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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2449 for Friday October 4th, 2
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2449 for Friday October 4th, 2024
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2449 with a release date of Friday,
October 4th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Heroism among the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
New life at the former site of the Arecibo radio telescope -- and the
Wilderness Protocol helps with the dramatic rescue of a hiker in Idaho. All
this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2449 comes your way
right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
HEROICS AMID HURRICANE HELENE'S DEVASTATION
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story is Hurricane Helene, which swept through the
United States' southern states, bringing what is being called "unprecedented
tragedy." Amateur radio can be at its best when times are at their worst,
and Randy Sly W4XJ shares an example of that in one area of hardest-hit
North Carolina.
RANDY: Since making landfall on the evening of September 26th, Hurricane
Helene not only left a trail of devastation but also produced thousands of
acts of heroism, especially in the remote areas of the United States
impacted by flood waters. In addition to emergency personnel and first
responders, those involved included helicopter pilots, teams with pack
mules, and other volunteers, including hams providing emergency
communications.
Examples of live-saving communication could be heard around the clock on the
W4HTP repeater at Mt. Mitchell North Carolina. On Saturday morning,
September 28th, Dan Gitro, K2DMG, was in his ham shack and knew that the
area was experiencing heavy rains. He got on the W4HTP repeater, which was
surprisingly not busy, put out his call to see if anyone needed assistance
and immediately received a number of responses from hams in the flooded
areas. Since that time, he and the other net controls handled hundreds of
health and welfare calls, maintaining continuous communications with the
areas of Western North Carolina most seriously affected.
Not only was the net professionally run as it passed health and welfare
traffic but it maintained a personal touch, bringing news, hope and
encouragement to those in the affected areas. Through the efforts of the
repeater’s owner, Harold Perry, W4HTP, listeners from across the country
were able to hear the repeater's traffic as it was re-broadcast through the
web service, Broadcastify. Thomas Witherspoon, K4SWL, who was active on the
repeater, also provided in-person coverage from Western North Carolina on
his website QRPer.com
Hurricane Helene produced a path of destruction for nearly 800 miles from
Florida’s Big Bend to Asheville North Carolina and farther north, leaving
over 180 dead and hundreds more missing. The aftermath of this Category 4
hurricane brought flood waters of historic proportions and spawned more than
50 tornadoes in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and nearby
states.
This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS; MT MITCHELL REPEATER W4HTP; QRPer.COM; NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER)
**
BROADCAST STATIONS HIT HARD BY HURRICANE HELENE
NEIL/ANCHOR: Just as Hurricane Francine had done two weeks earlier in
Louisiana, Hurricane Helene knocked numerous broadcast stations off the air
-- this time, in a number of US southern states. Kent Peterson KCØDGY has
that report.
KENT: Hurricane Helene, which had a death toll of over 180 and caused
landslides, flooding and power outages, also knocked nearly 50 broadcast
radio and TV stations off the air by Sunday, September 29th in a number of
Southern states. Radio stations took the more severe hit, cutting off one
source of critical emergency broadcasts.
Based on outage data received after the storm made landfall in Florida on
September 26th, the FCC's Disaster Information Reporting System looked at
broadcast stations in Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina
and South Carolina, where the storm passed through. Forty-eight broadcast
stations - both AM and FM - were knocked off the air while 6 TV stations
were reported as having gone dark. Georgia took a particularly severe hit
with 3 TV stations, 19 FM radio stations and 3 AM radio stations out of
service. North and South Carolina also suffered major broadcast station
outages.
According to The Desk, an industry website, most stations went off the air
because they had lost power. Others reported transmitter damage as the
cause.
The multi-state scene was a larger replay of what happened two weeks earlier
in Louisiana, when at least five radio stations were knocked off the air
after Hurricane Francine, a Category 2 storm, struck the region.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(FCC; THEDESK.NET)
**
WILDERNESS PROTOCOL AIDS RESCUE IN BACKCOUNTRY IDAHO
NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams' ability to follow the Wilderness Protocol proved
lifesaving for one injured man in the hilly backcountry of Idaho. George
Zafiropoulos KJ6VU has that story.
GEORGE: In January of 2023, Clearwater County Emergency Management's Don
Gardner, W7PJ, gave a presentation to other members of the Clearwater Valley
Amateur Radio Club about Wilderness Protocol, a method of monitoring
frequencies outside repeater range in case emergencies occur in remote areas
unserved by regular means of communication. That protocol was kicked swiftly
into action for a group of hams on September 21st, after one of them found a
severely injured man who had apparently suffered an accident on a gravel
road with his four-wheeled off-road vehicle. According to a report in the
Clearwater Tribune, Mac W7ENZ, found the man and while he tried to assist
him, handed the ham radio he was carrying to Ed K7ELC. Ed called for
assistance using 146.520 MHz, the VHF simplex radio frequency designated for
Wilderness Protocol. Greg, WX7Z, heard the call and phoned 911. Don told
Newsline that Greg knows the area well and was able to give specific
directions for EMS and other responders to follow to reach the man. Greg
also recommended a landing site for transportation by Life Flight.
Don told Newsline that the injured man, who had difficulty breathing, was in
serious condition and transported by Life Flight to a hospital. He was
determined to have suffered head injuries, a broken collarbone and broken
ribs.
Don told the Clearwater Tribune: [quote] "The more that ham radio operators
listen to the radio, the more the chance there is that someone will be
listening to take your emergency call." [endquote]
This is George Zafiropoulos KJ6VU
(DON GARDNER, W7PJ; CLEARWATER TRIBUNE)
**
MILESTONE: IARU HANDLES 1,000TH REQUEST FOR AMATEUR SATELLITE FREQUENCY
NEIL/ANCHOR: The International Amateur Radio Union, which coordinates the
radio frequencies used by ham radio satellites, announced that it recently
processed request number 1,000 for a satellite frequency. The IARU's
Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel has faced new challenges in recent
years with the increasing popularity and growth of CubeSats. With less
onerous costs to launch these small satellites, the focus has been on
carefully managing the spectrum and ensuring minimal interference with
terrestrial services. The IARU issued a statement saying: [quote] "As
Earth's orbit becomes more crowded, the IARU's work in frequency
coordination will remain critical for future missions." [endquote]
(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)
**
SILENT KEYS: SRI LANKAN NOTABLES, VASANTH GURUGE, 4S7VG; SADEEPA SEPALA,
4S6SAD
NEIL/ANCHOR: The Sri Lankan amateur community has suffered the loss of two
prominent, well-regarded amateurs, who became Silent Keys one day apart. We
have that report from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
JASON: It did not take long for Vasanth Guruge, 4S7VG, to make a name for
himself among prominent DXers not long after receiving his licence in the
mid-1970s. He was also devoted to making amateur radio better for all
involved Sri Lankans. His devotion to that mission landed him twice in the
role of president of the Radio Society of Sri Lanka - first from 2005 to
2007 and again from 2015 to 2016. The radio society referred to him as a
[quote] "cornerstone of the Sri Lankan amateur radio community" [endquote]
His many efforts included the establishment of key repeater stations at
sites in Sri Lanka that improved communication and connectivity. The radio
society statement said: [quote] "He was always willing to lend his time,
knowledge, and resources, whether it was tuning duplexers or offering
technical advice. Vasanth was not just a leader but a dear friend, mentor,
and guiding force for many." [endquote] Vasanth, who died on the 15th of
September, was 70.
Sri Lankan amateurs learned that one day earlier, on the 14th of September,
Sadeepa Sepala, 4S6SAD, became a Silent Key. Sadeepa was a dependable mentor
to operators utilizing the digital modes or the Automatic Packet Reporting
System. He was, above all, a kind and respected mentor, according to the
radio society website, which praised him for sharing his wide knowledge of
astronomy, antenna theory, and radio science with hams and university
undergraduates. He took a particular interest in encouraging young students
to embrace radio science. The society said on the website: "His passing has
left us all in shock."
This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
(RSSL; 425 DX BULLETIN)
**
SILENT KEY: DEWAYNE HENDRICKS, WA8DZP
NEIL/ANCHOR: A well-known entrepreneur who had a lifelong fascination with
all things wireless has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Jack
Parker W8ISH.
JACK: Dewayne Hendricks, WA8DZP, believed in the versatility of radios and
the people who love to use them. A licensed ham since the age of 12, he
enjoyed tinkering with wireless in its many forms starting in his teens.
Much later in life - in business - he acquired the nickname, "The Broadband
Cowboy," from Wired Magazine, in a nod to his work in helping bring wireless
broadband networks to nations around the world where they were needed.
Dewayne became a Silent Key on the 20th of September. His longtime friend,
Steve Stroh, N8GNJ, publisher of the "Zero Retries" weekly newsletter, said
that his death came one month after he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
His activity in the wireless world was all-encompassing. He played a major
role on the Grants Advisory Committee of Amateur Radio Digital
Communications for three years, helping to ensure that a number of
international projects received funding. According to the ARDC, he took
particular pride in the Slippers2Sat project in Nepal which connected
marginalized students with opportunities in space technology. Dewayne later
followed up on the progress of many funded projects as an inaugural member
of the Grants Evaluation Team.
His deep involvement in the wireless community also included posts he held
with a number of nonprofit national amateur radio organizations. He had been
a member of the FCC's Technological Advisory Council and a director of the
Wireless Communications Alliance, an industry group representing companies
making equipment for the license-free frequencies.
This is Jack Parker W8ISH.
(ARDC, ZERO RETRIES)
**
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 91C
on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. local time in Melbourne, Australia.
**
RADIO TELESCOPE SITE TO REOPEN AS SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTER
NEIL/ANCHOR: In Puerto Rico, the site where the iconic Arecibo radio
telescope once stood is being readied for a new role in the world of
science. Andy Morrison K9AWM explains what's coming next.
ANDY: Arecibo C3, the US National Science Foundation's educational science
center, is preparing for a full opening soon at the site where the legendary
Arecibo Observatory reigned until damages suffered in 2020 compelled the
radio telescope's dismantling.
The new facility in Puerto Rico is formally known as the NSF Arecibo Center
for Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Science Education, Computational
Skills, and Community Engagement. According to its website, the center is
building on the legacy of the radio telescope, serving as an epicenter of
STEM education research and skill building. Conferences, meetings and
workshops will be held there along with public science programs.
An assistant director of the science foundation, James L. Moore III, said in
a public statement that the center will embrace all ranges of science from
astronomy and radio science to biology, computer science and natural
science. Students and educators visited the center this past summer to
attend some of the programs that were launched on a pilot basis.
This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.
(IFL SCIENCE, ARECIBO C3 WEBSITE)
**
RUSSIA, BELARUS, ELIGIBLE AGAIN FOR CQ-SPONSORED CONTEST AWARDS
NEIL/ANCHOR: CQ World Wide contests have announced a return to a practice
regarding award eligibility. We have those details from Sel Embee KB3TZD.
SEL: Following meetings with contest directors and World Wide Radio
Operators Foundation leadership, the organizers of CQ World Wide contests
have restored eligibility for awards to qualifying amateurs from Russia and
Belarus. That policy change took effect during the weekend of the CQ World
Wide RTTY contest, which took place on the 28th and 29th of September.
CQ World Wide Contest Director John Dorr, K1AR, announced on the contest
blog that the elimination of those operators' eligibility for award plaques
-- a decision made two years ago -- was never formally incorporated into any
contest rules; it was merely a policy statement. That policy is no longer in
effect, bringing the contests into alignment with so many other competitions
around the world.
This is Sel Embee K-B-3-T-Zed-D.
(CQ WW CONTEST BLOG)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, listen for Markus, DJ4EL, operating as A5/DJ4EL from the
islands of Benidorm, Escombreras, and Tabarca, all part of IOTA group number
EU-093, from the 17th through to the 25th of October. See QRZ.com for QSL
and operating details.
Find Aldir, PY1SAD, active as 8R1TM from Georgetown, Guyana between the 12th
of October and the 24th of November. He will be using CW, SSB and digital
modes on all bands. He will also be operating satellite. For QSL
information, see QRZ.com.
Bo, OZ1DJJ [Oh Zed One Dee Jay Jay] is using the callsign OX3LX [Oh X Three
L X] from Greenland until the 15th of October. For QSL and operating details
see QRZ.com
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: A QSO TO REMEMBER, 100 YEARS LATER
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our final story begins 100 years ago. In October of 1924, a
young radio enthusiast in North London, England and a sheep farmer in New
Zealand changed the shape of the world via radio with a remarkable on-air
contact. Now, amateur stations are getting ready to celebrate that QSO's
centennial. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us what's going on.
JIM: Hams in the UK and New Zealand are getting ready to activate special
callsigns to mark the first trans-global two-way radio communication and
will be operating from the locations where it happened: the Mill Hill School
in North London where young Cecil Goyder, G2SZ, made radio contact with
Frank Bell, Z4AA, a ham in Shag Valley, Otago. The date of the hour-long CW
contact was the 18th of October 1924.
Here is the voice of the late Frank Bell, who in 1974 recalled that day on
the occasion of the QSO's 50th anniversary: [insert clip starting at 1:29]
"We were both a bit shocked I suppose, really, and Cecil Goyder, whom I was
talking to in Mill Hill School near London, he said he was a bit skeptical
about it, he said if you are really New Zealand 4AA, cable. Which we did and
from then on pretty well every night, for several nights running, we kept in
touch." [end clip]
Cecil's callsign will be back on the air in hopes of contacting hams around
the world as operators call CQ from the school from the 14th through to the
20th of October. Frank's original callsign has been modified to ZL4AA for
the New Zealand operation which will be on the air from the 12th through to
the 20th of October.
The big day, of course, is the 18th of October, when hams will re-enact that
first contact, using a frequency as close as possible to the 1924 original,
which was around 92 metres).
Meanwhile, be listening as well for other stations taking part in the
celebration: GB2NZ is on the air through the 26th of October 2024 throughout
the UK. ZM100DX is on the air through the 26th of December throughout New
Zealand. The New Zealand station will be using CW, SSB and a number of other
modes. The QSL manager for all four special-event calls is MØOXO [M Zero Oh
Ex Oh].
See GB2NZ dot com (GB2NZ.com) for further details.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(NZNET NEWS, RSGB)
**
HAIKU FOR YOU
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 News Service;
Arecibo C3 website; Associated Press; Amateur Radio Digital Communications;
ARRL; Clearwater Tribune; CQ WorldWide Contest Blog; David Behar K7DB;
TheDesk.net; Don Gardner, W7PJ; FCC; 425DXNews; IFL Science; Mt. Mitchell
Repeater; National Hurricane Center; NZ Net Newsletter; QRZ.com; Radio
Society of Great Britain; QRPer.com; Radio Society of Sri Lanka;
shortwaveradio.de; Zero Retries; 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.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 04-out-2024 08:02 E. South America Standard Time
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