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   Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2506 for Friday, November 7th, 2025   
        
   Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2506 with a release date of Friday,   
   November 7th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a QST. The FCC considers a request for satellite delivery of   
   after-hour sunlight. Australia begins a sweeping review of their amateur band   
   plans -- and remembering a priest who pioneered wireless transmission at the   
   turn of the century. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number   
   2506 comes your way right now.   
      
   **   
      
   BILLBOARD CART   
      
   **   
   PROPOSED SATELLITE WOULD PROVIDE 'SUNLIGHT ON DEMAND'   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story sheds some light on a satellite company's plan to   
   shed some light - some real reflected light from the sun - back to the earth   
   after twilight to benefit solar power users. Kent Peterson KCØDGY gives us the   
   details.   
      
   KENT: The FCC's Space Bureau has been asked to approve a proposed launch next   
   April for a satellite in non-geostationary orbit that will deploy mirrors to   
   provide "sunlight on demand," according to the company's website.   
      
   Reflect Orbital, a startup company based in California, filed its application   
   this past summer for a license for what it hopes will be the first of 4,000   
   mirrored satellites that it wants to place in low-Earth orbit by 2030. The   
   April launch is being eyed for a demonstration satellite which will carry a   
   mirror that measures 18-by-18 meters, or 60-by-60 feet. Sunlight's reflection   
   by that envisioned constellation would extend daylight beyond twilight by as   
   much as four hours, increasing solar-power production to locations where   
   Reflect Global has customers.   
      
   The company says that its technology supports clean-energy generation - but   
   astronomers, biologists and other scientists have raised questions about the   
   prospect of light pollution on human and animal health and the ability to   
   study the skies effectively.   
      
   Astronomers in particular have said that lighting up dark skies would impede   
   their work, which uses sensitive cameras. According to published reports,   
   Reflect Orbital recently began working with astronomers to minimize the   
   mirrors' impact. on them. Meanwhile, scientists have observed how nocturnal   
   species' lives can be disrupted and perhaps imperiled by artificial light   
   during the night.   
      
   This past May, the US Air Force awarded the project a $1.25 million Small   
   Business Innovation Research contract to support its progress.   
      
   This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.   
      
   (LOS ANGELES TIMES, SPACE.COM, AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY)   
      
   **   
   AUSTRALIAN BAND PLAN GETS SWEEPING REVIEW   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: The last major changes to Australia's national band plan were put   
   in place nearly a decade ago, prompting the Wireless Institute of Australia to   
   launch a sweeping review of everything, proposing changes across almost all   
   bands. Graham Kemp VK4BB explains this ambitious undertaking.   
      
   GRAHAM: Regulatory changes and shifts in on-air activity are two of the major   
   drivers behind a wide-ranging overhaul being considered for Australia's ham   
   bands. The WIA's Technical Advisory Committee opened a community consultation   
   on the 17th of October and is expecting hams who have made requests over the   
   years to formally weigh in on these proposals until the deadline on the 12th   
   of December.   
      
   The proposed changes accommodate growth in the use of new modes and new areas   
   of interest, particularly those involving the use of digital technology. They   
   include revising ATV segments based on widespread adoption of Digital ATV   
   modes; a review of repeater sub-bands considering the growth of digital voice   
   hotspots on 2m and 70cm. Band plan data for the Microwave bands between 24 and   
   134 GHz are also being reviewed.   
      
   On HF, the proposal will try to achieve better alignment of band plans,   
   including 630 metres and 160 metres.   
      
   A comprehensive list can be found at the link in the text version of this   
   week's newscast at arnewsline.org The WIA is seeking responses only from   
   licenced hams and clubs based in Australia. Revisions are expected to be   
   published by the end of the first quarter of next year.   
      
   This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.   
      
   [DO  NOT READ: https://tinyurl.com/489ecv44  ]   
      
   (WIA)   
      
   **   
   SILENT KEY: ORIGINAL SOTA ENTHUSIAST, ROBERT JOHN HANNAN, G4RQJ   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: He was there in the UK at the inception of Summits on the Air --   
   and now he is a Silent Key, leaving many SOTA ops around the world mourning   
   his death. We learn more about him from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.   
      
   JEREMY: Robert John Hannan, G4RQJ, was not just one of the best-known and   
   longest-serving members of the SOTA community but perhaps one of its best   
   loved. He was there in 2002 when SOTA was a dream realised by so many outdoor   
   enthusiasts who believed that combining radio with a bit of adventure would be   
   a peak experience in every sense of the word.   
      
   Rob became a Silent Key on the 25th of September in the Risedale St Cuthberts   
   Nursing Home. His death was reported recently on the SOTA Reflector.   
      
   Even as poor health began to hamper his activities, Rob's enthusiasm remained   
   strong. His final activation, made in 2018, was number 916. Even away from the   
   summits, his was a particularly familiar face at the annual Norbreck Rally in   
   Blackpool, where accompanied by his wife Audrey, he staffed the SOTA stand and   
   greeted visitors warmly.   
      
   The SOTA Reflector post noted that his cheerful and caring demeanor was as   
   present on the air as off the air.  The post said: [quote] "Whether answering   
   your call as a chaser or in summit-to-summit QSO, he always sounded as though   
   he was having the time of his life and was absolutely delighted to hear from   
   you." [endquote]   
      
   Rob was 84.   
      
   This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.   
      
   (SOTA REFLECTOR, LITTLE & CAINE FUNERAL DIRECTORS)   
      
   **   
   SILENT KEY: QUICKSILVER RADIO PRODUCTS' JOHN BARTSCHERER, N1GNV   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: Here in the US, a well-regarded businessman who served the   
   amateur radio community - and was a friendly and familiar face at many   
   hamfests - has become a Silent Key. Jim Damron N8TMW shares his story.   
      
   JIM: Many customers in the amateur radio community knew him simply as John   
   Bee,  but John Bartscherer (Bart Shearer), N1GNV, was also known for his   
   Connecticut-based business, Quicksilver Radio Products, and his personable   
   demeanor. He was a visible presence at hamfests and activities with the   
   Meriden Amateur Radio Club. Before starting Quicksilver more than 20 years   
   ago, John had been the advertising manager for the ARRLs publication, QST.   
   Licensed in 1989, John and his club also ran the Nutmeg Ham Fest, the New   
   England ARRL State Convention in Hartford.    
      
   John became a Silent Key on Saturday the 25th of October while hospitalized.   
      
   His longtime friend and part-time employee, Peter Freiler (Fry-Lurr), W1AIR,   
   told Newsline that the business remains open while the family copes with its   
   grief. He said that Quicksilvers longterm plans were unclear.    
      
   Peter said that John found great joy in meeting with fellow amateurs at Dayton   
   and at  New Englands regional NEAR-Fest, which he particularly loved   
   attending. He said that he often spent more time just chatting with visitors   
   than trying to sell them anything  -- which, given his friendly  nature, was   
   not surprising.   
      
   This is Jim Damron N8TMW.   
      
   (QRZ.COM, PETER FREILER, W1AIR)   
      
   **   
   2 RECEIVE YASME EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR WORK WITH YOUNG HAMS   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: Two amateurs involved in separate activities designed to develop   
   the next generation of hams have been selected to receive the Yasme Excellence   
   Award. We learn more about them and their work from Jen De Salvo W9TJX.   
      
   JEN: Two US amateurs have been recognized by the Yasme Foundation for their   
   ongoing contributions to young amateur radio operators in helping them develop   
   technical and operating skills.   
      
   Ed Engleman, KG8CX, is being honored for his work with the YACHT program,   
   which serves young amateurs. YACHT is an acronym for the Young Amateurs   
   Communications Ham Team, which connects young radio operators around the world   
   to form friendships and share their experiences.   
      
   Don Jones, K6ZO has been recognized for his ongoing work training and   
   supporting young operators in rural Malawi. One of the teenage operators from   
   Dons training sessions was recently added to the team of DXpeditioners who are   
   going to Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal next year.   
      
    Both hams will receive the Yasme Excellence Award, which was established in   
   2008 by the foundation. The announcement was made on the 30th of October.   
      
   In the same announcement, the foundations board of directors said that Yasme   
   has also made a grant to support the RM Noise project, which employs   
   artificial intelligence to remove noise from SSB and CW reception.   
      
   This is Jen DeSalvo W9TJX.   
      
   (YASME FOUNDATION)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK HERE:  Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio   
   Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the linked   
   N6USO and K6TEM repeaters in Southern California on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.   
   local time.   
      
   **   
   ISS MARKS 25 YEARS with SSTV TRANSMISSIONS   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: Get ready for a celebration in the sky: Amateur Radio on the   
   International Space Station is marking its 25th year by transmitting 12   
   different images on SSTV from November 12th through to the 20th. The images,   
   which will honor Scouting, are to be sent on 145.800 MHz every two minutes.   
   There will be a scheduled interruption on the 16th of November for an   
   educational contact with Azerbaijan.   
      
   (AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)   
      
   **   
      
   MOUNTAIN RADIO CHALLENGE TESTS SKILLS, PROPAGATION   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: In Australia, CB radio enthusiasts and hams are taking to the   
   mountains for an annual challenge, as Jason Daniels VK2LAW tells us.   
      
   JASON: What started as an experiment between two teenagers in Australia   
   testing the range of their walkie-talkies later grew into a test of CB radios'   
   range in young drivers' cars. The activity, which began formally in 1987, is   
   known as the Mountain Radio Challenge and it is a test of what a radio   
   operator can accomplish using only line-of-sight communications.   
      
   This year's challenge is taking place on Saturday the 29th of November.   
   Instead of school kids on beaches, this growing challenge attracts CB radio   
   operators on 27 MHz and amateur radio operators on the ham frequencies, many   
   of whom are also activating SOTA summits.   
      
   Tony Lock, the founder and event director, told Newsline in an email that the   
   very challenge that began long ago between him and a schoolmate has since   
   expanded to several groups on hills within his home state of Victoria and has   
   expanded to Tasmania, South Australia and New South Wales.   
      
   The objective is to transmit a predetermined relay message in one direction,   
   from one operator to the next, and a responding message back in the reverse   
   direction.   
      
   According to the event website, although ham radio operators will not be   
   participating in the message relay itself, their presence on the mountains is   
   still useful because the hams can help with operator coordination and, of   
   course, if there is a need for emergency communications.   
      
   For details about participating, see the link the text version of this week's   
   newscast at arnewsline.org    
      
   [DO NOT READ:    https://mountainradiochallenge.weebly.com/  ]   
      
   This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.   
      
   (MOUNTAIN RADIO CHALLENGE WEBSITE, TONY LOCK)   
      
   **   
      
   SILENT KEY'S GIFT ENDOWS LIBRARY DEAN CHAIR AT ALMA MATER   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: The estate of a Silent Key in the US has endowed the creation of   
   high-ranking position at his alma mater in the state of Iowa. We learn more   
   about him from Andy Morrison K9AWM.   
      
   ANDY: A native of Iowa, Gary Swenson, KA2HAN, served in the US Army for 30   
   years before retiring as a colonel in 2005. Before entering the military, he   
   had earned his master's and doctoral degrees in economics from Iowa State   
   University.    
      
   His lifelong love of learning and reading carried through into his amateur   
   radio career -- and now prominently into his legacy. Gary became a Silent Key   
   this past June unexpectedly when he had a heart attack at the age of 75. His   
   estate is funding the establishment of a Dean of Library Services on the   
   university campus. The library is a cornerstone of the university, with more   
   than 2.3 million physical items in its collections and another 2 million   
   e-books as well as access to online publications in various disciplines.   
   According to the university website, more than 1.5 million downloads of the   
   campus' scholarship and research projects are completed each year from its   
   digital repository    
      
   The library services' inaugural dean, Hilary Seo, said the gift would [quote]   
   "benefit future generations of students well into our next century of   
   service." [endquote] That educational mission is consistent with much of what   
   Gary did after retiring from the military: he tutored at a community action   
   center near his home in the state of Virginia and was active with the Mount   
   Vernon Amateur Radio Club.   
      
   This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.   
      
   (THE STORM LAKE TIMES-PILOT, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY)   
      
   **   
      
      
   WORLD OF DX   
      
   Arnold, DK1VK will be active as OZØROM  from Romo Island, IOTA Number EU-   
   125, on the 8th through to the 14th of November and again on the 21st through   
   to the 28th of November. He will also be on the air from the 16th through to   
   the 19th of November as LA/DK1VK from Utsira Island, IOTA Number EU-055.   
   During his activations from both locations he will be using SSB on 80-10   
   metres and possibly 160m.   
      
   Listen for Aldir, PY1SAD, using the callsign 8R1TM from Guyana until the 7th   
   of December. He is using CW, SSB and digital modes on 160-6 metres.   
      
   The 5J4W DXpedition to Playa Blanca Island will be on the air starting on the   
   12th of November. The island is IOTA number SA-084. Be listening for them on   
   CW, SSB and the digital modes on 80-10 metres until either the 16th or 17th of   
   November.   
      
   For all contacts listed in World of DX, please see QRZ.com for QSL details,   
   frequencies or other operating information.   
      
   (425 DX BULLETIN)   
      
   **   
   KICKER: PRIEST'S OTHER FAITH WAS IN RADIO WAVES   
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: We end our report this week by going back in time to the turn of   
   the century when a priest from Europe came to the US where he became an early   
   pioneer of wireless communication. Travis Lisk N3ILS introduces us to him.   
      
   TRAVIS: Father Jozef Murgas, the scientist, painter and priest born in what is   
   now known as Slovakia, was a man of enduring curiosity and deep faith.   
   Ordained in 1888, he served the church in what was then the Kingdom of Hungary   
   until he answered a call to service in the United States. In 1896, he arrived   
   in the mining community of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, which has a strong   
   Slovak population.   
      
   The priest, whose many studies included astronomy, botany and el   
   ctrotechnology, held another cherished faith -- a strong belief in his   
   experiments in radiotelegraphy. Some historians say that his development of a   
   wireless transmission method known as "The Tone Method," which he patented,   
   paved the way for the development of Morse Code. In 1905 he publicly tested   
   it, successfully sending signals between towers in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton,   
   about 20 miles, or 32 kilometers, away.   
      
   That historic transmission will be recreated on the 15th of November by the   
   Murgas Amateur Radio Club K3YTL at King's College and amateur radio station   
   W3USR at the University of Scranton. The event, organized in partnership with   
   the Slovak Heritage Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, will be live   
   streamed on YouTube and Facebook and will be available for viewing later on   
   the club's YouTube Page.   
      
   The day will also mark the 50th anniversary of the club that honored the   
   pioneering priest by adopting his name as their own.   
      
   This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.   
      
      
   PAUL/ANCHOR: Find links to the 1 p.m. live stream in the text version of this   
   week's newscast at arnewsline.org    
      
   [YouTube stream:   https://www.youtube.com/live/TelTcuvqsLo?si=H   
   w0yzriKZ7HlwCS]   
      
   [Facebook Stream:   https://www.facebook.com/share/17uCDnDpAq/]   
      
      
   (MURGAS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, SLOVAK HERITAGE SOCIETY)   
      
   **   
   If you haven't sent in your ham radio haiku yet, what's been stopping you?   
   Visit our website at arnewsline.org and as you compose your ode to your   
   favorite online activity, we will help you use the correct number of syllables   
   to make an authentic haiku. Submit your work and then sit back and wait to   
   hear whether you are the winner of this week's challenge. The winner gets a   
   shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.   
      
   NEWSCAST CLOSE   
      
   With thanks to Amateur News Daily; American Astronomical Society; AMSAT News   
   Service; Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO; David Behar; 425DX Bulletin; Iowa State   
   University; Little & Caine Funeral Directors; Los Angeles Times; Mountain   
   Radio Challenge; Murgas Amateur Radio Club; Peter Freiler, W1AIR; QRZ.com;   
   shortwaveradio.de; Slovak Heritage Society; SOTA Reflector; Space.com; Storm   
   Lake Times-Pilot; Wireless Institute of Australia; Yasme Foundation; YouTube;   
   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   
   2025. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even when   
   retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.   
      
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