EARTH TOGETHER
SKEETER/ANCHOR: High above the Earth, a US astronaut who's been active in
numerous amateur radio contacts, will share the return trip to Earth with
two Russian cosmonauts. We hear more from Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
KENT: Despite terrestrial tensions dividing the nations, US astronaut Mark
Vande Hei KG5GNP is preparing to return to Earth from the International
Space Station this month with two cosmonauts on board a Russian Soyuz
spacecraft. The scheduled landing in Kazakhstan on March 30th is being
planned in cooperation with the Russian space agency Rocosmos. According to
several news reports, the three crew members' return comes amid fiercely
growing tensions between the two countries - tensions that have reportedly
spilled over into the space program, particularly with the head of Russia's
space agency, Dmitri Rogozin, being a longtime supporter of Russian
president Vladimir Putin. However, despite the fact that SpaceX vehicles are
now being used for travel to and from the ISS, NASA confirmed on Monday,
March 14th that plans continue to go forward for the three men to return to
the Earth together.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(CNN, ABC NEWS)
**
COVID PRECAUTIONS CANCEL FRIEDRICHSHAFEN HAM CAMP
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Citing caution over the continued pandemic, organizers have
cancelled the annual ham camp that was scheduled to be held in Germany for
young amateurs this summer. Ed Durrant DD5LP has that story.
ED: The young amateurs who had hoped to attend "Ham Camp" during Ham Radio
Friedrichshafen this coming June will have to wait another year. Although
Ham Radio Friedrichshafen, Europe's largest ham radio event, is still taking
place on June 24th through the 26th, organizers have said the logistics of
housing more than 100 youngsters and supervisors in close quarters during
the same weekend would prove risky under COVID-19 conditions. The IARU
Region 1 Youth Working Group wrote on the IARU website that the organizers
said their decision was not taken lightly and is based on the need to
protect participants of minor age and under supervision. The camp is
expected to be held in 2023.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.
(IARU REGION 1)
**
ARECIBO REOPENS TO VISITORS IN PUERTO RICO
SKEETER/ANCHOR: The Arecibo Observatory, former home of the iconic radio
telescope, is opening its doors to visitors once more, as Mike Askins KE5CXP
tells us.
MIKE: The powerful radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico
is long gone following a collapse in 2020, but its visitor center and
observation deck are back in business. Guests making reservations in advance
are able to see what's left of the reflective dish that helped researchers
win a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1993.
Ricardo Correa, director of communications, told United Press International:
[quote] "Arecibo is not closed anymore." [endquote]. He said that scientific
research still continues at the United States National Science Foundation
facility using such tools as a 12-meter telescope and a LIDAR scanning to
study the atmosphere by bouncing laser beams off particles above our planet.
There is also a tribute to the iconic radio telescope itself. An outdoor
exhibit features artifacts recovered from the telescope and its platform.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP.
(UPI)
**
OHIO SCHOOL HAM CLUB TRANSMITS WISDOM, WIRELESSLY
SKEETER/ANCHOR: In one Ohio school, lessons on electronics theory and the
electromagnetic spectrum have graduated to a level way beyond theory. Andy
Morrison K9AWM brings us that story.
ANDY: On Tuesday nights in a high school biology room, members of the
Columbiana Clippers Amateur Radio Club, K8LPS, can be found calling QRZ. Not
only are they logging contacts; they're gaining a deeper understanding of
the lessons about the electromagnetic spectrum taught at the school since
2018 by Columbiana Police Sgt. Wade Boley, N8YMX, one of the school's
resource officers. The club rig, which was donated by a local business, puts
out 100 watts of power and the students are putting out immeasurable
enthusiasm.
Wade told the newspaper that ham radio has also provided geography lessons
since the students always look up any DX contact they've worked for the
first time. The other map is provided by Wade, teaching youngsters the
geography of electronics: how to read circuits and interpret schematics.
Some students, however, are finding a roadmap for life.
Katie Campbell, KE8LQR, told the Morning Journal News newspaper that
becoming a ham has helped her with leadership skills, giving presentations,
mathematics ability and communications. She told the newspaper: [quote]
"Amateur radio in general has helped me in every aspect of my life."
[endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison K9AWM.
(MORNING JOURNAL NEWS)
**
HAMVENTION AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the winners of this year's awards to be
presented at Hamvention. Club of the Year: The Highland Amateur Radio
Association in Hillsboro, Ohio; Special achievement: Kerry Banke N6IZW, for
his years of work with amateur radio in space; Technical achievement: Adam
Farson VA7OJ / AB4OJ, for his ongoing technical support to hams globally;
and Amateur of the Year, Jim Simpson, KF8J. Awards will be presented in
Xenia, Ohio the weekend of Hamvention, May 20th through the 22nd.
(MICHAEL KALTER, W8CI, TIM DUFFY, K3LR)
**
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Hams use less visible parts of the natural world: the
electromagnetic spectrum and the ionosphere. And now hams around the world
are getting ready to call attention to that same world's more visible and
treasured parts: the national parks and protected natural areas in the
countries of the Americas. Jim Damron N8TMW has the details.
JIM: For one week in April, the World Wide Flora & Fauna program is urging
hams throughout the Americas to participate in its "Parks in the Americas
Week" between April 3rd and April 10th. Operation qualifies hams for
recognition in the International Awards Program of the WWFF and it makes
each chosen natural setting a winner too. Activation with a portable station
calls attention to these nature preservation areas, which are listed on the
WWFF website. The names of all qualifying natural areas can be obtained by
contacting the national WWFF coordinator in each country.
Ronaldo, PS8RV, the Brazilian national coordinator, wrote on the WWFF
website that hams will be permitted to operate on CW, SSB, FM and FT8 and
there will also be awards for shortwave listeners.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Damron N8TMW.
(WWFF.CO)
**
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 in Cookeville, Tennessee on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. local time.
**
SILENT KEY: SATELLITE ENTHUSIAST RAY SOIFER, W2RS
SKEETER/ANCHOR: A lifelong amateur whose achievements with ham radio
satellites could be traced to his years as a New York City teenager, has
become a Silent Key. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB, tells us about him.
RALPH: Ray Soifer, W2RS, is credited with achieving the first ham radio QSO
via satellite ionization trail reflection. It was 1960 and Ray, then K2QBW,
and his friend Perry Klein, then K3JTE, made the contact together as high
school students who were enthralled by satellites. Ray became a Silent Key
on March 1. He was living in Arizona at the time of his death.
After Perry Klein became founding president of AMSAT, Ray took on a number
of posts with the organization, including executive vice president, acting
president and member of the board of directors. Ray's consistent devotion to
satellite operation led him in 1975 to achieve the first reported inter-
satellite relay communication, making use of AMSAT-OSCAR 7 and AMSAT-OSCAR 6
when the two were in close orbit to one another. Ray was chairman of the
annual IARU Satellite Forum between 1995 and 2005, a member of the IARU's
Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel; and was secretary and later chairman
of the IARU Region 2's VHF/UHF Committee.
He also wrote frequently on satellite-related topics for the AMSAT Journal,
QST and RadCom, the magazine of the Radio Society of Great Britain.
Ray was 79.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
(AMSAT)
**
SILENT KEY: SOTA'S JOSE-ANTONIO GURUTZARRI JAUREGI, "GURU," EA2IF
SKEETER/ANCHOR: The close-knit community of SOTA activators is grieving the
loss of a well-known friend to many, on and off the summits. Ed Durrant
DD5LP has his story.
ED: Jose-Antonio Gurutzarri Jauregi was better known as Guru, or by his
callsign, EA2IF. A ham since his teens in native Spain, he embraced
participation in Summits on the Air in 2013, combining his love of portable
activation with his affinity for hiking. Guru became a Silent Key on March
11. His death from cancer was announced by Ignacio EA2BD on the SOTA
Reflector.
Radio and friendship were common threads throughout his life. Starting with
a friend, Esteban EA2BYG, who introduced him to CB radio in 1980 as a
teenager. Another friend, Jose-Ramon, EA2AD, later brought him into the
world of amateur radio. Guru became an adept contester and CW operator and
over the years placed in the top three spots for such competitions as the CQ
World Wide DX contest and the ARRL International DX CW competition. By 2018,
after a few years in the SOTA programme, he was invited to join the SOTA
Global Publicity Team.
According to Ignacio, at the time of Guru's death he was 26 points short of
one last goal he sought despite his terminal diagnosis: He wanted to achieve
Mountain Goat status in the SOTA awards scheme. Paying tribute to his
friend, Ignacio wrote on the reflector: [quote] "In our hearts, after so
many activations - 415 - you are already in the herd, Guru...73 my friend."
[end quote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP and I am proud to have
known Guru. Vale Guru, EA2IF ..... you will be sorely missed by the SOTA
community.
(SOTA REFLECTOR, QRZ.COM)
**
UK BEACON PROJECT GAINS FUNDING FROM RSGB
SKEETER/ANCHOR: In the UK, a beacon project that will help in the study of
meteors has gained some financial support. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has the
details.
JEREMY: A partnership between radio astronomers and the amateur radio
community has been recognized by the Legacy Committee of the Radio Society
of Great Britain, which will be providing funds for a 50 MHz beacon to
assist in the study of meteors above the UK.
According to the RSGB website, the beacon will operate from the Sherwood
Observatory of the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society. It will make
use of circular polarization and will beam up vertically.
The announcement noted that because meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere
create an ionized trail reflecting transmissions at 50 MHz, that band is
extremely useful for the planned range of STEM and citizen science projects.
The amount of the Legacy Committee gift was not disclosed.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(RSGB)
**
WIA WELCOMES YOUTH CORRESPONDENT TO AMATEUR NEWSCAST
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Newsline would like to congratulate Alec,
VK2APC, of Sydney, Australia for joining the Wireless Institute of
Australia's National News team. Alec is 12 years old, got his license last
year and is the son of Pete, VK2LP. Alec will be reading youth-related news
for listeners of the weekly WIA report.
**
NOMINATE YOUNG AMATEURS FOR NEWSLINE AWARD
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, young hams who live in the continental United
States have an opportunity to make news of their own as a recipient of the
Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award.
Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or younger
with talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio. Find
application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab.
Nominations close May 31st.
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, listen for Don, K6ZO, on air as D6ØAB between the 16th
and 29th of March from the Comoros Islands (AF-007). He will participate in
the CQWW WPX SSB Contest on March 26th and 27th. Don will also be visiting
Mayotte (AF-027), and use the callsign FH/K6ZO between March 18th and 23rd.
Don can be found on 160-6 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. QSL
all callsigns via his home callsign direct.
A year-long special event will begin in Hungary on March 15th using the
callsign HG2ØØPS. Hams are marking the 200th birthday of Sandor Petofi, a
revolutionary and celebrated poet. The station will be on the air until
March 15th, 2023. Be listening on all bands for operators using CW, SSB and
FT8. QSL via HA8RD, ClubLog or LoTW.
Listen for Thierry, F6CUK, on the air as TM8C from the Island of Brehat
between the 23rd and 30th of April. Listen for him on 40, 30 and 20 meters
using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL to his home callsign, direct, by the Bureau, and
LoTW.
(OHIO PENN DX)
***
KICKER: A MORSE CODE MESSAGE, ACCORDION TO HIM
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Next up, we offer you a serenade that's also a CW Serenade.
Morse Code enthusiasts have often likened the pattern of all those dits and
dahs to music. Now one ham in New Hampshire has taken things one step
further. Paul Braun WD9GCO hits the final high notes this week with this
story.
PAUL: Paul Castonguay [cass-tonn-gay] KC1LBL is a ham who not only composes
messages when he's on the air — he can also compose a little music when he's
off the air. It's basic music with these basic lyrics: "CQ QRP." To get that
message sent, he uses a special kind of keyer. It's not a bug, an iambic
paddle or a cootie. Well, actually, it's not a keyer at all. It's an
accordion. Paul performs his one-minute song on the accordion to an
appreciative audience of YouTube viewers. Fear not, music-lovers. Even if
you are completely CW-challenged or simply very QRS, this performance comes
with its own automatic decoder. It has subtitles. You can watch his YouTube
performance by using the link found in the text version of this week's
newscast. He's not expecting any QSL cards. Just applause.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.
[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKhVRtvHEn4 ]
(YOUTUBE, SOUTHGATE, STEPHEN WALTERS G7VFY)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to AARRL; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB;
DXWorld.net; Facebook; the FCC; Ohio Penn DX; OZSOTA Groups.io; QRZ.com; the
Radio Society of Great Britain; Southgate Amateur Radio News;
shortwaveradio.de; Stephen Walters, G7VFY; YouTube; and you our listeners,
that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at
newsline@arnewsline.org. 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.
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 Shelbyville Tennessee saying
73. As always we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 18-mar-2022 07:54 E. South America Standard Time
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