eHam.net News

///////////////////////////////////////////
Open House for Amateur Radio Enthusiasts:

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:34 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37576


Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency held an open house for aspiring
ham radio operators on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Communications Center in
Wiscasset. More than two dozen people attended the event, which featured
demonstrations and discussions with experienced amateur radio enthusiasts.
Amateur radio is also known as hobby radio, or ham radio, and certain
sections of the radio bandwidth are set aside for amateur radio use. There
are rules: The radio use cannot be commercial, and radio operators have to
have a license and operate within the bandwidth assigned to them. The radio
signals emitted bounce off the ionosphere, part of the Earth's upper
atmosphere, which contains high concentrations of ions and free electrons.
This makes it an ideal place for radio signals, which are relatively large,
to bounce back to Earth. Sometimes, ham radio operators are able to
communicate with people on the other side of the Earth because of this
phenomenon. For the purposes of emergency management, however, ham radio
operators are essential, because they are able to communicate when other
types of communication fail. "If cell towers go down, and the regular phone
and internet systems don't work in an emergency, ham radio operators can
often still talk to one another," said Randy Lewis, a radio operator in
Kennebec County attached to the emergency management agency. "We have a
phrase we use ... 'When all else fails.'"


///////////////////////////////////////////
2016 DATV QSO Party:

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:33 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37575


The 2016 DATV QSO party will be on again starting at 1000 UTC on Friday
23rd September. Friday night in Melbourne will be VK only with contacts to
VK2, VK3, VK4 VK5 and VK7. VK3RTV will again be streamed in SD on U Tube
courtesy of Ralph Parkhurst, VK3LL. Ralph will advise the link before the
event. Outside the coverage of VK3RTV, this will be by far the best way to
view the activities. We will also continue to stream VK3RTV on the BATC
website which will give even more coverage.


///////////////////////////////////////////
Home Owner's Association:

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:32 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37574


Most new houses are part of homeowners associations, covenants, or have
other restrictions on the deed that dictate what color you can paint your
house, the front door, or what type of mailbox is acceptable. For amateur
radio operators, that means neighbors have the legal means to remove radio
antennas, whether they're unobtrusive 2 meter whips or gigantic moon bounce
arrays. Antennas are ugly, HOAs claim, and drive down property values.
Thousands of amateur radio operators have been silenced on the airwaves,
simply because neighbors don't like ugly antennas. Now, this is about to
change. The US House recently passed the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R.
1301) to amend the FCC's Part 97 rules of amateur stations and private
land-use restrictions.


///////////////////////////////////////////
Tuesday on Amateur Radio Roundtable:

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:36 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37569


This week on Amateur Radio Roundtable, Katie
Allen WY7YL is back and will give us a report
on the new HRO store in Portland, OR and
Marty Sullaway KC1CWF will talk about remote
operations. Also joining us this week are Jim
Wilson K5ND, and William Sterns NE4RD talking
about Jamboree on the air.


///////////////////////////////////////////
Amateur Radio Newsline Headlines for Ham Nation:

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:37 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37567


Amateur Radio Newsline Headlines for Ham Nation: