Amateur

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2437 for Friday July 12th, 2024 Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2437 with a release date of Friday, July
12th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST.  Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in the US and
hams are ready. Ham club members in India come to the aid of a victim
of youth violence -- and AMSAT-Argentina needs satellite enthusiasts'
help. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2437
comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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HAMS RESPOND AS HURRICANE BERYL MAKES LANDFALL IN US

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: For the second week in a row, our top story is
Hurricane Beryl, the powerful and destructive storm that raged in the
Caribbean and parts of the southern US states. Hams continued to play a
role in emergency communications. Randy Sly W4XJ tells us what was
involved.

RANDY: Hurricane Beryl, the second named storm for this year in the
Atlantic, is now only a remnant of a storm, but its eight-day impact
left a wake of destruction and deaths with three different landfalls.
Often, when a storm finally settles over a large land mass, most of the
population relaxes, thinking the worst is over. After Beryl landed on
the Texas coast near Matagorda as a Category 1 storm, it still created
havoc, especially in the city of Houston, Texas where over 2 million
homes and businesses were left without power for more than a day.

Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, Net Manager of the Hurricane Watch Net, told AR
Newsline that just because a hurricane finally arrives at a large land
mass that does not mean that we can drop our guard. He went on to say,
[quote] "Tropical systems can cause major inland flooding and spin-up
tornados. Remember, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 was responsible for nearly
130 tornados from Florida to Pennsylvania." [endquote]

Graves told participants in the net that they were still needed as
reporting stations, providing real-time data to the National Hurricane
Center. Covering Hurricane Beryl also included other challenges for the
net team, including problems with solar activity throughout the event
which impacted the ability to communicate.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

**
INDIAN HAM CLUB INTERVENES IN YOUTH-ON-YOUTH VIOLENCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Sometimes, using your amateur radio contacts and
connections - even without picking up a radio - can prove lifesaving.
That's what happened recently when hams in India were able to help
Bengali authorities in a situation involving youth-on-youth violence.
We hear more from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: As the Bengali government struggles with a reported regional rise
in violence by youth mobs against other young people, a group of ham
radio operators was able to intercede in what local media described as
one such case. On July 4th, the website for The Statesman newspaper
said a young man was accosted by a group of youths in front of the
Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. As the assailants set upon
him, accusing him of having stolen a mobile phone, two members of the
West Bengal Radio Club were passing by. The two club members, who are
shortwave listeners studying for their ham license, sent other club
members photographs of the assailants and their victim via their mobile
phones. The club secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, said the
photos were distributed to radio operators throughout the region using
the WhatsApp mobile phone application. The young victim was soon
identified by his brother in another town. He said his brother was
suffering from psychological difficulties and had disappeared from home
a few days earlier.

Police were called to the scene and rescued the young man. According to
the news report, police determined that he had stolen nothing and could
be returned to his family the next day.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(THE STATESMAN)

**

HAMS IN BRAZIL MARK LEAGUE'S 90th ANNIVERSARY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in Brazil are marking their amateur radio league's
90th anniversary by inviting the world to join the party. We have more
details from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: Reaching the age of 90 is no small achievement. Hams in the
Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão, or LABRE,  perhaps
know that better than anyone as their amateur radio organisation - the
oldest in Brazil - marks its 90th anniversary. The hams are launching a
special contest to mark the occasion. The LABRE contest will be held on
the 20th and 21st of July and hams around the world are being invited
to contact their counterparts in Brazil using SSB and CW. Organisers
are hoping that contacts will be made on all the eligible bands and are
encouraging participants to use as many of the bands as possible.

The league wrote in translation on the contest website that they hope
this activity will become "a landmark in international amateur radio
competition."

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(LABRE)

**
STUDENTS' SATELLITES LIFT OFF FROM CALIFORNIA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Student-built satellites from Arizona and Maine were
among those sent into space aboard a privately owned rocket recently in
California. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB explains what their missions are.

RALPH: Two days after its scheduled launch was scrubbed, a
student-built satellite lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in
California, lighting up the night sky on the 3rd of July. Built by
engineering students at the University at Arizona, the CatSat was
launched on a privately owned rocket of Firefly Aerospace. The
satellite's mission is to collect space weather data every 95 minutes
while in low-earth orbit for the next six months. CatSat will be
transmitting at high speeds with a state-of-the-art radio from Rincon
Research Corporation and an inflatable antenna from FreeFall Aerospace.
FireFly Aerospace describes the antenna as making use of a Mylar
balloon with a transparent front half that permits the pass-through of
microwaves and an aluminized back half that is reflective.

The CatSat was one of eight CubeSats developed as part of NASA's
CubeSat Launch Initiative.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.


STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The launch also carried the first CubeSat from the
state of Maine into space. Known as MESAT1, it was created with support
from NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative and the Maine Space Grant
Consortium. It has three imaging experiments aboard designed by schools
and a two-way amateur radio transponder.


(KVOA NEWS 4 TUCSON, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, YOUTUBE, MAINESAT.ORG)

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CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE FOR YL SOTA EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you found yourself logging as many contacts as
possible with YLs on SOTA summits during the weekend of June 1st and
2nd, it's time to receive your certificates. The inaugural Queens of
the Mountains event featured a team of YLs in the US using 1x1 special
event calls. The activators themselves were busy chasing
summit-to-summit contacts and YLs who were joining them in the
activation by operating from DX summits. The organizers, Amy AG7GP, and
Paula K9IR, plan to make this an annual event in the hope of inspiring
other YLs to get involved in SOTA. For details on how to get your
certificate, follow the link to the SOTA Reflector that appears in the
text version of this week's Newsline newscast.

[DO NOT READ:
https://reflector.sota.org.uk/t/queens-of-the-mountains-certificates-no
w-available/35732 ]


(SOTA REFLECTOR)

**
UNEXPECTED EXPENSE WORRIES RADIO AND COMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Connecticut, a popular radio and communications
museum run by volunteers is facing the unexpected expense  of having to
help pay for the installation of a public sewer line. Andy Morrison
K9AWM reports on this big, expensive concern.

ANDY: A volunteer-run museum that has been devoted to the history of
radio and communications since its earliest days in 1990 is facing a
new challenge: This time, however, the Vintage Radio and Communication
Museum of Connecticut isn't trying to acquire anything for its exhibits
or to preserve any particular old-time communications equipment in its
collection.

The museum is facing a bill of more than $28,000 as one of five
property owners affected by the installation of a sewer line along the
road where its building is in Windsor, Connecticut.

Director John Ellsworth writes on the museum's website: [quote] "As an
all-volunteer-run museum, we do not have those funds on-hand, nor did
we expect this expense to occur so quickly." [end quote] The project is
taking place over the summer. The museum has begun seeking donations
from its friends and supporters.

The club's collection of vintage radio, TV and computer technology
includes its own amateur radio club, W1VCM. The station is there to
educate the public about ham radio and serve as an active exhibit for
club members and guests who are licensed radio operators.

The club's page on QRZ.com and the museum's website at vrcmct dot org
(vrcmct.org/) have more details.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(VINTAGE RADIO AND COMMUNICATION MUSEUM; QRZ.COM)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including
D-STAR Reflector 91 C at 7:30 p.m. Melbourne Australian time on
Wednesdays, or at 0930 UTC following a short net with VK3JS.

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TEXAS AMATEURS PREPARE FOR 'MOON DAY' DEMONSTRATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Between an eclipse in the spring and then flares and
storms a few weeks ago, the sun has been getting a lot of attention
lately. Now it's the moon's turn - and Travis Lisk N3ILS tells us how
the moon is getting its day, at least in Texas.

TRAVIS: The Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas is once again marking
"Moon Day" on the 20th of July, a date to celebrate the anniversary of
the Apollo 11 mission's landing on the moon. According to the schedule
of events, the moon will have its day in the sun at last through a
variety of presentations. The Dallas Amateur Radio Club will show how
hams communicate via EME, or moon bounce and AMSAT ambassadors will be
present to demonstrate what radio communication is like through amateur
satellites. The keynote speaker will be former NASA astronaut Gregory
Johnson, whose experience piloting early space shuttle flights
contributed toward the construction of the International Space Station.

The six-hour program is considered the year's largest space-related
event in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.


This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(AMSAT)

**
AMSAT-ARGENTINA'S SATELLITE: DEAD OR ALIVE?

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: AMSAT-Argentina is looking for some help from the
amateur radio community in answering this question: is its LUSAT
microsatellite dead or alive? John Williams VK4JJW tells us how you
canhelp.

JOHN: Launched in January of 1990, the amateur radio microsatellite
known as LO-19 outlived its expected lifespan. Even in recent years, an
unmodulated carrier signal could still be heard coming from the LUSAT
in its sun-synchronous orbit. According to a report in AMSAT News,
Gustavo, LW2DTZ, declared the microsatellite to be dead after several
observers told him recently that they were no longer able to detect the
CW carrier.

All that changed on the 1st of July. The signal was reportedly picked
up on that day by Nico, PA0DLO, who reported that its strength was
noticeably weaker, suggesting a failure had occurred in its onboard
power amplifier.

AMSAT-Argentina is hoping to learn more and has asked hams with
"well-equipped ground stations" to continue to listen for  LO-19 and
report what they hear, if anything.

This is John Williams VK4JJW

(AMSAT)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for the Deep Blue DX Team using the callsign
J48FT from Tinos Island, IOTA Number EU-067, between the 26th of July
and the 9th of August. The team will also take part in the IOTA Contest
on the 27th and 28th of July. QSL cards will  not be available. See
QRZ.com for QSL details.

Fabio PY4YY,  Marcio PU4MDO  and  Cardoso PU2LJH will be on the air as
PV2IC from Ilha [EEL-HAH] das Couves, IOTA Number SA-071, during the
IOTA Contest weekend. Listen for them using  SSB and FT8 on  80-10
metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Tom, OE4EIE, is on the air to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the
Rhein Ruhr DX Association. He is using the callsign OE4RRDXA through to
the end of September. There are no paper QSL cards. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.

Yaroslav, R1BET, and Mike, R1MJ will be calling CQ as RI1K (R EYE ONE
KAY) from Bol'shoy Zhuzhmuy Island, IOTA Number EU-147, from the 20th
through to the 28th of July. QSL via R1BET. For other details see
QRZ.com.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

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KICKER: METEOR SCATTER CONTACTS? WISH UPON THESE SHOOTING STARS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you spend a bit of time on 6m or even 2m, the next
few weeks should bring you the promise of good things - courtesy of
some meteor showers, specifically from the Comet Swift-Tuttle. Kent
Peterson KC0DGY tells us what's going on.

KENT: They're called the Perseids [per see yids] Meteor Showers and
this year they are dusting the sky with tiny particles, ionizing the
E-layer of the ionosphere starting in mid-July. That means sometime
between July 17th and the 24th of August you may reap the benefits of
meteor scatter. Many hams consider this the biggest moment of the year
for meteor scatter, bringing the possibility of VHF contacts that can
extend as far as 2,000 kilometres, or not quite 1250 miles, for those
setting the alarm clock to rise before dawn. The peak dates for these
contacts will come on the 12th and 13th of August.

According to the website space.com, this phenomenon enjoyed by so many
amateur radio operators is the legacy of the Comet Swift-Tuttle, which
has not been close to Earth since 1992. Our planet, however, passes
through the debris the comet left behind and the result are these
lively meteor showers. Although there are lots of fans of
astrophotography who enjoy capturing brilliant images, we amateurs
hope, of course, that all that debris may help us put together some
interesting QSOs.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(SPACE.COM, WIA)

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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 Amateur Radio Weekly; AMSAT Argentina;
CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DXWorld; 425DXNews; KVOA News 4 Tucson;
LABRE; MAINESAT.org; QRZ.com; shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; the
Statesman; the SOTA Reflector; University of Arizona; Vintage Radio &
Communications Museum; 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
Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As always we thank
you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2024. All
rights reserved.