Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1754 - March 25 2011   
      
   (Please note that this is an extended Newsline report running 33 min, 11   
   seconds and containing 3 breaks.)   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1754 with a release date of Friday,   
   March 25, 2011 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a Q-S-T. The FCC offers its support to Japan in its   
   recovery from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami; the story of Hawaii's   
   ham radio activation as the tsunami headed its way, ARISS celebrates its   
   600th school contact and more radar and G-P-S jamming exercised are   
   announced in the U-K. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm)   
   report number 1754 coming your way right now.   
      
      
   (Billboard Cart Here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: FCC OFFERS TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO JAPAN   
      
   The FCC has offered its counterpart in Japan any assistance that it might be   
   able to render. This, as recovery efforts continue in the wake of the March   
   11th earthquake and Tsunami. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom   
   with more:   
      
   --   
      
   According to the trade publication Radio World, soon after the devastating   
   events occurred, the FCC made contact with officials in Japan. This, to   
   offer any help on the telecommunications front that it might be able to   
   supply.   
      
   Tom Sullivan is the spokesperson for the FCC International Bureau. He is   
   quoted as saying that his agency has reached out to its regulatory contacts   
   in Japan and is also working with the State Department and the National   
   Telecommunications & Information Administration to consider what assistance   
   the FCC might be able to provide.   
      
   According to Sullivan, soon after the massive earthquake that hit Haiti, the   
   FCC took a proactive role. This included providing technical assistance on   
   emergency communications as well as passing along offers of help from   
   private industry.   
      
   But Sullivan also notes that Japan is a different situation. It's a nation   
   with its own very robust communications system. He says that on the   
   telecommunications front Japan is very well prepared for a situations like   
   this. Nevertheless, Sullivan says that the FCC will be able to offer its   
   expertise should it be asked.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the Newsroom   
   in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   In the article, Tom Sullivan noted that the FCC International Bureau could   
   serve as a contact point for anyone in industry seeking information on   
   whether and how they might be able to help but at this point in time no   
   telecommunications assistance requests have been received. You can read   
   more at tinyurl.com/fccjapan. (RW, B&C)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: HAWAII RACES WAS READY FOR THE MARCH 11th TSUNAMI   
      
   As Japan begins its slow journey back from the March 11th earthquake and   
   tsunami that devastated a part of that Pacific Rim nation, and the   
   continuing story of the reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power   
   plant, lost in the news coverage has been the story of ham radio emergency   
   preparedness across the Pacific. This as the tsunami hurled itself   
   eastward.   
      
   One of the first major population centers to begin preparing for the unknown   
   was the state of Hawaii where Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, is the State Civil Defense   
   RACES Coordinator. He says that he learned about the approaching sea   
   disturbance by e-mail and that triggered the alerting system that gets the   
   trained emergency communicators ready for whatever they may soon face:   
      
   --   
      
   AH6RH: "At that point we started the notification system of phone calls and   
   other means of activating all of the other hams. In the meantime the radio   
   started to get busy because other people had found out through TV, radio and   
   other forums that there was a tsunami watch in effect and they were quite   
   concerned."   
      
   --   
      
   Hashiro tells Newsline that the system worked flawlessly and soon the needed   
   emergency communications nets were in operation:   
      
   --   
      
   AH6RH: "We placed phone calls to the different Amateur Radio Civil Defense   
   coordinators on the various islands, they in turn placed phone calls and   
   notified their people and got nets running on the different repeaters.   
      
   "On Oahu, W6BJF, Tom, ran the net, kept it active and passed messages between   
   our Department of Emergency Management and our amateur radio community,   
   keeping them both informed."   
      
   --   
      
   By the time the tsunami approached Hawaiian shores all was in readiness, but   
   thankfully Mother Nature spared Hawaii from the kind of devastation seen on   
   the Japanese mainland:   
      
   --   
      
   AH6RH: "We are fortunate that while we were waiting for the tsunami to come,   
   it did not pose as great a (potential) for damage as it did in Japan. Some   
   of the islands did pick up some damage on their west facing side but it was   
   more localized as compared to what was on Japan."   
      
   --   
      
   The bottom line is that while there was not the need for ham radio to any   
   great extent as the tidal wave passed Hawaii, the hams of the Island state   
   were ready if it had been a far more serious event.   
      
   Also, you can hear more with Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, about Hawaii's state wide   
   ham radio ARES, RACES and CD preparedness system on this weeks Rain Report.   
   Its on line right now at www.therainreport.com. (ARNewsline(tm))   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: THE TSUNAMI HEADS TO THE AMERICAS   
      
   After passing Hawaii the giant wave front continued its trek eastward toward   
   the Americas. Soon nations bordering on the Pacific began to issue warnings   
   to their populations located near the coastline. Then reports started   
   trickling in as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW:   
      
   --   
      
   Marco Loarca, TG9ANM, is the Emergency Coordinator for Area D of the IARU's   
   Region 2. He reports that the Club de Radio Aficionados de Guatemala was   
   able to maintain communication via VHF and UHF with radio operators located   
   near the nations coastline. Meantime, Jorge Sierra, LU1AS, his counterpart   
   in Area G of reported that the Red Chilena Nor Austral monitored the   
   frequency 7.070 MHz and beginning at 17:00 local time while the VHF and UHF   
   emergency communications network was also activated.   
      
   In the United States, the Amateur Radio Emergency Services of California's   
   Santa Cruz County was activated at approximately 08:00 a.m. local time.   
   More than 30 local A.R.E.S. radio operators were made available to served   
   agencies. These included the Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center,   
   area evacuation centers, the Red Cross, a Salvation Army canteen truck, the   
   Santa Cruz County Harbor Coast Guard Auxiliary and a number of local Fire   
   Departments. Also on Friday morning the Santa Cruz County A.R.E.S. Team   
   activated the Tsunami Resource Net in advance of the anticipated 5 to 7 foot   
   wave that was expected to reach the coastline around 8:00 AM local time.   
      
   As expected, the tsunami did impact the Pacific coast. They caused an   
   estimated 15 million dollars of damage to Santa Cruz Harbor. More that 100   
   boats were either damaged or sunk as a result of the waves.   
      
   Santa Cruz was not alone in receiving significant damage as a result of the   
   powerful tidal surge. Crescent City, located approximately 500 miles North   
   of Santa Cruz, also received heavy damage. This lead to newly elected   
   Governor Jerry Brown declaring these areas disaster zones. News reports say   
   that one person died as a result of being swept out to sea with the high   
   waves.   
      
   Lastly, on the other side of the United States northern border, Daniel   
   Lamoureux VE2KA, reported that there was no damage from the tsunami on   
   Canada's west coast.   
      
   That's whats known as we go to air.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   Our thanks to the International Amateur Radio Union for much of the   
   information in Bruce's report. (IARU - R2 Report)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISS CELEBRATES 600th SCHOOL CONTACT   
      
   Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, better known by the acronym   
   ARISS, reached a milestone on Thursday, March 17th. This, when it held its   
   600th space to ground contact between astronaut Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH on   
   board the International Space Station and students from several schools in   
   Plock and Liszyno, Poland.   
      
   The contact supported lessons about space and space exploration,   
   communication and technology. Scout Amateur Radio Club S-P-5-Zed-B-A   
   handled the radio connection during which the astronaut Coleman fielded 19   
   space related questions from the students at the two schools.   
      
   Nearly 120 people were in the audience and there was also extensive media   
   coverage. This included newspapers, four scientific magazines, one radio   
   magazine, a television station, national radio and two internet portals.   
      
   And less we forget, we will have more ham radio space related news later on   
   in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report. (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 1   
      
   From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard   
   on bulletin stations around the world including the JR6YQF Amateur Radio   
   Society on Okinawa in the Pacific.   
      
   (5 sec pause here)   
      
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO REPLACES PHONES DURING HOSPITAL OUTAGE   
      
   When nurses and other caregivers picked up their phones at Childrens Hospital   
   of Orange County at 5:30 AM on March 21, there was no dial tone. A power   
   surge, probably from lightning, had caused failure of the central processor   
   in the hospital's phone switch. How would they make contact with physicians   
   and patient transport companies?   
      
   Fortunately, the lead operator at the switchboard knew just what to do. She   
   opened her disaster book to the Amateur Radio support page and followed the   
   established procedure for activating the Hospital Disaster Support   
   Communications System, or HDSCS. She had several options, but this time she   
   used an emergency tie-line to reach April Moell WA6OPS, who is head of this   
   ARES group that specializes in helping hospitals when communications fail.   
      
   April established an on-air network and initiated a callout of HDSCS   
   communicators by telephone and pager. Ken Simpson W6KOS and Clay Stearns   
   KE6TZR arrived at the hospital shortly to establish a link with the outside   
   world. More operators followed to communicate between the most important   
   units within the hospital including the Emergency Department, Neonatal   
   Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, and Pharmacy.   
      
   April had given her home telephone number to the Supervisor at Orange County   
   Communications for incoming call relay. This resulted in several urgent   
   messages for the hospital, including one regarding transport of a young   
   patient coming in for an appendectomy.   
      
   --   
      
   (Audio from HDSCS net)   
      
   --   
      
   By 10:45 AM, some phones were working but additional repair components were   
   being awaited from a supplier. HDSCS continued to provide unit-to-unit and   
   hospital-to-community messaging as needed, including coordination of patient   
   treatments and a request for blood. At 1:02 PM, the repair crew announced   
   that the phone system was back to normal except for some voicemail   
   functions. HDSCS members remained on station for 30 more minutes as they   
   always do to insure that phone systems are stable.   
      
   There's lightning here in southern California only a few days a year, but   
   it's a definite danger to our hospital phone systems. During an intense   
   thunderstorm last October, HDSCS members responded to St. Jude Hospital in   
   Fullerton when a power outage caused overloading of the telephone system   
   there.   
      
   A total of eleven HDSCS members participated in this [latest] communications   
   emergency. They were familiar with this hospital because HDSCS has helped   
   in communications emergencies there before, including a 22-hour external   
   phone outage when a construction accident severed fiber optic cables in   
   August 2006.   
      
   This is the 31st year of HDSCS service to medical facilities in Orange County   
   and this was the 114th activation to provide support when telephones have   
   failed or overloaded. The reasons have ranged from equipment failure, to   
   cut cables, to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and wildfires.   
   Each member has his or her own Go-Kit, ready to take to any of the 36   
   supported hospitals to establish communications.   
      
   For more information on HDSCS -- and how hams in your community can organize   
   to provide rapid response like this to hospitals -- point your Web browser   
   to www.hdscs.org. Those are the initials for Hospital Disaster Support   
   Communications System, followed by dot-org.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Joe Moell. K0OV. (K0OV)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: VK RADIO OPERATOR HONORED FOR HELPING SAVE SIX LIVES   
      
   The Australian MySailing dot com website reports that Marine Rescue Terrey   
   Hills radio operator Ian Murdoch has been awarded the Region Commander's   
   Certificate of Appreciation from New South Wales Police Assistant   
   Commissioner Ken McKay. According to the report, Murdoch along with four   
   members of Broken Bay Water Police, received awards for their part in the   
   rescue of six people on board the stricken yacht Encore which foundered in   
   gale force conditions off Broken Bay on the afternoon of October 23rd, 2008.   
      
   On that day Murdoch was sole radio operator at the Marine Rescue Sydney radio   
   base and although alone, he managed 75 minutes of non-stop intense   
   pressures in response to a Mayday call for help. He relayed the distressed   
   vessel's position to other vessels in the area, informed Water Police, and   
   coordinated a veritable fleet of responding vessels. These included a   
   police launch, a passenger ferry, a bulk carrier and a training yacht. At   
   the same time he maintained contact with the sinking vessel until Water   
   Police were able to take rescue the six passengers on-board and thereby   
   saving their lives.   
      
   The account did not say whether or not Murdoch was an Australian ham radio   
   operator. You can read the full story in mysailing.com.au. (WIA News)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO STANDARDS: NIST CONDUCTING TIME AND FREQUENCY USER SURVEY   
      
   The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Time and Frequency   
   Division is conducting a survey to learn more about its users, and to find   
   out how the can make its services more useful in the future.   
      
   NIST services include stations WWV, WWVH, and WWVB, which provide reference   
   time and frequency signals by radio. NIST also operates its Internet Time   
   Service, which provides accurate time synchronization to computer systems,   
   and several other services that provide time information via telephone or   
   web pages.   
      
   John Lowe, the manager of National Institute of Standards and Technology   
   radio stations WWV, WWVH and WWVB in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He says that   
   the survey should take just a few minutes to complete, and your input will   
   be greatly appreciated.   
      
   If you use any of these services -- and what radio amateur doesn't -- please   
   complete the survey which is on-line at www.tf.nist.gov/survey. (NIST)   
      
   **   
      
   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)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: SOUTHWEST 75 METER VHF/UHF NET TIME CHANGE   
      
   The Sunday evening Southwest 75 Meter VHF/UHF and Above Weak Signal Net on 3   
   point 920 MHz has changed its operating schedule. According to a note from   
   K6STK and WI6M, the net now begins at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Savings   
   Time and ends one hour later at 6:30 p.m.. If you live in the region   
   covered by this net and are into VHF/UHF weak signal work, give this group a   
   try. (K6TSK and WI6M via the VHF Reflector)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS: AES SUPERFEST APRIL 1 - 2 IN MILWAUKEE   
      
   The annual Amateur Electronics Supply Superfest will take place on Friday,   
   April 1st from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday, April 2nd from 8:30   
   a.m to 3:00 p.m. at the AES Milwaukee Warehouse. This venue is located at   
   5710 West Good Hope Road in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Admission is free with   
   many manufacturers' representatives present to answer your questions about   
   their latest gear. This year's special guest is ARRL President Kay Craigie,   
   N3KN. And late word that ham radio's Mr. Audio, Bob Heil, K9EID, and Radio   
   School's Gordon West, WB6NOA will team up to conduct a ham radio oriented   
   Audio Workshop. More about this and the entire 2011 AES Superfest is on   
   line at www.aesham.com/superfest. (Press Release)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: NASA ASTRONAUT DOUG WHEELOCK, KB5BOC, TO HOST HAMVENTION   
   FORUM   
      
   Some names in the news. First up is NASA Astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC ,   
   will be holding forth at his own forum at the 2011 Dayton Hamvention.   
   Wheelock returned to Earth in November of 2010 after serving as Commander of   
   the International Space Station will speak from 1:15 to 2:15 P.M. on   
   Saturday, May 21st in Hara Arena Meeting Room 3.   
      
   During his stay on-orbit, KF5BOC along with fellow Astronaut Shannon Walker,   
   KD5DXB, regularly participated in the Amateur Radio on the International   
   Space Station program or ARISS program during which he made some two dozen   
   general contacts each day he was on the air. Colonel Wheelock is expected   
   to share his experiences about space flight and using amateur radio in   
   space. (Dayton Hamvention(r))   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: KI6ZMV ELECTED NEWS TREASURER OF ARNEWSLINE   
      
   Leslie Monzon, KI6ZMV, of Valencia, California, has been elected as the new   
   treasurer if the Amateur Radio Newsline. She replaces the late Andy Jarema,   
   N6TCQ, who passed way in November of 2009.   
      
   Re-elected to the Newsline Board of Directors were incumbents Bill Pasternak,   
   WA6ITF, as president; Davis Black, KB4KCH, as Vice President, Joe Schrader,   
   W9JUV, as Secretary, Mark Abramowicz, NT3V as Chief Executive Officer and   
   Don Wilkbnks, AE5DW, as Member-at Large. Abramowicz will also continue as   
   Chairman of the Young Ham of the Year Judging Committee.   
      
   Elections were a part of the annual Amateur Radio Newsline Board of Directors   
   Meeting held by teleconference on Sunday, March 20th. (ARNewsline(tm))   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: G4FSU APPOINTED AS RSGB HF MANAGER   
      
   The Radio Society of Great Britain Board of Directors has approved the   
   appointment of Ian Greenshields, G4FSU. This, following the decision by   
   John Gould, G3WKL to step down from this honorary position.   
      
   Apart from a having a very successful career as an RF and microwave   
   communications engineer, Greenshields is well versed in radio spectrum   
   matters. This based on his role of Secretary to the International Amateur   
   Radio Union Region One High Frequency Committee since 2005. Recently, the   
   IARU also appointed G4FSU as a Technical Consultant that requires regular   
   involvement in ITU and CEPT matters. (RSGB)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS: NEW IARU REGION 3 SECRETARY   
      
   The Board of Directors of IARU Region 3 have announced the appointment of Ken   
   Yamamoto, JA1CJP, as the organizations new Secretary. Yamamoto holds a   
   Bachelor of Science degree in electronic engineering and has worked in the   
   satellite communications field for many years. He replaces Jay Oka, JA1TRC,   
   who has reportedly stepped down for personal reasons on March 9th. WIA   
   News   
      
   **   
      
   BREAK 3   
      
   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)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO HISTORY: BBC TO CLOSE ORDFORDNESS TRANSMITTER SITE   
      
   Another famed radio transmitting site is being decommissioned. This one is   
   owned by the British Broadcasting Company and is not one very many on this   
   side of the Atlantic know about. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, has   
   the rest of the story:   
      
   --   
      
   Unless you live in Europe or are a truly devoted low frequency DX'er here in   
   the United States, you likely have never heard of the British Broadcasting   
   Company's transmitter site at Ordfordness. It's an operation that sits on   
   648 KHz and has a five tower array beamed to Europe with very little signal   
   off the back toward the United States. And that's what makes the signal   
   from Ordfordness such a great catch for medium wave D-X listeners on this   
   side of the Atlantic pond.   
      
   But all that will end on March 27th. That's when the BBC switches off this   
   transmitter site for good.   
      
   But its demise will not go undocumented. As a historical note, Jonathan   
   Marks, G-8-W-G-N, has released a short documentary that traces the history   
   of the Ordfordness transmitter site from its inception through 2003 when the   
   video was made. Marks, who was the former producer and host of the famed   
   Radio Netherlands Media Network program is joined by Ordfordness radio   
   engineer Andy Matherson who explains the way in which the site operates.   
      
   It's a great tour of a historic moment in European medium wave broadcast   
   radio. You can experience it for yourself on line at vimeo.com/20996209   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale, Arizona.   
      
   --   
      
   Another sad moment in broadcast history, but one that Jonathan Marks, G8WGN,   
   has taken the time to preserve. (Via e-mail)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: TWO NEW ASTRO-HAMS   
      
   And a follow-up to last weeks story about a pair of Astronauts who had been   
   tested and had passed the Amateur Service exams. Since then, Luca Parmitano   
   has been issued the call sign KF5KDP and Chris Cassidy received KF5KDR.   
   Both passed their tests on March 8th are slated to fly on future   
   International Space Station expeditions. (ARISS)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AO-51 ENTERS AN ECLIPSE PERIOD   
      
   Eclipses are back for AO-51, and the length is increasing every day.   
   According to AO-51 Command Station, Mark Hammond, N8MH, eclipses are now   
   lasting about 1 to 2 minutes per pass. They are expected to increase in   
   length pretty fast, gaining a minute every day or two over the coming weeks   
   and month.   
      
   AO-51 is still running under power management in single transmitter mode on   
   the 435.300 MHz downlink running approximately 1 point 3 watts. The   
   satellite will be off during eclipses and probably right before and after.   
   You'll probably still hear the transmitter cycling off and on around eclipse   
   times, but most voice users will appreciate the stronger signals. AO-51 be   
   in this mode until further notice. (ANS)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE: BJ8TA AN EME AND SATELLITE DXPEDITION   
      
   AMSAT-China Chief Executive Officer Alan Kung, BA1DU reports that his group   
   is organizing an expedition to southwest China. This, for EME experiments   
   and amateur satellite communications. The expedition team will use the   
   special technology experiments amateur radio call sign BJ8TA. The group   
   will also be active on the available satellites during the expedition   
   period. The BJ8TA Amateur Radio EME and Satellites Expedition is supported   
   by the Bureau of Radio Regulation of China and Yunnan Astronomical   
   Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (DX News)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT - UK: MORE RADAR AND GPS JAMMING EXERCISES PLANNED   
      
   The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense has informed U-K telecommunications   
   regulator Ofcom that further Global Positioning System jamming exercises   
   will be. The dates announced are May 19th to the 26th starting at 07:00   
   U-T-C each day.   
      
   Also, ground based radar jamming tests will take place in the South West   
   approaches against the remote radar head at Portreath on May 21st and 22nd   
   using F-18 Growler aircraft. There will also be radar jamming against   
   deployed targets in South West Wales thru from May 19th to the 26th.   
      
   Communications and airborne radar jamming will take place throughout the same   
   period on the East Coast with aircraft operating within the North Sea   
   Military Danger Areas. The Ministry of Defense adds that safety of life   
   operations will take precedence over these defense test exercise activities   
   at all times.   
      
   The purpose of these tests is to likely to determine the vulnerability of U-K   
   defenses to jamming of vital radio based defenses. (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT - NEW ZEALAND: HAM RADIO TO CELEBRATE THE 2011 RUGBY WORLD CUP   
   GAMES   
      
   The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters or NZART Council has declared the   
   Rugby World Cup to be a Special Event and encourages you to use the ZM   
   prefix. According to the NZART, declaring this a special event it allows   
   New Zealand radio amateurs the use of this special prefix during September   
   and October. A Map of New Zealand has been placed on the NZART website with   
   game locations linked to contact details of local branches, any planned   
   special events, on air events, and local repeater frequencies. NZART   
   Branches are to be encouraged to invite visiting hams to attend meetings and   
   any special events. The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters is that   
   nation's national amateur radio society. (NZART)   
      
   **   
      
   ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA   
      
   On the air, keep an ear open for members of the Republic of China Centenary   
   Foundation who will be activating special event station BV100 during the CQ   
   WW WPX SSB Contest on March 26th and 27th. The operators from Taiwan will   
   then be on the air from Shaio-Liu-Chiu Island until the end of the year as a   
   special event is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their homeland.   
   Operations will be on all bands and modes. Complete details along with an   
   operating schedule and information as to how to earn a BV100 award is   
   available at www.bv100.tw/en. QSL's go via BV2KI. (OPDX)   
      
   **   
      
   ON THE AIR: NEPAL COMING TO EME   
      
   The 9N7WL 2 meter EME operation will take place as part of the 9N7AN   
   DXpedition from Nepal's High View Resort which is located about 25   
   kilometers from the capital city of Kathmandu. This will be the first time   
   that the DXCC entity Nepal and the Maidenhead main locator NL is activated   
   on the 2 meter band via the moon.   
      
   E-M-E operation is scheduled to start on March 30th. Moonrise at 9N7WL will   
   be at 3.30 UTC. The most difficult part of the world to reach by E-M-E will   
   be to the southern part of the USA but there is no common moon with the   
   state of Texas until Sunday April 3rd. This expedition is slated to end on   
   April 7th. (K5WL, DL9GFB via MMMonVHF)   
      
   **   
      
   DX   
      
   In DX, ON4AEO will be active from Botswana as A25FC between April 14th and   
   the 18th. Operation will be on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK.   
   QSL via ON4CJK.   
      
   LA8HGA will be operational as JW9HGA from the Longyearbyen Amateur Radio Club   
   station located on Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard between May 19th and the   
   23rd. Activity will be on the HF bands and CW only. QSL is via LA8HGA via   
   the bureau or direct.   
      
   VE3ZIK is active portable 9A from Croatia until March 30th. He also plans to   
   be active in the Russian DX Contest, the CQ WPX SSB Contest and mentions   
   that there is a good chance he will be on from Vrana Lake as well. QSL via   
   DK8ZZ, via the bureau, Logbook of the World, eQSL or direct. E-mail Bureau   
   requests for QSLs can go to ve3zik (at) gmail (dot) com   
      
   The Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia are organizing a   
   DXpeditiion to Lord Howe Island for July. They will be using the club call   
   sign VK9HR and the organizers are looking for CW operators and experienced   
   SSB and digital modes operators who would be interested in attending this   
   operation. Any interested operators please contact Tommy Horozakis, VK2IR,   
   via e-mail to president (at) haraoa (dot) com.   
      
   Lastly, A group of Mexican operators will be on the air from the Isla de   
   Lobos in Veracruz State between April 29th and May 1st. They will also   
   activate the Lobos Island lighthouse on all HF bands, plus 6 meters and AO   
   27, AO 51 and SO 50 ham satellites. Modes used will include CW, SSB and   
   RTTY. QSL via XE1AY.   
      
   (Above from various DX news sources)   
      
   **   
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM: EMCOMM - THE PARADIGM IS CHANGING   
      
   And finally this week, a bit of an editorial comment. While ham radio within   
   Japan is playing a role in post quake and post tsunami recovery efforts,   
   there appears to be little if any international long haul emergency   
   communication on the High Frequency bands. Instead, it seems that ham   
   radio's traditional role in this area has largely been replaced by the   
   popular social networks. Amateur Radio Newsline's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW,   
   takes a look at the way these Twitter and Facebook are changing the paradigm   
   and starting to displace ham radios place in the health and welfare   
   information flow:   
      
   --   
      
   RESCUE RADIO: THE PARADIGM SHIFTS - NO NEED FOR LONG HAUL H&W TRAFFIC   
      
   So what about ham radios traditional role in post disaster relief as a   
   carrier of long distance health and welfare traffic in the wake of the   
   earthquake and tsunami? So far, there has not been very much of that and   
   here is likely the reason why.   
      
   While the earthquake did knock out a lot of local telephone service across   
   Japan, unaffected was the island nation's multi-redundant broadband system.   
   Indeed, within minutes of the quake hitting, residents in Japan were texting   
   and tweeting messages to their loved ones as to what had transpired. News   
   services were looking at these tweets on Twitter and using them as a source   
   of information for their initial reports on the disaster. So for those   
   living in or near any of Japan's major population centers like Tokyo, there   
   was little impact on their personal communications with the outside world   
      
   Also unaffected was the redundant communications networks used by the worlds   
   various broadcast entities with news bureaus in Tokyo. And when the first   
   wave of the Tsunami came ashore the world watched it happen live from an NHK   
   news helicopter's camera whose signal was microwaved back to Tokyo and then   
   out around the globe.   
      
   The rural areas of Japan are a totally different matter. Some towns are   
   still without any form of utilities including water, gas, electrical power,   
   telephone or broadband service. And its likely to be that way for some   
   time. And sadly, there are those coastal towns in Northern Japan that took   
   the full brunt of the tidal waves. Most of these were destroyed with little   
   or nothing left to even say that only recently they had existed. So, right   
   now, trying to get health and welfare messages into those towns still   
   isolated is a difficult if not impossible task. Messages addressed to   
   residents of those towns wiped away by the tsunami will likely never be   
   delivered.   
      
   When one takes a step back and takes a look at the whole picture it's easy to   
   see and to hear why there are so few health and welfare messages being   
   handled on the long haul ham radio bands. In the more populated areas, ham   
   radio was replaced by Twitter and Facebook. In rural Japan there's simply   
   no way to get a message through.   
      
   Or to put it another way, as massive and devastating as this earthquake was,   
   its communications needs outside Japan do not fit any of the traditional   
   models that hams world wide are accustomed to dealing with. It also says   
   that as long as a nation's broadband infrastructure is not severely damaged,   
   ham radios role as the long haul carrier of health and welfare traffic is   
   being replace by a smart phone and an account on Facebook or Twitter.   
      
   I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.   
      
   --   
      
   The bottom line appears to be this. As long as a nation's broadband   
   infrastructure and its connections to the outside world are not severely   
   damaged, and its population is communications savvy, the various social   
   networks now provide a far faster way to pass health and welfare messaging   
   than ham radio can ever hope to supply. But in those circumstances where   
   there is no other means of long haul communications, ham radio will always   
   have a significant role to play. (ARNewsline(tm))   
      
   **   
      
   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 and Australia's WIA News, that's all from the Amateur Radio   
   Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is newsline@arnewsline.org. More   
   information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) only official   
   website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support   
   us at Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita   
   California, 91350   
      
   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim Damron,   
   N8TMW, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2011. 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!   
      
   Please address all comments and questions to the ARNewsletter editor as   
   described in this posting. If you have any specific questions concerning   
   the actual posting of this message service, you may address them to   
   hamfdn -at- wpusa.dynip.com.   
      
   Thank you and good day!   
      
   -73-   
      
      
    * Origin: (1:3634/12)