NO QTH TO CALL THEIR OWN

NEIL/ANCHOR: As 2016 was winding to a close, we revisited the
Massachusetts amateur radio club that is facing homelessness in the
new year. Here's Newsline's Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

PAUL: Earlier this year, we spoke with Sumner Weisman, W1VIV, about the Framingham, Massachusetts amateur radio club, and their urgent search
for a new home. The city building that they had been located in for 38
years had a boiler failure, and the city had determined that it was too expensive to fix. Unfortunately, as of this week, the club still hasn't
found a new home. I spoke again with Weisman about where the situation
stands:

WEISMAN: We have a "mentor," I guess you could call her an Elmer in ham
radio terms, who's a Town Meeting member - she's an attorney - and she
came to us and said, "Help me help you." And she advised us to get a
hundred signatures on a petition, and go to the Town Meeting, which we
did, and the Town Meeting gave us $500 towards a new home which we're appreciative of, but it really doesn't get us a new home. She's been
working with us, and I went to the Board of Selectment meeting with her
advice, and asked them for some time in one of their upcoming meetings,
and they gave us fifteen minutes to explain what our dilemma is. They
were very sympathetic - they gave us twenty, twenty-five minutes, and
they didn't watch the clock. We had a good discussion. I had asked that
as many club members as possible show up, to show that we're serious,
and they were quite impressed - we had twenty to twenty-five of our
members there, and they commented on that. Generally, I think they were
quite sympathetic. We need a point of contact, and we asked who that
should be, and they said, "Contact the Town Manager after the first of
the year" which I fully intend to do.

PAUL: They have gotten some support from the city:

WEISMAN: What we're looking for - I told them if we had a broom closet
we could set up a radio station - but we're really looking for something larger, perhaps twelve by twenty, or twenty by thirty, something like
that would be ideal, because that would allow us to have enough room to
hold VE tests, and also to give lessons there, to people who want to
upgrade.

PAUL: Weisman also explained why they are looking for rent-free,
city-sponsored space:

WEISMAN: Our big fundraising event is a swap meet or flea market in April,
and what we do with that money is that it helps support the club, but we
like to take about half of it, and use it for college scholarships for
kids. We give three or four college scholarships a year. The college scholarship chairman of our club has told me that we've given away over
$20K already.

PAUL: According to Weisman, If you are in that area, the best thing you
can do to help is to attend club meetings to show support, and also show
up to council meetings, so that they understand the amount of interest.
More information can be found on their website at www.w1fy.org.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the KB3LSM repeater in Evans City, Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh.

**

VIRGINIA FONE NET, AN 'OM' AMONG NETS

NEIL/ANCHOR: As we talk about time marching on in the new year, how about
a look back at an AM PHONE net that got its start in the 1930s?

JIM OWEN: We think that it's the oldest continuously operating phone net
in the United States, maybe in the world. No one operated during the war,
so we were off the air then, but when amateurs could operate, we've been continuously on there.

KENT: That's Jim Owen, K4CGY, of the Virginia Fone Net. Jim started
checking into the net in 1960, but became a regular net control in about
1964.

JIM: I probably hold the record for the most net controls, I'm up to 2162
now.

KENT: According to research by Phil Sager, WB4FDT, there were two nets
formed in January 1934, both called Virginia phone net. Jim describes
what phone operation might have been like in the 1930s.

JIM: It was experimental, I know from talking to some of the old guys.
They came up with just about any scheme they could to modulate their CW transmitters. They didn't have money for modulation transformers, so
they used screen grid modulation, and a few even used antenna modulation
where you put a carbon microphone in the antenna lead. That's way before
my time, but they worked. They got them on the air, and eventually new
things improved, and especially after the war, there was a lot of gear available.

KENT: Jim says the net has run nearly continuously.

JIM: The only times we've ever skipped is when one of the emergency nets
took over the frequency.

KENT: The net has slowed down a bit.

JIM: As most phone nets go these days, there's not a whole lot of traffic
from the public. 30-40 years ago, someone wanted to get a message to
grandma on the west coast; they would come to us, because they didn't want
to spend the money to a phone call. Now they just text. Its morphed into
a net for old friends and new friends. Whatever you'd talk about on ham
radio.

KENT: Jim recalled hearing about the very early days of the net.

JIM: One of the members, W4BAD, Doc Tamer, was on spark in 1916. Doc
passed in the mid 1970s. He gave a lot of information on how they were operating back then, and what he was running. These old timers were good
to talk to. Now I guess I'm one of the old timers, hey that's the way it
goes; people come and go, and nets are the same way. Fortunately, we've
managed to make it all these years, and we hope to go a while longer.

KENT: The words of Jim Owen, K4CGY, talking about what might be the
world's oldest phone net, the Virginia Fone Net.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBES HOST FIRST NET

SKEETER/ANCHOR: American Indian tribes now have their own Net. If you
want to join them, listen to this report from Amateur Radio Newsline's
Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

PAUL: There is a new HF activity starting this weekend, and it's hosted
by a very special organization. The National Tribal Amateur Radio
Association will hold the first of what they hope are many more nets,
this Saturday, January 7th, at 0100 UTC on 3925 MHz to start.

I spoke with Association president Nathan Nixon, N7NAN about their plans:

NIXON: What we're starting is our first HF net that we hope to use to
not only kinda bring people together, but also to put out information as
to what's going on out there in Indian country, ways that people can
help. You know, through National Tribal we've never said "no" to anybody joining, and it's open to everybody, so ultimately, we just want to get
the word out there, that hey, most everybody, regardless of where you
live in the US, either has tribal nations within their state, or if
you're in a state like Arizona, where I'm at, we've got 22 of them. And, they're close - there may be community members who are ham radio
operators you may not be aware of, but every tribal community I've been
out to absolutely loves what amateur radio is, and what it's all about,
so I'm hoping with this net, we can move forwards from once a month to
twice a month, and kinda spread the word about Indian country, and bring
folks together and go from there.

PAUL: NTARA's membership is growing. According to Nixon.....

NIXON: ....As of January 1, we are sitting right at 482 across the U.S.
That's all 50 states. Out of those 482, we've got 21 of the 567
recognized tribal nations represented.

PAUL: The mission of the net will evolve over time, according to Nixon:

NIXON: So the first one is more just to - actually, the first couple -
will be more to test the waters and see, you know, which band, what time,
that sort of stuff works for everybody else. I'm hoping that by April or
May, that we'll have a list of people who check in on a regular basis,
so we'll do check-ins, and then with some of the resources that I have,
it's mainly to share information as to what's going on out there. So, if
I know that the Navajo Nation has a big fair going on, or something like
that, I'll put that out there for people. Either that, or there's like emergency communications events that Indian Country's doing, or anything
like that, that's what we're going to start putting out there, after I'd
say probably the third net after we get our feet wet, and kind of figure
out which band's going to work the best.

PAUL: Nixon said that while the first net will be on 75 meters, they are
also going to try one on 40, and one on 20, to see what works best for
most hams.

You can learn more about the Association, and follow the progress of the
net by joining the Facebook page - just search for National Tribal
Amateur Radio Association, or look for them on Twitter under
@NatlTribalHams. They have a QRZ page under W7NTV.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

AMATEUR RADIO SISTERHOOD HONORS COFOUNDER

SKEETER/ANCHOR: The Sisterhood of Amateur Radio has honored one of their
own: a founding mother of the group. We hear details from Amateur Radio Newsline's Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN.

GERI: Elizabeth Bigley, KD7RIN, has been honored by the group she helped create. Elizabeth, who cofounded the Sisterhood of Amateur Radio in
Nevada, has become a recipient of its 2016 Legacy Award. The honors were conferred on her, during the group's holiday luncheon in Henderson,
Nevada, on December 17.

Elizabeth has been a part of SOAR leadership, since it first came into
being in July, 2009. She is also president of the group's Las Vegas
chapter.

The Legacy Award honors women who have contributed to supporting the
female involvement in the advancement and continuation of amateur radio.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN.

(SOAR, SOUTHGATE ARC)


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

SCOUTS GETTING PREPPED FOR JAMBOREE ON THE AIR

DON/ANCHOR: Radio Scouting has kicked off the new year with an ambitious agenda. We hear the details from Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Stearns,
NE4RD.

BILL: This week in Radio Scouting, we have one activation of the K2BSA callsign, Jamboree on the Air planning, and Scout Camps on the Air.

Bryan Gonderinger, AF0W, will be activating a portable station at a Merit
Badge Fair in Longmont, CO, on January 28th. Bryan will be getting scouts
on the air for that portion the radio merit badge program.

Jamboree on the Air is 10 months away, but in order to ensure a successful event, it is time to get started. January is the month you contact your
local district, and get the event on the calendar, or find a compatible
event already on the calendar for your operation. After you have date set,
it's time to recruit your team. Flying solo can work well with smaller
groups, but it always helps to have the extra hands in working with scouts.

A planning calendar and more tips for JOTA/JOTI can be found on our website.

Are you putting a summer camp, a camporee, or a simple troop campout on the
air with your Scouts? Besides telling us about it, and reserving the K2BSA callsign for your event, you can announce and spot the event at the Scout
Camps on the Air website at www.scota.us. A quick glance at the calendar
there we can see that WS5BSA will be activating for a campout in Oklahoma
City, OK, on Saturday January 14th, and they'll be on HF 17/20 meters.
We also see that W0KCN will be activating for a Venture Crew in Kansas
City, MO, on Tuesday January 17th, and this appears to be an informational event for the Kansas City Northland ARES Group. So, give this site a try
for your next event.

For this, and more information on K2BSA and Radio Scouting, please visit www.k2bsa.net.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association, this
is Bill Stearns, NE4RD.

**

100 YEARS' WORTH OF ISLAND CELEBRATION

ANCHOR/DON: Yearlong celebrations of a centennial have become big in
amateur radio -- and this year's focus is on the United States Virgin
Islands. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephen Kinford, N8WB, with the details of an event going on there.

STEPHEN: A special event station is marking 100 years since the Treaty
of the Danish West Indies, which were sold to the U.S. and renamed the
Virgin Islands. The celebration is already under way, in fact, and on
the air! Listen for the EDR HAM Radio Club of Skanderborg using the
callsign OZ100DVI (OH-ZEE-One Hundred- DVI) right up through December
31st, 2017 honoring the islands of Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint
Thomas, along with the smaller islands nearby. St. Thomas will play an especially prominent role: Not only will the station be on all bands for
this yearlong event but operators will be doing hiking trips and SOTA
activity from Saint Thomas Island.

For further details, visit qrz.com

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.

**

KAZAKHSTAN GETS 60 METER BAND

DON/ANCHOR: The Republic of Kazakhstan, now a quarter-century old, just
got an anniversary present from authorities there - a new amateur radio
band. We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: The Republic of Kazakhstan, which just marked its 25th anniversary
of independence, has just got something else to be proud of: the right
to operate on the 60-meter band. The radio spectrum management authority
there has allocated 5351.5 through 5366.5 kHz on a secondary basis for
amateur use. Making the band available has been advocated by the
Association of Amateur Radio Services of Kazakhstan, which pressed its
case with the Minister of Information and Communications. It is unclear,
for now, what the maximum output power is and what other restrictions
may apply. The Association of Amateur Radio Services expects to determine
those shortly.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(SOUTHGATE)

**

80-METER COUNTIES CONTEST LOGS ARE DUE

DON/ANCHOR: The Irish Radio Transmitters Society reminds all hams who participated in the 80-meter Counties Contest on the 1st of January, to
have logs submitted no later than Sunday, January 15th. Contest organizers report that most counties were active, with radio contacts and band
conditions favorable overall. In fact, propagation was off to a great
start as the event began, with many operators proclaiming conditions
excellent. Toward the end, hams experienced longer skip. Even the weather
was good, encouraging portable stations to get out there, and on the band.
So, if you've logged your contacts, and want to make that day's efforts
count, don't forget the January 15th deadline.

(IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTERS SOCIETY)


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

AN IDEA WORTH SCOUTING OUT

JIM/ANCHOR: In late December, Amateur Radio Newsline reported about
updates being made to Scouting's Radio Merit Badge. We've just gotten
in a few more details, which Newsline's Joe Moell (MELL) K-zero-O-V,
shares with us now. Joe is also ARRL's Amateur Radio Direction Finding Coordinator.

JOE'S REPORT: It started as the Wireless Merit Badge in 1918, and has
become one of the most popular Scouting achievements. About 7000 Scouts
qualify for the Radio Merit Badge each year. The newest badge requirements
list includes an option for Amateur Radio Direction Finding, or ARDF.

Scouts are encouraged to build a simple direction-finding antenna and to participate in an on-foot radio foxhunt on the 2-meter or 80-meter band.
In addition, the radio broadcasting section now includes internet
streaming, and cellular telephone topics have been added.

The updates were authored by Jim Wilson, K5ND, who is former Director of Communication Services at the Boy Scouts of America, and is the current president of the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association. Jim decided to add ARDF
after his experience at USA's ARDF Championships last April. The new
section was then reviewed by leading members of ham radio's ARDF community.

The new Radio Merit Badge will be offered during the National Scout
Jamboree in West Virginia during July, where a complete ARDF course will
be set up and equipment will be available.

If you're a fan of hidden transmitter hunting, get together with the Scout leaders in your community to help them give the ARDF experience to Scouts,
and to offer the new Radio Merit Badge. More about the badge updates is available at K2BSA.org, that's K2BSA.org. Information about ARDF,
including simple antennas, and how to set up foxhunting courses, is at www.homingin.com. That's homingin, as one word, homingin.com.

From southern California, where ARDF is a part of Jamboree-on-the-air
every year, this is Joe Moell, K0OV, for Amateur Radio Newsline.

**

ZANE GREY EVENT

JIM/ANCHOR: There's nothing like classic American cowboy fiction - except, perhaps a ham radio event honoring one of the genre's masters. For those details, we turn to Amateur Radio Newsline's Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

MIKE: When it comes to classic fiction, you can't get drama more western
than Zane Grey. The master novelist brought the romance of American cowboy
life to generations of readers, as he spun his novels, 26 of which are set,
at least partly, in Arizona. Perhaps his most famous is "Riders of the
Purple Sage," published in 1912. A different kind of western drama will
unfold starting Jan. 28 inside the now-historic Zane Grey Cabin, where he
lived and wrote in Payson, Arizona. Members of the Tonto Amateur Radio Association will be on the HF bands, as Special Event Station K7Z, marking
the novelist's birthday. Hams will operate from the cabin itself on
Saturday, Jan. 28th and Tuesday, Jan. 31st, as well as their own QTHs.

Event organizer Bruce Sperka, AD7MM, said that his wife, Marilyn, KI7DLK,
is a volunteer at the Rim Country Museum next door to the cabin, and the
museum agreed to cosponsor the event. He said it was a natural to
incorporate Jan. 31, the author's birthday, into the activity, and that
Bruce Johnson, N7DDT, president of ham club, was excited that the event
could also raise radio's public profile.

Despite temperatures inside the cabin expected to reach as low as 30
degrees Fahrenheit this time of year, the club is prepared to give a
warm welcome to visitors. Who knows? What they see and hear may feel a
little like the same kind of high adventure of a Zane Grey cowboy novel,
radio style.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

(TONTO AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION)

**

AN AUSSIE HAM BY ANY OTHER NAME....

JIM/ANCHOR: Happy Australia Day.....well, almost. Hams down under are in
for a good time, and Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has
details.

GRAHAM: So you think you know all your friends' call signs? Guess again.
On Thursday the 26th of January - Australia Day - all we Aussie radio
amateurs get to substitute our normal VK callsign prefix with the letters
AX. All of a sudden, ham radio operators Down Under will find they're more popular than ever, since contacting an AX call sign is a big deal for many operators who are also prefix collectors. The prefix privilege is being
granted automatically by the ACMA, following negotiations with the Wireless Institute of Australia.

Of course, there's another reason Australia Day is so special, and it has nothing to do with callsigns: the occasion commemorates the First Fleet's arrival at Sydney Cove in 1788, and the creation of a European settlement
at Port Jackson. Expect to see national flags, and be sure to cover your
ears if you don't like fireworks - there'll be plenty of that kind of QRM
too.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB.....soon to be AX4BB.

(WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA)

**

JIM/ANCHOR: Also, on a personal note, in Australia, we'd like to
congratulate the Central Coast Amateur Radio Club, located just north of
Sydney in Australia, on the anniversary in 2017 of their 60th year of operation, and wish them success with their Hamfest on February 26th, at
Wyong race course, which remains the largest gathering of radio hams in
the Southern Hemisphere.

**

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K7MRG repeater
in Prescott, Arizona on Tuesday evenings.


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

STRONG TALK ON WEAK SIGNALS FROM NOBEL LAUREATE

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you use JT65 or WSPR, you probably know about Joe Taylor,
K1JT. Now some hams in Puerto Rico will get to know him in person.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has that story.

HEATHER: Software developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, will be an honored guest at
the Fifth Annual ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention, where he will talk
about DXing with weak signals. The convention is taking place Friday,
January 27th through Sunday the 29th. Joe, a Nobel Laureate, and a DXer,
was the Dayton Hamvention Amateur of the Year in 2016. The Princeton,
New Jersey ham has developed and improved digital protocols for
weak-signal communication on the ham bands, using such modes as JT65 and
WSPR. In 1993, Joe won the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering a new
type of pulsar which had impact on the study of gravitation. He is a
professor emeritus at Princeton University.

The convention was organized by the Caribbean Amateur Radio Group, and the Puerto Rico Amateur Radio League. If you can't be there in person to hear
Joe, be listening for Special Event station W1AW/KP4 which will be on the
air while the convention is going on.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.

(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 West Chester
Amateur Radio Club repeater, WC8VOA, in West Chester, Ohio, on Monday
nights.

**

AN HF HOMECOMING ACROSS THE MILES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Yes, you CAN go home again - especially if you're a ham, and
your far-away hometown is Hull, in the North of England. Amateur Radio Newsline's Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, has that story.

CARYN: What attracts the interest of a well-travelled ham when tuning
around the bands? How about a special event station celebrating his town
of birth? That's what happened this week to Amateur Radio Newsline's correspondent Ed Durrant, DD5LP, who shares that experience with us.

+++++ GB0HCC contact audio +++++++

ED'S REPORT: As you heard towards the end of my QSO, band conditions and
QRM were not the best; however, I was glad to get the QSO with the Hull, UK-based special event station, GB0HCC, which is celebrating the city of
Hull in the north of England, being the UK's city of culture for 2017.
Hull was originally the UK's largest fishing port, but later developed
many industries, small and large. It's where I grew up, and got my
Amateur Radio license in the seventies. It is great to see the latest
changes to this adaptive city, and to see the recognition of the Arts in
the award of the UK's city of culture 2017.

Good luck to the various Amateur Radio groups who will use the GB0HCC
callsign around the Hull area through the year. For further details,
please checkout the GB0HCC page on qrz.com.

Also heard on the bands this week was a station we announced on
ARNewsline a few weeks ago. VE100VIMY is a Canadian special event
station to commemorate the battle of Vimy Ridge in World War one, some
100 years ago. The call sign will move around Canada. When I contacted
it, it was in the VE3 prefix area being kept very busy with calls.

+++++++++ VE100VIMY contact audio ++++++

Finally Tom, OH6VDA, from Finland, would like all to know that the "OF"
call signs coming from Finland during 2017, are to celebrate 100 years
of independence for Finland. All Finnish stations may change their "OH"
prefix to "OF", so Tom was operating the OH2K station as OF2K when I
contacted him.

++++++++++ OF2K contact audio +++++++

So, even when atmospheric conditions are not good, it's always worth
tuning the bands. You never know what you might find.

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP, for ARNewsline.


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

NETS OF NOTE: THE YEAR OF THE ROOSTER

PAUL: The Chinese calendar tells us that the Year of the Rooster has just begun, but if you ask one enthusiastic bunch of hams, they'll tell you the
Year of the Rooster has been going on since 1957. Amateur Radio Newsline's Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, talked with the Chief Rooster of the Rooster Net
for the latest story in our series, "Nets of Note."

CARYN: A flock of hams has been roosting on 80 meters for more than 60
years and yes, that's something to crow about. So says Chief Rooster Mike Errigo, WB3EQW, also known as Rooster Number Four hundred eleven.

MIKE: "The Rooster Net started just with a bunch of guys getting together
on 75 meters back in the late 50s. One of the wives of one of these guys
in this group said 'You guys get up early and you talk so early in the
morning, you must be like a bunch of roosters.' And that's where it got
its name, and that's where it got its start."

CARYN: Check-ins and chat begin every day just as the sun comes up. To
avoid ruffling feathers, though, there's no talk of sex, politics, or
religion.

MIKE: "We hope we're just a fun group. We don't do emergency communications
and we'll clear the frequency if the ARRL needs it, or it is needed for
some emergency. We're just a ragchew group."

CARYN: Of course, there a few membership requirements. You need to be alert
by 6 a.m. Eastern time, complete 20 check-ins in a 90-day period and, oh
yes, there's that very formal Rooster initiation ceremony.

MIKE: "Stand up on the back of your chair, flap your wings, announce your
call and crow like a rooster, remembering that this is radio, this isn't television. The Lone Ranger when he was on radio, much as we hate to admit
it, probably didn't have a horse in the studio when they made their show.
It's the same with us. It's just theater of the mind."

CARYN: On this net, the early bird gets the frequency. Well, sometimes.
For more information, visit theroosternet.com or find them at 3990 kHz any morning. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT.

ANCHOR/PAUL: Meanwhile, if you know of a net with an interesting story to
tell, email us at newsline at arnewsline.org and we might just feature it
as one of our next Nets of Note.

**

AUSTRALIAN HAMS MARK HISTORIC WW2 BOMBING

PAUL: In Australia, the 75th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Darwin
is being marked with a special event station. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Graham Kemp VK4BB has details:

GRAHAM: Japanese air raids on Darwin and northern Australia during World
War II marked the single largest assault on the nation by any foreign
power. It was an attack that practically destroyed the city. Special event callsign VI8BOD will commemorate this important piece of wartime history
as the Darwin Amateur Radio Club begins operations on Saturday, February
18th, out of an old Qantas Hangar in a Darwin suburb. The station will be
on the air until the 28th of March.

The special operation is a reminder of what happened on February 19th, 1942
as Japanese aircraft staged two air raids, planned and led by the same commander who had directed the earlier attack on Pearl Harbor.

Twenty-one of the 46 ships in Darwin Harbor were sunk in the first raid,
and two more were sunk off Bathurst Island. In response to the Japanese assault, hundreds of thousands of members of the U.S. military were
stationed in the Northern Territory.

The Darwin club, VK8DA, has been meeting since 1966 in the Top End.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

(WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA,
DARWIN AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, listen for Leo, PP1CZ, who is on the air from Fernando
da Noronha Island until the 8th of February. He is operating on 80 through
10 meters using mainly CW, but some SSB and RTTY as well. His callsign is PY0F/PP1CZ. Send QSL cards via Club Log OQRS.

Until February 14th, you can work a group of Italian operators using the callsign TL8TT from the Central African Republic. They are on all bands
160 - 10 meters. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World.

Harald DF2WO is signing as 9X2AW from Kigali, Rwanda this month until
March 11th. Send QSL cards to M0OXO.


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including W5AW, the Big
Springs Amateur Radio Club Repeater in Big Springs, Texas, on Thursdays
at 8 p.m.

**

NEWEST RADIO INTERFERENCE UNDER THE SUN?

PAUL/ANCHOR: Though a solar array can save some homeowners big on their
energy bills, it's very possible nearby amateurs are paying a price on the bands. If you are experiencing interference on the air, and you believe
the source is a nearby solar array, the Federal Communications Commission
wants to hear from you. Whether the solar setup is right next door, or a
few doors down, the agency would like you to document the issue, and
explain why you believe the solar array is the source of problem. They can
then proceed with the investigation.

According to the FCC's Deborah Chen, complaints can be filed with the
agency, and should include any or all of the following: photographs, recordings, and any other meaningful supportive documents.

Submit your complaints on the agency website at consumercomplaints-dot-fcc-dot-gov (consumercomplaints.fcc.gov). "Consumercomplaints" is one word.

In followup contacts with the FCC, be sure to mention your complaint
ticket number.

**

TWO SILENT KEYS FOR THE CENTURY

PAUL: We note now the recent passing of two Silent Keys who were not just longtime radio operators but centenarians. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details.

HEATHER: The amateur radio world has lost two among its most senior
operators. In Russia, Oleg S. Klyucharev ( pronounced "clue-cha-rev"),
U-1-A-U, became a Silent Key the age of 102. At the time of his death on January 31st, Oleg was an active amateur radio operator. He died only days after Charlie Hellman, W-2-R-P, became a Silent Key in the United States
at the age of 106. Oleg had been licensed since 1933, and got his present
call sign the following year. A veteran of World War II, he had been a
member of the Amateur Radio Association of St. Petersburg.

Charlie, who lived in New York's Hudson Valley, died on January 25th. He
had been licensed for 92 years, and was honored in 2015 by the Quarter
Century Wireless Association with a "90 Year Continuous Licensed"
certificate award.

Another very senior radio enthusiast, a former licensed ham, died on
January 28th at the age of 108. Mary Cousins was no longer active as
W-1-G-S-C, but she got her license in 1933, becoming the first woman in
the state of Maine to become a ham radio operator.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.

(ARRL)

**

THE WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, it's time to look to those mountain tops, with two
Summit to Summit events planned in March. The first organised by Mike,
2E0YYY, and Andrew, VK1AD, is a long path Europe to Australia event for Saturday 11 March 2017, starting at 06:30 UTC. Activity will be SSB or
CW on 20 metres. The second event planned by Pete, WA7JTM, and Andrew,
VK1AD, is for the Australia-North America path is later in the UTC day
from 19:30 UTC, or 6:30am Sunday in Eastern Australia. Check reflector.sota.org.uk for details of both events. Contacts with home
stations are welcome from the SOTA activators, however those contacts
between the mountain peaks are very special.

Several U.S. operators are operating from Guantanamo Bay until February
24th. Be listening for KG4WV, KG4AW, KG4DY and KG4ZK. Visit each of their
pages on QRZ.COM for details about QSL cards.

Alain, F5OZC, and Sebastien, F8DQZ, are operating until February 26th
from the Los Islands off the coast of Guinea. They are using the call
sign 3XY3D. Their QSL manager is F5OZC.

Listen for Eric, SM1TDE, who will be active as 5X8EW from Entebbe in
Uganda from February 23rd through the 26th. You can hear him on 40 meters through 10 meters using CW. Send QSL cards to his home call sign.

(IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTERS SOCIETY, OHIO PENN DX)


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WW8GM General
Motors Amateur Radio Club in Michigan on the club's 70cm RenCen Repeater
at 443.075 MHz, every Saturday at 9pm.

**

CONTACT WITH THE CONCORDE

JIM/ANCHOR: The supersonic airplane known as the Concorde was taken out
of service in 2003, but a Seattle-area amateur is marking the 48th
anniversary of its test flight with a special event station that begins
next week. With that report is Amateur Radio Newsline's Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT.

CARYN'S REPORT: Starting on March 2, Greg Magone (Kilo-Bravo-7-Quebec-Papa-Sierra) KB7QPS, a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is celebrating the test flight
of a supersonic jet aircraft that forever changed the world's concept of
air travel.

GREG: The Concorde certainly was a revolution for transatlantic jet
travel. It shrunk the number of hours for being able to cross the pond,
so to speak, and it was revolutionary for that. It was a unique airplane
with a unique design for a commercial aircraft. I thought that it was an important event to commemorate in the history of mankind, because the
Concorde was such a unique aircraft out there.

CARYN: Special Event Station Whiskey 7 Charlie is the latest installment
in Greg's year-long Air, Space and Technology Operating Event. Greg will
be flying solo as the lone operator for those four days in March, and
he's looking forward to hearing what hams have to say:

GREG: "I imagine many are going to comment as to whether or not they have actually flown on the Concorde, and if they have not flown, certainly
they would have memories of seeing it fly in and out of airports or
otherwise, some other connection they have to the Concorde when they come
and make contact."

CARYN: Greg himself has actually been on board the Concorde a few times,
not as a passenger, but a visitor to the museum where the aircraft is on display. There's no question it has captured his imagination. Still, he
does have one regret:

GREG: "I have never seen the Concorde fly, unfortunately. It would have
been fun to see but I never had that opportunity."

CARYN: The Concorde gets back in the air - or rather, ON the air,
between the 2nd and 6th of March, traveling this time at the speed of
light, courtesy of radio waves. Be listening on 20 meters around 14250
kHz. A beautiful, full-color QSL card awaits you.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT.

**

HAMS HELP CELEBRATE RADIO STATION'S 95 YEARS

JIM/ANCHOR: A beloved old broadcast station came to life again in the UK, thanks to an amateur radio club with a sense of history, respect, and
great enthusiasm for its legacy. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Ninety-five years ago, radio came alive inside a small broadcast station - a former military Marconi hut - in Essex, as Britain welcomed
its first regular broadcast station 2MT. The date was the 14th of
February, 1922, and it is considered by many to mark the birth of British broadcasting. Earlier this month, that same historic hut rang out with different radio sounds -- amateur radio -- as the Chelmsford Amateur
Radio Society transmitted from there as station GB952MT, calling CQ to commemorate the anniversary.

Taking radio from its deep past into the digital present, club member
Jim Salmon, 2E0RMI, also made use of an internet radio station to air
vintage comedies, radio-related documentaries, and other historic material during the three-day celebration, which took place the 12th through the
14th of February.

As the website for Radio Emma Toc noted, the amateurs were not looking to recreate the original station 2MT, just to celebrate it, along with its
spirit.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(THE MALDON AND BURNHAM STANDARD, CHELMSFORD AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY)


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
K8SCH, the 2-meter repeater of the OhKyIn (Oh-KY-Yin) Amateur Radio
Society, on Wednesday nights following the Tech Net.

**

GETTING ON BOARD THE HAM RADIO BUS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Australia, one lifelong amateur has turned an old public
bus into a kind of school bus - the school of radio - as we hear from
Amateur Radio Newsline's John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: An out-of-service bus sits outside town in the central Victoria
community of Castlemaine, and the vehicle's not likely to be going
anywhere soon. The same can't be said for the small group of teenagers
inside: They are Castlemaine Venturers, scouts who have just begun their journey into ham radio. Their tutor, Tony Falla, VK3KKP, is igniting in
them the same wonder he felt as a child.

TONY: When I was 5, my dad brought home radios from work. He was working connected with the military. I was playing with radios, dismantling them
and putting them in boxes and every weekend I would bring them out and
take them into even smaller parts. Then I went to primary school. I must
have been about 7 years old. I was next to an army training camp, and the soldiers invited us all into the trucks, and into the tanks, to listen to headphones. We heard the whole battles, the pretend battles going on, and
I think that really got me in. I remember that moment so vividly. So,
when I introduce these ideas to kids these days, I do see that they have
the same excitement. I just put some earplugs into my first grandchild,
she was about 5, and it was a radio station there. To see the look on her
face was amazing!

JOHN: Sometimes, Tony said, even well-taught classroom, theory and radio simulation can't compete with the power of the real thing.

TONY: When we were just talking across the car park, somebody broke in
from New Zealand, and we got talking to them. The scouts saw that was a
genuine contact that hadn't been set up, and the scouts talked to the
chap. He was up a mountain, one thousand meters high, camped in a little
cabin with a radio and a battery. Again, because they are scouts, they
knew this person was in a remote area. Chatting to us one evening
suddenly made it real again, you see. So I think what we were talking
about before, making all these examples real, not just simulating them
over Echolink or Skype, we were actually doing it for real -- and that
person was isolated! So it did tweak them as well.

JOHN: A member of the Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club, Tony
said the enthusiasm for ham radio has now gotten a bit infectious.

TONY: We've had teachers approach us and other members of the public,
and we are going to be teaching the teachers hopefully. We are going to
teach the scoutmasters, so they can go on and teach other scouts. We
think we should move up a level so that we don't get burned out -- but
at the same time, just keep using these arguments to demonstrate why we
think it is important.

JOHN: The first group of students takes the Foundation exam this month.
We wish them luck, as they ride the ham radio bus, and bring more
passengers on board.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

**

NEW MANAGER FOR ARRL WEST VIRGINIA SECTION

NEIL: Leadership of the ARRL's West Virginia section has just changed
hands. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Damron, N8TMW, tells us who's in
charge now.

JIM: Here in West Virginia, a new ARRL Section Manager has been appointed
as of March 1st. He is Morgantown attorney Dan Ringer, K8WV, and he will succeed Phillip Groves, N8SFO. Phil has served since July 2015, and is
stepping down for personal reasons. Dan will fill the remainder of the
term, which concludes on September 30th. The new two-year term for section manager begins on October 1st, and nominating petitions are due at the
ARRL's Connecticut headquarters no later than June 9th. I talked with Dan
about his new position.

DAN: I took the position, because first of all, I have been deeply
involved in amateur radio for most of my life. I was first licensed when
I was 13 years old...and I have been involved with the ARRL during most
of that time. I was an assistant director for the Roanoke Division for a
number of years. I have been an assistant section manager for a longer
period of time. I'm an attorney, so I've volunteered as a volunteer
counsel with the ARRL. And, because I'm an attorney, I tend to know people involved in local government, so I have been a local government liaison.

JIM: Any closing thought on our ham radio hobby?

DAN: It's a wonderful hobby. It's an important hobby, and it's a useful
hobby. Everybody...there's a role for everybody in amateur radio.

JIM: That was Dan Ringer, K8WV, newly appointed WV ARRL Section Manager.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW.


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

NOMINATE YOUR "YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR"

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: This is another reminder that the nomination period has
opened for Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of
the Year Award. We accept nominations through May 31. Candidates must be
18 or younger, and be a resident of the United States, its possessions,
or any Canadian province. Find application forms on our website
arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. The award will be presented on
August 19th, at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama.

**

SHE'S A SCHOLAR - AND A TOP HAM

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Ham radio may have just helped launch the physics career
of one Indiana teenager. Here's Newsline's Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

NEIL: Maria Lysandrou, KD9BUS, is one of 150 students nationally to be
named a Coca-Cola Scholar. Maria was selected from over 86,000 applicants.
The scholarship program focused mostly on community involvement, which
included her music -- and of course ham radio. The senior at Bloomington
High School South in Bloomington, Indiana, who is the president of the
Amateur Radio Club, plans to study physics next year... partially due to
her involvement in the school's ham radio program. Maria explains how ham
radio played a role in landing this $20,000 scholarship.

MARIA: For some of the essays, they were just mainly about leadership,
and how you've been a leader throughout your community... and one of my communities, was that I talked about ham radio. So, I talked about how I'm
a woman in science, and how I go to my research lab, and I'm one of the
only people in my astrophysics research lab. I'm the only woman in my
research lab, and it makes me want to continue to pursue science, because
I want to merge that gender gap in science, especially in physics. And so,
I talked about ham radio, and how during contests, I'm like one of the only women on air, and how I went to the Dayton Hamvention. Mr. Rapp invited me
to the Dayton Hamvention, and he contacted the people there, and I actually talked at the educator forum... at the teachers' forum. And, I talked about
how to get more women in science, and more women in ham radio specifically.
And so, I talked about how I hope to, in my future, to be a leader in ham radio, and be a leader for women in ham radio, especially younger women.

NEIL: Maria will be making her college selection soon, as she puts the finishing touches on AP Chemistry.

Basking in the sunlight radiating off of Maria, I'm Mr. Rapp, WB9VPG,
reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline.

**

K2BSA ACTIVATIONS IN LOUISIANA AND OHIO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Radio Scouts are back on the air with more activations
this week, as we hear from Newsline's Bill Stearns, NE4RD.

BILL'S REPORT: This week in Radio Scouting, we have 2 activations of the
K2BSA callsign in LA and OH, 2 activations from Scout Camps on the Air,
and we're eight months out to Jamboree On The Air.

Michael Nolan, KD5MLD, will be the control operator for the K2BSA portable
5 station, at the Istrouma Area Council Centennial, at Airline Highway
Parish Park in Baton Rouge, LA, on March 23rd to 26th. Michael will be operating on Friday evening from 6pm until 10pm central, on 3905
(+ or - 5k) and on Saturday during the day from 8am to 4pm central on 7225,
(+ or - 5k) or 14270 (+ or - 5k), depending on band conditions. There will
be demonstrations of CW, and other digital modalities during the
celebration. Those frequencies will primarily be in the 40 & 20 meter band plans. Code will be around 10 to 13 wpm. They are expecting around 5000
scouts to attend this event.

John Baddour, KC8KI, will the control operator for the K2BSA portable 8
station at the Radio Merit Badge Midway Classes at Lorain County Joint Vocational School in Oberlin, OH, on March 25th. John will be working
with scouts on their Radio Merit Badge, and will most likely be on VHF
and possibly HF for the on-air component of the program.

Gary Hinton, AC7R, will be the control operator for KJ7BSA at the Mesa
District Varsity Scout Mongollon Mountainman Rendezvous at Camp Geronimo
in Payson, AZ, on March 18th. Gary will have scouts on the air on HF, VHF,
and UHF. Scouts will also be doing a Fox Hunt.

Chuck McBride, WS5ADV, will be the control operator for WS5BSA at the
Webelos Woods for Sooner District of the Last Frontier Council at John
Nichols Scout Camp in Oklahoma City, OK, on March 25th. Chuck will have
a FT-817 QRP rig on 17 and 20 meters on a half-wave dipole antenna. This
group will also be monitoring VHF and UHF.

We're eight months out for JOTA, so hopefully you've been following our countdown suggestions on our website. This month, you should be
contacting your local clubs for support and personnel, and get on the
agenda at a club meeting to inform the members of what JOTA is and how
they can help. Now is also the time to register your event on the
JOTA-JOTI registration system, last year this was a slightly complicated process. So, the earlier the better to get started on that! Also, try to
look for events on the scout calendars where you can do a demostration
station.

For more information on K2BSA and radio scouting, please visit http://www.k2bsa.net/.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association, this
is Bill Stearns, NE4RD.


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

BREAK HERE: Time to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
W2GLD repeater in Pinckney, Michigan, on Saturdays at 8 p.m. local time.

**

THE PLACE TO BE FOR WEST VIRGINIA HAMS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: If you're anywhere in West Virginia, Charleston will be
the place to be on March 25, as we hear from Newsline's Jim Damron, N8TMW.

JIM'S REPORT: The 33rd Annual Charleston, West Virginia Hamfest is slated
for Saturday, March 25, 2017, from 9 AM to 2 PM, at the Charleston Civic
Center in downtown Charleston, WV. In addition to the dealers and flea marketers, informative forums will be a part of the day, including ARRL
and ARES. VE testing will take place at noon. DXCC, Worked All States, and
VUCC card checkers will be on hand as well. Prizes include a $500 cash
first prize. The event is the first hamfest of the year in West Virginia,
and attendees come from all over the state, as well as bordering states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. Hamfest president Randy Damron, N8XEA, talks about a special attraction:

RANDY: We are excited about the advent of a new partner this year at the upcoming Hamfest. It's the Radio Museum of Technology in Huntington,
better known locally as the Antique Radio Museum. They're going to be with
us this year in their own separate area inside the hamfest, and they're bringing lots of antique radios, and antique ham gear for sale...along
with a soldering exhibition, particularly PL259's being soldered to coax
cable. Should be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.

Jim: For more information on the Charleston, WV Hamfest, E mail
n8tmw@arrl.net For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW.

**

SOTA SCALES TO NEW HEIGHTS, NEW CHALLENGES

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Amateurs activating summits around the world climbed to a
new challenge recently as they worked with long-path propagation to make
those coveted contacts. Here's Newsline's Ed Durrant, DD5LP, with that
report.

ED's REPORT: In Summits on the Air (SOTA), one of the more difficult and therefore challenging actions, is to communicate from one summit to
another, usually using low power, and a simple antenna at both ends. Add
to that distance and poor propagation, and the challenge is enormous.

This is the situation faced by the SOTA activators who climbed to summits
in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, on Saturday,
the 11th of March. In two actions to correspond with long path propagation times between Europe and Asia Pacific, and Asia Pacific and North America,
over 30 summits were activated across all the countries.

For the first of the two actions starting around 0700 UTC - the Europe-Australia one - hopes were not high with predicted propagation and
the results of a test at the same time the previous day by the organizers
- Mike, 2E0YYY, and Andrew, VK1AD, when contacts were very difficult to
make, even between a summit station and a well-equipped home (chaser)
station.

But, despite these predictions, the Amateur Spirit kicked in, and early
morning in Europe and late afternoon in Asia Pacific, the stations were
out in force on the summits. A total of 25 summits were "activated" in
Europe, 8 in Australia, 5 in Japan, and 1 in New Zealand.

Luck was with us, the band conditions, while variable, were better than
the previous days, and inter-continental Summit to Summit contacts were
made. I myself managed five summit to summit contacts, two of those into Australia from Germany, the other three were with Portugal, Germany, and
the UK. I heard a SOTA summit in Japan, although call as I may, he didn't
hear me. Others managed contacts from Europe into New Zealand, and Japan,
as well as Australia. So, all in all, a surprisingly successful event.
There are many comments on the SOTA reflector from those who took part,
saying how much they enjoyed the event, and when would the next one be.
For several activators, this was the first time they managed an inter-continental summit to summit contact.

Then, while the Europeans went home, and had a nice restful evening, on
the other side of the world, activators in Australia were heading out
early on their Sunday morning, to try for summit to summit contacts into
North America. Three Australian activators camped overnight on their
summits, so that they could take part in both events.

Again, for the VK-to-North America path, predictions were not good, and
in this case, unfortunately, the predictions were mainly true.

Although inter-continental summit to home station contacts were made, and several S2S contacts within each region, no inter-continental
summit-to-summit contacts were achieved. This might sound a little disheartening, but in fact, it has increased the resolve of those taking
part to come back, and try again, when conditions are somewhat better,
and with improved antenna set-ups. I'm sure it won't be long before the
VK to North America path will be as successful as the European to VK one.
One similarity already exists, that those taking part thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and are looking forward to another go.

Active during this event; the VK-to-North America event, were 5 summit
stations from Australia, 5 from the USA, and 1 from Japan. Going by the enthusiasm of those taking part, I expect there will be many more next
time.

These events are organized by individuals within the SOTA community, so
it just shows how much fun can be had, based simply on an idea, a date,
and a loooong walk up a hill!

For Amateur Radio Newsline this is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the KD5DMT repeater
of the Benton County Radio Operators club in Centerton, Arkansas, which transmits Newsline at the end of its regular Thursday evening net.

**

A YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR REMEMBERS 2011

PAUL/ANCHOR: For the past few weeks, we've been reminding you that it's
time to submit your nominations for this year's Amateur Radio Newsline
Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. But, our words can
only go so far, and only say so much. So let's hear some words instead
from Alabama's Kaitlyn Cole, KS3P. She was our youngest winner, at age 11,
in 2011.

KAITLYN: Hi, I'm Kaitlyn Cole, KS3P, and I was the 2011 Amateur Radio
Newsline Young Ham of the Year. It was a great honor to be chosen as the recipient of this internationally known award. I was the youngest person
to receive it at the age of 11. This award made it possible for me to be
an example to other young hams, and the award also shows the amateur radio community that young people are the future of amateur radio, and that we
are doing great things in public service and technical innovation, along
with being enthusiastic ambassadors for amateur radio. I am really looking forward to meeting the 2017 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Amateur Radio Newsline
Young Ham of the Year at the Huntsville Hamfest. 73 from Kaitlyn KS3P.

PAUL: Thank you Kaitlyn, we're proud of all you've accomplished. If any listeners know of a promising young amateur like Kaitlyn, visit our web
page at arnewsline.org and click on the YHOTY tab to download a nomination form. Candidates must be 18 or younger, and reside in the U.S. or any of
its possessions, or Canada. Application deadline is May 31. Find more
details on our website.

**

GREATER HOUSTON HAMFEST'S HAPPENING

PAUL/ANCHOR: If anyone knows how to stage a hamfest, it's Houston. The
Greater Houston Hamfest and ARRL Texas State Convention isn't exactly an
event of modest proportions. Hams who attend on Saturday March 25, and
Sunday March 26, are likely to remember plenty about the two days of the group's 16th annual hamfest. The principal speaker will be Tim Duffy, K3LR,
who is the chief operating officer of DX Engineering. He will also be at
the helm of two technical sessions - one on the K3LR superstation, and a
second one on the value a reverse beacon network has for DXers and
contesters. Joe Eisenberg, K0NEB, the kit editor for CQ Magazine, will
also lead a kit-building class for beginners.

So, come to the hamfest at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg, Texas. Stay for the fellowship and the forums, and oh yes, the two balloon launches. Things are looking up!

For more details, visit houstonhamfest.org

(RON LITT K5HM)

**

WHEN ALL THE WORLD'S A TRANSMITTER

PAUL/ANCHOR: If it feels like the whole world is on the air on April 18th, perhaps that's because hams are marking World Radio Day. What's that?
Amateur Radio Newsline's Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, explains.

JASON: If propagation is good, your signal is getting through, and the QSL cards are filling up your mailbox, you might feel like every day is World Amateur Radio Day. Officially, however, this once-a-year event takes place
on April 18th, the date in 1925 marking the formation of the International Amateur Radio Union in Paris. So, if you feel you're in need of a special occasion to operate, this is the one.

World Amateur Radio Day is set aside for IARU members to show public pride
in being a radio operator, by contacting hams worldwide as a gesture of
global friendship. The Bahrain Amateur Radio Group will operate for
several days as A91WARD, with a special QSL card for the event. The Puerto
Rico Field Day Group will be on the air on Amateur Radio Day itself as
KP4FD. Australia's Albury Wodonga Amateur Radio Club will be operating for three days as VK2EWC.

For the third consecutive year, the World Friendship Net will also be part
of the action. The net is operating on ECHOLINK conference server *WORLD*
and IRLP node 9251. Last year it logged more than 300 check-ins from 33 international stations, and 18 different countries during its 10 hours of operation, making it the largest event on VOIP/ECHOLINK.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(IARU)


Posted by VPost v1.7.081019

DON'T FORGET: YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

JIM/ANCHOR: Just another reminder that April is here, and the deadline approaches to nominate a young candidate for Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. This is our commitment to honoring young talent. Is there someone who particularly impresses you? Nominations are open to amateurs 18 or younger, who reside in the United States, its possessions, or any Canadian province. Find application forms
on our website at arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. The award will be presented on August 19th at the Huntsville Hamfest in Alabama.

Visit our website for details. Nominations close May 31, and that date is coming up fast!

**

RADIO SCOUTING UPDATE

JIM/ANCHOR: Radio Scouts are starting this month with a bit of activity.
We hear about 2 activations, and some progress on merit badges, from
Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Stearns, NE4RD.

BILL: This week in Radio Scouting, we have 1 activation of the K2BSA
callsign, 1 activation from Scout Camps on the Air, Radio Merit Badge
numbers are in, and we're moving into 7 months out for Jamboree on the
Air.

Laurence Galle, K9EYZ, will be the control operator for the K2BSA portable
5 station, at the Jamboree Shakedown Campout at Camp Tiak in Wiggins, MS,
from April 7th to April 9th. Troop 4125 will be preparing for this summer's great adventure at the National Jamboree. Hopefully, other councils having these shakedown campouts leading up to the event, will consider activating amateur radio stations.

Hatchie Crew 32, KB5WAX, will be activating K5BSA at the Venturing
Rendezvous for Southern Region Area 2 at Camp Wisdom in Dallas, TX, from
March 31st to April 2nd. Along with a Low Cope Course, Rock Climbing, and
Water Sports, this active venture crew is activating an amateur radio demonstration station.

The Boy Scouts of America have released the rankings and numbers for all
the merit badges earned during 2016. From the Byran on Scouting blog the
Radio Merit Badge came in at 74 with 6,442 badges earned during 2016. A
big thanks goes out to all of our Radio Scouters involved in making this
happen throughout the year. This year, we expect to see a bump in numbers
with the roughly 300 plus scouts going through this program at the National Jamboree this summer.

As we move into April, we're only 7 months out for Jamboree On the Air.
A lot of clubs are starting to plan Field Day operations. Consider
inviting your local council, district, or troop, out to your event.
Remember, the GOTA station is free, and receives bonus points for each
20 QSOs made by the same guest operator. What a great opportunity to get
Scouts involved with your club!

For more information on K2BSA and radio scouting, please visit http://www.k2bsa.net/.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association, this
is Bill Stearns, NE4RD.

**

HAMS' TRADITION OF SURVIVAL

JIM/ANCHOR: A husband-and-wife team of amateurs in South Africa, has a
special reason for going on the air with a most unique call sign. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, explains.

JIM MEACHEN: For South African radio operators Tom, ZS1AFS, and Sue,
ZS1AFR, the annual tradition of being on the air as ZT1T is one for which they're immeasurably grateful. The activation marks the Morgans' dramatic rescue from their yacht, which became disabled in the South Atlantic Ocean
in 2011, while they were sailing to South Africa from the UK. The prefix
of their call sign makes their radio operation all the more meaningful too,
not just for Tom and Sue, but for those who contact them, because "ZT" is
a one-of-a-kind prefix for a South African call sign.

Having marked the anniversary date of their Feb. 25 rescue not long ago,
Tom and Sue Morgan are now preparing for their next big radio operation.
That will be Easter weekend. In an email to Amateur Radio Newsline, Tom
said they operate every Christmas and Easter, and often use the ZT1T call
sign as well in events such as the WPX SSB Contest, to provide a multiplier
to operators. They will begin their Easter operation starting on Thursday
the 13th of April, mostly on SSB but with some PSK-31 as well.

There's lots to celebrate, since the Morgans' on-air operations are always immensely popular -- especially because they're still here and still on
the air.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS)


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BREAK HERE

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the EARS Wide Area Repeater Network, W9EAR, in Vincennes, Indiana on Mondays at 8:30 p.m.

**

LIGHTHOUSE SHINES ITS WAY TO A QSO

NEIL/ANCHOR: Imagine what it would be like if your ham shack were a
lighthouse on Canada's Prince Edward Island. This report from Amateur
Radio Newsline's Paul Braun, WD9GCO, may help.

PAUL: For hundreds of years, mariners relied on lighthouses to navigate
and avoid hazards in the dark, and in foggy conditions. Today, sonar and
GPS has mostly rendered lighthouses obsolete. But many still exist, and
one ham, George Dewar, VY2GF, has great plans for some of them on Prince
Edward Island. He explains:

GEORGE: They have been taken over by community groups, and turned into
tourist attractions. A lot of them have gift shops and museums associated
with them. Even though they're not used for marine navigation much now,
they are an integral part of the community here on Prince Edward Island, because tourism here in Prince Edward Island is our third-biggest industry after farming and fishing.

So, my friend Bernie, from Monkton, is a bit of an antenna expert, so he
brings some verticals over, and we set up and have fun for the weekend.

This year is Canada's one hundred and fiftieth birthday, and the idea of
Canada started here in Prince Edward Island in 1864. So they've designated
the lighthouse at East Point as the Confederation Lighthouse, because it's
the only lighthouse still standing that was built in 1867.

So, basically what I'm doing, is extending an invitation to anybody and everybody, to come to Prince Edward Island for activating a lighthouse for
a particular weekend. We'd sure like people to sit in with us and operate,
and there are a lot of lighthouses around, so if somebody wanted to do an individual activation it'd be quite easy to do. As a matter of fact, a gentleman called Bob from Ohio, November 8 Golf Uniform, he's going to
activate a lighthouse at Cape Bear, which has the distinction of being the
only radio station in Canada that made a contact with the Titanic in 1912, while she was sinking.

PAUL: I asked George where people could go to get more information on the lighthouses and activations:

GEORGE: If you go onto my QRZ page with this callsign, VY2PLH, I've got
our past activations listed there, I've got the upcoming ones, and there's
also a link to a website there for the PEI Lighthouse Society. On my page, there I've got my email address and I would welcome people if they were to
send me an email, and I'll help them out all I can.

PAUL: So if you enjoy collecting special activations, or even if you're interested in activating a lighthouse yourself (according to the society website, there are 63 of them), look George up, and send him an email.
He'll be happy to have you come visit.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

FIRSTNET FOR THOSE FIRST ON THE SCENE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has announced a deal for a nationwide wireless network for first responders. It's called FirstNet,
as we hear from Phil Thomas, W8RMJ, in this report courtesy of Amateur
News Weekly.

PHIL: The U.S. government has awarded AT&T the FirstNet Project. It is a $6.5-billion deal with AT&T to build a nationwide wireless network for
first responders, a project that was first proposed after the 911
terrorist attacks. This decision is a major step forward for FirstNet.
This will be a nationwide wireless broadband network that police, fire,
and other police responders will use exclusively during a major emergency.
This is one of a dozen of recommendations made by the 911 Commission in
2004. Currently, the first responders share wireless networks with regular customers, meaning communications get clogged due to network congestion
during a major emergency. Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross
announced a 25-year contract with AT&T and its partners, which include
Motorola Solutions. Working with FirstNet, AT&T will build and manage a
network that will strengthen and modernize public safety communications capabilities enabling them to operate faster, safer, and effectively,
when lives are on the line. AT&T will work with FirstNet to deliver a
system that will cover all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and the
District of Columbia. Work on FirstNet is expected to generate 10,000
jobs across the company, as well as its contractors over the next two
years. The network buildout is scheduled to begin later this year.

NEIL: That report was from Phil Thomas, W8RMJ, of Amateur News Weekly.
For more of Amateur News Weekly, visit their website at
amateurnewsweekly.com


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KNOW A POTENTIAL YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR?

DON/ANCHOR: Speaking of young hams, this is just another reminder that the deadline approaches to nominate a candidate for Amateur Radio Newsline's
Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. Do you know someone
who particularly impresses you? Nominations are open to amateurs 18 or
younger who reside in the United States, its possessions or any Canadian province. This is Amateur Radio Newsline's commitment to honoring young talented radio operators. Find application forms on our website at arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. The award will be presented on
August 19th, at the Huntsville Hamfest, in Alabama.

Visit our website for details. Nominations close May 31, and that date is coming up fast!

**

BREAK HERE: Time to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W2GLD repeater in Pinckney, Michigan on Saturdays at 8 p.m. local time.

**

MARKING THE DAY OF MARCONI

DON/ANCHOR: Are you up to date on your radio history? If you are, you'll remember that Marconi Day is coming, and that's as good a reason as any to
get on the air, as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: International Marconi Day is not a contest, but a global tribute. Organized by the Cornish Amateur Radio Club, it's about as close as any
radio operator may get these days to having the "Marconi experience." On
April 22 - which will be April 21 in the United States - hams are
encouraged to get on the HF bands, and make as many contacts as possible
with the dozens of stations that have registered as so-called "award
stations."

This is the 30th International Marconi Day, and it will include the participation of a number of special event stations celebrating Guglielmo Marconi's birth on April 25, 1874. Participation is in two categories: for transmitting amateurs completing contacts with 15 of the official award stations, and for shortwave listeners logging two-way communications made
by 15 of those stations.

Award stations include the Kerry Amateur Radio Club in Ireland, operating
as EI6YXQ at the former Marconi station site at Ballybunion. In Binghamton,
New York, in the U.S., operators can listen for special event station K2M.
The Binghamton site is where Marconi demonstrated in 1913 that communciation was possible with a fast-moving train. The site contains the remaining
tower Marconi used. Other North American stations, with links to Marconi's historic work, include Cape Cod, Massachusetts, operating as WA1WCC and
KM1CC, and Nova Scotia as VE1IMD.

Of course, in the UK, the Cornish club's members will also be operating,
using the call sign GB4IMD. Cornwall was where Marconi did much of his formative work. Marconi himself might appreciate this event as a day that should be filled with big discoveries.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(CORNISH AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

ON THE FRONT PORCH OF RADIO HISTORY

DON/ANCHOR: For a little bit more radio history, head to New York State's Hudson Valley, where dots and dashes are taking center stage. Or at least.....the front porch. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, with that story.

HEATHER: The Samuel Morse estate in New York's Hudson Valley was the
summer home of the noted inventor, and 19th century telegrapher. The
historic house and grounds, known as Locust Grove, is marking the 227th anniversary of Morse's birth, by doing the very thing Morse himself made possible - communicating in code. On April 29, the Hudson Valley QSY
Society will be operating in CW from the porch of the old house, making
radio contacts in Morse Code to demonstrate to the public how effective
a mode it still is. Guests at the home will also be welcome to visit the historic home's telegraph gallery, which contains reproductions of early electromagnetic telegraphs, similar to those developed and used by Morse.

Locust Grove is located in Poughkeepsie (Poo-KIP-See) New York and the
event, which is free, begins at 10 a.m. Visit the website at lgny.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.

(LOCUST GROVE HISTORIC ESTATE)


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GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE TECH

PAUL/ANCHOR: Girls are very much the focus of the International Telecommunications Union, which is getting ready to mark yet another International Girls in Information and Telecommunication Technologies
Day. That would be April 27. The annual program is the UN agency's
global effort to open up the world of science, and tech to girls who
might someday be employed in the sector. Companies, schools, government agencies, and other ICT affiliates around the world, will be hosting
workshops, career fairs, and hands-on activities. The daylong event acknowledges amateur radio as one gateway into the sector, and encourages girls' involvement.

Since ICT Day's establishment in 2011, more than 240 thousand girls and
young women have been involved in 7,200 events in 160 countries around
the world, according to the ITU.

(ARRL, ITU)

**

TIME TO PARTY IN NEW ENGLAND

PAUL/ANCHOR: The New England QSO Party is coming up fast, and organizers
are asking hams to come out and represent their counties. We hear more
from Amateur Radio Newsline's Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN.

GERI'S REPORT: If you can't visit New England, the next best thing is to
WORK New England, and you'll get your chance on the 6th and 7th of May
during the New England QSO Party. Organizers are working hard to get
every county in every New England state represented. So if you're already
in New England, consider this your invitation to the 20-hour-long party,
for however many hours you can participate. Yes, there will actually be
a sleep break between 1 a.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Sunday local time to relax
and recharge. The rest of the time hams can operate using CW, SSB, and
digital modes on 80/40/20/15 and 10 meters.

Last year the party had a turnout to be proud of: 179 stations in New
England, and 300 more participating from around the country and the world.

If you're in New England, register by emailing info-at-neqp.org

If you're anywhere else, be ready starting Saturday May 6 at 20:00 UTC.
Visit neqp.org for more details.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN.

(NEW ENGLAND QSO PARTY)

**

GETTING LUCKY IN KENTUCKY

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you're proud to drive a vehicle that has your callsign
on its license plate, you'll understand why hams in Kentucky want to
give their own state license plates a second look. Amateurs there are considering a remake that perhaps offers a little higher wattage. This
report comes to us courtesy of Amateur News Weekly's Jack Prindle, AB4WS.

JACK'S REPORT: In Kentucky, our amateur radio vehicle registration plates
are very plain: a white background and your call sign in blue and the
words "amateur radio" make up the plates. Many would like to see the commonwealth update these plates. What do YOU think? Please email your
ideas and opinions to arrlky@yahoo.com

Covering your amateur radio news in the Greater Cincinnati area, and the commonwealth of Kentucky for Amateur News Weekly, this is Jack Prindle,
AB4WS, in Big Bone Kentucky.

PAUL/ANCHOR: That report was from Amateur News Weekly. To hear more news serving hams in Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area, visit amateurnewsweekly.com

(AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY)


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