Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1985 November 13 2015   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1985 with a release date of Friday,    
   November 13, 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a QST. A historic radio frequency gets its own special    
   event. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station marks 15    
   successful years. The Radio Club of America and Radio Amateurs of Canada    
   celebrate hams' contributions. And a conference in India reaches out to    
   the youngest amateurs. All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline    
   report 1985 coming your way right now.   
      
   (Billboard Cart Here and Intro)   
      
   MEDIUM WAVE, MAXIMUM ENTHUSIASM   
      
   We begin this week's newscast with a special recognition of a wartime    
   radio legacy dating back 107 years. In 1908, the international distress    
   frequency of 500 kHz took effect, as established by the Berlin    
   International Radiotelegraphic Convention. It's this historic slice of    
   the radio spectrum where the action will be happening on Friday, Nov. 13    
   and Saturday, Nov. 14. Experimental operators in the U.S., Canada as    
   well as U.S. heritage maritime stations, will work the event carrying    
   special messages. Five Canadian operators will be participating,    
   including VE7CNF in Burnaby, British Columbia and VO1NA in Torbay,    
   Newfoundland.   
      
   The ARRL's Medium-Wave Experiment coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, said    
   most messages being carried will go out as CW. Says Raab: QUOTE"Some    
   stations will run beacons with special messages, and some will offer    
   special QSLs. Other stations will simulate maritime communication. They    
   will call CQ on a designated calling frequency and then QSY to complete    
   the QSO."ENDQUOTE   
      
   Operators won't be sticking entirely to Medium Frequency, though: Be    
   listening as the Canadian amateurs engage in cross-band communication    
   tests on 80 meters and 40 meters.   
      
      
   (ARRL, Radio Amateurs of Canada)   
      
   **   
      
   ARISS: TOWARD NEWER HORIZONS   
      
   [ANCHOR/DON]: Of course, there's also radio history that was made a    
   little more recently - like 15 years ago. Imagine being a student in the    
   year 2000 having a QSO with a ham somewhere out in space. That's what    
   students at the Luther Burbank School in the Chicago suburbs did at the    
   dawn of a program called Amateur Radio on the International Space    
   Station Amateur Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, talked to the    
   science teacher who was lucky enough to help her students be chosen to    
   talk with ISS astronaut William M. "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL.   
      
   [KENT's REPORT]:   
      
   [Rita] Growing up you live in a certain block and it is like your world    
   is first is just that block and you go to school and slowly your    
   horizons they keep expanding as you progress through school. We opened    
   their eyes to a horizon they didn't even know about and that was out in    
   space.   
      
   [Kent] In 1996 a junior high school teacher filled in a application for    
   her school to make a contacts with astronauts.   
      
   [Rita] My name is Rita Wright my call sign is KC9CDL I was a science    
   teacher so I was always looking for something new or different to    
   implement or put into my lesson plans to make science exiting and more    
   attractive to to my students.   
      
   [Kent] The first full mission in the newly completed International Space    
   station happened in the fall of 2000. Wright's school was selected to    
   make that very first ham radio contact.   
      
   [Rita] We became aware of this program and started learning all about it    
   and participating a bit. These opportunities came up and we just grabbed    
   them.   
      
   [Kent] Finally in December the students all gathered in the school    
   auditorium for the first school contact with the brand new Space Station.   
      
   [Rita] The whole school was involved with the process they all knew    
   about it . The actual contact was in our auditorium. All the students    
   were there and we had set up on stage the radios. It was very very    
   exciting the actual contact, the students were well behaved and anxious    
   and extremely interested.   
      
   [Kent] Wright says a ham radio school contact wasn't quite in the    
   regular curriculum.   
      
   [Rita] It was not something that was ordinarily done a in a class room    
   situation. You go in you're give a text book and you each page one page    
   two page three etc. What I tried to do was do that plus bring into the    
   classroom the excitement of what is out there today and what could be    
   tomorrow for them/ Of course they had to learn the basic lessons in    
   science, that's what I taught them. But I also tried to bring to them    
   what else is out there and what opportunities they could follow I always    
   tried to open up the world as much as i could to the kids as much as I    
   could.   
      
   [Kent] Retired school teacher Rita Wright recalling the very first    
   international space station to school ham radio contact fifteen years ago.   
      
   For the amateur radio newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY   
      
      
   [DON:/ANCHOR]: We should note too that this historic moment wasn't the    
   last the kids got to talk with Shepherd. The next friendly exchange    
   between him and the students came in person - during his visit to the    
   school in May of the following year. Needless to say, the reception was    
   perfect.   
      
      
   **   
      
   LICENSE CHANGE FOR SOUTH AFRICA'S YOUNGEST HAMS   
      
   New regulations from the Independent Communications Authority of South    
   Africa now allow amateur radio applicants who are younger than 20 and    
   who pass the Class B exam to hold a ZU or Class B license until age 25.    
   After that, they must upgrade by taking the Class A exam in order to    
   receive a Class A license, designated by a ZS or ZR call sign.   
      
   The authority's decision had been based on its belief that the Class B    
   license's primary role is to serve as an introduction to amateur radio    
   and serve as youngsters' entry point into the hobby. The regulations    
   were implemented after much input from the South African Radio League,    
   which had pressed for a reasonable interval of time for the upgrade to    
   Class A. As a result, the authority has declared that, effective April    
   1, 2017, all amateurs older than 25 will become ineligible for ZU    
   license renewals.   
      
      
   (SARL)   
      
   **   
      
   USING MICROWAVES AS A MAGNET   
      
   Speaking of young hams, the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society of    
   the IEEE is seizing the opportunity to attract students to amateur radio    
   during its flagship conference in India in early December.   
      
   The International Microwave and RF Conference in Hyderabad will be    
   hosting a special event station, AU2MTT, that will be operating for two    
   weeks in conjunction with the gathering.   
      
   One society member, Jim Rautio, AJ3K, told the ARRL: QUOTE"The special    
   event is intended to draw attention to ham radio, STEM, and MTT, both    
   from conference participants and any and all active hams in India." In    
   addition to encouraging them to pursue their licenses, organizers want    
   to see more youngsters consider careers in engineering, science,    
   technology or mathematics.   
      
   Rautio said the effort's emphasis will be on amateur radio's role in    
   disaster communications and addressing humanitarian needs. This is being    
   done through a program known by the acronym, SIGHT, for Special Interest    
   Group on Humanitarian Technology.   
      
   (IEEE, ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK HERE:   
   Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio    
   Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the    
   Stephens County Amateur Radio Society, N4DME repeater, in Toccoa,    
   Georgia Tuesday nights at 8PM.   
      
      
   **   
      
   NOW ON 60 METERS   
      
   Christmas is going to come a little early for amateurs in The    
   Netherlands, who got the gift of a new band for operating. The 60 meter    
   band, from 5350 kHz to 5450 kHz, was incorporated into the Netherlands    
   National Frequency Plan, allowing Dutch amateurs with an F-registration    
   to use the new band on a secondary basis, beginning the middle of this    
   month. Other nations granting similar privileges recently include    
   Hungary, Oman and Honduras. Hams in the U.S. have had secondary access    
   to channelized operation on the band since May 2003, when the FCC gave    
   its approval.   
      
   Sixty meters has also been in the news at the World Radiocommunication    
   Conference in Geneva, where attendees are considering a new, 15-kHz-wide    
   secondary allocation on the band, with operators limited to 15 watts of    
   EIRP. At press time on Nov. 11, the latest report was that consensus on    
   the matter was looking optimistic.   
      
   ARRL, SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS, VERON, The 5 MHz newsletter)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS   
      
      
   [ANCHOR/DON}: Several distinguished radio amateurs are being honored by    
   the Radio Club of America at its Awards Banquet and Technical Symposium    
   Nov. 21 in Cupertino, California. Amateur Radio Newslines Heather Embee,    
   KB3TZD, has the details:   
      
   [HEATHER]: The annual gathering of the Radio Club of America is one of    
   the top events in wireless communications - and the group uses the    
   opportunity to tap radio standouts and acknowledge them for their hard    
   work. The extensive list of honorees this year includes a number of    
   hard-working hams. Dr. Nathan Cohen, W1YW, has been chosen to receive    
   the Alfred H. Grebe Award, honoring his work in engineering and    
   manufacturing of radio equipment. The Ralph Batcher Memorial Award    
   winner is David Bart, KB9YPD, for helping preserve the history of radio    
   and electronic communications, including the Radio Club of America's own    
   history.   
      
   Timothy J. Duffy, K3LR, has been chosen to receive the 2015 President's    
   Award for his support to the club. And the Edgar F. Johnson Pioneer    
   Citation is being given to Gerald L. Agliata, W2GLA, work his work, as    
   well, with the radio club.   
      
   Carole Perry, WB2MGP, a well-known ham radio education advocate, is    
   being presented with the Vivian A. Carr Award, recognizing her    
   contributions as a woman in wireless communications.   
      
   The keynote speech at the banquet presentation will be delivered by    
   David Leeson, W6NL. He will discuss Silicon Valley's bountiful community    
   of entrepreneurs in the communications field.   
      
   But as the list of awardees shows, opportunity and creativity is    
   everywhere. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in    
   Berwick, Pennsylvania.   
      
      
   HAMS IN THE HALL OF FAME   
      
   Radio Amateurs of Canada is also paying tribute to two notable amateurs    
   by appointing them to the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. The    
   recent appointees are Jim Dean, VE3IQ, of Ottawa, Ontario, and Farrell    
   (Hoppy) Hopwood, VE7RD, of North Vancouver, British Columbia. Inclusion    
   in the Hall of Fame means the amateurs have achieved outstanding efforts    
   in their service to amateur radio in Canada or amateur radio in general.   
      
   More details about the awards and the honorees' contributions will    
   appear in a forthcoming edition of Canadian Amateur magazine.   
      
   (RADIO AMATEURS OF CANADA)   
      
   **   
      
   THE WORLD OF DX   
      
   Harald, DF2WO, is operating as XT2AW from Burkina Faso until November    
   27. Harald will likely be operating on slow CW. QSLs go to his manager,    
   M0OXO.   
      
   Andi DL9USA and Jan DJ8NK will be active as VP2ECC and VP2ENK    
   respectively from the Caribbean island of Anguilla until November 18.    
   They are using CW, SSB and digital and QSLs go via the home call signs.   
      
   Martin, LU9EFO, and Faber, HK6F, are operating until November 17 from    
   San Andres. Call signs will be HK0-slash-followed by their home call    
   signs. QSL manager is SP5QAZ.   
      
   Dave, EI9FBB, is activating Coetivy Island in the Seychelles for the    
   IOTA program and will operate as S79C. He will be there Nov. 16 through    
   Nov. 22.   
      
   Steve, G0KIK, will is operating holiday style as E51KIK from the South    
   Cook Islands through Nov. 15. QSLs go to his home call.   
      
   (IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTER SOCIETY)   
      
      
   KICKER: RERUNS IN SPACE OR.....RADIO REDUX?   
      
   It seems that old jokes, unlike radio waves, have an uncanny ability to    
   bounce back and return to earth. Take the case of a news prank the BBC    
   staged a few years ago. A fictonal radio astronomer at an observatory in    
   Puerto Rico happened upon some old broadcast signals floating out in    
   space, while attempting to track extra-terrestrial signals from his lab.    
   Or so the story goes.   
      
   He then identified those surprise signals as the transmissions from old    
   TV broadcasts - identifying them even to the point that he could name    
   the very TV shows the signals were carrying. Well, the story, like the    
   signals, got very decent air play for the April Fool's Day prank the    
   British broadcasters pulled a couple of years ago. The fictional    
   astronomer, a Dr. Venn who was not even given a first name by the    
   creator of this story, had theorized at the time that the signals likely    
   bounced off some far-away asteroid cloud and thus returned to earth.    
   Some of the TV shows he identified were said to be 50 years old - or more.   
      
   Well, it didn't take 50 years but something has apparently bounced back    
   to earth for real - and it's the old story about these ancient reruns.    
   Twitter feeds, and other forms of social media, have come alive with    
   this bizarre tale that old radio waves don't die, and don't even fade    
   away. All of which makes for very poor science - but a very good joke -    
   even if it's not April Fool's.   
      
   Perhaps, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we might just consider    
   it someone else's old turkey.   
      
   **   
      
   NEWSCAST CLOSE   
   With thanks to Alan Labs; AMSAT; the ARRL; the BBC; CQ Magazine; The    
   5MHz Newsletter; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; IEEE, The Irish Radio    
   Transmitter Society; the Ohio-Penn DX Newsletter; Radio Amateurs of    
   Canada; The South African Radio League; Southgate Amateur Radio News;    
   TWiT TV; VERON, 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 Picayune,    
   Mississippi, saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.   
      
      
   ***   
      
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