Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2435 for Friday June 28th, 2024

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2435 for Friday June 28th, 2024

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2435 with a release date of
Friday, June 28th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST.  An earthquake drill adds extra meaning to
Field Day. AMSAT is shutting its email alias service -- and  4 metre
privileges are extended in Germany until year's end. All this and more
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2435 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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INDIANA CLUB ADDS EARTHQUAKE AWARENESS TO FIELD DAY

SKEETER/ANCHOR: So how was YOUR Field Day? We begin this week's report
by visiting some amateurs in Indiana who seized the opportunity to add
an earthquake awareness exercise to this important annual drill. Andy
Morrison K9AWM takes us there.

ANDY: Field Day took on an expanded role as a disaster preparedness
opportunity in Marion County, Indiana. Members of the Indianapolis
Radio Club W9JP used the two-day ARRL event to raise awareness about
earthquake preparedness too. Indiana sits atop the New Madrid Fault
line, which is a seismic zone where earthquakes can occur.

The club's Field Day coordinator Jeff Hammer N9NIC told Newsline that
the earthquake communications exercise was held in the morning before
Field Day. Hams engaged were in the Marion County Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service, as well as local ARES and SATERN partners. There was
added support from RACES officer Jason Lopez, N9CRT, plus officials
from the Town of Speedway.

Jeff told Newsline: [quote] "It was a seamless operation. The setup for
Field Day replicated the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
deploying to assist a government entity." [endquote] For the earthquake
exercise, specialists were called in from ARES, the Indianapolis Radio
Club and The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints Emergency
Communications. Disaster-related information was passed on VHF simplex,
repeaters and via WINLINK, all using solar or battery power. Seasoned
hams as well as newbies got involved.

Although the earthquake exercise was over by the time Field Day began,
the seismic theme stayed with everyone throughout the ARRL event.
Stopping by, local visitors learned that what they were observing at
Field Day might one day help save their lives if a disaster message had
to get through.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(JEFF HAMMER N9NIC)

**
SPLIT VERDICT IN DEATH OF HAM AND COMPANION

SKEETER/ANCHOR: In Australia, a murder case that sparked one of the
state of Victoria's largest missing persons searches, has ended with a
split verdict over the death of an amateur radio operator and his
companion. Jason Daniels VK2LAW has that story.

JASON: An Australian court has found a former pilot guilty of murder in
the death of a woman who was accompanying her friend, an amateur radio
operator, on a camping trip in Victoria. Greg Lynn had faced charges in
the deaths of both Carol Clay, 73, and Russell Hill,  VK3VZP. In the
statement declaring Greg Lynn guilty in Clay's death, the court
returned a verdict of not guilty in the death of the 74-year-old radio
amateur saying there was insufficient evidence to determine how he
died. According to media reports, the jury deliberated for six days
before reaching the split verdict.

Greg Lynn, 57, is to be sentenced on the 19th of July and could face
life in prison. According to media accounts, the parties had argued at
the time because Greg Lynn had been hunting in the area.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(BBC.COM, ABC.NET.AU)

**

AMSAT TO SHUT ITS MAIL ALIAS SERVICE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: AMSAT is shutting its mail alias service, citing
hacking as one of the reasons. Dave Parks WB8ODF brings us the details.

DAVE: Users of AMSAT's Mail Alias Service have been asked  to migrate
to different email accounts as soon as possible as AMSAT prepares for
the member amenity's shutdown on the 1st of August. In a note to its
members, AMSAT cited past instances of "hacking and email account
hijacking" which has an impact on its ability to operate it in an
affordable manner. AMSAT wrote: [quote] "It has come to the point where
the AMSAT volunteer IT staff can no longer keep up with the maintenance
requirements to keep the alias mail list clean and to work with email
gateways to remove blocks." [endquote]

To use a member's mail alias on AMSAT.ORG, all a sender needed to know
was the ham radio call sign of their intended recipient - they did not
need to know their actual email address. AMSAT believes now that, all
things considered, the funds saved from the shutdown are better
invested in satellite development for members.

This is Dave Parks WB8ODF.

[AMSAT NEWS SERVICE]

**

GET READY FOR THE NEXT 13 COLONIES SPECIAL EVENT

SKEETER/ANCHOR: The year's most revolutionary special event is back
--and it's all about the American Revolution which is celebrated in the
US on the 4th of July.Travis Lisk N3ILS fires the first shots for us.

TRAVIS: The 13 Colonies Special Event is back on the air for its 16th
year, inviting shortwave listeners, DX stations and hams here in the
States to take up the challenge of making QSOs with operators in each
of the original 13 US colonies. This year, as before, the fight will
not be for independence but for as much of a clean sweep of contacts as
possible. Certificates will be available regardless of how many
stations are contacted between the 1st and the 7th of July. Each
station will also make QSL cards available.

Expect to find some fireworks in the pileups, especially for the three
bonus stations: GB13COL in Great Britain; TM13COL in France and WM3PEN
in Philadelphia. Stations K2A through to K2M represent the Colonies and
the earliest days are expected to be the busiest.

For more details, visit the website 13colonies dot us. Be sure to use
the numerals "1" and "3" for thirteen. (13colonies.us)

The special event is dedicated to Tom Francis, W1TEF, who was the South
Carolina state manager for K2L until he became a Silent Key in 2020.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(13 COLONIES SPECIAL EVENT)

**
SPECIAL EVENT MARKS JAPAN'S WARTIME AIR RAIDS OVER AUSTRALIA

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, a short but important special event station
is marking the impact of another war on another continent in another
century. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us how to contact this brief but
important activation. It's all taking place for two hours -- and it is
on the 29th of July.

GRAHAM: The Townsville Amateur Radio Club , VK4WIT, is helping to
ensure that no one forgets the Japanese air raids over north Queensland
in July of 1942 during World War II. On the first night, bombs were
dropped by several aircraft but fell into the ocean. During the second
attack, the bombs landed in the bush outside town. Although there was
little damage and only a few casualties reported, the towns lived with
the peril of having unexploded bombs in their midst. Townsville's
harbour made it an important military base and the unexploded bombs
posed a threat to Allied forces making use of the harbour.

Ray, VK4OIL, expects to be on the air from 0400 UTC to 0600UTC and is
looking for amateurs who want to set up portable 40metre stations at
the WW2 Heritage Oonoonba Bomb Site. Operators will be working centered
around 7100kHz LSB.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(ANZAC WAR MEMORIAL; TOWNSVILLE ARC)

**

ACMA SEEKS INPUT ON REPEATER AND BEACON LICENSING

SKEETER/ANCHOR: The ACMA is further fine-tuning the licensing process
for repeaters and beacons in Australia and is looking for input, as we
hear from Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

JASON: The Australian Communications & Media Authority is asking radio
amateurs and accredited persons to comment on guidelines proposed for
the licensing process for repeaters and beacons.  The regulator has set
a comment deadline of the 5th of August, stating that its goals include
opening up more opportunities for repeater and beacon licences and to
have enhanced transparency with regard to coordinating frequencies. The
ACMA would like to retain the practice of having applicants coordinate
their frequencies with the Wireless Institute of Australia or through
an accredited person.

Although Australia now has a class licence system for hams as of this
year, beacon and repeater licenses remain unchanged.

Hams may give their views directly to the ACMA through their portal or
submit their feedback via the WIA.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(ACMA)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the AH6LE repeater in Clackamas County Oregon on Sundays at 6 p.m.
local time.

**
GERMAN REGULATOR EXTENDS 4 METRE PRIVILEGES UNTIL DEC. 31

SKEETER/ANCHOR: There's good news for hams in Germany who have been
enjoying part of the 4 metre band on a temporary basis. Regulators have
extended the privilege through to the end of the year for Class A
licence holders. Operation on 4 metres requires the use of horizontally
polarized antennas and no more than 25 watts ERP from a fixed station
location. Transmissions may occupy a bandwidth of no more than 12 kHz
and remote transmissions are prohibited. Use of the 4m band has been
slowly expanding in some European countries. The German regulator began
issuing temporary privileges for 4m in 2014.

(FEDERAL NETWORK AGENCY)

**
SHORTWAVE LISTENERS GIVE AID AT INDIAN TRAIN DISASTER

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Emergency response doesn't always involve radios - and
two shortwave listeners in India are proof of that. We hear about them
from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: Two shortwave listeners studying to become licensed hams in India
have more than proven that they already understand the community
service spirit of amateur radio. They were among the many to rush to
the scene of a deadly train accident in West Bengal on Monday the 17th
of June. Local media identified them as Kajal Roy and Shekhar Debnath
-two members of the West Bengal Radio Club - and their swift actions
have been credited with helping save lives after a cargo train and
passenger train collided in the Himalayan foothills, killing at least
10. Local villagers also responded at the scene to assist with rescue.

The club's secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, said the pair had
set up camp to assist the casualties and were able to transport injured
passengers to area hospitals. The two have had previous experience with
disaster assistance, having helped out during the Sikkim floods late
last year.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(TIMES OF INDIA, AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA, INDIA TODAY)


**

HISTORIC TRANSMITTER ON AIR FOR ALEXANDERSON DAY

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Get ready for a special CW message to be sent from a
historic transmitter in Sweden on 17.2 kHz. We hear more from Jeremy
Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The historic Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton, Sweden, will
be back on the air sending a message on CW on Sunday the 30th of June,
which is Alexanderson Day.

If you have the ability to copy 17.2 kHz, you may be able to hear the
CW signals sent from the Grimeton Radio Station using the callsign SAQ.
This was originally designed as a commercial long-wave transmitter and
has long since become a World Heritage Site. It bears the name of its
creator, Swede Ernst F.W. Alexanderson.

The actual transmission is set to begin at 0900 UTC, following a
30-minute warmup of the alternator. According to the Alexander
Association website, hams may listen throughout the day for amateur
radio station SK6SAQ, which will also be marking the occasion.

Listeners around the world who cannot visit the site personally will be
able to watch the transmission and celebration live on the YouTube
channel of the Alexander Association, Grimeton SAQ veteran radio
friends.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(ALEXANDER ASSOCIATION, GRIMETON SAQ VETERAN RADIO FRIENDS)


**
HAM'S DOCUMENTARY SEEN AS BASIS FOR TV SERIES

SKEETER/ANCHOR: An award-winning documentary film by a ham in
California is being considered for a TV series here in the US. Ralph
Squillace KK6ITB tells us what's next.

RALPH: Levi Maaia K6LCM is an innovator. The Californian amateur, a
former STEM educator, is also an award-winning filmmaker whose
documentary "Pathways to Invention," won Best Documentary Feature at
the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards in 2022. The film was
also shown on the public broadcasting system in the US.

Innovator that he is, Levi and his production partner Noah Mark have
been asked to return to TV screens with aptly named "The Innovators," a
new TV series to be carried on American Public TV. Levi an advocate for
the Maker movement, shows the stories that showcase the spirit of
inventors, amateur radio operators, tinkerers, problem-solvers and so
many others who live their lives outside the lines of conformity.

Levi writes in a press release that [quote] "this series blends the
personal touch of a travel show with the insightful exploration of
invention and entrepreneurship." [endquote]

That kind of entrepreneurship no doubt includes Levi himself who has
been a ham since 2006, with commitments to the Santa Barbara Amateur
Radio Club and Santa Barbara Wireless Foundation. He is a ham radio
educator whose involvement has included teaching high school and
working with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or
ARISS's, US Education Committee.

The two partners are working hard right now to bring this series to
viewers' home screens. That's not just innovation - that's
determination too.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(MAAIA MARK PRODUCTIONS)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Christian, F4EBK, using the call
DU3/F4EBK from Luzon Island, IOTA Number OC-042, through to early
2025. You can listen for him on 20, 15 and  10 metres, where he may be
found around 0009 UTC and after 2100 UTC. QSL via F4EUO.

Eric, KV1J, will be on the air as FP/KV1J  from  Miquelon Island, IOTA
Number NA-032, from the 2nd to the 16th of July. He will participate in
the IARU HF World Championship taking place on the 13th and 14th of
July. He expects to operate primarily SSB  and FT8 with a mix of some
CW, RTTY and FT4. Listen on 80-6 metres, especially on 12, 10 and 6m.
See QRZ.com for QSL details.


(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: QSOS TURN CLEVER WHEN CALLSIGNS BECOME MEMES

SKEETER/ANCHOR: If you think there's something funny about this week's
final story, you're right. It's about using memes on the air. Yes,  we
are talking about memes, not beams. Some of ham radio's youngest
operators are on the air through August 15th celebrating some clever,
unusual callsigns and spreading the smiles as they make contact. We
hear more from Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

KENT: Imagine logging the callsign DL0LOL in Germany. Or GB0OTY in
England? How about OO0F in Belgium? These are valid callsigns that
young radio operators in some countries are using for the fourth annual
"meme appreciation" special event. It's mostly for fun and amusement.
The young operators in Canada who started this madness in 2022 explain
the overriding philosophy on their website using these words: [quote]
"Why the heck do you do this? Boredom, mischief, and too much free
time." [endquote] They confess that it's also a ploy of sorts to
attract more young ops who believe that people can sometimes be allowed
to get silly on the air.

Operators are using FT8 and SSTV in addition to SSB and they're even
activating some POTA locations. Listen on all of HF but don't be
surprised if some of these callsigns show up on 2m, 70cm and the QO-100
satellite. Visit mememonth.ca - that's "meme month" - one word - dot ca
for details. Remember - these memes can be a scream.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(MEMEMONTH.CA)

**
DO YOU HAIKU?

Does your amateur radio experience ever inspire a bit of poetry? Why
not immortalize that incredible QSO or fantastic antenna by
participating in the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. Use the
entry form on our website, arnewsline.org and please follow the rules
for writing your three-line haiku -- we cannot accept any entries that
aren't written in traditional haiku form. And be sure to check out our
previous winners!

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the AMSAT News Service; Australian
Communications & Media Authority; Alexander Association; ANZAC War
Memorial; ARRL, Amateur Radio Daily; AMSAT News Service; BBC; CQ
Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DXWorld; FCC; Federal Network Agency;
425DXNews; Jeff Hammer, N9NIC; Meme Month; QRZ.com; shortwaveradio.de;
Thirteen Colonies Special Event; Times of India; Townsville Amateur
Radio Club; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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
Skeeter Nash N5ASH in Jonesboro, Arkansas saying 73. As always we thank
you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2024. All
rights reserved.