Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1844 - December 14 2012   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1844 with a release date of December 14,   
   2012 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a Q-S-T. A high altitude balloon carrying an amateur radio   
   APRS transponder flies from California to Morocco; D-Star tests coming to   
   the High Frequency bands; two nations on opposite sides of the world gain   
   access to 472 to 479 Kilohertz and more on the Department of Homeland   
   Security sponsored emergency communications traing at the 2013 Dayton   
   Hamvention. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report   
   number 1844 coming your way right now.   
      
      
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   EMERGING TECHNOLOGY APRS BALLOON LAUNCHED IN CALIFORNIA LANDS IN MOROCCO   
      
   A group of high altitude balloon experimenters have achieved a milestone.   
   This with confirmation that their K6RPT-12 APRS equipped high altitude   
   balloon has successfully crossed the Atlantic and landed in Morocco.   
   Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the details:   
      
   --   
      
   Amateur radio stations from the United Kingdom to the Azores had been   
   listening for the transatlantic balloon signing K6RPT-12 on 144.390 MHz FM.   
   This after it was lofted skyward from California at about 0126 UTC on   
   Monday, December 3rd.   
      
   The balloon was launched by the California Near Space Project team with the   
   intent of it crossing the Atlantic heading for the British Isles. When it   
   left the USA it was traveling at over 185 an hour but was believed to have   
   slowed down in its over-water trek to as little as 55 miles an hour.   
   Knowing this, the payload was designed for over 60 hours of flight. It also   
   included a heating system for its 144.390 MHz FM transmitter developed by   
   Johnathan Corgan, AE6HO, to prevent it freezing during overnight flight.   
   This was because the bitterly cold night temperatures at that altitude have   
   caused the transmitters on several amateur radio balloons to fail.   
      
   After its journey across the Atlantic its APRS signals were first picked up   
   by stations in Spain. It was last heard at 09:22:31 UTC on December 5th   
   descending rapidly, indicating that the balloon had finally burst. Its last   
   recorded position was 34=B025.75' North and 3=B058.96' West placing it in   
   the Taza Provence of Morocco North-North East of Tazekka National Park.   
      
   It is believed there are less than 150 radio amateurs in Morocco and no known   
   APRS stations. As such the balloon and its payload may never be recovered.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   It should be noted that the amateur radio APRS frequency is not standardized   
   world-wide. The United States uses 144.390 MHz while the British Isles and   
   Europe use 144.800 MHz. To see the See the K6RPT-12 APRS reported flight   
   track please take your web browser to tinyurl.com/k6rpt-12 on the   
   World-Wide-Web. (California Near Space Project, Southgate, others)   
      
   **   
      
   EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: HF D-STAR TESTS TO BE HELD SATURDAY AND SUNDAY UTC   
      
   D-Star is coming to a high frequency band near you. According to a post on   
   the Illinois D-Star Reflector, by Kent Hufford, KQ4KK, D-Star High Frequency   
   tests will be held Saturday at midnight UTC and Sunday at 1500 hours UTC.   
   D-Star operation will last only 5 minutes on each band beginning on 6 meters   
   and working down to 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 40 and finally 75 meters. The test   
   will be compatible with Icom 9100 series transceivers and other D-Star   
   equipped High Frequency transceivers. The posting did not mention specific   
   frequencies to be used but asked those interested to monitor D-Star   
   reflector 030C to coordinate. (KQ4KK, D-Star Reflector)   
      
   **   
      
   RESTRUCTURING: NEW ZEALAND HAMS GET 472 to 479 KHZ LOW FREQUENCY BAND   
      
   Hams in New Zealand are getting access to the 472 kHz to 479 kHz band.   
   Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Neachen, ZL2BHF, has more:   
      
   --   
      
   At the World Radiocommunication Conference held earlier this year the band   
   from 472 kHz to 479 kHz was allocated to the Amateur service for use world   
   wide on a secondary basis. Some nations almost immediately opened it to use   
   by their ham radio communities and now it becomes our turn here, down under.   
      
   Its now has been agreed that New Zealand amateurs will be given access to   
   this band following agreements made with the Radio Spectrum Policy and   
   Planning Group of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. And   
   the rules they came up with are quite simple.   
      
   Like the rest of the world, the frequency range will be 472 kHz to 479 kHz on   
   a secondary, non interfering basis with other spectrum users. Power output   
   will be 25 watts effective radiated with no bandwidth restrictions.   
      
   As a result of this new allocation, New Zealand hams will loose access to the   
   previous temporary low frequency allocation from 505 to 515 kHz. However   
   the Ministry has agreed that the temporary use of the band by the nation's   
   ham radio community will be permitted for another 12 months until the end of   
   2013. This is to provide amateurs with the opportunity to retune or rebuild   
   their equipment to use the new band.   
      
   All in all not a bad way to end 2012 and begin the new year.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, in Nelson, New   
   Zealand.   
      
   --   
      
   The rules creating the 472 kHz to 479 kHz low frequency band in New Zealand   
   come are effective on December 20th. (NZART)   
      
   **   
      
   RESTRUCTURING: NEW SPECTRUM FOR UK HAMS AT 474 KHZ AND 5 MHZ   
      
   Meantime over in the United Kingdom, holders of a UK Full class license will   
   soon be able to apply for a Notice of Variation to their ham tickets This   
   to use 472 to 479 KHz as well as three additional 5 MHz channels that will   
   permit up to 6 kHz bandwidth emissions.   
      
   The new 472 to 479 KHz band is being created as a result of the World   
   Radiocommunications conference held earlier this year. The added spectrum   
   in the 5 Experimental Band is the outcome of negotiations between the   
   spectrums primary user and telecommunications regulator Ofcom. The primary   
   user was unable to agree to contiguous spectrum, however it has been agreed   
   that three additional non-contiguous frequencies will be available.   
      
   Notices of Variation will be accepted after January 1st of 2013. Details on   
   the application process will be published shortly. (GB2RS)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO POLITICS: IARU ACCEPTS TWO NEW MEMBERS   
      
   The Federation of Radio Sport of Azerbaijan and the St Vincent and the   
   Grenadines Amateur Radio Club are the two newest members of the   
   International Amateur Radio Union.   
      
   The Radio Sport of Azerbaijan has some 50 members while the Grenadines   
   Amateur Radio Club hosts 21. Both nations have relatively small ham radio   
   populations with the former representing all 50 of its ham radio population   
   and the latter representing 21 of that nation's 134.   
      
   As of February, 2009, the International Amateur Radio Union was composed of   
   162 national member societies. The addition of The Radio Sport of   
   Azerbaijan and the Grenadines Amateur Radio Club now brings that total to   
   164. (IARU, Southgate, others)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO LAW: CONFRONTATIONAL WORLD CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL   
   TELECOMMUNICATIONS BEING HELD DUBAI   
      
   A confrontational United Nations internet regulation treaty being discussed   
   at a gathering in Dubai may impact on amateur radio operators. This,   
   according to the telecommunications information website dot-nxt. Amateur   
   Radio Newslines Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, explains:   
      
   --   
      
   At the heart of the issue is the term operating agencies. Currently the   
   international telecommunication regulations or I-T-R's apply only to   
   recognized operating agencies. This really means the large   
   telecommunications operators in each country such as ATT and Verizon here in   
   the United States.   
      
   Some countries want that term changed to just the term agencies. This would   
   mean the I-T-R's would become applicable to a vastly larger number of   
   groups. So rather than just ATT, British Telecom or Italia Telecom and the   
   like, the international treaty would then apply to entities such as Google,   
   Facebook, Microsoft and eBay just to name a few. In reality, just about   
   every Internet company, as well private network operators, leased-line   
   operators, government agencies and even amateur radio operators would be   
   included in this new definition.   
      
   But this idea is not sitting well with many developed nations. Opposed so   
   far are the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland and the   
   pan-European C-E-P-T and the Inter American Telecommunications Commission   
   which is better known by the acronym Citel. On the other side in favor of   
   the change are the Arab States, African States, Brazil, India, Philippines   
   and several others.   
      
   In the meantime hthe entire conference risks grinding to a halt until this   
   issue can be decided.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the newsroom   
   in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   You can find out more about the situation on-line at   
   tinyurl.com/wcit-meeting-2012 (Dot-Nxt, NewsGateInternational)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 1   
      
   From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard   
   on bulletin stations around the world including the W6GNS repeater serving   
   Downey California.   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   ENFORCEMENT: KANSAS HAM ISSUED $10000 NAL FOR ALLEGED OPERATION OF FM   
   BROSDCAST STATION   
      
   A ham in Kansas has been issued a $10,000 Notice of Apparent Liability to   
   Monetary Forfeiture for allegedly operating an unlicensed FM broadcast   
   station. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has the details:   
      
   --   
      
   The proposed $10,000 fine was issued on December 5th to Glen Rubash, licensee   
   of Amateur Radio Station KC0GPV. This for what the FCC terms as his   
   apparently willful and repeated violating of Section 301 of the   
   Communications Act. This by operating an unlicensed radio transmitter on   
   the frequency 88.3 MHz in Manhattan, Kansas.   
      
   By way of background, this past September 26th agents from the Enforcement   
   Bureau's Kansas City Office T-hunted the source of an 88.3 MHz signal to a   
   transmitting antenna mounted on a pole next to a residence in Manhattan,   
   Kansas. The agents determined that the signals from the antenna exceeded   
   the limits for operation under Part 15 of the Commission's rules and   
   therefore required a license. The Commission's records showed that no   
   authorization was issued to anyone for operation of an FM broadcast station   
   at or near this address.   
      
   On September 27th the agents from the Kansas City Office again used   
   direction-finding techniques to confirm if the station was still operating   
   on 88.3 MHz from the same location, and found that it was. The agents,   
   accompanied by the property owner, inspected the unlicensed station's   
   antenna and transmitter. The latter was located in a locked detached   
   garage. The property owner stated that he allowed Rubash to use the garage   
   to operate the station and that he thought the operation was legal because   
   Rubash told him that he was a licensed radio operator.   
      
   Later that same day a person it identified as Glen Rubash spoke to an agent   
   from the Kansas City Office via telephone. At that time the regulatory   
   agency claims that Rubash confirmed that he was an Extra class amateur   
   licensee assigned call sign KC0GPV. He also admitted that he purchased the   
   radio transmitter and that the station had been on the air for two months.   
   The person on the phone reportedly added that he would not voluntarily   
   relinquish the transmitter if asked to do so.   
      
   Now the FCC has acted in the case by proposing the $10,000 fine. It   
   concludes, based on the evidence before it, that Mr. Rubash apparently   
   willfully and repeatedly violated Section 301 of the Act by operating radio   
   transmission equipment without the required Commission authorization and as   
   such is liable for the proposed $10,000 fine.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im, Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale,   
   Arizona   
      
   --   
      
   As is customary, Rubash was given the customary 30 days to pay the proposed   
   fine or to file an appeal. (FCC)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: UPDATED INFORMATION ON DHS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CLASS AH   
   HAMVENTION 2013   
      
   The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Emergency Communications has   
   announced that on January 14, 2013, it will begin accepting registration   
   requests for the training class that it will be sponsoring next May at the   
   2013 Dayton Hamvention.   
      
   Students requesting to attend must meet all pre-requisites and provide   
   electronic scanned images of certain documents at the time of registration.   
   These include proof of completion of FEMA emergency incident instructional   
   sessions IS-100.b, IS-200.b, IS-700.a and IS-800.b. They must also provide   
   a copy of their General Class or above FCC amateur radio license. The DHS   
   says that it is important that all listed documents be submitted at one time   
   along with the registration request in order to be considered.   
      
   The session is limited to 50 students and the registration process will be   
   closed when that number of qualified students is reached. But even if you   
   are not among the 50 selected to attend the session there will be other   
   training available. Word is that the instructors conducting the course will   
   also be giving a forum at Hamvention(r) 2013 regarding the use of trained   
   amateur radio operators as backup communicators in an emergency operations   
   environment.   
      
   More information including the actual class and the e-mail address for   
   pre-registration will soon be posted on-line at www.Hamvention.org. (Press   
   release)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: AUSTRALIA ACMA FINDS STOLEN EMERGENCY BEACON   
      
   Australian Search and Rescue was recently alerted that an activated emergency   
   position-indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB had been stolen from the city of   
   South Melbourne. After narrowing down its initial search, Search and Rescue   
   called in the expertise of a field inspector from the Australian   
   Communications Authority or ACMA. Using a Yagi directional antenna, he   
   eventually found the errant device hanging from overhead power lines. It was   
   safely retrieved for evidence by members of the Victoria Police. For those   
   not aware, EPIRB's are automatic or manually activated search and rescue   
   beacons linked to satellites when turned on. (VK3PC)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS: GETTING INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT BY HAM RADIO   
      
   The Moose Jaw Canada Times Herald reports that kids in that city had a chance   
   to tell their holiday gift requests to Santa up at the North Pole using   
   amateur radio. Brenda MacKenzie, VE5TRG, and other members of the Moose Jaw   
   Amateur Radio Club operated the ham radio links. You can read the complete   
   story on-line at tinyurl.com/moose-jaw-holiday.   
   (Via e-mail)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: NAMES IN THE NEWS OKLAHOMA STUDENTS HOLD RADIO TRIBUTE ON   
   PEARL HARBOR DAY   
      
   Okalahoma's Lawton Constitution newspaper reports that students at the   
   Eisenhower Middle School's amateur radio club recently commemorated the 71st   
   anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. The club held the tribute to honor all   
   veterans, but especially the 2,402 Americans killed in the December 7, 1941   
   Japanese sneak attack on the United States base in Hawaii.   
      
   Clifton Harper, KE5YZB, is the teacher who sponsors the amateur radio club.   
   He told the newspaper that students started contacting other amateur radio   
   operators around the world at 8:30 a.m. and continued until 3:30 p.m. both   
   local time. Three separate stations were in use including one in a trailer   
   from the Lawton Amateur Radio Club operating as W5KS.   
      
   According to the newspaper, about 140 students took part in the event   
   throughout the school day. More is on-line at   
   tinyurl.com/lawton-pearl-harbor. (Lawton Constitution)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: WYONG MINI CONTEST UNIVERSITY OPEN FOR REGISTRATIONS   
      
   Registration to attend the free Mini Contest University at Australia's Wyong   
   field day in February 2013 is now open. For details please visit   
   tinyurl.com/contest-u-down-under on the World Wide Web. (VK2JI)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: HANDIHAM MANAGER'S TECHNOLOGY AWARD TO KK4JZX.   
      
   Some names in the news. Jose Tamayo, KK4JZX, has been named to receive the   
   2012 Handiham Manager's Technology Award. This for his dedication to the   
   Handiham Remote Base software update project.   
      
   According to the Handihams, Tamayo has done exemplary work to debug and   
   update the existing W4MQ remote base client software. He has lead the beta   
   testing team and is working to build accessibility into the newest version   
   of this important remote control client. (WA0TDA)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: BRITISH SINGER SARAH BRIGHTMAN TO BLAST OFF TO SPACE IN   
   2015   
      
   The Space Adventures Agency has confirmed that famed British soprano Sarah   
   Brightman has signed an agreement with the Russian Space Agency and secured   
   herself a space trip to the International Space Station for sometime in in   
   2015.   
      
   As previously reported here on Amateur Radio Newsline, about two months ago   
   the singer was cleared to fly by the medical commission and set her   
   schedule to begin gan her training at Russia's Cosmonaut Training Centre   
   outside Moscow. More recently Brightman told a Russian newspaper she will   
   also have to learn speak some Russian before her space trip to be able to   
   communicate with the crew.   
      
   Brightman's eventual arrival on-orbit will denote a long period between   
   visitors to the orbiting outpost. The last visitor was Cirque du Soleil   
   founder Guy Laliberte who traveled into space in 2009. (G0SFJ, others)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 2   
      
   This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the United States of   
   America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our   
   only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the   
   volunteer services of the following radio amateur:   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
   **   
      
   CHANGING OF THE GUARD: CQ NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR JOHN WOOD, SR., WV5J - SK   
      
   The changing of the guard in amateur radio continues with the sad news that   
   John Wood, Sr., WV5J, who served as CQ's New Products Editor since 2009,   
   passed away on December 3 after a brief battle with cancer.   
      
   A lifelong journalist, Wood spent most of his career as a reporter and editor   
   for newspapers in and around Memphis, Tennessee. He lived in the Memphis   
   suburb of Germantown.   
      
   A contributor to CQ for several years on a variety of topics, John became   
   editor of the "What's New" column as of the magazine's December, 2009,   
   issue. He continued writing occasional feature articles as well. His most   
   recent, "There's a 'Secret Service' in Memphis on the 222 Ham Band,"   
   appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of CQ VHF.   
      
   Wood is survived by his wife of 41 years, Marie, WA4WFX; his son, John, Jr.,   
   KI4VCK; his daughter, Christi, and two grandchildren. The family requests   
   that contributions in John's memory be made to the St. Jude Children's   
   Research Hospital. At the time of his passing John Wood, Sr., WV5J, was   
   only age 61. (CQ)   
      
   **   
      
   CHANGING OF THE GUARD: HELICOPTER NEWS PIONEER JOHN SILVA - SK   
      
   The man who invented helicopter coverage for television, has died. John D.   
   Silva was the chief engineer for Los Angeles television station KTLA when he   
   convinced station executives to give him $40,000 to outfit a rented Bell   
   helicopter with a TV camera for news coverage.   
      
   Silva then worked in secrecy with Hollywood special effects shops and   
   engineers from the General Electric Corporation to find or invent technology   
   small and light enough to fit on a helicopter. He and his small team   
   broadcast their first air to ground signal on July 28, 1958 to Los Angeles   
   viewers who would eventually come to equate a helicopter news coverage with   
   a high-speed police pursuits and the like.   
      
   In an interview with Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine, Silva said he came up   
   with the idea while on the freeway. He explained that he was driving on the   
   Hollywood Freeway one morning and when the idea came to him.   
      
   Silva told Air & Space that he never thought about being a pioneer. Rather   
   all that he ever wanted to do was get KTLA News there and get the picture   
   before the competition got it.   
      
   The Los Angeles Times reported Silva died in Camarillo, California, of   
   Pneumonia complications. He was age 92. (RW)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT: HISTORIC BLETCHLEY PARK GB2BP QRT   
      
   A historic amateur radio station is going QRT for good. Over the weekend of   
   December 15th and 16th, station GB2BP will be making its final transmissions   
   from the famed Bletchley Park estate in the United Kingdom.   
      
   Bletchley Park has been the home of GB2BP as well as serving as the location   
   of its sponsor the Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society for the past 18   
   years. But both are being forced to vacate the estate due to a change in   
   its status to a museum. This will mean that it will have scheduled opening   
   and closing times after which there will be no public access.   
      
   For those who are not aware of Bletchley Park's significance, during World   
   War 2 it was the site of the United Kingdom's main message intercept center   
   where ciphers and codes of several Axis countries were decrypted. The most   
   important of these were the ciphers generated by the German Enigma and   
   Lorenz machines. The work done there is generally credited as one of the   
   main reasons that the Allies won the war.   
   While GB2BP may no longer be in full time residence on the Bletchley Park   
   Estate it will re-appear occasionally as a special event station supporting   
   public events at the new museum. (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: RUSSIAN HAM TO SPEND A YEAR IN SPACE:   
      
   Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF, along with NASA Astronaut Scott   
   Kelly have been chosen for a one-year long term assignment aboard the   
   International Space Station. According to NASA, the mission will which will   
   begin in 2015 will include collecting scientific data that will be important   
   to the future of human exploration of our solar system. Also it should help   
   researchers to understand better how the human body reacts and adapts to the   
   harsh environment of space as NASA plans for missions around the Moon, to an   
   asteroid and ultimately to Mars. (ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO IN SPACE: VOYAGER 1 REACHING INTERSTELLAR SPACE   
      
   Researchers say that NASA's long-lived Voyager 1 which is heading out of the   
   solar system, has reached what they call the magnetic highway leading to   
   interstellar space   
      
   Voyager 1 will be the first manmade object to leave the solar system.   
   Scientists believe the probe is currently in an area of deep space where the   
   magnetic field lines from the sun are intersecting with magnetic fields from   
   interstellar space. They believe that this phenomenon is causing highly   
   energetic particles from distant supernova explosions and other cosmic   
   events to zoom inside the solar system, while less-energetic solar particles   
   exit.   
      
   The Voyager 1 probe was launched 35 years ago to study the outer planets. It   
   is currently some 11 billion miles from Earth. At that distance, it takes   
   radio signals traveling at the speed of light 17 hours to reach Earth.   
      
   Voyager 2 which is traveling on a different path out of the solar system has   
   experienced similar, though more gradual changes in its environment than   
   Voyager 1. Scientists do not believe Voyager 2, which is about 9 billion   
   miles from Earth, has yet reached the magnetic highway to interstellar   
   space. (Space Update)   
      
   **   
      
   ON THE AIR: N4D CELEBRATES ARRL PUERTO RICO STATE CONVENTION   
      
   On the air, the ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention operate special event   
   station N4D from January 11th to the 25, 2013 to commemorate the first   
   ever ARRL Convention to be held there. Frequency to listenout on are   
   14.250, 21.350 and 28.450 MHz on the High Frequency babds as wll as locally   
   on 147.550 MHz FM on 2 meters. More information on the convention and   
   specialo event station N4D is on-line at www.arrlpr.org or by e-mail to   
   wavilesjr (at) yahoo (dot) com. (ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention)   
      
   **   
      
   DX   
      
   In DX, DD0VR and DE3BWR will be active from Vietnam through January 4th as   
   XV0VR. During their stay they also plan to operate from Cat Ba Island   
   December 18th to the 20th and Phu Quoc Island from December 30th through   
   January 2nd. QSL these operations via DD0VR.   
      
   JA7LU will be active from Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam January 12th to the 16 as   
   XV4LU. He will be operational on 40 through 10 meters on SSB and RTTY.   
   QSL direct only via home call,   
      
   KE4TG will be active as J38RF from Grenada between February 6th and March   
   8th. His primary interest is the Digital modes but he may operate some CW   
   and SSB. QSL via his home callsign direct as listed at QRZ.com. His logs   
   will be uploaded to Logbook of the World.   
      
   Lastly, several sources are reporting that a team of 10 operators will be   
   active from Robinson Crusoe Island during mid-2013. It was also mentioned   
   that this is the same group who activated D64K earlier this year. Look for   
   more details to be forthcoming.   
      
   Above from various DX news sources,   
      
   **   
      
   SPACE AND THINGS: A STRANGE USE FOR A CUBESAT   
   And finally this week, while hams and researchers look at the now venerable   
   cubesats as communications and scientific research space platforms, a   
   company in Scotland has come up with its own idea. How about space burials?   
   No, we are not kidding as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl   
   Lasek, K9BIK.   
      
   --   
      
   A Glasgow based company called Alba Space is planning to use cubesats for   
   just that. Burials of human remains in space.   
      
   According to the FAQ on the Alba Space website, the company will take a   
   portion of ones cremated ash and integrate it into its spacecraft called the   
   AlbaCube. It will then launch it skyward using a commercial service   
   provider who takes it from Earth into space.   
      
   Why choose Space Burial over other forms of end off life celebration? Alba   
   Space says that space is a place were only very few and very fortunate   
   people have had the chance to venture. The company says that it wants to   
   help make space become a place that is accessible to the public and enable   
   those who have an interest in it to fulfill their life's ambition to do so.   
   It notes that after passing on that 75% of people in the United Kingdom get   
   cremated and you have to do something with the ashes, so why not a ride into   
   space.   
      
   Will this be a burial option only for the rich and famous? Not according to   
   Alba Space. It says that while it has not yet launched its pricing options   
   it is aiming for it to be competitively priced with other funeral options.   
   This so the average consumer can afford to take part.   
      
   And if you will excuse a pun or two, this could be another fascinating use   
   for the final frontier or the most extreme of extreme DX.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in Zion, Illinois.   
      
   --   
      
   Alba Space says that it's still not sure when its space burial service might   
   begin. It says that it's currently at its market research phase and are   
   trying to gauge the demand for different services such as sub-orbital, low   
   earth orbit and beyond. More about Alba Space's plans is on line at   
   www.albaorbital.com. (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   NEWSCAST CLOSE   
      
   With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ Magazine,   
   the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the   
   Southgate News, TWiT-TV and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from the   
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is   
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   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm Jim Davis,   
   W2JKD, in Vero Beach, Florida, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.   
      
      
   ***   
      
   As a Service to the HAM Radio Community and Ham Operators all around the   
   world, this Amateur Radio Newline(tm) message has been gated from the internet   
   and posted to you by Waldo's Place USA, 1:3634/12. We hope you enjoyed it!   
      
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   Thank you and good day!   
      
   -73-   
      
      
    * Origin: (1:3634/12)