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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2407 for Friday December 15th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2407 with a release date of Friday December 15th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams in the UK and Australia face big changes.
A holiday wishlist from a growing digital library of communication -put
those postage stamps from your holiday and QSL cards to work! All this
and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2407 comes your way
right now.

**
OFCOM MAKING CHANGES FOR UK HAMS IN 2024

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the action by Ofcom in the
UK, where sweeping changes are proposed for everything related to
amateur radio -- from call signs and power levels to the terms under
which a Notice of Variation is needed. Jeremy Boot G4NJH gives us an
overview.

JEREMY: A general notice from Ofcom has alerted radio amateurs in the
UK to various licence changes the regulator is proposing. Licence
variations are being proposed starting in February, affecting the use
of Regional Secondary Locators, suffixes and unlicensed individuals'
use of an amateur radio. Power limits would also be raised under
certain conditions for Foundation, Intermediate and Full licensees.

Additional changes proposed for later in the year include more flexible approvals for special event stations and replacement of the issuance of
the Intermediate licence series "2" callsign with "M8" and "M9"
instead. Changes to occur in late 2024, or early 2025, include the
ability to change one's callsign periodically but no more than once
every five years.

A full list of the vast array of changes - introduced in June of this
year- is available on the regulator's website. Ofcom is encouraging representations to be submitted on these proposals no later than 5 p.m.
local time on the 22nd of January.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(OFCOM)

**
NEW YEAR BRINGS CLASS-LICENSE FORMAT TO AUSTRALIA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The new year is bringing a major change as well for
amateurs in Australia. John Williams VK4JJW tells us about it.

JOHN: The Australian Communications and Media Authority will be moving
to a class-licence format, as previously announced, starting on the
19th of February. This removes the annual renewal fee and gives the
regulator responsibility for examinations and licence issuance. Those
tasks were previously assigned to the Australian Maritime College in
Tasmania. Hams with non-assigned amateur apparatus licences can expect
to hear from the ACMA in January when they will be provided with
guidelines for the transition arrangements and learn their highest qualification level and call sign.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(ACMA)

**
IARU MEMBERS ACT TO ELIMINATE NAVIGATION SERVICE INTERFERENCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Navigation services who are the primary users of one of
the amateur bands just got some added protection against interference,
as we hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: Following four years of discussions and negotiations, IARU
members attending the World Radiocommunications Conference in Dubai
have added a footnote to the use of the 23cm amateur band between
1240MHz and 1300MHz that is designed to eliminate the possibility of interference to Galileo and other radio navigation satellite services.
The footnote was adopted on December 8th and is designed to protect the navigation services, who are the primary users. IARU President Tim
Ellam, VE6SH, said the decision does not affect the table of
allocations and is, in his words, [quote] "a very good result for the
amateur services." [endquote]

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(IARU)

**
HAMVENTION THEME CHOSEN AS 'EXPANDING OUR COMMUNITY"

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Are you looking ahead to May of 2024? Organizers of the
2024 Hamvention and and ARRL National Convention have announced the
theme for the event next May. It will be "Expanding our Community." The announcement was made by general chairman Jim Storms AB8YK, who said
the theme supports the growth of ham radio worldwide. Hamvention will
take place May 17th, 18th and 19th in Xenia, Ohio.

(HAMVENTION)

**
INVITE WRTC ORGANIZERS TO YOUR NEXT MEETING

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: What exactly is the World Radiosport Team Championship?
If your club or other group wants to hear about it directly from the
amateurs who are preparing to host it in the UK in 2026, you now have
that option, as Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us.

JEREMY: You may not be able to get to England in 2026 for the World
Radiosport Team Championship but its story can come to you and your
club or other organisation. The event's committee is making speakers
available in person or via Zoom for club meetings to promote the event
and answer questions about it. The 10th international radio contest
event will be held in July 2026 in East Anglia with the counties of
Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire hosting 50 operating sites for
qualifying teams. It is often referred to as an Olympic-style event for
amateur radio, occurring as it does every four years.

If your club would like to know more, contact chairman Mark Haynes
M0DXR at m0dxr1@gmail.com.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(WRTC 2026)

**
DIGITAL LIBRARY RELEASES ITS WISHLIST FOR HOLIDAY AND BEYOND

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Everyone has a holiday wishlist and the Digital Library
of Amateur Radio & Communications is no different - except it's more of
a WANT-list, as we hear from Andy Morrison K9AWM.

ANDY: The Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications has passed
the milestone mark of 100,000 radio-related items ranging from podcast episodes, manuals, catalogues, newsletters and books. Like the universe
itself, though, the need goes on endlessly and the Internet Archive's
program manager for special collections. Kay Savetz, K6KJN, has created
a DLARC Wantlist that identifies gaps in the collection that need
filling. Kay says on the library website that he will update the list
as those needs change. For now, however, the wishlist includes issues
of Hambrew Quarterly, published by George De Grazio, WF0K, who is now a
Silent Key; the original Wirebook and Wirebook II; and RAIN Reports in
any audio format from 1992, 1998, 2000, and 2003.

The library was created in 2022 with the help of funding from Amateur
Radio Digital Communications and is a project of the Internet Archive.
It also contains material about pirate radio, amateur TV, low-power FM
and shortwave listening.

The library of course also has a wishlist for donations and those will
be matched on a 1-to-1 basis.

See the link in the text version of this week's newscast to see what
else the library can use.

I'm Andy Morrison K9AWM.

[DO NOT READ: https://archive.org/details/dlarc-wantlist]

(DLARC, ZERO RETRIES NEWSLETTER)

**
AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION VIA SSTV

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you'd like to help the ISS celebrate the 40-year
anniversary of amateur radio in space, tune to 145.800 MHz to receive
SSTV transmissions in the PD120 format. Images will be sent starting on
the 16th of December and continue through to the 19th. Happy
anniversary!

**
"FLYING HAMS" ARE ON THE AIR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Those of us who know that there's another way to get on
the air now have a place of their own: a spot for radio amateurs who
are also aviation enthusiasts. Dave Parks WB8ODF directs us to their
hangar.

DAVE: It's called the Flying Hams Network. Its founder, Daniel Hileman,
WX5WX, has discovered that it combines his love of radio and aviation
very nicely and connects him with kindred spirits on the air. He
created it as a digital watering hole, allowing people to chat on the
TGIF DMR Network Talk Group, Flying Hams 3120664. He has also created
links for other modes. The Flying Hams can be found on YSF 20664
US_Flying Hams, on Allstar 515422, and Echolink AE5ME-R.

The social media channel for this group is on Facebook as "FlyingHams."

Dan stresses that all you need is an interest in machines that fly or,
as he says, things that "float in the sky." Pilots and nonpilots alike
are welcome to engage in the nightly ragchews with the hopes of
forminga net.

In the meantime, just get on the air and....wing it.

This is Dave Parks WB8ODF.

(QRZ.COM, FACEBOOK, DANIEL HILEMAN, WX5WX)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the WA6TTL repeater in Simi Valley, California, on Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
local time.

**
ESA EXPLORES POSSIBLE MICROWAVE AMATEUR PAYLOAD ON SATELLITE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Is there room aboard a satellite for a geostationary
microwave amateur payload to cover part of North America? Jeremy Boot
G4NJH looks at that question.

JEREMY: The European Space Agency has an approved proposal to
investigate sharing a commercial geostationary satellite contract to
piggy-back a microwave amateur payload on it to cover Europe and part
of North America. The investigatory project was presented by ESA's
Frank Zeppenfeldt, PD0AP, to the AMSAT-UK Colloquium in Milton Keynes
on the 14th of October. Frank described a payload that would have both
an amateur radio and educational role, with two uplink transponders on
5.6 GHz and two downlink transponders on 10 GHz. The payload would be
capable of handling narrowband modes such as CW and SSB and narrowband
digital modes but would also have the capacity for wideband modes such
as amateur TV. To see Frank's presentation, follow the link to a
YouTube video that appears in the text version of this week's newscast
at arnewsline.org

The proposal from AMSAT-UK and the British Amateur Television Club has
input and support from the newly incorporated AMSAT-CA's Technical
Working Group as well as from AMSAT-USA. According to a November 30th
position paper from AMSAT-CA's president Stefan Wagener, VE4SW, and
technical director Levente Buzas, VA7QF, a number of amateur radio
satellite associations are helping Frank promote the project to
commercial satellite operators in 2024 during the World Satellite
Business Week.

Stefan told Newsline that Frank hopes to use the QO-100 geostationary
amateur payload on Qatar's Es'hail 2 satellite as an example so another commercial partners can be identified to carry a similar payload in a
position over the Atlantic to cover Europe and Canada.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FTvlEyDa1Y ]

The study is being undertaken with the help of €250,000 in ESA funds.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(AMSAT-CA, AMSAT NEWS)

**
AMATEUR IN AUSTRALIA MAKES ONLINE STUDY GUIDE AVAILABLE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in Australia are discovering that preparing for
their Foundation or Advanced Class license may be as easy as clicking
their mouse. We hear more from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Jules Perrin VK3JFP likes to keep things simple. His website, julesworkshop.net, features simple explanations of such common amateur
radio basics as multi-meters, electrical sensors and diodes. Using
simple terms he also explains valves, decibels and resonant circuits.
Now the Melbourne amateur has gone a few steps beyond into the realm of
licence preparation. A part of his website is devoted to free
instruction available to candidates who are preparing for their
Foundation or Advanced class licence. He wants to keep that kind of
study simple too.

In helping people prepare for their exams, he provides material for the Foundation licence based on the manual and Advanced level material
based on the Advanced syllabus. He hopes at some point to be able to
add audio and video sessions.

It's a work in progress but just the same, he's hoping it will already
have an impact for hams hoping to upgrade - or those hoping to become
amateurs in the first place. As he writes in a letter to members of the
Central Coast Amateur Radio Club, "education is a very important part
of our hobby."

Follow the link in the text version of this week's newscast for more
details - or to begin your own course of study.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.julesworkshop.net/Amateur%20Radio.html ]

(CENTRAL COAST ARC)

**
US ISLANDS PROGRAM LAUNCHES YEAR-LONG AWARD

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The US Islands Awards program will be marking the 30th
year since its creation by operating a year-long anniversary award
throughout 2024. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us how hams are being invited
to join the party.

JACK: Think of it as island-hopping with your radio. Whether you are
chasing contacts with hams on islands in the US Islands Award program,
or activating or qualifying an island, you will need to confirm a
minimum of 30 QSOs. These are the rules for the anniversary party for
an awards program that celebrates the islands of the 50 US states as
well as those in US protectorates and territories. They can be islands
situated along a coastal shoreline or those in rivers, lakes and other
bodies of water - both fresh water and salt water.

Starting January 1st - which is coming up fast - you have a whole year
to work your way to a certificate. The anniversary program ends on the
31st of December 2024.

The full set of rules can be found on the website for the US Islands
Awards program, which is in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This awards program is not affiliated with Islands on the Air.

I'm Jack Parker W8ISH.

[DO NOT READ: https://usislands.org/30th-award/ ]

(QRZ FORUM)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, radio operators in Northern Finland are happy to
report that Santa Radio OF9X - took to the air on the 11th of December
and will continue the journey until 2159 UTC on the 31st of December.
Be listening for the radio elves as they guide their sleighs on all
bands, using CW, SSB and FT8. This annual event has the support of
Radio Arcala, not far from the Arctic Circle. See QRZ.com for details.

In India, a group of YLs will be on the air from two ocean beaches on
the 16th and 17th of December as AT2BOTA. They are all former shortwave listeners celebrating their new amateur radio licenses. Be listening on
40, 20, 15 and 10 metres where they will operate on SSB and FT8. They
will activate Junpat Sea Beach, number 62417, on the 16th and Haripur
Sea Beach, number 62418, on the 17th. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: HAMS' POSTAGE STAMPS ARE HOLIDAY GIFTS THAT DELIVER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: For our final item this week, here's a way for you to
spread comfort and joy to those in need this holiday season. It's
simple! Save your used stamps from your greeting cards and QSL card
envelopes. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abram-o-vich, NT3V, has the
story from Philadelphia. MARK: While the colorful postage stamps
gracing the corners of the envelopes from our holiday cards and those
QSL cards we receive generally end up in the trash, a ham club based in
the City of Brotherly Love is committed to rescuing them: They're
encouraging you to join them in a project aimed at getting them into
the hands of US military veterans through the Stamps for the Wounded
program.

Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO, is with the Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club. He is
trustee of WM3PEN - the flagship call sign for historic Philadelphia.

JOSUWEIT: With the Holmesburg club handling over 1,000 QSL cards every
year just for the 13 Colonies event over the summer, we were looking
for something to do with those stamps -- and when we heard about the
program we thought, gee, it would be a great idea to rip the stamps off
the envelopes and forward them on to the program. And it has turned
into a major success over the past number of years.

MARK: Josuweit says Stamps for the Wounded uses the contributions to
provide comfort and support stamp-collecting activities for veterans.
He says they're especially helping to engage disabled vets in
creatively decorating objects.

Josuweit says the Philadelphia hams have expanded their campaign to a
host of civic groups and organizations and are promoting ham radio's involvement in the campaign.

JOSUWEIT: We're in regular contact with a couple of hunting and fishing
clubs that have large memberships and their treasurers happen to be
hams and they're sending a large envelope of stamps to us to forward to
the program.

MARK: He's encouraging hams from small radio clubs to DX groups to
collect and save the used stamps and mail them to the group.

JOSUWEIT: You can either check out the WM3PEN page on QRZ.com or
directly to the program which is stampsforthewounded.org.

MARK: Eye-catching foreign stamps from your direct DX QSLs are
especially welcome.

I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V.

**
DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

If you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would
be interested in, send it on! 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. Meanwhile, if you're
feeling even a little bit poetic, visit our website to learn more about
the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. We will announce this
year's most popular haiku and give the winner the opportunity to read
it during the final newscast of the year.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the ACMA; Amateur Radio Daily; AMSAT
Canada; AMSAT News; ARRL; Central Coast ARC; CQ Magazine; David Behar
K7DB; Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications; 425DXNews;
IARU: Ofcom; QRZ.com Forumsshortwaveradio.de; Wireless Institute of
Australia; YouTube; World Radiosport Team Championship; Youth on the
Air; Zero Retries Newsletter; 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 Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As
always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

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