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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2448 for Friday September 27t
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2448 for Friday September 27th, 2024
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2448 with a release date of Friday,
September 27th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Goodbye to the GreenCube satellite. US lawmakers
prepare for another vote requiring AM radio in cars -- and a pioneering
Australian amateur becomes a Silent Key. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2448 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
GREENCUBE MISSION ENDS, RADIATION DAMAGE SUSPECTED
DON/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the demise of the GreenCube
satellite. It was loved and well-used by avid DXers and DXpeditioners as
well as those making more casual satellite contacts. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells
us what happened.
JEREMY: The popular GreenCube satellite, IO-117, is no longer functioning -
the result of what is believed to be radiation damage suffered in Medium
Earth Orbit.
The satellite, which is owned by the Italian Space Agency, was developed by
S5LAB at Sapienza University of Rome. S5LAB attempted to send commands to
reactivate it earlier this month after it suffered a communication blackout,
according to a report by AMSAT News Service. The team is not optimistic that
GreenCube can be restored to service.
S5LAB acknowledged that high radiation exposure can be an issue in Medium
Earth Orbit, adding that it was unclear whether GreenCube would have a
successor. The AMSAT report said that GreenCube is not the only Medium Earth
Orbit satellite that has been affected by radiation levels. It was the first
satellite in Medium Earth Orbit to carry an amateur radio payload.
S5LAB and AMSAT-Italia expect to hold a webinar about GreenCube's mission,
which it said exceeded all expectations the team had for it when it was
launched in July of 2022.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(AMSAT NEWS, AMSAT-UK)
**
US LAWMAKERS WAIT TO VOTE ON AM RADIO LEGISLATION
DON/ANCHOR: In Washington, DC, public-safety legislation awaits an important
vote: The proposed law would require all passenger cars sold in the US to
continue to make AM radio available. Kent Peterson KCØDGY has that story.
KENT: The US House of Representatives is expected to consider a measure that
mandates AM radio in all new cars sold in the US, whether they are
manufactured domestically or imported. The bill, known as the AM Radio in
Every Vehicle Act, moved to the full floor for lawmakers' consideration
following a 45-2 vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Observers
say that a House vote could happen as early as the next few weeks before the
US elections take place in November -- or it would be delayed.
The US Senate version of the bill has already been approved by that
chamber's Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. It still awaits a
full floor vote but has a majority of lawmakers supporting it on both sides
of the aisle.
The issue of AM radio's necessity in vehicles has escalated the debate over
public safety, as proponents such as the National Association of
Broadcasters and federal emergency officials have advocated in favor
retaining AM radio for its public-safety role, especially when carrying
alerts in rural areas.
Some manufacturers of electric cars are looking to eliminate AM radio from
their vehicles, claiming that RF interference from their cars' electronic
systems compromises AM radio reception.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(RADIOWORLD.COM)
**
NEW ZEALAND YL GROUP ENDS FORMAL OPERATION
DON/ANCHOR: After a few years of struggling with membership issues, a New
Zealand group for YLs has dropped its formal operation. We hear the details
from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
JIM: New Zealand's Women Amateur Radio Operators group has ceased to exist.
After attempting to survive some troubled years, the organisation's
executive committee voted in 2020 to go into recess, citing a lack of
support from the membership.
According to the website of the New Zealand Association of Radio
Transmitters, the group's creation in 1962 arose from a need to address
special requirements of YLs at a time when very few female licensees were on
the air.
An announcement in YL Harmonics, the bimonthly newsletter of the YLRL,
confirms that the group will exist now only for social purposes and will
retain its callsign ZL6YL. Ngaire Jury, ZL2UJT, wrote in the newsletter that
a vote was taken to continue with social activities without any fees. The
new group has adopted the name, the NZ YL Group.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(YLRL HARMONICS)
**
SUNITA WILLIAMS, KD5PLB, TAKES OVER COMMAND OF ISS
DON/ANCHOR: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, has taken the helm of
the International Space Station as its new commander as she and fellow crew
member, Butch Wilmore, await their return to Earth in February 2025. The
pair's mission aboard the ISS was supposed to last only eight days following
their arrival via Boeing's Starliner, but complications with the spacecraft
delayed their departure and Starliner returned to Earth crewless. By the
time the duo returns home aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, they will have
been in space eight months. This is Williams’ second time as commander of
the ISS.
(SPACE.COM)
**
SILENT KEY: IARU REGION 3 CO-ORGANIZER PETE WILLIAMS, FORMER VK3IZ
DON/ANCHOR: A notable pioneer who helped create the IARU Region 3
organization has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Graham Kemp
VK4BB.
GRAHAM: Having secured his amateur licence in the wake of World War II, Pete
Williams, the former VK3IZ, wasted no time in immersing himself in service
to the amateur radio community. By the late '60s and early '70s, he was
devoting his efforts to the Wireless Institute of Australia. Casting his eye
more broadly, he also joined with a small team of other Australian amateurs
to propose and establish Region 3 of the International Amateur Radio Union.
As a businessman, Pete and other radio colleagues cofounded the Vicom
company, importing Icom radios and other ham radio products.
A lifelong fan of radio restorations, Pete paired that talent with his love
of military communications technology, especially the legendary Collins R-
390 receiver. He restored and resold many of them over the years, along with
the S-line and other models.
With his hearing and eyesight posing challenges later in life, Pete let his
licence lapse a few years ago. The callsign he had held for more than 70
years was acquired by another amateur in 2023.
Pete, who became a Silent Key on Saturday September 14th, was 94. Roger
Harrison VK2ZRH, editor in chief of Amateur Radio magazine, told Newsline
that a longer article about Pete and his life will appear in the magazine's
next issue.
This is Graham Kemp VK4BB
(ROGER HARRISON, VK2ZRH)
**
NEED TO WORK WYOMING? COME AND GET IT
DON/ANCHOR: If you're hoping for an easy contact with Wyoming for any number
of awards, you'd better act fast. Patrick Clark K8TAC tells us why.
PATRICK: In case you're one state shy of Worked All States, and in case that
one state happens to be Wyoming, look no farther than the W7Y special event.
The Shy-Wy Amateur Radio Club has organized this annual event, which it
calls "Come and Get Wyoming." Whether you're a DX station or here in the US,
if you need a Wyoming contact on a specific band or in a certain mode, this
is your chance. Hams throughout Wyoming have been volunteering at least an
hour of their time since the 21st of September to make sure as many contacts
can be made before the event ends on Monday the 30th of the month. QSL
details and a little history of the W7Y special event can be found on
QRZ.com - while there's still time!
This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.
(QRZ.COM)
**
HAMSCI RESEACHER REPORTS ON SPACE-WEATHER MONITOR TOOL
DON/ANCHOR: If you're an avid space-weather observer, this report from Sel
Embee KB3TZD is for you.
SEL: Scientists and amateur radio operators are proud to announce that a
member of the HamSCI scientific team has released a research paper that
delves into the development of a low-cost magnetometer system permitting
coordinated space-weather monitoring. The author of the paper, Dr. Hyomin
Kim, PhD, KD2MCR, is an assistant professor of physics at the Center for
Solar-Terrestrial Research, a component of New Jersey Institute of
Technology’s Institute for Space Weather Sciences.
The paper is a key example of how HamSCI's work melds the world of
professional research with the activities of amateur radio operators. A
magnetometer measures changes and anomalies in the magnetic atmosphere of
the earth.
For a link to the paper, see the text version of this week's Newsline script
at arnewsline.org.
[DO NOT READ:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000749 ]
This is Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.
(SCIENCE DIRECT)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WM9W
repeater in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesdays at midnight local time during the
Nightcrawler's net.
**
APRS FOUNDATION SEEKS SUPPORT THROUGH MEMBERSHIP
DON/ANCHOR: The APRS Foundation is encouraging hams to become members and
help keep the dream and hard work of a prominent Silent Key alive and
thriving. Neil Rapp WB9VPG tells us what membership is expected to
accomplish.
NEIL: When Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, became a Silent Key in February of 2022, he
left behind the legacy of the Automatic Packet Reporting System, APRS, which
the pioneering amateur had developed. The APRS Foundation was formed later
that same year to ensure that APRS would be preserved and advanced so it
could continue its vital role enabling real-time tracking over the amateur
frequencies.
Hams are now able to support the APRS Foundation by becoming members. The
0 membership helps with the foundation's operating costs and assists in
the continuation of Bob's work. The foundation also encourages participation
online in APRS@groups.io and the APRS special interest group email
reflector.
The foundation's president, Jeff Hochberg, W4JEW, writes on the foundation
website that continued engagement of amateurs will help APRS out of what he
describes as a "precarious position." Jeff writes [quote] "While there are
undoubtedly thousands of APRS users worldwide, the number doesn’t seem to
grow as it used to." [endquote].
For more details about the foundation, visit aprsfoundation dot org
(aprsfoundation.org)
This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.
(AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY, APRSFOUNDATION.ORG)
**
ORIENTEERING ENTHUSIASTS PREP FOR CHAMPIONSHIP
DON/ANCHOR: If you enjoy amateur radio direction-finding, Chelsea, Michigan
is the place to be for you in early October. Dave Parks WB8ODF tells us why.
DAVE: Yes, there's a trophy at stake here - it's known as the Paul Bunyan
trophy - but this transmitter-hunting contest is not just for fun. The 12th
IARU Region 2 / 23rd ARRL USA Radio Orienteering Championship engages skills
that are useful in spectrum management, search and rescue and animal
tracking, among other applications. The hosting group is the Southern
Michigan Orienteering Club and ham radio clubs throughout the southeastern
part of the state.
From the 5th to the 13th of October, competitors will venture out into the
woods in search of hidden transmitters in the Chelsea, Michigan area for an
intense period of radio orienteering, also known as amateur radio direction
finding. A training camp will be held before the event, led by top radio
orienteers Charles Scharlau, NZØI, and Nadia Scharlau, KO4ADV. The training
camp will take place on the 5th and 6th of October and beginners are
welcome.
The event director, Joseph Burkhead, KE8MKR, says on the competition's
website that no matter where you're at in your journey in radio and
navigation sports, there will be challenges for you.
For details visit the website radioorienteeringchamps dot us - that's
radioorenteeringchamps - one word - dot us (radioorienteeringchamps.us
This is Dave Parks WB8ODF
(RADIO ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE)
**
VINTAGE RAILWAY TO SHOWCASE TELEGRAPHY IN NEW ZEALAND
DON/ANCHOR: In New Zealand, two telegraph offices are springing back into
action to demonstrate the best of a bygone era. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF gives us
those details.
JIM: Although the date may be the 26th of October 2024, it may just as well
be in the era of steam train travel as on that day ham radio operators bring
telegraph offices back to life on the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. It will be
Labour Weekend but it will also be Morse Code Day as visitors ride the steam
train between Glenbrook and Waiuku and learn how messages can travel
efficiently too, ham radio style. Visitors at Glenbrook will have an
opportunity to have Neil ZL1NZ and Paul ZL1AJY send a telegram to Waiuku
before they get on board to travel to the other station. Upon arrival at
Waiuku, visitors may collect their telegram and send a reply via operators
Martin ZL1MDE and Peter ZL1PX. The Franklin Amateur Radio Club is hoping to
cultivate an appreciation for what was once the main form of radio
communication back when steam trains ruled the rails.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(QUA, THE FRANKLIN AMATEUR RADIO CLUB NEWSLETTER)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, listen for special event station GB2ZL in Scotland
operating CW from the 1st to the 28th of October marking the centennial of
the first amateur radio contact between Great Britain and New Zealand. The
actual anniversary date is the 18th of October, 1924. QSL via LoTW only. See
QRZ.com for more details.
Dale, W4AUV and Bob, K4RLC will operate from St. Kitts, IOTA Number NA-104,
from the 1st to the 12th of October. Dale, operating as V4/W4AUV, will be
using mainly CW on 40m. Bob, using the callsign V4/K4RLC, will be operating
QRP CW on 20 metres from the island's three POTA sites. QSL via LoTW.
Expect to hear Gunter, DK2WH on the air from Namibia as V51WH until early
November. Gunter is operating from a farm near Omaruru. Listen for him on
160-10m, including 60m. He will also participate in the CQ WorldWide RTTY
and SSB contests as V55Y. See QRZ.com for more details.
Fred, DH5FS, is operating holiday style on various HF bands as E6FS from
Niue, IOTA Number OC-040, until the 30th of September. QSL via his home
call.
(425 DX BULLETIN, WIA)
**
KICKER: A HEALTHY DOSE OF EYEBALL QSOS HAS BENEFITS
DON/ANCHOR: Our final story takes a look at eyeball QSOs - those in-person
visits we love so much. True, there are no QSL cards but there may be other
benefits, as we hear from Randy Sly W4XJ.
RANDY: It's no secret that amateur radio can be good for your health. The
Radio Society of Great Britain and the UK's National Health Service teamed
up at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to launch Get on the Air to Care,
a program to decrease social isolation and improve mental well-being, as
hams reached out to hams to check on one another.
Only a few years later, Grouper, a wellness advocacy company here in the US,
has partnered with the ARRL with a somewhat similar intent: While the ARRL
has always encouraged lots of QSOs, Grouper encourages - indeed, Grouper
actually rewards - lots of eyeball QSOs. Think of this program as a way to
"Care While You're Off the Air."
Originally founded as Element3 Health, the Boston company's recent name-
change to Grouper reflects its accelerated desire to help people achieve so-
called "social fitness" through in-person interaction. Grouper says it is
tackling the health crisis of social isolation and loneliness - formally
declared to be an epidemic last year the US Surgeon General. The ARRL-
Grouper partnership, in this case, focuses on older radio amateurs who are
enrolled in Medicare, under either the Medicare Advantage or one of the
Medicare Supplement plans. Eligible hams 65 and older who can prove they are
active in in-person amateur radio activities may have some of their dues
and other activity costs covered under the program.
The ARRL said in a press release that it hopes the new program will [quote]
"enhance the health of ARRL members by providing acess to benefits that
support staying active and engaged." [endquote] It also shows that not all
lasting connections made in amateur radio are necessarily only ones that
have been soldered.
This is Randy Sly W4XJ.
(ARRL, GROUPER, 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;
APRS Foundation; ARRL; Australian Communications and Media Authority; David
Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; Grouper; NZ Net Newsletter; QRZ.com; Radio
Orienteering Championship website; Radio Society of Great Britain; Roger
Harrison, VK2ZRH; shortwaveradio.de; YLRL Harmonics; 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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune Mississippi 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
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BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 28-set-2024 10:44 E. South America Standard Time
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