eHam.net News

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Ham Radio Operators Reach Out from Souris Lighthouse:

Posted: 04 Jun 2016 05:02 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36907


Ham radio enthusiasts are inviting the public to join them at the Souris
lighthouse this weekend as they try to make contact with other amateur
radio operators from around the world. George Dewar will make a portable
antenna from 52 feet of copper wire and suspend it from a flagpole to the
top of the lighthouse. His friend "Bernie from Moncton" is also setting up
two vertical antennae. Dewar said there is a lot of "romance" connected
with lighthouses, and they are attractive to radio operators around the
world. He said he's not optimistic he'll reach Asia, but should at least
make contact with New York and the Eastern United States. Once he makes a
contact, Dewar hopes to do what he calls a spot, where participants will go
on the internet and say they made contact with a lighthouse.


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Field Day Demonstrates Ham Radio's Science, Skill, and Service:

Posted: 04 Jun 2016 05:02 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36906


NEWINGTON, Conn., June 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ Radio amateurs
throughout North America will participate in the national Amateur Radio
Field Day exercise, June 25 26, sponsored by ARRL, the national association
for Amateur Radio. Since 1933, ham radio operators have established
temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to
showcase the science and skill of Amateur Radio. This event is open to the
public. For over 100 years, Amateur Radio sometimes called ham radio has
allowed people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and
communications techniques, as well as provide a free public service to
their communities during a disaster, all without a cell phone or the
Internet. Field Day demonstrates ham radio's ability to work reliably under
any conditions from almost any location and create an independent
communications network. Over 45,000 people from thousands of locations
across North America participated in Field Day in 2015. "Throughout the
country, Amateur Radio clubs will showcase their capabilities and
technology that is available to anybody," said ARRL Spokesman Sean
Kutzko. "Field Day is Amateur Radio's open house to the nation. We invite
anybody to come see how ham radio works. The science and skill we offer can
open doors to new career paths in technology and engineering fields, and an
Amateur Radio network can function completely independent of other
networks, such as the Internet or cellphone infrastructure. That's critical
during a disaster or emergency, such as a hurricane or a 911 call center
outage.


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Radio Waves the Setting for Fight Over Free Expression (W6WBJ):

Posted: 04 Jun 2016 05:02 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36905


A Diamond Springs man is trying to fend off a $25,000 fine levied by the
Federal Communications Commission in December for allegedly "intentionally
causing interference to other amateur radio operators and transmitting
prohibited communication." Bill Crowell, a non-practicing attorney, has
been fighting the federal commission overseeing radio and television
airwaves since 2006, when it first tried to deny a renewal of his amateur
radio license. "I deny all the allegations of the FCC," said Crowell, who
operates station W6WBJ. "The FCC doesn't like what I'm saying and they want
to shut me up." The FCC isn't alone in wanting Crowell to shut up. Dozens
of other ham users say Crowell "jams" their transmissions for sport --
often filling the channel with racial, ethnic, and sexual slurs and
epithets.