Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1994 with a release date of Friday,    
   January 15, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a QST. One city's parks in Oklahoma join the National    
   Parks on the Air event. A Minnesota DXer makes big plans for the South    
   Pacific. Puerto Rico preps for the biggest amateur radio event in the    
   Caribbean. And two Space Station amateurs remember rock legend David    
   Bowie. All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1994 coming    
   your way right now.   
      
   (Billboard Cart Here and Intro)   
      
      
   **   
      
   PARKS ON THE AIR? OKLAHOMA IS OK!   
      
   JIM/ANCHOR: We open this week's newscast with a story of inspiration.    
   The city of Lawton, Oklahoma is taking its cue from the year-long    
   National Parks On the Air event that kicked off earlier this month, and    
   getting its own city parks into the on-air act too. Amateur Radio    
   Newsline's Mike Askins, KE5CXP, shares his recent talk with Ron    
   Grossman, AF5Q of the Lawton Fort Sill Amateur Radio Club:   
      
      
   [MIKE'S REPORT]   
      
      
   **   
      
   LESSONS FROM HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY   
      
   The annual one-day event in suburban New York known as Ham Radio    
   University hosted a visiting professor who is about to become a    
   professor emeritus: ARRL's outgoing CEO, Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, is stepping    
   down this year. But the talk he delivered at the Long Island regional    
   ham gathering on Sunday, Jan. 10, expressed confidence that even though    
   he was about to retire, amateur radio itself is anything BUT retiring.   
      
   Sumner said QUOTE "amateur radio is not dying. It is on a growth track."    
   ENDQUOTE He said there are more than 135,000 licensees as of December    
   31, 2015 - and increase of 1.3 percent in one year, even as licensing    
   figures in many other parts of the world have trended mostly downward.    
   He also noted a steady stream of license upgrades.   
      
   As he prepared for the meeting of the ARRL board of directors on Jan. 15    
   and 16, he said he had hopes the plans they implement after his tenure    
   will continue to attract newcomers.   
      
   He said QUOTE "Let's face it. These days Geeks rule! It's not a bad    
   thing to be a Geek these days." ENDQUOTE   
      
   Sumner will retire in May after working at ARRL's Connecticut    
   headquarters in one form or another since 1968.   
      
   (HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY)   
      
   **   
      
   NEW SECTION MANAGER IN MISSOURI   
      
   A veteran ham has taken on the leadership of ARRL's Missouri Section as    
   of Monday, January 11. He is Cecil Higgins, A-C-ZERO-H-A (AC0HA), who    
   served previously as the section's assistant manager as well as an    
   assistant section emergency coordinator and the district emergency    
   coordinator for ARES District D in Missouri. The Pittsburg, Missouri    
   amateur has had his license for more than 20 years. Higgins will    
   complete the term of office for his predecessor as section manager, Dale    
   Bagley, K-ZERO-K-Y (K0KY) who cited family commitments as his reason for    
   stepping aside. Bagley had held the post since June 1999 and had    
   recommended Higgins as his successor. The term of office ends December    
   31 of this year.   
      
      
   **   
      
   CELEBRATING CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP   
      
   There's cause for celebration among the hundreds of hams worldwide who    
   are part of the Christian Amateur Radio Fellowship. The group is marking    
   50 years of service, and has produced an anniversary T-shirt so members    
   can wear and share their pride.   
      
   According to the group's website, the fellowship was created in 1966 at    
   the North American Christian Convention around the central idea that    
   amateur radio could provide communication for the church. Gerald    
   Fargusson, W9JSQ, is considered the grandfather of CARF, and often    
   encouraged Christian missionaries to become licensed amateurs.   
      
   CARF members often end their QSOs with both a 73 and a 75. 75 means "may    
   God bless you and yours."   
      
   (CHRISTIAN AMATEUR RADIO FELLOWSHIP)   
      
   **   
      
   JIM/ANCHOR: Tom Callas, K-C-ZERO-W (KC0W) is one Minnesota amateur who    
   can't wait until summer - and not just because the Midwest winters are    
   so challenging. Callas, it seems, has a world of plans and it involves    
   cows. Well, sort of. Amateur Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY,    
   explains:   
      
   [KENT's REPORT]   
      
   Minnesota DXer, Tom Callas, K-C-ZERO-W (KC0W), wants to help put "COWS    
   Over the World," but this effort has nothing to do with livestock.     
   Callas has planned a series of DXpeditions for the year ahead - and    
   during the summer months, that will land radio operators in the South    
   Pacific: American Samoa, Samoa, Tokelau, Solomon Islands, Temoto    
   Province and Bangaladesh - and perhaps other spots. Radio operators will    
   be using CW exclusively and focusing on 160, 80 and 40 meters.   
      
   So where do the cows come in? The call sign suffixes from each site will    
   incorporate part of his own callsign - the "C and Zero and W." That much    
   of it is definitely planned out, he says.   
      
   Callas has said, however, that operating times are going to have to be    
   flexible, and that when pileups stop happening, that will probably be    
   the best indicator of the need for the team to move on. He also has    
   plans, he says, for a similar operation in Africa at a later date.   
      
   Of course, until then, it will be time for the cows to come home.   
      
   For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, in Minneapolis,    
   Minnesota.   
      
      
   (ARRL, THE DAILY DX)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK HERE:   
   Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio    
   Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the    
   KB9WSL repeater in Rochester, Indiana, following Thursday's 7 pm weekly net.   
      
   **   
      
   JIM/ANCHOR: The holiday season is over - but reports from Sweden    
   indicate that the annual special-event operation of its vintage    
   transmitter on Christmas Eve drew its best response ever. Amateur Radio    
   Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has the details.   
      
   JEREMY'S REPORT:   
      
   Almost everyone likes to have high expectations on Christmas Eve, and    
   this past holiday, the operators of the Alexanderson alternator station    
   at the World Heritage Grimeton site in Sweden had their hopes fulfilled.    
   The transmitter's annual special-event operation appears to have just    
   had its best year ever, according to Lars Kalland, SM6NM, who issued the    
   report on behalf of organizers.   
      
   He said a preliminary accounting tallied more than 350 listener reports,    
   most of them from radio amateurs. Listeners in Germany accounted for    
   nearly 160 such reports, with listeners in the U.S. filing eight    
   reports, with only five of them claiming to have heard the transmission.    
   SAQ uses the VLF frequency of 17.2 kHz.   
      
   Said Lars, QUOTE "The transmission appears to be our best so far."ENDQUOTE   
      
   The transmitter, which is more than 90 years old, was developed by    
   Swedish engineer and radio pioneer Ernst Alexanderson. The tradition of    
   holiday transmissions began in 2006.   
      
   For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham, the UK.   
      
   **   
      
   SEEKING SOUTH AFRICAN NOMINEES   
      
   The South African Radio League is looking for nominees to serve on the    
   league Council for a two-year term. Four councillors' terms are ending,    
   and although they have said they are available for nomination to serve    
   again, the league is also open to new nominees.   
      
   For details on the nomination process, and other relevant motions, visit    
   the league website at www.sarl.org.za.   
      
   The submission deadline for motions and nomination forms is the 31st of    
   January.   
      
   (SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE)   
      
   **   
      
   SCHOLARSHIPS A FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE   
      
   Forty-six college scholarships will be available for the academic year,    
   2016-2017, from the Foundation for Amateur Radio. The value of each    
   scholarship ranges from $500 to $5,000, from a total pool of $71,000.    
   Applicants must be a licensed radio amateur in either the U.S. or a    
   foreign country, and be enrolled - or accepted for enrollment - into an    
   accredited college, university or technical school. Application deadline    
   is April 15. Because some colleges do not announce acceptances until May    
   1, the foundation is permitting applicants to update their    
   already-submitted applications until May 7. For more details, contact    
   the foundation at farscholarships@gmail.com   
      
   (FOUNDATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO)   
      
   **   
      
   PUERTO RICO CONVENTION FOCUSES ON EMERGENCIES   
      
   It's being called the biggest amateur radio event in the Caribbean: It's    
   the fourth ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention, and it will feature a    
   variety of activities focusing on emergency communications - and will    
   host the debut of the first Amateur Radio "Ironman Event" in Puerto    
   Rico. The convention is scheduled for January 30 and 31st in the city of    
   Hatillo (Hah-TEE-Ho).   
      
   The gathering will feature exhibits of emergency equipment and will also    
   provide conferences that focus on effective communications methods    
   during a hurricane, earthquake or other emergency. ARRL Volunteer    
   Examiners will also be on hand to supervise license-testing.   
      
   In addition to launching Puerto Rico's first Ironman event for radio,    
   the conference will also have a special event station, KP4AW, operating.   
      
   More than 1,200 hams are expected - and even those taking vacations in    
   the Caribbean at the time are invited to stop by. Admission is free.   
      
      
   (ARRL PUERTO RICO SECTION)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLD OF DX   
      
   Jean-Paul, HB9ARY, will will be active from Mauritius as 3B8HC from    
   January 23rd to February 8th. He will work holiday style on 80 to 6    
   meters, but focus most heavily on 80 meters. His main mode will be SSB,    
   but he will also work some slow CW. Send QSLs direct via NI5DX.   
      
   Members of the Radio Club D'Ha‹ti are participating in a special event    
   marking the 213th anniversary of the death of General Toussaint    
   Louverture, the slave who defeated Napoleon. The club will be active as    
   FOUR-V-ONE-T-L (4V1TL) from Port-au-Prince, Haiti until April 30th. Send    
   QSL cards via W3HNK.   
      
   Bertrand, DF3FS, will be active as 5Z4/DF3FS from Diani Beach starting    
   January 23rd, through February 7th. Bertrand will work the HF bands    
   holiday style using CW and SSB. Send QSLs via DF3FS or by bureau.   
      
   Willy, KB8YRX, will be active as 8P9CA from Barbados starting January    
   16th and until February 4th. He will work 20 meters through 10 meters    
   using SSB. Send QSLs via KB8YRX and Logbook of the World.   
      
      
   (OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN)   
      
   **   
      
   KICKER: LOVE OF BOWIE NO SPACE ODDITY   
      
   When International Space Station astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, delivered    
   a poignant tribute to rock legend David Bowie on Twitter, his    
   well-chosen words from high above the Earth were quickly followed by a    
   similar tweet from retired ISS astronaut Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG/KC5RNJ.   
      
   Clearly, the regard these two astronauts had for the late rocker reaches    
   beyond the bounds of Earth.   
      
   But the most stunning tribute may still be Hadfield's rendition of    
   Bowie's classic hit, "Space Oddity," the story of stranded astronaut    
   Major Tom, that became a hit in 1969. Hadfield recorded his    
   interpretation in a 2013 video while aboard the space station, creating    
   what became the first musical recording made in space. The popular video    
   has been logging nonstop views on YouTube even more than ever since    
   Bowie's death on Monday, January 10.   
      
   Bowie had reportedly seen and loved the Internet video. And he was not    
   alone: By some press accounts, it has been viewed more than 29 million    
   times.   
      
   There are fans, of course, and then there are brothers of Major Tom in    
   spirit. That would be Canada's Commander Hadfield and Britain's Major    
   Peake. To these two astronauts and radio amateurs, Major Tom rules the    
   heavens, now more than ever.   
      
      
   (ARRL, THE BIRMINGHAM (UK) MAIL, QUARTZ.COM)   
      
   **   
      
   NEWSCAST CLOSE   
   With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur Radio Victoria; the ARRL; the    
   Birmingham, UK, Mail newspaper; Christian Amateur Radio Fellowship; CQ    
   Magazine; DX.NET; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the Ohio-Penn DX    
   Bulletin; QUARTZ.COM; the South African Radio League; Southgate Amateur    
   Radio News; TWiT TV; 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 Jim Damron, N8TMW, in Charleston, West    
   Virginia. saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.   
      
      
   ***   
      
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   -73- ARNTE-0.1.0-OS2 build 42   
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