TWIAR News Feed

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ARRL Entry Level License Survey

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 06:01 PM PST
http://bit.ly/ARRLentrysurvey

This request comes from the Entry Level License Committee established by
the ARRL Board of Directors and appointed in September 2016. We were tasked
with evaluating the current entry level license (Technician) and making any
recommendations to the Board for possible rules changes to recommend to the
FCC.

The result could mean changes to the Technician license, but could also be
an additional, but simpler, license with privileges that would give a
newcomer experience with most facets of ham radio from HF to VHF and UHF,
using all modes.

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ARRL Seeks Opinions Concerning Possible New Entry Level License

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:52 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2k3dFJo

An Entry Level License Committee was established by the ARRL Board of
Directors and appointed in September 2016. As part of its ongoing work, the
committee is gathering member input and will make recommendations to the
Board for possible rules changes to submit to the FCC.

The result could mean changes to the Technician license, but it could also
be an additional, but simpler, license with privileges that would give a
newcomer a taste of most facets of ham radio from HF to VHF and UHF.

The committee has created an online member survey. Please complete and
submit the survey no later than April 7, 2017. Survey results will be
published.

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QCWA Invites ARRL Members, Family, and Friends to 70th Anniversary Charity
Cruise

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2jYV7oT

The Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) Board of Directors has
announced a 70th anniversary charity cruise this fall. The 11-day cruise,
aboard the MS Koningsdam, will set sail on October 18 from Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, with ports of call in Sint Maarten, Guadeloupe, Barbados,
Martinique, St. Kitts and Nevis, the US Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas.

White Travel is handling reservations. Contact by e-mail, phone (800)
547-4790, or fax (860) 236-6177. Holland America Line has given QCWA
permission to use Amateur Radio on the ship; the QCWA call sign W2MM will
be active. — Thanks to QCWA President Ken Oelke, VE6AFO

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Radio Australia Shortwave Station VL8A Signs Off in CW

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2lnwfsH

In an apparent nod to radio amateurs who may have tuned in, Radio
Australia’s VL8A transmitter in Alice Springs signed off on January 31 in
CW. The station sent “73 de VL8A QRT,� before pulling the big switch. Radio
Australia announced last fall that it planned to cease its shortwave
transmissions this year. The broadcaster shut down its Katherine, Tennant
Creek and Roe Creek (Alice Springs) transmitters at the end of January, but
it said it would continue to broadcast on FM and AM bands, via satellite,
and online streaming and mobile applications.

The move has not been popular with those who live and work in the vast area
the shortwave broadcasts reached, with some saying it was the only reliable
broadcast outlet, and that its demise could deprive Northern Australian
listeners of emergency and critical weather information. Northern Territory
Cattlemen’s Association President Tom Stockwell, who lives on Sunday Creek
Station with no access to AM or FM radio or mobile phone service, isn’t
buying the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s explanation. He said the
decision to focus on digital transmission ignored people in the bush. “It
affects a big area of Australia, and it affects those people that are
remote from other forms of communication that rely on radio network,� he
said.

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UAE nanosatellite to launch this month

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2kUrQAf

The Nayif-1 nanosatellite will be launched between February 14-25 if all
goes well logistically, according to officials at the Mohammed bin Rashid
Space Centre and the American University of Sharjah.

Teams from both institutions are currently working on preparing the ground
station, located at AUS, which will operate the satellite after it launches
on a PSLV-C37 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.


Once in space, Nayif-1 will send and receive messages on amateur radio
frequencies.

The space project "provides extensive knowledge to researchers, as well as
the basics of satellite manufacturing and space system testing," said
Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of MBRSC.

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Freeport's 'Mr. Friday Night' keeps ham radio operators coming back
(Illinois)

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2lwSMU5

If you were to walk into Jim Dorsey's one-bedroom apartment, you might not
expect to see 30 to 50 people gather there each Friday night.

Dorsey, 69, runs Friday Night Fun Net, a weekly gathering of ham radio
operators. Dorsey's net draws people from Freeport to Michigan to his
living room via radio waves. As many as 120 people in a single night have
tuned in to Dorsey's frequency to swap stories.

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First nanosatellite ready for launch (Bangladesh)

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2k96NKw

BRAC University yesterday became the first Bangladeshi educational
institution to get its very own nanosatellite, developed and assembled by
three of its students using technology and facilities of a Japanese
university.

"BRAC ONNESHA", a cube measuring 10cm along its edge and weighing around
one kilogramme, will be launched into low Earth orbit, at an altitude of
around 410 kilometres, sometime next month through Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency.

Taking 90 minutes to complete one revolution and passing over Bangladesh
four to six times every day, it will be able to take high quality
photographs of Bangladesh, from which topographical data can be gathered,
say the BRAC University authorities.

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Russias Oldest Radio Amateur Oleg S. Klyucharev, U1AU, SK

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2lhx8q4

Russia’s oldest Amateur Radio operator, Oleg S. Klyucharev, U1AU, of St.
Petersburg, died on January 31. He was 102. His death comes just days after
the death of the oldest US radio amateur, Charlie Hellman, W2RP.

Klyucharev was licensed as EU3GM in 1933, and as U1AU the following year.
Born in Strelna in 1915 in czarist Russia. He graduated in 1937 from the
Maritime College and spent some time in the Arctic and on Antarctica.

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Slow-Scan TV Transmissions from International Space Station Planned

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2kIGiJf

Slow-scan television (SSTV) transmissions are planned from the
International Space Station (ISS) on February 13-14.

The SSTV images will be transmitted on 145.800 MHz FM as part of the MAI-75
Experiment, using the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver located in the ISS
Russian Service Module. It’s anticipated the transmissions will be in
PD-180 SSTV format.

The MAI-75 activities have been scheduled for the Russian crew on February
13 from 0925 until 1800 UTC and on February 14 from 1125 until 1630 UTC.
Transmissions on 145.800 MHz FM use 5-kHz deviation. The ISS Fan Club
website will show when the space station is in range.