eHam.net News

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R.I. Students Make Contact with the Space Station:

Posted: 07 May 2016 05:12 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36725


MIDDLETOWN -- As the International Space Station spun 750 miles above the
earth, two dozen Rhode Island students had a "ground control to Major Tom"
moment. Using a high-powered ham radio, they spoke to astronaut Jeff
Williams for 11 minutes, the length of an orbital pass, peppering him with
questions about his dreams, his favorite foods and zero gravity. Friday's
space chat made All Saints STEAM Academy, a Catholic school, one of only
six schools in the country to host a radio contact with the space station
so far this year. It also made Rhode Island the 49th state to converse with
the space station. All Saints is a pre-kindergarten through grade 8 school
that specializes in STEAM subjects -- science, technology, engineering, the
arts and math. At first, it didn't seem like the conversation was going to
happen. "NAISS, this is N1ASA calling for our school. Contact, over," said
Paula Perez, an eighth-grader. N1ASA is the call sign for All Saints'
amateur radio club. All the audience heard was static.


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Erlanger Ham Radio Enthusiast Wins U.S. Medal:

Posted: 07 May 2016 05:12 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36724


Dick Arnett, of Erlanger, won his division's Gold Medal April 9 at the U.S.
Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships held in Killeen, Texas.
Arnett, whose callsign is WB4SUV, earned second place in two more
competitions, and third place in a fourth. Winners of the 2016 and 2015
championships will be considered for the ARDF Team USA entry at the 18th
ARDF World Championships in Albena, Bulgaria, this September. ARDF combines
radio skills with orienteering, and some ARDF events are
called "fox-hunts." The "fox" in this case is a hidden amateur radio
transmitter, which operates only briefly every few minutes. In that time
contestants must check the direction of the signal while moving through a
designated area. With several "sightings," the ham can "zero in on"
(triangulate) the fox location and register the find. There may be one or
many foxes to find in each competition. Contestants are scored on number of
foxes found and elapsed time. Arnett competed in the men's 70+ division,
and won the 144 MHz (VHF) Classic Distance Competition, gained second place
in both the 3.5 MHz (shortwave) Classic Distance Competition and 3.5 MHz
Sprint Competition, and earned third place in the Fox-oring (low power)
Competition.


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The Age of Dots, Dashes and Messages in Wires:

Posted: 07 May 2016 05:11 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36723


Summary: Till the telegraph service came to an end in 2013, they
constituted an important mode of communication among people. Earlier this
week, Circle Service Telegraphists of 1966 gathered in the city as part of
the golden jubilee celebrations of their service. According to reports in
The Hindu in 1993, the Tamil telegraph service was launched in January.
Former employees recall that they predominantly used the telegraph sounder
before the 1960s when operators used Morse code to convey messages. I
always used to repeat the numbers in the messages to ensure that I had sent
the right message," he said. Telegraphy was once the last word in speedy
communication Telegraphy may have come to an end as a system of
communication, but it has left indelible marks on generations, and is
fondly remembered. Earlier this week, Circle Service Telegraphists of 1966
gathered in the city as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of their
service. Till the telegraph service came to an end in 2013, they
constituted an important mode of communication among people. Until the
early 2000s, the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) on Second Line Beach Road,
Parrys, was buzzing with activity with many going there to book telegrams.
The CTO functioned from a nearly 132-year-old red building, which still
stands.