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PY2BIL > ARNR 23.05.25 21:08l 302 Lines 16599 Bytes #300 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2482 for Friday, May 23rd, 202
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2482 for Friday, May 23rd, 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2482 with a release date of Friday, May 23rd, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1
The following is a QST. A report shows that solar storms leave the US unprepared. Another electronics-supply
business closes its doors -- and a reminder that our Young Ham of the Year nomination deadline draws near.
All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2482 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
REPORT: US UNPREPARED TO HANDLE MAJOR SOLAR STORM
JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with word that a US task force, by its own admission, is ill prepared to cope
with the wide-ranging impact of a solar storm. This news comes on the anniversary of the Gannon Storm - the
most powerful geomagnetic storm to hit the earth in two decades. Here's Randy Sly W4XJ.
RANDY: A US government task force established 11 years ago to handle space weather emergencies has demonstrated
that it is incapable of successfully managing such a crisis, according to a recent report task force members
released earlier this month. Several critical failures came to light at the conclusion of a two-day drill
conducted in early May to assess US agencies' readiness in such a crisis. The drill staged a simulated crisis
of several CMEs hurtling toward earth, creating widespread power and communications outages, radio blackouts
and radiation hazards for NASA astronauts on a lunar mission.
This was the first exercise of its kind for the task force, which is known by the acronym SWORM, which stands
for Space Weather Operations Research and Mitigation. Member agencies include the US Department of Homeland
Security and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. According to the report, government agency
protocols were shown to be weak and without effective interoffice coordination. Those challenges were called
especially critical because warning for the impact of an incoming coronal mass ejection can be as long as a few
days or as short as half an hour.
The report praised the exercise for identifying these issues and called for, among other things, development of
an advanced warning system and sophisticated space-weather satellite systems. A link to the report is in the
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org
This is Randy Sly W4XJ.
[DO NOT READ: https://www.jhuapl.edu/sites/default/files/2025-04/Space-Weather-TTX-Report-Summary-v3-FINAL.pdf
]
(SPACE WEATHER OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MITIGATION; POPULAR SCIENCE, LIVE SCIENCE)
**
ON-LOAN DMR KIT STARTS YOUNG UK HAMS ON THEIR JOURNEYS
JIM/ANCHOR: When you’re first starting out in amateur radio, you can’t borrow confidence in getting on the air
but now in the UK you can borrow something that’s almost just as helpful. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us about a
new program created especially to help hams under the age of 18 who are just starting their radio journeys.
JEREMY: The DMR project launched recently by the Radio Society of Great Britain is a way to provide
opportunity - and radio equipment - for young new amateurs to become accustomed to making QSOs on a regular
basis. The Outreach Team’s new DMR kit contains DMR handheld transceivers and hotspots to borrow for as long as
three months at no cost. Accompanying the equipment, of course, is the opportunity to use it - and the RSGB’s
team will also be hosting regularly scheduled youth nets to give as many participants as possible a good start.
Licensed hams or school groups with at least one licensee are eligible to apply to use the kits.
Meanwhile, the society is also encouraging teachers to establish school clubs and to become amateurs
themselves. Funding from the Radio Communications Foundation will cover the cost of up to nine teachers’
exams.
Additional details are available at rsgb dot org dot UK (rsgb.org.uk)
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(RSGB)
**
ANTENNA AUCTION RAISES FUNDS FOR SCHOLARSHIP
JIM/ANCHOR: Pieces of an antenna once atop New York City's Empire State Building have found new homes - and the
auction held for them has done a lot of good, as we hear from Jen DeSalvo, W9TXJ.
JEN: You might say that this was one high-profile antenna that got some great reception: The remaining 16
elements of the Empire State Building's 32 element Alford Antenna attracted lively and profitable bidding at a
charity benefit auction in April. According to a report on the Radio World website, a total of ,549 was
raised for the Society of Broadcast Engineers' Ennes scholarship fund.
The antenna, which was installed on the Manhattan skyscraper in 1965, was decommissioned in 2019. At one time
it served as many as 16 FM broadcast stations. The individual elements weigh about 100 pounds, or 45 kilograms,
each but thanks to this successful auction, they will carry even more weight in helping support the careers of
future broadcast engineers.
This is Jen DeSalvo, W9TXJ
(RADIO WORLD)
**
STUDENTS GET FREE ONLINE LESSONS ABOUT WEATHER SATELLITES
JIM/ANCHOR: A free online course is teaching students why weather satellites remain an important resource to
preserve our quality of life. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us about those lessons.
SEL: Even as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is halting support for a number of its weather
satellites, the importance of these collectors of data and imagery from space remains key to understanding our
changing climate. Students in grades 8 through 12 here in the US are getting an opportunity to learn more about
these satellites and their contributions to the study of long-term climate behavior through a free online
series offered by the AMSAT Youth Initiative.
The coursework is designed to let students progress through the material independently. The first installment
is called "An Introduction to Satellite Meteorology," and will be followed by the next release in June. Future
topics include Wildlife and Natural Resources, Navigation, Climate Change and Pollution Control.
Visit buzzsat-dot-com, that is b-u-z-z-s-a-t-dot-com (buzzsat.com), to see more details about the course.
This is Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.
(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)
**
LONGTIME ELECTRONICS SUPPLIER SHUTS DOORS IN US
JIM/ANCHOR: Another business that was a reliable supplier of electronics for ham radio operators has closed its
doors. We have those details from Jack Parker W8ISH.
JACK; Since it was founded in Florida in January of 1972, Marlin P. Jones & Associates gained a loyal following
among amateur radio operators looking for everything from power supplies to electronic switches and other
components.
The family-owned business closed its doors on the 9th of May and announced on its website that it would no
longer be taking phone calls after the 23rd of the month. Its remaining inventory was purchased by another
company in Florida - Skycraft Surplus.
Positive reviews of the company’s customer service and the quality of its products reflect the satisfaction
that hams and other purchasers of electronic components received after doing business repeatedly with the
company, which was also known as MPJ & Associates.
The company's website gave no reason for the closure. A statement said simply: [quote] “It has been an honor to
have done business with you.ö [Endquote]
This is Jack Parker W8ISH.
(MPJ & ASSOCIATES, EHAM.NET)
**
SPECIAL EVENT FOLLOWS TRAIL OF 19TH CENTURY EXPLORERS
JIM/ANCHOR: Just as the American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark tied the landscape of the early
North American West together via their travels in the early 19th century, more than 30 ham radio clubs in 16
states are carving out a trail of communications along that same route. Radio operators are calling CQ from May
31st through to June 15th in the Dakotas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky and other states that were eventually
established within the explored territory.
The special event, Lewis & Clark Trail On the Air, has expanded since its launch in 2022 with the Clark County
Amateur Radio Club in Vancouver, Washington state. Now it encourages chasers to try for contacts of one club in
each of the 16 states - or one of two bonus stations who are representing the Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. The
explorers handed these medals out to the chiefs of tribes they encountered during their expedition. For
information about certificates or participating clubs, visit the website L C T O T A dot org for details
(LCTOTA.org)
(LCTOTA.ORG)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin
stations around the world including the WB ZERO YLE (WBØYLE) repeater on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., through Allstar,
in Morrisville Pennsylvania and Fall River Massachusetts.
**
LUXEMBOURG ISSUES POSTAGE STAMP FOR IARU's CENTENARY
JIM/ANCHOR: Luxembourg's postal service is joining the celebration of the IARU's 100th birthday, as we hear
from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: One hundred years ago, Radioamateurs du Luxembourg was among the organisations representing radio
amateurs from 23 nations at the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union in Paris, France.
Celebrating the centenary and showing pride in Luxembourg's role, the Post Philately of Luxembourg has issued a
postage stamp and a matching postal card marking the anniversary. The stamp will be released in the weeks ahead
and will be available for purchase at the Radioamateurs du Luxembourg booth at Ham Radio Friedrichshafen in
June. Until then, pre-orders can be sent via email to the address that appears in the text version of this
week's newscast at arnewsline.org.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
[DO NOT READ: Email is dx@pt.lu ]
(RADIOAMATEURS DU LUXEMBOURG, POST PHILATELY)
**
SPECIAL EVENT OPERATORS RECALL HISTORIC JOHNSTOWN FLOOD OF 1889
JIM/ANCHOR: A devastating flood in the late 19th century left its mark on western Pennsylvania. Amateur radio
operators are on the air as a reminder of this painful history of the Johnstown Flood. Here's Travis Lisk N3ILS
with details.
TRAVIS: In a community 60 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the disaster has come to be known as the
Great Flood of 1889. What began on May 31st of that year ultimately claimed more than 2,200 lives in the
western part of the state. The deadliest dam burst in US history followed several days of heavy rainfall, as
more than 20 million tons of water rushed uncontrollably into the heavily populated valley. Johnstown, in
Cambria County, had the misfortune to be just 14 miles downstream from the dam.
It had 30,000 residents, many of whom were crushed by the sudden, unexpected rush of flood waters.
This is history that is personal to many in the region and amateur radio operators are no exception. They will
be on the air starting on Saturday the 24th of May through to the 6th of June, operating from the Johnstown
Pennsylvania Flood Museum calling CQ. They are using the callsign N3N and will be on HF and 2 meters. The
special event is taking place in cooperation with the Cambria County Pennsylvania Emergency Services and
Skywarn Storm Spotters of Western Pennsylvania. Emergency responders know well: Tragic flooding revisited the
region again in 1936 and 1977 but neither of those floods compared to this one, which is considered the kind of
storm that happens once every 1,000 years.
This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.
(EDDIE MISIEWICZ, KB3YRU; HISTORY.COM)
**
DEADLINE NEARS FOR 'YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR' NOMINEES
JIM/ANCHOR: If you have delayed nominating a candidate for the Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year
Award, don't wait much longer. The deadline for nominations is the 31st of May. If you know a promising young
amateur who is 18 years of age or younger here in the continental United States, let us know. If they have
talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio they might just be this year's award winner. Find
application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab.
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, Dave, G4WXJ, will be on the air as ZC4RH from the British Sovereign Area on Cyprus, IOTA
number AS - ØØ4, from the 14th through to the 20th of June. Dave will be using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4 on 40
through 6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.
Emir, OE1EMS, is using the callsign E77DX from Sao Vicente Island, IOTA number AF - Ø86, in Cape Verde. He will
be participating in the CQ WW WPX CW contest on the 24th and the 25th of May. See QRZ.com for QSL details.
A team of operators using the callsign VU7T can be heard from Lakshadweep Islands, IOTA number AS - Ø11, in the
Arabian Sea. They will remain active through to the 28th of May on the HF bands. They will also be using the QO
- 100 satellite. QSL via MØXUU.
JS6RRR, JI3DST/6, JJ5RBH/6, JR8YLY/6 are on the air from the Miyako Islands, IOTA number AS - 079, until the
18th of June, using CW, SSB and digital modes on 80 through 6m. See QRZ.com for QSL details.
(DX NEWS, DX WORLD)
**
KICKER: TIME FLOWS ON, THANKS TO 'FOUNTAIN" OF UNPRECEDENTED ACCURACY
JIM/ANCHOR: Have you got a second? Well, it only takes a second - actually, a few minutes - for our final
story, which introduces an important new atomic clock that's been put to work at the official US headquarters
of timekeeping in Colorado. Here's Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
KENT: Keep your eye on the clock, especially if you've been recording your QSOs like the rest of us, in
Coordinated Universal Time. A new atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has been
operating since April at NIST's Boulder, Colorado offices. It will soon have a bigger job as part of a group of
timekeepers around the world that assists with the calibration of UTC. Known as NIST-F4, the clock is still
awaiting certification by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures before that can happen.
Until then, its unprecedented precision is already hard at work defining the official time here in the United
States.
Its creators call it a "fountain" of precision because the cloud of cesium atoms inside the clock oscillate at
a rate of more than 9 billion times per second, rising and falling in the same way water does in a fountain.
Its resonant frequency is 9 billion, 192 million, 631 thousand 770 hertz - to be precise. That is the frequency
that sets the standards for all other clocks.
If you want to see just how NIST-F4 works, see the link to a YouTube video in the text version of this week's
newscast at arnewsline.org
Watching it will take only three minutes and three seconds of your time - more or less.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
[DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IrbreXO6x8 ]
(NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, WASHINGTON POST)
**
Have you sent in your amateur radio haiku to Newsline's haiku challenge yet? It's as easy as writing a QSL
card. Set your thoughts down using traditional haiku format - a three-line verse with five syllables in the
first line, seven in the second and five in the third. Submit your work on our website at arnewsline.org - each
week's winner gets a shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Amateur News Daily; AMSAT; Dale Scott, W7HLO; David Behar K7DB; DX News; DX World; Eddie
Misiewicz, KB3YRU; eham.net; History.com; IARU; LiveScience; QRZ.com; MPJ & Associates; NASA; National
Institute of Standards & Technology; Popular Science; Post Philately; Radio World; Radioamateurs du
Luxembourg; shortwaveradio.de; Washington Post; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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 Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston
West Virginia saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025.
All rights reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 23-May-2025 16:01 E. South America Standard Time
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