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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2261 for Friday February 26 2
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2261 for Friday February 26 2021
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2261 with a release date of Friday
February 26 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Earthquake researchers partner with hams. Australian
hams weigh in on a proposed license change - and it's time to think about
nominating the Young Ham of the Year for 2021. All this and more as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2261 comes your way right now.
***
BILLBOARD CART
**
EARTHQUAKE STUDIES EMPLOY AMATEURS' WINLINK
DON/ANCHOR: In our top story for this week, a United States government
agency is relying increasingly on amateur radio operators to further their
understanding of devastating earthquakes. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB gives us
the details.
RALPH: Ham radio operators are partnering with the U.S. Geological Survey in
helping to report realtime details about seismic activity and earthquake
damage, especially when other means of communication have gone offline:
They're using the radio email platform Winlink to carry data from the
survey's questionnaire-based system known as DYFI, for "Did You Feel It?"
ARES members transmit the DYFI reports even if an earthquake has knocked
down the region's internet. Receiving stations outside the earthquake region
receive the data contained in the Winlink transmission and forward it to the
USGS via their own internet access. The DYFI system gathers macroseismic
intensity data, allowing scientists to more accurately pinpoint where people
felt the earthquake and at what intensity. Researchers also rely on the
reports' data to further their general study of earthquakes.
According to an article on the website EOS, an estimated 90 percent of DYFI
reports are sent by observers within the first hour of an earthquake. Hams
can transmit the reports over VHF, HF and even local high-speed mesh
networks, many of which have the ability to interface with satellite-
connected cells-on-wheels. Cells-on-wheels have proven useful in emergency
response already during the California wildfires of 2017 and 2018. ARES is
now promoting the DYFI protocol and training hams in California, Washington,
Arizona, Hawaii, and Mexico.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
(EOS)
**
WIA POLLS AUSTRALIAN HAMS ABOUT ACMA'S LICENSE PROPOSAL
DON/ANCHOR: Hams throughout Australia are being asked to weigh in on a
fundamental license change being contemplated. John Williams VK4JJW tells us
what will happen next.
JOHN: As the Australian Communications and Media Authority seeks input on
whether to replace amateur radio operators' apparatus licence with a class
licence, the Wireless Institute of Australia has asked for feedback from
members and other interested amateurs. The WIA's formal polling opens this
week. The ACMA has stated that it would like to see the Class Licence
established. The licence would be available without a fee and would not
change any amateur privileges but it would no longer ensure protection
against interference.
WIA president Greg Kelly VK2GPK wrote members calling the proposal [quote]
"a non-trivial change" saying it had long-range impact on amateur radio in
Australia. In 2004, the ACMA's predecessor, the ACA, did not implement a
proposed move to such a licence.
The ACMA supports the change, however, saying it hopes to reduce its
regulatory burden and make costs more bearable for licensees.
The WIA poll is available to all radio amateurs in Australia. A link to the
online registration is available in the script of this newscast on the AR
Newsline website, arnewsline.org
Hams who register will receive their copy of the poll in their email.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW.
FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: tinyurl.com/wiapoll
(ACMA, WIA)
**
MAJOR ELECTRONICS RETAILER SHUTTING IN U.S.
DON/ANCHOR: In the United States, another major retailer that was a mainstay
for amateur radio operators is shutting its doors. Fry's Electronics, which
did business online and at retail centers through the western U.S.,
announced that online competition and the effects of the pandemic were too
much to overcome. The 36-year-old chain had 31 stores in nine states, with
seven of them in California.
(KCAL LOS ANGELES)
**
COLORADO STUDENTS MAKE CONTACT WITH ISS
DON/ANCHOR: It was worth waiting for: A contact at last between the ISS and
students in Denver, Colorado. Amanda Alden K1DDN has those details.
AMANDA: After dealing with strict COVID safety guidelines and numerous
schedule changes, STEM students from John F. Kennedy High School in Denver,
Colorado, finally got the green light for their QSO with Commander Mike
Hopkins KF5LJG aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday, February
24th. The successful telebridge contact was arranged using a relay station
in Portland, Oregon with David Payne NA7V as the controller. The last ARISS
attempt with a school failed to take place because of technical
difficulties.
During the 11-minute pass, students were able to ask 20 questions, ranging
from the way COVID-19 has impacted space travel to whether any data-
collection done in space has helped in an emergency situation on Earth. In
late 2019 the JFK school partnered with members of Rocky Mountain Ham Radio
and the Cherry Creek Young Amateur Radio Club who mentored the students on
the use of amateur radio communications to prepare them for their ARISS
contact.
To hear the contact, visit YouTube at the link printed in this week's
newscast script at arnewsline.org
[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgszX0npbQ]
**
INDIA HOSTS NET IN THE LANGUAGE OF FRIENDSHIP
DON/ANCHOR: Friendship has many languages in amateur radio. Jim Meachen
ZL2BHF tells us about one recent net that celebrated all of them.
JIM: Amateur radio operators in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and elsewhere
checked into a special 90-minute friendship net held on the 21st of
February, marking the UN's declaration of International Mother Language Day.
The more than 100 check-ins came throughout Asia as well as Mexico, Ukraine
and the United States via EchoLink while those in the Kolkata, India region
connected through the local VHF repeater. The net had been organised by the
Amateur Radio Society of Bangladesh and the West Bengal Radio Club as a
celebration of cultural and linguistic diversity. The United Nations created
International Mother Language Day in 2000 in the hopes of fostering
multilingualism and a general appreciation for other languages.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
**
MULTI-LINGUAL HAM HANDBOOK GOES ONLINE
DON/ANCHOR: Speaking of languages, which one do YOU speak? An online project
by a YL in Russia has helped hams make their QSOs a little more multi-
lingual. Ed Durrant DD5LP tells us more.
ED: Radio communication needs language as much as it needs good equipment in
the shack and now many of the languages of amateur radio are more accessible
than ever. A guidebook written 40 years ago by two brothers in Finland -
Jukka (YOOKA) OH2BAD and Miika (MEEKA) OH2BR – has been converted into an
online interactive guidebook, with the brothers' permission. Raisa R1BIG, a
popular YL in Russia well-known for videos of her amateur radio journey,
told Newsline she and a friend who is an IT specialist created the online
guide over the course of the past few weeks. She said she was inspired by
the brothers' original handbook, "The Radio Amateur's Conversation Guide,"
which Jukka (YOOKA) had shared with her two years ago.
With one mouse-click you can now read and hear almost 200 ham radio phrases.
Eight languages are available on the site, and more are in the works,
including the next one - Polish, being recorded by Darek SP3TLJ. Raisa
herself recorded the Russian-language entries and Pete M0PSX is working on a
new version of the English language sound files.
Although English is still the predominant language heard on the bands,
imagine being able to call "CQ 20 metres" or ask "When did you first get
your licence?" in Japanese or German. A link to the online guide can be seen
in the printed version of this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org
For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Ed Durrant DD5LP (please repeat this in
German, Ed!)
[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: https://raisa.blog/how-to/the-radio-amateur-s-
conversation-guide]
(RAISA, R1BIG)
**
TOWERING VICTORY FOR VERMONT AMATEUR
DON/ANCHOR: A New England ham's battle to put up radio towers is over and at
last, he can start construction. Kent Peterson KC0DGY tells us what it took
for him to win his case.
KENT: Zach Manganello K1ZK may well consider himself the recipient of a
towering victory in every sense of those words. The longtime amateur spent
the greater part of 2020 defending his proposal to install two radio towers
on his property the rural part of Vermont. Last summer, neighbors objected
to his original proposal for the 84-foot towers saying they were too high
and were damaging to their views. Zach
downsized his plans and tried again.
He even conducted visual impact tests floating a balloon to simulate the
height of the tower to ensure neighbors' views would remain unaffected. This
month, the Telecommunications Review Board of the Town of Shelburne granted
Zach the right to go ahead with two towers, one at 40 feet and the other 60
feet, both supported by guy wires.
According to a report in the Burlington Free Press, the local board decided
to give its support to Zach's tower project after being
convinced that having backup emergency communications in the neighborhood
was a local asset. The report said the panel was impressed
as well by Zach's willingness to share the educational aspects of amateur
radio with the greater community.
All of this came as the hoped-for good news for Zach, a lifelong radio
enthusiast since his childhood in Maine and a ham since the age of 14.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY.
(BURLINGTON FREE PRESS)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WD8IIJ
repeater of the Steubenville-Weirton Amateur Radio Club on Fridays at 8 p.m.
local time in the hometown of the late great Dean Martin, Stuebenville,
Ohio.
**
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION FOR HAMSCI SPACE WEATHER PROJECT
DON/ANCHOR: The space weather project launched by the HamSCI collective has
been getting some pretty prominent notice. Andy Morrison K9AWM is here with
the details.
ANDY: Amateur radio's volunteer space weather watchers have been getting
some recognition from the pros lately. A February 9th article in "Eos: Earth
& Space Science News" gives a respectful nod to the space weather sensor
network created worldwide by Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, or
HamSCI, a collective created by Nathaniel Frissell W2NAF.
The article praises the crowdsourced data hams are able to collect from
radio signals as those signals are influenced by changes in ionospheric
propagation. It was co-written by Nathaniel along with David Kazdan, AD8Y,
and Kristina Collins, both of Case Western Reserve University, W8EDU. Eos is
a publication of the American Geophysical Union.
The authors discuss how hams monitor what responses the Earth's atmosphere
has to different solar activity and the activity's impact on
telecommunications and electrical utilities, among other things. The article
advocates increased reliance on what hams and their amateur stations can
offer. [quote] They write: "With open-source instrumentation cheaper and
more plentiful than ever before, the time is ripe for amateur scientists to
take distributed measurements of the ionosphere — and the amateur radio
community is up for the challenge.ö [end quote]
With support from the National Science Foundation, HamSCI has launched a
Personal Space Weather Station project to support hams who wish to collect
such data to be used in space science research. Publication of the article
comes just weeks before HamSCI's virtual workshop which is being held on
March 19th and 20th.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Andy Morrison K9AWM.
(EOS: EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE NEWS)
**
YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP BEGINS PRIORITY REGISTRATION
DON/ANCHOR: If you know a young radio amateur who can't wait for camp
season, Jack Parker W8ISH has some good news for you.
JACK: Organizers have reaffirmed their commitment to hosting this year's
Youth on the Air camp, even as campers from across the Americas who were
accepted into last year's cancelled camp are completing priority
registration now. The camp is scheduled to be open in Ohio from July 11th to
the 16th with COVID-19 safety restrictions in place.
Camp director Neil Rapp WB9VPG said in an announcement that a final decision
will be made in April about whether the camp must be postponed for another
year. In the meantime, applications will be accepted in March for any
prospective campers who were not a part of last year's group. The camp will
host a maximum of 30 youngsters.
Neil wrote: [quote] "We are truly hopeful that we can proceed with the camp
this summer. We have some exciting plans! We are also looking at an
operating event in the summer. Stay tuned." [endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jack Parker W8ISH.
(YOTA AMERICAS CAMP)
**
NOMINATIONS OPENING FOR NEWSLINE'S YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR
DON/ANCHOR: Do these names mean anything to you? Chris Brault, KD8YVJ;
Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO; Emily Stewart, KC0PTL; Kaitlyn Cole, KS3P. They are
all past winners of Amateur Radio Newsline's Young Ham of the Year Award
which since 2015 has carried another name - that of Newsline's late
cofounder Bill Pasternak WA6ITF. These award-winners mean a lot to us here
at Newsline because they make us proud of the generation we are watching
grow and flourish. On Monday, March 1st downloadable nomination forms for
this year's candidates will become available on our website arnewsline.org
If you know a young amateur 18 or younger living in the United States, its
possessions or any Canadian province and they are devoted to radio and
community service, visit arnewsline.org and consider making them your
nominee. The award will be presented at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville
Alabama this August.
**
HAMS PREP FOR DXPEDITION TO WILLIS ISLAND
DON/ANCHOR: An adventurous group of radio amateurs has some big p lans for a
very small island just off the Australian coast. Can you say "DXpedition?"
That's just what Graham Kemp VK4BB describes for us here.
GRAHAM: What does a group of Aussie hams do when they see the 100th
anniversary of one of the last remaining manned weather stations coming up?
Well as the station is difficult to get to, located as it is on a very
small, 19 acre, island 450 kilometres off Cairns in Queensland, it wouldn't
be a simple special event station set-up. No, this has to be a proper DX-
Pedition. The group is the Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia
who have a long record of running DX-Peditions.
The location is Willis Island which at number 38 is one of the more wanted
locations for DXCC. The hams are hoping to use the call sign VK9W, but if
not allocated will use VK9HR (the clubs own call sign) from this rare IOTA
Island - OC-007.
If you are looking to add this entity to your collection, get ready for this
Aussie team who will be joined by some international friends heading out to
the Coral Sea to get on the air on 160 through 10 metres between November
the 3rd and the 13th 2021.
For more information check the URL given in the text version on the AR
Newsline dot ORG website.
(FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: https://dxnews.com/vk9hr/).
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB.
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, Gareth, M0MOL, is on the air as MM0MOL/P from the main
Island of Shetland for the remainder of February and into March. He will be
operating QRP with a portable setup. Listen for him mainly in the evenings
local time after work. Send QSLs to his home callsign.
The Pride Radio Group is using the special event callsign VI2021PRIDE
throughout the Sydney Mardi Gras until March 7th. Be listening for
operations on SSB and FT8. QSL directly to Michaela Wheeler VK3FUR or via
the ClubLog OQRS system.
The Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society will be putting several special
event stations on the air in the months ahead to celebrate the patron saints
of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The first event will be for the
feast of Saint David, patron saint of Wales. Be listening for GB0SD between
February 28th and March 2nd. The actual feast day is on March 1st. QSL by
eQSL, LoTW and by the Bureau via manager G4XEX.
(OHIO PENN DX, SOUTHGATE)
**
KICKER: ON MARS, ALL IT TAKES IS A LITTLE INGENUITY
DON/ANCHOR: Finally: Have you ever dreamed of having the frequency all to
yourself to make that one perfect, historic QSO? Well it can happen: On
Mars. Newsline's space cadet Paul Braun WD9GCO takes us there.
PAUL: Talk about operating mobile! NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter, prepped
to accomplish the first powered flight on that planet, has already achieved
its first QSO. According to reports from NASA, the 4-pound helicopter, which
is actually a drone, is resting comfortably in the underbelly of NASA's
Perseverance rover which landed on the red planet on February 18th. Its
mission is to conduct a test of the first powered flight in the thin
atmosphere there, where it is capable of achieving an altitude of no more
than 15 feet, or 5 metres.
The tiny helicopter employs point-to-point wireless communication with the
rover. A day after the landing, the helicopter sent its first message back
to Earth via the rover by making use of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,
saying all systems, including its power supply of six lithium-ion batteries,
were working as expected. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported that a
downlink from the orbiter confirmed that all was well. According to NASA, it
will be at least a month before Ingenuity makes its maiden flight.
One has to wonder, though — is Ingenuity going to apply for a QSL card? And
if so, does that go direct or through a bureau? I've got to imagine it's
going to need one for that "Worked All Planets" award. That's a lot of
postage.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.
(NASA, CNN, MSN.COM)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the ACMA; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL;
Burlington Free Press; CQ Magazine; CNN; David Behar; EOS; KCAL Los Angeles;
MSN.COM; NASA; Ohio Penn DX newsletter; QRZ.com; Raisa R1BIG; Southgate
Amateur Radio News; shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; Ted Randall's QSO Radio
Show; the Wireless Institute of Australia; WTWW Shortwave; YouTube; YOTA
Americas Camp; 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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune Mississippi 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-fev-2021 07:50 E. South America Standard Time
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