eHam.net News

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Exhibit at Palmer Museum is Rare, Global:

Posted: 26 May 2016 05:02 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36851


YORK -- Sixty years of amateur radio enthusiasm is well and fully
documented in a new exhibit at the Anna Bemis Palmer Museum in downtown
York. This year local resident Bob Weiler donated the collection of his
father's six decades as a ham radio operator. Leo S. Weiler (1904-1982)
accumulated QSL cards from 96 countries, each one sent back to confirm
successful radio communications from the Hastings native. Museum curator
Kent Bedient and his staff put together a towering exhibit of Leo Weiler's
cards, photos and awards for display behind interior windows where they
will remain until mid-June. Bedient said Weiler got the ham radio bug as a
17-year-old and had it "until he died." He explained that QSL cards (the
letters, apparently, do not represent any particular words) were used by
ham radio operators to confirm receipt of Weiler's communications.


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Framingham Radio Club Losing Home:

Posted: 26 May 2016 05:01 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36850


Today's article "Museum must vacate home," (May 24) relating to the
Danforth Museum "scrambling to find space," could describe us as well. We
are the Framingham Amateur Radio Association (FARA), and we have been in
the Danforth Building for a long time. Like the museum, we have been told
that we must vacate by September due to the unaffordable cost of repairs to
the building's heating system. We are an active club of amateur (or "ham")
radio operators. Each member has a license issued by the Federal
Communications Commission, which permits us to use various radio
frequencies. At the Danforth, we have a complete radio station which allows
world-wide communications. FARA has provided many important local services
over the years. For example, we maintain emergency communications
capability in case of disasters such as floods, tornados, or terrorism.
During the Boston Marathon bombing, we provided emergency radio assistance
to authorities. We have taught years of radio classes and regularly give
FCC license tests.


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Fitting In at Hamvention:

Posted: 26 May 2016 05:01 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36849


For example, someone walking around a cattle ranch in Birkenstocks and
shorts might seem incredibly out of place. Is it weird to be wearing this
kind of apparel or just so because of the location? It really depends on
the observer. Case in point. This past weekend I attended my very
first "Hamvention;" the massive amateur radio convention held in Dayton,
Ohio each spring. Hamvention, which is a registered trademark by the way,
has for many years been the world's largest amateur radio event dating back
to 1952. It's organized and sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio
Association (DARA) and draws thousands each year to attend workshops, learn
about new technologies and shop the hundreds of vendors selling everything
from antennas to software. I was raised around the CB radio, but never
really exposed to the culture surrounding "ham" users. Incidentally, the
term "ham" is a derivative of the colloquial name for an amateur radio
operator. Unlike citizen band (CB) radio, amateur radio requires an FCC
license and operates on a different set of frequencies and power
guidelines. Each operator is assigned an alphanumeric call sign that become
a kind of personal nickname in the ham circle. I admit some trepidation
about attending, even though the adventure was my idea. My hesitation was
mostly due to the shadowy reputation ham operators have for being made up
mostly of the off-your-rocker survivalist, who walks around with a bag full
of canned beans, a shotgun, and a ham radio and 15 foot antenna sticking
out of his backpack. With no first-hand experience, it all seemed a bit
bizarre.


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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2013, May 27, 2016:

Posted: 26 May 2016 05:02 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36848


The following is a QST. Dayton 2016 is done - and we share some moments in
a special report. Girl Scouts join the pack - the Amateur Radio Patch pack,
that is. In England, a World War II wireless station gets official
protection. And we hear from our 1998 Young Ham of the Year Award winner.
All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2013 coming your way
right now.


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DX News -- ARRL DX Bulletin #22:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:33 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36846


This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
CO3JK, G3VOF, K1ZZ, QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The
Daily DX, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest
Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.


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This Week In Radiosport:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:32 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36845


This Week In Radiosport:


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Hamvention 2016 Youth Activities a Hit -- and HF Too!

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:32 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36844


Hamvention 2016 had a lot to offer the
next generation of radio amateurs. ARRL's first Youth Rally on
Saturday, May 21, attracted a full house of attendees, and some
Hamvention visitors observed that younger radio amateurs and potential
licensees seemed in greater profusion this year than in the past.
Guiding the day-long Youth Rally activities were ARRL volunteer
educator Tommy Gober, N5DUX, and his wife Jennifer, KE5LNK. Tommy Gober
said the Youth Rally fed off energy generated during the earlier
Hamvention Youth Forum, led for the 29th year by Carole Perry, WB2MGP,
and featuring such young speakers as 17-year-olds Maria Lysandrou,
KD9BUS, and Kelsey Seymour, K3LSY, speaking on a range of topics.


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ARRL 'Strongly Supports' Petition to Drop 15 dB Restriction for Amplifiers:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:31 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36843


In comments filed on May 26, the ARRL said it "strongly supports" a
petition to the FCC seeking to eliminate an Amateur Service rule,
spelled out in 97.317(a)(2), that amateur amplifiers not be able to
boost the RF input signal by more than 15 dB. The Petition for Rule
Making (RM-11767), was submitted
in April on behalf of an amateur amplifier distributor, Expert Linears
America LLC of Magnolia, Texas.


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The Doctor Will See You Now!

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:32 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36842


"Hunting Down Interference" is the topic of the current (May 19)
episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In" podcast. Listen...and learn!


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National Parks On the Air Update:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:30 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36841


We had non-stop traffic at the National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) booth at
Dayton Hamvention. The operation
at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park was a big hit
as well. Many hams made their first activations, and some NPOTA
veterans had fun, too. The NPOTA Forum was packed.


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Ham Radio to Play Major Role In June Pacific Northwest Earthquake Exercise:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:30 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36840


"Cascadia Rising," the
largest FEMA exercise of 2016, will get under way
on June 7, and Oregon and Washington ARES/RACES organizations both will
be heavily involved, with a significant investment in HF activity
planned. The scenario will be an earthquake and tsunami disaster
involving the entire Pacific Northwest, and the exercise will start
with a blackout of all normal, regular communication systems.


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Annual Pre-Hurricane Season WX4NHC Station Test Set for Saturday, May 28:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:29 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36839


Now in its 36th year, WX4NHC at the National
Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, will conduct
its annual Station Test on Saturday, May 28. The event, which gets
under way at 1300 UTC and wraps up at 2100 UTC, is conducted each year in
advance of hurricane season.


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Search Continues for STMSat-1 Radio Signal:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:28 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36838


Youngsters at St Thomas More Cathedral School in Virginia remain
optimistic that their STMSat-1 CubeSat,
deployed on May 16 from the International Space Station (ISS), will
begin transmitting a signal. Helping in the search is the Space Science
Center at Morehead State University in Kentucky, which is using its 21
meter dish to scan multiple frequencies for the spacecraft's signal.
STMSat-1 is supposed to transmit on 437.800 MHz FM and transmit
slow-scan television (SSTV) pictures back to Earth.


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Four New Section Managers to Take Office this Summer:

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:28 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36837


New Section Managers will take over this summer in four ARRL sections
-- Alabama, Indiana, Oregon, and Wisconsin. In Alabama, JVann Martin,
W4JVM, of Chelsea, received 550 votes to 211 for his opponent, Dennis
Littleton, K4DL, of West Blocton. That was the only contested race in
the spring election cycle. Ballots were counted on Tuesday, May 24, at
ARRL Headquarters. Outgoing Alabama SM David Drummond, W4MD, decided
not to run for another term after serving since January 2011.


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Educator, ARRL Field Organization Veteran, Author Pete Kemp, KZ1Z, (SK):

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:28 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36836


Past Connecticut ARRL Section Communications Manager (SCM -- now SM)
and veteran Field Organization volunteer, and author Pete Kemp, KZ1Z,
of Wesley Chapel, Florida, died on May 17. He was 67. An ARRL Life
Member, Kemp served as Connecticut SCM for 6 years in the late 1970s
and early 1980s. Over the years he also had filled several other ARRL
Field Organization posts in Connecticut and in West Central Florida,
including Assistant SM (1992 to 2004 and 2008 to 2015), Public
Information Coordinator, District Emergency Coordinator, Emergency
Coordinator, and Official Observer. For many years, he was an Assistant
Director for New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI.


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In Brief...

Posted: 26 May 2016 11:26 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36835


Hamvention 2016 Post-Show "Satisfaction Survey" Under Way: Was
Hamvention 2016 a hit? The sponsoring
Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) and the
various committees responsible for making Hamvention happen want to
know. Hamvention has posted a post-show "Satisfaction Survey" to solicit
comments and
observations from those who attended this year's big show. "Comments
and observations are important in the continual effort to make
improvements," DARA said.