Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2430 for Friday May 24th, 2024

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2430 for Friday May 24th, 2024

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2430 with a release date of
Friday, May 24th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A network breach at ARRL causes service
disruptions. WWVB is at half-power following antenna damage -- and
using Winlink for fun and games.  All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2430 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
HACKERS GAIN ACCESS TO ARRL HEADQUARTERS-BASED SYSTEMS

NEIL/ANCHOR: As Newsline went to production, users of the ARRL's
Logbook of the World® and the ARRL Learning Center were struggling
with a service disruption following what the league described as
[quote] "a serious incident involving access to our network and
headquarters-based systems." The ARRL posted on its website a
reassurance that its member database contains only details that are
available from public records, such as name, address and callsigns,
adding that no credit-card information or other sensitive information
is stored. The ARRL did not address requests from Newsline and other
media for clarification of the cause of the security breach, adding
only that it was giving highest priority to having industry experts
resolve the issue.

(ARRL, SECURITY WEEK)

**
STARLINK, RIVAL SPAR OVER FREQUENCY COORDINATION, INTERFERENCE CHARGES

NEIL/ANCHOR: In what may shape up as a first test of a new FCC rule
about direct-to-cellular satellite services, a service provider is
charging Starlink satellites with creating interference on the S-band.
Kent Peterson KC0DGY has those details.

KENT: Omnispace, which has plans for building a global mobile network
through a satellite constellation, has criticized Starlink satellites'
own direct-to-device network for creating what a top executive calls a
noise floor that renders their own customers' services useless.

According to a report on the Space.com website, SpaceX had previously
written to Omnispace and the FCC about coordinating the frequencies of
their respective systems -- but that exchange has not yet taken place.
SpaceX's David Goldman asked Omnispace's Mindel De La Torre in early
May to provide empirical evidence of the claimed interference. Goldman
also questioned whether Omnispace may not be coordinating frequencies
as required by the International Telecommunication Union or the FCC
because it is a licensee based out of Papua, New Guinea.

Omnispace operates several low- and medium-Earth orbit satellites
experimentally but intends to build a 600-satellite constellation. The
company has previously been critical of SpaceX, most recently of its
partnership with the US division of the cellular network, T-Mobile.

In March, the Federal Communications Commission adopted regulations
covering so-called Supplemental Coverage from Space, under which
direct-to-device satellite services are considered secondary to primary
frequency allocations on the 2 GHz band.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(SPACENEWS.COM)

**
CALIF. GETS 'RIGHT TO REPAIR' LAW FOR ELECTRONICS

NEIL/ANCHOR: A new law is about to make California the newest US state
giving consumers better access to repairing electronics they purchase
in that state. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB brings us that story.

RALPH: A law that takes effect on July 1st in California will require
the makers of consumer electronics to offer purchasers of those
products - along with service dealers and repair facilities - a means
to repair them by providing guides, parts and tools for a period
between 3 to 7 years after the manufacturing date, depending on the
item's original wholesale price. The new Right to Repair Law brings
California in line with a growing push in other states for similar
legislation. According to the website of the Reinhart legal firm, 30
other states have introduced similar legislation. Two other states -New
York and Minnesota - have similar consumer electronics laws already in
effect. A right-to-repair law in Colorado covers agricultural
equipment.

The new California law will apply to all electronics sold there as far
back as July 2021. The law excludes video game consoles and alarm
systems, neither of which is considered an "electronic or appliance
product."

According to the website of the Sidley Austin law group, similar
measures are in the works in Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

The bill was introduced last year by state Senator Susan Talamantes
Eggman as a means of reducing electronic waste and improving California
residents' opportunities to repair, or have repaired, broken products.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(SUSAN TALAMANTES EGGMAN WEBSITE, SIDLEY AUSTIN, REINHERT)

**
ANTENNA DAMAGE FORCES WWVB TO OPERATE AT REDUCED POWER

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the United States, the timekeeping radio station WWVB
is providing its essential information on reduced power following storm
damage to one of its antennas. Travis Lisk, N3ILS, gives us an update.

TRAVIS: Wind damage to half of its phased-array antenna has left radio
station WWVB operating at reduced power outside Fort Collins, Colorado.
The winds that struck the south antenna in early April were estimated
to be higher than 90 miles per hour. The National Institute of
Standards and Technology operates the timekeeping site. People
throughout North America rely on WWVB's broadcasts to synchronize their
watches, clock radios and other consumer electronics. It is also used
for accurate time synchronization and for timekeeping applications in
appliances, cameras and irrigation controllers. Since the wind damage
occurred, the station has broadcast using its north antenna only and on
reduced power. The NIST explained the change in an announcement
recorded on the 11th of May and posted on YouTube. There is also a
notice on the NIST website.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(NIST, YOUTUBE)

**
SILENT KEY: THREEZA CRUZ ANICETO, DW3TRZ, CONTESTER, FRIENDSHIP
ADVOCATE

NEIL/ANCHOR: A well-respected and much-loved YL, active in contesting
and DXing, and an advocate for international friendship, has become a
Silent Key in the Philippines. We hear more about her life from John
Williams VK4JJW.

JOHN: Threeza Cruz Aniceto, DW3TRZ, was an award-winning contester, a
mentor to many and a special friend to YLs with whom she shared her
talents in needlework, taking time to craft ham radio-related gifts and
cross-stitched QSLs for hams around the world. Threeza maintained an
active YouTube channel, called "Mabuhay [ma-BOO-hay] DXStitch Amateur
Radio," which she established to promote worldwide friendship through
ham radio.

Threeza died on May 18 of pancreatic cancer according to the Philippine
Amateur Radio Association and her friend Anne Dirkman, KC9YL, who
supported Threeza in joining the US-based Young Ladies Radio League as
a DX member. Newsline listeners got to hear about Threeza's talents in
an interview on Amateur Radio Newsline in 2018 and readers of the
ARRL's QST magazine got to know her better in a January 2020 Member
Spotlight feature article.

In the Philippines, "Mabuhay" is a wish for a good life. Threeza Cruz
Aniceto, who said that word often to friends, surely had one herself.
She was 49.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(ANNE DIRKMAN, KC9YL; PHILIPPINE AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION, QST)

**
SILENT KEY: LEO MC HUGH, EI8BR, NOTED CW MENTOR

NEIL/ANCHOR: A leader and a mentor among CW operators in Ireland has
become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The name and callsign of Leo McHugh, EI8BR, was well-known
among CW operators in Ireland and was a frequent entry in the logs of
CW operators around the world. Leo, who died last month, shared his
love of the code with anyone who asked. He is credited as the organiser
and promoter of CW training sessions offered at the South Dublin Radio
Club, where he had been a member for many years. Daniel Cussen, EI9FHB,
told Newsline in an email that Leo was [quote] "a hard but fair
taskmaster in CW training and his patience was often sorely tested by
his students. His favourite expression of 'Do it right, lads,' was
often repeated in these classes." [endquote] Over the years, his
instruction helped many club members get their Class A licence for CW.
The Irish Radio Transmitters Society awarded him the prestigious
Collins Cup in 2020 for his training programme. A civil engineer and a
self-taught trumpet player, Leo had a CW fist that many envied for its
speed and skill, even for a radio operator in his 90s.

Leo was also a contributor to the Irish Radio Transmitters Society news
publication, Echo Ireland and would often read the weekly IRTS
broadcast news.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(DANIEL CUSSEN, EI9FHB; IRTS)

**

FINAL DAYS TO NOMINATE YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

NEIL/ANCHOR: May 31st is the deadline for nominations to be in for this
year's Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year award. Let
Newsline know of any promising young amateurs who are deserving of this
honor. Candidates must live in the continental United States and be 18
years of age or younger. Tell our judges about your nominee's talent,
promise and commitment to community and the spirit of ham radio. This
is your chance to help honor and acknowledge that person who will, no
doubt, go on to teach and inspire others. Find the nomination form on
our website arnewsline.org under the "AWARDS" tab. Remember that we
cannot accept any nominations after May 31st.

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
Reflector 91C every Wednesday night at 9:30 UTC or 7:30 Australian
Eastern Standard Time followed by a short net from VK3PG 91 C-Group
coordinator.

**
SOFTWARE AWARD GIVEN TO 2 HAM RADIO PROJECTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: The recipients of this year's Amateur Radio Software Award
have been announced and we learn who they are from Sel Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: The fifth annual Amateur Radio Software Award has been awarded to
the hams behind two innovative open-source software projects: OpenWebRX
and OpenWebRX+ [OpenWebRX Plus]

The projects and their developers are being honored with the
international award for providing innovative, free and open software
that enhances amateur radio.

The leader of the OpenWebRX project is Jakob Ketterl DD5JFK. OpenWebRX
can be operated from any web browser on a computer with network access
and has no need for additional client software. The SDR receiver was
designed with a simple interface to make it easy for inexperienced
people to experience HF reception.

The leader of the OpenWebRX+ project is Marat Fayzullin, KC1TXE.
OpenWebRX+ is Linux software that contains various decoders to be used
with OpenWebRx, providing access to SSTV, AIS, CW and RTTY.  It is
considered a fork of the OpenWebRX project, which means it uses the
source code of the original project to expand upon it.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(ARSA AWARD.COM; RICH GORDON K0EB)

**
USA RADIO ORIENTEERING EVENT RECEIVES PERMIT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Plans are moving forward for radio orienteering
championships later this year, as we hear from Dave Parks WB8ODF.

DAVE: Organizers of this year's USA Radio Orienteering Championships
have announced that they have been approved for a permit to hold the
2-metre Classic at the Eddy Discovery Center at the Waterloo Recreation
Area in Michigan. The race will be among several challenges taking
place at a variety of venues during the week-long event, which includes
practice sessions and training camps as well as cultural and dinner
outings. The championships are being held between the 5th and 13th of
October. The USA championships are being held in combination with the
IARU Region 2 biennial ARDF championships.

The USA event's competition age categories range from 10 and younger to
older radio operators 80 and above. The championships are being
organized by the Southern Michigan Orienteering club and a number of
ham radio clubs throughout the southeastern part of the state.

For additional details, see the web link provided in the text version
of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ:   https://radioorienteeringchamps.us/  ]

This is Dave Parks WB8ODF.

(HOMINGIN.COM, FACEBOOK)

**
OPERATORS NEEDED FOR WORLD CUP CRICKET STATIONS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Organizers of a special event marking this year's World
Cup Cricket tournament are inviting hams to get on the air while the
games are going on. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us how to do that.

SEL: You don't have to know how to play cricket to be part of this
tournament: The World Cup Cricket Tournament Special Event Station
needs operators who live in the countries and states where the
competition will take place starting on the 2nd of June. The station
will be on the air until the 29th of June.  Amateurs from the US and
the Caribbean are being invited to get involved by getting on the air.
The teams will play at stadiums in three US venues and six in the
Caribbean, for a total of 55 matches.

One of the stadiums is a new one in New York where amateurs in that
region, members of the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club, are
organizing the special event using the callsign W2C. Hams will operate
on all HF bands using all modes.

To become an activator, contact Lou NO2C (En Oh Two See) at the email
address in the text version of this week's Newsline script:

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

[DO NOT READ:    lou_maggio@hotmail.com   ]

(GREAT SOUTH BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**
ROTUMA DXPEDITION TO FEATURE REMOTE YOUTH OPERATORS

NEIL/ANCHOR:  Young amateurs will be getting a unique opportunity to
experience a DXpedition without ever leaving home.  Kevin Trotman N5PRE
has the details.

KEVIN: Young amateurs will be operating radios in the Pacific remotely
this November, joining the 3D2Z (Three D Two Zed) Rotuma Dxpedition as
remote operators. The Pacific Islands DXpedition Group has partnered
with Youth on the Air Americas to give young activators a taste of the
challenge. Coordination and scheduling of the remote operation by the
YOTA team will be done by Kees [Case], W0AAE, a freshman aerospace
engineering major at Iowa State University and the 2023 recipient of
the Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of
the Year Award. He is an active member of RHR, Remote Ham Radio. YOTA
Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, said the partnership presented a great
opportunity for the young operators to be on the receiving end of a
DXpedition pileup.

Rotuma remote stations will be established for the YOTA team using two
radios-in-a-box provided by DXpedition organizer Gregg, W6IZT. Gregg
said he hoped that at least three-quarters of the DXpedition's remote
contacts will be made by the YOTA operators. The six-member DXpedition
team itself will be operating from the island. The DXpedition is
scheduled for November 15th through to December 4th.

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(YOUTH ON THE AIR)


**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, the Rushyhill Radio Society, MN0UGP, will be
commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, which took
place on June 6th, 1944. Operators will be using the callsign GB8DDY
between the 1st and 28th of June. There will be no QSL cards but
certificates will be available. See QRZ.com for details.

A team of operators using the callsign 4X2DS will be active from the
shores of the  Dead Sea between the 30th of May and the 3rd of June.
The shoreline is 440 metres below sea level, making it the planet's
lowest land-based elevation. For QSL details see QRZ.com. A certificate
will be available.

Listen between the 31st of May and the 2nd of June for members of the
Kuala Lumpur DX Team. They will be on Kapas Island, IOTA Number AS-073,
in West Malaysia, using the callsign 9 M4 IOTA. They will be using CW,
SSB and digital modes on 80-10 metres.  See QRZ.com for details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: WINLINK HAS THE FINAL WORD, BUT IT'S ALL (MOSTLY) IN FUN

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams who need to send email using only radio frequencies
understand the power of Winlink, especially when the messages they send
and receive contain vital information during an earthquake, hurricane
or some other emergency. Now Winlink is showing its more playful side
-- and Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us it's fun with a purpose.

ANDY: If you're a fan of Wordle, a web-based guessing game involving
five-letter words, you're in luck. In fact, if you're an amateur radio
operator who's also a fan of Winlink, you're in even more luck. Meet
Hamword, a game that allows amateurs to keep their Winlink skills sharp
while engaging in a Wordle-style game. Now in its second year, Hamword
has won fans in at least 22 countries and more than 5,700 individual
games have been played, according to recent statistics provided in a
QRZ.com forum by Mark Kleine N5HZR, Hamword's developer. There's room
for more to get in the game, however: he said players in only 41 of the
50 states have become involved so far.

Since it's only a game, you don't have to be near your rig to play. You
can use the Telnet interface over the web to send a five-letter word to
the Winlink tactical callsign HAMWORD. That's HAMWORD, one word. You
still need a ham license and a functioning Winlink account though.

Mark said that he has great hopes more hams will get in the game, which
had the simple purpose at the outset of helping people with their
Winlink proficiency. His feeling about the support that Hamword has
gained can best be described by a five-letter word: GREAT.

To learn more visit the link in the text version of this week's
newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

[DO NOT READ: https://hambooks.org/hamword/  ]

**
DO YOU HAIKU?

Don't forget the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. If you're not
too busy tuning your antennas or chasing the latest DXpedition, pick up
a pencil and share your experience by sending an original haiku to us
here at Newsline. Use the entry form on our website, arnewsline.org and
please follow the rules for writing your three-line haiku -- sorry but
we cannot accept any entries that aren't written in traditional haiku
form. Share with fellow listeners the poetry that is inspired by your
ham radio experience!

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Amateur Radio Weekly; Anne Dirkman,
KC9YL; ARRL; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; Daniel Cussen, EI9FHB;
DXWorld; Facebook; 425DXNews; Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club;
Hamword; HomingIn.com; Irish Radio Transmitters Society; NIST website;
Philippine Amateur Radio Association; QRZ.com; Rich Gordon, K0EB;
Security Week; shortwaveradio.de; Spacenews; YouTube; and you our
listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. We remind our
listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline is an all-volunteer non-profit
organization that incurs expenses for its continued operation. If you
wish to support us, please visit our website at arnewsline.org and know
that we appreciate you all. We also remind our listeners that if you
like our newscast, please leave us a 5-star rating wherever you
subscribe to us. For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk
in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Neil Rapp WB9VPG in
Union, Kentucky saying 73. As always we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.