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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2368 for Friday March 17th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2368 with a release date of Friday
March 17th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Severe weather strikes the US on both coasts. A two-year DXpedition sets sail with two missions -- and when
line-of-sight communication can serve as a lifeline. All this and more
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2368 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
SEVERE WEATHER UNDERSCORES HAMS' OF VITAL ROLES

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story brings us tales of extreme weather on both
coasts of the United States. These severe conditions have served as a
reminder of hams' vital roles during these challenging times. Randy Sly
W4XJ brings us up to date.

RANDY: With life-threatening floods, heavy rain and snow in California
and severe winter storms barreling through the Northeast, amateurs
involved in emergency communications in the United States were hard at
work recently providing support to emergency management officials and
other organizations such as the Red Cross.

While offering assistance to served agencies, these hams were also
bringing about an additional benefit: increasing confidence in the
amateur radio service. For example, in the San Joaquin Valley area of California, the Tuolumne County Amateur Radio Emergency Services was
asked to assist in passing traffic via ham radio in the Emergency
Operations Center. Daniel Sohn, WL7COO, San Joaquin Valley Section
Emergency Coordinator, told AR Newsline that the group was invited to
assist as a "work in progress" training exercise to distribute
announcements on the air and solicit Situational Awareness as eyes and
ears of the EOC. He also reported that Amateur Radio Service volunteers
have been alerted for potential deployment by either the Sheriff's
Office or County OES Officers in other counties as well.

In addition, hams across the Northeast, if not working in SKYWARN nets,
were self-activating in order to provide reports of strong winds, snow
fall and damage reports to the National Weather Service.

Remembering the health and safety of "Self and Family First," amateurs
on both coasts are proving their worth now and for the future during
severe weather events.

This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

(DANIEL SOHN, WL7COO, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE)

**
2-YEAR ADVENTURE TESTS OUT 'REMOTE' DXPEDITIONING

PAUL/ANCHOR: A two-year journey is well under way for two hams from the
US on board a catamaran crossing the South Pacific Ocean. They have two missions to accomplish and Kevin Trotman N5PRE tells us what they are.

KEVIN: George Wallner, AA7JV, and Michael Snow, KN4EEI, left Costa
Rica in late February, setting sail and getting on the air as KH7Z/MM
-the callsign for the Dateline DX Association. They are on board
George's yacht, Magnet. Using their personal calls as well as the DX association call, the two are active on HF as well as 6m. They will be
on the Marquesas islands through to the end of the month, then head to
the Tuamotu Archipelago, IOTA number OC-066, where they hope to be on
the air from late March to the 5th of April.

This is a two-year journey with two goals: The hams are activating
grids on their journey in the Pacific and they are testing out the
possibility of remote operations for DXpeditions. Their stops include
various rare or semi-rare DXCC entities as the opportunity allows They
also have three stations. Two of them are 100-watt remotely operated
Radios in a Box, or RIBS, that will be operating FT8. A Radio in a Box
contains a transceiver and amplifier, along with cooling and control
systems, all inside a waterproof case. Using their third station, the
two are operating on HF using CW and SSB.,

This is the latest remote-operation test undertaken by George and
Michael on their travels. George writes on his page on QRZ: [quote]
"The goal is to develop the capability for future DXpedtions to have
remote operators, working from home or wherever."

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(QRZ.COM)

**
MICROWAVE ENTHUSIASTS PREPARE FOR CONFERENCE

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you're interested in exploring the microwave part of
the spectrum, you're about to get your chance. Jack Parker W8ISH tells
us about an international conference devoted to just that.

JACK: In less than a month, microwave enthusiasts will be getting
together in Connecticut to share ideas, equipment design and operating
stories at the first Microwave Update Conference to be held since the
pandemic was declared in 2020. The international conference at the
Hilton Garden Inn at Bradley Airport in Windsor, Connecticut will
include the 46th Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference. It will be held
on April 14th and 15th and will be hosted by the North East Weak Signal
Group, a regional group in Massachusetts devoted to operations on 50
MHz and above.

Although speakers and activities will focus on operations on the
microwave bands, discussions are not limited to that part of the radio spectrum. Talks will center on circuit design, the latest microwave
devices, software-defined radios, small-dish EME and microwave
propagation, among other topics.

At the Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference, speakers will discuss
antennas, propagation, roving, SDRs, digital modes and activity nights. Additional activities are planned for this conference on April 13th
and16th.

For details, visit the website microwaveupdate - that's one word - dot
org. (microwaveupdate.org)

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(MICROWAVEUPDATE.ORG)

**
CQ MAGAZINE NAMES NEW ASSOCIATE EDITOR

PAUL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to our friends at CQ magazine, where a new associate editor has been hired. Sabrina Herman, KB3UJW, has joined the
staff, succeeding longtime managing editor Jason Feldman, KD2IWM.
Sabrina had previously been managing editor and promotional coordinator
for Hermes Press, a small publisher of books in Pennsylvania. She has
been a ham for 13 years. We wish everyone at the CQ office well.

(CQ MAGAZINE)

**

SAFE SPLASHDOWN FOR FOUR ISS ASTRONAUTS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Welcome home to the four astronauts comprising Crew 5
aboard the ISS. They splashed down safely just off the coast of
Florida. Andy Morrison K9AWM has that story.

ANDY: Having finished their five-month stay aboard the International
Space Station, two astronauts from the US, one from Japan and a
cosmonaut from the Russian Space Agency returned to Earth in the Gulf
of Mexico just after 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 10th. Two of the four
are amateur radio operators.

NASA astronauts Josh A. Cassada, KI5CRH, Nicole Aunapu Mann, JAXA
astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina
are now safely home following a mission that began last October when
they arrived on the ISS inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The
replacement team - Crew 6 - arrived on March 3rd to continue the work
that includes a number of scientific experiments.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(CNN.COM)

**
SILENT KEY: QCWA OFFICER GARY J. KIMBALL, WB2SER

PAUL/ANCHOR: A leader in the Quarter Century Wireless Association has
become a Silent Key. We have that story from Sel Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: Gary J. Kimball was known throughout New England and central New
York for his company, National Audio, which he cofounded in 1977 with
his business partner Mark Gummer N2IQ. The business provided sound and
lighting systems for music events ranging from the Syracuse Jazz Fest
to the New York State Fair. On the air he was known as WB2SER and
locally many knew him as a mentor in the central New York ham
community. He was an officer of the Quarter Century Wireless
Association Chapter 29 covering the local Finger Lakes region of New
York. QCWA members first received their licenses at least 25 years ago.
He was a member of Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse and a member of
the Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club. His voice was a familiar one to
hams who heard his regular on-air roundups of local hamfests. At the
time of his death in late February, Gary had been retired from his
company for about five years, according to his online obituary.

Gary Kimball was 72.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(LEGACY.COM. RON PANETTA, WB2WGH)

**
RECORD FINES FOR STATIONS CHARGED WITH PIRACY

PAUL/ANCHOR: A New York City broadcaster charged with piracy has become
the first of two stations to be targeted under a law passed three years
ago enabling larger and, until now, unprecedented penalties. The FCC
has proposed a record fine of more than $2.3-million against Radio
Impacto 2, which the agency said was still on the air at the time the commission made its announcement on Wednesday, March 15th. According to
a report in Radio World, the radio signals are being transmitted from
the New York City borough of Queens. Radio Impacto's website calls it
"The Official Radio of Ecuadorians in New York." According to the Radio
World report, the FCC issued a $20,000 forfeiture against the station
in 2015 and a year later its broadcast equipment was seized by US
Marshals.

The second station was identified in the Radio World report as "Pirate
Radio Eastern Oregon," and its operator faces an $80,000 forfeiture.

The FCC is awaiting response from both stations.

(RADIO WORLD)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the WM9W repeater in Chicago, Illinois, shortly after midnight local
time on Tuesdays during the Nightcrawlers Net.

**
UK NATIONAL HAMFEST CANCELLED FOR 2023

PAUL/ANCHOR: The UK National Hamfest, the well-known rally previously
held annually at the Newark Showground in the UK, has been cancelled.
Jeremy Boot G4NJH has the details.

JEREMY: Organisers of the 2023 UK National Hamfest have announced that
the rally, which was to have taken place in October in Peterborough,
has been called off by the venue. A statement on the hamfest website
said that at such short notice, organisers cannot find a replacement
venue or a new date. Directors considered a July event back at the
Newark venue but ultimately it was decided that there were too many
obstacles for the attendees, traders and to financial benefits.

The directors wrote: [quote] "We can assure you, we haven't made this
decision lightly." [endquote] They committed to what they called "a
bigger and better event" in September 2024 at the Newark Showground.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(UK NATIONAL HAMFEST)

**
PROMINENT AMATEUR'S BOOK EXPLORES RADIO'S POTENTIAL

PAUL/ANCHOR: A longtime leader in amateur radio in India has just
completed a book that examines the untapped promises that ham radio
holds for the future. We hear more about him and his book from Graham
Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: World Science Day was also book launch day for S. Suri, VU2MY,
the founder of the National Institute of Amateur Radio in
Hyderabad,India.

Ham enthusiasts, engineers and Indian communications officials arrived
at the NIAR campus for the author's introduction of his book, "The
Untapped Potential of Amateur Radio."

Suri told those in attendance that his book underscores the vital role
amateur radio plays in disaster response. He said he hoped that by
writing the book he was also making it clear that ham radio is relevant
in other areas of society. He said he favoured its increased inclusion
as a tool by universities, law enforcement and the armed forces and he
urged policymakers to rethink radio's role. According to a book blurb
on amazon.in, the book also traces amateur radio's growth from an
activity among experimenters to its emergence as a resource in a number
of nations.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(TELANGANA TODAY, AMAZON.IN)

**
HAMS IN AUSTRALIA PREP FOR 'ANTENNAPALOOZA'

PAUL/ANCHOR: In Victoria, Australia, the annual event known as
Antennapalooza isn't just about antennas. Jason Daniels VK2LAW,
explains.

JASON: Station efficiency is the theme of this year's Antennapalooza
event in Victoria, Australia and the organisers are looking for
presenters. The range of topics can encompass the best ways to make
your antenna efficient or cover a broader subject area, such as
recommended ways to set up your shack. Presentations will take place on Saturday, April 15th or Sunday, April 16th. If you have a proposal to
submit, send it to Ian Jackson VK3BUF at sparky at dcsi dot net dot au. (sparky@dcsi.net.au) In keeping with the theme of the three-day camping weekend, presentations should focus more on practical application and
less on theory. Talks will be held in the Pavilion at Drouin West,
about 100 kilometers east of Melbourne. This free popular outdoor
event, now in its eighth year, is a gathering of various area clubs to
learn, socialize and get on the air and of course, try out some new
antennas.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(ANTENNAPALOOZA WEBSITE)

**
BROADCASTER SHUTS LONGWAVE RADIO TRANSMITTER IN ICELAND

PAUL/ANCHOR: A longwave radio transmitter in Iceland has been shut down
and demolished, as Iceland phases out that form of broadcast. Jeremy
Boot G4NJH brings us that story.

JEREMY: A team of police stood nearby to oversee safety concerns as a
longwave transmitter in East Iceland was switched off and demolished.

Destruction of the mast, standing 218 metres, Iceland's third tallest structure, took place in late February, the result of a decline in the
number of listeners to longwave radio broadcasts. The transmitter had
been operated on 207 kHz by the Icelandic broadcaster RUV, which is now
giving priority to FM. Another RUV transmitter will continue operating
for a little longer in West Iceland on 189 kHz. This is Iceland's
tallest structure at 412 metres. There are plans also for that
transmitter to close, once FM broadcasts replace all of its functions.
The impetus for the change is being driven in part by Iceland's Civil
Defence and other organisations looking to improve emergency
notification capabilities. That role is going to be transferred to FM,
which is slowly being upgraded throughout Iceland.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY, RUV ICELAND)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for the Russian DXpedition Team using the
callsign 9X5RU in Rwanda from March 22nd to April 7th. You will hear
them on 160-6m and they will also be using the QO-100 satellite. They
will operate CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via Club Log's OQRS and LoTW.

Listen for the special event callsign A60AP, which is on the air until
the 31st of August. The suffix stands for the Emirates "Astronaut
Program," which prepares crews of UAE astronauts for missions that
include the International Space Station. QSL via EA7FTR.

Be listening for CT9/DD8ZX, CT9/DF7EE and CT9/DJ9KM operating from
Madeira, IOTA Number AF-014 from the 22nd to the 28th of March.
Helmut, DF7EE, will also participate in the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest as
CQ3W. QSL CT9/DD8ZX and CT9/DJ9KM via LoTW or the operators' home
calls; QSL CQ3W and CT9/DF7EE via LoTW or Club Log's OQRS.

Miguel, EA1BP, will be active as FM/EA1BP from Martinique, IOTA Number
NA-107, from the 21st to the 28th of March. He will be focusing on 17m
and 12m and operating SSB. Listen for him in the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest
where he will be using the callsign TO7O (TEE OH SEVEN OH). QSL via
LoTW, or via home call.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: WHEN "LINE OF SIGHT" SERVES AS A LIFELINE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Most of us have heard the phrase "when all else fails, ham
radio." Well, our final story for this week carries an alternative
thought: "when all else fails, aerial drones." Here's Ralph Squillace
KK6ITB with that story.

RALPH: Deep snow in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon left two motorists
trapped earlier this year in the Willamette National Forest. One of
them was a woman who had become stranded in her minivan. The other was
a man traveling not far from there. There was rarely any traffic or
even maintenance workers on this little-traveled road but they were
able to spot one another and try to find a way out of their
predicament. However, the road's remote location put it out of range
for cellphone service.

The snow grew higher and the temperatures dropped lower.

As the two tried to find a way to get word out that they were in
danger, the man realized he might in fact have a way out for the both
of them, after all. He would use line-of-sight communications, the same principle employed by ham radio operators on VHF/UHF and microwave
frequencies, as well as those using satellites. He realized that if he
could get his cellphone up high enough - say, several hundred feet
above the thick treetops - its signal would reach a cell tower,
enabling it to send a text message that could carry the details of his
distress to a friend.

He had the cellphone and, as luck would have it, he happened to have an
aerial drone in his car and the drone had enough power to make that
successful flight.

It worked. The man's friend received the text with his location and the
details of what had happened and the sheriff's search and rescue team
did the rest. The two motorists - and the drone - were brought to
safety.

This is Ralph Squilllace KK6ITB.


(THE DRIVE.COM, KRNV NEWS 4)
**
NOMINATE OUR NEXT 'YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR'

PAUL/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that young hams who live in the continental United States have an opportunity to make news, if they
aren't already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award.
Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or
younger -- someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the
spirit of ham radio. Find application forms on our website
arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations are now open and
close on May 31st.

**

DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

PAUL/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 Amateur News Weekly; Amazon India; Antennapalooza; CQ Magazine; CNN.COM; Daniel Sohn, WL7COO; David Behar
K7DB; DX-World.net; FCC; 425 DX News; National Weather Service;
QRZ.COM; Radio World: RUV Iceland; shortwaveradio.de; Telangana Today;
UK National Hamfest; 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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