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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2358 for Friday January 6th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2358 with a release date of Friday
January 6th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. There are two more callsigns to listen for from
Bouvet Island. Smartphones are gaining increased satellite capability
-- hams in Ohio get an exemption from a new distracted-driving law. All
this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2358 comes your
way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
BOUVET DXPEDITION ADDS TWO MORE CALLSIGNS

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a Bouvet Island Dxpedition update.
As if the 3Y0J team itself weren't generating enough buzz in the ham radiosphere, two additional callsigns are expected to be on the air
from that coveted DX location. John Williams VK4JJW gives us those
details.

JOHN: The long-awaited Bouvet Island Dxpedition team has a new twist to
its plans. Two Norwegian radio operators who are part of the Dxpedition
team intend to operate from the island under their own calls for a
limited time. It is intended to happen toward the end of the 3Y0J
team's expected 22-day activation late this month. The development was
reported on January 1st on the website DX-WORLD.NET, which gave
confirmation from Ken, LA7GIA, co-leader of the main Bouvet activation.
Ken said that this would be the first time any Norwegian with an LB
callsign activated from Bouvet. The gameplan is apparently to have the
3Y0J pilot stations inform eager DX hunters when the pair get on the
air. Be listening for the callsigns used by Gjermund, 3Y/LB5GI, and
Erwann, 3Y/LB1QI.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(DX-WORLD.NET, 3Y0J WEBSITE)

**
NEW SMARTPHONE MODELS GAIN SATELLITE ACCESS

PAUL/ANCHOR: In this new year, sat-phone users and amateur radio
operators won't be the only ones who can bounce radio signals off
satellites. Here's Kent Peterson KC0DGY with that story.

KENT: Some smartphones are gaining a new capability in the new year:
direct satellite access. Text-messaging that uses satellite
communications will be possible for some consumers using Hauwei and
Apple devices, according to a recent report in the IEEE Spectrum. While
Apple and Hauwei expect to use older satellites that are already in
orbit by putting new chips in their flagship handsets, new
low-Earth-orbit satellite networks are also being built. Those are in
the works from startup companies Lynk Global and AST SpaceMobile, which
hope to provide service to 5G phones in areas without terrestrial
coverage.

Observers note that this satellite functionality on smartphones will
not include the ability to make phone calls or to stream data but its
added capacity of texting will provide another means of calling for
help in an emergency in regions where the caller has a clear view to
the sky.

Working in partnership with Globalstar, Apple devices have offered a
service called Emergency SOS via satellite since last November. Huawei
however has not yet announced the date of its rollout. Meanwhile, Lynk
Global expects to begin operations in the new year and AST SpaceMobile
expects to launch five of its satellites later this year.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(IEEE SPECTRUM)

**
STRAIGHT KEY MONTH GETS GOING FOR SKCC

PAUL/ANCHOR: It's not just a new year, it's Straight Key Month,
according to the calendar of the Straight Key Century Club. Randy Sly
W4XJ keys in on the action for us.

RANDY: With the ARRL's Straight Key Night, a January 1st event, already
in the books, the Straight Key Century Club is keeping the fun going
for CW operators around the world through to the end of the month. On
January 2nd, operators who are club members began calling CQ with
various callsigns starting with K3Y from the 10 US call areas, as
K3Y/0 through K3Y/9. Outside of the continental United States, club
members are calling as K3Y/KH6, KL7 and KP4.

Across six continents, operators will be on the air with stations for
the special event, You will hear them calling "CQ SKM," using their own callsigns. These are stations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America,
Oceania and South America.

This annual event celebrates the founding of the SKCC in 2006 and pays
tribute to the earliest telegraphy keys - the straight key, the bug and
the sideswiper, also known as the cootie.

This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

**
AMSAT'S ANNUAL CW ACTIVITY DAY HONORS A PIONEER

PAUL/ANCHOR: Another popular CW activity has just been given a new
name. We have those details from Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

NEIL: What began as AMSAT Straight Key Night eventually became AMSAT's
CW Activity Day, an event devoted to amateurs who enjoy CW operating
via linear satellites. The event was held this year on January 1st -
but even while it was still in the planning stages, it underwent yet
another name change: This year it became the W2RS Memorial AMSAT CW
Activity Day. The new name honors satellite pioneer Ray Soifer, W2RS,
who became a Silent Key in March 2022 at the age of 79. The CW activity
day had been his project and he organized the New Year's Day event for
AMSAT with great enthusiasm. He encouraged hams to make good use of
their straight keys and bugs and report their progress on the AMSAT
Bulletin Board mailing list. As always, this activity is held at the
same time the ARRL holds its own Straight Key Night.

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

(AMSAT)

**
OHIO HAMS EXEMPT FROM DISTRACTED-DRIVER LAW

PAUL/ANCHOR: Amateur radio operators are getting a break in Ohio under
a new law restricting the use of handheld electronic devices by
drivers. Jack Parker W8ISH has those details.

JACK: Under a new law taking effect in Ohio, if you are holding a
cellphone or similar device in your hands while operating a motor
vehicle, that is sufficient reason for you to be stopped by the police:
It is considered a primary offense.

Hams, however, needn't worry. The distracted-driving law exempts radio
amateurs as well as utility workers and first-responders, such as
police.

Penalties are increasing for those drivers found to be engaged in
so-called distracted driving but with the new law, the next six months
will provide a grace period. Drivers who are not eligible for the
exemption will only be issued warnings while the state launches a public-education campaign about the change in enforcement.

With this law, Ohio joins the ranks of other states where exemptions
were granted for amateur radio use while driving, including Indiana,
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Washington state.

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(SPRINGFIELD NEWS-SUN)

**
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 'YOUNG HAM LENDS A HAND' CONTEST

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you know a young amateur radio operator who's been
especially generous in giving time to assist an older person, a
military veteran or the community-at-large, you might know a candidate
for the Radio Club of America's "Young Ham Lends a Hand" award.
Candidates may also be youth involved in recruiting others to get their licenses. Carole Perry, WB2MGP, is accepting nominations until April
1st for the award, which will be presented, along with a $100 stipend,
at the Youth Forum during Dayton Hamvention. Email your nominee's name, callsign, age, address and phone number to her at wb2mpg@gmail.com. Be
sure to include your reasons for the nomination.

(RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA)

**
NEW LEADERSHIP AT AMPLITUDE MODULATION INTERNATIONAL

PAUL/ANCHOR: AM enthusiasts who belong to Amplitude Modulation
International have welcomed a new leader. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us
about him.

ANDY: The torch has been passed at Amplitude Modulation International:
John McGrath N9AMI has become executive director, succeeding Dale
Gagnon, KW1I, (K W One Eye). In 1993, Dale was one of the group's
founders who announced AMI's formation during Dayton Hamvention. The
founders created a group that would both celebrate and advocate for AM,
the original voice mode on the amateur bands. According to the AMI
website, members are encouraged to participate in all kinds of activity
within the group's 10 regions and to be active in annual operating
events and contests. AMI also monitors all FCC and ARRL activity that
could have an impact on operators using AM.

Writing on the recently updated website, Dale tells members that there
are some new changes in the works. An online forum has been added to
the website to give amateurs a greater voice in the issues they care
about. He writes that the forum is open to anyone interested in AM
operation and not limited to AMI membership only. He will also be
introducing a new program called AMI On Ten and intends to bring back
the Thanksgiving Jamboree.

Dale is encouraging visitors to the website. You can visit AM
International at aminternational dot club (aminternational.club)

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(QRZ FORUMS, AM INTERNATIONAL)

**
NOMINATIONS NEEDED BY RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN

PAUL/ANCHOR: With a new year, comes the change in leadership at the
Radio Society of Great Britain. The nomination period continues this
month, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: Although the window has closed for nominations for board
director of the Radio Society of Great Britain, the nomination period
continues through to the end of January for other roles, such as
regional representative, elected director and president. The current
president, Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, is completing his two-year term in
April. There are nine volunteer roles in all that need to be filled.
Regional representatives are needed for England South-West and the
Channel Islands, England North-West, East Midlands, Northern Ireland,
South Wales. Details can be found on the Society's website at rsgb dot
org stroke election. (rsgb.org/election).

The Society will be holding its annual general meeting on April 15th
and the results of the election will be announced then.

Only members of the RSGB are able to nominate candidates.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the KV3B repeater in Rockville, Maryland on Sundays after the net at
7:30 p.m. local time.

**
SPEAKERS NEEDED FOR QSO TODAY VIRTUAL EXPO

PAUL/ANCHOR: The next QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo takes place on March
24th through to the 26th, asking the question: "New Ham radio license,
now what?" Organizers are looking for speakers who can address this
topic in particular, whether the new license is at entry level, such as Technician class here in the United States, or perhaps at a higher
level with more privileges.

Organizer Eric Guth 4Z1UG is asking amateurs with expertise in certain
areas of amateur radio to consider newcomers in particular and to offer presentations at the Expo this spring. There is a link to an online
application form and additional details in the text version of this
week's newscast script at arnewsline.org.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/speakercall.html ]

**
INNOVATIVE ANTENNA DEVELOPER GETS LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

PAUL/ANCHOR: A celebrated antenna expert from West Bengal, India, has
just been granted yet another honor. We hear more about him from Graham
Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Srikanta Pal, the scientist who was recently granted a patent
for the world's smallest antenna has been given an honorary life
membership in the West Bengal Radio Club. Born in West Bengal, he is a
research professor at Birla Institute of Technology in Kolkata.

He was presented with the honour on Wednesday, December 28th, by the
club's secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, who told Newsline in a
text message that the professor has taken a keen interest in amateur
radio antennas. After learning more details about the kind of work the
club is involved in, he said that, as an honorary life member, he would
study some useful types of antennas that hams could use for emergency
response in disasters.

In 2009, the professor was credited with having helped solve satellite
signal interference problems at the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank telescope
at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in West Virginia. Later, he assisted astronomers in solving interference issues at the Jodrell Bank
Radio Telescope site in the UK.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(WBRC, BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for VI10SOTA (VEE EYE TEN SOTA) which
is on the air in Australia to celebrate the 10th year of Summits on the
Air in the VK1 region. The station will be active through to the end of
the year and any amateur with an Australian licence who is activating a
VK1 SOTA peak may use it.

Logs of all activators will be found under each activator's log in
their account.

Be listening for Harald, DF2WO, using the call sign D44TWO from Sao
Tiago (AF-005), Cape Verde until the 21st of January. He is on 160
through 6 metres, using FT8 with some SSB and CW. He is also using the
QO-100 satellite. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS.

Listen for Darren, VK4MAP, who is working holiday style as FW/VK4MAP
from Wallis & Futuna in the South Pacific through the first half of
January. Listen for him on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres where he will
be operating SSB. QSL direct to his home call.

The special call sign DB100RDF is on the air to mark 100 years of
broadcasting in Germany. This commemorates the fact that the first
official radio entertainment in Germany went on the air on the 29th of
October, 1923. QSL direct to DO2PZ or via the bureau.

You can hear the special call sign EG1NMP from the 7th to the 10th of
January. The station is on the air to remember the wreck of the Monte Palomares, a Spanish freighter that sank in the North Atlantic on the
10th of January, 1966. QSL only via LoTW and eQSL.

(425 DX NEWS)

**
SAYING 73 TO THE OLD YEAR AROUND THE WORLD

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our final story has a little bit of magic in it. Some of
it is amateur radio magic and the rest is simply New Year's magic --
because we can't put a final ribbon on the holiday season without this
story of a QSO that happened in two countries across the change of the
year. John Williams VK4JJW explains.

JOHN: With poor conditions on the bands, the 10-minute QSO between one
ham in Australia and another in Thailand might have felt more like it
lasted for a year. Well....in a way, it actually did.

Supoj (Sue Podge) E25JRP was on 20 metres at 2130 local time in Bangkok
in the final hours of the old year, but very few CW operators responded
to his call in that first half-hour. At 2200 local time, someone more
distant came back to him - like the others, his call began with a V -
perhaps it was VR, from Hong Kong, or VU, from India. Battling serious
QSB, Supoj asked for a repeat - and then another.

He told Newsline: [quote] "After a couple of question marks and
'again,' I got all of his callsign." [endquote] It was VK5PL, Dave, a
colleague from the Long Island CW Club in the United States. Dave was
at home in Australia and recognised Supoj's callsign when he heard it
on the air. Two thousand twenty-three was already well underway at his
QTH. The year-change had started two hours earlier.

Riding the fickle QSB, the two had just enough time to exchange new
year's wishes - and for Dave to log his first QSO of the new year and
Supoj to log one of his final ones of the old year.

Dave wrote on the club's forum on groups.io: [quote] "I had a great
start to the year." [endquote]

Supoj told Newsline: [quote] "I turned off my rig with a big smile."
[endquote]

Now, of course, with everyone properly settled into 2023, the only
thing that needs to get in sync are those band conditions.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(SUPOJ, E25JRP; GROUPS.IO)

**

NEWCAST CLOSE - DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

ANCHOR: Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think
Newsline would be interested in? We are not talking about advertising
your club's upcoming hamfest or field day participation, but something
that is out of the ordinary. If so, send us a brief overview via the
contact page at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to
cover it, we'll get back to you for more details.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Alexanderson Association; Amateur
Radio Weekly; the ARRL; Birla Institute of Technology; CQ magazine;
Dave, VK5PL; David Behar K7DB; the 425 DX News; IEEE; Radio Society of
Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de; Springfield News-Sun; Supoj, E25JRP;
Straight Key Century Club; 3Y0J Website; West Bengal Radio Club;
Wireless Institute of Australia; and you our listeners, that's all from
the Amateur Radio Newsline. We remind our listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that incurs
expenses for its continued operation. If you wish to support us, please
visit our website at arnewsline.org and know that we appreciate you
all. We also remind our listeners that if you like our newscast, please
leave us a 5-star rating wherever you subscribe to us. For now, with
Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. As
always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

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