Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2008, April 22, 2016


Amateur Radio Newsline report number 2008 with a release date of
Friday, April 22, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams mobilize as Ecuador digs out from a deadly
earthquake. Getting on the air from Brazil just become a whole lot
easier during the Summer Olympic Games. Radio amateurs assist with
elections in West Bengal, India. And a new museum of radio science in
the UK competes for a big prize. All this and more in Amateur Radio
Newsline Report 2008 coming your way right now.

(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)

**

STEPHEN: We open this week's newscast with an update on the amateur
radio response to an earthquake in Ecuador that is being called that
nation's most powerful quake in decades. We hear more from Amateur
Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

GRAHAM: As officials continued to revise their counts of Ecuador's dead
and injured following the magnitude 7.8 quake on Saturday the 16 of
April, rescue operations stepped up with more than 10,000 troops and
3,500 police. Countless radio amateurs were also mobilized to assist
with emergency communications and other vital matters, and hams
everywhere were being advised to free up the band on 7.060 MHz for
emergency traffic. DXpeditioners were also cautioned to stay below that
frequency while operating RTTY.

In the days following the quake, the emergency frequency was carrying
messages around the clock, with Ecuadorean amateurs making use of
battery power and mobile stations to assist with recovery
communications. Officials reported that power systems and
telecommunications were either destroyed or disabled after the tremors.

As an emergency net became operational on the emergency frequency,
stations in countries nearby tuned into the frequency and prepared to
assist if necessary.

Rafael Correa, Ecuador's president, returned to his devastated nation
from a trip to Italy and declared the immediate focus to be on locating
survivors.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(IARU, Region 1, BBC, CNN, the Daily DX)

STEPHEN: Amateur Radio Newsline will continue to monitor hams'
involvement in these developments. As of Amateur Radio Newsline's
deadline, there was no word on amateur radio involvement in the deadly
magnitude-6.5 earthquake that rocked Japan just a few days earlier, on
Thursday, April 14. Those tremors, near the city of Kumamoto, were
considered the strongest since 2011.

**

WHEN RADIO SCIENCE IS AN ART

STEPHEN: Already the new Radio Communication Museum of Great Britain is
finding itself involved in some heavy duty contesting. But this
competition has more to do with art than radiosport, as Amateur Radio
Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH tells us.

JEREMY: This summer, when the new Radio Communication Museum of Great
Britain opens in Derby in the UK, it hopes to be a winner in more ways
than one. Even before opening its doors for the first time, the museum
has already become a finalist in a national competition that would
provide the institution with the talents of a leading contemporary
artist to create a major event on site later this year -- an event that
celebrates radio.

With so many other British museums vying for the prize, including some
in London, the decision is being left up to the public. That puts a lot
of power in the hands of museum fans - and of course, that means radio
fans as well - especially with the voting taking place online in just
another week.

Radio amateur Stephen Haseldine, G8EBM, a Derby businessman and museum
trustee, has designed the museum to be a showcase of amateur, military
and professional radios. Activities there will teach visitors about the
science of wireless communication while showing them the equipment that
has made it possible through the years. General manager William
Presland said he is hoping the competition will enable the museum to
challenge the guest artist to QUOTE "find art where there is none - in
a museum of science and technology - and present this to the public."
ENDQUOTE The contest culminates in a major event to be held in October
called the Museums at Night Festival.

Voting begins at 1100 UTC on Friday the 29 of April and remains open
through Saturday the 14th of May. The website for balloting is
museumsatnight.org.uk

The museum, which devotes itself to the varied uses of radio waves
through the years, is based on Stephen Haseldine's private radio
collection.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham,
theUK.

(SOUTHGATE ARC, THE DERBY TELEGRAPH, RADIO COMMUNICATION MUSEUM OF
GREAT BRITAIN)
**

NEW JERSEY'S NIGHT FOR RADIO

STEPHEN: Any night is a good night for radio but if you're in southern
New Jersey, Thursday is an especially good night for radio. The Ocean
Monmouth Amateur Radio Club, hosts a regularly scheduled Radio Night
Thursday evenings between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. local time, and welcomes
newcomers. The club itself has 70 members and is an ARRL affiliate -but
you don't have to be a club member, or even a local ham, to get on the
air with them. The club is also preparing for its spring Tailgate
Hamfest which will take place on Saturday, May 7, at the Diana Site,
2300 Marconi Road in Wall Township, New Jersey. (OCEAN MONMOUTH AMATEUR
RADIO CLUB)


**

AN OLYMPIAN EFFORT IN BRAZIL


STEPHEN: The Summer Games in Rio don't include radiosport, but things
just got a little bit easier for radio amateurs who want to travel to,
and work the bands, from Brazil. We hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's
Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

PAUL: Attending the Olympics and getting on the HF bands from Brazil
shouldn't require an Olympian effort itself. The good news is that now
it won't come to that. It's expected to be less of a struggle for radio
amateurs to operate in Brazil during the 2016 Summer Olympics as a
result of eased restrictions on the part of the Brazilian authorities.
Regardless of whether an amateur's country has a reciprocal agreement
with Brazil, authorizations for those hams will be simplified thanks to
an agreement between authorities and the Brazilian Amateur Radio
League, also known as LABRE. The radio league recently received
permission from Brazil's telecommunications regulator, ANATEL, to
handle the authorizations -- and without any fees.

Interested amateurs should email the radio league a copy of a valid
passport, a copy of their amateur radio license, a list of cities in
which you plan to operate, and on what dates, and include an email
address. The documents should be scanned and sent to the radio league
via email at .

When the paperwork arrives, you should be able to dive right in. Just
don't use any of the Olympic-sized pools.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

SCOUTING FOR QSOs IN SPECIAL EVENT

STEPHEN: A group of Scouts in Texas plans to be on the air during the
next two weekends and they're hoping to work your station. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Bill Stearns, NE4RD, tells us where to look for these
youngsters.

BILL: This week in Radio Scouting there will be an activation of K2BSA
in Abilene Texas at the Buffalo Mountain District Cub-O-Ree on April
22nd & 23rd. Russ Parramore, K5MQR, will be the control operator for
the portable 5 station and will be active on 20 and 40 Phone.

There will also be an activation in Mt. Enterprise, TX at the East
Texas Area Council's Quadrennial All Council Jamboree on April 29th
through May 1st. Jeff Sorrells, KG5BTF, will be the control operator
for the portable 5 station and will be active on 20 and 40 phone. Jeff
will also demonstrating QRP gear for portable operations.

Please help support this activity, and others involving youth in
amateur radio, by working and spotting them on the air and online. If
you would like to activate K2BSA for your Scouting event, please visit
http://www.k2bsa.net/. If you would like to get involved in radio
scouting, find your local council by visiting http://www.scouting.org/.

For Amateur Radio Newsline and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association,
this is Bill Stearns NE4RD.


**

BREAK HE

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
N9IAA repeater in Valparaiso, Indiana, on Thursday nights.

**

AN INSTITUTE TO TEACH THE TEACHERS


STEPHEN: Every ham needs a teacher or two to guide them on their radio
journey. But who teaches the teachers? Amateur Radio Newsline's Neil
Rapp, WB9VPG, tells us about the ARRL's Teachers Institute on Wireless
Technology, where the application deadline is fast closing in.

NEIL: There are only a few more days left for teachers to submit their
applications to the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology,
which is preparing to present its summer coursework for the 13th year.
The professional development seminar offers teachers guidance on
presenting radio science to their students at levels starting as young
as elementary school. The classes include robotics, radio science,
satellite communications, weather science, microcontroller programming
and basic electronics. All expenses are paid. Coursework is available
at increasing complexity right through the university level. The
institute holds its classes at different locations throughout the
country.

But the deadline to apply is May 1. If you're interested, but still
haven't put in your application, you can download the form from the web
page for the ARRL Teachers Institute at arrl.org

If you have additional questions, contact ARRL Education Services
Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, at

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(ARRL)

**


REPEATERS ON THE MOVE

There's going to be a change of address for the Minuteman Repeater
Association's 2 meter and 440 repeaters, which are headed to a new site
in North Reading from their Burlington location. The Minuteman amateurs
are looking for volunteers on Saturday, April 30 to help take antennas
down and move the equipment to the new site, and then assist with
setup. The nonprofit association makes these repeaters available for
community and emergency events and maintains a system of repeaters at
various sites in central and eastern Massachusetts.

If you're interested in volunteering with the move, any hours you can
work between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. that day - or even for a half-day - will
be helpful, club members said.

The association is also planning to host a work party in June at its
Marlborough East site, where volunteers are needed to help with
weed-removal and other maintenance to improve access to the shelter.
Interior cleanup of the shelter is also being scheduled, as well as
some outside maintenance of the shelter building.

Please email Bob K1IW at , if you are interested and
available for either of these volunteer opportunities. The date in June
for the Marlborough East site has not been determined yet.

(MINUTEMAN REPEATER ASSOCIATION)

**

HAM RADIO HELPING in WEST BENGAL ELECTION

How do you connect an otherwise disconnected archipelago in the Indian
state of West Bengal? Ham radio. During the Assembly elections there
this month, radio amateurs are playing a decidedly nonpartisan roll in
helping with the poll results. A number of very remote districts, made
up of an archipelago, lack mobile connectivity and are relying for the
first time this year on local hams, according to Ambarish Nag Biswas,
VU2JFA, Secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club, who spoke with The
Hindu newspaper.

At last report, the voter turnout throughout the state was encouraging.
As of Wednesday, April 20, the Hindustan Times reported that nearly 80
percent of the electorate throughout the state had shown up at polling
places to cast their ballots.

(THE HINDU, THE HINDUSTAN TIMES)

**

WORLD OF DX

Listen for Mike, DF8AN, working as 9M0S from the Spratly Islands
through April 29. He is working from Layang-Layang Island on 160m to 6m
mainly using CW. QSL to the home call.

Elvira, IV3FSG, is operating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
as 9Q0HQ/1 until April 30. She will then use the callsign 9Q0HQ from
May 1 through May 30. Her QSL manager is IK3GES.

Be listening for a group of Italian amateurs using the callsign, TK9C,
from Corsica Island until April 25. They will be on CW, SSB and
Digital. Their QSL manager is IK2AHB.

Doug, VK4ADX, is operating holiday style from Norfolk Island from April
23 through May 2, using the callsign VK9NU. Listen for him on SSB
only. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World.

(IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTERS SOCIETY)

**

KICKER: A SINGULAR SOLAR ACHIEVEMENT

STEPHEN: And finally, a tale of hope for hassled, harried hams. You
can't outsmart the sun, and you certainly can't outshine it, but some
radio amateurs in India recently had their moment in the sun during the
National Field Day held by the Amateur Radio Society of India on
Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17.

Camped out on a hilltop in the Turahalli forests, the group from
Bengaluru was looking to go the distance, wherever that distance might
take them. It didn't look like that was going to be very far, however.
Conditions were not the greatest. They were marred by strong solar
flares, making HF contacts extra challenging - or nonexistent. To add
to that, the operators found the midday sun to be brutally hot and
blistering.

And then - contact! Operator Madhu Prasad, operating station VU3NPI,
connected on 21 MHz with Hong Kong station VR2XMT. It was enough. More
than enough. Signal reports and call signs were exchanged. And the
moment became one of the brightest spots during the 24-hour period.
Prasad told the Bangalore Mirror QUOTE "Within a minute of the rig
going live, we could establish contact." ENDQUOTE.

Among his colleagues in the Bangalore Amateur Radio Club, Antarctica is
the farthest anyone has contacted on their rigs. But Hong Kong, under
tough conditions, still proved to be a shining moment. And VU3NPI
enjoyed his Field Day moment in the sun after all.

(THE BANGALORE MIRROR, AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY OF INDIA)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the Amateur Radio Society of
India; the ARRL; the Bangalore Mirror; CQ Magazine; DX.NET; Hap Holly
and the Rain Report; the Hindu; the Hindustan Times; Irish Radio
Transmitter Society; K2BSA Amateur Radio Association; the Minuteman
Repeater Association; the Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; Southgate Amateur
Radio News; Wireless Institute of Australia; and you our listeners,
that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our email address is
. More information is available at Amateur Radio
Newsline's only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.

We also remind our listeners that there's still time to nominate
candidates for the 2016 Bill Pasternak Young Ham of the Year Award.
This honor recognizes licensed amateurs who are no older than 19 and
living in the U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada, and who have made
significant contributions to ham radio and their community. To download
an application form, visit our website, www.arnewsline.org, and click
on the tab for "Y-H-O-T-Y." Completed applications should be sent to:
The Young Ham of the Year Award, in care of Amateur Radio Newsline
Inc., Editorial Office, P.O. Box 451, Huntington Station, New
York11746.

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 2016. All rights reserved.