Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2227 for Friday July 3 2020

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2227 with a release date of Friday
July 3 2020 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A former Newsline anchor becomes a Silent Key.
A petition in India focuses on amateur satellites -- and a VERY special
event station celebrates an equally special wedding. All this and more
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2227 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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NO 'NIGHT OF NIGHTS' EVENT AT HISTORIC MORSE STATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A cherished tribute to radio history has been called
off just before it was scheduled to happen. The annual Night of Nights
event, held annually on July 12th at a historic maritime commercial
telegraphy station, will not be taking place at radio station KPH this
year. The building is one of several shuttered inside the Point Reyes
(RAZE) National Seashore by the COVID-19 pandemic. KPH was originally
silenced on July 12, 1999 but was soon restored by the Maritime Radio
Historical Society which put it back on the air with the station's
vintage equipment and the amateur callsign K6KPH.

Idled once by history, it is silenced this time by a pandemic. Richard
Dillman W6AWO, the society's founding member, said however that hams
may opt to activate on July 12th from their homes instead using their
personal calls followed by slash MRHS. Watch for updates on the
society's website radiomarine.org

Meanwhile, the New England Historical Radio Society, licensed operator
of commercial ship-to-shore station WNE, hopes to uphold the spirit of
the evening. The station is expected to be on the air that same night
at 8 p.m. local time, transmitting high seas weather for the North
Atlantic, according to the group's president Stephen Russell WA1HUD. Be
listening on 472 kHz.

(TECHCRUNCH.COM. RADIOMARINE.ORG)

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SOTA ENTHUSIASM REACHES NEW HEIGHTS IN EUROPE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: What happens when a good idea for an activation just
keeps growing and growing? Undeterred by COVID-19, that's what is
happening in Europe among SOTA enthusiasts. Ed Durrant DD5LP explains.

ED: This year's Austrian SOTA Activities Day is planned for September
19th. It's normally a radio event combined with a social event
afterward but with the COVID-19 safeguards in place, organisers are
looking for a new way to gather safely in the bier garden outside the
"Gasthaus." Meanwhile, SOTA operators in Switzerland have become
inspired by the SOTA day announcement by Martin OE5REO. The Swiss
association manager J�rg HB9BIN has suggested that operators there
could hold a second activity day coinciding with the one in Austria.
Now SOTA organisations in other German-speaking countries are hoping to
expand this yet further, garnering interest from Alpen countries such
as France and Italy. Could this become the first Europe-wide event of
its kind?

One thing is for sure, on September 19th. the Alpen hills will be alive
with RF-music!

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.

(MARTIN OE5REO)

**
HAMS IN INDIA KEEP WATCH DURING QUARANTINE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in India who put public service first are taking
on new responsibilities in the age of quarantine. John Williams VK4JJW
explains.

JOHN: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ham radio operators'
roles have been evolving in India. Hams have helped distribute food
where it was needed and have helped direct airport and rail travelers
who have required quarantine. Now hams are being dispatched to monitor
individuals who must comply with home quarantine. According to a recent
article in The Hindu newspaper, amateur radio operators throughout
Bengaluru have joined a volunteer task force to ensure that the proper
protocol is followed for persons who are mandated to stay home.

The director of the Indian Institute of Hams, Shankar Sathyapal VU2FI
told the newspaper that HF and VHF radio operators have been on the
air, working in shifts, assisting with neighborhood watch but said that
the hams are limiting their mobility in the communities to minimize
risk. He said that the risks of dealing with quarantine violators are
also being mitigated. He said that the hams are not trained to
intervene but will instead transmit messages to senior officials who
are better-equipped to handle the situation.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW.

(THE HINDU)


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SILENT KEY: FORMER NEWSLINE ANCHOR DON CARLSON KQ6FM

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We here at Newsline were saddened to learn of the
passing of one of our former anchors and correspondents. We have more
about this Silent Key from Don Wilbanks AE5DW.

DON: Don Carlson KQ6FM became a Silent Key on Friday June 21st from
complications to pancreatic cancer. In addition to his work as a
familiar voice in the earlier years of Amateur Radio Newsline, Don had
a long professional career as a voice talent and radio broadcaster. As
the owner of his own company The Voice Shop, he produced a variety of
commercial spots as well as those for the ARRL on amateur radio. He was
active in the ARRL, serving on its National Public Relations Committee
where he helped with the creation of the public information officers'
Swiss Army Knife Guide and its training program. He was also devoted to
ARES and Emergency Service and had served on the board of directors for
the annual convention as well as convention emcee. He held a variety of
posts with the ARRL, including Public Information Coordinator. In 2010
he was named Ham of the Year in ARRL's Pacific Division.

Newsline is proud to have had him on our team.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Don Wilbanks AE5DW.

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MOVING DAY FOR HAM EXHIBIT AT NASA FACILITY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A ham station that doubled as an educational exhibit at
a NASA facility is looking for a new home. Kevin Trotman N5PRE tells
usmore.

KEVIN: Amateur Radio Station KE4ZXW is leaving its longtime home at the
Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton Virginia. Operated by the VASC
Amateur Radio Group with the support of other area amateur radio clubs,
the station served as a real-life educational exhibit, giving school
groups and other visitors demonstrations of VHF, UHF, HF, VHF and
satellite communications using CW, Voice, and Digital modes. The
station was also capable of communications with the International Space
Station.

That ended on June 30th, the station's last day at the center, which is
the official visitor center for the Langley, Virginia facility of NASA.

The center's executive director and CEO Robert Griesmer said the
station would be seeking a new home. It had been off the air since
March 13 at the request of the center, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(QRZ)

**

CHINESE LAUNCH COMPLETES NETWORK OF NAVIGATION SATELLITES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If your radio activities include making use of global
navigation satellites, you might be interested to learn that China has
just completed its own network, seen as one more option in a mix that
includes Europe's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS and the United States' GPS.
Jason Daniels VK2LAW has that story.

JASON: It's called BeiDou (Bay DOO) and the final satellite to complete
this Chinese geolocation system was launched aboard a rocket on Tuesday
June 23 in the southwestern Sichuan province. Observers consider the
satellite network's completion a significant step toward elevating that
nation's status in the lucrative geolocation services market.

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics told AFP news service that he believed China would now
achieve independence from the systems in Europe and the U.S. The
system's name translates from the Chinese into "plough" or "Big
Dipper," as in the constellation.

BeiDou has been operational since 2012 but was limited to the
Asia-Pacific region. Its services have been in use worldwide for the
past two years. The network contains 30 satellites.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(YAHOO NEWS)

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ADVOCATE SPEAKS OUT FOR INDIAN SATELLITE USE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In India, authorities are being asked to widen the
permissions for amateur satellite use, as we hear from Jim Meachen ZED
L 2 BHF

JIM: Although India has a robust amateur radio satellite programme with
many hams building, launching and using these noncommercial satellites,
not all classes of licence in India can take advantage of this
experience. One Indian amateur Rohit Bokade VU3OIR is petitioning to
change that and is asking for Indian authorities to permit satellite
use for all grades of licence. Call signs such as his, with a VU3
prefix, are for the Restricted grade of licence and are denied
satellite communications as well as contact with the International
Space Station.

The petition, seen on the change dot org (Change.org) website,
acknowledges the rapid growth in amateur satellites launched in the
last decade and praises their educational value. The petition states
that the change being requested would permit easier satellite access
for students, permitting more of them to get involved in space
technology either as communicators or designers.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(AMSAT, CHANGE.ORG)

**

BREAK HE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the N2JDW repeater in New York City on Mondays at 8 p.m. local time,
just before the New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Service net.

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CQ MAGAZINE NAMES NEW CONTESTING EDITOR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The September issue of CQ magazine will feature the
debut column of CQ's new Contesting Editor, Tim Shoppa N3QE. The
magazine has named him as the successor to Dave Siddall K3ZJ, who wrote
the monthly contesting column for the magazine for five years.
According to a CQ press release, Dave has stepped down to tend to
increasing work responsibilities.

Tim, who lives in Bethesda, Maryland and is secretary of the Potomac
Valley Radio Club, is an active and seasoned contester and a top winner
consistently in the USA Tri-Bander/Wires category of the CQ WPX
contests. He said in the press release that he hopes his column will
provide encouragement for individuals and clubs and inspire them to
improve their skills and stations through contesting. Tim has been
licensed since the age of 10.

(CQ MAGAZINE)


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NETS OF NOTE: THE BBC BROADCASTERS NET

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In our occasional series Nets of Note, Newsline visits
with groups of hams who share a special bond or interest. This week
that common thread is the BBC and broadcasting - and Jeremy Boot G4NJH
has the story.

JEREMY: It doesn't require too much effort for BBC professionals to get
on the air, especially if these are broadcast professionals who also
happen to be hams. So you can expect the BBC Broadcasters Net to offer
some pretty lively chat. Retirees as well as those currently working as
engineers and broadcasters join Giles Herbert G0NXA on Tuesdays at 0900
British Summer Time on or near 3.700 MHz. Giles, a former engineer
whose parents also worked for the BBC, told Newsline that the monthly
net has become a weekly one since the start of the COVID-19
restrictions. Now he's hoping it will expand beyond its BBC connections
and include people who have worked in the British Independent TV Sector
and Cinema as well.

He said that with the roster growing, new voices and new stories are
heard every week. There are no YLs yet among the group of cameramen,
studio electricians, sound operators, engineers and researchers but he
is hopeful. He said one of the more familiar voices is that of Jim Lee
G4AEH, who is also heard reading the news on BBC Radio 4.

It isn't all shop talk, Giles said. The net also takes some lively
turns toward the subject of life after retirement and of course,
current events.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

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INTREPID-DX GROUP HOLDING YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you want to know how to attract more young hams to
amateur radio, you have to ask the experts. The experts, in this case,
are the young people themselves. That's the rationale behind a youth
essay contest launched by the Intrepid-DX Group. Organizers are asking
U.S. licensees age 19 or younger to write a two-page essay about their
personal ham radio goals and their thoughts on attracting more young
amateurs. Author of the best essay will receive an ICOM IC-7300.
Deadline for entries is July 31st and winners will be announced on the
DX group's website and Facebook page on August 10th. Entries should be
sent in text format or as an MS Word attachment to intrepiddxgroup at
gmail dot com ) (INTREPID DX GROUP)

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USING PUBLICITY TO BOOST AMATEUR RADIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Publicity can be magical and when it comes to ham
radio, it's great magic. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us how one amateur in
the UK used newspaper publicity to boost ham radio's profile during the
pandemic.

JEREMY: Have you ever wished your local community understood more about
amateur radio? Well, why not do what one enterprising ham did and
contact your regional newspaper? Phil G4OBK lives in the North of
England out in a country area and he contacted the Rydale Gazette
Herald and let them know about what radio amateurs are doing during the
COVID-19 lockdown, giving them as reference an article from the
national society, the RSGB, but also offered to add to it with local
content.

The newspaper jumped at the offer and the result can be seen at the
newspaper reference given in our newscast notes on our website
arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY:
https://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news...siast-making-w
aves-nearly-40-years/ }

Perhaps a benefit from the publicity may be an easier time for amateurs
in the area applying for planning permission for new antenna masts when
the community understands more what amateur radio is?

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH

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WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for Ennio IW1RBI using the call sign
3A/IW1RBI from Monaco between July 6th and 19th. listen on 30 to 6
meters where he can be found using SSB and FT8. Send QSLs via his home
callsign over the bureau or LoTW.

Members of the North Wales Amateur Radio Group are on the air from the
Welsh Mountain Zoo on the North Wales coast. They are using the special
callsign GB0WMZ (GB ZERO WM ZED) until July 17th. QSL via MW0JWP (MW
ZERO JWP) by the Bureau.

There is also a special centennial event: Members of the Royal Signals
Amateur Radio Society are marking their 100th anniversary with the
callsign GB100RS (G B ONE HUNDRED R S) and will be on the air until the
end of October on various HF bands. Listen for them using CW, SSB, RTTY
and PSK. Special awards are available. QSL via the Bureau.

A group of operators including Silvo/S50X, Goran/S52P and Hubert/S53Z
will be on the air as 9A followed by their call sign from the Palagruza
Islands between July 18th and 31st. Listen on 80 to 10 metres where
they will be using CW and SSB. The group will use the callsign 9A20A
during the RSGB IOTA Contest which is July 25th and 26th. Send QSLs
direct or by the bureau to S58MU.

(OHIO PENN DX)

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SPECIAL EVENT N4J - HF BANDS BECOME WEDDING BANDS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There is also a special event station you may want to
make note of. While it doesn't involve a DXpedition, it does include a
big trip down the aisle. Paul Braun WD9GCO explains.

PAUL: Be listening between July 9th and July 12th for special event
station N4J. That's Neil 4 Julie, marking the wedding on July 11th
between Newsline anchor and reporter Neil Rapp WB9VPG and his fiancee,
Julie, who became a part of our Newsline family after meeting Neil five
years ago. We wish them both all the happiness in the world and hope
that the sun - and a whole lot of sunspots - will shine on their big
day. We hope they settle into a good life together as husband-and-wife
antenna farmers.


STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Be listening for N4J on the bands - that's wedding
bands AND HF bands!

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KICKER: HIKER'S TRAIL LEADS TO RESCUE BY RADIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our final story is about is about radio as a tool of
rescue - and one amateur who's paying it forward. Skeeter Nash N5ASH
has his story.

SKEETER: Because he is alive today despite a harrowing ordeal on a
remote hiking trail, Alden Sumner Jones IV KC1JWR may have helped
inspire 20 new amateur radio operators.

Alden was hiking in Bennington County, Vermont with his two cousins on
June 16 when he grew light-headed. His left hand became numb and he
collapsed, passing out. An emergency medical technician hiking nearby
rushed over to assist -- but the medic's cell phone failed to reach 911
in that remote area.

Alden told Newsline that he rarely leaves home without his HT and so,
regaining consciousness after a second blackout, he keyed the mic and
eventually hit the Mount Greylock repeater K1FFK asking for help. Aid
came swiftly - by search-and-rescue team, by helicopter and others -but
the treacherous terrain made for a problematic rescue. Nearly 7 hours
later, Alden was enroute to the emergency room of an Albany, New York
hospital. Alden told Newsline he has a history of low blood sugar and
suffered a torn hamstring on the trail. He is recovering at home while
awaiting a cardiology appointment.

A former member of a Massachusetts search-and-rescue team himself, he
never thought he'd be on the receiving end of similar services. Alden,
the president of the Southern Vermont Amateur Radio Club, was so
grateful for the power of his HT that his cousins, the medical tech
they met on trail, the helicopter crew and members of the
search-and-rescue team are looking into becoming amateur radio
operators too. A military veteran, a former CBer and member of the
Civil Air Patrol, Alden has been around radios most of his life. Now,
he said, he has the rest of his life -- thanks to his radio.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Skeeter Nash N5ASH.

**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Alexander Association; Amateur News
Weekly; AMSAT; the ARRL; Change.Org; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB;
DX-World; the Hindu newspaper; Maritime Radio Historical Society; Ohio
Penn DX; QRZ.COM; Radio Society of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de;
Southgate Amateur Radio News; TechCrunch; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show;
WTWW Shortwave; Yahoo News; and you our listeners, that's all from the
Amateur Radio Newsline. Please send emails to our address at
. More information is available at Amateur Radio
Newsline's only official website at arnewsline.org.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, at the news desk in New York,
and our news team worldwide, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio
saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.