VOICE OF AMERICA EVENT LOGS 3,665 QSOs

NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the organizers of the Voice of America
80th anniversary special event station. Operators logged 3,665 QSOs at stations W3V, W8O and W4A, according to Jocelyn Brault KD8VRX/VA2VRX of
the West Chester Amateur Radio Association. He said that all digital
cards have been sent and certificates will be emailed shortly. Paper QSLs
are expected to be sent out sometime in March.

**

HISTORIC MARCONI HUT DEPICTED IN VIRTUAL 3D MODEL

NEIL/ANCHOR: In England, radio is about to embrace one digital mode yet unknown on the amateur bands: Digital art. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has that
story.

JEREMY: Hams in the UK have played a big role in celebrations of the
BBC's centenary this year. The most recent special event station was
heard on the 14th of February as radio operators in Chelmsford called QRZ
as station GB100 2MT [pronounced as GB100 2MT], marking the historic
first transmission from the Marconi Company's Writtle Hut there. The hut
is now going digital with the help of an artist who is creating a digital model of it for inclusion at the Chelmsford Museum. The artist, Sian Fan,
and the museum are calling the exhibit Forecast22 - the Birth of British Broadcasting. The virtual 3D model will include a replica of the 2MT transmitter as well as contents of the building. The exhibit opens in
October.

If you can't get to Chelmsford to take a step inside history, don't
worry. You can take part in the Forecast22 on your mobile phone wherever
in the world you might be. It's a different kind of 'digital DXing' but a fitting option for a celebration that changed the shape and the sound of British broadcasting.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(CITYLIFE CHELMSFORD)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the word, including the K5DUR repeater
in Dallas, Texas, on Sundays at 7 p.m. local time.

**

AUSTRALIA PREPARING FOR A WHOLE LOT OF 'MAYHAM'

NEIL/ANCHOR: There are big happenings planned for hams in New South
Wales, Australia. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, brings us that report.

JASON: Mayham, the largest amateur radio gathering in the Southern
Hemisphere, has an equally large and ambitious agenda for Sunday the 1st
of May. In addition to planning the usual activities, such as pedestrian
and mobile fox hunts, organisers from the Central Coast Amateur Radio
Club are looking for lecturers to deliver talks on a variety of subjects.
Each 45-minute presentation will be followed by no more than 15 minutes
of questions and answers. Formerly known as Wyong Field Day, it has run
over 60 years without a break, even through these COVID years. Mayham is scheduled to be held at the customary location of the Wyong race course.
If you have a presentation you'd like to share with some of Australia's
most enthusiastic radio amateurs, contact Col, VK2ZCO, by emailing ccarc
at ccarc dot org dot au (ccarc@ccarc.dot.org.au) and describe your
proposed lecture. If you're looking to upgrade - or even get - your first licence, contact education coordinator of the club at education at ccarc
dot org dot au (education@ccarc.dot.org.au)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(CENTRAL COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

ARISS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ISS CONTACTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you're interested in learning more about setting up,
hosting and participating in a contact with the ISS through Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station you may want to attend an introductory webinar being hosted by ARISS. It will be held on UTC March 4th - which
is the evening of March 3rd for attendees in North America. The webinar
will help give schools, science centers, museums and other institutions information they need to apply for a contact with the space crew.
Registration for the seminar is required.

Applications for a space-crew contact should be submitted no later than
the 31st of March. Such a contact would ideally draw a large number of attendees and participants and be included in an educational plan
focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Visit the ARISS-USA website for more details. All contacts are being scheduled for January the 1st through June 30th of 2023.

(ARISS-USA)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N7OEI repeater
in Navajo and Apache counties, Arizona, on Thursdays at 7 p.m. local time.

**

IN NEW ZEALAND, GOING TO ANY LENGTH FOR A QSO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Many, many amateurs search for the "Biggest and best
antenna." At their recent field day, however, some hams in New Zealand
proved they would go to ANY lengths - and we do mean ANY lengths. Jim
Meachen, ZL2BHF, brings us that story.

JIM: "That's not an antenna! THIS IS AN ANTENNA!" Chris, ZL4RA, led a
group on the South Island of New Zealand, looking to try something
"different" in the 2022 Jock White Memorial Field Day on the last weekend
in February.

Chris had scouted out a ZL3 SOTA Summit. He, Russ, ZL4JW, and Jim, ZL4JI,
had a plan: operating portable with a quarter-kilometre long-wire. Yes, portable. The antenna was to cross a gully pointing north-northeast to
cover NZ and perhaps into VK as well. That's three wavelengths on 80
metres and six on 40 metres! Or, as Chris describes it, "ridiculously
long." It took some effort to install the 20-foot masts in the wind and
rain and to run the wire. One back stake support was a problem due to the strain on it from this length of wire, but it survived."

The results? Success, even with just 100 watts maximum power. Although the antenna bandwidth was a bit narrow, both transmit and receive signals were strong. Saturday brought some unexpected QRM but by Sunday the antenna was truly "going the distance." And that's the long and short of it!

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(CHRIS RIO ZL4RA)

**

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE SYMPOSIUM

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If the technical side of amateur radio interests you, this next report from John Williams, VK4JJW, might be of special interest.

JOHN: Registration has begun for the South African Radio League's
technical symposium, which will explore amateur radio technology. The
virtual event is being held on Saturday the 9th of April on the Bluejeans platform. Presenters include Sylvain Azarian, F4GKR, president of IARU
Region 1, who will talk about software defined radio and various ham radio applications. Cor Rademeyer, ZS6CR, will discuss ways to analyse GPS
position data to detect RF propagation disturbances. Brian Jacobs, ZS6YZ,
will update everyone on the league's next-generation beacon project. Other discussions will cover the AMSAT-South Africa AfriCUBE satellites and
SARL100 project, which is preparing for the league's centennial celebration.

The symposium is free for members of SARL and AMSAT-South Africa. Find the link to register in this week's text version of this Newsline report.

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://tinyurl.com/rapc2kdu ]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE)

**

THOUSANDS MAKE CONTACT DURING PLUTO SPECIAL EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The pileups have quieted down and it's all over, but the counting after the Pluto Anniversary Special event held last month. Randy
Sly, W4XJ, has the numbers.

RANDY: Over 6,500 hams reached for the stars last month but were happy to reach a dwarf planet instead. From February 14th to the 21st, amateur
radio operators celebrated the discovery of Pluto by contacting W7P and
W7P/Ø for the Pluto Anniversary Special Event. This annual countdown will last until the centennial of the discovery in 2030. Most of the operation
took place from a trailer at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona
where Clyde Tombaugh changed the understanding of our solar system on
February 18th, 1930.

Held in conjunction with the "I Heart Pluto Festival" at the observatory,
the event is in its second year, organized by the Northern Arizona DX Association, under the coordination of Bob Wertz, NF7E.

The final tally may show as many at 7,500 contacts logged by the 18
operators on W7P and the five operators on W7P/0, which was led by Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, nephew of the famed astronomer. The team was contacted by stations from all 50 US states and 57 countries. For QSL information, look
up W7P on QRZ.com.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

**

ACTIVATORS GET TO NAME NEW UNNAMED SUMMITS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you claim it and it has no name, you name it: that's
the concept behind a new challenge from managers of the international HEMA summit awards scheme. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us what's going on.

ED: The Southern Bavaria Association of HEMA added 101 summits to its list
of those that can be activated under the award scheme on February the
26th. HEMA summits have a prominence of between 100 and 150 metres. They
all have a code with a latitude and longitude designation but several are lacking a name. The new option allows the first activator of any summit currently described as "No Name" to give that summit a name within the
HEMA system. The name cannot be rude, slanderous or contain any words that
are trademarked. Otherwise, use your best operating strategy when you're
on the summit and then....come back down and use your imagination: Submit
your log, along with a proposed name.

For details of the scheme, visit HEMA dot ORG dot UK.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(DD5LP ASSOCIATION MANAGER HEMA DL)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

HAWAIIAN HAMS PREP FOR STATEWIDE DRILL

NEIL/ANCHOR: Organizers in Hawaii are looking for amateurs to
participate in an important statewide emergency drill in April.
Christian Cudnik, K0STH, brings us that report.

CHRISTIAN: For hams in Hawaii, the three-hour emergency communications exercise being held by the Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service on
April 16th will be like none of the others held several times each year.
The drill will be conducted following the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program, which standardizes terminology, methodology and
policy used during the exercise. It will simulate a period of
catastrophic rain and wind covering the islands, taking down power,
internet and cell towers. According to Hawaii ARES spokesman Stacy
Holbrook, KH6OWL, a planning team has developed a full incident action
plan using the forms and format of the program's Incident Command System Structure. Stacy told Newsline in an email he was unaware of any other statewide exercises being done in this manner.

Using on-air nets, social media and local clubs, organizers are reaching
out to the more than 3,800 licensed amateurs throughout Hawaii, hoping
to get as many hams as possible on board. The drill is an all-mode, all-
band exercise that makes use of analog, simplex and Digital modes as
well as VHF, UHF and HF. Hams using WINLINK will have the additional
support of an ongoing Zoom meeting to assist with any troubleshooting.

Stacy told Newsline: [quote] "We would love to build relationships with
the fire chiefs, police chiefs, and served agencies in our area so they
know they have another asset they could use if needed." [endquote] He
said the goal is to use the ICS system so everyone is on the same
training level and gets the needed experience with the command structure
and forms.

There is additional information and a signup form on the website hawaiiares.net.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH.

(STACY HOLBROOK, KH6OWL)

**

LEADER NEEDED FOR RSGB CONVENTION

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Radio Society of Great Britain needs someone to chair
its upcoming convention. Could that be you? Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: A hybrid convention is on the cards this year for the Radio
Society of Great Britain, which hopes to combine a return to an in-
person event with the best of the online conventions held these past two years.

Planning is already under way but the organisers are in need of a
convention chair. According to the RSGB website, this leader should be
someone familiar with all developments going on in amateur radio and
should be comfortable planning for online events as well as those in
person.

Meanwhile, the team is seeking input from anyone and everyone who would
like to help shape the event which will be held in October. A survey is
posted online for amateurs to share their ideas with the organisers.
It's not necessary to be a member of the RSGB to participate in the
survey. As with the previous two online conventions, the hybrid version
will be providing access to people attending from outside Great Britain.

Visit the website rsgb dot org stroke convention (rsgb.org/convention)
to provide your input and learn more about the vacancy.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

YOUTH CATEGORY ADDED TO CQ MAGAZINE'S DX MARATHON

NEIL/ANCHOR: Young hams may want to be aware of a new category
introduced this year by CQ magazine in its DX Marathon, which is already
under way. The Youth Category is an overlay category open to any
operator born on January 1st, 1997 or later. There are certificates for
the highest scorer among young operators in each of the six continents.
Visit the rules section of the website at dxmarathon dot com
(dxmarathon.com). And, good luck, everyone!

(CQ MAGAZINE)

**

NOMINATE YOUNG AMATEURS FOR NEWSLINE AWARD

NEIL/ANCHOR: We here at Newsline are asking listeners to think of a
young amateur radio operator with talent, promise and heart. Consider nominating them for Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak Memorial
Young Ham of the Year Award. This is our commitment to honoring young
talent 18 years of age or younger who reside in the United States, its possessions, or any Canadian province. Find application forms on our
website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations close May
31st.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

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.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
Butler County Amateur Radio Public Service Group's K3PSG repeater, in
Butler, Pennsylvania, on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. local time

**

FCC HAM RADIO LICENSE FEE TAKES EFFECT APRIL 19TH

PAUL/ANCHOR: Get ready for April 19th. If you're looking to upgrade,
renew, or change your callsign, you have until that date to do so without having to pay a fee. The FCC has announced its new $35 application fee
for US amateur radio licenses takes effect on that date. The agency said
the fees can be paid by using the Commission's Universal Licensing
System on the FCC website. The FCC posted a public notice on its website
on March 23, announcing it would begin collecting the fees, which it has
said will cover the costs of processing the applications. For hams, the
fees apply to new licenses, renewals, upgrades, sequential call sign
changes and applications for vanity calls. It does not apply to such administrative updates as change of email or other mailing address.

(FCC)

**

OREGON LAUNCHES STATE'S FIRST SATELLITE

PAUL/ANCHOR: The team behind Oregon's first satellite gets bragging
rights this week after its successful launch from Alaska. Ralph
Squillace, KK6ITB, brings us that story.

RALPH: Space enthusiasts are celebrating the launch of Oregon's first satellite, which carried amateur radio into low Earth orbit on a
spacecraft no larger than a box of tissues. Known as OreSat0, it is an
open source CubeSat built by the Portland State Aerospace Society, an interdisciplinary group of students at Portland State University. With
solar panels, batteries, a color camera and of course amateur radio on
board, it was launched on March 15th from Kodiak, Alaska.

The group's faculty advisor, Andrew Greenberg, KD7CJT, said on the
university website [quote]: "Our small group of space hipsters gathered
in the rocket room to watch the launch with fancy bagels and pour-over
coffee, and then collectively held our breath for more than an hour." [endquote] After some nervous moments, they learned the flight had gone smoothly. Its mission, which is to test the cubesat system itself, is
expected to last several years. Fear not, this won't be the first and
the last for Oregon. The group is already hard at work on OreSat0.5
(OreSat Zero Point Five), and it's scheduled for launch this summer. It
will be a larger satellite for NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and will
carry equipment gathering data for global climate science, studying the distribution of high altitude cirrus clouds.

Meanwhile if you'd like to track the pride of Oregon's space fans, see
the link in the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:

https://uniclogs-cesium-megqz.ondigitalocean.app/ ]

**

NORWAY'S BEGINNERS' LICENSE GAINS TRACTION

PAUL/ANCHOR: Norway is moving forward with a plan to introduce a new
amateur radio license for beginners. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has that story.

JEREMY: Norway has plans to introduce a 10-watt entry level certificate
for young hams. It has the financial support of one million Kroner, or
nearly $114,000 US dollars, from the Norwegian Research Council with the
input of hams throughout the nation.

The proposal, introduced last year, was discussed at Norway's
Hammeeting, an annual amateur radio convention. Attendees included the communications regulator NKOM, and the Norwegian Radio Relay League. The
NRRL, the Research Institute of Forsvaret and Torbj�rn, LA4ZCA, are
working together on a plan to introduce the subject formally into school curricula. The proposed certificate would become available to 12- and 13-year-old enthusiasts operating at low power on limited bands.

The entry level licence has the support of such groups as the Academic
Radio Club, or ARK, which has already been making classes available. The
ARK is Norway's oldest amateur radio club for students.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(ARK, SOUTHGATE)
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

RSGB REOPENS NATIONAL RADIO CENTRE AT BLETCHLEY PARK

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park has opened
its doors again following a brief COVID-related closure. Jeremy Boot,
G4NJH, brings us up to date about returning to visit.

JEREMY: Visitors are again welcome at the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park. The centre reopened on Monday, the 28th of March having
been shut after many members of its volunteer team had fallen ill with COVID-19. While visitors are still encouraged to wear face masks, they
are not now mandatory.

Amateur radio operators will have to wait a little longer to operate from
the GB3RS amateur radio station on site, however, as it remains
unavailable.

The radio room itself is open, however; and groups may visit in small
numbers. RSGB members will be allowed to use their vouchers for free
entry to the centre and it is no longer necessary to book arrival times
in advance.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the J88CU repeater
on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. local time in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

**

HAMVENTION WEEKEND BANQUET WILL HONOR APRS PIONEER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you're going to Hamvention, get your tickets early for
the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet. The dinner is honoring a pioneer who became a
Silent Key this year. Jack Parker, W8ISH, has the details.

JACK: One of the highlights of Dayton Hamvention weekend this May is
expected to be the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet which is being held in honor of
APRS pioneer Bob Bruninga (BREW nin guh), WB4APR. Bob, who became a
Silent Key in February, developed the widely used packet system more than
a quarter century ago, enabling real-time tracking and data transfer over amateur radio frequencies. The dinner is taking place on Friday, May 20th
at 6:30 p.m. local time and will showcase Bob's life and achievements.
Tickets are $57 each, and must be pre-purchased no later than Friday, May
13th from the AMSAT store; they will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. The banquet will take place at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center in Kettering, Ohio, a 20-minute drive from Hamvention at the fairgrounds in Xenia.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(AMSAT, TAPR)

**

TELESCOPE'S DETAILED IMAGES CAPTURE 'ODD RADIO CIRCLES'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With the help of a radio telescope in South Africa,
mysterious radio circles in space are becoming a little less mysterious. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us about that telescope's recent discovery.

GRAHAM: The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory has captured the
most detailed images to date of what are known as ORCs, for "odd radio circles," in a discovery astronomers are calling unprecedented. The
circles themselves are nothing new: The first three were discovered in
2019 by astronomers at Australia's national science agency CSIRO using
the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Archival data from
radio telescope imagery in India in 2013 contained the fourth image. The Australian radio telescope identified a fifth one last year. Scientists
are curious as to why ORCs show up in radio waves but are undetected by optical or X-ray telescopes.

Astronomers theorise that the huge circles take about 1 billion years to
reach their maximum size. Their diameter is said to be 10 times the
diameter of the Milky Way, measuring about a million light-years across.
Some have a galaxy at their centres.

ORCs beam out radio signals every 18 minutes on average but little else
is known about them. That could change. Scientists said that with the
newest images from South Africa's high resolution radio telescope, they
may be a bit closer to understanding them better.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(NATURE, CNN)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
East Coast Reflector on Sundays at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, where
more than 240 repeaters and simplex nodes rebroadcast our newscast.

**

SUMMITS ON THE AIR BEGINS ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

JIM/ANCHOR: This is an exciting year for amateurs who are active in the Summits on the Air awards scheme. We hear what's going on from Ed
Durrant, DD5LP.

ED: Just as hams in the Summits on the Air award scheme rise through the
tier of awards to increase their standing, so too has the awards scheme
scaled new heights. For the past month, SOTA has been marking its 20th anniversary in England and Wales, the birthplaces of the programme,
which now has more than 24,000 participants on all the major continents. During April, SOTA management team member Tom Read, M1EYP, will be
operating special event station GB20SOTA from the summit of "The Cloud",
which is designated as G/SP-015 in the SOTA award scheme. Additional
special event calls will be on the air throughout this year as hams in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the United States mark the occasion. The celebration kicked off last month with summit activations by GW association manager Roger Dallimore, MW0IDX, under the GB2OTA call sign in Wales. Free commemorative certificates will be available.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

**

LICENSE DELAYS TEST PATIENCE OF BRAZIL'S RADIO APPLICANTS

JIM/ANCHOR: Impatient over ongoing delays, applicants for Brazil's
amateur radio license are applying even more pressure on officials.
Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us that update.

JEREMY: In Brazil, the long wait has become even longer as applicants
waiting for their radio amateur licence report that at least six months
have passed in some cases and they are growing impatient.

Brazil's national amateur radio society has asked ANATEL, the nation's regulator, to act promptly and resolve the delays for the waiting
candidates. The group is asking the regulator to modernise its computer
system and standardise processes across all of the Brazilian states. The amateur organisation, known as Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio
Emissão (LABRE), believes the system incompatibility has resulted in
long wait times that have discouraged candidates from seeking licences.

The Brazilian amateurs' latest plea comes in the form of a petition,
following unsuccessful attempts at progress during meetings held in
person as well as remotely between LABRE and ANATEL.

The petition can be seen at the website that appears in the text version
of this week's newscast. It is in Portuguese with a Google translation
to English available.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:

https://www.change.org/p/radioamadores-unidos-exigem-celeridade-e- moderniza%C3%A7%C3%A3o-dos-sistemas-da-anatel ]

(above URL all on one line)

(LABRE, SOUTHGATE)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

NOMINATE YOUNG AMATEURS FOR NEWSLINE AWARD

NEIL/ANCHOR: It's time to think about the next generation of radio
operators and appreciate their skill and dedication. Perhaps one of them
will be the next 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 in the continental United
States 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.

**

AMATEUR RADIO VETERAN FOCUSES ON SHARING WELL-HONED SkILLSET

NEIL/ANCHOR: Many hams use the opportunity of retirement from their
paying jobs to "pay it forward" to the amateur radio community. Paul
Braun, WD9GCO, tells us about one such amateur.

PAUL: One of the challenges many amateur radio clubs face is finding a constant flow of presenters to keep meetings interesting. John Portune,
W6NBC, a former electronics industry writer and educator, as well as a frequent contributor to QST and other related publications, is offering
a partial solution. Portune has developed a series of presentations on a variety of topics and has made himself available to present them.
Portune said he was looking for something to do now that he's retired,
so he decided that volunteering to teach on a variety of ham topics fit
right in with his skillset.

Portune gave a presentation to the Porter County Amateur Radio Club in
Indiana on Friday, April 8th. His topic was the design and construction
of a 10-meter Moxon antenna. If you'd like to see it, check the link in
the printed version of this week's report. He can be reached through his website, w6nbc.com

FOR PRINT ONLY: https://youtu.be/wdyLRprTJRU

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

POTA OPERATORS ACTIVATE "SUPPORT YOUR PARKS" EVENT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Parks activators are celebrating spring in a big way. Vance Martin, N3VEM, tells us what they've been up to.

VANCE: In Parks on the Air News, we hope you'll join us in just a few
days for the spring "Support Your Parks" event on April 16th and 17th
UTC. If the past is any indication, there could be anywhere from six to
eight hundred operators putting parks on the air for the weekend event.
This is a great opportunity to get out portable and activate some parks
as the weather turns warm, or just stay home and have plenty of parks to chase. It's also an excellent opportunity to practice and prepare for
the summer's big activity - our annual plaque event. This year, that
happens on July 16th and 17th UTC. All of our plaques, including the
three new DX activator plaques, are now fully sponsored thanks to a
number of generous hams. More information about the summer event will be coming over the next couple months, so stay tuned to these monthly POTA updates, and the plaque event section of pota.app. This is November
Three Victor Echo Mike.

(POTA)

**

DX ASSOCIATION NAMES HUMANITARIAN FUND FOR ITS FOUNDER, NOW A SILENT KEY

NEIL/ANCHOR: The fund created by a noted DXer and humanitarian now
carries his name. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, gives us the details.

JASON: Out of grief has come a renewed commitment to generosity. Still mourning the recent loss of friend and benefactor Zorro Miyazawa,
JH1AJT, the International DX Association has added his name to the humanitarian aid fund Zorro created and endowed in January of 2016.
INDEXA's Humanitarian Aid Fund is now known as The Zorro Miyazawa,
JH1AJT, Hams with Hearts Fund. The funds are used to provide assistance
to any humanitarian aid projects undertaken by amateurs during their DXpeditions. The announcement on the INDEXA website noted that the
tagline reflects "Zorro's character and values," adding [quote] "INDEXA
is proud and grateful to be able to sustain Zorro's legacy through this
fund." [endquote] Zorro, who was known as much for his role as a
humanitarian as a ham, became a Silent Key in March.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(INDEXA)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W-ZERO-EF
repeater in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.

**

ONLINE COURSE GETS UNDER WAY FOR CANADIAN LICENSE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Classes are getting started for Canada's basic operating certificate -- and the course is being offered online. Dave Parks,
WB8ODF, has the details.

DAVE: Candidates for Canada's basic level amateur radio operator
certificate are beginning their studies on Sunday, April 24th and will continue through Thursday, June 30th. This is an online course for
anyone interested in a Canadian operating certificate, including
candidates in overseas countries. The classes are being conducted with
the help of the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club of Nova Scotia. The coursework prepares candidates for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Basic Qualification Level Operator Certificate exam.
Al Penney, VO1NO, is the instructor for the three-hour classes which
meet on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. To enquire about costs
and registration, contact the course administrator via email at
basiccourse - that's one word - at rac dot ca (basiccourse@rac.ca.) The sessions are being recorded so should anyone miss a class they may catch
up on the material.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks WB8ODF.

(RADIO AMATEURS OF CANADA)

**

TEEN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM GETS HIGH GOVERNMENT HONORS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: An emergency-response team of teens - some of them
amateur radio operators - has received an award from a top U.S.
government agency. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, has the details.

KEVIN: A high school emergency response team that includes several
amateur radio operators has been recognized by federal officials for
their crisis preparedness work. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management
Agency, or FEMA, has presented its Region 6 Youth Preparedness Award to
the Clovis High School Teen Community Emergency Response Team in Clovis,
New Mexico. The team is known by the acronym CERT. The team has been
training under the guidance of the city's emergency management director,
Dan Heerding, KG5DTV, who shares the award with them. According to a
news story on the KCBD-TV website, the young CERT members have already
been deployed to three community events and collectively donated 856
hours of their time.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(SOUTHGATE, KCBD-TV)

**

NASA SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS HONOR APOLLO 16 ANNIVERSARY

SKEETER/ANCHOR: It's been 50 years since the historic moon mission known
as Apollo 16. Amateurs around the US will agree: that's reason to
activate some special event stations. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, has those
details.

PAUL: If you remember NASA's Apollo 16 moon mission - or even if you
weren't around back then - you don't want to miss the 50th anniversary celebration of that historic journey, which was the fifth moon landing mission. NASA on the Air special event stations around the United States
will be on the bands between Saturday April 23rd and Wednesday April
27th marking the milestone. Different local NASA radio clubs will be
active at different hours so check the spotting clusters or the NASA on
the Air wordpress blog site. The many participating clubs at NASA sites include the Ames Research Center Amateur Radio Club, NA6MF, in
California; the Glenn Research Center club, NA8SA, in Ohio; the Goddard
Space Flight Center club, WA3NAN, in Maryland and the Stennis Space
Center club, N5SSC, in Mississippi.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, NASA ON THE AIR BLOG, NASA)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

HAMS PREP FOR ARMED FORCES DAY CROSS-BAND EXERCISE

DON/ANCHOR: May is a busy month in the United States on the amateur radio calendar. There's Hamvention opening on the 20th of May - and just a week before, on May 14th, there's the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band exercise.
Jack Parker, W8ISH, has the details.

JACK: Ham radio and government radio operators will be sharing messages
and testing their operating efficiency starting at 1300 UTC on May 14th in
an exercise hosted by the US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System, or
MARS. They'll be taking part in the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band exercise,
an interoperability event with a history that goes back more than 50
years. Hams will be listening for stations on US military frequencies and transmitting on nearby amateur frequencies. Participating hams will be
able to confirm their contacts with a QSL card. Hams copying messages from
US Army and US Navy stations can request a QSL card online using the form
at the website that appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

FOR PRINT ONLY: https://www.usarmymars.org/events ]

Hams seeking a QSL card from US Air Force stations whose messages they
have copied should send a request by mail to the Armed Forces Day
Celebration, Chief, Air Force MARS, 203 West Losey Street, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225.

According to the Department of Defense website, the numerous military
stations transmitting messages will include Travis Air Force Base in California, the Newport Naval Radio Station Museum in Newport, Rhode
Island, the US Coast Guard Base in Alameda, California, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the Barrow Army Reserve Center in Kentucky.

Although Armed Forces Day is May 21st, the test is being run a week
earlier to accommodate Hamvention.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(US DEPT OF DEFENSE)

**

MAINE AMATEURS RECEIVE TRAINING TO ASSIST DISASTER RESPONDERS

DON/ANCHOR: A group of amateurs in the state of Maine feels a little more ready for the next big emergency to come along. They've just completed
some important training. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us more.

KEVIN: Members of the Aroostook [pronounced: uh-ROO-stick] County Amateur Radio Emergency Services just got another tool to add to their amateur
radio kit: Training to function as CERT, the acronym for Citizen Emergency Response Team.

Brian Goff, KC1NHJ, the community outreach planner for the county's
emergency management agency, told WAGM-TV that the CERT members provide support to search and rescue personnel as well as those administering
first aid. He said even if the hams are not directly involved in providing
the actual hands-on assistance, their use of radios is invaluable in
getting the word out especially if cell towers may not be working.

Their training took place on a Saturday in the middle of April. The CERT members' first big test will come in just a matter of weeks when they will test their new skills by participating in an emergency drill.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(WAGM-TV)

**

FCC FILING SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN ON FIRST DAY OF NEW FEE

DON/ANCHOR: On the day the FCC's new ham radio license application fees
took effect, a system outage halted the agency's electronic batch filing system and files could not be processed. The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent out a notice to league members making them aware of the shutdown that occurred on Tuesday, April 19th. The FCC had asked that no further files be submitted for exam sessions or license applications until
the issue could be resolved. The system was back on line, however, a few
days later. The Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent a notice to league
members on Saturday, April 23rd saying that processing was restored and business could proceed as usual. The FCC was expected to begin reducing
the backlog even as new files arrived. The FCC has previously said that
the new $35 charge was necessary to cover staff costs associated with the application process, even though the review system is largely automated.

(ARRL, FCC)

**

INDIAN ENGINEERING SCHOOL HOSTS 2-DAY INTRO TO AMATEUR RADIO

DON/ANCHOR: One of India's pre-eminent engineering universities was the
scene of a workshop on amateur radio basics. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, gives us
that report.

GRAHAM: More than three dozen engineering and science students and their instructors were introduced to amateur radio and all its elements during a workshop held April 5th and 6th in Gujarat, India. Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, regional coordinator of AMSAT-India, gave the presentation at PDEU, one of
the Indian state's top engineering schools.

In addition to gaining familiarity with various types of amateur radio equipment and the modes of communication, the students watched practical demonstrations, including Slow Scan TV, PSK-31 and Morse Code and learned
to operate an HT. They also heard the stories behind many of the QSL cards
on display throughout the two-day programme. Some careful planning ahead allowed the students to experience amateur radio contacts using the AO-91 Cubesat and had prearranged QSOs with Lucky, VU2LBW, and Kaustav, VU2UUU.

Rajesh wrote that both four-hour days had a packed schedule and he hoped
the students had gained insights into amateur radio's popularity and possibilities.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(SOUTHGATE)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

YOUNG HAM AWARD NOMINATING WINDOW TO CLOSE SOON

PAUL/ANCHOR: The clock is ticking on the time you have left to send in
your nominations for the Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio
Newsline Young Ham of the Year award. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark
Abramowicz (pronouncer Abram-a-vich) NT3V is chairman of the award
committee, and has more.

MARK: We're looking for candidates - 18 years or younger from the
continental United States.

Details under the awards tab at our website: arnewsline.org.

We're looking for someone who has a real love of the hobby - perhaps
through a public service role in amateur radio. Maybe that young ham you
know serves as a net control for a local net.

Or they like working with other young people, helping expose them to the
fun and excitement of ham radio.

Maybe - thanks to Elmers or other mentors - they really have developed a
love of contesting, or chasing DX and sharing those experiences with
others.

Are they active in your radio club?

Have they ever been to Dayton or made a presentation there or someplace
else?

How about introducing amateur radio at school?

Maybe establishing a school radio club.

Or have they helped set up and taken part in a contact with the
International Space Station?

Time to act now.

Deadline for nominations is May 31st.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V.

**

HAM STATIONS WARMING UP FOR INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR RACES

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you're getting revved up for the annual special event
station at the Indianapolis Speedway, you're not alone. Jack Parker,
W8ISH, takes us for a test drive.

JACK: As spring temperatures warm up so do the radios at W9IMS, the
official special event station at the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway. Starting early Monday May 9th, you can make contact with the special event station for the Indy Grand Prix race the following weekend. That's seven
days of continuous access on 20 and 40 meters.

This is the first of three races and the special event stations for the
racing season at the famed two-and-one-half-mile oval in Speedway,
Indiana.

Later this month, beginning May 23rd, you can make a second contact with
W9IMS for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race. They will
be logging contacts until race day. According to station coordinator Bill Kennedy, WY9T, this is the 19th year for the Indy 500 special event
station.

After a short breather, the W9IMS men and women will rev up the radios
again for the NASCAR 200 race beginning July 25th.

Each contact will receive a custom designed QSL card for each race. Those
hams logging all three special event stations are eligible for a special three-race certificate this fall.

You can find more details of the times and dates by logging onto W9IMS at
QRZ. Com.

Reporting from Indianapolis, for Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Jack
Parker, W8ISH.

**

YOUNGSTERS PREP FOR DX ADVENTURE IN CURACAO

PAUL/ANCHOR: The three youngsters who were scheduled for a big DX
adventure in 2020 are two years older - and two years more eager to get
going and get on the air. They're ready for the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth
DX Adventure that will land them in CURACAO as PJ2T between July 14th and 19th. Created in 2008, the adventure group provides a DX experience,
education and some travel experience for young licensees between the ages
of 12 and 17 at no cost to them. It is supported entirely by donations
from individuals, clubs and other organizations. If you're heading to Hamvention later this month, stop by booth number 2602, and meet the trio
of young operators and their team. Tickets will also be sold for a raffle drawing on an HF rig to help support their trip. The trio of young radio amateurs are the same ones chosen for the 2020 trip before it was
cancelled because of the pandemic. The youth DX group's last adventure
was held in 2019, and set a program record of 6,569 QSOs.

(DAVE KALTER MEMORIAL YOUTH DX ADVENTURE)

**

SCOUT CAMP ACTIVATION AT WEST POINT RETURNS AFTER 2 YEARS

PAUL/ANCHOR: A special event station for young Scouts in the United States
is back after two years, and it logged an impressive array of contacts.
For that story we turn to Newsline's newest correspondent, George Zafiropoulos, KJ6VU.

GEORGE: You might consider special event station W2P the official station
of the Comeback Kids. The 58th annual Scout Camporee at the West Point Military Academy in New York had to be cancelled for two consecutive years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the weekend of April 22nd to 24th, it returned and got on the air, making 577 contacts on CW and phone, covering
41 states and 25 DXCC entities on three continents. James Gallo, KB2FMH,
one of the organizers, told Newsline that organizers and the West Point Scoutmaster's Council saw that the camporee itself made up for lost time,
even with the usual number of 6,000 attendees reduced to 4,000 as a COVID precaution. The radio station had about 13 operators working in rotation
on five stations on Saturday and three stayed on with James to finish up
the activation the next day. James said the contacts were devoted to mini-ragchews, giving everyone a chance to share memories of being in
Scouting or the military. Many of the operators, who were from the Fair
Lawn Amateur Radio Club in New Jersey, handled the pileups and engaged
their contacts in a lively conversation. He said the most memorable
contact was logged in the middle of the night on 20 meters: a 5-watt
station with the call sign R5AJ. The operator told James he'd been a Scout
as a boy and when he found the listing on QRZ he had to make the call. He
gave the Scouts a signal report of 5 and 8.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm George Zafiropoulos, KJ6VU.

(JAMES GALLO, KB2FMH)

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you worked W2P or heard it as a shortwave listener, QSL
with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the mailing addresss of W2TMR
no later than May 9th.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

90TH ANNIVERSARY ACTIVATIONS REMEMBER AMELIA EARHART

NEIL/ANCHOR: Few things can touch history and relay its message better
than amateur radio, especially across an ocean. Two groups of hams on
opposite sides of the Atlantic plan to do just that, as we hear from
Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

DAVE: Amelia Earhart, the American pioneering aviator, crossed the
Atlantic Ocean nonstop on May 20 and 21 in 1932, becoming the first
female pilot to do so. On the 90th anniversary of that achievement, some
radio waves will accomplish the same thing, coming from transmitters in Atchison, Kansas and Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Hams in Londonderry
will activate the callsign GB0AEL between the 13th and 30th of May, celebrating the pioneering pilot whose single-engine plane touched down
on the very field where they will be calling QRZ. Operators will be
amateurs from the North West Group Amateur Radio Club, MN0NWG.

Meanwhile in Kansas - Earhart's hometown - operators Steve, KC0VYS, and
Chuck, KB0TOT, will be on the air on May 20th and 21st at what is now
the Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport. Both stations will be offering commemorative certificates for hams who make successful contacts. Steve
wrote on his QRZ page that the hams in Kansas will be using his callsign
and promoting the Irish activation too.

The "AEL" in GB0AEL stands or "Amelia Earhart Legacy." Hams in the North
West group have written [quote] "By making contact with GB0AEL, you will
also be making history." [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(QRZ, SOUTHGATE)

**

UK ORGANIZERS PREP FOR SUMMER 'VILLAGE OF GEEKS'

NEIL/ANCHOR: Organizers in the UK are preparing for a summer camping
festival they describe as [quote] "a temporary village of geeks,
crafters and technology enthusiasts." [endquote] Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
tells us what's going to happen - and when.

JEREMY: More than 2,000 people are expected this summer at Electromagnetic Field which will bring technology, scientific curiosity and a special
event amateur radio station to Eastnor Castle Deer Park in Herefordshire.

The volunteer-run, not-for-profit event is taking place between 2nd and
5th June and will include an Amateur Radio Village GX1EMF and AMSAT-UK Village GB4EMF. Campers will be able to arrive as early as the Thursday
before in order to set up and they needn't take down their camp until
the Monday following.

In addition to speakers and workshops on everyone's favourite tech
topics, there will also be music and other entertainments. The event is
held every two years although the 2020 field day was cancelled because
of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ticket prices and other information is available at the website emfcamp
dot org. That's emfcamp - one word - dot org.

Those attending only for the day are eligible for free admission.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(EMFCAMP.ORG)

**

PARKS ON THE AIR ADDS 3 DX HUNTER CATEGORIES

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Parks on the Air awards scheme has added three new
categories for DX Hunters. Vance Martin, N3VEM, brings us that report.

VANCE: In Parks on the Air News, due to popular demand and a willing
supply of sponsors, we have added 3 new DX Hunter Categories to the
summer plaque event, to compliment the new DX Activator plaques. This
brings the total number of plaques available to win up to 17. To have a
shot at winning of these plaques, join the fun on July 16th and 17th.
More details are available from the "Plaque Event" menu item at pota dot
app. If you're a ham that happens to be into free and open source social
media platforms as an alternative to the offerings of the large
corporate interests, we're pleased to share that Parks on the Air and
several of its volunteers now have a presence on the Fediverse. Look for
us using the handle @parksontheair@mastodon.radio

This is November Three Victor Echo Mike.

(POTA)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K5DUR repeater
in Rowlett, Texas, on Sundays at 7 p.m. local time.

**

NOMINATION DEADLINE NEARS FOR YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR AWARD

SKEETER/ANCHOR: The nomination deadline is closer than you think for the Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year
Award. This honor is given to a young radio operator with the kind of
skill and dedication so valued by Newsline's late cofounder Bill
Pasternak WA6ITF. Perhaps one of these youngsters will be the next award recipient. Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age
or younger in the continental United States 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 - and that is coming up fast.

**

SCOUTS OFFER HAMVENTION LANYARDS AND TICKET LAMINATION

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Are you headed to Hamvention? If you're looking for an inexpensive but extremely handy Hamvention souvenir, the Boy Scouts
Venture Crew 73 has just what you need, and Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has what
you need to know.

DON: Once again, the best Hamvention souvenir is one of the least
expensive and most useful. It's the 2022 Hamvention lanyard available
from the Boy Scouts Venture Crew 73, led by George Ewing, WD8NHI. As you
get ready to pass inside the main gate at the Greene County Fairgrounds
look for the Venture Crew tent. Go inside and for just $5 you can get
your Hamvention 2022 lanyard and have your Hamvention ticket laminated to
hang around your neck. No more fumbling for your ticket at the entrance
to the tents and buildings, your ticket is right there and visible for security to see. Best of all, you can't lose your ticket! While you're
at it go ahead get the full color Hamvention 2022 patch from the Scouts,
also $5. This patch features a loop so you can hang it securely from,
you guessed it, your lanyard! If you're in too much of a hurry to get
inside the gate, you can pass by booth 4011 in the building with the
prize drum and get your lanyard and patch there. It also makes a great
gift for your ham friends who couldn't make it to Hamvention this year
and as gifts for the next club meeting or prizes for the next hamfest.
Support Venture Crew 73 and get one of the most useful and least
expensive items at Hamvention. That's a win all the way around.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

**

HAM RADIO JOINS SWISS 'ADVENTURE EXPERIENCE'

SKEETER: TunBasel (Tunn Bah-Zull), an interactive adventure experience
for young people in Switzerland, is encouraging children to engage in
playful experiments with everything from soap to digital avatars to
amateur radio. Youngsters from 7 to 13 years of age will combine
recreation with learning in this science-focused environment over the
course of several days. On May 22nd, the Union of Swiss Shortwave
Amateurs, or USKA, will be among the presenters, which includes an array
of noted universities. The hams will demonstrate shortwave, UHF and VHF communications and guide the children through a kit-building exercise.
The TunBasel website says the event is designed to showcase and nurture
young talent.

(SOUTHGATE)

**

AUSTRALIAN REGULATOR MAKES FEE-CALCULATION TOOL AVAILABLE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: The sometimes confusing task of figuring out the correct
fee for an apparatus license in Australia could become a little less
confusing soon. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, explains.

GRAHAM: Hams in Australia have a new tool to help them calculate the
apparatus licence fee for their shacks. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has made a fee calculator available to help find what the
AMCA is calling "the most cost-efficient licence option" for amateurs and holders of other radio licences. The fees relate to the operation of a radiofrequency transmitter or receiver.

The ACMA has said that the calculator will receive regular updates with respect to pricing and other options. For a link to the calculator, see
the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: http://www.openspec.com.au/fee-calculator ]

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(ACMA)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

AMATEURS RECEIVE TRANSMISSIONS FROM CHINA'S MARS MISSION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Almost a year after its launch, China's Mars mission has
made contact with hams here on Earth. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, has those
details.

ED: AMSAT-DL reports that it has successfully received transmissions from Tianwen-1, the Chinese Mars mission. According to a recently published
report, this took place at Bochum Observatory in Germany using a 20-meter antenna and GNU radio. GNU radio is free open-source software used to
create software-defined radios. The report, written by Daniel Est�vez,
EA4GPZ, Mario Lorenz, DL5MLO, and Peter G�lzow, DB2OS, said that the
Chinese spacecraft has been successfully tracked using a real-time GNU
radio decoder that has stored 10 months' worth of transmitted telemetry information. By interpreting the telemetry variables, the GNU radio was
able to track the mission, which began with its launch on July 23rd of
last year.

The paper was first published for GNU Radio Conference 2021 held last September in North Carolina. The radio conference for 2022 is scheduled
for September in Washington, D.C.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(SOUTHGATE)

**

SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE HISTORY PROJECT NEEDS HELP

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: History isn't always what it seems and so the South
African Radio League is reaching out to amateurs there who may have
documents and artifacts that better tell the story of how the league was created. John Williams, VK4JJW, brings us that story.

JOHN: Amateur radio forever looks forward to the next generation to
ensure its survival but the South African Radio League has begun looking
back - way back - to better discover its identity. Sorting through the scrapbooks in the garage of a Silent Key has led some league members to conclude there's more to its history than was previously known. That has
led to a project at the National Amateur Radio Centre, the league's headquarters, involving a bit of a treasure hunt. Amateurs in South
Africa are asked to sort through old magazines and other materials they
have that contain insights into the league and its predecessor
organisations. Hams are also being asked to look at programmes from past years' annual general meetings as well as photos taken there. The project would welcome original material or anything that can be scanned or photographed or perhaps brought to the National Amateur Radio Centre. If
you have anything to share, please contact the centre.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(WIA)

**

SOUTH AFRICAN CLUB SCHEDULES YOUNGSTERS' FOX HUNT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: While some hams in South Africa may be hot on the trail
of radio history, members of the Sandton Amateur Radio Club ZS6STN have
been more concerned with tracking two radio foxes named Fred and Fiona.
The club has organized a fox-hunting event for amateurs and their
families scheduled for Sunday the 29th of May. The foxes are carrying VHF emergency rescue beacons but according to the club's scenario, will be
lost in the park and in need for the youngsters to be their rescuers. Participants are asked to bring their HTs, an antenna and oh yes, their appetites for lunch afterward. Hopefully, Fred and Fiona will be found in
time to share in the menu too.

(SOUTHGATE)

**

PRIDE RADIO GROUP PREPS FOR INTERNATIONAL CONTEST

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Get ready for the first international contest being
organized by the Pride Radio Group. It's a big moment for this still-
young Australia-based organization, as Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us.

GRAHAM: Barely two years after its founding, the Pride Radio Group is
hosting its first contest for hams worldwide during pride month, which
begins in June. The contest, CQ Pride, will be held from June 4th to June
6th. It is open to amateurs in single and multi-operator categories on
all HF non WARC, VHF and UHF bands and using all usual modes.

Organiser Michaela, VK3FUR, said that the Pride Radio Group event is a celebration of diversity within the amateur radio community. Michaela
said that small clubs and individual newcomers are especially welcome. Contacts can be on CW, phone and digital and may be made using
satellites, repeaters, hotspots and internet links provided RF is
involved in at least one hop. Participants may spot other stations but
not themselves.

Additional details are available at the link provided in the text version
of this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org.

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: https://prideradio.group/contest ]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(PRIDE RADIO GROUP)
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FCC REMINDS AMATEURS TO CREATE ACCOUNT IN NEW REGISTRATION SYSTEM

PAUL/ANCHOR: In the US, the FCC has issued a reminder to all amateurs that
the agency's legacy Commission Registration System, known by the acronym CORES, is being retired effective July 15th. Hams who are already using
the current version of CORES, also known by the name CORES2, are not
impacted by the retiring system. Legacy CORES users must make the
transition by establishing a username account and then accessing CORES2 to associate their registration numbers with their usernames.

(FCC)

**

QUEEN'S JUBILEE REFLECTED IN SOME UK CALL SIGNS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Amateurs in the UK have the opportunity to celebrate the
Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II simply by calling QRZ. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us those details.

JEREMY: The arrival of June has brought an extra element of distinction
for amateur radio operators in the UK who are looking to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on the air. Hams who have applied for a notice of variation from Ofcom will be inserting a "Q" into their call signs
throughout the month to mark the occasion. Those who have not applied for
the NoV can still add /70 (slash-70) to the end of their call signs as an alternative.

Be listening on the bands for that extra touch for the royal celebration.
The opportunity has been made available to hams at Foundation,
Intermediate and Full licence levels. The addition of Q to call signs had
also been authorised for the Queen's earlier jubilees in 2012 and 2020.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

**

SPECIAL EVENT STATION A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP

PAUL/ANCHOR: There will be lots to do for youngsters attending Youth on
the Air camp this month in Ohio. The good news is that there's also plenty happening for those of us who aren't even campers. Sel Embee, KB3TZD,
explains.

SEL: Even if you're no longer young enough to go to summer camp anymore,
you can still be a part of the action happening this month at the Youth on
the Air Camp for young hams from North, Central, and South America. You
can try to get into the log when the young operators activate the special-event callsign W-8-Y while the camp is in session between Sunday,
June 12th and Friday, June 17th. If you wish to attend the opening and
closing ceremonies, these will be live streamed on YouTube on the “Youth
on the Air” channel.

The camp is taking place this year at the National Voice of America Museum
of Broadcasting in Ohio and at a nearby hotel. Nathaniel Frissell, W-2-N-
A-F, founder of HamSCI will speak at the opening ceremony on Sunday, June
12th starting at 2100 UTC. Closing ceremonies will begin at 1700 UTC on Friday, June 17th.

For details, visit the webpage youthontheair dot org (YouthOnTheAir.org).

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.

(YOUTH ON THE AIR)
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TEXAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE GROUP GETS GRANT FOR EQUIPMENT UPGRADES

JIM/ANCHOR: A welcome infusion of grant money is going to make all the difference in the world for one Texas group of amateurs involved in
emergency response. Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, tells us about their plans.

SKEETER: New radios, antennas and related communication equipment are in
the future for a Texas emergency response team with the help of $11,349 in Community Development Partnership funds. The hams who volunteer with the
Lee County Amateur Radio Emergency Services have operated since 2019,
serving as backup communications for the county during disasters. The
amateur radio group will add $3,500 of its own funds, with the goal of expanding the size of the area it serves and enhancing its operating resiliency.

According to a report on the KWHI News website, the grant was among 36 provided through the partnership funds, which are designed to help such nonprofit service organizations as fire departments and emergency
responders. The grant is courtesy of the Lower Colorado River Authority
and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

(KWHI NEWS)

**

JAMSAT PREPARES FOR VIRTUAL CONFERENCE THIS MONTH

JIM/ANCHOR: An AMSAT conference will be held this month in Japan, but it's being held virtually. Of course, you are all invited. Graham Kemp, VK4BB,
tells us how to attend.

GRAHAM: Anyone who wants to attend the annual symposium of JAMSAT, the
AMSAT organisation of Japan, is welcome to attend simply by logging onto
Zoom. A full programme of speakers is planned, along with a social
gathering and a virtual banquet, which will make for a busy day on June
25th. JAMSAT's station, JS1YAQ, is scheduled to be on the air while the symposium is in session.

To participate, send an email to ja3nas at gmail dot com
(ja3nas@gmail.com) and include your name, call sign and the best email
address to reach you at.

You can find a link to the symposium programme in the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: jamsat.or.jp ]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(JAMSAT)

**

100 WATTS AND A WIRE 'TUNE UP' WEEKEND ARRIVES

JIM/ANCHOR: What ham doesn't want a good excuse to get on the air - maybe
even OUT in the open air? What ham doesn't want to show there is a purpose
for firing up that rig? For three days - Friday, June 10th, Saturday June
11th and Sunday June 12th - you will have that opportunity. It's the 100
Watts and a Wire Tune Up. Organized by the popular podcast, the outdoor operating event will begin at 00:00 UTC Friday and wrap up on Sunday at
23:59 UTC. The exchange will be your call sign, your 100 Watts and a Wire
ID if you have one, the state you reside in and a true signal report. If you're operating CW, be sure to send "C-Q T-U" so others will recognize
you.

(100 WATTS AND A WIRE)

**

OHIO NET INVITES THE WORLD TO CHECK IN

JIM/ANCHOR: A new net has been launched to accommodate night owls here in
the United States and others around the world at whatever time of day it happens to be. Stephen Kinford, N8WB, has those details.

STEPHEN: The Silvercreek Amateur Radio Association in Ohio has issued an invitation to hams around the world, inviting them to check into the
group's new Beacon Net. The net launched on Sunday, June 5th at 10 p.m.
local time, and is held each week on Sundays and Wednesdays at that hour
and Fridays at 9:30 p.m. local time.

Although the net can be heard on the local W8WKY repeater, check-ins also
take place on the club's Allstar Hub node number 48496 and their Echolink W8WKY-R channel. The net plans to add more repeaters and Allstar hubs
later.

HF operators get a chance at their own version of The Beacon Net on
Fridays, starting at 9:30 p.m. local time. The frequency is 3.834 MHz,
plus or minus, depending on conditions.

For Amateur Radio and the Silvercreek Amateur Radio Association, I'm
Stephen Kinford, N8WB.

(SILVERCREEK AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION)
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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," Christian, HB9FEU, for "A public database
of fun projects for innovation," Luca, IU2FRL, for "UrgenSat" 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 CY0S.

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 0 s dot com (cy0s.com) and continues to be updated by
webmaster Chaz, W4GKF, and Randy N0TG. 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)
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SWEDISH HAM RADIO OPERATOR TO BECOME ARCHBISHOP

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There are many prominent positions radio amateurs have achieved over the years, from United States Senator, to the monarchy in nations like Jordan or Thailand. In Sweden, Defence Minister Peter
Hultqvist holds the amateur radio callsign SM4HCF. Now you can add the
Church of Sweden's incoming archbishop to that list, as we hear from
Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: The Church of Sweden has elected Martin Modeus, SM5LVQ, to be the
71st Archbishop of the Church of Sweden. According to the Swedish Society
of Radio Amateurs, Martin already serves the church as bishop of the
Diocese of Link�ping, the fifth largest city in Sweden, located in the
south of the country. Martin will be received as archbishop during a
service to be held in December at Uppsala Cathedral, which has been the
see of the Church of Sweden's archbishop since the 12th Century. Martin
is to succeed Antje Jackelen, Sweden's first female archbishop, who is retiring.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SWEDISH SOCIETY OF RADIO AMATEURS)

**

SPECIAL EVENT IN AUGUST TO HONOR ABANDONED, ABUSED PETS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you think amateur radio is going to the dogs, you're
right - but those dogs are getting plenty of company, as we hear from Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

ED: The dog days of August will soon be upon us, and so too will August
26th, known as International Dog Day. A number of hams around the world
have decided to run with the pack by getting special event call signs and getting on the air to publicize the needs of abandoned and abused pets
who have ended up in shelters - dogs as well as cats. Hanz, YL3JD, wrote
in a QRZ.com forum that he will be operating CW from his shack in Latvia
using the call sign YL1DOG starting on Monday the 22nd of August until
the 26th. Hanz wrote: [quote] "I feel obligated to give exposure to this.
In my power as a radio amateur and animal lover bringing attention to
these abandoned pets is the least I can do." There are plans for other
call signs to be on the air too, including Joop, PG4I, signing as PF6DOG,
and Edwin, PD0SOT, signing as PD6DOG. International Cat Day is being celebrated on August 8th. Yevgeny, YL2TD, will be among those on the air
from the 7th until the 9th of August. He will be using the call sign
YL1CAT.

The list is growing but organizers are looking for even more operators to
call QRZ on behalf of shelter animals. Visit the website catsanddogsontheair.com to get the details. Then email Hugo, CT7AOV, to
have your station included on the list.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(QRZ, CATSANDDOGSONTHEAIR.COM)

**

TWO GRANTS SUPPORT OPEN-SOURCE PROJECTS FOR HAM RADIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Two grants have strengthened the practice of sharing and experimenting through open-source programs used for amateur radio. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, tells us what's going on.

ANDY: Amateur Radio Digital Communications has announced two grants
supporting open-source initiatives in amateur radio. One is a grant
focusing on software-defined radios, designed to help simplify the use of
the open-source software development kit, GNU Radio, on Windows
computers. The grant is also being given to support an upgrade of GNU
Radio's graphical user interface, known as GNU Radio Companion. These
funds will permit the hiring of developers, including a usability expert
to improve the experience of using GNU Radio Companion. Other expected improvements include better documentation for GNU Radio, easier
installation on MacOS and Windows computers and easier installation of out-of-tree modules. The contract workers will receive guidance from
volunteer mentors who are with the GNU Radio group.

The other grant will support experiments by students at Bradley
University in Peoria, Illinois, who are experimenting on the 33 cm band, developing an open-source 915 MHz digital transceiver system. Both the hardware and software are open-source and the design supports multiple
FSK/ASK modulation standards. According to the ARDC, the project will
permit low-cost experimentation with digital protocols on this
underutilized band and will fill a need that exists for available open-
source and open-hardware modules for digital radio modes.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(DAN ROMANCHIK KB6NU)
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THIRTEEN COLONIES SPECIAL EVENT RUNS THROUGH JULY 8TH

NEIL/ANCHOR: Get ready for the annual mad dash for a Clean Sweep
with the 13 Colonies Special Event. Jim Damron, N8TMW, brings us
that report.

JIM: The Thirteen Colonies Special Event, one of the amateur radio
calendar's most popular activities, starts calling QRZ starting
Friday, July 1st at 1300 UTC. Operators will be based on each of the
original 13 US colonies and at bonus stations in England,
Pennsylvania and France. The event runs through July 8th at 0400
UTC. The event honors the original 13 colonies that fought for
American independence and honors military veterans, and those still
active in the service.

This 14th annual nonprofit event is also dedicated to Tom Francis,
W1TEF, who had served as the state manager for South Carolina, which
is using the special event call sign K2L. Tom became a Silent Key in
March of 2020.

For further details on the event, including the modes being used,
visit the website www.13colonies.us - that's w w w numeral ONE,
numeral THREE colonies dot us. You can also visit the QRZ page for
any of the colonies or for bonus station TM13COL in France, GB13COL
in England, and WM3PEN in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW.

(13 COLONIES SPECIAL EVENT)

**

SHOPPING FOR QSOS AT WALMART

NEIL/ANCHOR: One of the more zany on-the-air events is back for its
third run. WalMart Parking Lots on the Air will be held on July 2
from 0000Z to 2359Z to coincide with the birthday of the famous
chain of American stores. The exchange must take place on an
amateur radio satellite and include the callsign and either the
WalMart store number or grid square. Activators -- or "associates"
as they are called by the event organizers -- are asked to use the
store number to reduce duplicate contacts. Rules and award
information are online at wmplota.org. So don't miss out on bonuses
like the birthday special or the MacGyver. Put on your pajamas and
aluminum foil hat, grab the rig, and head to a store parking lot
near you.

**

SOUTH AFRICA ANNOUNCES NEWEST LICENSEES

NEIL/ANCHOR: South Africa has announced its newest licensed radio
amateurs. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has that report.

JIM: South Africa has welcomed its newest amateur radio operators,
following exam sessions for Class A and B licences that were held
recently. Seventy-four who took the Class A exam on May 21st
successfully completed its 60 multiple-choice test questions,
according to the South African Radio League.The Class A licence
permits a maximum of 400 watts of power.

A Class B exam was held on the 11th of June hosted by the ZS3ZU
Hammies. All seven young operators who took the 30-question exam
passed. To mark the occasion, three of the new amateurs took part in
the Hammies Sprint being held the next day - Sunday the 12th of June
- running the ZS3ZU station. The Class B licence, issued to
operators younger than 21, permits a maximum output of 100 watts of
power on HF, VHF and UHF bands. The licence is only valid until
holders reach their 25th birthday..

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(SOUTHGATE, SARL)

**

WORKSHOP EXPLORES DISASTER COMMUNICATION AND THE PRESS

NEIL/ANCHOR: A workshop held jointly by groups in India and Japan
took an in depth look at communicating with the press during
disasters. We have more details from John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: Amateur radio operators were among those in attendance during
a disaster-risk workshop held jointly on Friday, June 24th, by
organisations in India and Japan. Attendees were there to tackle the
challenge of communicating with the press about disasters.
Specialists from Japan and India teamed up for the full day of
presentations hosted by the Press Club of Kolkata. Both nations'
governments gave their support to the event, which also marked 70
years of diplomatic relations between Japan and India. Described as
a media sensitisation program, it united responders, government
agencies and media managers to discuss various aspects of handling
information and news coverage about risks during disasters.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(ASIAN COMMUNITY NEWS, AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)
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DISASTER EXERCISE SET FOR HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

DON/ANCHOR: Hams throughout Hawaii are getting ready for a disaster drill
that needs as many participants as possible. We hear more from Kevin
Trotman, N5PRE.

KEVIN: To help hams in Hawaii ensure that they can be prepared when
hurricanes or other disasters strike the islands, Hawaii ARES is
conducting a disaster exercise on Saturday the 16th of July. Amateurs who volunteer to participate will make use of their radios as well as their computers to send messages in a variety of ways. That will include the
use of Winlink to transmit emails with simulated hurricane reports. Other messages will also simulate reports from area Red Cross shelters and will provide field situation and damage reports.

Michael Miller, KH6ML, appeared on a recent KITV newscast in Hawaii to
share the details and ask for all licensed amateurs to get involved. Hams
who participate in SKYWARN, CERT, and other emergency response programs
are welcome, as are those who may not be involved in RACES, ARES or any
club. In this statewide exercise, the hams will follow the standardized Incident Command System that is in use throughout the United States. The exercise presumes that each of the Hawaiian islands has lost internet,
cell phone service and electrical power as a result of a hurricane.

For details on how to get involved visit the website hawaiiares.net

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(HAWAIIARES.NET, KITV HAWAII)

**

TRADITIONAL CW CELEBRATED DURING 'NIGHT OF NIGHTS'

DON/ANCHOR: Listen up: Commercial Morse Code is about to return to the
air, if only for a night. Randy Sly, W4XJ, explains.

RANDY: In the early years of the 20th century, there was nothing more reassuring for a lonely radio officer on a storm-tossed ship than the
response of a coastal station to their call. The last of these Morse
messages was sent on July 12, 1999. On that date, the founders of the
Maritime Radio Historical Society established their organization with the specific goal of returning coast station KPH to the air as a means to
honor the men and women who made the profession of radiotelegrapher one
of honor and skill. On July 12, 2022, the MRHS will hold its 23rd annual
Night of Nights, commemorating the tradition of commercial Morse code
once thought dead.

Each July 12th, since the year 2000, transmitters are brought online for
this special event from the original Marconi/RCA transmission site in
Bolinas, California. KPH and KFS will be operating on assigned commercial frequencies while K6KPH will be operating on several HF amateur radio
bands. For operational times, frequencies and QSL information, please
check the Maritime Radio Historical Society website at radiomarine.org.

(MARITIME RADIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY)

Newsline's Randy Sly, W4XJ reporting.

**

POTA OPERATORS UPLOAD OWN LOGS

DON/ANCHOR: Hams active in Parks on the Air received upbeat news on the
POTA website recently: From 1200 UTC on July 1st activators have been
able to upload their own logs rather than rely on regional volunteer coordinators to do so. Hams logging onto the POTA site should now see a
menu option called "My Log Uploads." The feature became active on July
1st, following a period of successful beta testing. Posting on the
website QRPer, Thomas Witherspoon, K4SWL, said the option was a welcome
change for activators.

The system update comes just in time for the POTA Annual Support Your
Parks Plaque Event on the 16th and 17th of July where there will be
shields to be won for various classes of operation.

(POTA)
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HAMS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA HOST 'CRUISE IN' FOR MOBILE

JIM/ANCHOR: If you're one of those hams who likes to operate while mobile, you're in good company, as we hear from Sel Embee, KB3TZD.

SEL: Inspired by a group of American amateur radio operators in Wisconsin, Surrey Emergency Program Amateur Radio V-E-7-S-A-R is hosting its first
mobile cruise-in for hams in British Columbia, Canada. It's an opportunity
to show off creative approaches to mobile operation, whether the portable shack is maritime mobile, pedestrian, bicycle or even horseback.

A post on the Surrey group's blog said that the local event will be held on August 14th and is modeled after the one that has been held for a dozen
years by the Portage County Amateur Radio Service in Wisconsin. The Surrey club's members are hoping to see creative approaches to operators' grab 'n'
go kits as well as more formal installations. Prizes will be awarded for
most bands covered and neatest installation. Entries will be judged by the Surrey fire and police services. The club is hosting it in the parking lot
of the A&W Restaurant in Surrey.

For more details visit v-e-7-s-a-r-dot-net (ve7sar.net)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.

(SURREY EMERGENCY PROGRAM AMATEUR RADIO)

**

CAR MAKERS REPORT DECLINE IN AM RADIOS

JIM/ANCHOR: Is AM mode going away? Well, certainly not in amateur radio,
but there has apparently been some action among automakers who are making
the transition to electric car manufacture. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, brings
us that story.

KENT: Amplitude modulation - so loved by radio amateurs for being the first voice mode -- is apparently becoming the last-choice commercial radio
option for some automobile manufacturers who are having second thoughts
about retaining AM radio in their new cars, many are citing electric-motor interference. They claim that the electric motors that provide the power to the drive wheels mess with terrestrial AM radio reception, creating such issues as distortion, static and signal loss.

Tesla has already cut AM radios from its vehicles, starting with its
original Model S. BMW pulled it from both its i3 and i8 sedans -- and no
Audi models that are fully electric are equipped with AM radios either.

A representative for Audi explained on the consumerguide.com website that drivers can make up for the loss by opting to stream those stations via digital signals on a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. An article on the
website, thedrive.com, also noted that AM is practically gone from the broadcast radio scene in Europe as well, overtaken by the DAB format.

In the US, however, where AM radio still remains popular, it will be a challenge, especially for those long-distance drivers who most especially
love the commercial radio version of DXing. In fact, as one author wrote on the website of incompliancemag.com: [quote] " Woe to those drivers who have fond memories of listening to an ever-changing array of AM radio stations
as they traveled across the country in wood-paneled station wagons!" [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(CONSUMERGUIDE.COM, THEDRIVE.COM, INCOMPLIANCEMAG.COM)

**

PARKS ON THE AIR PREPS FOR SUMMER PLAQUE AWARDS

JIM/ANCHOR: The Parks on the Air awards program is hosting its Summer
Plaque Event, and preparing for its big awards ceremony to be held online
on the POTA YouTube channel. Vance Martin, N3VEM, has the details.

VANCE: Don't miss the Summer Plaque event, coming up July 16th and 17th,
UTC. This is our busiest weekend every year, and it's your chance to win
one of 17 high quality plaques for your shack!

Once the event is over, be sure to upload your activation logs using POTA's new self-upload service, and then be on the lookout at the annual plaque
event section from the menu at pota dot app for details on the award
ceremony where an esteemed list of guests will join us on the official POTA YouTube channel to help us announce the winners. Guest presenters for this year's awards show include individuals from :

AR Newsline
Ham Radio Crash Course
ICQ Podcast
Ham Radio Live! & WRMI Shortwave "CQ Calling Show"
Ham Radio Workbench Podcast
Parks on the Air

I am personally excited to announce that Matt Here, N3NWV, whom many of you know from our official POTA 101 videos will be taking over the reins of
these monthly updates beginning in August. I've had a lot of fun recording these updates, but I'm looking forward to handing the reins over to our official media-manager as we continue to grow the program.

As always, the team at Parks on the Air wishes you safe activations, and
happy hunting. 73. This is November Three Victor Echo Mike.

(POTA)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

RADIO SEIZED FOR INTERFERING WITH POLICE TRANSMISSIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: In Texas, authorities cracked down after a hand-held radio
caused emergency intereference with police transmissions. Mike Askins,
KE5CXP, brings us those details.

MIKE: Authorities in Graham, Texas, seized a handheld radio that they
said had been transmitting illegally for months on emergency frequencies
used by the Young County Sheriff's Office. According to local media
reports, the transmissions on the dispatch channels often included the
voices of a man, woman and some children yelling at one another and the
sounds of a barking dog. A story in the Olney Enterprise newspaper said
that the police were so hampered in using their own assigned frequencies
that they often had to use cellphones instead to communicate.

Sheriff Travis Babcock contacted the Federal Communications Commission
which provided him with an official statement to read on the emergency
channel but that failed to bring the transmissions to a halt. The news
report said that on July 8th two officers patroling in their car heard
the unauthorized traffic and were able to track down the radio and its
owner. The owner of the radio was not identified.

It was not clear what charges would be filed against the owners of the
radio, which is now the property of the county sheriff's office. Charges
could range from a misdemeanor for interfering with public duty to a
federal offense for interfering with emergency communications.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

(THE OLNEY ENTERPRISE, GRAHAM LEADER)

**

WISCONSIN EVENT CELEBRATES FLIGHT, HOSTS SPECIAL EVENT STATION

PAUL/ANCHOR: Aviation enthusiasts are getting ready to head to Wisconsin,
or point their antennas in that direction, for a special event - and a
special event station - celebrating flight. Randy Sly, W4XJ, brings us
the details.

RANDY: More than 10,000 aircraft and a half-million flight enthusiasts
will descend on Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from July
25th to July 31st, turning it into the busiest airport in the world. It's
time for AirVenture, sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Once again this year, it will not only involve being in the air but on
the air…

The ARRL has supported AirVenture since 2018 with an exhibit encouraging pilots and aviation aficionados to discover radio communications and technology through amateur radio. Kids will get a chance to experience
ham radio too: Volunteers at KidVenture will give youngsters an
opportunity to build and take home a radio receiver capable of listening
to air traffic and other nearby transmissions in the 65 - 140 MHz range.

If you aren't able to personally fly in or even drive in, you still have
a chance to check in: A special event station, W9W, sponsored by the EAA Warbirds of America, will be operating on HF, VHF and UHF during
AirVenture. More information about frequencies and operations of W9W can
be found in the text version of this week's newscast at ARNewsline.org.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

TEXT VERSION ONLY:

The special event station will be located on the Warbirds' grounds near
their headquarters, against the backdrop of the display of historic and
vintage ex-military aircraft. Look for W9W on 40 - 10 meters near 7.225, 14.250, 21.235, and 28.425 MHz. The station will also operate on the
2-meter and 440 MHz bands, simplex. A special event QSL card will be
issued for contacts with W9W.

**

STATIONS SIGNING UP FOR LIGHTHOUSE AND LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND

PAUL/ANCHOR: Most of us already know about beacons and the jobs they do
for us as hams but what about the original beacons, the ones that have
helped guide sailors by using beams of light? Amateur radio operators are again preparing to celebrate the world's lighthouses and lightships with
an international weekend in August. Here's John Williams, VK4JJW, with
the details.

JOHN: Though many of the world's lighthouses now operate by automation
instead of the efforts of lighthouse keepers, there will be live
operators at historic lighthouses around the world on the weekend of
August 20th and 21st. They'll be operating radios instead of lighthouses
but in doing so, they will honour them.

This is the annual event known as the International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend, which since 1993 has publicised the need to ensure
these structures are not forgotten and are kept in good repair. What
began as an event with 11 operations at lighthouses eventually grew to
include 544 lighthouses and lightships across 56 countries in 2011. The 48-hour activation begins at 0001UTC on August 20th, on all frequencies
and in all modes. Radios will either be set up inside the lighthouses or directly nearby.The amateur radio event will be happening on the same
weekend that the International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend is held by the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, whose members are committed to
preserving lighthouse heritage.

Most importantly, it is not a contest. It is, in a way, a beacon in its
own right, shining a light on these important treasures that have long
served ships at sea for so long.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(ASSOCIATION OF LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS, ILLW)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

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,
Steubenville, Ohio.

**

HAMS IN BELGIUM TAKE QSO PARTY TO THE AIR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Belgium, a group of hams will be taking their next QSO party to the air. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us what they've got planned.

ED: When is a QSO party more than just a QSO party? When it gets an extra
lift from a hot air balloon operating on 2 metres, 2,500 feet above the Belgian province of East Flanders. It's a club-wide project overseen by Jurgen, ON8VC, Niels, ON3NSB, and Bernard, ON5MB, members of the radio
club Zottegem, ON6ZT. The launch for the flight, which will last about an
hour and a half, is scheduled for August 10th at about 6 p.m. local time.
It is of course weather-dependent.

Jurgen said there will be two pilot ground stations. Erwin, ON7XF, and
Theo, ON4CLF, will handle logging for all stations worked. Dominique,
ON3DDH, and Chris, ON6ME, will be documenting the event in photos by
following the balloon by car. The QSL cards will feature many of the
photos.

Jurgen told Newsline in an email that the club has a QSO party each month
on VHF, mostly with local stations operating on 145.550. The hams decided
a few months ago to try and incorporate a hot air balloon into the
activity.

Stations are expected to spot their contacts on dxsummit.fi but amateurs outside the region of this very local event can still follow the action
on APRS. Club manager Benard ON5MB will run an APRS tracker that can be followed at APRS.fi.

Jurgen said this QSO Party is a kind of test flight: He said there are
already plans in the works to try this on HF in 2023.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(JURGEN ON8VC)

**

SPANISH MAGAZINE SPONSORS INTERNATIONAL YL EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: An amateur radio magazine published in Spain has announced
a YL Diploma contest that's going to be a worldwide event. Neil Rapp,
WB9VPG, brings us up to date.

NEIL: Every month, a Spanish magazine known as Selvamar Noticias transmits friendship, goodwill and radio education - not over the amateur bands, but through the pages of its free publication. Created by Manel, EA3IAZ, and
Juan Jos�, EA3IEW, it has devoted itself to environmental issues, and to celebrating the achievements of the youngest members of the amateur radio community. The magazine also supports YLs deeply involved in the hobby.
The August edition of the magazine shines the spotlight on those YLs by devoting one third of its articles to YLs and their accomplishments. The magazine is also sponsoring a YL Diploma contest that runs from August
15th through to the 21st. Citizens Band stations and SWLs are also able
to participate. Stations will also be using Echolink and the digital modes.

Manel and Juan Jos� told Newsline in an email that the event is open to operators in all countries. The diploma will be presented as a downloadable PDF.

A link to additional details about the event can be found in the text
version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org.

Although since starting publishing two years ago, the magazine has been translated into several languages including an accessible version for the disabled, the August edition will only be available in Spanish.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(Note: Due to the long URL's, they won't fit into the lines for the BBS
ham radio echoes. Please go to www.arnewsline.org -- click on SCRIPT,
then open the file in Notepad or a similar utility to read it. DS).

**

PROGRAM OFFERS HANDS-ON LEARNING TO FOUNDATION LEVEL HAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: One amateur club in the UK is providing hands-on learning
to newcomers now that those lessons are no longer required by the license exam. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us the details.

JEREMY: Although the practical exam is no longer a requirement for a Foundation licence in the UK, practical experience is still a vital part
of getting started on the air. Members of the Sutton and Cheam Radio
Society in Surrey are providing that to newcomers with a hands-on session
on the 11th of September in Surrey. New licence-holders will learn how to adjust an aerial for various frequencies, make contacts on VHF and HF and learn how to set up a station. They will also get a chance to hear - and
learn more about - Morse Code. Many of these demonstrations were once
elements in the formerly mandated practical exam.

The practical proficiency test requirement was removed so that online
testing could take place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practicals for the Intermediate exam were eliminated the previous year.

Those attending will be asked to pay a �10 fee which is to cover use of
the headquarters of the 7th Banstead Scouts.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SUTTON AND CHEAM RADIO SOCIETY)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

DV SCOTLAND, PHOENIX UK MERGE DMR NETWORKS

DON/ANCHOR: A merger between two popular DMR networks has
promised users the best of both. Jeremy Boot G4NJH brings us that
update.

JEREMY: The DV Scotland and Phoenix UK DMR networks have merged,
simplifying integration with other networks - both digital and
analogue. With both networks having a wide array of repeaters,
reflectors and servers, the two were considered complimentary and
a natural for such a merger. This had been a work in progress for
many weeks. The new network now benefits from a variety of DMR,
D-Star and Yaesu System Fusion repeaters as well as Allstar hubs
and analogue simplex gateways.

Eric, G6FGY, told Newsline in an email that current users will
not notice any changes and the new network DVScotland-Phoenix
will continue hosting a variety of nets accessible by various
modes each week. Eric said the merger reflects rather a change in
the management structure to operate the network.

A list of the nets hosted on this newly merged network can be
seen using the link that appears in the text version of this
week's newscast. The multimode network also supports Peanut,
Echolink and HamShack Hotline. Computer and mobile users can also
listen in by using the link asl dot dvscotland dot uk
(asl.dvscotland.uk)

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

[FOR PRINT ONLY: https://www.dvscotland.net/multimode-nets ]

(DVSCOTLAND, ERIC G6FGY)

**

ALARA CONTEST ENCOURAGES INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP

DON/ANCHOR: For more than 40 years, YLs in Australia have been
hosting a contest that doesn't just involve scorekeeping - it
also encourages international communication. Graham Kemp, VK4BB,
explains how it works.

GRAHAM: Yes there are awards to be had in the 42nd contest
sponsored by the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association.
There are even certificates and trophies - but organisers want
participants around the world to know that the real goal of the
42nd annual ALARA Contest on the 27th and 28th of August is to
get all licensed ham radio operators around the world - OMs and
YLs alike - talking to one another. By spotting on the clusters
and even on Facebook, all the competitors actually work together
to make it easier to make those important contacts. Competition?
Yes! But friendly competition. Be listening too for some of the
newest licenced YLs as well as Girl Guides and Scouts. Some
contacts are expected to be made on Echolink as well.

Visit the ALARA contest page for more details. The link is in
this week's text version of the newscast script. You'll find the
rules and any other details you need to know to get into the
contest.

I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

[FOR PRINT ONLY: alara.org.au/contests/index.html ]


**

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI TRIP TO WARM UP THE BANDS

DON/ANCHOR: It's time to strap on those cross-country skis -- if
you're in Australia, that is -- and grab your radio equipment.
Hams are set for high adventure in the Victorian Alps, as we hear
from Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

JASON: There's nothing like a winter trip through the snow-filled
Victorian Alps to bring some Winter warmth to the bands. That's
what a team of cross-country skiing radio amateurs in Australia
is hoping for as they call QRZ between Friday August 5th and
Tuesday August 9th. The activators include Stephen, VK3SN,
Gerard, VK3GT, Bronwen, VK3FIRH, and others and they will be on
the HF bands, 80 through 10m, using SSB and FT8. They will also
be on 2m and 70 CM simplex and on repeaters. They'll be using
lithium batteries and light solar panels for power. This isn't
the first time many of these hams have been making this kind of
winter trip. Past travels have been quite an adventure, involving
operations from igloos and a number of remote peaks.

Listening for them promises to be quite an adventure too.

This is Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(STEPHEN, VK3SN)

**

INDIAN SCHOOLGIRLS' SATELLITE LAUNCHED WITH 75 EXPERIMENTS

DON/ANCHOR: A satellite built by girls in India has been stirring
some excitement. John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us why.

JOHN: A small satellite built by 750 schoolgirls in India, will
be on board for the maiden flight of the Indian Space Research
Organization's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle this month. The
students were mentored by SpaceKidz India in the construction of
this 8-kilogram satellite. It carries 75 small experiments, a
camera to study solar panels in space and a variety of long range communications transponder experiments. The satellite also has a
messaging system for amateur radio operators.

Although this is not the first student satellite built with the
help of SpaceKidz India, this one is dfferent because it carries
its own power systems and batteries to power an anticipated six-
month-long orbit. This satellite is not, of course, the main
payload for the launch vehicle. The rocket will also be carrying
the Microsat 2A, which is designed to assist in the mapping of
parcels of land.

At the time Newsline went to production, the launch was scheduled
for August the 7th.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(SPACE KIDZ INDIA, REPUBLICWORLD.COM)
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the WA2EHL repeater in Burlington, New Jersey, on Fridays at 7
p.m. local time.

**

IARU REGION 1 ANNOUNCES WINNERS IN 1st HAMCHALLENGE CONTEST

NEIL/ANCHOR: There are two top winners sharing the glory in the
first Hamchallenge competition of Region 1 of the International
Amateur Radio Union. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us about their
achievements.

ED: The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 has chosen two
hams to share top honours equally in their Hamchallenge
competition. The contest, which was introduced for the first time
on April 30th, asked participants to propose game-changing ideas
that would help grow the international amateur radio community.
Nestor, 5B4AHZ, and Christian, HB9FEU, were chosen as first-place
winners. Nestor's winning project was "Ham Radio Escape Room," a
virtual escape room inspired by the pandemic. Teams use radio
instead of webcams to communicate. Christian's project was a
public database of fun projects for innovation and technology-
oriented hobbyists. Many of the activities accommodated those
with very little experience or available equipment.

The third place winner was Luca, IU2FRL, and the Youth Prize went
to Guy, ZS6GUY. IARU Region 1 said it will be in touch with the
winners to help them turn their proposals into actual working
models. Hamchallenge will return in 2023.

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(IARU, SOUTHGATE)

**

RADIO PREPAREDNESS PROJECT BEGINS IN TRIPURA

NEIL/ANCHOR: A new emergency-preparedness strategy by officials
in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura is giving high
priority to amateur radio. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has that story.

JIM: As many as nine new amateur radio stations are being set up
by the government of Tripura in India in an attempt to improve
communications during disasters. The State Disaster Management
Agency told reporters during a recent press conference an
estimated 1500 trained volunteers have already stepped forward to
operate the stations as they become available. The first station
will be ready to go on the air shortly and will be based at the
State Emergency Operation Centre in the Secretariat Complex. The
remaining eight still require proper licences from the Ministry
of Communication. The state officials said that ten more
automated rain gauges and seven automated weather stations will
also be installed in urban areas by India's Meteorological
Department.

Officials said they had hope that these additional measures would
increase all teams' abilities to provide lifesaving response in
the state, which is prone to a variety of catastrophes, including
flash floods, strong winds and heat waves.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(NORTHEAST TODAY)

**

HAMS TOLD TO SHARE FREQUENCIES DURING PARIS OLYMPICS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams in France will need to share many of their
frequencies with broadcasters and others involved in the Paris
2024 Olympic Games. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us those details.

JEREMY: Just as some amateur frequencies were opened to other
users during the Olympics in London in 2012, amateur frequencies
are to be shared during the 2024 Olympics in France.

According to recent news reports, some VHF and UHF frequencies
are to become available between 26th June and 15th September 2024
to accommodate the Organising Committee for the Paris Games and
thus requiring amateur radio operators to limit their activities
on those bands.

The National Frequency Agency of France, which is responsible for
allocations in that country, said frequencies are being made
available during the games for private mobile radio voice
communications, mostly by walkie-talkie. Amateur radio operators
are considered primary users on 2 metres by the ITU. On other
bands, 1240 MHz to 1260 MHz will be used for programme-making and
special events, or PMSE services. These frequencies are open to
hams on a secondary basis. Frequencies on the 2.3 GHz band, also
open to hams on a secondary basis, will be used for video links.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
WB5ITT repeater of the Triangle Repeater Association in Houston,
Texas, on Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

**

SCIENTISTS ANNOUNCE KEY TO SMALLER CAPACITORS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Physicists in Europe say they have found a key to
creating smaller capacitors for electronics. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, has
that report.

KEVIN: Researchers believe they have found a means of building smaller capacitors, allowing for some electronic devices to be greatly
miniaturized. The IEEE Spectrum reports that scientists are saying
these capacitors could even be as small as one-hundredth the size of
many of the ones presently in use. They are creating them with
materials they call superlattices and they are made from materials that
mimic antiferroelectrics. Antiferroelectrics are important because they
have positive and negative poles -- electric dipoles -- pointed in
opposing directions, creating zero electric polarization. Exposed to an electric field having sufficient strength, antiferroelectrics can
become highly polarized, which results in the large energy densities
needed.

Because there are few antiferrelectric materials that occur naturally, scientists have created and used artificial ones and report in the
Journal, Science, that their work with the superlattices shows promise
for working on a much smaller scale: their ability for energy storing
is 100 times greater than conventional capacitors. Physicists believe
they will someday be used to create these ultra-tiny capacitors.

Physicist Hugo Aramberri of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and
Technology said: [quote]: "It would be interesting to measure other properties, like how much voltage they can withstand, their endurance
in long-term use, and ultimately commercial viability." [endquote]

I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(IEEE SPECTRUM)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for Fred, DL5YM, and his XYL Tina,
DL5YL, operating as HB0/DL5YM and HB0/DL5YL, respectively, from
Lichtenstein between September 7th and 27th. They will hike during the
daytime and later operate on 160-6 metres using mostly CW, with some
SSB and RTTY. You may also hear them in the CQWW DX RTTY Contest on
September 24th and 25th. QSL via their home callsigns, direct, via the
DARC Bureau or ClubLog.

Be listening for Giuseppe, IK5WWA, operating as IM0M (Eye Em Zero Em)
from La Maddalena between September 1st and 13th on various HF bands
plus 6 metres. He will also participate in the I.I.A. Italian Island
Award. Send QSLs to his home callsign, via the bureau or direct.

Alex, AK4AM, will be active as AK4AM/p from Atlantic Beach, Bogue Banks
off the coast of North Carolina between September 2nd and 6th. This is
IOTA NA-112. Alex will be on 160 metres through 6 metres. Additional
details are available on QRZ.com. QSL via LoTW.

Satoshi, JH2EUV, can be heard on the air from Timor-Leste (OC-148) as 4W/JH2EUV. He is operating on 10, 12 and 15m FT8. It is unclear how
long his stay will be. QSL via LoTW or the bureau.

Be listening for Harald, DF2WO, operating from Burkina Faso as XT2AW
from September 4th to the 18th. He will be on the HF bands using CW,
SSB and the digital modes. He will also be using the QO-100 satellite.
QSL via QRZ.com instructions.

Here's a reminder too, for the weekend of the 20th and 21st of August.
It's the 25th annual International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
With 360 lighthouses around the world registered at the time of writing
to take part in this event they will be active across the HF and VHF
bands on all modes. This is not a contest so call and have a chat! Full details at ILLW dot NET.

(OHIO PENN DX, DX-WORLD.NET)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, like the George County ARES repeater in Lucedale, Mississippi, Wednesdays at 7:37 p.m. local time.

**

ITCHING TO WORK THE SCRATCHIN' POST QSO PARTY

JIM/ANCHOR:If you want to have a QSO party, all you need is a reason. Much like the World's Largest Teapot event that recently concluded, this ARES special event station is just dripping in Southern charm.

DON: In coastal Mississippi exactly 40 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico
and 10 miles west of the Alabama state line lies the friendly little town
of Lucedale, Mississippi, founded in 1901, population 24,762. Right in the heart of downtown Lucedale on the corner of Mill and Main you'll find a four-by-four wooden notched post known as The Scratchin' Post. From 1937
until 1993 there was a very popular 24-hour restaurant at that site known
as The Coffee Pot, renowned for its 5-inch tall merengue pies. The
restaurant is long gone, a victim of progress and rerouted highways, but
The Scratchin' Post still stands tall. And on Saturday, September 3rd,
George County ARES will put it on the amateur radio map with The Scratchin' Post QSO Party. You may be asking why is it called The Scratchin' Post?
It was a tradition when entering and exiting the restaurant to scratch your back against the post. Several famous spines found comfort in rubbing up against that hunk of wood. Baseball legend Dizzy Dean. Country music
legends Tennessee Ernie Ford and Ernest Tubb. Actors Kirk Douglas, Gene
Autrey and Roy Rogers. Even Ronald Reagan in his Hollywood days as well as
Tom Lester, "Eb" on "Green Acres." You can scratch that radio itch by listening for K5K on 20 and 40 meters phone as well as FT4 and FT8.
Operating hours are 1300 to 2300 UTC on Saturday, September 3rd. They will
be operating Field Day style from the downtown City Park. If you're in
that neck of the woods, stop by and enjoy some fine Southern hospitality. Everything you need to know, as well as a picture of The Scratchin' Post,
can be found on the K5K QRZ page. Sounds like the perfect excuse for a QSO party.

I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

**

VOLUNTEER MONITORS SEND HAMS COMMENDATIONS, NOTICES

JIM/ANCHOR: A recent trip to the mailbox brought surprises for some hams - some pleasant surprises, others not-so-pleasant. Sel Embee, KB3TZD,
explains.

SEL: The Volunteer Monitor Program, begun in 2020 as a cooperative effort between the FCC and the ARRL, recently released its report for July of this year. The program delivers commendations as well as notices of improper operation to hams as a way of boosting compliance with amateur radio
license regulations.

The latest commendations include a ham in Columbia, South Carolina for
helping amateurs complete programs for the Community Emergency Response
Team and for assisting those involved in the county's Emergency Operations Center. Commendations were also given to hams in Poughkeepsie (poo-KIPP-
See) New York for conducting the community bulletin board on a local
repeater. Hams in Roslyn, Pennsylvania were also given commendations for involving the Phil-Mont Mobile Radio Club in Field Day and MESH operations.

Meanwhile, notices for unlicensed operation were sent to logging companies
in Washington state for their use of 2-meter amateur frequencies. Another notice for unlicensed operation was sent to an operator in Indian Hills, California for operating 2m simplex APRS during a high-altitude balloon flight, one year after the operator's license had been cancelled by the
FCC.

Notices for operating FT8 outside license privileges were issued to a Technician class operator in Martinez, California and a General-class
operator in Trenton, New Jersey. Notices for operating on SSB outside their General class privileges were issued to hams in Massapequa (massa-PEE-
KWAH), New York, and Trenton, New Jersey.

This is Sel Embee, KB3TZD.

(ARRL)

**

SPECIAL 9/11 EVENT MARKS TERROR ATTACKS' 21st ANNIVERSARY

JIM/ANCHOR: Recalling the difficult day that was September 11th, 2001, a
group of US amateurs is marking that grim anniversary with a special event starting very soon. Jack Parker, W8ISH, tells us what their plans are.

JACK: Members of the Alabama Contest Group will be carrying the message
"Nine Eleven, Remembered Once More," during a special event being activated
to honor the victims of terrorism who perished 21 years ago in New York
City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Stations will be
using the callsign K4A starting at 0001 UTC on September 8th and running through to September 12th, operating on all bands and using CW, SSB, FT8
and RTTY. Organizers are expecting many hams to be calling in with stories
of remembrances from September 11th, 2001.

Planners have been busy on the Discord chat app making a schedule that will
be accessible to amateurs worldwide. An extra effort will be made on CW and FT8 to help Pacific DX operators, especially in VK and ZL, make contacts. Certificates will be available in addition to QSL cards. QSOs are needed on four bands in any combination of modes to qualify for a certificate.
Outside of North America, only three bands are needed.

According to the QRZ page for K4A, this event recognizes "peace-loving
people all over the world." Visit the page for K4A or WA1FCN for more
details.

This is Jack Parker, W8ISH

(ALABAMA CONTEST GROUP)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

RSGB PREPARES FOR RE-ENACTMENT OF TRANSATLANTIC CENTENARY TESTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Get ready for the Transatlantic Centenary Tests, coming this December to an HF frequency near you. The Radio Society of Great Britain
has already started to get things rolling, as we hear from Jeremy Boot,
G4NJH.

JEREMY: With the support of Ofcom, the Radio Society of Great Britain
have reactivated five callsigns that date back to the 1920s, at the dawn
of amateur radio communication across the Atlantic. The call signs are
going back on the air for all of December during the Transatlantic
Centenary Tests, which took place between 1921 and 1923. The call sign
G5WS is being used from the 1922 tests, as the first to make the ocean crossing. Its signal from South London was heard in North America on the
24th of December in 1922.

Other call signs will be G5AT and G6XX, both used for the 1923 tests,
G6ZZ, used for tests in 1924 on a moving rail train, and the Scottish Highlands call GM3DR.

These tests will differ from the original ones in that they will engage stations in two-way communications with UK and Crown Dependency-based stations. Stations will be in England, Scotland, Wales, Guernsey, the
Isle of Man, Jersey and Northern Ireland.

So get ready for what lies ahead. Additional details can be found on the
RSGB website. See the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

[PRINT ONLY: https://rsgb.org/transatlantic-tests/ ]

(RSGB)

**

EAST COAST RADIO OPERATORS PUT APPALACHIAN TRAIL ON THE AIR

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams are signing up to activate POTA and SOTA sites along
the Appalachian Trail in the eastern United States. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE,
tells us about the event and its participants.

KEVIN: Imagine being part of an event that covers six national parks,
eight national forests, more than 40 SOTA summits and over 65 state parks
and forests that have POTA designations. It's a stretch of land known as
the Appalachian Trail and it's considered a major national treasure in
the United States. For the second year in a row it will be where you can
find activators participating in the second annual Appalachian Trail On
the Air event. It's also where chasers around the country, if not the
world, will be pointing their antennas.

The trail itself has a POTA national designation of K-4556 and on the
weekend on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2, activators will be
posting their POTA schedules and SOTA alerts. Activators can plan ahead
and sign up in advance now by going to the website www dot A T ontheair
dot net (www.atontheair.net) and complete the form that appears on screen
when you click the button that says "RSVP."

This event was begun last year as the inspiration of Mike WB2FUV, an
amateur living in the mountains of upstate New York. According to his QRZ page, he fell in love with operating QRP from the mountains and trails of
the northeast two years ago. He writes on his page that last year's event attracted more than 50 activators on SOTA summits and POTA parks in 11
states all along the Trail. Chasers were answering their calls from
throughout North America and Europe.

This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(QRZ, SOTA REFLECTOR, NORTHEAST SOTA CLUB)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including D-STAR Reflector
91 C in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Australian
Eastern Time.

**

W1AW MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF ITS SHACK'S DEDICATION

PAUL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to W1AW, the headquarters station of the
American Radio Relay League. The station is marking the anniversary of
the dedication of the brick building in Newington, Connecticut, that
became its shack on September 2nd, 1938. The league's official station
has the callsign of its founding president, Hiram Percy Maxim, who became
a Silent Key in 1936. Following his death, the league applied to replace
its callsign of W1MK with Maxim's. The busy station is known around the
world for the welcome it gives to guest operators as well as for its
bulletin transmissions and on-air practice sessions of Morse Code.

(ARRL)

**

YOUTH PLAQUES ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN OCEANIA DX CONTEST

PAUL/ANCHOR: There's extra excitement for younger amateurs in this year's Oceania DX contest. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us why.

GRAHAM: Two new, youth-related, plaques have been added to the phone
section of this year's Oceania DX contest on October 1st from 0600 UTC, sponsored by Oscar Reyes, VK3TX, a noted DXer and an IARU Region 3
director.

The two new plaques are intended to engage younger hams. The "World Youth Phone plaque" will recognise the highest-scoring amateur of 25 years or younger from outside of Oceania. The "Australia Youth Phone plaque" will recognise the highest-scoring amateur 25 years of age or younger from
within Australia.

This is the 77th running of the contest whose aim is to get non-Oceania stations to contact those around the Pacific region and the bands promise
to be busy with VK and ZL operators calling CQ Oceania DX contest.

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(OCEANIA DX CONTEST, WIA)

**

OBSERVATORY EDUCATOR HONORED FOR WORK IN ASTRONOMY

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hard work in the field of astronomy education paid off
recently for one longtime educator who's been honored for her years of advocacy at facilities around the United States. We hear more from Sel
Embee, KB3TZD.

SEL: The assistant director for education and public outreach at the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory has been honored for her work by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Suzanne Gurton is being recognized
with the Klumpke (Klumm-Key) Roberts Award for nearly four decades of her effort helping educators develop and present astronomy programs to
further the public's understanding. Before joining the Observatory in
2016, Suzanne Gurton worked at a number of planetariums around the United States and also served as an astronomy lecturer at the Griffith
Observatory in Los Angeles. She is a former writer and producer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Previous recipients of this award have included Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, Timothy Ferris, and Walter Sullivan.

The observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation.

I'm Sel Embee, KB3TZD.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

CANADIAN LICENSE-HOLDERS ASKED TO WEIGH IN ON CALLSIGNS

DON/ANCHOR: Radio Amateurs of Canada is hoping to push for some changes
that affect license-holders' callsigns and the group is asking for input.
We hear the details from Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

ANDY: Radio amateurs who hold a Canadian Certificate and have a Canadian callsign are being asked to complete a survey for Radio Amateurs of Canada, which wants to advocate for changes in policies regarding Canadian
callsigns. The results of the survey will be used by the RAC to come up
with proposals to show Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada,
the governmental regulator.

According to the RAC website, hams are being asked to weigh in on questions about special-event callsign authorisations, two-letter suffixed callsigns, the handling of callsigns for Silent Keys; and various special prefix authorisations. The survey will also explore whether it should be mandatory for hams to change their callsigns if they relocate to another region in Canada. Hams are also being asked whether callsigns with one suffix letter should be issued as permanent personal call signs.

This is just a sampling of the issues included in the survey, which opened
on the 5th of August and will remain accessible to hams until the 30th of September. Though the questions are thorough, they take no more than 10 or
15 minutes to complete. The survey was created by Dave Goodwin, VE3KG, the RAC's regulatory affairs officer.

Amateurs holding Canadian callsigns wishing to take part in the survey can
do so by using the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

[FOR PRINT ONLY:
https://www.rac.ca/canadian-amateurs-call-sign-policy-survey/ ]

(RADIO AMATEURS OF CANADA)

**

ARRL GRANT MAKES ARKANSAS SCHOOL CLUB A REALITY

DON/ANCHOR: School is only back in session barely a week for many
youngsters in the United States, but one group of teenagers already has
some serious homework to do. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, tells us about their assignment.

DAVE: It's official: Cave City High School in Arkansas, has its own radio
club at last. The club recently received its charter from the American
Radio Relay League along with an $8,000 grant from the ARRL's Grant Foundation. Those funds will be used to purchase and install radio
equipment, including a local repeater. Science teacher Lynn Williams,
N5TLW, told the Guard On Line that the club received lots of support from
the Batesville Area Radio Club whose members helped the high school club's president, Ithyca Bacon, KI5QOS, get things in motion. The students are
hoping their station and the repeater will be on the air within the next
few months. In the meantime, the school club is going to host a number of informational meetings for community members who want to learn more.

The achievement is bittersweet for many involved in setting up the new
club. The president of the Batesville area amateurs, Steve Shelton, AE5RU, became a Silent Key on the 27th of August. Lynn, who is a member of the Batesville club, said on the Batesville club's Facebook page that the
success of the students' efforts to form the Cave City High School Amateur Radio Club comes in large part due to Steve's dedication to that effort. He wrote: [quote] "The current and future students in the club will benefit
from his influence." [endquote]

This is Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(GUARDONLINE, FACEBOOK)

**

CHINA RESCHEDULES LICENSE EXAMS FOR 'C' CLASS

DON/ANCHOR: Candidates for the top-level amateur license in China have a
few more weeks to wait to take their exam, which has been postponed. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has that story.

JIM: Amateurs in China will soon sit for a technical proficiency assessment being given for those seeking the highest class of the nation's amateur
radio licence - the "C" class. C class hams are permitted up to 1 kW of
power on bands below 30 MHz and 25 watts above 30 MHz. The exam will be
held in Beijing on November 5th and will be overseen by the Beijing Radio Association.

The announcement came from the Chinese Radio Amateurs Club, the national
ham radio association, which said that the assessment had originally been scheduled for October 22nd but had to be rescheduled.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(CRAC, SOUTHGATE)

**

EQUIPMENT SETS SAIL FOR PALAU DXPEDITION

DON/ANCHOR: It won't be long now before 15 hundred pounds, or 680
kilograms, of equipment for the T88WA DXpedition arrives at its final destination: The Republic of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean. The ship
set sail on the 7th of September. The operators, members of the Western Washington DX Club, are to leave the United States at the end of October: Justin, K5EM; Jack, N7JP; Rob, N7QT; Brian, N9ADG; and Robin, WA7CPA, the
only YL in the group. The expedition will take place inside an operating bungalow between November 2nd and 14th using three stations and six
antennas. One hexbeam will be pointed towards Europe and another towards
North America. The group writes on their page on QRZ.com that they are
hoping to make the first activation of 60m from Palau and be lucky enough
to give EU contacts on the low bands.

(QRZ)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

UK AMATEURS ACTIVATE FOR RAILWAYS ON THE AIR

PAUL/ANCHOR: All aboard: It's time to celebrate Britain's heritage steam railways, and Jeremy Boot, G4NJH has just the ticket.

JEREMY: The Moorlands and District Amateur Radio Society has a special
link to the Foxfield Light Railway as that is where the club is based. Foxfield, which is run by a preservation society, is one of Britain's
oldest heritage steam railways. Club members are putting it on the air
during the Railways on the Air event on September 24th and 25th using
the callsign GB1FLR. Railways on the Air is an annual celebration of the
role that these trains played in the nation's heritage. Be listening on
HF and VHF phone as the Foxfield amateurs operate from locator square
IO82. The club welcomes QSL cards via eQSL, direct or through the
bureau. Full details are on the GB1FLR qrz.com page.

For details about the event and a list of other stations, visit rota dot
barac dot org dot uk. (rota.barac.org.uk)

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(QRZ.COM)

**

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR TASSIE HAM RADIO CONFERENCE AND EXPO

PAUL/ANCHOR: Registration has opened for a major amateur radio
conference Down Under. John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us what's happening
in Tasmania.

JOHN: Speakers from around the world will be presenting lectures on a
wide range of amateur radio topics during the Tassie Ham Radio
Conference and Expo in November. Registration has opened. The two-day
event, which is being organised by the Radio and Electronics Association
of Southern Tasmania, will be held on the Sandy Bay campus of the
University of Tasmania. The conference will be held on Saturday the 5th
of November and presentations will include such topics as interference mitigation, remote station operation, low-power portable EME, promoting
your amateur radio club and youth engagement.

The expo will be held the next day.

Registration is mandatory for those who wish to attend. See the link in
the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org.

[PRINT ONLY:
reast.asn.au/news-events/tassie-ham-radio-conference-and-expo/ ]

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(REAST)

**

CUB SCOUTS TO GET HAM RADIO PREVIEW

PAUL/ANCHOR: When youngsters meet up on Saturday, October 1st at the
Peterloon Scout Camp in Cincinnati, they will be getting a preview of
two things: These 10-year-old boys, known in Scouting as Webelos (wee- buh-lows) will see what awaits them when they leave the rank of Cub
Scout and become full-fledged Scouts. They will also get a preview of
amateur radio. Be listening for a special event station being operated
by the West Chester Amateur Radio Association operating all day from the
scout camp with the call sign N8P. Hams will be on the air using the
club's Go-Box, calling CQ and looking for future hams in Scouting.

(JOCELYN BRAULT, KD8VRX/VA2VRX)

**

UK HAM LOGS FIRST-TIME 8M CONTACT WITH SOUTH AFRICA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Imagine being the first amateur to log a DX contact on a
band that is experimental in your country. Well, that happened to one
ham recently in England. We hear about him from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: For Paul, G7PUV, it was an experiment that worked. The East
Sussex amateur, who holds an Innovation and Trial licence to use 40 MHz, announced that he has made the first SSB contact on the band between the
UK and South Africa, where 8 metres is a standard ham frequency which
gives amateurs a primary allocation with a maximum of 400 watts output
between 40.675 and 40.685 MHz.

Paul reports that he accomplished this Trans Equatorial Propagation
contact with Willem, ZS6WAB.

He writes on his QRZ.com page that Ofcom has permitted him access to the
band on frequencies between 40 and 42 MHz for testing purposes.

Paul posted a video of the 17th of September contact on his Twitter
feed. You can watch it by following the link that appears in the text
version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY:
https://twitter.com/AceBlaggard/status/1571161819846164482 ]

I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(TWITTER, SOUTHGATE)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

FAMILY OF HAMS LAUNCHES EDUCATION PROGRAM IN ROMANIA

JIM/ANCHOR: A new amateur radio education project in Romania has begun reaching thousands of students -- as well as their families. Ed Durrant,
DD5LP, tells us more.

ED: Enjoying amateur radio is a family priority for Petrica (Patricka)
YO9RIJ, his wife, Alina (R-leen-A), YO9RYJ, and their son, Rares
(raresz), a short-wave listener with the call sign YO9 -001. Since the
spring, however, spreading the word about amateur radio has become an additional priority. Alina (R-leen-A), a college professor, believes that
the science of radio is an important part of students' education,
inspiring Petrica (Patricka) to develop an educational curriculum with
lessons mixing science and amateur radio. Called RadioScience 2.0, it was
one of six projects to win funding from the Romanian American Foundation
this past spring. By May, students were receiving lessons in the schools
and even in the parks, with hams from the Romanian Contest Team
participating to share their experiences too. Petrica (Patricka) told
Newsline in an email that nearly 5,000 youngsters and teenagers - and
even parents and grandparents - have since attended classes to learn and
to explore kit-building. Most recently, more than 50 young people took
their ANCOM exam a little more than a week ago, testing to earn their
licence.

Petrica (Patricka) said this is just the beginning. His dream is to build
a ham radio science centre in Buzau (BuzzOw) City. He said it is: "A real challenge but we have hope!"

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

**

AM QSO PARTY CELEBRATES ORIGINAL VOICE MODE

JIM/ANCHOR: The annual AM QSO Party sponsored by the Antique Wireless Association isn't so much a contest as a challenge: It invites hams to
get on the air using radio's original form of voice communication:
amplitude modulation. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, tells us about this year's
event.

ANDY: Ron Skipper, W8ACR, coordinator of the AM QSO Party for the Antique Wireless Association, considers this year's event a success. The weekend operation introduced hams to amplitude modulation - or reminded long-
timers that AM is still a viable option. During the two-day activity on September 24th and 25th, Ron himself made 40 or so contacts during the
QSO party. He told Newsline that three of those operators he logged said
they were experiencing either their first or second time using AM mode.

Ron told Newsline [quote] "I think that once a ham operator uses AM successfully, he realizes that it is a viable alternative to SSB, and not
just an outdated mode of communication." [endquote]

Ragchews were encouraged and, for others, so was simply listening. Ron
reminds hams that there's plenty of time now to prepare for the next AM
QSO Party. If your rig already has AM mode, try it out. If have vintage
gear at home, dust it off. Or, if you are a home brewer, get busy.

This is Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(RON SKIPPER, W8ACR)

**

RSGB UNVEILS UPDATED TOOL TO MEASURE EMF

JIM/ANCHOR: To help amateurs in the UK comply with EMF exposure limits,
the Radio Society of Great Britain has updated its calculator - and is
also looking for input on the changes. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us the details.

JEREMY: An updated tool has become available to help hams comply with
Ofcom licence requirements to monitor their stations' electromagnetic
field exposure. The Radio Society of Great Britain has made changes to
both its online calculator and web app and are seeking feedback on the
new versions, which have been launched on a trial basis. The new
calculators enable hams to determine EIRP as well as compliance
distances. According to the RSGB website, the updated calculators no
longer have the previous versions' 10 MHz minimum frequency restriction
or the minimum separation of the near field boundary. They recommend a compliance distance of 2.4 metres to keep people from coming into contact
with the antenna. The new version also calculates limits set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection for 1998
and 2020.

Additional details are available on the Society's website at rsgb.org

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W3NTT repeater
in Palmerton Pennsylvania at 9 p.m. on Sundays.

**

AMSAT-INDIA GIVES ENGINEERING STUDENTS AN INTRO TO HAM RADIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateur radio was the big lesson of the day recently on
one university campus in India. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us what
everyone talked about happened.

JIM: There was perhaps no better way to mark the occasion of Engineering
Day in September than to hold an amateur radio workshop on a university
campus and provide some eye-opening lessons for tech students there.

AMSAT-India's regional coordinator, Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, did just that
at Marwadi University in Gujarat, and in four hours the 80 students from
the Information and Communications Technology Department, along with a
special team assigned to a student project, gained insights into amateur
radio as well as ham radio satellites. For that one special team of
students, the timing could not have been better: The university recently announced that they will be building a satellite to be launched by the
ISRO. The workshop provided some bonus preparatory work for them.

The more terrestrial-minded demonstrations - from digital modes and VHF
FM to SSTV - were conducted with the help of Sakshi Vagadia, VU3EXP, and Shyama Vagadia, VU3WHG, who is also part of the student satellite team. Workshops also covered such topics as the jargon of amateur radio,
operating in the POTA and IOTA award programmes, high-altitude balloon tracking and, of course, CW.

Just as every amateur contact on the air is usually followed up with a
QSL of some sort, this workshop is not the end of the contact with this campus. Rajesh reported that the university administrators were so
pleased that AMSAT-INDIA can expect to come back to conduct more
programmes.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(QRZ.COM)

**

EXTRA CLASS 'GERATOL' NET TURNS 50

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A popular Extra Class net is back on the air after taking
a break for a few months. We hear about their plans from Sel Embee,
KB3 T Zed Dee.

SEL: The GERATOL Net is back. That's spelled G E R A T O L, which stands
for Greetings Extra Radio Amateur Tired of Operating Lately, except after
a few months of NOT operating lately, the net is back on the air. You can
find Extra Class operators checking in every night on 3.668 MHz, starting
at 0100 UTC. Now in its 50th year of operation, the net is marking the occasion by adding an anniversary award to the array of awards it already confers to qualifying hams. To be eligible, hams must make 50 contacts -
one for each year of the net's lifetime - during a session of the GERATOL
Net. These contacts must be logged during the period of the net's
anniversary year. The contacts must include the club staton W0NL.

For details about the award or additional information on how to find and
check into the net, visit the website g e r a t o l dot net (geratol.net)

This is Sel Embee, KB3TZD.

(GERATOL NET)

**

STUDENTS IN UKRAINE AWAIT THEIR SATELLITE'S LAUNCH

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A student-built CubeSat is being prepared for launch next month and its young creators in UKraine have included amateur radio
operators in their plans. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, brings us up to date.

ED: Students at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in Ukraine
are looking forward to the November launch of an educational satellite
they built with a group of space-exploration enthusiasts. The students' Cubesat is designed to work on a variety of scientific and technical
issues related to research at the institute's school, the National
Technical University of Ukraine.

The Cubesat, QBUA01, will be in a sun-synchronous orbit and accessible to
hams around the world who can receive telemetry, beacon and science
payload data.

The nano-satellite project will focus its studies on near space and will explore the operation of solar sensors, magnetometers, gyroscopes, electromagnets and flywheels used in stabilization and orientation in
space. Research will also focus on thermal regulation of a payload using
heat pipes and on new software for controlling satellite systems and
obtaining telemetry. Frequencies to be used are still being finalized.A
9k6 GMSK UHF downlink is proposed using AX25.

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(IARU)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

PROGRESS FOR IRELAND'S FIRST SATELLITE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Another success has been scored by Ireland's first
satellite, which is moving forward through development and testing to
its eventual launch. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, reports.

JEREMY: The team developing EIRSAT-1, Ireland's first satellite, has
returned from Belgium, where the project underwent rigorous testing at
the CubeSat Support Facility, including an assessment to ensure it
would survive launch. The University College Dublin team includes David Murphy, EI9HWB, and Lána Salmon, EI9HXB. They are developing the low- earth-orbit CubeSat as part of the European Space Agency's "Fly Your Satellite" programme. ESA administrators have said in the past that
they view the project as a way to grow a new generation of space
scientists and engineers to nurture a space programme for Ireland. The satellite is tentatively scheduled for a launch from an ESA base in
French Guiana by early 2023.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY, IRISH TECH NEWS)

**

AUSTRALIAN RADIO GROUP CYCLES FOR CANCER RESEARCH

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Australia, hams are on the move for a very important charitable cause - and the power they are using is pedal power. Graham
Kemp, VK4BB, tells us what they're up to.

GRAHAM: You've heard, of course, of the Solar Cycle but what kind of
hams concern themselves with the Charitable Cycle? That would be
members of the Bendigo Amateur Radio & Electronics Club's Pedal Radio
Group, Throughout the month of October, these most mobile of the moble operators are getting themselves in motion to meet the Great Cycle
Challenge, which is raising money throughout Australia for research
into childhood cancer.

This is an event that the Pedal Radio Group participates in each year.
The group's spokesman, Graeme Knight, VK3GRK, writes: [quote] "This is
a great chance to get out, have fun, exercise and promote amateur
radio." [endquote] Riders pledge how many km they will ride and how
many dollars they hope to raise. As Graeme also notes, there's nothing
to stop riders from carrying an HT - safely of course - and making
contacts.

He asks: [quote] "Could this be Bikes on the Air?" [endquote] Perhaps
yes but remember, it's kilometres that count most here - not contacts.

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(BAREC)

**

HISTORIC SITE HOSTS L.I. RADIO CLUB CELEBRATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the Suffolk County Radio Club, W2DQ,
which celebrated its own personal history of 75 years at a site where groundbreaking history was once made by innovator Nikola Tesla. The
club's special event activation and outdoor celebration was held on
Saturday October 8th at the scientist's former laboratory, Wardenclyffe,
on Long Island, New York. Portable antennas provided the radio reception
and a gathering of friends and food, plus a visit from local elected
officials, provided the rest of the reception. All the best to the club
for the next 75 years.

**

SEVEN-DAY EVENT FOCUSES ON ENGLISH LIGHTHOUSES

NEIL/ANCHOR: As the days get progressively darker earlier in some parts
of the world, the lighthouses of England are providing a little radio
relief. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, picks up the story from here.

JEREMY: Traditionally beacons of safe navigation for ships at sea,
lighthouses in England are about to become symbols of successful
navigation for signals sent in their direction by amateur radio
operators around the world. The organisation that oversees the English Lighthouse Awards scheme has set aside seven days -- Saturday the 22nd
of October through to Friday the 28th -- for the Lighthouse Challenge. Activators will be lighting up these towers, at least figuratively,
hoping for contacts from lighthouse hunters throughout England -- and
beyond. According to the event website, contacts made during the week
will also count toward the programme's regular awards. They may also contribute to other organisations' awards since many carry a Worked All Britain Square and references for World Wide Flora Fauna or POTA.

If you are interested in being a part of the activity during the week,
just tune your rig up and get started. Registration is not necessary
and entry is free, as are the awards and certificates. Only activators
are required to keep logs.

For additional details, visit englishlighthouseawards - that's one
word - dot uk (englishlighthouseawards.uk/)

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(ENGLISH LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
WB0QXW repeaters in St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday nights following the
World Friendship Net which begins at 7 p.m. local time on EchoLink.

**

NEW YOUNG AMATEURS LICENSED IN SOUTH AFRICA

JIM/ANCHOR: Here at Newsline we always celebrate the licensing of new
hams, especially among the younger generation. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, is
here with some more reasons for us all to celebrate.

GRAHAM: The Hammies Amateur Radio Club, ZS6ZU, is celebrating yet
another graduation. The latest group of youngsters who'd been studying
to sit for their Class B - the entry-level licence - passed their
recent examinations. The club, a member of the South African Radio
League, has prospective licence-holders work with volunteer tutors
learning theory and completing hands-on projects. The youngsters are
usually between the ages of 9 and 15. Congratulations to everyone for a
job well done.

I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

**

HAM RADIO ARCHIVE TO DIGITIZE CLUB, PERSONAL DOCUMENTS

JIM/ANCHOR: Is it possible to digitize amateur radio history? Well, the Internet Archive is planning to do just that - and it needs your help.
Andy Morrison, K9AWM, explains.

ANDY: If you want to be a part of history, here's your chance. The
Internet Archive is asking ham radio operators to look in their
collections of printed and digital materials as well as any personal
materials for inclusion in a digital library providing a window into
the history of the amateur radio community. The library is especially interested in collecting material that documents contributions by any
groups who historically may have been marginalized in the ham
community, such as women and people of color.

A recent grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications is underwriting
the development of the library, which will give open access to educators, students, researchers and members of the public. The library is called
the Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications. Print materials,
such as newsletters, pamphlets and journals, will be digitized for easier access. To enrich the collection further, developers of the library are
hoping to conduct oral histories of influential individuals active in
amateur radio.

If you think you have materials that could be useful for the library,
email Kay Savetz, K6KJN, the program manager of special collections.
Writing on the Internet Archive blog, Kay noted that he was especially interested in obscure materials, including locally produced ham radio newsletters and small magazines. Kay can be reached at kay@achive.org

I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(GIZMODO, HACKADAY, INTERNET ARCHIVE BLOG)

**

WEST VIRGINIA STUDENTS FORM COLLEGE HAM CLUB

JIM/ANCHOR: The newest team on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia isn't involved in varsity sports, but amateur
radio. Sharing the same name as the school's athletes, the Thundering
Herd Amateur Radio Club is getting a foothold with a core group of six members, including founder Jacob Wriston, KE8PWC. Jacob is a pre-med
student majoring in biology and a ham for two years. He told Newsline
that one of the most immediate things on the club's agenda is to help unlicensed members study for the FCC exam and to grow the size of the
club. There's lot of studying to be done and of course some paperwork
too, so the club can apply for a callsign and establish a shack on
campus.

Meanwhile, Jacob has been exploring the HF bands and perfecting the art
of antenna-building. He told Newsline that hands-on projects are
perhaps his favorite part of the hobby. It looks like one of those
projects, the Thundering Herd Amateur Radio Club, is coming to
fruition.

(JACOB WRISTON, KE8PWC)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
N8VAA repeater, serving parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland
and Pennsylvania and the Potomac Highlands Amateur Radio club from
Moorefield, West Virginia on Monday nights at 8.

**

HAMS WORLDWIDE PREP FOR CQWW COMPETITIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: As Newsline went to production, hams were gearing up
for the first part of the two-part CQ WW amateur radio competition -
considered the largest of its kind in the world. The first of the
48-hour marathons begins on SSB at 0000 UTC on Saturday, October
29th and ends at 2399 UTC on Sunday October 30th. More than 35,000
hams are expected to be on the air for the first of the two weekend
contests. After that, you have time to prepare for the CW challenge,
which will be held on the weekend of November 26th and 27th. Details,
rules and the results of previous competitions are available at cqww
dot com (cqww.com).

**

CALIFORNIA AMATEURS EXPAND TRAINING FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE

PAUL/ANCHOR: A newly formed nonprofit group in California is
filling a need to support ongoing disaster-response efforts. Ralph
Squillace, KK6ITB, tells us what's been happening.

RALPH: Few people understand the value of the El Dorado County
Neighborhood Radio Watch in California better than the members who
have joined the group since it began in 2019. The radio watch's
life-saving communication efforts using General Mobile Radio
Service equipment, combines with those of the El Dorado County
Amateur Radio Club to save lives - some even of their own members.
This has been especially critical during wildfires and in other
disasters. The two organizations are now working together even more
closely - and more formally - following the creation of a nonprofit corporation known as the Community Emergency Radio Association, or
CERA. As a fundraising arm for the two radio groups, CERA is there
to receive donations and apply for community safety grants,
magnifying the lifesaving potential of these local radio sentinels.

Alan Thompson, W6WN, told Newsline that the teamwork goes beyond
even that ambitious agenda. CERA is also a mentoring group,
assisting in emergency preparedness, public safety exercises and
instruction to prepare for the amateur radio licensing exams. Alan,
who is the public information officer for the groups, said that the
El Dorado hams' membership roll has grown and the Neighborhood
Radio Watch now has 500 members throughout the county. Alan said
the groups are also consulting with several other ham radio clubs
both in and outside of California. Alan gave a presentation
recently to the Cool-Pilot Hill Advisory Committee at the Pilot
Hill Grange on Monday, October 24th.

This is Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(ALAN THOMPSON, W6WN)

**

YOUNG HAM FROM INDIA SET FOR ANTARCTIC TRIP

PAUL/ANCHOR: Imagine being a young amateur radio operator chosen
for a first-time trip outside your home country - to Antarctica.
Well for one young ham in India, that just became a reality. John
Williams, VK4JJW, tells us about him.

JOHN: Congratulations to Sarabjeet Singh Chhabra, VU2CUW, who at
age 27 becomes part of a team going to Antarctica in December as
part of the 42nd Indian Scientific Expedition there. Sarabjeet has
been a ham since 2015 and according to a news report in Telengana
Today, this will be his first international journey. He was chosen
to join the logistics team by a panel of 11 at the Ministry of
Earth Sciences in Delhi. His work will involve providing support to
the primary research team. Each team has two radio operators who
will be using handheld VHF radios or larger HF rigs to cover
greater distances, depending on what type of communication the team
needs. This is an annual expedition to India's Antarctica Base
Station conducted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean
Research.

This is John Williams, VK2JJW.

(TELENGANA TODAY, ITSHAMRADIO.COM)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K4LYL repeater
in Bedford, Virginia, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
local time.

**

GERMAN AMATEURS AWAIT NEW 'N' OPERATOR CLASS

DON/ANCHOR: Hams in Germany are awaiting a decision by the nation's
regulator to add a third class of amateur radio license by early next
year. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us what that could mean.

ED: Germany's proposed new "N" class entry-level licence could be in
place as early as January the 1st of 2023. The possible addition,
announced earlier this year, is being reviewed by the German regulator, BNetZa, as a way to add a third licence class to the existing E, Novice
and A, Full, licence classes. A change in the regulations would give the
N class operators call signs with the prefix DN and the current DN
callsigns, which are used for training purposes under supervision of a licensed ham, would be cancelled on December 31st of this year, to be
replaced by the use of a DN/ prefix .

The new entry level "N" class will grant privileges to use the 2 metre
and 70 centimetre bands with up to 10 watts EIRP. The operator will be
allowed to build and operate home made equipment as long as it conforms
to the regulations. It is possible that usage of the 10 metre band may
also be added to the class N licence at the end of 2023.

The content of the licence exam syllabi will also be changed to make them "cumulative" with the ability, it is hoped, to allow the taking of the
class N, class E and class A exams in sequence to get to a full licence
in one day of testing. The class N exam will cover all legal regulations, operational rules and a limited amount of technical knowledge questions.
The class E and A exams will then only cover additional, more technical
theory questions, building on the knowledge of the previous level or
levels.

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

**

HAMS IN KOLKATA SOLVE RF ISSUE FOR POLICE RADIOS

DON/ANCHOR: When you have a radio interference problem, who better to
turn to than an amateur radio operator? That's just what police officials
in one part of India thought when their handheld radios were knocked out
of service by holiday lights. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, brings us the details.

GRAHAM: A group of major Hindu festivals were coming up on the autumn calendar, starting on Sunday October 30th, and police officials in West Bengal, India, were once again struggling with their radios. Something
was causing havoc with their handhelds during the autumn Hindu festivals
and it appeared that VHF radio communication was again going to be nearly impossible for crowd control and security.

This year, police took their radio dilemma to some local radio amateurs
in the West Bengal Radio Club. According to a report by the Indo Asian
News Service, the hams conducted a variety of tests on the officers'
radios. Ultimately, they noticed the interference peaked when signals had
to pass through areas where traditional holiday lights were being used to decorate Kolkata's parks and gardens during the festive season. With the
help of physicist Pasupati (posso potty) Mandal (mon dall), VU3ODQ, a
club member, the hams determined the interference came from the strings
of LEDs manufactured in China, which used cheaper components. According
to Dipak (dee pock) Chakraborty (chock rah boar tee), VU3OKT, when they
were illuminated, the LEDs emitted a noise on a frequency very close to
the one the police radios were using.

The hams recommended replacing the Chinese LEDs with ones manufactured in India, which had different components that did not seem to cause the same issue. According to Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, that seemed to have
solved the problem in time for the festivals.

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE)

**

INDIA LAUNCHES FIRST GROUP OF COMMERCIAL SATELLITES

DON/ANCHOR: India has launched its first group of commercial satellites. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains what comes next.

JEREMY: The Indian Space Research Organisation is celebrating the launch
into orbit of 36 internet satellites from the London-based company,
OneWeb. The launch on Sunday, October 23rd coincided with the Indian
Festival of Lights, known as Diwali. An Indian GSLV Mark III rocket was substituted for the Russian Soyuz originally planned for the operation
before the Ukraine invasion earlier this year.

This was the second flight for the Indian rocket but its first commercial multi-satellite mission. The flight was overseen by the ISRO's commercial division, New Space India Limited.

According to a BBC report, the latest launches mean that OneWeb, which is partly owned by the British government, is almost three-quarters of the
way to having its first-generation satellite constellation achieve global coverage. The rollout is expected to be completed by the middle of 2023.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(BBC, SPACE.COM)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

ELMERS ORGANIZE TO HELP CANADA'S NEWBIES

JIM/ANCHOR: In western Canada, a growing number of hams have discovered
that the most effective way to transmit to other hams doesn't necessarily involve being on the air. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, has that story.

ANDY: In Calgary, Alberta, a group of enthusiastic mentors has begun
tackling the ongoing mystery of the vanishing newbie - the candidate who studies for and passes the Canadian Basic certification. That same ham then moves on to an Advanced licence, attends some club meetings but soon tapers off radio-related activity within that first year. It is a recurring
pattern of loss that Jerry Spring VE6TL and others in Calgary believed they could help stop.

Jerry told Newsline [quote]: "This pattern continued for years until a few
of us Elmers got together and figured out what was missing." That's when
they formed a dedicated team of Elmers known as SASTAR. SASTAR stands for Southern Alberta Support Team for Amateur Radio. Compiling a list of the latest newbies, the team reached out to reduce what Jerry calls the
"culture shock" experienced by new licence holders: the antenna regulations, the different modes and their own puzzling equipment needs. The Elmers of SASTAR organised and reached out via personal contact methods that included Zoom and groups.io which added extra appeal for the youngest among the
newbies.

Jerry said: [quote] "Suddenly, we started seeing/hearing a lot more people
on the air. Some even decided to learn CW and take to the HF airwaves even though they hadn’t considered these things before. The same thing happened with fox hunting, SOTA and Field Day." [endquote] In fact, some now
volunteer as SASTAR Elmers too.

The enthusiasm is spreading to the Atlantic provinces, where APSTAR was
born with the help of SASTAR. Prince Edward Island amateur George Dewar, VY2GF/VY2PLH, is replicating this proven method with Elmers in that region with guidance from Jerry, and Pat, VE6PDS. George may not be the last one
to extend the experiment either. Jerry said he's already had inquiries from
a friend in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stay tuned.

This is Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(JERRY SPRING, VE6TL)

**

DISASTER-RESPONSE STARTUP LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

JIM/ANCHOR: Just as the word Anemoi (Anna Moy) signifies the mythical Greek gods of the four winds, a new effort known as Anemoi Incident Response is looking to provide communications and assistance to all corners of the
United States when disaster strikes. As it grows from its Arkansas
location, the not-for-profit conducting a nationwide recruitment action, a multifaceted outreach that includes amateur radio operators. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, has those details.

DAVE: Colleen Udell, president of Anemoi Incident Response, said the organization received its nonprofit status in May but its origins go back
much further with the veteran responders who created it. Anemoi's component teams include AUXCOMM, weather spotters, ground crew, social media and dispatch. Colleen told Newsline [quote] "We all have plenty of years of disaster relief experience and wanted to find a way to utilize
communications to complement what is going on with all these other disaster relief organizations." [endquote] The other assistance groups include ARES
and nongovernmental organizations that step in during a crisis. Colleen
said Anemoi is as much a safety net for these NGOs as well as for the small communities that sometimes fall between the cracks in a crisis because they lack a robust response team or any plan at all.

AUXCOMM team director Thomas Sarlitto, KD9JSA, is based in Illinois and assistant AUXCOM director Paul Falk, KO4KXV, is in Florida. Anemoi hams can live anywhere in the US, just as the group's stormchasers are scattered throughout the US. Tom said that portable repeaters are in the works for UHF/VHF radios and non-amateurs can eventually be deployed using GMRS and business radios.

If you have skills that you think can be put to good use in helping, visit their website myanemoi dot org (myanemoi.org). That's anemoi, spelled A N E
M O I

You'll find a link to an application form, and a reminder on their home
page that [quote] "there's no shortage of ways to give back." [endquote]

This is Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(ANEMOI)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N2JDW repeater
in New York City, on Monday nights at 8 local time, just before the
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service Net.

**

SKYWARN PROGRAM GOING STRONG IN SEVERE WEATHER

PAUL/ANCHOR: As many of us know, weather patterns seem to be changing everywhere. One thing that doesn't change is hams' dedication to
preparedness in the face of disaster. Randy Sly, W4XJ, spoke to one
such group.

RANDY: With the recent late season hurricanes, and early season snow
storms here in some parts of the United States, everybody's talking
about the weather these days. For the National Weather Service, one
of their key resources for determining ground truth reports during
severe weather is the SKYWARN program, which is strongly supported
by the amateur radio community.

While hams have always played a key role in the program since its
inception in 1965, one group has taken their mission way beyond
SKYWARN. The Southwest District Skywarn Team Of Western Pennsylvania
offers general weather classes, training for relay and net control
stations, SKYWARN reporting procedures, daily rain gauge reporting
with CoCoRaHS, and other training, along with bi-monthly meetings on
Zoom. They also have worked at developing relationships with adjacent
NWS forecast offices to provide better interconnectivity, and
communications during activations.

Eddie Misiewicz (Mi-sh�-vitz - short e) KB3YRU, President of the group,
told AR Newsline that they want to provide "all things weather" for
those who are interested even if they don't have a license. He also
hopes that their Zoom meetings might also be a gathering place for
other SKYWARN leaders and volunteers, in order to share information
and ideas.

To learn more about the Southwest District SKYWARN team and meeting
times, you may contact Eddie at KB3YRU@arrl.net.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

**

FOR OLDER HAMS, A DIFFERENT KIND OF DXPEDITION

PAUL/ANCHOR: The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu (VAN-Wah-TWO)
isn't exactly roughing it: there's a power grid, commercial air service,
homes to rent, and a population of more than 40,000 people. For a group
of adventurous amateurs with the average age of 70, that makes it a
great spot for a DXpedition. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us what they've
got planned.

KEVIN: Van Herridge, N4VGE, is a born traveler, and though he calls
South Carolina home, he is always looking for adventure beyond his QTH.
Now, he and a group of older amateurs will follow that roving spirit to
Vanuatu in the South Pacific. The group has planned a two-week DXpedition
in December of 2024, and it will include participation in that year's
ARRL 10-meter contest.

The men are bringing all their necessary equipment, and they're also
bringing their wives, because this DX has hotels, restaurants, beaches,
and other attractions to make it a family holiday too.

DXers already know that Vanuatu ranks 100th on the DXCC list of 340
countries. For this team, however, it ranks number one as a good spot
to aim for more than 50,000 QSOs using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8. They're
looking for four more radio operators, and inviting them to bring their
spouses to make it a great team. Van asks that interested DXpeditioners
contact him at vanherridge@gmail.com. That's herridge, spelled
h e r r i d g e.

Meanwhile, the team is also working on developing a website and seeking sponsors.

This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(VAN HERRIDGE, N4VGE)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP APPLICATION PERIOD OPENS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Young amateur radio operators in North, Central and
South America are being invited to plan for a memorable time in Canada
this coming July: Applications are now open for the third Youth on the
Air camp, which is open to licensed radio amateurs between the ages of
15 and 25. The camp will be held on the campus of Carleton University in Ontario, Canada from July 16th through to July 21st.

The application process is free and allocations are being held for
campers from each of the three Americas to allow for attendance from
countries throughout IARU Region 2. For the best chances at being
chosen, prospective campers are being encouraged to apply by January
15th. The application process will however continue through to May 31st.

To apply - and to read details about making separate arrangements for transportation - visit YouthOnTheAir dot org (YouthOnTheAir.org)

(YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP)

**

OFCOM EXTENDS EXPERIMENTAL ACCESS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The telecommunications regulator in the UK delivered
some good news to amateurs who enjoy experimenting on the air. Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH, tells us what they learned.

JEREMY: Amateurs who hold a Full licence in the UK will be eligible to
use the frequencies between 146 to 147MHz after receiving a Notice of Variation from Ofcom. In some restricted areas operational limitations
exist. The notice is available on a temporary basis only and is subject
to a 30-day notice period that it is being changed or withdrawn.

By making this part of the spectrum available, Ofcom is hoping to
encourage experimentation by radio amateurs, allowing them to experiment
with new technologies such as digital voice and data transmissions
having moderate bandwidth. Ofcom defines "moderate" as being up to 500
kHz wide.

The one-year Notice of Variation was first made to full licensees in
October 2014. The Radio Society of Great Britain said that it is pleased
that Ofcom has accepted its latest request to extend the agreement. NoV applications are made via the RSGB website at rsgb dot org slash nov (rsgb.org/nov)

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

**

MUSEUM'S HAM STATION GETS ARDC GRANT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Museum of Information Explosion in Huntsville,
Alabama, is getting a modernized amateur radio station that will feature digital technology to complement the more traditional gear being
showcased in the museum's other exhibits. The station is being
established with the help of a $16,000 grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications and is designed to show how ham radio is surviving by
changing with the times. The museum is set to open early next year.
Various local ham radio clubs, including the Radio Club of the Museum of Information Explosion, will serve as docents for visitors and will also
go on the air from the station.

(ARDC)

**

OTTAWA OPERATOR ADDED TO HALL OF FAME

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: An amateur radio operator from Ottawa, Canada has just
been chosen for the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. Dave Parks,
WB8ODF, tells us about him.

DAVE: The name of Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN, is being added to the roster of
those who have contributed to amateur radio consistently over the years
as both an advocate and a participant. First licensed in 1959 as VE2AME,
Bryan returned to active participation in Canadian amateur radio in 2002
after years of living overseas. Radio Amateurs of Canada cites his
consistent work in the preparation for and attendance at the
International Telecommunications Union's World Radio Conferences in
2012, 2015 and 2019. The RAC has credited him with being a key member of
the Canadian delegation at ITU meetings. The Hall of Fame chairman of
the board Frank Davis VO1HP, writes on the RAC website that Bryan's work
on the national and international levels involved helping hams gain
access to frequencies at both 60 meters and 630 meters. Frank
acknowledges Bryan's successes as well in establishing and maintaining
a good working relationship with Innovation Science and Economic
Development Canada, the nation's regulator.

Congratulations to Bryan.

This is Dave Parks, WB8ODF.

(WIA, RAC)
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

ENGINEER NEEDED FOR FOR STATION WWVH

NEIL/ANCHOR: Listeners around the world tune in regularly to WWV and
WWVH, the radio station of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, for various voice announcements, including the time. Now
the US government agency hopes qualified engineers will tune into an
important job opening it has - for a position based in Hawaii. Jack
Parker, W8ISH, tells us more.

JACK: Radio station WWVH, which is part of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, is looking to hire an engineer in charge.
In addition to maintenance of the station on Kauai, Hawaii, the job
requires regular communication with NIST's Time and Frequency
division in Boulder, Colorado. The engineer is responsible for the
four radio transmission systems - on 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 MHz - which
are required to be on the air 99.7 percent of the time. One or two
electronic technicians will report to the engineer in charge.

For more details about the job and whether you qualify, visit the
link in the text version of this week's Newsline script at
arnewsline.org

This is Jack Parker, W8ISH.

[FOR PRINT ONLY: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/690931100 ]


**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
Midstate Hams WA9RDF repeater in Greenwood Indiana on Sundays at 7
p.m. local time.

**

NEW RECORD SET ON LOWEST HAM BAND IN AUSTRALIA

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Australia, a new record has been set for a contact
on the 2200m-band. John Williams, VK4JJW, has those details.

JOHN: Using barely 1 watt of power, a station south of Perth in
Western Australia made a record-setting one-way contact into North
America on the 2200-metre band, which at 136 kHz, is the lowest
amateur band in Australia. The contact was made on November 21st
between VK6MJM and received in the United States by Paul, KM5SW, in
New Mexico. The distance was 16,164 kilometres and the power was 0.8
watts EIRP. The station was using a five-minute key-down mode known
as WSJT-X FST4W-300 mode.

It was a big moment for the Western Australian Low Frequency
Experimenters Group, or WALFEG, which operates the station. It is
led by Peter Hall, VK6HP, and is affiliated with the Wireless
Institute of Australia.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(WIA)

**

PROGRESS ON WORLD'S LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE

NEIL/ANCHOR: The world's largest radio telescope is on track to be
completed by the end of this decade. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has more on
its progress.

GRAHAM: Sites in Australia and South Africa have begun construction
on the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, or SKAO, and astronomers
are hoping to see the massive observatory's two antenna stations
finish construction by May 2023, with the first dish commissioned in
April of 2024 according to a report on the Space.com website.

When the huge project is completed, it will boast a full 1-square
kilometer collection area and it will be the world's largest radio
telescope. Construction began recently on the observatory's mid-
array in the Karoo desert of South Africa which will scan for
sources of radio waves from 350 MHz to 15.4 GHz. The low-array is
also under construction north of Perth in Western Australia. It will
use 131,072 dipoles seeking signals on frequencies between 50 and
350 MHz.

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(SPACE.COM)

**

AMATEUR-OWNED COMPANY BUILDING SATELLITE PLANT IN INDIA

NEIL/ANCHOR: In our previous newscast, we shared the triumph of the amateur-owned company that sent two of its made-in-India CubeSats
into space aboard an Indian Space Research Organisation rocket. The
company announced it is ready to join other enterprises in that
nation in taking the next step. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us what's
next.

JIM: Not long after the launch of its Thybolt 1 and Thybolt 2
satellites, Dhruva Space, based in Hyderabad (Hydra-BOD), announced
it was moving forward to build a facility where it can assemble and
test satellites as large as 100 kg. Cofounder Abhay Egoor, the
company's chief technical officer, said Dhruva is already raising
funds toward that end. Dhruva joins another India-based space
company, Pixxel, which is building a satellite assembly facility in
Bengaluru. Pixxel expects that project to be completed during the
first half of next year. Other companies are gearing up as well: Bangalore-based Bellatrix Aerospace, which is building in Karnataka;
and Agnikul Cosmos in Madras, which is looking to develop testing
facilities in Chennai.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(INVENTIVA, STARTUPSTORYMEDIA)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WI9HF repeater
of the Capital City Repeater Association in Madison, Wisconsin, on
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

**

INDIAN AMATEURS PUT SANTA ON THE AIR

JIM/ANCHOR: Like the airwaves themselves, Santa is lighting up the sky in
all parts of the world. Give and receive the gift of holiday DX with
these two events. We hear first from John Williams, VK4JJW:

JOHN: From Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, Parks on the Air India
and Oscar India are celebrating Christmas by putting Santa on the Air
through the 31st of December. The call sign AU2SOA, Santa on Air, can be
heard using SSB and CW on HF, operating a Digital SSTV broadcast and
looking for QSOs on Echolink. To make contacts on FT 8, be listening on
20, 15 and 10 meters. See QRZ.com for QSL details. QSOs will be confirmed
via eQSL.

On Christmas Day, December 25th, operators will be on various HF bands activating a park and will be spotting AU2SOA operators at www.parksontheair.com.

Finally, on the last two weekends of December, Parks on the Air India
will activate AU2SOA on 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres transmitting a SSTV broadcast. The photo you download will serve as your QSL card. The SSTV transmission can be decoded via the receiving programs RXSSTV and MMSSTV
and on Android phones via ROBOT36.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(ARUNAVA DEY, VU3XRY)

**

OLD FATHER 9 CHRISTMAS TAKES TO THE SKIES

JIM/ANCHOR: The Radio Club of Pusula, OH9W, and Northern Radio Arcala,
OH8X, are activating the station they say belongs to the "genuine Santa
from Northern Finland, next to the North Pole." If you believe in Santa, you'll want to hear this report about Santa Radio from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Old Father Nine Christmas, OF9X, recently began activity on all amateur radio bands and all modes; CW, SSB and Digital. You can expect
Santa's work to continue this year until December 31st, at 21:59 UTC. According to the QRZ.com page for OF9X, this year's special theme will
focus on children in troubled areas of the world and will take the form
of a puzzle to be solved by letters the operators will be handing out to
their contacts. See the station's page on QRZ.com for details about how
to submit the puzzle results for an award. You can also see a list of
hams who have already contacted Santa and his elves.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(QRZ.COM)

**

DODROPIN CONNECTS SANTA TO KIDS ON ECHOLINK

JIM/ANCHOR: The last story in our Santa roundup features a special correspondent with some news for our youngest listeners. He really needs
no introduction.

DON: Hello again boys and girls, it's the most wonderful time of the
year. It's time for the Santa Watch Net. That's right Santa is going to
be making his rounds and can you believe it? This is our 12th year in a
row and the little helpers at the DoDropIn will be keeping an eagle eye
on the radar. I'll look for you to join us on the Santa Watch Net
starting at 1800 hours Eastern Time. Well my little elf Dave, N3NTV, will
be keeping track of old Santa's location. And as always, Santa has a
radio in his sleigh -- and you know I just love chatting with the good
boys and girls. So be listening for N1S - that's Number 1 Santa. Gather
up the little ones and get them checked in because third party traffic is always on the "nice" list. Once again it's the Santa Watch Net, Christmas
Eve, 1800 hours Eastern on the DoDropIn Echolink conference server node
number 355800. Merry Christmas and 73 from me, Number 1 Santa, and all my little helpers at the DoDropIn.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W9BCC repeater
in Wausau, Wisconsin, on Sundays at 9 p.m. during the Rib Mountain
Repeater Association's Sunday Night Swapnet.

**

HONORING THOSE WHO INSPIRE OTHERS' DX ACHIEVEMENTS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A new program launched by an Ohio DX group honors those
who inspire others in their pursuit of DX. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, has those details.

ANDY: Achieving DXCC is an honor - but what about the hams who work so
hard behind the scenes helping other amateurs achieve that coveted status
of DXCC award-winner? The Southwest Ohio DX Association has launched a new program that recognizes the hams who help other radio operators achieve
their first 100 confirmed DX entities. The amateur receiving the
assistance must be under the age of 30. The DX association has
specifically designed the award this way to target those who help younger amateurs and ensure they continue to be encouraged and active in the hobby even after receiving their DXCC certificate.

The intent of targeting this audience helping younger amateurs is to
attract and retain those operators who are most likely to remain engaged
in the hobby after achieving DXCC. The DX Mentor Recognition Program has
the support of the Northern California DX Foundation and the International
DX Association. Both groups are providing representatives on the judging committee. The award will be presented at Dayton Hamvention in May at the Southwest Ohio DX Association dinner.

For more information about the DX Mentor Recognition Program or to
download an application, visit the website in the text version of this
week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://www.swodxa.org/DX-Mentor-Program/ ]

This is Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(425 DX NEWS)

**

IDEAS NEEDED FOR RADIO'S ROLE MARKING KING'S CORONATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in the UK are being asked to contribute their ideas
for radio's role in marking the King's coronation. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
tells us more.

JEREMY: Long before there was radio, the UK had its fire beacons,
torchlight relays that served as warnings of invasions in earlier
centuries. As the Radio Society of Great Britain makes its plans to help
mark the coronation of King Charles III and his Queen Consort next May,
the society hopes to give this ancient tradition a role as well.

A number of events will be organised for the occasion with an eye toward demonstrating amateur radio to the public. The society's Coronation Lead,
Alan Messenger, GØTLK, is looking for ideas about what shape the special events will take and most particularly how the fire beacons can be
included, as a way of honouring tradition. UK hams are being asked If they have suggestions for these events or any other thoughts, to contact Alan
at special dot projects at rsgb dot org dot uk (special.projects@rsgb.org.uk)

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

THE 2023 DX ULTRA-MARATHON HAS BEGUN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The marathon is on! Starting January 1st, 2023, if you're
a DXer, you can be in the running. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, tells us how.

NEIL: Since it was founded in June 2018 the True Blue DXers Club has acknowledged that, long path or short path, there is no easy path to good DXing. Beyond having good equipment, DXing takes skills and patience. The
club continues to nurture its appreciation for DXing accomplished via CW
and SSB. It has announced its latest year-long operating event that begins
on January 1st. This is their 2023 DX Ultra-Marathon and it is encouraging
CW and sideband operation in as many DXCC entities and WAZ Zones as
possible. If you wish to be in the running during the 2023 marathon, you needn't join the club itself but you are required to register. The link
for registration can be found in this week's text version of our newscast
at arnewsline.org

then start making QSOs as early as January 1st, and begin uploading your
logs on January 15th.

The club's website notes that like any worthy marathon, this event
requires operators to push their limits, and make an investment in time
and in effort.

This is Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

[ FOR PRINT ONLY: www.tbdxc.net/marathon ]

(425 DX NEWS, TRUE BLUE DXERS CLUB)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

NOMINATIONS NEEDED BY RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN

PAUL/ANCHOR: With a new year, comes the change in leadership at the Radio Society of Great Britain. The nomination period continues this month, as
we hear from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Although the window has closed for nominations for board director
of the Radio Society of Great Britain, the nomination period continues
through to the end of January for other roles, such as regional representative, elected director and president. The current president,
Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, is completing his two-year term in April. There
are nine volunteer roles in all that need to be filled. Regional representatives are needed for England South-West and the Channel
Islands, England North-West, East Midlands, Northern Ireland, South
Wales. Details can be found on the Society's website at rsgb dot org
stroke election. (rsgb.org/election).

The Society will be holding its annual general meeting on April 15th and
the results of the election will be announced then.

Only members of the RSGB are able to nominate candidates.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the KV3B repeater
in Rockville, Maryland, on Sundays after the net at 7:30 p.m. local time.

**

SPEAKERS NEEDED FOR QSO TODAY VIRTUAL EXPO

PAUL/ANCHOR: The next QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo takes place on March
24th through to the 26th, asking the question: "New Ham radio license,
now what?" Organizers are looking for speakers who can address this topic
in particular, whether the new license is at entry level, such as
Technician class here in the United States, or perhaps at a higher level
with more privileges.

Organizer Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, is asking amateurs with expertise in certain
areas of amateur radio to consider newcomers in particular and to offer presentations at the Expo this spring. There is a link to an online application form and additional details in the text version of this
week's newscast script at arnewsline.org.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/speakercall.html ]

**

INNOVATIVE ANTENNA DEVELOPER GETS LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

PAUL/ANCHOR: A celebrated antenna expert from West Bengal, India, has
just been granted yet another honor. We hear more about him from Graham
Kemp, VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Srikanta Pal, the scientist who was recently granted a patent for
the world's smallest antenna has been given an honorary life membership
in the West Bengal Radio Club. Born in West Bengal, he is a research
professor at Birla Institute of Technology in Kolkata.

He was presented with the honour on Wednesday, December 28th, by the
club's secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, who told Newsline in a
text message that the professor has taken a keen interest in amateur
radio antennas. After learning more details about the kind of work the
club is involved in, he said that, as an honorary life member, he would
study some useful types of antennas that hams could use for emergency
response in disasters.

In 2009, the professor was credited with having helped solve satellite
signal interference problems at the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank telescope
at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in West Virginia. Later, he assisted astronomers in solving interference issues at the Jodrell Bank
Radio Telescope site in the UK.

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(WBRC, BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

FREE MAGAZINE FOR IRISH HAMS MARKS ITS 2ND YEAR

PAUL/ANCHOR: Two years after its launch as a free resource for Irish
amateurs, an online magazine is still going strong. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
tells us about it.

JEREMY: The only free monthly amateur radio e-magazine in Ireland is
preparing to mark its second year of publication. The Connacht Regional
News Magazine is seen as the voice of ham radio experimenters, innovators
and homebrew-builders. It has gained a following in Europe, the United
States and a number of Pacific nations. The latest edition features a worldwide news roundup as well as articles about various antennas, the 5
MHz band and awards from the National Radio Society of Ireland.

A number of clubs have also written updates on their activities, from fundraising walks to annual general meetings.

The editor, Steve Wright, EI5DD, told Newsline that the goal from the
start has been to promote radio activities by various clubs and societies
from both sides of the border in Ireland. The independent publication
also reports on the Irish Radio Transmitter Society and the NRSI, the two national societies in Ireland.

Steve told Newsline that the magazine is distributed free and is easy to access from the QRZ.com page of EIØCL or EI5DD. It also appears on the
Galway VHF Group Blog and on the magazine's own Facebook page.

Best of all, over the last two years, the magazine has grown from a six-
page publication in its earliest days to a full 30-page offering.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(STEVE WRIGHT, EI5DD)

**

HAMS PLAN SYMPOSIUM FOR OPERATING IN MARITIME CANADA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Get ready for a special symposium that focuses on the needs
of amateurs in maritime Canada. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, helps us take a
look at what's in store.

ANDY: Planning is getting underway for organizers of this year's
Symposium for Maritime Amateur Radio Technology, which is being hosted by
the WestCumb Amateur Radio Club in Nova Scotia on May 6th. Ham clubs throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and elsewhere
play an active role in this annual event, which features a series of one-
hour classes throughout the day and a variety of social gatherings.

This is the sixth annual event and its focus is on the technical and procedural aspects of ham radio as it relates to operating in the
maritime region. John VE1CWJ, will present a class on amateur radio use
of satellites; Gordon, VE9GC, will discuss remote station operation; and Bill, VE1YY, Glenn, VE9GJ, and Jason, VE1PYE, will talk about making successful contacts on the 630m band. There will also be classes on the
use of the WINLINK radio messaging system and WSPR, or Weak Signal
Propagation Reporter.

Additional details about the event, known as SMART23, can be found on the website that appears in this week's text version of the newscast at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: westcumb.ca/smart23 ]

This is Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(JOHN VE1CWJ)

**

VANUATU DXPEDITION SHIFTS DATE TO OCTOBER 2024

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you want to work a DXpedition that isn't quite so remote
as Bouvet Island, this story from John Williams, VK4JJW, might interest
you.

JOHN: DX chasers who have their calendars marked for the Vanuatu
DXpedition in December 2024 need to turn their calendar pages back by two months. The eight-member team has announced they will instead be heading
to the South Pacific island for their two-week activation in October of
2024. The operators are hoping to capitalize on the springtime
propagation in the Southern Hemisphere and plan to participate in the CQ
WW DX Phone Contest.

The activation site will be on the island of Efate, which is the most populated in the nation's archipelago. Efate boasts a robust tourism
industry. Spouses and partners will be accompanying the team members,
whose average age is 70. The operators have said they expect to log more
than 40,000 QSOs.

Vanuatu is 1,500 miles from Sydney, Australia and 3,000 miles from
Honolulu, Hawaii.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(DX-WORLD.NET)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

SOUTH AFRICA PLANS A SOTA CELEBRATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in South Africa who activate summits throughout that country are planning to celebration 20 years of those activations. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us what they have in mind.

JIM: Activators of Summits On the Air in South Africa are marking 20 years
in the programme by urging all participants to either hunt or activate a summit on the 18th of February. Activators will be posting their proposed times on the WhatsApp group and Facebook page of ZS-SOTA. South Africa
became part of SOTA on January 1st, 2003 when the first two summits were activated by Andrew Roos, then using the callsign ZS1AN. On that day,
Andrew, now callsign ZS5U, operated CW from Lion's Head, SOTA number ZS/WC-058, and MacLear's Beacon, SOTA number ZS/WC-043.

All hams who participate in the 20th anniversary activity will receive a commemorative certificate.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(SARL)

**

DEADLINE SET FOR YOTA SUMMER CAMP IN HUNGARY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Young amateurs hoping to spend part of their summer in
Hungary at YOTA camp have until the end of the month to apply, as we hear
from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Young amateurs who live in IARU Region 1 have until the 28trh of February to apply for Youth on the Air summer camp. The camp will take
place from the 5th to the 12th of August in northwest Hungary, near the
border with Austria and Slovakia. Organisers are advising prospective
campers to get in touch with their local IARU youth coordinator to learn
how to apply. There are spots open for 100 campers. Guest teams will be
able to attend from Regions 2 and 3. One of the main goals of the camp is
to train young amateurs to arrange for youth activities in their home countries and get other young people interested in amateur radio.

This year is the 11th edition of the camp and it is being operated with the help of the Hungarian Amateur Radio Society, MRASZ. The IARU Youth Working Group works closely with youth coordinators to arrange for the camp to be held. Previous years' camps have been hosted by Bulgaria, Croatia and South Africa.

Anyone who has questions may write to the organisers at youth at iaru
hyphen r1 dot org. (youth@iaru-r1.org).

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR, IARU REGION 1)

**

HAMS HELP LOST MAN RETURN TO FAMILY IN INDIA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in India who specialize in helping lost family members get back home recently assisted with just such a reunion. Here's Graham
Kemp, VK4BB, with that report.

GRAHAM: In India, a man with hearing and speech impairments and a history
of wandering from home when under stress was reunited with his family with
the help of amateur radio operators. The involvement of amateur radio operators from Kolkata ended a long search by the family of the 58-year-old man, who turned up at the religious pilgrimage known as the Gangasagar Mela last month. The mela was held about 100 km south of Kolkata, which is headquarters to the West Bengal Radio Club whose hams assist every year to ensure safety and communications at the pilgrimage. The hams noticed the
man was in distress but because of his challenges, they could not
communicate successfully with him.

According to local media, he turned out to be from Khammam in the Indian
state of Telangana. Members of the club receive special training in helping communicate with individuals who may be unable to speak or in cases where there is a language barrier. The club's secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, said that the man's responses to certain photographs helped them determine the region where he resides. By late January, the mystery was solved. The man, who had been moved to living quarters at a local mission,
was successfully identified and his family was contacted by the police. Ambarish Nag Biswas was able to then communicate with the man with the help
of Ram Mohan Suri, VU2MYH, director of the National Institute of Amateur Radio, who can speak the man's language, Telugu. Arrangements were made for his son to retrieve him and return him home.

Dibas Mondal, VU3ZII, assisted in his transfer back to his family with the help of the police.

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(TELANGANA TODAY, TIMES OF INDIA)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the AH6LE repeater
in Beavercreek and Wilsonville Oregon on Sundays at 6 p.m. local time.

**

CW/AM EVENT CELEBRATES VINTAGE GEAR

PAUL/ANCHOR: If the evolution of radio gear interests you - and if you
own and operate some of the earliest rigs - you might want to plan for a
big operating event next month. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us what's involved.

KEVIN: Age matters. It's even worth points if you're a ham taking part in
the John Rollins Memorial CW/AM DX event in March. The event is organized
by the Antique Wireless Association and you don't have to be a member to participate. If you are using a transmitter and receiver manufactured
before 1970, you can score big points. Likewise, any homebrew gear using
tubes that were available before 1970 is also in the running.

The activity takes place on 80, 40, and 20 meters, on Wednesday, March
1st, and Thursday, March 2nd, and again on Saturday, March 4th, and
Sunday, March 5th. Power is limited to 100 watts for CW and 100 watts
carrier level for AM.

For details on scoring, visit the association website at the link
provided in the text version of this week's newscast script at
arnewsline.org

The event is named for association member John Rollins, W1FPZ, who was a well-known home-brewer of radio equipment. John became a Silent Key in
March of 2008.

This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

DO NOT READ:

https://www.antiquewireless.org/homepage/event-details-for-rollins-dx-event/

**

FCC CREATES ROOM FOR 16 NEW FM RADIO STATIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: The FCC has made room for 16 new broadcast stations on FM
and expects there will be competition for the spots on the spectrum.
Here's that report from Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

KENT: There could be a handful of new FM radio stations on the air in
small rural communities from Minnesota and Missouri to Texas and Vermont:
the FCC has opened up 16 FM allotments in areas eligible for a new
service. The FM table is updated by the FCC after its staff engineers determine that the vacant allotments comply with the agency's minimum
distance separation requirements and city-grade coverage requirements.

The areas that are eligible for a new FM service include Grand Portage, Minnesota; Bunker, Missouri; Junction and Sonora in Texas; and Barton, Vermont.

The FCC says all new FM commercial allotments are subject to an auction process, and competing applications may be filed once the commission
decides it is ready to accept applications.

When competing applications are filed, an auction may need to occur
before the allotments are decided.

This is Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(FCC, RADIOWORLD)

**

HOTEL BOOKINGS BEGIN FOR WRTC IN BOLOGNA

PAUL/ANCHOR: A major world radio event, postponed from last year,
suddenly got more real with the start of hotel bookings. John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us about it.

JOHN: Competitors and referees received the earliest access to hotel
bookings for the World Radiosport Team Championship which is to be held
this July in Bologna, Italy. The online booking system opened on February
1st. The next round of reservations began on February 7th for visitors
and others. According to details on the WRTC Reflector message list
hotels throughout the surrounding area will be providing support for competitors, referees, judges, sponsors and the contest committee.

To see details about the WRTC and who its competitors are, visit wrtc2022
dot it (wrtc2022.it)

The World Radiosport Team Championship is held every four years in a
different host country. This year's event is a postponement from last
year when health concerns during the pandemic caused it to be called off. Two-member teams whose members have qualified for the event will arrive
from every continent to compete in this 24-hour nonstop competition,
which is often referred to as the Olympics of amateur radio.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(WRTC REFLECTOR)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K2JJI repeater
of the Tryon Amateur Radio Club, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary
this year, in upstate New York. Newsline is heard Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
before the ARES/RACES net, and on Echolink node 845553, with a live audio
feed on Broadcastify under K2JJI.

**

A VIRTUAL VISIT TO BOUVET ISLAND

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Northern Illinois DX Association hosted the first presentation by a Three Y Zero Jay team member on what it was like to
live on, and activate Bouvet Island. DXpeditioner Adrian, KO8SCA,
provided a one-hour talk, complete with dramatic photographs, on the
Zoom platform earlier this month. He described the team's 10-day effort
to maintain a delicate balance of food and fuel supplies as they
scheduled precious time to operate on the air - at first using CW and
SSB and later FT8. They also kept an eye on storm systems. As Adrian
told his viewers [quote] "Mother Nature is never doing things in your
favor." [endquote] The DXpedition left the island on February 14th,
after making more than 19,000 QSOs.

Whether you worked Bouvet Island or not, you can still view Adrian's talk
which is now available to everyone on YouTube on the Northern Illinois DX Association channel. You can also find a link to it through the Northern Illinois DX Association website at nidxa dot org (nidxa.org).

(YOUTUBE, AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY)

**

FOR YOUNG ACTIVATOR IN AUSTRALIA, A PEAK AT GLORY

NEIL/ANCHOR: A very young amateur in Australia has completed a summit activation that he's likely never to forget. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, shares
his victory with us.

GRAHAM: First-time summit activator Emile, VK5WWW, has now earned one
point in the SOTA awards scheme for each year of his life: The 10-year-old Australian amateur successfully activated Mount Wellington in Tasmania
with an HT, and a lot of hope on Tuesday, March 21st, shortly before 9:30
am local time.

The summit is 1,270-metres, or 4,167 feet, high.

Operating at VK5WWW/7, he logged six contacts in the Hobart area on 2m. One-half hour later, it was a done deal. Emile's first solo act was a
success.

His proud father, John, VK5HAA, who is also an activator, reported his
son's SOTA success on the Australian SOTA activators' groups.io email
list.

Congratulations on reaching new heights, Emile. Good on ya!

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(GROUPS.IO)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, the Sable Island DXpedition CY0S is under way in Nova Scotia, Canada until the 30th of March and will include 2M EME operation. Operators will also use the HF bands plus 6 metres. Modes will include CW,
SSB and FT8 in fox-hound mode. Contacts also count for Parks on the Air,
for Park VE-0210, the ARLHS Lighthouse Award, for Lighthouse SAB-002, and
IOTA for Island Number NA-063. QSL via WA4DAN.

Listen for Miguel, CT1EBM, who is using the callsign CN2EBM from the 26th
of March to the 9th of April during a 5,000-kilometre tour through Morocco.
He is using SSB and FT8 on the HF bands. He will be operating via the
QO-100 satellite on SSB. For details, see QRZ.com.

Philippe FK4QX, Yves FK4RD and Michel FK8IK are using the callsign TX5L
from Lifou Island, IOTA Number OC-033, in New Caledonia from the 27th
through to the 31st of March. They are operating CW and SSB on 40-10 metres, QSL via F4FTV.

Pista, HA5AO, will be on the air as 5X2I, on the shores of Lake Victoria
in Uganda from the 24th of April to the 10th of May. He will operate CW,
SSB, and FT8, in fox/hound mode on 40-10 metres. QSL request to OQRS, or
send your card direct or via the bureau to HA5AO. The complete log will
be uploaded to LoTW six months after the expedition.

Be listening for Janusz, SP9FIH, who is operating as E51WEG and for Leszek, SP6CIK, operating as E51CIK from Rarotonga, IOTA number OC-013, in the
South Cook Islands. They will be there from the 13th to the 28th of April, operating CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 on 40-10 metres. QSL via Club Log's OQRS.

(425 DX BULLETIN)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

AUTISM AWARENESS EVENT GOES GLOBAL

PAUL: Special events are becoming more and more popular in our hobby.
Often they’re organized by a club or group that is tied to a specific
event or place. But in the case of one ham, James Gallo, KB2FMH, he
simply found a cause that was important and created a global event to celebrate it.

GALLO: I do a lot of special events, because I find them interesting. So
we found Autism Awareness and I thought, "That's an interesting subject.
A lot of people in our hobby have a position somewhere on the autistic spectrum in some way or another, and I know that from talking to people
over the years. So we decided to make a special event for that."

PAUL: Gallo started to plan the event, and then his girlfriend came up
with a great idea:

GALLO: "And then as I'm putting it together, my girlfriend, who's my muse
in radio business, said, ''Why don't you invite other operators - you'll
get a bunch of operators from around the country.'' And then I thought,
"Well, it's considered 'World Autism Awareness Day', so let me reach out
to a few friends globally that I've met over the years, and see if
they're interested." And it started to grow.

PAUL: And grow it did. The event was a big success, and drew in a large
number of participants:

GALLO: "I think we had 80-something volunteers across 26 states and 24 countries."

PAUL: Gallo is planning on running the event again next year, so keep an
eye out for an announcement if you wish to participate or even just
chase. It's all for a good cause.

This is Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

RSGB SEEKS TECHNICAL EDITOR FOR RADCOM MAGAZINE

DON/ANCHOR: The Radio Society of Great Britain is looking to hire a new technical editor, as we hear from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: RadCom, the magazine of the Radio Society of Great Britain, is
saying goodbye to Matthew Smith, M0VWS, who is leaving his role as
technical editor. The team is looking for a new technical editor with a
strong background in electronics and the technical side of amateur radio.
The ideal candidate should also be capable of writing and editing
articles and working with authors from whom articles have been
commissioned. The technical editor will also read and edit copy from contributors and columnists and assist volunteers with the RSGB Technical Forum. This is a salaried staff position.

For a full description of other responsibilities visit rsgb.org/careers.

Although there is an opportunity to occasionally work from home, the
technical editor will be based at RSGB's headquarters which is near
Bedford. For queries or to submit a CV, contact the managing editor
Edward O'Neill at edward.oneill@rsgb.org.uk.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

MARYLAND SCIENTIST HONORED FOR EMERGENCY PREP WORK

DON/ANCHOR: A scientist and radio amateur in Howard County, Maryland, has
been recognized for his many hours of helping others prepare for
disaster. Sel Embee, KB3TZD, tells us more about him.

SEL: Congratulations to Dan Wilt, WB6FLL, who has been named Emergency Management Volunteer of the Year from officials in Howard County,
Maryland. Dan leads the Howard County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service and is a member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association.

Dan is a device physicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
in Laurel, Maryland. According to a press release on the webpage of Johns Hopkins lab, Wilt spent more than 150 volunteer hours supporting RACES
events and activities last year at public service events and during
snowstorms and hurricanes. He has also assisted RACES in the creation of guides to help fellow operators during emergencies so communication can
become easier for first responders. As a member of the Columbia Amateur
Radio Association, K3CUJ, he has coordinated exercises to help prepare
his fellow club members for future incidents.

During the awards ceremony, Mike Hinson, director of the county's Office
of Emergency Management, praised Dan for [quote] "a willingness to help
others learn and a desire to serve whenever and however possible."
[endquote]

This is Sel Embee, KB3TZD.

(JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, PATCH.COM)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N0LAR repeater,
of the Lamar Area Amateur Radio Club in southeast Colorado, or on FM radio station KRHJ on 88.3 MHz on Fridays at 5 p.m.

**

HUNGARIAN HAMS' SURVEY EXPLORES YOUTH, OTHER ISSUES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams in Hungary's national ham radio society want to hear
from you. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us why.

JEREMY: Hams around the world are being invited to provide their views
and share their experiences about amateur radio through an online survey
from the Hungarian Amateur Radio Society. The short survey asks questions about your personal preferences and radio history but also wants to know
what your priorities are -- whether it is your operating preferences,
your expectations from membership in a national society or the roles you
think a local club should have. There are also questions about whether
you know very many active younger operators. The society is interested in having the survey responses in time for the Youngsters on the Air Region
1 camp which it is hosting from the 5th to the 12th of August in Hungary.
The group would also like to present the survey results at the IARU
general conference in November.

A link to the survey appears in the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://mrasz.org/state-of-hamradio ]

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(HUNGARIAN AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY)

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams in the US may notice when they take the survey that the question about license class does not include the option to select the
level of FCC license. The creators of the survey recommend that US hams
use HAREC for Extra, NOVICE for General and other classes and ENTRY for Technician.

**

NATIONAL VOA MUSEUM EXPANDS HOURS FOR HAMVENTION

NEIL/ANCHOR: One of the biggest ham radio weekends in the United States
is about to get a little bigger. Here's Jack Parker, W8ISH, with that
update.

JACK: If Hamvention doesn't give you a big enough dose of amateur radio
when you're in Xenia next month, take a side trip to the National Voice
of America Museum of Broadcasting in nearby West Chester, Ohio. The
museum expands their hours for visitors during Hamvention and features
new exhibits including a dedicated room for shortwave equipment and
amateur radio. Other exhibits include a complete collection of R.L. Drake
Ham Radio equipment that was originally in the lobby of the R.L. Drake
Corp. in Miamisburg, Ohio.

The on-site WC8VOA ham shack has new, updated equipment and yes, the
station will be on the air for guest operators. The museum's expanded
hours are Thursday May 18th and Friday May 19th from 1 to 9 p.m.;
Saturday May 20th from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday, May 21st from noon to 5
p.m. so that you can plan on a weekend of total radio immersion.

You can find more details on the museum website at voamuseum.org

This is Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(JOCELYN BRAULT, KD8VRX/VA2VRX; VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM)

**

GRIDTRACKER TEAM WINS SOFTWARE AWARD

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams who are fans of Gridtracker will be happy to learn
they're not alone: Its development team just won a major award. Here's
Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, with the details.

RALPH: Congratulations to Stephen Loomis, N0TTL, and the team that
produced Gridtracker.org, for becoming recipients of the fourth annual
Amateur Radio Software Award. This international honor recognizes free,
open projects developed in the spirit of sharing to enhance amateur radio operations everywhere. According to the award website, Gridtracker was
chosen for its ability to focus on visualizing radio traffic on FT8 and
other modes, simplifying the process of tracking contacts, especially in contests.

In the same spirit of sharing that helped create Gridtracker, Stephen,
who lives in Oregon, has asked the awards committee to provide a $300
grant to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Oregon. The nonprofit advocacy, resource and educational organization works to help those who
have mental illness and assists their families.

This is Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(AMATEUR RADIO SOFTWARE AWARD, AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY, GRIDTRACKER)

**

BOUVET DXPEDITION VETERAN TO ACTIVATE IN FIJI

NEIL/ANCHOR: One member of the team is back home from the recent Bouvet
Island 3Y0J DXpedition but not for long. John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us
what he's got planned next.

JOHN: Cezar, VE3LYC, is getting ready to put one of the Fiji islands back
on the air after too many years of things being quiet there. Yanuca
Island, IOTA Number OC-189, was activated first in 1993 and again in 2007
- but there's been no radio operation there since then. Cezar will be on
the air May 1st through the 5th using the callsign 3D2LYC. DX World.net reports that his goal is to log 4,000 QSOs with 2,500 unique stations on
six continents. He will be on most of the HF bands and will operate both
CW and SSB.

While not as harsh an environment as the one found on remote Bouvet
Island, Yanuca does not have any visitor accommodation. Cezar said he has
been able to locate a generator and gas as well as food and water to use during his stay.

This is John Willliams, VK4JJW.

(DX WORLD.NET)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

NETS OF NOTE: THE HOUSTON AMSAT NET

PAUL/ANCHOR: A devoted group of satellite enthusiasts in Houston, Texas,
has something to celebrate. Their weekly 2-meter net, has surpassed the
1500 mark. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, tells us more about the group.

NEIL: On the Houston AMSAT Net, talk usually centers around satellites
and balloons but soon migrates to other topics. It's a long-running conversation that dates back to before the 1990s. In recent years the net
has gained even more participants by being carried on Echolink on the
AMSAT Conference Node. It is also available as a livestream while the net
is in progress at amsatnet.com. There is also a link to nets recorded
during the previous four weeks. You have even more ways to listen than
that: the net is available as a podcast on popular services such as Apple Podcast and on 1860 kHz AM.

The AMSAT News Service recently recognized the group for having held its 1,506th net. Keep the conversation going!

This is Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)

**

BOOK REVIEW: "THE CW WAY OF LIFE," BY CHRIS RUTKOWSKI, NW6V

PAUL/ANCHOR: Sometimes, the only thing that comes close to being on the
air is ... reading about being on the air. Here's one of our occasional
book reviews -- it's from Randy Sly, W4XJ, and it's all about CW.

RANDY: Whatever your level of CW proficiency, Chris Rutkowski, NW6V has something for you. Chris recently released a great book about Morse Code called "The CW Way of Life." He provides 232 pages full of meaningful and entertaining content that is well written. With each page, all I could
think about was that familiar phrase, "and there's more!"

Chris first takes us through the basics of CW and operating with a
straight key...and there’s more! He talks about how we approach process
and understand Morse Code. Do you want to explore a unique approach to strengthening your copy skills, try his chapter on Code Talking...and
there's more! He gives us a special way to notate code, some drills, and
a whole section on Morse Code lingo, including standard exchanges,
protocols, and operating etiquette...and still there's more! Finally, he
leads us through advanced key training, looking at bugs, paddles and the
rest.

Available through Amazon, this is a great book for hams or non-hams
interested in the original digital. I give it a 5 9 9.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.

**

HAMS WORLDWIDE MARK WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY

PAUL/ANCHOR: This year's World Amateur Radio Day celebrated the 98th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union,
using the theme Human Security for all. Around the world, hams in every nation marked the day in their own way. John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us
more.

JOHN: For hams in South Africa, World Amateur Radio Day - officially the
18th of April - turned into a month-long celebration. Amateurs in the
South African Radio League activated the special event callsign ZS9WARD
from the first day of April and will continue to do so until the last. In Canada, the theme was "Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day" and
Radio Amateurs of Canada's official stations operated from one coast to
the other with numerous callsigns such as VA2RAC, VE4RAC, VO1RAC, and
VY1RAC.

The IARU webpage acknowledged the participation of stations around the
world on the big day itself. Hams in Denmark used the callsign 5PØWARD,
in the United States the calls were NU1AW, W1W, W4A, K4A, and N4A, Belgium
had OT23WARD and Slovenia had S50ARD.

In India, the celebration took on an added level of meaning as one ham,
Hari, VU3UCR, announced that on World Amateur Radio Day he accomplished
the first-time activation of Bandipur National Park in Karnataka for
Parks on the Air India. He announced on Facebook this also makes him the
third person in India to activate a national park in POTA, an awards
scheme that is still new and growing in popularity in that nation.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(FACEBOOK, IARU, SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE)

**

NOMINATE NEXT 'YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR'

PAUL/ANCHOR: There is only a month left to nominate your choice for
Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak Young Ham of the Year award. Candidates must reside in the continental United States and be a licensed
ham 18 years of age or younger. We are looking for someone who has
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 on May 31st.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

MILLING ABOUT ON THE AIR FOR A SPECIAL RADIO EVENT

JIM/ANCHOR: In Australia and in the UK, hams will be milling about -
literally - for this outdoor special event. We learn the details from John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: There's more to mills than wheat, corn or flour. Some mills can
produce QSOs. Well, at least that's going to be the case in Australia
during the Mills on the Air radio event being held in conjunction with the Mills on the Air taking place at the same time in the UK. That would be
the 13th and 14th of May. Hams are on the air activating the mills and
also hoping to score points at the same time for SOTA, POTA and World Wide Flora and Fauna. The Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club is proud
to be the first to get things started in 2017 with the activation of
Andersons Mill in Smeaton, Victoria - but now mill activation are grinding along quite nicely throughout Australia.

They will be joining more than 300 windmills and watermills being
activated throughout the UK to celebrate its industrial heritage. If you
wish to receive a certificate from the Denby Dale Amateur Radio Society,
which organises the event in the UK, be sure to register there at the link
in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: www.ddars.net/register.html ]

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(DDARS.NET, MILLS ON THE AIR)

**

CELLPHONE USERS LOG DIRECT CONTACT VIA SATELLITE

JIM/ANCHOR: A space-based cellular phone network that relies on satellites instead of towers may not be so far off as you think. Kent Peterson,
KC0DGY, has that story.

KENT: Imagine being able to have a cellphone signal delivered directly to
your mobile device from space instead of from a cell tower. Two smartphone users reported recently that they had just that experience. A call between
a phone user in Texas, and another in Japan was reportedly routed through
a low Earth orbit satellite manufactured by AST SpaceMobile. These were standard, unmodified smartphones: a Samsung Galaxy S22 in Texas and an
iPhone in Japan. The BlueWalker3 satellite that made the call possible is powerful enough to pick up cellphone signals from over 1,000 miles away
thanks to an array of 100,000 individual antenna elements on board.

Smartphones and satellites typically do not share the same part of the spectrum for direct communication, leaving phones to rely on local cell
towers instead. According to an article in The Verge, AST SpaceMobile was
able to adapt its network architecture so it was similar to 3rd Generation Partnership Project, or 3GPP, standard that cell networks use.

Some smartphones are already capable of message-based satellite routing solutions in emergencies but a full-service call with a voice connection
like this is said to be breaking new ground. The article said there will
be further testing.

This is Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(THE VERGE)

**

UK HAMS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF 'DAM BUSTERS RAID'

JIM/ANCHOR: Hams in the UK are marking the 80th anniversary of the famous World War II "Dam Busters Raid," and Jeremy Boot ,G4NJH, tells us what's involved.

JEREMY: The Royal Air Force sent a squadron of bombers into the night to complete a mission known as Operation Chastise, but better known as the
Dam Busters Raid. Its targets, in the heart of industrial Nazi Germany’s Ruhr Valley, were three dams for destruction, but which were heavily
protected from any underwater or air assault.

The successful mission, which set off on the 16th of May in 1943, is being commemorated from the 14th to 16th of May this year by the Stockport Radio Society with the callsign GB0DBA.

Stockport is an industrial town in Greater Manchester, a region with
strong ties to the mission that employed the now-famous "bouncing bombs."
The planes, modified to carry the bombs, were manufactured at Chadderton
and assembled at Woodford. The aircrew trained over the Derwent Reservoir.

Manchester University has a building dedicated to Barnes Wallis, the
creator of the bouncing bomb -- and to Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who was later proposed as a candidate for the UK Parliament.

Listen on the HF bands, with a focus on 20 and 40 metres, for operators
using SSB, CW and RTTY. There will also be radio activity on VHF using FM, C4FM and FT8 on 2 metres, and SSB and CW using the QO-100 satellite.

Please visit the QRZ.com page of GB0DBA for QSL details.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(QRZ.COM)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K3PSG repeater
in Butler, Pennsylvania, at 2 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesdays.

**

DIGITAL LIBRARY OF HAM RADIO EXPANDS COLLECTION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The numbers just keep growing into the tens of thousands
in the Internet Archive's Digital Library of Amateur Radio And
Communications. Jack Parker, W8ISH, gives us those details.

JACK: It's a virtual bookshelf of radio that seems to go on into infinity:
The addition of new documents from the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club in
Alaska, the Worldwide TV-FM DX Association, the Irish Radio Transmitters Society and the Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association in Colorado has
expanded a digital collection of shortwave and amateur radio history to
more than 75,000 items. This is the work-in-progress known as the DLARC
Radio Library. The library also contains more than two dozen episodes of
the RAIN Report that were believed to have been lost. Yes, you will also
find archived newscasts from Amateur Radio Newsline.

Program manager of special collections Kay Savetz, K6KJN, said the most
recent additions include recorded presentations and talks, including those from the MicroHams Digital Conference and the Radio Amateur Training
Planning and Activities Committee, known as RATPAC. The library is
especially pleased to have added episodes of International Radio Report
dating back 23 years. The collection also features Continent of Media,
which focuses on the range of media throughout the American Continent.

Many amateur clubs' newsletters which were never posted online before are
now available and are full text-searchable and available for download. The library, which was created with a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications, is always looking for new material to add to the
collection. See the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Jack Parker, W8ISH.

(KAY SAVETZ, K6KJN)

[DO NOT READ: https://archive.org/details/dlarc ]

**

NEW HAM RADIO MUSEUM OPENS IN OHIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Congratulations to Ohio's new amateur radio museum. It's
the Waller-McMunn Museum in Cambridge that has opened to visitors in a restored radio station building after years of work by volunteers
assembling the collection of ham radio gear and related items. The museum
is the pride of the Cambridge Amateur Radio Association, W8VP. The name of
the museum honors Homer McMunn who built the first radio receiver in
Cambridge in 1912; it also pays tribute to his brother-in-law, Roy Waller
who is credited with being the first to copy signals from a US Navy
station operating in Arlington, Virginia that year. The two men were known
as experimenters who built receivers and transmitters and operated a
wireless station in town. Their enthusiasm eventually led to the creation
of the Wireless Association of Cambridge.

(THE DAILY JEFFERSONIAN, GYPSY ROAD TRIP.COM)

**

RESEARCHERS CREATE THINNER, DENSER COMPUTER CHIPS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Researchers in the United States have created thinner,
denser computer chips with big possibilities. We learn more from Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

KENT: Denser and more powerful computer chips may soon be possible thanks
to findings in a laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Researchers there have developed a means of working with 2D materials so slender that they are no more than three atoms thick. By layering them
atop a fully fabricated silicon chip, they are able to create a denser integration.

According to the MIT news website, this low-temperature growth and
fabrication technology does not result in damage to the chip. Damage was a major concern during previous attempts to achieve this integration atop a silicon CMOS wafer because the process customarily requires temperatures
of 600 degrees Celsius. Temperatures above 400 degrees Celsius could cause
the transisitors and circuits to break down.

The news website also reported that this technology reduces the growth and integration process on an 8-inch wafer from more than a day to less than
an hour. A shortened growth time is seen by researchers as particularly attractive for industrial fabrications because of its efficiency.

Researchers also said they want to explore use of this process for such flexible surfaces as textiles, polymers or papers, raising the prospect of integrating semiconductors into clothing, paper notebooks and other
everyday items.

This is Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(MIT)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR AMSAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DON/ANCHOR: If you're active in AMSAT, and know someone who shows promise
in the organization's leadership, consider nominating them for a spot on
the board of directors. Four incumbent seats will soon expire and voting
will be held in the third quarter of this year. Terms are for two years.

As many as two alternate directors may be chosen to serve one-year terms.

For nominations to be considered, they must be in writing and should be submitted by either one member society or five individual members who are
in good standing. The nominee's name, callsign and contact information
should be provided along with the same information for those individuals submitting the candidate. Email nominations are acceptable when sent to jdavis@amsat.org - otherwise postal mail may be used. Send to Jeff Davis, KE9VPO, Post Office Box 11, Yorktown, Indiana 47396.

The nomination deadline is the end of the day on June 15th. The four incumbents leaving behind vacancies are Jerry Buxton, N0JY (En Zero Jay
Why), Joseph Armbruster, KJ4JIO, Robert Bankston, KE4AL, and Zach
Metzinger, N0ZGO (En Zero Zed Gee Oh).

(AMSAT NEWS)

**

KEEP LISTENING FOR CORONATION STATIONS

DON/ANCHOR: If you're still feeling festive after the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, offers some ways to keep celebrating.

JEREMY: Coronation weekend has come and gone in the UK, but the Radio
Society of Great Britain believes in keeping a good moment alive. Special event callsigns are still on the air through to the end of June.
Individual radio amateurs and clubs are eligible to use the GB23C
callsign which was used first by the Cray Valley Radio Society which
activated it in Greenwich. Information on how to obtain and use the call
on the RSGB website.

Hams are also being encouraged to use one of hundreds of callsigns Ofcom
is making available to celebrate the historic fire beacon network
throughout the UK. Callsigns such as GB23BIR was activated by the Furness Amateur Radio Society and according to RSGB district representative
Martyn, M0TEB, it was quite popular as a contact.

Visit rsgb.org/coronation for other details and to find out more about
getting a Coronation QSL card or one of three RSGB Coronation awards.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

AUSTRALIAN HAMS OFFER A QSO WITH A 'VAMPIRE'

DON/ANCHOR: Ever have a QSO with a vampire? It's not so hard as you might think. Richard, VK2SKY, brings us this story about an Australian warship
that makes it possible.

RICHARD: G'day, Amateur Radio Newsline listeners, this is Richard,
VK2SKY, in Sydney, Australia, with a little vampire story for you. Yes, I know, Halloween is months away, but I think you'll like this story
anyway.

A team of amateurs, led by Colin VK2JCC, has set up shop in the radio
room aboard HMAS Vampire. "HMAS" stands for His Majesty's Australian
Ship, and the Vampire is located at the Australian National Maritime
Museum here in Sydney. The radio room is part of the museum, and thus
open for visitors to learn about the importance of radio communications,
both in wartime and in peace.

The Vampire team has been active for a few weeks now, using the callsign Victor Kilo Two Victor Mike Papa (VMP - Vampire, get it?). If you've
never worked a warship before, now is a great time to start!

So far, eight amateurs are on the roster to keep Vampire on the air,
using CW and Sideband on 20 and 40 metres, and the station is now a
permanent fixture on the ship.

But wait, there's more! Over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th June, the
Vampire will be active for 24 hours for a special event, Museum Ships on
the Air. You’ll find the station on or near 14.250 MHz. Vampire will join many other ships around the world for this fun event.

So, listen out for Victor Kilo Two Victor Mike Papa on board HMAS Vampire
in Sydney, Australia. And check out the VK2VMP page on qrz.com. Hope to
catch you on the air!

(AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, MANLY WARRINGAH RADIO SOCIETY)

**

NOMINATE OUR NEXT 'YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR'

DON/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that you still have an opportunity to nominate a promising young radio amateur - but time runs out at the end
of this month. Young hams who live in the continental United States have
an opportunity to make news of their own in the world, if they aren't
already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur Radio
Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. Think of an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or younger -- someone who has
talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio. This is your chance to help honor and acknowledge that person who will, no doubt, go
on to teach and inspire others. Find the nomination form on our website arnewsline.org under the "AWARDS" tab. Nominations close on May 31st.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the KJ3LR repeater
in Bradenton, Florida, on Fridays at 10 p.m.

**

SILENT KEY: CONTESTER, DXER, BERNHARD "BEN" BUETTNER, DL6RAI

NEIL/ANCHOR: An antenna accident has claimed the life of another ham - a well-known DXer and contester. We have those details from Jeremy Boot,
G4NJH.

JEREMY: A noted DXer, contester and CW enthusiast from Germany has become
a Silent Key. Bernhard Buettner, DL6RAI, who was known to everyone as Ben,
was killed following an accident while doing antenna work at his QTH in
Aruba. Writing about his friend's death, Martin DL5RMH, said that they
were working together to prepare to change one of the antenna masts when
the mast Ben was tending to buckled unexpectedly and Ben fell to the
ground. He could not be revived despite immediate first aid and the work
of an ambulance rescue crew.

Ben's own account of his ham radio life reflects a long and enduring love
for active radio operation around the world. He fell in love with CW as a shortwave listener in 1978 after decoding a message he copied from a local ham. He worked to gain proficiency in Morse and by March of 1980, the 16- year-old radio enthusiast passed his license test, qualifying at 12 words
per minute.

An avid traveler, he operated from at least 45 countries around the globe
and became a serious contester using CW, RTTY and the digital modes.
Between 2002 and 2005, he was the WAE DX contest manager for the DARC.
From 2007 to 2019 he was president of the prestigious Bavarian Contest
Club.

He purchased the QTH in Aruba in 2014 from another ham and was operating
from there intermittently as P4/DL6RAI or P44X. His widow, Luise, is also
an amateur, with the callsign DL2MLU.

This is Jeremy, Boot G4NJH.

NEIL/ANCHOR: Newsline takes this opportunity to remind listeners to please follow safety precautions always when doing antenna work, or any other
radio activity, that presents a potential hazard such as this.

(SOTA REFLECTOR, QRZ.COM)

**

MASSACHUSETTS HAMS STEP UP FOR 'RELAY FOR LIFE'

NEIL/ANCHOR: In one Massachusetts community, amateur radio is helping
shine a brighter spotlight on a public event for cancer-awareness. We have those details from Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

ANDY: While participants in the annual Relay for Life take thousands of
steps around a college athletics track during a two-day fundraiser for
cancer research, the Mohawk Amateur Radio Club will be taking steps too:
These Massachusetts amateurs will be on the air as the two-day event steps
off on Friday, June 9th, at 6 p.m. local time. They will be on the campus
of the Mount Wachusett Community College, reaching out globally over the airwaves to raise awareness of the lifesaving work of the American Cancer Society.

The hams will be on 20 and 40 meters during the day and will switch to 80 meters at night.

As in the past, many of those answering the call of station N1WW are
likely to have cancer survival stories of their own -- and some of the operators, such as Jack Burgoyne, W1PFZ, will be sharing theirs.

Jack, and club president Kevin Erickson, N1ERS, spoke to the Gardner News website recently about the event and the club's history of providing
support to it.

With a big turnout of spectators expected as individuals and teams in the relay make their rounds on the track, the ham club will also be raising
its own profile. Kevin said the club hopes people will take a moment to
visit the club trailer and check out the radios that are carrying that important message around the world.

This is Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, THE GARDNER NEWS)

**

QRP DAY COMES TO IARU REGION 3

NEIL/ANCHOR: The power of QRP isn't always measured in watts or even milliwatts. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, explains.

JIM M: It started as a long-ago suggestion from the New Zealand
Association of Radio Transmitters, which suggested to IARU Region 3 in
1997 that QRP operation be given its day in the sun - literally. Since
then, Region 3 societies have helped advance involvement in such QRP activities as QRP field days, QRP contests, instructions for QRP kit-
building and publication of articles about QRP operating. That's all
about to get even more intense on June 17th, which will once again be
QRP Day throughout IARU Region 3.

Writing to IARU member societies' directors and liaison officers, Yuki
JH1NBN, Region 3 secretary, encouraged promotion of QRP operation, particularly when it is highlighted on that day. He wrote in his letter
that QRP [quote] "offers advantages concerning, among others, the
reduction of QRM on the amateur bands." [endquote]

The day promises a powerful outcome.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(IARU REGION 3)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

TRY NEWSLINE'S HAIKU CHALLENGE

JIM/ANCHOR: What's almost as good as perfect propagation? How about....a
ham radio haiku! We're inviting listeners to channel their most creative selves, and share the joy of ham radio in the form of a haiku. On our
website, arnewsline.org, you will find a submission form for sending your
most poetic offering. Be sure you follow the traditional form to qualify:
The first line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables, and
the finishing third line has another five syllables.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5
syllable rule, and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize?
Fame and glory, of course -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the
Amateur Radio Newsline website. Visit our website at arnewsline.org to
see this week's winning haiku.

**

CALIFORNIA AMATEUR FACES $24,000 FINE

JIM/ANCHOR: A California amateur is facing a $24,000 fine from the FCC,
which has charged him with deliberate interference with a regularly
scheduled 80 meter net, held by the Western Amateur Radio Friendship Association. Philip J. Beaudet, N6PJB, is said to have repeatedly
interfered with the net, and failed to identify himself by his callsign.
They released a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture on May 30th, outlining the case against him. The agency said that last November and December, an agent from the San Francisco Field Office used direction
finding on 3.908 MHz, and on both occasions, was able to identify the
ham's Burney, California, home as the source of the interference cited
in repeated complaints to the agency.

The notice states that Beaudet has 30 days to respond, either with payment,
or a written statement seeking a reduction or cancellation of the proposed forfeiture.

(FCC, RADIO WORLD)

**

BELGIAN HAMS GAINING 8M BAND ACCESS

JIM/ANCHOR: Some new space on the spectrum awaits amateurs in Belgium,
and Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has that story.

JEREMY: Hams in Belgium will soon be enjoying the privileges enjoyed
by those in South Africa, Slovenia, and Ireland, by gaining access to
the 8-metre band. The UBA, the Royal Belgian Amateur Radio Union, has
proposed giving hams with a Class A operating certificate, a HAREC full licence, the ability to get on the air with as much as 5 watts ERP, and
a bandwidth limit of 3 kHz. Permission is to be granted to individuals following approval from the Belgian regulator BIPT.

The frequency range being authorised is between 40.660 and 40.690 MHz.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**

HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN HAVE ARISS QSO WITH SPACE STATION

JIM/ANCHOR: Hospitalized children outside Washington, D.C., were given
a chance to talk with an ISS astronaut recently on amateur radio.
Patrick Clark, K8TAC, tells us how things went.

PATRICK: Having fulfilled the first part of his space mission a few
days earlier - to arrive on board the ISS - astronaut John Shoffner,
KO4MJC, got under way with one of his next goals: to share the joys
and opportunities of STEM studies as an educator. On May 26th, he
shared that view from space through a QSO with youngsters at the
Children's Inn in Bethesda, Maryland. It was a telebridge contact that
made use of a ground station in Belgium with the callsign ON4ISS. The youngsters at the Children's Inn learned about life in space, and got
a closer look too, at the way amateur radio can connect people. The
Children's Inn provides a free residential environment to children and
young adults who are patients at the National Institutes of Health as a
means of reducing stress on the young patients, and furthering the
institutes' clinical research. With the help of ARISS and amateur radio,
the youngsters also got a view of the great things that can happen beyond
the bounds of planet Earth.

This is Patrick Clark, K8TAC.

(ARISS, FACEBOOK)

**

NEW SITE CONSOLIDATES HAM CLUBS' NEWS

JIM/ANCHOR: We were saddened some time ago by the passing of Richard,
G4TUT, whose Southgate Amateur Radio News website served as a reliable
global bulletin board for many, including amateur radio podcast teams.
This badly missed resource is now being revived, and provided by Cale,
K4HCK, through his new "Amateur Radio Daily" website. Once the domain
name is transferred from Southgatearc, its URL will also route you there.
This is a new resource available for hams and clubs looking to get word
out about their activities. So, if you want other hams to see what your
club is up to, visit Amateur Radio Daily at daily.hamweekly.com or simply
send the story directly to Cale via email to K4HCK (at) hamweekly (dot)
com. Cale's new website will display the submitted stories, and provide
an RSS feed to receive daily updates automatically as they arrive, and
are posted.

(CALE, K4HCK)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

TRY NEWSLINE'S HAIKU CHALLENGE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Whether you find sunspots to inspire you or whether Morse
Code lifts your spirits, you might enjoy trying your hand at a ham radio haiku! We're inviting listeners to channel their most creative selves and share the joy of ham radio in the form of a haiku. On our website, arnewsline.org, you will find a submission form for sending your most
poetic offering. Be sure you follow the traditional form to qualify: The
first line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables and the finishing third line has another five syllables. Be sure to follow that
form.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5
syllable rule and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize? Fame
and glory, of course -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the Amateur Radio Newsline website. Visit our website at arnewsline.org to see this
week's winning haiku.

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Utah Amateur
Radio Club's 2-meter repeater on Sunday nights at 9 p.m., as part of the club's weekly Information Net.

**

HAM RADIO CELEBRATES THE LEWIS & CLARK TRAIL

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you've always wanted to combine amateur radio with a journey on a trail, but you're not the outdoorsy type, here's your
chance. Patrick Clark, K8TAC, tells us how.

PATRICK: You don't need to do one single bit of hiking along the historic Lewis and Clark trail in the United States to make some interesting radio contacts there anyway. The 4900-mile trail covers the route taken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the 19th century expeditioners who traveled into the new western territory of the still-growing United
States.

To honor the explorers, ham radio clubs in 16 states along the path of
that trail are on the air, and will remain active through to the 18th of
June, using CW, SSB, FM and FT8 with the hope of helping chasers contact
a club in each of the 16 states. The special event is in its second year
and is organized by the Clark County Amateur Radio Club. Stations
contacting all of the states will receive an Expedition Partner
certificate. Stations working 1 through 15 states may request a Trail Companion certificate. Chasers need not submit logs; activating stations
are keeping track of each of the contacts.

All requests for certificates are due by the 31st of August.

For details visit the event website at lctota dot org (lctota.org)

This is Patrick Clark, K8TAC.

**

RADIO PROTECTION COMES TO IMPERILED FOREST

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In India, an important cyclone-prone forest is getting
extra protection - from radio! John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us how.

JOHN: India's Sunderbans forest region, a heavily populated area near the
Bay of Bengal, is now home to a permanent amateur radio station that can
be activated during times of disaster. India's Meteorological Department
has noted that the region, which has numerous inhabited islands and is
home to a number of endangered species, is also prone to cyclone
activity. A civil defence volunteer, Debobroto Mondal, VU3FAE, will be
the main operator at the station. He received his disaster-response
training through the Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster
Management. The station equipment was donated and installed by members of
the West Bengal Radio Club. Communication has historically been
challenging in the Sunderbans when cyclones strike, leaving many of the inhabitants cut off from communication for extended periods of time.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA, THE HINDU)

**

ORGANIZERS CHOOSE SITE IN GUJARAT FOR HAMFEST INDIA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The big national convention known as Hamfest India has
chosen its location for this year's event. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, gives us
the details.

JIM: Hamfest India, the largest gathering of amateur radio operators in
that nation, has selected Ahmedabad Science City in the state of Gujarat
for the convention, which is taking place on the 25th and 26th of
November. Organisers consider the venue to be an ideal site for Hamfest
India because the facility is rich with science-related exhibits, virtual reality activity centres, an energy park, robotics gallery and an IMAX 3D theatre. The hosting organisation is the Gujarat Institute of Amateur
Radio. Registration has already begun.

Hamfest India has taken place since 1991 and its programme of events also includes a trade show and flea market. It was held virtually in 2021 and
last year it took place in Karnataka. An estimated 600 ham radio
operators from around India are expected to attend this year.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, FACEBOOK, HAMFEST INDIA WEBSITE)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the 2-meter
repeater of the Bluegrass Amateur Radio Society in Lexington, Kentucky
every Friday at 9 p.m.

**

RADIO CONTESTER TAKES TOP FOOTBALL COACHING JOB

PAUL/ANCHOR: A prominent radio contester is taking a top spot in another competitive field - European football. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, gives us the details.

JEREMY: You may not find Serhiy Rebrov, 5B4AMM, on the field of any high- profile radiosport event this year, but the former Tottenham football
striker does have his eyes set on next year's European Championship - as
the first permanent head coach of Ukraine's team.

The active radio contester is well-known throughout Europe for his career
with West Ham, Tottenham and Dynamo Kyiv and he also coached in the Saudi Arabian, Ukrainian and Hungarian leagues.

He recently signed a three-year contract with Ukraine's team, keeping his
eye on the European Championship qualifiers against North Macedonia and
Malta.

As a licensed ham and contester, he has also been heard on the air as
UT5UDX, M0SDX, TA2ZF and UT0U.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(QRZ.COM, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

**

RSGB TO RECEIVE UK STATION USED BY KING HUSSEIN JY1

PAUL/ANCHOR: Any ham who remembers hearing - or perhaps working the
callsign JY1 - King Hussein of Jordan - will enjoy hearing this next
story. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us more.

JEREMY: The UK radio equipment once used by King Hussein of Jordan, JY1,
is being donated to the Radio Society of Great Britain by Her Majesty
Queen Noor of Jordan. King Hussein became a Silent Key in 1999 at the age
of 63. The RSGB said the collection will be on permanent display at the
RSGB's National Radio Centre to inspire others and promote friendship and understanding across cultures. They said in a statement [quote]: "His
Majesty was a great ambassador for amateur radio and, whenever his
official duties allowed him, his radio call sign JY1 could be heard on
the amateur bands. His Majesty always operated modestly, never announcing himself as King Hussein, always just 'Hussein from Jordan'". [endquote]

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

PRESENTERS NEEDED FOR GRCON23 IN ARIZONA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Organizers are looking for presenters for the next GNU Radio Conference, known as GRCon23. This is the 13th annual conference for the community, which unites users and developers in the field of software
radio. Presenters and attendees are typically members of the academic community, government, industry and of course hobbyists.

The deadline for submission of abstracts to present at the conference is
June 23rd. The conference itself will take place from September 5th
through to the 9th. It is being held at Arizona State University's Center
for Wireless Information Systems and Computational Architectures in
Tempe, Arizona.

Details can be found on the website gnuradio.org

(GNURADIO.ORG, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**

BILL CHALLENGES PRIVATE LAND RESTRICTIONS ON ANTENNAS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Lawmakers in two US states have reintroduced a bill to
protect hams from private land-use restrictions that keep them from
installing antennas at home. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, brings us up to date.

KEVIN: The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act is back for
consideration on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. The measure, first
introduced by Congressmen Bill Johnson of Ohio and Joe Courtney of
Connecticut last December, is designed to ensure that hams everywhere can
get on the air, especially in instances where there is a need for
emergency communications, such as in natural disasters.

No votes were taken when the bill was introduced toward the end of the
last session of Congress. It is being reintroduced in response to the
rapid growth of private residential areas that have these restrictions on
the use of land. The bill would amend the Communications Act of 1934 by prohibiting land-use restrictions from halting the installation and use
of amateur radio antennas.

This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(REP. BILL JOHNSON WEBSITE, GOVTRACK.US., ARRL)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the KD2SL repeater
in Syracuse, New York at 8 p.m., following the Monday Night Hobby and Information Net.

**

JAPAN'S HAM FAIR 2023 RETURNS TO TOKYO VENUE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Japan's Ham Fair, continues to be the largest Hamfest in
the world and the Japan Amateur Radio League has high hopes that at the
2023 event visitors will enjoy a new era in amateur radio this coming
August. In fact, that new era is the very theme of the two-day event -
August 20th and 21st - at Tokyo's Big Sight Convention Center.

This will be the 45th year for the league's ham fair, which was cancelled
in 2021 due to concerns about the pandemic.

Before Japan's HamFair however, the weekend of the release of this
newscast, Europe's largest Hamfest, the 46th HAM RADIO event in Friedrichshafen was getting underway in the new messe (Pron: Mess Ah)
expo centre.

(JARL, WIA)

**

FCC POLICY RESPONDS TO GROWTH IN WIDEBAND DEVICES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Washington, D.C., the FCC's policy on wideband devices
has once again responded to changes in the market. We have details from
Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

KENT: The FCC's policy concerning ultra-wideband devices appears to be broadening to allow for expanded growth in the way the technology is
used, according to a recent report.

A June 13th posting written by Venable LLC, and posted on the website JDSupra.com noted that the agency granted a waiver of Part 15 rules to
the Schlage Lock Company LLC to enable the security firm to put one of
its ultra-wideband home security locks on the market. The report said it
was the first waiver of its kind to be granted this year but the action appears to show that the FCC is continuing on a 20-year trajectory to
relax its permissions for ultra-wideband technology. Nearly 20 such
waivers have been granted over the years for this unlicensed use of low
power RF signals, generally employed for security uses, medical imaging
and even robotic lawn mowers. The Schlage company made the request on
behalf of its smart residential door locks which make use of ultra-
wideband signals in combination with Bluetooth.

The website's report notes that the Commission bases its approval of a
waiver request if it determines that licensed radio services would not
face harmful interference when such a device is in use. The Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology concluded that there was a low
likelihood of harmful interference in this case, especially with
transmissions taking place in a small space relatively close to the
ground.

The Venable article did say, however, that the FCC has not indicated it
was considering a policy change or any kind of overall update for ultra- wideband technologies.

This is Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(VENABLE, LLC)

**

JOIN NEWSLINE'S HAIKU CHALLENGE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Are you enjoying Newsline's weekly ham radio haiku? Join
our challenge! We're inviting listeners to share the joy of amateur radio
in the form of a haiku. On our website, arnewsline.org, you will find a submission form for sending your most creative offering. Be sure you
follow the traditional form to qualify: The first line is five syllables,
the second line is seven syllables and the finishing third line has
another five syllables. Be sure to match that format to qualify.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5
syllable rule and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize?
Bragging rights -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the Amateur
Radio Newsline website. Meanwhile, visit our website at arnewsline.org to
see this week's winning haiku.

**

RSGB SEEKS IDEAS FOR NATIONAL CODING WEEK

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In amateur radio, there's Code, as in Morse Code, and
then there's coding, the kind of coding some hams use in programming for
their equipment. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us how the Radio Society of
Great Britain has big plans for newcomers to coding.

JEREMY: Ham radio learning has been transformed by the BBC Micro:bit and
the Arduino and hams attracted to the kind of coding involved are rapidly gaining enthusiasm. The Radio Society of Great Britain is preparing for National Coding Week, which takes place during the third week of
September and is looking for volunteers who can help develop activities
to encourage newcomers to coding - newcomers of all ages - to explore
this new experience. The RSGB will be putting an extra emphasis on coding skills during the third week of September and hopes hams will offer some creative approaches for amateurs of all ages. If you have an idea, please contact John Hislop, G7OHO, of the Exam and Syllabus Review Group. You
can find his email in the text version of this week's Newsline script.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

[JOHN'S EMAIL: g7oho@rsgb.org.uk ]

(RSGB)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

CHINESE TEAM DEVELOPING NEW LUNAR-ORBIT SATELLITE

NEIL/ANCHOR: In China, a development team is working hard on the
next satellite destined to enter lunar orbit with an amateur radio
payload. John Williams, VK4JJW, explains the project.

JOHN: The creators of the first amateur radio satellite to operate
in lunar orbit are in the process of developing a second one with
the hope of launching it in 2024 from Wenchang, China. The
development team consists of students at the Harbin Institute of
Technology in China and ham radio operators from around the world.
Known as Lunar OSCAR II, it will have telemetry, a digipeater with
a JT4G uplink and downlink along with a digital image downlink
from an infrared camera.

The satellite will also be useful for various amateur radio orbit determination experiments and communications relay research.

Harbin Institute students built the first ham radio satellite to
operate in lunar orbit in May of 2018. The tiny satellite had a
big following among hams around the world who used it to download
images of the Earth and the moon.

This is John Williams, VK4JJW.

(AMSAT NEWS)

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the N8NC repeater of the North Coast Amateur Radio Club in
Brunswick, Ohio, on Sundays at 8 p.m. during the weekly
information net.

**

FOLLOW THE RULES FOR NEWSLINE'S HAIKU CHALLENGE

NEIL/ANCHOR: We hope our listeners have been enjoying the Amateur
Radio Newsline haiku challenge. We certainly have! In the spirit
of fun and perhaps a little bit of literary adventure, we've been
inviting listeners to channel their most creative selves and share
the joy of ham radio in the form of a haiku. On our website,
arnewsline.org, you will find a submission form for sending your
most poetic offering. To qualify, you need to follow traditional
haiku form: The first line is five syllables, the second line is
seven syllables and the finishing third line has another five
syllables. We cannot accept any other formats.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5
syllable rule and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize?
For now, bragging rights -- and a featured spot for your haiku on
the Amateur Radio Newsline website. We may have a surprise for you
at the end of the year, however. So visit our website at
arnewsline.org and take a look at this week's winning ham radio haiku.

**

US NAVY TO UPGRADE HF RADAR SYSTEM

NEIL/ANCHOR: The US government's long-range surveillance system,
which operates on the HF bands, is in line for a major upgrade.
Andy Morrison, K9AWM, tells us to get ready.

ANDY: The United States Navy knows what almost every amateur radio
operator knows too: that sometimes the software that enhances your transmissions on HF needs a major upgrade. In this case it's a
$87.5-million upgrade for the Navy and the work will be done on a
long-range surveillance system by Raytheon Technologies Corp. The
system is known as ROTHR, which is short for Relocatable Over-
the-Horizon Radar, and it detects and tracks surface ships and
aircraft by using long-range radar in the HF part of the spectrum.

The four-year contract will provide software enhancements,
maintenance, installation, removal, integration and testing, among
other things, and will be conducted mainly in Chesapeake,
Virginia, and Marlboro, Massachusetts.

Unlike hams, the Navy puts the ROTHR systems on the air for an
important enforcement mission: the systems have been used to track drug-smuggling and are, in fact, considered the government's
primary form of surveillance in the war on drugs.

This is Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

(MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS, ZACKS INVESTMENT RESEARCH)

**

40 YEARS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AMATEUR RADIO

NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the National Institute of Amateur
Radio, which marked its 40th anniversary with a big celebration in
its Hyderabad (hydra-bod) headquarters. The NIAR is a non-
governmental organisation that holds training sessions and
workshops and advocates for India's radio amateurs. Founded on
June 21st, 1983, it is also home to an active club station VU2NRO,
which participates in contests and special events. The NIAR plays
a big role in helping individuals and learning institutions in
forming their own ham radio clubs throughout India. All the best
from us at Newsline for the next 40 years - and beyond.

(NIAR)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the IRLP Western Reflector Channel 9258 on Mondays at 7 p.m.

**

PROGRAM ROLLOUT FOR SCOUT CAMPS ON THE AIR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A sweeping new program is in the works to encourage hams everywhere to make contacts with young hams involved in Scouting. Think
of it as a push for hams to do a bit of scouting for Scouts.

It's called Scout Camps on the Air and it started as the dream of Matt
KR8E. He saw it as a way for the ham population to have QSOs with Scout stations - stations based on camps that are owned or leased by the
Scouting organization or those not at any camps but still known as Scout Stations on the Air.

Though the program is still a work in progress, the committee has added
three active scouts who are deeply involved in amateur radio, hoping to
add to the momentum. The committee has been asking Scout councils to
provide input. Organizers are meanwhile developing an multi-level awards program to recognize licensed hams worldwide everywhere who have
successful radio contacts with the Scouts.

You can follow the progress of Scout Camps on the Air, or get involved,
by following the program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. See the text version of this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org for the Twitter
and Instagram handles of Scout Camps on the Air.

[DO NOT READ: Twitter handle is @SCOTA_k2bsa

Instagram handle is scota_k2bsa ]

(SCOUT CAMPS ON THE AIR)

**

WEST BENGAL HAMS ASSIST IN MISSING MOTHER'S RETURN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateur radio operators in India have once again used
their extensive network of contacts to bring about a family reunion.
Graham Kemp, VK4BB, gives us their story.

GRAHAM: A mother in India who went missing at a fair 17 years ago while
her three children were on an amusement ride is heading back home to
Bihar thanks to local radio amateurs. Following the separation, the
children had come to believe their mother had long since died. Their
fears were proven wrong, however, after police enforcing the recent
COVID-19 lockdown saw her wandering the streets outside her home village, unable to speak. They took her for hospital evaluation. From there she
was transferred to the Missionaries of Charity Home where she remained
until the home asked the West Bengal Radio Club for assistance. Ambarish
Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, the club's secretary, told the website etvbharat.com
(E TEE VEE BARRAT DOT COM) that the radio club sent pictures to amateur
radio operators they know throughout India. A reply ultimately came from
the woman's daughter in Bihar, though the hams there. The daughter told
the West Bengal hams she had been seeking her mother for years and that
she was feared dead. At the time the family's story appeared in the local media, a reunion was being planned.

This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(ETVBHARAT.COM)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for Rag, LB3RE, operating on 40-6 metres
as DU1/LB3RE from Luzon Island, IOTA number OC-042, until the 18th of
July. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Be listening for a six-member team of activators using the callsign RI1OR
(R Eye One Oh R) from Bolshoy Solovetsky Island, IOTA number EU-066, from
the 25th to the 29th of July. They will operate CW, SSB and digital modes
on 160-10 metres. Send QSLs via RZ3EC.

Chasers of World Wide Flora & Fauna activations may want to listen for
Bruno, F4JIK. He is touring Finland in his camper van and is on the air
as OH/F4JIK/p until the 13th of July. Listen for him on SSB on 40, 20
and 15 metres from several Finnish Flora & Fauna locations.

Listen for Ben, PE5B, who will be active as PJ7/PE5B from Sint Maarten,
IOTA number NA-105, from the 7th to the 14th of July. He will be
operating SSB and RTTY while doing training and demonstrations of ham
radio and HF EmComm to local groups. QSL via LoTW.

(DX WORLD.NET, 425 DX BULLETIN)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

RADIO CAMP NEAR PRAGUE WELCOMES THE VERY YOUNG

PAUL/ANCHOR: In the Czech Republic, some of the youngest of the young
are getting a chance to be involved in an amateur radio camp later this
year. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us that report.

JEREMY: The campers may be as young as 10 and no older than 15 but they
will benefit from a lifetime of radio experience from those who guide
them in learning radio operating skills and getting on the air. This is
the KOTA Subregional Camp at Castle Trhanov, outside Prague and it will
take place from the 15th to the 17th of September. KOTA stands for "Kids
on the Air" and the goal is to serve this very young age group as part
of a pilot project.

The weekend is being organised by the Czech Radio Club with assistance
from the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group. The future of such a
programme is on the agenda for discussion at the IARU Region 1 General Conference taking place in November in Serbia.

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(YOTA, IARU REGION1, WIA)

**

O CANADA! TIME FOR YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP

PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, camp is getting under way in Canada for
youngsters who are from North, Central and South America. They have a
full agenda, as we hear from Patrick Clark, K8TAC.

PATRICK: Young amateurs in the Americas are getting ready for an out-of- this-world experience at the Youth on the Air camp in Ontario, Canada
between July 16th and the 21st: The campers have a scheduled contact
with the International Space Station on Tuesday, July 18. Meanwhile,
they'll also get to experience the thrill of being chased by callsign
hunters by activating VE3YOTA. They go on the air starting Sunday July
16th and don't go QRT until Friday July 21st. There's also a satellite
station for them to operate and they'll be on the air to experience
contact with the birds on Wednesday July 19th.

Parks on the Air activity is expected to play a big role for the kids
too: Fifteen QRP stations will be on the air on Tuesday, July 18th from
1900 UTC to 2100 UTC and Thursday July 20th from 1300 UTC to 1600 UTC.
They will activate a two-for-one POTA location, the Central Experimental
Farm National Historic Site, VE-5095, and the Rideau Canal National
Historic Site, VE-4882.

Don't forget to catch the opening day ceremonies via their webstream on
Sunday July 16th at 2100 UTC, featuring keynote speaker Phil McBride,
VA3QR, president of the Radio Amateurs of Canada.

Further details about these activities can be found at Youthontheair dot
org. That's Youthontheair - one word - dot org.

This is Patrick Clark, K8TAC.

(YOUTH ON THE AIR)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Mauro, IW2KVT, operating holiday style as IH9/IW2KVT from Pantelleria Island, IOTA number AF-018, until the 14th
of July. He is using SSB on the HF bands and 6 metres.

A team of hams will be operating as IP1X from Gallinara Island, IOTA
number EU-083, on the 29th and 30th of July. Listen for them using CW
and SSB on 80-10 metres. They will also participate in the IOTA Contest.
See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Special event station CR6J is on the air from the 17th to the 23rd of
July for the 41st International Motorcycle Rally in Faro, Portugal.
Listen on 80-6 metres for operators using CW, SSB and digital modes. QSL
via CT1EHX.

Listen for Dirk, DL1KVN, operating holiday style as F/DL1KVN/p from Noirmoutier Island, IOTA number EU-064, from the 15th to the 28th of
July. Dirk will be using CW and SSB on 40-10 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K4EX repeater in Dade City, Florida, on Tuesdays after the 7 p.m. net.

**

OFCOM SEEKS COMMENT ON 'HYBRID SHARING' FOR UPPER 6 GHZ BAND

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you have a UK amateur license, you may want to weigh in on this issue affecting the 6 GHz band. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains the
proposed changes.

JEREMY: Ofcom is exploring a system of what it calls "hybrid sharing" of
the upper portion of the 6 GHz band to accommodate both licenced mobile use and low-power licence-exempt Wi-Fi in the UK. The regulator wants to find
an appropriate system that would increase capacity successfully because of industry interest in supporting an ongoing growth in traffic.

Ofcom believes that because Wi-Fi routers are based indoors and mobile transmitters are mostly outdoors, hybrid-sharing mechanisms can and should
be developed that allow the users to coexist. The regulator also believes there is also potential for what it calls international harmonisation of hybrid sharing on the band.

Industry members or others with a stake in the use of this band can submit comments to Ofcom no later than the 15th of September.

See a link to the full article in the text version of this week's newscast
at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2023/sharing-6-ghz-spectrum-for-wi-fi- and-mobile ]

(above URL all on one line)

This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(OFCOM)

**

FCC TO VOTE ON POWER INCREASE FOR DIGITAL FM

JIM/ANCHOR: In the US, the Federal Communications Commission is getting
ready to consider a request from broadcasters to permit the highest
allowable power for digital FM stations. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, has that story.

KENT: The FCC is preparing to vote early next month on permitting some
digital FM stations to broadcast using the highest allowable power levels
by adopting a change in the way such levels are determined on the upper and lower digital sidebands.

The request for change is being made by the National Association of Broadcasters, a trade group representing radio and TV entities and Xperi,
the company that developed and licenses HD Radio technology. Xperi
estimates that there are 2,600 stations in the US that use HD Radio technology.

Both the NAB and Xperi say their goal is to improve the digital signals' quality and coverage. They are petitioning for the acceptance of a new
formula that would permit an increase over the present level, currently authorized at a digital ERP of -14 dBc, or decibels relative to carrier.
The approved increase would not require prior FCC authorization.

Although a number of major media groups support the petition, saying it is good for businesses as well as listeners, Press Communications LLC in New Jersey has told the FCC that a power increase could pose difficulties for smaller FM stations and LPFM, low-power FM service.

The vote is expected to take place on August 3rd.

This is Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(RADIOWORLD)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, Giuseppe, IK5WWA, is on the air as IM0C [pronounce: EYE EMM ZERO SEA] from San Pietro Island, IOTA number EU-165, until the 30th of July. Listen for him on 40-2 metres and perhaps on 80m. QSL via his home
call.

Jarno, OH6NJ, will be active as OH6NJ/8 from Hailuoto Island, IOTA number EU-184 between the 24th and 31st of July. He will be using CW, SSB and FT8 mainly on the higher bands. QSL via his home call.

In Guatemala, Dennis, KT8X, will be active holiday style as TG4/KT8X from
the 23rd of July to the 4th of August. He will be using CW, FT8 and
possibly some SSB on 40-6 metres. QSL via LoTW only.

Listen for Ron, DL1RNW, operating as OZ/DL1RNW from Sandkas, Maidenhead
Square JO75jg on Bornholm Island, IOTA number EU-030. He will be on the air from the 23rd of July to the 5th of August on 6 metres and the HF bands.
QSL via eQSL.

(425 DX BULLETIN)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K9DEW repeater
in Warsaw, Indiana, on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

**

DO YOU HAIKU? ROGER ROGER!

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: What's the one ham radio competition you can enter without turning your rig on? The Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. We've been inviting listeners to channel their most creative selves and share the joy
of ham radio in the form of a haiku. On our website, arnewsline.org, you
will find a submission form. Follow traditional haiku form and send in your entry: The first line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables and the finishing third line has another five syllables. We cannot accept
any other formats.

We will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5 syllable rule
and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize? For now, bragging
rights -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the Amateur Radio Newsline website. We may have a surprise for you at the end of the year, however. So visit our website at arnewsline.org and take a look at this week's winning
ham radio haiku.

**

'MOON DAY' PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HAM RADIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Although the event at the Frontiers of Flight Museum was called "Moon Day," amateur radio shared the spotlight with the help of
AMSAT and two area ham clubs. Moon Day was held at the Dallas, Texas museum
at Love Field on July 22nd - the anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission in
1969. The educational event celebrated ham radio communications through satellites while acknowledging the great strides that have been made since that historic lunar landing. AMSAT ambassador Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, told Newsline in an email that AMSAT's presentations focused on amateur radio in space and with the help of AMSAT's Virginia Smith, NV5F, Calvin Gluck,
W7KYG and Tony Medina, NT5TM, guests learned about the technology behind
these communications. The keynote speaker was retired NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD.

Working alongside AMSAT, the Dallas Amateur Radio Club, W5FC, demonstrated
the use of repeaters, Morse Code and the HF bands. A number of young Scouts were able to work toward their radio and exploration merit badges. This was the 15th annual Moon Day held at the museum, and Tom told Newsline it will
be back again next year.

(TOM SCHUESSLER, N5HYP)

**

RADIO 'BUMBLEBEES' TAKE FLIGHT USING CW

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Sunday, July 30th, has been set aside for bumblebees. Those the the radio operators who'll be operating QRP as they call CQ. Randy Sly, W4XJ, tells us how to "BEE" ready for them.

RANDY: The Adventure Radio Society is hoping for a swarm of bumblebees on Sunday, July 30th -- or at least, that's the buzz. For the four-hour period between 1700 and 2100 UTC, the organizers of a casual CW contest called The Flight of the Bumblebees are encouraging portable operators to walk,
bicycle, row - using any means of engine-free travel - and set up at a
field site. There, they will call CQ with their callsign and a unique identifying Bumblebee Number assigned to them. For bumblebees, being in the field is important. The society, which was created in 1996, tries to foster the practice of radio operations in an ecologically responsible manner.

Now remember: bumblebees are small, so this is going to be a QRP event and
no one will be transmitting more than 5 watts. Typically, these radio bumblebees can be found on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters, around standard QRP frequencies. Who'll be looking for them? Other bumblebees, of course, but home-based stations who are also operating QRP can chase the bees or one another.

For details, rules and other information, visit arsqrp dot blogspot dot com (arsqrp.blogspot.com). Bumblebees and home-based stations will be eligible
for commendations based on points, but additional recognition will be given
to those busy bees who operate from attractive sites, have an unusual adventure, or perhaps operate with some notable equipment.

As with previous such contests, this one is sure to create a hive of
activity.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.

(ADVENTURE RADIO SOCIETY, MONITORING TIMES 1999)
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)