TWIAR News Feed

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Explore ham radio (South Africa)

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2mLPWx7

According to Connel Paul, a member of the club. amateur radio (ham radio)
is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and
communication together.

“People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into
space, all without the internet or cellphones,� said Paul.

“It’s fun, social, educational and can be a lifeline during times of need.�

Currently made up of 50 members, the president of the club is Willem van
der Merwe, a radio ham with many years’ experience.

According to Paul, to become a radio ham you need to pass the Radio
Amateur’s Examination.

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Hamming it up: Whether used for hobby or emergency, ham radio is a booming
form of communication (North Dakota)

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2mqFGYx

They are considered the last line of communication. When everything else
fails, they can bridge the communication gap and connect people.

Doug Nelson and Dave Miller are just two of the 750,000 registered amatuer
radio, better known as ham radio, users.

"I wanted to be available to help people," Miller said is why he got
involved in ham radio. "That was my main interest."

He is now the Douglas County emergency coordinator.

Nelson (call sign AAØAW) has a list of coordinator positions and
responsibilities after his name as well, and both Nelson and Miller are
involved in multiple groups throughout the Twin Ports area, lending their
experience to the emergency side of things.

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Whats the frequency, Shuey?

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2mHASz3

“Have you seen Shuey?� “Somebody call Shuey.� “Better check with Shuey!� An
hour in the downtown Portsmouth, Virginia, Federal Building rarely passes
without someone seeking him out. As scores of Coast Guard leaders in the
office building plan and prepare their people for missions in the
Mid-Atlantic region and beyond, the toils of Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st
Class William Shuey Jr., is like a network of welds running through their
ship, holding everything together.

“Petty Officer Shuey is an unsung hero,� said Capt. Gregory Sanial, chief
of staff, 5th Coast Guard District. “Without his positive attitude and
technical expertise, our network of phones and computers would come to a
grinding halt.�

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To license or not to license with amateur radio

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2nlFkqq

Here’s another reason why you – and your friends and family – should prep:

Everybody out there who is paying the slightest bit of attention has heard
antibiotics – one of the greatest miracles of our age – are in the process
of losing the battle against bacteriological diseases. The reasons are
many-fold and are not the topic of this week’s column, but the situation is
far more dire than most folks recognize.

We don’t often hear the words “pandemic� or “epidemic� with regards to the
United States (except when they are used for stupid things like “an
epidemic of right-wing extremists� and such), but a large part of world
history was made by critters too small to be seen with the naked eye … and
not in a good way.

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Ham radio operators gather at Expo Center (Texas)

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2mLPChT

Ham radio operators pursue their hobby for fun and to provide a service,
said Myron Mesecke, co-chairman of the Ham Expo on Saturday at the Bell
County Expo Center.

About 100 vendors brought such amateur radio equipment as radios, antennas,
wires, cables, microphones, speakers and do-it-yourself tools to the
one-day event. There was also a computer vendor, he said.

“Probably 8-10 of these are commercial vendors of new equipment,� he said.
“The other 90 percent are individuals selling their spare stuff or used
stuff.�

The Temple Amateur Radio Club has sponsored the Ham Expo every spring and
fall since about 1993, he said. It usually draws about 800 people.

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Registration Under Way for CubeSat Developers Workshop

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:03 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2lU7Nn0

Registration is under way for the 14th annual CubeSat Developers’ Workshop,
April 26-28 at a new venue — the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center in San
Luis Obispo, California. The CubeSat standard was created by Cal Poly SLO
and Stanford University’s Space Systems Development Lab in 1999 to
facilitate space-related research and experimentation for university
students. The standard now has been adopted worldwide, and many more-recent
Amateur Radio satellites have used the CubeSat form factor.

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Swedish Regulator Rejects Entry Level Amateur Radio License

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 07:47 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2mo1x2W

Sweden’s telecommunications regulator PTS in February rejected the idea of
an entry-level Amateur Radio license. According to Sweden’s International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member society SSA, the PTS “categorically
rejected� the proposal, and that SSA must now find new ways to motivate
prospective radio amateurs.

“Amateur Radio’s future in Sweden is an urgent issue that will be discussed
during the upcoming annual meeting on Faro,� SSA said. The SSA estimates
that fewer than 100 new licensees are joining the Amateur Radio ranks in
Sweden each year. The PTS took into account some comments on rules that SSA
posted last fall.

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ARISS Moves Closer to Launching New Radio System to Space Station

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 07:47 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2npXvbk

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) reports it has met
a major milestone and now is “one giant step� closer to flying its new
interoperable radio system to the International Space Station. Eventual
plans call for installing a new JVC Kenwood TM-D710GA-based radio system on
the station as part of an overall approach that will allow greater
interoperability between the Columbus module and the Russian Service Module.

Lou McFadin, W5DID, and Kerry Banke, N6IZW, travelled to NASA Johnson Space
Center (JSC) in Houston in mid-February for preliminary testing of Banke’s
“breadboard� version of the ARISS multi-voltage power supply that’s
essential to the upgrade. They worked with JSC engineers and
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Lab personnel to put the specially
built power supply through its paces, checking against US and Russian space
specifications for preliminary power quality and EMC tests.

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DXpedition to Change Call Signs Midstream

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 07:47 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2mjph8h

The DXpedition to Bangladesh (#52 on ClubLog’s DXCC Most Wanted list) that
starts this week will use different call signs during each part of its
12-day operation, according to the group’s website. S21ZED will be the call
sign for the first segment, March 14-22, with S21ZEE the call sign for the
last 5 days, March 23-27. The different call signs are to comply with
Bangladeshi regulations. The DXpedition team asks that stations not work
the second call sign on the same bands/modes, if they already have worked
the first. March 14 at 1800 UTC is the target time to be up and running.

VQ96JC is again active from Chagos Islands (#141), with ND9M at the radio
from Diego Garcia Island for a Field Day-style operation. It’s a bit
involved. He takes a boat to the island, “lugs everything to ‘Fire House
Park,’� where 120 V ac is available, sets up the radio and antennas,
operates for about 3 hours, then takes everything apart again, packs it up,
and returns to his ship, anchored offshore. His current license is good
until July. There used to be a club station on the island, but it’s no
longer active.

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ARRL Weighs In on New California Driving While Wireless Statute

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 07:47 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2mKY4hl

ARRL is recommending that Amateur Radio be specifically excluded from a
California statute prohibiting the use of “wireless communication devices�
while driving. ARRL Southwestern Division Vice Director Marty Woll, N6VI,
is taking point on the effort to revise the statute, known by its
legislative bill number AB 1785. It was signed into law last September, and
it took effect on January 1, amending §23123.5 of the state’s Vehicle Code.

“ARRL has received a huge volume of inquiries and complaints about this
statute in particular, since its enactment,� ARRL General Counsel Chris
Imlay, W3KD, wrote in a letter to Woll to provide guidance in amending the
California statute. “I would urge that you present this letter at any
meetings you have with California State legislators on this topic, thus to
bring the issues contained herein to their attention.�