eHam.net News

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Students at Buffalo's Harvey Austin School Chat with Astronaut Aboard ISS:

Posted: 02 Mar 2016 03:47 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36274


Tim Kopra took a break Tuesday from his job as an astronaut orbiting high
above Earth in the International Space Station to take a long-distance
call. It was from the students at Harvey Austin School 97 on Sycamore
Street. They had a few questions. "What are the other space agencies that
collaborate on the ISS?" one of the students asked. "Over." "We have the
Russian space agency, Japanese space agency, European space agency and the
Romanian space agency all working together with NASA on board the
International Space Station," Kopra said. "Over." "How does the ISS avoid
space debris and other natural satellites while in orbit?" asked one
boy. "Over." "That's a great question," the astronaut said. "We certainly
try to stay clear of debris. We can actually raise or lower our orbit if we
find out there is debris that may be dangerous to us - over." And so it
went, back and forth Tuesday morning, between Buffalo students and the
astronaut. Harvey Austin was one of 14 schools in the United States
selected this year to take part in a space chat sponsored by an
international consortium of space agencies and amateur radio organizations.
The program, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, encourages
students to learn more about space and its related fields - science,
technology, engineering and math.


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New VK5 Inwards QSL Bureau:

Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:43 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36271


Following the resignation of Stephan Forka VK5RZ as the VK5 QSL Inwards
Bureau, the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group (AREG) of Adelaide has
volunteered to take on the role.vStephan VK5RZ, who has stepped down for
personal reasons, has done so after doing a good job for about five years
sorting and distributing cards.vHis knowledge and the WIA aims for the
Inward QSL Bureau, have been passed on to AREG President, Mat VK5ZM, who is
leading the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group that has now adopted it as a
club project.


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'Ham'-ing It Up:

Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:43 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36270


You're talking to someone from Florida. They're laughing at a joke someone
made in Canada. Piping in is a smart-mouthed comment from someone in
California. You're sitting there, taking it all in, right here in La Porte.
It's not a telephone call, it's not Skype or Facetime. It's ham radio and
even when the power goes out, you can still pick up that hand mic and tell
your friends hundreds of miles away you're sitting in the dark. "You'll
make friendships over the radio," said Brian Salzer, an amateur radio
enthusiast when describing the passion that brought hundreds of people to
the La Porte on Saturday morning for the annual Cabin Fever Hamfest. "You
make lasting friendships." Salzer, also known an KB9HMR over the radio, is
more than just a radio enthusiast. He is the president of the La Porte
County Amateur Radio Club and the chairman behind Hamfest, which invaded
the Civic Auditorium on Saturday with vendors coming from Chicago,
Michigan, Ohio and numerous other states. "This year, this one today, has
been the biggest one in the last two or three years that we've been having
them," Salzer said, noting that not only had he sold all the original
tables, but he also added and sold more than 10 more. "We've had a really
good day. It's been one outstanding turnout." More like a swap meet and
flea market combinred for all things radio and electronic, the Cabin Fever
Hamfest offered radio enthusiasts a chance to connect face-to-face instead
of over short wave or long wave radio signals as well as upgrade and
enhance their equipment as vendors offered anything and everything
radio. "Hamfest is where everyone comes and brings all their old radio
equipment, all their new radio equipment, anything that has to do with
radios," Salzer said. An event that has been going on for years, Salzer
took over Hamfest five years ago when the Michigan City Amateur Radio Club
merged with the La Porte club and Salzer was elected president. He's been
re-elected ever since.


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Cleveland Station Manager Delivers Nostalgia and Music Through Radio Waves:

Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36269


The days of tuning in to AM/FM radio are a thing of the past for many, but
local resident Jeff McClain, who took over management of KORG-LP FM after
more than 50 years in the radio industry, is working to remedy that. Born
in Dallas in 1947, McClain's family relocated to the Cleveland in 1953. "I
was a ham radio operator as a kid," said McClain, adding that he always had
an interest in radio. He vividly remembers sitting in a barber's chair,
hearing an announcement on the local Cleveland radio station. "I heard that
announcement come on -- that they were looking for a high school kid that
wanted to learn about the radio business," said McClain. "That summer, I
went to work for the radio station." He continued on that path while in
high school and into college, but soon left college to serve in the
military. McClain enlisted into the United States Air Force in 1966. Due to
his prior experience in radio, he was able to operate the radio station for
his fellow soldiers while serving his country. "I really enjoy the fact
that people contact me," said McClain. "That tells me that people are
listening to us. I really feel like we are serving the need in this
community. Every small town in America needs a radio station for the
community." KORG-LP FM currently broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, playing music from the 1950s to the 1990s, mostly rock and roll and
country tunes. The station also provides live broadcasts of special events
and news updates.