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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2329 for Friday June 17th, 202
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2329 for Friday June 17th, 2022
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2329 with a release date of Friday June
17th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Hams help reunite a family in India. A disaster
drill goes forward in Washington State -- and German amateurs roll out a
national emergency-response plan. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2329 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
DISASTER-RESPONSE PROGRAM DEBUTS IN GERMANY
DON/ANCHOR: We begin this week with disaster preparedness. As the world
focuses increasingly on changing weather and geologic hazards, a disaster-
response program with wide-ranging potential has made its debut in Germany.
Ed Durrant DD5LP brings us the details.
ED: Germany's amateur radio community is launching a wide-ranging programme
of disaster response. The pilot project is being led by the German Amateur
Radio Club, the DARC, in cooperation with Notfunk Bodensee, a Lake Constance
radio response group. The need for broader and improved response was
underscored recently by the devastating floods in the Ahr Valley. The new
network has started to be rolled out near Lake Constance in Markdorf, where
a donated emergency communications vehicle is being put into service.
Organisers say that the effective radio response during the 1999 avalanche
in Galtür proved to be a good model for Germany's amateur radio response but
in the intervening years, communications capability has progressed even
more. The initiative is expected to expand next into Ravensburg and Lindau.
Greater detail will be unveiled at Ham Radio Friedrichschafen on Friday,
June 24th.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.
**
HAMS PLAY PROMINENT ROLE IN WASHINGTON STATE EMERGENCY DRILL
DON/ANCHOR: Meanwhile in the US, a disaster drill switched formats and
reported some rewarding results. The Cascadia Rising prepareness exercise in
the Pacific Northwest region tests emergency response by government,
business and volunteers in the face of an earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
This year's exercise, however, was unprecedented: With the region's
resources stretched from historic wildfires, periods of intense rain and the
ongoing pandemic, organizers opted to hold this year's Cascadia Rising as a
discussion-based drill. It was conducted virtually on Microsoft Teams rather
than as the customary simulation of previous years. Robert Sabarese,
assessment and exercise programs supervisor with the Washington State
Emergency Management Division, told Newsline that during the drill, which
ran from June 13th to 16th, amateur radio emerged with even greater
potential for deeper involvement. He said there was new clarity in how hams
can be further deployed beyond their critical early roles aiding
transportation and resource-delivery to disaster victims.
(ROBERT SABARESE)
**
WEST BENGAL HAMS REUNITE FAMILY AFTER 2 YEARS
DON/ANCHOR: In West Bengal, India, a hospitalized woman was reunited with
her family in Bangladesh nearly two and a half years after falling ill and
becoming separated from them - and amateur radio provided the vital
connection. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF has that story.
JIM: When authorities contacted members of the West Bengal Radio Club in
India several months ago to assist a hospitalised woman in the city of
Jhargram, the hams knew they would have to accomplish something they'd done
so many times before: reunite a family with a missing member. According to a
news report in the Millennium Post, a woman who was found by the side of the
road 30 months earlier was found to be suffering from a mental condition and
was hospitalised to begin a lengthy course of treatment. She was unable to
provide information on the whereabouts of any family members. Local
officials reached out to the radio amateurs and asked them to get involved.
After eight months of searching, they finally located the woman's brother in
Bangladesh. The woman confirmed that she knew him and expressed a desire to
return home. This month, three of the hams who were able to accompany her to
the border of the two countries to reunite with her brother. Ambarish Nag
Biswas VU2JFA, the club's secretary, identified the hams as Nirmalendu
Mahato, VU3IQW, Parimal Roy, VU3ZIM, and Sujata (soo-JOTTA) Goswami (Ghos-
WAMMI), VU3XBR.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(MILLENNIUM POST)
**
HAMS BUILD SKILLS, FRIENDSHIPS AT YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP
DON/ANCHOR: This year's Youth on the Air camp for young operators in the
Americas is turning out to be a memorable one. Updating us now from the
middle of all the action is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.
NEIL: High temperatures and high winds haven't been enough to put a damper
on the 2022 Youth on the Air camp for the Americas in metro Cincinnati,
Ohio. Twenty-one campers have learned about contesting, digital modes, and
D-STAR, and built two direction-finding kits and a code key. The team
launched a high-altitude balloon with an APRS beacon that reached just over
97,000 feet (30,000 metres), and a mid-altitude balloon with a WSPR beacon
that is still traveling around the globe at about 30,000 feet (9,000 metres)
with the identifier K4PRM-1. As this story is being filed, the camp is
approaching the halfway point and about to embark on VHF contests at Kings
Island amusement park -- and of course, the campers have been on the air
using the callsign W8Y. Everyone is having a great time, learning a lot,
and building a strong community of youth amateur radio operators.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm camp director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG in West
Chester, Ohio.
**
NASA STUDIES DAMAGE TO WEBB TELESCOPE
DON/ANCHOR: Scientists are taking a second look at the damage caused by a
fragment that struck the Webb space telescope recently. Paul Braun WD9GCO
brings us up to date.
PAUL: The US Space Agency NASA is assessing the impact that a micrometeoroid
strike had on the James Webb Space Telescope, which it struck last month.
The dust-size fragment is reported to have hit one of the primary mirror
segments used in data collection. Engineers' initial assessments show only a
slight change in the performance of the mirror and were able to reposition
it in an attempt to compensate for the strike. Reports say this was the
fifth impact of its kind since the telescope was sent into space in December
as the heir apparent to the aging Hubble Telescope. NASA wrote in a blogpost
that its analysis and measurements will continue. NASA is still on track for
its July 12th date to release the first images collected by the telescope.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.
(BBC, SPACEFLIGHT NOW)
**
PLANS PROCEED FOR OUTDATED SATELLITES' REMOVAL
DON/ANCHOR: The European Space Agency is involved in a project to reduce the
clutter of outdated satellites from the skies. John Williams VK4JJW
explains.
JOHN: Think of it as a high-flying system of air traffic control — an
extremely high-flying system of air-traffic control. The European Space
Agency's Sunrise Programme is preparing to rid space of telecommunications
satellites that have outlived their usefulness and are junking up the skies.
The removal process is being coordinated by Astroscale, a private company
that removes orbital debris, and OneWeb, the satellite network providing
internet broadband. The ESA Partnership Project is the first of its kind and
is expected to produce a prototype that can remove the outdated satellites
from their low earth orbits. The goal is to protect the environment where
low-earth orbits take place and to reduce the chance of collisions.
When the contract was awarded to Astroscale in 2019, the company said the
ESA initiative would [quote] "advance the environmentally sustainable use of
space" [endquote] and preserve its use for generations to come.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW.
(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, ASTROSCALE)
**
BRITISH HAMS ARRESTED AS SPIES IN ALBANIA
DON/ANCHOR: Two British radio amateurs were arrested by Albanian authorities
who claimed they were operating as spies. We have that report from Jeremy
Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: Authorities in Albania are investigating the activities of two ham
radio operators from Great Britain who were arrested in May after amateur
radio transceivers were discovered in their baggage. A report of the
incident appeared in the UK’s Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and Daily Express
newspapers. The men were not identified in the media accounts but were said
to have been charged with spying after being stopped at Albania’s Tirana
International Airport on 30th May.
The news reports said that the men told police they were IT engineers on
holiday. After extensive questioning, the men were permitted to return home.
Their Kenwood radios were taken for further examination to determine whether
they were capable of interfering with Albania's military and secret service
analogue radio frequencies. Investigators were also studying the radios to
see whether they could record transmissions.
There were no further details about the case.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(THE DAILY MIRROR, DAILY MAIL AND DAILY EXPRESS)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W8SRC
repeater in Dexter, Michigan on Fridays at 9 p.m.
**
EU COUNTRIES TO STANDARDIZE CHARGERS FOR HANDHELD ELECTRONICS
DON/ANCHOR: Life for users of handheld electronics in EU countries is
expected to get a little bit simpler, as we hear from Ed Durrant DD5LP.
ED: Electronics users in the EU nations will soon only be permitted to use
one kind of charger with their smartphones, headphones, tablets and many
other handheld electronic devices. The European Commission, the executive
branch of the EU, said that standardisation of all handheld devices to use
the same USB-C port by 2024 will make products more sustainable and generate
less electronic waste. Observers immediately noticed that the move will have
an especially big impact on companies with proprietary chargers, such as
Apple. Makers of laptops are being given until later to complete the
transition to universal charging ports.
The tentative agreement was reached June 7th and amends the Radio Equipment
Directive. The agreement will undergo a formal vote after the summer recess
has ended.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.
(WASHINGTON POST, NPR, TECHMONITOR)
**
ITU's AMATEUR STATION MARKS 60 YEARS ON AIR
DON/ANCHOR: Congratulations to 4U1ITU, the amateur radio station of the
International Telecommunications Union, which is marking 60 years of
operation as part of the United Nations specialized agency for
communication. Its first QSO in June of 1962 was with DL4VK in Germany and
that contact marked the start of a busy 24 hours in which more than 1,300
contacts worldwide were logged. The station has since logged more than a
million contacts in CW, SSB and digital modes, including its first use of
the weak signal mode software WSJT, which bounced signals off the moon. That
activation was made by Nobel laureate Joe Taylor K1JT, the software's
creator and was logged on the occasion of the station's golden anniversary.
In recent years 4U1ITU has logged contacts with astronauts aboard the
International Space Station and participated in the ARISS program with
students in Switzerland.
(ITU)
**
FINALISTS ANNOUNCED IN IARU REGION 1 HAM CHALLENGE
DON/ANCHOR: Judges in the IARU Region 1 Ham Challenge have identified the
five finalists and Jeremy Boot G4NJH is here to tell us who they are.
JEREMY: As the IARU Region 1 Ham Challenge 2022 comes to its conclusion, the
five finalists have been announced. The jury has chosen these proposals in
keeping with the competition's goal to solicit ideas that will draw more
people into amateur radio and invigorate the hobby for those already
involved.
The finalists will continue in the competition at Ham Radio Friedrichshafen,
either online or in person, in a question-and-answer forum. They are Nestor,
5B4AHZ, for a project known as “Escape Rooms," Gustavo, EA4HDN, for “AM
BoB,ö Christian, HB9FEU, for “A public database of fun projects for
innovation,ö Luca, IU2FRL, for “UrgenSatö and Guy, ZS6GUY, for “A Workbook
that will showcase various aspects of the hobby."
Their next task is to prepare a video about their project and a document
giving details on how they plan to make it a reality. Both the video and the
paper are due by the 22nd of June.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(IARU REGION 1)
**
SABLE ISLAND DXPEDITION LAUNCHES WEBSITE
DON/ANCHOR: If you're hoping to work the team on Sable Island off the
Canadian coast this fall, you can now track their progress with their newly
launched website. Here's Dave Parks WB8ODF with details.
DAVE: On a small North Atlantic island southeast of Nova Scotia, Canada, you
can expect to find gray seals, wild horses and ... amateur radio operators.
Well, the third group will only be in temporary residence there on Sable
Island, which is also known as the Sable island National Park Reserve. The
team plans a seven- or eight-day DXpedition in October and November as CYØS.
A website was launched earlier this month to keep DX enthusiasts up to date
and it will be adding new information on a regular basis. The website is c y
Ø s dot com (cyØs.com) and continues to be updated by webmaster Chaz, W4GKF,
and Randy NØTG. The team, which includes three DX Hall of Famers, expects to
operate in a very small area on the island so as not to have any impact on
the animals.
Visit the website regularly for updates.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks WB8ODF.
(SABLE ISLAND DXPEDITION WEBSITE)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, Barry, FO/KD6XU, has been active from French Polynesia
and can be heard from the Society Islands. Be listening for him using CW
mainly on 40-12m bands.
Listen for Team ZY8AM from the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil between July 1st
and 12th. They will be active on 160m to 6m using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL using
LoTW or Direct only.
In Guatemala, Stephen, K4IM is on the air as TG9AWS until October. Listen
for him from 160 to 10 metres with a focus on RTTY. QSL via home call,
direct, LoTW, OQRS Club Log.
Roland, F8EN is on Gabon Island operating as TR8CR until the end of July.
Listen on 40, 30 and 20 meters where he is using CW. QSL via F6AJA direct or
bureau.
(DX-WORLD. NET)
**
KICKER: MORSE CODE IS KEYING UP IN AUTOMAKER'S NEW CAMPAIGN
DON/ANCHOR: For our final story, we look at how one car maker's ad campaign
has embraced the spirit of the DXpedition. In fact, the car maker is using
that campaign as a vehicle - a four-wheel-drive vehicle in this case - to
honor the kind of adventurous spirit found in amateur radio and to celebrate
- in a big way - Morse Code. Here's Mike Askins KE5CXP with the details.
MIKE: There's no need to keep a secret about what's going on at Jeep: the
popular carmaker has been into Morse Code now for quite a few years. In
2015, there was the campaign slogan "Don't Morse Code and Drive," which gave
good safety advice to motorists having off-road adventures in their four-by-
four. Later came a Morse Code message in the cars themselves, dits and dahs
in raised bumps visible on the driver's left footrest. Decoded, the message
spells out "Sand, Snow, Rivers, and Rocks," the terrain the SUV was made to
conquer with relative ease. Now there's a new campaign called "Jeep Code,"
released this past spring by the ad agency Publicis Groupe. The agency's
executive creative director said on the website Little Black Book online
that CW serves as an ideal match for Jeep because Morse Code is a good form
of communication for people in remote, off-road places. The agency directed
the creation of a website to complement the campaign, letting people
generate or translate their own Morse Code messages, just for fun. That
website is jeeplifeiscalling dot com (jeeplifeiscalling.com)
When miles- or kilometres-per-hour teams up with words-per-minute, the only
thing left for the carmaker to do, perhaps, is to trade in all those
ignition keys.....for straight keys.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP.
(JEEPLIFEISCALLING.COM, LITTLE BLACK BOOK ONLINE, ADSOFTHEWORLD.COM)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Ads Of the World; AMSAT News Service;
ARRL; Astroscale; BBC; CQ Magazine; Daily Mirror; Daily Express; David Behar
K7DB; DX-World.net; JeepLifeIsCalling; IARU Region 1; Little Black Book
Online; Millennium Post; NPR; Ohio Penn DX; QRZ.com; Robert Sabarese;
Southgate Amateur Radio News; Sable Island DXpedition website;
shortwaveradio.de; TechMonitor; the Washington Post; 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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune, Mississippi 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 17-jun-2022 11:43 E. South America Standard Time
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