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PY2BIL > ARNR 24.10.26 18:33l 372 Lines 16101 Bytes #300 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2555 for Friday, October 16th
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2555 for Friday, October 16th, 2026
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2555 with a release date of Friday,
October 16th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A new crew takes its turn aboard the ISS. Hams
help boost disaster training in India -- and balloons become a gateway
to ham radio for West Virginia students. All this and more as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2555 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
NEW FCC RULES FOR SALES OF ELECTRONICS ONLINE
SKEETER/ANCHOR: In our top story this week, the sales of wireless devices
in the US in any online marketplace will be getting more complicated
under a new FCC requirement that the sellers make the FCC IDs of listed
items visible to prospective buyers. One such marketplace, eBay, has
already sent out notices ahead of the deadlines in 2027 stating that
unless the IDs are displayed, those listings will be blocked from being
seen by US customers.
This does not apply to amateur radio equipment. An eBay response to a
query from the ARRL assured amateur radio operators and vendors that
the online sales platform will not require the display of FCC IDs with
listings for ham radio equipment, which is capable of operating only
on the authorized amateur radio frequencies. eBay told the ARRL, however,
that FCC equipment certification would only be needed for any two-way
VHF/UHF radios capable of operating outside of amateur bands.
An FCC ID certifies that any device that emits radio waves -- such as
a mobile phone, GMRS, FRS and citizens band radio, laptop, router or
business radio -- meets government-set standards for safety, compatibility
and emission limits.
(ARRL, FCC, eBAY, VALUE-ADDED RESOURCE)
**
CREW-12 RETURNS TO EARTH FROM SPACE STATION
SKEETER/ANCHOR: The members of SpaceX Crew-12 are back home on Earth
from the ISS. Travis Lisk N3ILS tells us what's next.
TRAVIS: In the more than 7 months they were on board the International
Space Station, the members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 conducted scientific
research, logged space walks and had a number of amateur radio contacts
with students through ARISS.
On Thursday the 8th of October they returned home, splashing down in
the Pacific Ocean.
NASA's Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway KJ5NIV, along with the European
Space Agency's Sophie Adenot KJ5LTN and Roscosmos' Andrey [PRON: On Dree]
Fedyaev [PRON: Fidd YEV] had spent 237 days in space. One of the most
notable ARISS contacts took place just days before the astronauts' return:
Jack Hathaway spoke to students in Chile on the 28th of September during
the first direct contact any school in that nation had with the space
station.
Their successors - the members of Crew 13 - include Jessica Watkins and
Luke Delaney KJ5PPT, Josh Kutryk [PRON: Coo Trick] KJ5PFU of the Canadian
Space Agency, and Sergey Teteryatnikov [PRON: Tetter Yet Nick Off] of
Roscosmos who have been living and working on the space station since
Thursday, Oct. 1.
This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.
(NASA.GOV)
**
NASA, ARISS SIGN NEW 4-YEAR AGREEMENT
SKEETER/ANCHOR: ARISS and the US space agency NASA have announced that
they have renewed their partnership for another four years, bringing
contact with the International Space Station to students worldwide. ARISS
has signed a new agreement with NASA that will run through 2030 -- that
makes 30 years of the ISS hosting an amateur radio payload encouraging
lessons in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. ARISS released
a statement on Friday, October 9th, saying: [quote] "Together we'll continue
creating opportunities for students and lifelong learners to connect
with space exploration and discover the possibilities of STEM." [endquote]
The ISS is scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of 2030.
(ARISS)
**
MARGARET HAMILTON, APOLLO MISSION PROGRAMMER, DIES
SKEETER/ANCHOR: A pioneering software programmer whose work was key to
NASA's Apollo missions has died. We hear about her and her work from
Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
KENT: The work of software programmer Margaret Hamilton helped navigate
the Apollo 11 space mission toward the reality of the lunar surface.
She was a mathematician at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
when she applied to join the on-campus software team that was working
on the Apollo space project.
She was the first woman to join the team as a programmer, assigned first
to develop software for Apollo's uncrewed missions. She was soon promoted
to director of software.
MIT's Instrumentation Laboratory was responsible for computers - one
in the command module and another which accompanied Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin in the Eagle landing module which touched down on the surface
of the moon in 1969. Her work would eventually contribute to subsequent
lunar missions and to Skylab, the first US space station, and the early
space shuttle.
It was her effort on the moon lander, however, that many credited with
saving the mission. After the computer's processing unit became overloaded
during Eagle's descent, her software ensured that only essential, high-priority
functions would be permitted to continue - as a result, the module went
forward toward a safe landing.
She later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom among her many honors.
Margaret Hamilton died on September 30th in a Cambridge, Massachusetts
hospital. She was 90 years old.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(NEW YORK TIMES, MIT NEWS)
**
IN W. VIRGINIA, PICO BALLOONS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING
SKEETER/ANCHOR: A lot will be riding on six pico balloons this month
when they are released by students in the Hurricane High School Aerospace
Engineering class in West Virginia.
JIM DAMRON: A half-dozen lightweight solar-powered pico balloons are
being launched in West Virginia, carrying small transmitters to provide
location and telemetry for tracking in WSPR mode on 20 meters. For the
six student teams and their teacher, however, the classroom-designed
and -built balloons are carrying so much more.
Their ascent skyward bears the accomplishments of the newly licensed
young hams and their teacher, Adam Osbourne, KF8HLQ, supported by coaching,
FCC license testing and technical assistance from Bob Gibson W8RLG and
other members of West Virginia Amateur Radio Club, WV8AR.
The club also provided a rig and 20-meter dipole. The balloons will be
tracked using WSJTX running on a laptop.
Adam told Newsline that the project is part of the school's four-course
aerospace engineering program. Flight operations, power systems, communications
systems, testing and verification are also part of the exercise -- but
so is amateur radio.
The balloons are also carrying students and their teacher toward more
active ham radio involvement. Adam told Newsline he plans to make use
of his General class license and hopes the school will become a great
home for a student amateur radio club. Students have built a relationship
with the hams in the West Virginia club and now understand that ham radio
includes public service and emergency communications too.
Meanwhile, they cross their fingers, hoping that at least one balloon
may actually circle the globe. They have already seen that even as ham
radio helped them take to the sky, it also does much more to help everyone
on the planet below.
This is Jim Damron N8TMW.
(ADAM OSBORNE, KF8HLQ; BOB GIBSON, W8RLG)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the K2ADA repeater in Ocala Florida on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m.
**
WEST BENGAL HAMS, OFFICIALS SIGN AGREEMENT FOR DISASTER TRAINING
SKEETER/ANCHOR: An agreement between hams and officials in West Bengal,
India, will make is easier for more people to receive intense training
in disaster communications, as we hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
JASON: Under a memorandum of understanding signed by the West Bengal
Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department and radio amateurs,
more people living in remote areas of that Indian state will be trained
on how to pass emergency traffic during times of crisis.
The president of the West Bengal Radio Club, Subir Datta, VU3ZSD, called
the October 9th signing of the agreement "a proud moment," noting that
it officially recognises amateur radio operators as lifesavers.
He told the Indo Asian News Service [quote]: "During natural disasters,
hams work as an important link between the wireless sets operated by
various agencies. This aids in keeping all teams abreast of developments."
[endquote]
The club's secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA said that the club is
known for its effective response during cyclones when the hams are called
up by government officials. He said that rescue efforts benefit, especially
in remote areas, when emergency traffic can get through. In cooperation
with the affiliated Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster Management,
the hams have already prepared many civil defence employees for their
licensing exams and conducted mock-emergency drills.
Although the West Bengal hams were also prepared to deploy recently after
flash flooding devastated the region of Nepal near the Tibet border,
he said the Nepalese government did not grant them the necessary permission.
Club members did provide essential communication links between agencies
in Nepal in April of 2015 after an earthquake struck parts of the country.
This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
(INDO ASIAN NEWS SERVICE, THE STATESMAN)
**
APPLICATIONS OPEN SOON FOR QCWA SCHOLARSHIPS
SKEETER/ANCHOR: Amateur radio operators who are students at an accredited
college, trade school or university anywhere in the world may be eligible
for one of 19 scholarships from the Quarter Century Wireless Association.
Each scholarship provides $3,000 toward studies at either the undergraduate
or graduate level.
Applicants must have an active amateur radio license.
The QCWA will begin accepting applications on the 31st of October. Additional
details are available at www dot qcwa dot org (www.qcwa.org)
(TONY PERALES, AI1U)
**
HAMS RECEIVE HONORS FROM RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA
SKEETER/ANCHOR: A number of amateur radio operators are being honored
by the Radio Club of America for the different roles they have played
in advancing wireless communication. One recipient is a previous winner
of Amateur Radio Newsline's Young Ham of the Year award. Sel Embee KB3TZD
tells us who they are.
SEL: Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN, Amateur Radio Newsline's Young Ham of the
Year for 2022, is being given the Carole Perry Young Professional Award
from the Radio Club of America for her ongoing achievements in her career
in the wireless field. In 2021, the RCA recognized her with its Young
Achiever Award.
She is among several hams who the RCA will honor next month at a banquet
in New York City. Ajay Poddar, AC2KG is receiving the Dr. Arno Penzias
Award for Contributions to Basic Research in the Radio Sciences, Charles
Kirmuss, WØCBK, is being given the Henri Busignies Memorial Award; Anthony
Rizi, NR1Z, is receiving the Frank Gunther Award; Jay Adrick,K8CJY, will
receive the Ralph Batcher Memorial Award; and Charles Counselman, W1HIS,
will be presented with the Dr. Ulrich Rohde Award for Innovation in Applied
Radio Science and Engineering.
The RCA is conferring an honorary Centenarian Award to Henry L. Richter,
W6VZA. After a lifetime of pioneering efforts supporting space exploration,
he became a Silent Key on the 12th of August at the age of 99.
Finally, the Major Edward H. Armstrong Medal is being given to Andrea
Goldsmith, who becomes the first woman to receive this award, which carries
the name of the radio pioneer who helped make AM and FM radio possible.
Visit the RCA website to see the names of other award recipients. The
link appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: https://radioclubofamerica.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=500767&module_id=805355
]
This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.
(RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA, AMATEUR NEWS DAILY)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, Hans-Martin, DK2HM, is on the air as 3D2HM from Nadi,
IOTA Number OC-016, Fiji, through to the 22nd of October. He is using
SSB and FT8 on the HF bands.
Listen for Morten, LA9GY, using the callsign 3DA0GY from Piggs Peak,
Swaziland, through to the 2nd of November. Morten is operating CW and
SSB and will be active on 40-10 metres during the Worked All Germany
contest on October 17th and 18th and the CQ WW DX SSB contest on October
24th and 25th.
Kazu, MØCFW is using the callsign 3B9/MØCFW from Rodrigues Island, IOTA
Number AF-017, on the 20th through to the 28th of October. Listen for
him during the CQ WW DX SSB contest, where he will be using the callsign
3B9KW.
In Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan, DL4XT, will be active as 9N7XT from the 23rd
through to the 31st of October. He will be on various HF bands using
CW, SSB and FT8.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: FINDING CONNECTION IN A NET OF COMPASSION
SKEETER/ANCHOR: There have almost always been words to thank hams for
the kinds of service they provide - emergency communication in a disaster;
public safety at community events or Elmering hopeful new radio operators.
There are only a few words for the solace one ham can give at a time
of tragedy -- and Jim Davis W2JKD shares them now in our final story.
JIM DAVIS: The weekly Four State Net of the Antietam Radio Association
went suddenly quiet during check-ins on the night of May 27th. There
was no response from Steve Struharik, WA8EIH, the net control station.
Repeated calls to him on the radio -- and then directly to his mobile
phone -- went unanswered. Finally, another call was made, this time
to the sheriff's office near Steve's Myersville, Maryland home, asking
that someone visit the house to check on him.
Meanwhile, Peter Nowinski, W3LIX, left his shack in Pennsylvania and
made the drive to Maryland. He arrived 45 minutes later and found the
sheriff's deputy at the house. The pair informed Steve's wife, Jean,
of their concerns, then went downstairs to the radio shack. They discovered
Steve lifeless in his chair.
The Struharik family needed a friend that night - and that friend was
Peter.
Joe Maguire, WA1ZZQ, the club's activities chairman, told Newsline that
a special service award plaque from Jean Struharik and the couple's two
sons, John and Mike, was presented to Peter by the Antietam club at a
meeting in August, as everyone recalled that difficult night. Joe said
Peter's actions [quote] "epitomize the spirit of friendship and duty
that makes amateur radio such a wonderful community." [endquote]
Steve, he said, was at the heart of that community and [quote] "we miss
him dearly." [endquote]
This is Jim Davis W2JKD.
(JOE MAGUIRE, WA1ZZQ, WIA, ANTIETAM RADIO ASSOCIATION)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to ARRL, Adam Osborne, KF8HLQ; Amateur Radio Daily, Antietam
Radio Association; ARISS; Bob Gibson, W8RLG; David Behar, K7DB; FCC;
425 DX Bulletin; Indo Asian News Service; Joe Maguire WA1ZZQ; MIT Times;
NASA.gov; New York Times; QRZ.com; Radio Club of America; The Statesman;
Tony Perales, AI1U; Value-Added Resource; Wireless Institute of Australia;
YouTube; Zero Retries newsletter; 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 2026. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material
even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
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