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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2466 for Friday, January 31st
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2466 for Friday, January 31st 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2466 with a release date of Friday,
January 31st, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Trouble for the Mt. Athos DXpedition. A Bouvet
Island team hires its transportation -- and an old NASA antenna gets a new
job. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2466 comes
your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
MT. ATHOS DXPEDITION HALTS AMID CONTROVERSY
PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to Greece, where the Mt. Athos
SV1GA/A DXpedition team halted their activation shortly after it got under
way, amid challenges over whether they had permission to be there. The
coveted DX entity has been a World Heritage Site since 1988 and is listed as
28th on the ClubLog DXCC List.
The team went on the air for their planned 10-day operation in late January
to mark the 50th anniversary of the first amateur radio activation there.
The five-member team was led by two of the operators from the original Mt.
Athos activation: Martii OH2BH and Aris, SV1GA. The other team members were
Adrian, KO8SCA, Gabi, YO8WW and Niko, OH2GEK.
Their signal went silent within a day, however, after they said they
received a letter from the Mt. Athos Holy Community regarding the
DXpedition's right to operate at the site, which is home to about 2,000
monks in 20 monasteries. On Wednesday, the 29th of January, the team issued
a public statement through Bernie McClenny, W3UR, saying that they planned
to provide authorities with whatever information is needed for the issue to
be clarified, saying that they would [quote] "wait for the relevant
authorities to meet and review our case." [endquote]
On Thursday, January 30th, Martii released a public statement announcing
that the team was leaving the island while awaiting a decision by the local
authorities who had issued the hams their permit.
An earlier statement from the team, prior to their activation, had been one
of hope. The team wrote: [quote] "We would like to think that this Mt. Athos
activation is just a first step in opening the doors to other teams to
activate this desired amateur radio entity. Our goal is to show that amateur
radio DXpeditions have no impact on the monastic life of the Holy Mountain.
On the contrary, it creates goodwill and allows the 3 million amateurs
around the world to see this beautiful and serene place with different
eyes." [endquote]
(DX WORLD, DX NEWS, BERNIE, W3UR, QRZ.COM)
**
BOUVET 3YØK TEAM SIGNS TRANSPORTATION CONTRACTS
PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, get ready for Bouvet 2026. The 3YØK team has
announced that it has signed some contracts for transportation -- another
step toward going to this coveted DX. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF has those details.
JIM: The DXpedition to Bouvet Island next year is ready to go forward. Team
3YØK plans to leave Cape Town, South Africa on the 1st of February 2026 for
36 days on the remote subantarctic island, the tenth most wanted DXCC entity
on the ClubLog list. The team announced that it has signed a contract with
Icetugs, an Iceland-based company that will transport them to the island by
boat. Contracts have also been signed with Ultimate Aviation of Cape Town to
provide the team with a helicopter, two pilots and a mechanic.
Costing an estimated 0.6-million in US currency, the DXpedition will have a
team of between 18 and 24 operators. Its financial support includes
donations as well as grants from the Northern California DX Foundation.
The team said on its website that it considered the signing of the contracts
with both companies to be "a major milestone."
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(WIA, SARL, 3YØK.COM)
**
AMSAT-SWITZERLAND HONORS HISTORIC HAM SATELLITE QSO
PAUL/ANCHOR: Satellite enthusiasts in Switzerland are inviting everyone to
help pay tribute to a radio operator who was in the vanguard of making QSOs
via those birds in the sky. We have that story from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: AMSAT-Switzerland proudly uses the callsign HB9RG as a way to honour
Hans-Rudolf Lauber. Hans became a Silent Key in 2017 at the age of 92 but
until then, the callsign belonged to this innovative Swiss amateur who
completed the first amateur radio satellite QSO in March of 1965. The
contact with Alfons Häring DL6EZA was completed via the OSCAR-Eleven
satellite.
Hans-Rudolf will be honoured again by satellite enthusiasts in March, when
AMSAT-HB hosts the Hans-Rudolf Lauber, HB9RG Memorial Trophy event.
In the spirit of this avid DXer, the trophy will recognise contacts made
over significant distances during the two weeks between the 3rd and 16th
March. Contacts must be made using only low-earth orbit, medium-earth orbit
and high-earth orbit satellites. For more details and full explanation of
the rules, follow the link in the text version of this week’s newscast at
arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: amsat-hb.org ]
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(AMSAT-HB, AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY)
**
CORONAL LOOP 'FLICKERING' SEEN AS CLUE TO SOLAR FLARES
PAUL/ANCHOR: Scientists believe that one key to predicting dangerous solar
flares may rest in a clue they have found in the sun's coronal loops. Kent
Peterson KCØDGY tells us about that clue.
KENT: Analyzing images captured at NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory,
researchers say they have identified a tell-tale flickering that seems to be
a tipoff that dangerous solar flares are soon to follow.
The scientists detected the flickering in coronal loops of shining plasma.
This was actually ultraviolet light at specific wavelengths and it occurred
before the sun shot massive busts of electromagnetic radiation, which we
know as solar flares. The researchers viewed the phenomenon just before 50
such solar flares.
Their findings were presented to the American Astronomical Society in
Maryland on January 15th. The scientists believe that what they have
observed may provide a way to develop more dependable forecasts of space
weather. They believe that predictions based on this observation can offer
an accuracy of 60 to 80 percent for flares that occur within two to six
hours. The biggest of these geomagnetic disturbances can disrupt power
grids, satellite orbits, rail lines and GPS systems.
More accurate forecasts of space weather would also be welcomed by amateur
radio operators and people chasing the northern lights.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(SPACE.COM)
**
PRESENTERS NEEDED FOR SOUTHEASTERN VHF CONFERENCE
PAUL/ANCHOR: Two days in April will be devoted to getting the best out of
using VHF, UHF and weak-signal microwaves to operate at the Southeastern VHF
Conference in Clarksville, Tennessee. We have more details from Sel Embee
KB3TZD.
SEL: Organizers are looking for papers and presentations that cover
equipment, construction projects, station accessories, roving, DXing and the
digital modes - anything relevant to weak-signal operating on either an
operational or technical level. In general, the conference is not accepting
topics on FM or packet repeaters or packet unless the subject relates
directly to weak-signal operations.
The deadline for submissions is the 15th of February and should be emailed
to Mike Stipick, KC4RI, at KC4RI@att.net
The conference will be held on April 4th and 5th. For details on acceptable
formats for submissions, follow the link that appears in the text version of
this week's newscast at arnewsline.org.
This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.
[DO NOT READ: https://svhfs.org/wp/ ]
(AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY, SOUTHEASTERN VHF SOCIETY)
**
NASA ANTENNA BEING REPURPOSED FOR SATELLITE TRACKING SYSTEM
PAUL/ANCHOR: Retirement isn’t for everyone and that includes antennas -
especially ones used by NASA for many of its historic space missions over
the years. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us about one historic antenna that’s gone
back into service in Australia.
GRAHAM: Decommissioned almost 40 years ago, the 29.8 meter parabolic antenna
at the site of Australia’s Overseas Telecommunications Commission in
Carnarvon, Western Australia, will be reporting for duty again as part of a
satellite-tracking system said to be of interest to the military.
Its return will follow a period of thorough refurbishing that includes some
new paint, some new equipment to be installed – and the removal of some
serious accumulations of pigeon droppings over the years. According to ABC
News Australia, the refurbishment began last year.
The dish is the property of ThothX Australia, part of the private Canadian
aerospace company ThothX, which bought it in 2022 in the hopes of offering
it for use by military clients interested in having satellite-tracking
capabilities.
This antenna is a veteran of many notable NASA missions, including the
Apollo 11 moon landing. Although it is not yet ready for prime time again,
ABC News Australia reported in December 2024 that the dish had received its
first signal in 40 years, sent as a test from a geostationary object.
This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.
(WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA, HACKADAY, ABC AUSTRALIA)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Utah
Amateur Radio Club's W7SP repeater on Sundays as part of the club's 9 p.m.
net.
**
MESH NETWORK FOR 70CM A PROJECT IN CANADA
PAUL/ANCHOR: An ambitious project in Canada hopes to develop a mesh network
to link repeaters and accommodate several digital modes. Hoping to combine
the best features of such digital networks as HamWAN, AREDN and New Packet
Radio, developers in Canada are starting development of a mesh network that
will operate on the 70cm band.
Writing in the newsletter, Zero Retries, Martin Alcock, VE6VH, said the
project is being designed to link repeaters using RF and will include
digital voice modes, data transfers, messaging and a data networking layer.
The project is called IP400, short for Intelligent Protocol 400. It has the
support of the Alberta Digital Radio Communications Society and is looking
for contributors familiar with the C and C++ languages. Free open source
code is being used for the development. IP400 is intended to operate on
amateur frequencies between 420 and 450 MHz. Martin said that unlike
conventional analogue links, a digital mesh platform will be capable of
carrying compressed digital video as well as compressed audio and telemetry.
He writes: [quote] "The first step is to get a simple chat and beaconing
application running to experiment with the technology. From there we can
layer on other features and frame types, and then consider moving into the
repeater world." [endquote]
A link to his contact page can be found in the text version of this week's
newscast at arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: https://ve6vh.mapledsp.com/home-page/contact/ ]
(ZERO RETRIES, AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY)
**
EASTERN COLORADO HAMS' REPEATER GROUP TO ENHANCE SAFETY
PAUL/ANCHOR: Although repeater systems are often viewed as safety nets by
travelers as well as emergency responders, these wireless layers of
protection are not everywhere. One group in Eastern Colorado has been
working to change that. Here’s Andy Morrison K9AWM with the details.
ANDY: The Eastern Colorado Repeater Association is a small and very new
group that has taken on a big job: to close what one organizer calls “the
repeater communication gap across Eastern Colorado.ö The organizer, Bryan
Wheeler, KB9UZO, is a retired firefighter and aircraft mechanic who has
assembled a group of radio operators specifically to fill what he considers
a “dead zoneö in that part of the state.
Bryan writes on the group’s GOFUNDME page that with no reliable radio
coverage in the state’s Eastern plains region, the effort’s first priority
is to expand coverage via VHF/UHF, DMR and APRS through a linked repeater
system. He said that testing had already begun with a repeater in Eastern El
Paso County on 147.030 MHz, but progress is slow because of limited
resources.
At the same time, Bryan said he hopes he can create a network of something
just as reliable and important: a welcoming community of hams like him who
are involved in experimenting with technology and in growing a cohesive
community of radio amateurs. He writes: [quote] “We want every member to
feel included, heard and appreciated as we work together to strengthen
communication networks and enrich the amateur radio experience throughout
the region.ö [Endquote]
This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.
(QRZ.COM, GOFUNDME)
**
SILENT KEY: NOTED CW CONTESTER ROSEL ZENKER, DL3KWR
PAUL/ANCHOR: A noted CW contester and prominent YL in the international
community has become a Silent Key. We hear more about her from Jeremy Boot
G4NJH.
JEREMY: A ham since 1975, Rosel Zenker DL3KWR died on the 15th of January,
according to an announcement by Scandinavian Young Ladies Radio Amateurs,
one of six YL groups she belonged to.
Rosel was an amateur who loved to combine travel with being on the air and
had made use of 70 different callsigns in 22 countries that she had visited,
often with her husband Hardy DL3KWF. She had also travelled for about 20
years to participate in international YL meetings of clubs in New Zealand,
Australia, the US, Japan and Scandinavia. She was a member of the Russian CW
Club, the Professional Radio Operators CW Club and the Croatian Telegraphy
Club.
Rosel was primarily a CW operator but tried to bring a personal touch to
many of her QSOs. Writing on her personal web page, dl3kwr.de, she said that
CW is not as impersonal as it may seem to some. She quoted the small
messages that she would send to others within the CW contest community that
would offer the simple, heartfelt greeting: "nice to meet you again."
Rosel was in her 80s.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(QRZ.COM, SCANDINAVIAN YOUNG LADIES RADIO AMATEURS, DL3KWR PERSONAL WEB
PAGE)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, be listening for Willy, ON4AVT, operating as 6W7/ON4AVT
from Senegal. He’ll be on the air from the 2nd of February through to the
10th of April. See QRZ.com for QSL details.
The Bahrain Amateur Radio Society is marking the 100th anniversary of the
International Amateur Radio Union and will be on the air for five days of
each month this year. The special callsign is A9100IARU. QSL via EC6DX.
Harald, DF2WO, is using the callsign 9X2AW from Rwanda through to the 15th
of February, operating CW, SSB and FT8/FT4 on 160-6 metres. He is also
operating via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: WHEN "KILLER ELECTRONS" JOIN THE CHORUS
PAUL/ANCHOR: For our final story, we turn to deep space -- and some new
insights into an old discovery that could pose serious dangers for space
travel. John Williams VK4JJW shares those insights.
JOHN: They're called chorus waves but these disturbances, first discovered
in the earth's magnetic field decades ago, are apparently nothing to sing
about.
For one thing, scientists realise these bursts of energy are not necessarily
limited to the earth and nearby planets; their presence may pose dangers to
deep space travel.
When the waves are converted to audio, the signals are said to chirp,
mimicking birdsong. The dark side to this sweet song is the discovery that
the waves are capable of accelerating particles to almost the speed of light
- a rate that would endanger astronauts and spacecraft passing through them.
Scientists have dubbed these particles "killer electrons."
The finding was made recently by researchers at Beihang University in China
and published in the journal Nature. The researchers detected the chorus
waves through use of NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, a study of
the earth's magnetic field that utilises four satellites flying in
formation.
Earth isn't the only planet experiencing this phenomenon. Scientists now
know that the waves can occur near any planet in our solar system with a
magnetic field. In fact, a magnetic field is no longer a prerequisite: The
waves have been found on Venus too, which has no magnetic field. They are
created instead when solar wind enters the atmosphere from transient fields.
All of which leads scientists to a chorus of questions.
This is John Williams VK4JJW.
(NPR, PEG HART WA2YBZ, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, LIVE SCIENCE)
**
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 the ABC News Australia; Amateur Radio Daily;
AMSAT-HB; Bernie McClenny, W3UR; David Behar K7DB; DX News; Facebook;
425DXNews; GoFundMe; Hackaday; Live Science; National Public Radio; Peg
Hart, WA2YBZ; Scandinavian Young Ladies Radio Amateurs; Scientific American;
shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO in
Valparaiso, Indiana 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
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BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 31-jan-2025 08:08 E. South America Standard Time
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