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   Message 1,958 of 3,036   
   ARNewsline poster to all   
   arnewsline   
   23 Oct 15 00:09:48   
   
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1982 for Friday, Oct. 23, 2015   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1982 with a release date of Friday,    
   Oct. 23 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a QST. Hams respond to typhoon disaster victims' needs    
   in the Philippines. A new documentary showcases the life and times of    
   radio wizard Arthur Collins. Ofcom proposes revoking hundreds of    
   unvalidated amateur licenses. And the International Amateur Radio Union    
   declares young hams a top priority. All this and more in Amateur Radio    
   Newsline report 1982 coming your way right now.   
      
   [Billboard Cart Here and Intro]   
      
   **   
      
   HAMS MOBILIZE IN STORM-STRUCK PHILIPPINES   
      
   Typhoon Koppu slammed the northern Philippines the weekend of Oct. 18    
   and by the time it was downgraded to a tropical storm last Monday, it    
   had already left its deadly imprint. Torrential downpours and landslides    
   led to dozens of deaths and tens of thousands of evacuations. But    
   disaster response from radio amateurs was just as rapid, and the    
   National Telecommunications Commission worked with the Philippine    
   Amateur Radio Association to meet the challenge. Hams mobilized to keep    
   tabs on all affected areas and relay information as needed. The    
   Philippine amateurs' Ham Emergency Radio Operator network focused    
   special attention on the eastern side of Luzon, the main island battered    
   by the Category 4 storm. Koppu is being called the second most powerful    
   storm to hit the island nation this year.   
      
   (SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS, ARRL, and BBC NEWS)   
      
   **   
   IARU: KEEPING AMATEUR RADIO YOUNG AND GROWING   
      
   By the time the International Amateur Radio Union's Region 3 conference    
   wrapped up on Oct. 16, directors had clearly agreed that the single most    
   effective way of keeping amateur radio vibrant is by engaging the next    
   generation. Directors throughout the region noted that programs such as    
   Youngsters On the Air, in Region 1, and ARRL Kids Day, in Region 2, are    
   already successfully energizing young licensees. In a report presented    
   to the conference, Region 3 directors also had praise for Australia's    
   recent introduction of its Foundation License, an entry-level ticket,    
   that has begun opening the airwaves to youth on the air in that nation.   
      
   In her report to the Region 3 Conference, Region's 1 Youth Working Group    
   Chairwoman Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, said the first Youngsters On the Air    
   summer program has already inspired more radio activity for young people    
   on the national and local level. Leenders recommended that organizers    
   consider a second YOTA summer event.   
      
   Of course, Region 3's directors also recognized other ways to keep    
   amateur radio on the upswing, such as reaching out to attendees at    
   Do-It-Yourself Maker Fairs, and encouraging radio amateurs whose tickets    
   have lapsed to consider becoming relicensed.   
      
   But in the end, directors looked to youth as radio's brightest, most    
   shining future, sharing that conclusion in a report that reads, in part,    
   QUOTE"An underlying theme for all of us is where will the next    
   generation of radio amateurs come from, so that what we enjoy today can    
   continue to provide benefits to the community."ENDQUOTE   
      
   (ARRL)   
      
   **   
   CELEBRATING ARTHUR COLLINS   
   [ANCHOR]: Amateur radio's storied past, however, would not be complete    
   without an acknowledgement of Oklahoma native Arthur Collins,    
   W-ZERO-C-X-X (W0CXX). The founder of Collins Radio Company was known as    
   an amateur radio wizard. He was the creator of innovative equipment and    
   radios that would eventually make history, including the radio that    
   landed on the moon with Neil Armstrong and carried the astronaut's voice    
   back to Earth. Collins' legacy is being celebrated in a just-released    
   documentary. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mike Askins, K-E-5-C-X-P,    
   (KE5CXP), talked to one of the film's creators:   
   [MIKE'S REPORT]   
      
   **   
      
   DEADLINE FOR ARISS CONTACTS IS NOV. 1   
      
   ARISS - the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program -    
   has a message for schools everywhere: Your homework is due in two weeks.   
      
   November 1 is the deadline by which formal and informal proposals can be    
   submitted by educational organizations, schools and related groups who    
   are looking to host an amateur radio contact with a member of the Space    
   Station crew in 2016. Because crew schedules and, of course, orbits    
   determine the exact dates, ARISS can only say that the QSOs would be    
   scheduled sometime between July 1 and December 31 of next year.   
      
   Applicants need to show how they will integrate the Space Station    
   contact into a larger, more comprehensive education plan and, at the    
   same time, draw participation of a large number of students and other    
   people.   
      
   For more information, visit www.arrl.org or the ARISS website.   
      
      
   (ARRL, ARISS)   
      
   **   
      
   UK HAM LICENSES, GOING, GOING, GONE   
      
   [ANCHOR:] Speaking of deadlines, if you're a licensed radio amateur in    
   the UK - and want to stay that way - check the date you were supposed to    
   revalidate your license. You may be in for a surprise. Amateur Radio    
   Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has the story:   
      
   [JEREMY]: In the UK, procrastination may have cost you your amateur    
   radio license. Ofcom is preparing to revoke 10,000 unvalidated licenses,    
   the first in a series of such cancellations the agency has planned. The    
   first licenses to be acted on are those that missed their due date for    
   revalidation between September 2012 and January 2013. Ofcom will be    
   contacting license-holders using the last known postal address on record    
   with the office to make them aware of the pending action. According to    
   its website, the office is required to tell the radio amateur why the    
   license is being revoked and give the license-holder time to respond    
   before Ofcom makes its final decision.   
   There is a Nov. 17 deadline for amateurs to comment on these proposed    
   cancellations. Amateurs wishing to retain a valid license are being    
   urged by the agency to contact their office in London as soon as    
   possible. Details can be found at the website http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/   
   Although a lifetime license was introduced in December 2006, all    
   licenses issued prior to that time required renewals. Ofcom reports that    
   almost half of all amateur radio licenses - 47% to be exact -- were left    
   unvalidated at the end of 2013.   
   For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH reporting from    
   Nottingham in the UK.   
   ***   
   BREAK HERE:   
   Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio    
   Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Mid    
   State Amateur Radio Club repeater station, WA9RDF, in Johnson County,    
   Indiana, which broadcasts our report on Sundays at 7 pm.   
      
   ** **   
      
   HAMS ARE BIG WHEELS AT BICYCLE FEST   
      
   [ANCHOR]: Hams who ordinarily might be more preoccupied with the solar    
   cycle - or even cycles per second - kept their eyes fixed earlier this    
   month on more terrestrial cycles - in this case, more than 1,000    
   two-wheelers - during the 41st annual Mount Dora Bicycle Festival in    
   Florida's Lake Country. Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD,    
   tells us more about this 3-day benefit event:   
      
      
   [HEATHER]:   
      
   Following the riders is a 25-year tradition for the Florida hams who    
   provide critical communication to keep cyclists safe during the Mount    
   Dora Bicycle Festival. Cyclists follow 12 separate routes of varying    
   lengths, but all have the same purpose - to raise money for the local    
   food pantry. While the cyclists followed their routes this year, once    
   again the Lake Amateur Radio Association and Lake County, Florida ARES    
   followed the cyclists.   
   With 1,325 cyclists from around the country riding this year, the hams    
   were kept busy. The longest route was 100 miles and the shortest just    
   12. Many featured Lake County's trademark challenging hills. Even early    
   morning fog and Florida humidity did not get in the way of the riders.    
   Nor did anything get in the way of the hams who kept close watch at rest    
   stops and in radio-equipped motor vehicles. The vehicles transported    
   cyclists whose bicycles had broken down and, in one case, a rider who    
   suffered a broken collarbone.   
   Plans are already in the works for the 2016 Mount Dora Bicycle Festival,    
   which will run from Oct. 7 through Oct. 9. Yes, the hams will be ready too.   
   I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania.   
      
   (ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   UN CELEBRATING 70   
      
   It's not exactly a QSO Party, but it IS a celebration of international    
   proportions: the Union Nations amateur radio club station, 4U1UN, will    
   mark the UN's 70th anniversary by operating on the weekend of Oct. 24    
   and 25 with the call sign 4U70UN. The club's station will set up in a    
   garden area on the ground level of the UN's Manhattan headquarters and    
   operate during daylight hours only. Operators plan to be on as many    
   bands, in as many modes, as possible. Satellite operation will also be    
   included. DXers, take note: 4U1UN is considered a separate DXCC entity.    
   Visit www.qrz.com for QSL card details. Please do not send QSL cards to    
   the UN.   
      
   (ARRL, AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, QRZ.COM)   
      
   **   
      
   PLUGGING THE HOLES IN CALIFORNIA'S SAFETY NET   
      
   Hams in the Laguna Woods, California area now have a wireless network to    
   use for data transmissions in extreme emergencies. Three new antennas    
   just went up in the region, creating the Amateur Radio Emergency Data    
   Network, also known as "hamnet."   
      
   Dave Southworth, KS6RFI, secretary of the Laguna Woods club, describes    
   it as QUOTE"very similar to the Internet in that you can send email and    
   everything else. But you can't go out and send it to mom and pop out in    
   Wisconsin." It's a mesh network, with each antenna performing the same    
   role a router might perform for the Internet. And it provides speeds for    
   data transmission that outpaces even the voice of a radio operator. Yes,    
   it's THAT fast - and it should be. It's the area's safety net for    
   communications.   
      
   Southworth adds, QUOTE"it's an alternate communication path. If there    
   was a big earthquake where the earth shifted and cut Internet cables,    
   then we'd use our radios and hamnet capabilities to communicate between    
   other hamnet meshes." It could even transmit pictures of areas needing    
   emergency services, giving first-responders an idea of what's needed.   
      
   And it's one of many such projects throughout California's Orange    
   County. With this hamnet, the region's safety net has just widened a    
   little bit more.   
      
   (THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)   
      
   **   
   A 'FIRST' FOR NEPAL   
   Ham radio is involved in yet another safety project -- this one in    
   Nepal, which has just received its first 2 meter repeater with a newly    
   installed IRLP node. The repeater and node were created by the Bay-Net    
   amateur radio club in California working with Tribhuvan University in    
   Kathmandu. They are expected to be particularly useful following the    
   recent earthquake that struck Nepal. The earthquake last April killed    
   more than 9,000, and injured more than 23,000, by some estimates. The    
   Bay-Net Club, WW6BAY, is a club most active in establishing repeater    
   systems for use by the Red Cross and other public service organizations.    
   The club credited Kent Johnson, W7AOR, and Keith Goobie, VA3YC, for    
   their special assistance.   
   (www.bay-net.org)   
   **   
      
   INDIA: ELECTION HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF   
      
   In the Indian state of Kerala (KERR'-a-lah), this year's election is    
   going to look a lot like the one in 2010. But it's because of the hams    
   involved, not the candidates. In a remote, heavily forested area known    
   as Edamalakkudy (edda-mala-KUDDY), administrators have brought in radio    
   operators to create a communications network of VHF radios that will    
   connect the local polling places with the district election office,    
   miles away. Election officials say this is the only method that works -    
   not even mobile phone connections can be made in the region.   
      
   Thirty hams from around Kerala will monitor the polling process, hitting    
   the repeaters that will then transmit the results to the district. The    
   region has voting population of 1,407, of which 925 are women.   
      
   (THE HINDU Newspaper)   
      
   **   
   THE WORLD OF DX   
      
   Tack, J-E-ONE-C-K-A (JE1CKA), will be active as 4W/JE1CKA from Timor    
   Leste through Oct. 28, working 160-10 meters using mainly CW. He may be    
   on SSB during the CQ WorldWide DX SBB contest, however, on Oct. 24 and    
   25. QSL via his home call sign.   
      
   Masa, J-A-ZERO-R-Q-V (JA0RQV) is operating from Neiaf, Vava'u Island    
   from Tonga as A35JP/P through Nov. 2. He is working on 40 through 6    
   meters using CW and SSB. QSL via his home callsign, by the Bureau,    
   direct, Logbook of the World or ClubLog.   
      
   Find John/ZS5J and YL Beth/2W0VOW in Mozambique on a DXpedition through    
   Nov. 3. Their call sign is C91B. Beth is operating primarily SSB and    
   John is operating CW. Activity is on all HF bands from 160 through 6    
   meters. Visit QRZ.com for more details.   
      
   And finally a special event: To commemorate Guglielmo Marconi's 120th    
   anniversary of his first wireless message, members of the ARI Lecce    
   continue operating under the special callsign IY7LE until Dec. 31. They    
   will also use IY7LE/P from different locations for the different Italian    
   diplomas. Details on awards and diplomas can be found on www.arilecce.it    
   under "Contest and Diplomas." QSL via the Bureau, direct or LoTW.   
      
   (OHIO PENN DX NEWS)   
      
   **   
      
   KICKER: SCOUTING FOR ANSWERS   
      
   In the state of Michigan, the football rivalry between the Michigan    
   State Spartans and the University of Michigan Wolverines is legendary.    
   So when the teams both took the field on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Michigan    
   Stadium in Ann Arbor, not too many people gave thought to the fact that    
   there was a third rival in this Big Game, waiting on the sidelines: The    
   Boy Scouts were having their 2015 Jamboree on the Air, and hams at the    
   local club station, WA2HOM, at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, awaiting    
   the arrival of the Scouts. And waiting. And yes, waiting.   
   Writer Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, a club member and ham radio blogger,    
   recalls, one day later, in his blog: QUOTE"Yesterday, I prepared to    
   entertain some Boy Scouts for the 2015 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) at    
   WA2HOM, our club station at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. The museum    
   folks had notified the local Scout groups, and they thought they were    
   going to get a big turnout. Instead, no one showed up. I was there from    
   10:00 am until 1:30 pm, and not a single Scout showed up."ENDQUOTE   
   At the stadium, however, the teams showed up for the afternoon game. So    
   did the fans. And everyone played hard.   
   Romanchik, being a realist, knew that even decent band conditions - for    
   a change - were no match for optimum football conditions and a rivalry    
   that dates to the 19th century. The largest event in Scouting didn't    
   stand a chance against the largest event in Michigan college football.   
   Talk about dealing with serious radio interference.   
   The final score, by the way, was Michigan State, 27; U of Michigan, 23.    
   And sadly, Scouts, Zero.   
   (KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog, Oct. 18 2015, DETROIT FREE PRESS)   
   **   
      
   NEWSCAST CLOSE   
   With thanks to Alan Labs, the ARRL, AMSAT News Service; CQ Magazine;    
   Detroit Free Press, DX Coffee; the FCC; The KB6NU Ham Radio Blog; Jim    
   Linton, VK3PC; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the Hindu newspaper; Irish    
   Radio Transmitters Society; the Orange County Register; the Ohio-Penn DX    
   Newsletter; QRZ.COM; Southgate Amateur Radio News, TWiT TV; the Wireless    
   Institute of Australia; and you our listeners, that's all from the    
   Amateur Radio Newsline. Our email address is newsline@arnewsline.org.    
   More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official    
   website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or    
   support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita,    
   CA 91350.   
      
   For now, with Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, at the news desk in New York,    
   and our news team worldwide, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in New Orleans,    
   saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.   
      
      
   ***   
      
   As a Service to the HAM Radio Community and HAM Operators all over the world,   
   this Amateur Radio Newline(tm) message has been gated from the internet and   
   posted to you by Waldo's Place USA, fidonet node 1:3634/12. We hope you   
   enjoyed it!   
      
   Please address all comments and questions to the ARNewsletter editor as   
   described in this posting. If you have any specific questions related to the   
   actual posting of this message, you may address them to   
   hamfdn(at)wpusa.dynip.com.   
      
   Thank you and good day!   
      
   -73- ARNTE-0.1.0-OS2 build 42   
   (text/plain utf-8 quoted-printable)   
      
      
    * Origin: (1:3634/12)   

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