XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.info

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2379 for Friday June 2nd, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2379 with a release date of Friday
June 2nd, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The Rockall Island DXpedition is on the air and rocking! A supernova sends a message to earth by radio -- and one CW
enthusiast goes from pounding the brass to winning it. All this and
more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2379 comes your way
rightnow.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**
ROCKALL DXPEDITION ACTIVATES IN NORTH ATLANTIC

JIM/ANCHOR: The big challenge is on!! Our top story takes us to the uninhabitable granite islet in the North Atlantic Ocean known as
Rockall Island which is being activated by two amateur radio operators.
Ed Durrant DD5LP takes us there.

ED: As Newsline went to production, two hams were on the air and the competition for contacts was predictably intense. It's a challenge for
chasers around the world. For the hams, the challenge is even bigger:
Emil Bergman, DL8JJ, and Nobby Styles, G0VJF, hope to break the record
of a 46-day stay on the rock set in 2014. The pair and their expedition
leader, Cam Cameron, plan to stay on the rock for as long as 50 or 60
days and raise £50,000 for charity. This coveted DX is designated IOTA
Number EU-189 and is a most-wanted location. Be listening for MM0UKI
-and cross your fingers that they are listening for you!

This is Ed Durrant DD5LP.

(ROCKALL EXPEDITION WEBSITE, MARK FELTON PRODUCTIONS, QRZ)

**

RADIO WAVES CARRY MESSAGE FROM A SUPERNOVA

JIM/ANCHOR: Radio waves have been known to carry some important
messages over the years but one recent message, received by a research
team led by scientists at Stockholm University, contained a cosmic
message. Here's Ralph Squillace KK6ITB with that story.

RALPH: Scientists have picked up radio waves revealing the presence of
an unusual type of supernova, a thermonuclear supernova, the kind used
by researchers to measure the expansion of our universe. Not long after
the supernova's discovery, scientists at the W.M. Keck Observatory in
Hawaii detected helium emissions, another significant marker.

According to Sci Tech Daily, the discovery of this type of supernova,
known as Type 1a (ONE A), is the first to be accomplished via radio
waves. The presence of helium emissions is seen as evidence that an
exploding compact white dwarf star had pulled helium from the outer
layer of a companion star - the donor star - while the supernova was
being triggered. That material is more commonly hydrogen.

The discovery is an accomplishment on another level too, according to researcher Erik Kool of the Stockholm team. He told the Journal Nature
that astronomers have been trying to accomplish this kind of detection
by radio for decades.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(SCI TECH DAILY, SCIENCE NEWS, NATURE)

**
HURRICANE WATCH NET NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

JIM/ANCHOR: In some parts of the US, where it's nearly hurricane
season, it's also the season for volunteering to look out for them, as
we hear from Randy Sly W4XJ.

RANDY: For 59 straight seasons the Hurricane Watch Net has been
activating for any hurricanes that make landfall as well as helping
those in any affected areas before, during, and after a hurricane. Just
ahead of this year's season, the word is going out in the Southern and
Eastern United States and the Caribbean - the HWN needs you! They are
looking for more people who can get on the air from the areas hit by
the storms.

Net manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, quickly offered cautionary words,
telling AR Newsline, "Of course, priority number one for anyone is to
do all you can to protect your property, home, family, and yourself.
It's always safety first." However, if hams are safe at home or in a
storm shelter, where a portable station can be set up, the net would
like to hear from them. Every piece of weather data, measured or
estimated, is considered to be important information by the forecasters
at the National Hurricane Center.

The Hurricane Watch Net covers the Caribbean, Central America, Eastern
Mexico, Eastern Canada, as well as the US Atlantic and Gulf Coast
States. Hams normally operate on 14.325 MHz by day and 7.268 MHz by
night. In addition to taking storm reports they also stand ready to
relay any emergency or health and welfare traffic as well as relaying
the latest information about storms in English and Spanish. For more information about the Hurricane Watch Net, please visit their website, www.hwn.org (www.hwn.org).

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

**

HAMS CLAIM DISTANCE RECORD FOR SATELLITE

JIM/ANCHOR: Two satellite enthusiasts recently logged a contact that
they claim has set a new record. Neil Rapp WB9VPG brings us more.

NEIL: Two satellite enthusiasts are claiming a new QSO distance record
with the SO-50 satellite in a May 24th contact that covered 5,584 km
-the distance between Michigan and Northern Ireland.

Joe KE9AJ notes on his QRZ.com page that he has long had a particular enthusiasm for extreme distance satellite QSOs. He and George MI0ILE
were able to log one another and claim bragging rights to having beaten
the previous record by 61 km. That record was set in 2018 by Jerome
F4DXV and Scott N1AIA between France and Maine.

This is Neil Rap WB9VPG.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, AMSAT)

**

SILENT KEY: HALL OF FAME MEMBER, CONTESTER, CHIP MARGELLI, K7JA

JIM/ANCHOR: The amateur radio community has been shaken by the loss of
someone who was a familiar face, a familiar voice and a friend to many
-- including those of us at Amateur Radio Newsline. Chip Margelli,
K7JA, has become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Don Wilbanks
AE5DW.

DON: Chip Margelli, K7JA, was many things to many of us: A top-notch
contester in numerous ARRL and CQ magazine competitions; a Silver
Medalist at the 1990 World Radiosport Team Championship; and a polished operator of CW who was admitted into the First-Class CW Operators'
Club. Chip, who became a Silent Key on May 25th, even achieved national notoriety outside the amateur radio community when he appeared on a US
late night talk show with TV host Jay Leno 2005 in an on-screen rivalry
that pitted his CW proficiency against the speed of the US champion in
fast cell phone text-messaging.

A recipient of the E.T. Krenkel Medal in 2021, Chip was also listed in
the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. Over the years he worked for such
companies as Yaesu USA, Heil Sound, Ham Radio Outlet and for CQ
magazine. He was a personal friend to many of us at Amateur Radio
Newsline. Chip was present in 1986 with Newsline cofounder and
treasured friend the late Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the first ceremony introducing the Young Ham of the Year Award and at subsequent
ceremonies at the Huntsville Hamfest.

Rest well, Chip. You leave many grieving friends behind.

This is Don Wilbanks AE5DW.


**
RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN SEEKS EDITOR

JIM/ANCHOR: If you are a member of the Radio Society of Great Britain
and have strong skills in writing and editing - plus technical
knowledge relevant to electronics and amateur radio - this job might
just suit you. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has the details.

JEREMY: Lee Aldridge, G4EJB, the editor of RadCom Basics, has announced
his retirement later this year and the RSGB is seeking a replacement.
RadCom basics publishes material focusing on new amateurs and those who
want to develop greater skills in the fundamentals. A successful
applicant will assign articles and work with authors in developing them
and will be responsible for writing additional articles There are also
editing responsibilities that include handling copy sent in by regular contributors and others.

The RadCom Basics editor reports to RadCom's managing editor. For
details about the job, including salary range being offered, send an
email to radcom at rsgb dot org dot uk. (radcom@rsgb.org.uk)

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 N5OZG repeater of the Crescent City Amateur Radio Group in
Metairie, Louisiana following the net on Sundays at 8 p.m.

**

TRY NEWSLINE'S HAIKU CHALLENGE

JIM/ANCHOR: What's almost as good as perfect propagation? How
about....a ham radio haiku! We're inviting listeners to channel their
most creative selves and share the joy of ham radio in the form of a
haiku. On our website, arnewsline.org, you will find a submission form
for sending your most poetic offering. Be sure you follow the
traditional form to qualify: The first line is five syllables, the
second line is seven syllables and the finishing third line has another
five syllables.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5
syllable rule and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize? Fame
and glory, of course -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the
Amateur Radio Newsline website. Visit our website at arnewsline.org to
see this week's winning haiku.

**
CALIFORNIA AMATEUR FACES $24,000 FINE

JIM/ANCHOR: A California amateur is facing a $24,000 fine from the FCC
which has charged him with deliberate interference with a regularly
scheduled 80 meter net held by the Western Amateur Radio Friendship Association. Philip J. Beaudet, N6PJB, is said to have repeatedly
interfered with the net and failed to identify himself by his callsign.
They released a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture on May
30th, outlining the case against him. The agency said that last
November and December, an agent from the San Francisco Field Office
used direction-finding on 3.908 MHz and on both occasions was able to
identify the ham's Burney, California, home as the source of the
interference cited in repeated complaints to the agency.

The notice states that Beaudet has 30 days to respond either with
payment or a written statement seeking a reduction or cancellation of
the proposed forfeiture.

(FCC, RADIO WORLD)

**

BELGIAN HAMS GAINING 8M BAND ACCESS

JIM/ANCHOR: Some new space on the spectrum awaits amateurs in Belgium
and Jeremy Boot G4NJH has that story.

JEREMY: Hams in Belgium will soon be enjoying the privileges enjoyed by
those in South Africa, Slovenia and Ireland by gaining access to the
8-metre band. The UBA, the Royal Belgian Amateur Radio Union, has
proposed giving hams with a Class A operating certificate, a HAREC full licence, the ability to get on the air with as much as 5 watts ERP and
a bandwidth limit of 3 kHz. Permission is to be granted to individuals following approval from the Belgian regulator BIPT.

The frequency range being authorised is between 40.660 and 40.690 MHz.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**
HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN HAVE ARISS QSO WITH SPACE STATION

JIM/ANCHOR: Hospitalized children outside Washington, D.C., were given
a chance to talk with an ISS astronaut recently on amateur radio.
Patrick Clark K8TAC tells us how things went.

PATRICK: Having fulfilled the first part of his space mission a few
days earlier - to arrive on board the ISS - astronaut John Shoffner,
KO4MJC, got under way with one of his next goals: to share the joys and opportunities of STEM studies as an educator. On May 26th, he shared
that view from space through a QSO with youngsters at the Children's
Inn in Bethesda, Maryland. It was a telebridge contact that made use of
a ground station in Belgium with the callsign ON4ISS. The youngsters at
the Children's Inn learned about life in space and got a closer look
too at the way amateur radio can connect people. The Children's Inn
provides a free residential environment to children and young adults
who are patients at the National Institutes of Health as a means of
reducing stress on the young patients and furthering the institutes'
clinical research. With the help of ARISS and amateur radio, the
youngsters also got a view of the great things that can happen beyond
the bounds of planet Earth.

This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.

(ARISS, FACEBOOK)

**
NEW SITE CONSOLIDATES HAM CLUBS' NEWS

JIM/ANCHOR: We were saddened some time ago by the passing of Richard
G4TUT, whose Southgate Amateur Radio News website served as a reliable
global bulletin board for many, including amateur radio podcast teams.
This badly missed resource is now being revived and provided by Cale
K4HCK through his new "Amateur Radio Daily" website. Once the domain
name is transferred from Southgatearc, its URL will also route you
there. This is a new resource available for hams and clubs looking to
get word out about their activities. So if you want other hams to see
what your club is up to, visit Amateur Radio Daily at
daily.hamweekly.com or simply send the story directly to Cale via email
to K4HCK (at) hamweekly (dot) com. Cale's new website will display the submitted stories and provide an RSS feed to receive daily updates automatically as they arrive and are posted.

(CALE, K4HCK)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for VU7W, the call being used by
Yuris, YL2GM, on Minicoy Island, IOTA Number AS-106, in the Lakshadweep Islands. He will be on the air throughout June focusing on the 6m band,
with some operation on other HF bands. QSOs are to be uploaded to LoTW.

Special event station IQ3UV is on the air now through June 11th using
CW and SSB on all the HF bands, marking the 100th anniversary of the
founding of the Alpine group of Tolmezzo and the Carnia section. A
certificate will be available as a downloadable PDF for all stations
who make contact. For other details, see QRZ.com

Be listening for Dan, F5DBT, on the air as MM/F5DBT from several
islands off Scotland's west coast until the 15th of June. He will
operate SSB, FT8 and FT4 on 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. QSL information
is available on QRZ.com

Ric, DL2VFR, and Fred, DL4BBH, will operate as LA/DL2VFR and
LA/DL4BBH from IOTA group EU-061 and the Ytre Hvaler (EE-trah Valla)
National Park in Norway from the 2nd to the 6th of June. They will be
using CW and SSB. This is an IOTA and World Wide Flora & Fauna
Expedition. QSL details are available on QRZ.com

(425 DX BULLETIN, QRZ.COM)

**
KICKER: FROM POUNDING THE BRASS TO WINNING THE BRASS

JIM/ANCHOR: For our final story, we talk to a ham who took a test that
may have been just a little bit harder than the one for his amateur
license. Plus, it was on national TV. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us how it
all played out.

GRAHAM: CW has always been a perfect fit for Richard Ayre, VK6PZT,
since he became a ham 10 years ago. Unaccustomed as he is to speaking
publicly on or off the air, he is most comfortable when he lets the
dits and the dahs do his talking for him. So why would he opt to get on
the air - in this case, on a national TV programme - where he had to
answer questions and even trade gently disparaging remarks with the
host, in a kind of sledging worthy of any cricket pitch? It's because
the Australian hit show, "Hard Quiz," would test his trivia knowledge
about his beloved CW. Oh -- and because his two daughters asked him to.

On Wednesday, the 31st of May, TV fans watched the medical sonographer
square off in the Melbourne studio against three other contestants who,
like him, were originally from England, Australia's rival this month in
the Test Series cricket matches. So he studied hard in pursuit of the
show's coveted Brass Mug. As he told Newsline recently: [quote] "I
challenged myself to find out something new about Morse Code once per
day for about one year prior to the show and made notes in a small blue
book. I asked my family and friends at our local Bunbury Radio Club to
come up with the most obscure questions possible for me to answer."
[endquote] In fact, he said: [quote] "I think if I spent as much time practicing my head copying as I did reading about how the code was
developed or used over the last 100 years I would be a much better
operator." [endquote]

No worry there: Richard scored a strong victory and got to take away
the huge 5kg mug. Now instead of pounding the brass, he'll said he'll
be drinking from it.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

**
DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

JIM/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 Radio Daily; Ambarish Nag
Biswas, VU2JFA; AMSAT News Service; ARISS; ARRL; Cale, K4HCK; CQ
Magazine; Dario Rovedo, IV3HXF; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; FCC;
425 DX News; Jenny Tupper; Mark Felton Productions; QRZ.COM; Radio
Society of Great Britain; Radio World; Sci Tech Daily; Science News; shortwaveradio.de; 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 Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston West Virginia saying 73.
As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)