[continued from previous message]

radio operators and perhaps most importantly, the mother and son in
need of rescue in a remote section of a national forest in California.
Ralph Squillace KK6ITB takes us there.

RALPH: The GPS was to have safely guided a mother to a campground with
her 9-year-old son on July11th. Instead it mapped a route that left
their car stuck in the rugged terrain after they lost their GPS signal.

Hours later, they were reported missing to the Calaveras County
Sheriff's office by a caller who had the mother's travel agenda and
said the family had failed to check in as they had planned. A search
and rescue team was dispatched in four-wheel-drive vehicles to the area
the next day where campers reported that they had seen the family's
sedan. The team soon discovered handwritten notes, posted by the mother
at nearby locations, indicating that the vehicle was stuck and they
were stranded, The boy, meanwhile, periodically blew a whistle in three
short bursts, an audible, universal distress call. Mother and son were
found safe at their car, only a mile or so away from where the notes
were posted.

Because of the thick canopy of Stanislaus National Forest, the rescue
team could not use cell service or the usual radio frequencies to
update the command post -- but one team member, a licensed ham, used
his amateur radio to hit the KA6GWY repeater in Placerville. It bears
the callsign of Frank Yost, a retired El Dorado County Communications
supervisor who was monitoring the frequency at the time on 146.805 MHz.
He passed the call along to emergency dispatch and the message was
quickly relayed to Calavaras County.

Lt Greg Stark, one of the Search & Rescue coordinators, told Newsline
everyone - including mother and son - did everything right. He said
that the team was able to safely transport mother and son, extricate
the car and let the command post know that no helicopters or additional
backup resources were needed. He said that one backup resource proved
invaluable: ham radio. It also provided some inspiration. The
lieutenant told Newsline [quote]. "It enhanced our communication
ability and now it has spurred some of our other team members to look
at getting their license."

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(LT. GREG STARK, SEARCH & RESCUE; KTLA)

**
BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
N5OZG repeater in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sundays at 8 p.m.

**
CANADIAN TEST CANDIDATES FACE NEW QUESTION POOL

PAUL/ANCHOR: The questions on the basic-level exam for hams in Canada
have changed. Andy Morrison K9AWM has more details.

ANDY: A team of volunteers from provinces throughout Canada is
developing a new bank of questions for the Advanced Amateur Radio
Certificate, according to the Radio Amateurs of Canada website. Many
members of this team completed the new question pool for the
basic-level certificate earlier this year and it was released in
January by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The
questions took effect for basic examinations starting on the 15th of
July, providing the first major update for that level of examination
since 2013.

Writing on the RAC website, Dave Goodwin VE3KG, the RAC's regulatory
affairs officer, said the 984 questions were developed by a committee
of 20 instructors and accredited examiners - many of whom are now
working on the advance-level questions.Those questions are expected to
become available in 2026.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(RAC, WIA)

**
AMATEURS READY TO ACTIVATE BRITISH WATERWAYS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Now here's an idea we'd like to float in your direction:
British Inland Waterways on the Air. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what's
involved.

JEREMY: If you use the lakes, canals, or any other waterways in Great
Britain almost as much as you use your radio, now is the time to
combine the two activities. Registration has begun for British Inland
Waterways on the Air, which takes place during the August Bank Holiday
Weekend. The organisers are encouraging early registration, hoping that
radio operators will identify the days they are operating and on what
modes.

The event takes place on Saturday the 23rd August to bank holiday
Monday 25th. You can operate on or near the various waterways
throughout the UK; primary bands will be 2 metres and 40 metres.

If you want to register - or see who is already on board for the
weekend, visit the website in the text version of this week's newscast
at arnewsline.org

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: https://nharg.org.uk/biwota  ]

(NUNSFIELD HOUSE AMATEUR RADIO GROUP)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, A team of hams from the UK will be on the air as
GM0FRT/p  from the Shetland Islands, IOTA number EU-012, until the
28th of July and will be active in the IOTA Contest. Outside of the
contest, they will be using CW and SSB	on 30, 17 and 12 metres, as
well as FT8 on 6 and 4 metres. QSL via LoTW.

Members of the Korean Amateur Radio League's HQ station 6K0MF in
Chungbuk, are marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of  Korea
from Japanese rule by operating as HL80V from August 1st through to
the end of the month. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

In Malaysia, members of the Terengganu DX-ARRES group in West Malaysia
are celebrating the 68th anniversary of independence from British rule
by operating from 1st of August through to the 30th of September using
the callsign 9M1957M on CW, SSB and FT8 modes on 80-10 metres. QSL
direct to 9M2RDX.

Steve, ZL2KE, will be active again as E51KEE from Rarotonga, IOTA
Number OC-013, in the South Cook Islands from the 3rd through to the
18th of August. Steve will be using CW and some SSB on 40, 30, 20, 17,
15, 12 and 10 metres. QSL via IK2DUW, direct. See QRZ.com for
additional details.

We also remind listeners that amateurs around the world will be on the
air for International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend on August 16th
through to the 17th. More than 250 lighthouse entries will be active in
more than 40 countries. For a list of registered lighthouses see the
link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO
NOT READ: illw.net   ]

(425 DX BULLETIN, ILLW)

**
KICKER: THE HEIGHT OF ACHIEVEMENT, HIGH ABOVE SEA LEVEL

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our final story is about both a "first" and  "last." The
last summit in the SOTA DL Association to be activated is a "first" for
a very determined ham in Germany. We hear about him from Jim Meachen
ZL2BHF.

JIM: Despite 18 years as a SOTA activator that have won him at least
two high-ranking awards for operating in the German Alps, Dzianis,
DD1LD, had some unfinished business. This month, it stood before him,
all two thousand four hundred and thirty metres of it above sea level:
the Tiefkarspitze, the single summit in the SOTA DL Association that
had gone unactivated in the 20 years since SOTA-DL was established in
Germany.

His harrowing mountain ascent on July 18th was punctuated by intense
rockfall - not unexpected but nonetheless terrifying. As he wrote in
his blog, he was compelled to ask: [quote] "Why do I keep doing this to
myself?" [endquote]

Still, he made it to the summit where he soon logged his first QSO with
his good friend Mario, DJ2MX. Then came the pileups. Finally, he went
QRT after one more QSO: another close friend, Andy, DL2DVE. With 66 in

[continued in next message]

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
 * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)