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The Wirral & District Amateur Radio Club

Twice Winner of the RSGB Region 3

'Club of the Year' Trophy for 2013 & 2014

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from Wirral, UK and around the World !

Click for the RSGB NEWS for Radio Amateurs & SWL's

Looking for an archived News Item from last 12 months to read again ? click ARCHIVED NEWS

RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant, G3YSX is pleased to announce that the Board has co-opted Ben Lloyd, GW4BML as a Board Director until the AGM in April 2024.

The RSGB 2023 Convention is just seven weeks away and the Society is delighted that AMSAT will be holding its Colloquium during the event again.

Also, the RSGB is delighted to announce that Keith Hotchkiss, G0FEA has been appointed as the RSGB’s volunteer Lecture Coordinator for the 2023 Convention. Keith will be working with General Manager and Convention Chair Steve Thomas, M1ACB and the rest of the Convention team to create another fantastic event.

IARU Region 1 will hold its next General Conference from 1 to 4 November 2023 in Zlatibor, Serbia.

Join us and ask questions live on our YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more about this and our other webinars on our website.

The Arecibo Observatory, which recently suffered catastrophic damage to its 305-meter telescope, has officially shut down all research efforts.

The following is a QST. AM Radio to the rescue in Maui. Hams hack a government satellite - and Hamvention loses a longtime team member. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2391 comes your way right now.

Our top story takes us to Hawaii and focuses on the resilience and relevance of AM broadcast radio, which was recently earmarked by some automakers in the US for elimination from cars. AM radio's relevance is certainly not in doubt on Maui, where AM broadcast equipment is being put to work for wildfire emergency communications. Kent Peterson KCØDGY brings us up to date.

The Federal Communications Commission has granted the state of Hawaii the right to emergency use of four portable emergency advisory radio systems. The stations -- which include police and fire stations and a checkpoint -- can be used on 1620, 1650, 1670 or 1700 kHz. The state purchased the four 10-watt transmitters from Information Station Specialists, a Michigan manufacturer that provides transmitters for highway advisories and travelers' information. The systems include a transmitter, a digital message player, an audio mixer and a foldout high-efficiency antenna system.

Timely communication has been an issue during the wildfire crisis on Maui. Published reports noted that the island's emergency officials failed to warn residents and tourists of the dangers by failing to use a system of outdoor sirens. There were also reports that agency alerts were never delivered to cellphone users.

One of the key arguments made by defenders for keeping AM broadcast in cars has been AM's reliability in delivering emergency information in a crisis.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(RADIO WORLD, NEW YORK TIMES)

Can amateur radio expertise help hack a government satellite - all in the name of helping the United States tighten up its cybersecurity? Neil Rapp WB9VPG tells us about some hams who did just that.

Some of the world's top hackers worked their way into an orbiting cubesat known as Moonlighter to help the US Air Force and US Space Force expose vulnerabilities that could pose cybersecurity threats. The global competition, known as Hack-A-Sat 4, recently announced the winners following the Finalist rounds held in August. A team from Italy, known as HACKeroni captured the top honors.

With skills in RF communications, reverse engineering, satellite operations and vulnerability research paramount to success, a group of 40 full time Northrop Grumman employees - known as SpaceBitsRUs (Space Bits Are Us) took up the challenge too, landing the fourth-place spot. A number of hams were on the team, including Brian Wilkins, KO4AQF, and Wyatt Neal, KD8AQS, the team hacking lead.

Brian, who is a satellite enthusiast, a former AMSAT member and a recipient of the Satellite VUCC award, told Newsline in an email that being a ham helps deliver relevant skills for this kind of challenge. He said [quote]: "Operators gain expertise in radio wave propagation, modulation, and antenna design, allowing them to understand satellite communication protocols and frequencies. Additionally, knowledge of software-defined radio technology enables intercepting, decoding, or modifying satellite signals." [endquote]

It has clearly paid off, not just for the government-sponsored contest but for the Northrop-Grumman team as well, which placed second in the Finals for Hack-A-Sat 3. The real prize, however, is awareness. As Brian told Newsline, this serves as: [quote] "a wake-up call to the industry. Obscurity does not equal Security." [endquote]

This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(BRIAN WILKINS, KO4AQF; HACK-A-SAT WEBSITE)

Congratulations to India which is celebrating a successful soft landing of a rover on the moon's surface. Graham Kemp VK4BB has that story.

Amateur radio operators joined the Indian Space Research Organisation and the rest of the nation in marking the arrival of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near the moon's south pole on the 23rd of August. India's delivery of a rover to the lunar surface follows its 2019 attempt which crashed. Shortly after this successful landing, four radio amateurs in India proudly got on the air calling QRZ with the callsign AT2ISRO. They were being heard on HF, VHF and UHF as well as on Echolink, through the 25th of August. According to Arunava Dey, VU3XRY, who was one of the activators, this use of the ISRO callsign - like the moon landing - was a first for India.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(CNN, ARUNAVA DEY, VU3XRY)

Meanwhile, if you have access to Echolink, continue to celebrate the moon landing's success with the West Bengal Radio Club-SAARC ECHO VHF Net until the 30th of August. Be listening for the special callsign VU2WB3CY at 15:30 UTC each day on Echolink node VU2WBR-R

A longtime mainstay of Dayton Hamvention has become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Skeeter Nash N5ASH.

Jim Tiderman, N8IDS, was not just a proud member of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association but was deeply involved for years with Hamvention, dating back to the days when it was held at Hara Arena. Jim became a Silent Key on Wednesday, August 16th. His Hamvention roles included two years as the event's co-chairman and two subsequent years as its chairman. He also served as the advisor to Hamvention's special event station which used the DARA callsign W8BI.

Announcing Jim's death on the club's Facebook page, DARA's Michael Kalter, W8CI, said [quote[ "He was loved and respected by the club, his family, and community. Jim will be missed." [endquote]

Jim was 81.

This is Skeeter Nash N5ASH.

(NEWCOMER-KETTERING CHAPEL, FACEBOOK)

If you're not up to climbing difficult mountains and hill walking is more your thing, combining it with portable radio operations through an expanding award scheme might just be what you're looking for. Jeremy Boot G4NJH brings us the details.

The first World HEMA Day is to take place on September 1st and 2nd, bringing with it an opportunity for light exercise, fresh air and perhaps some DX radio contact firsts that can qualify you for various certificates in the HEMA awards scheme. This summit awards scheme started in the UK but has spread across Europe, into Australia and is growing in Asia, Canada and Oceania.

HEMA summits are open 24/7 but this special day from 1200 UTC on Friday September 1st to 1200 UTC Saturday September 2nd gives the added advantage of concentrating the activity with the possibility of HEMA to HEMA contacts perhaps with new DXCCs in the scheme and certainly with some never before activated summits. Visit www.hema.org.uk to get the full details of this event and all of the other HEMA awards but most of all, if you can, get out and enjoy being on the air in the fresh air!

I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(HEMA.ORG.UK)

Animal rescue advocates have been on the air to make sure every dog has their day - or, in this case, their week. We hear about this special event from Ed Durrant DD5LP.

Dogs are an integral part in the physiotherapy practice that Hanz Van de Pol, YL3JD, and his wife, Sandra, operate in Latvia. The family dogs greet and cheer all the couple's clients when they arrive, putting them at ease. Dogs also play a major role for Hanz at this time of year through the special event station YL1DOG, which Hanz activates annually in August in honour of International Dog Day on the 26th of the month. He is joined this year by two hams in the UK - Chris, G5VZ, and David, G4YVM. They are operating as GBØDOG and GB4DOG, respectively.

The three have been on the air using CW since Monday, August 21st. The special event concludes on Saturday, August 26th. Hanz said he was inspired by a special event held three years ago marking International Cat Day.

Hanz told Newsline in an email he is raising awareness of the need to help pets who need homes. He said "In my power as a radio amateur and an animal lover, bringing attention to these abandoned pets is the least I can do. In countries all over the world, the animal shelters are packed with cats and dogs and I feel obliged to expose this."

It's no surprise that the couple's dogs are former shelter animals they adopted almost immediately after immigrating to Latvia from The Netherlands. It's also no surprise that next year, Hanz plans to be back on the air with even more special-event operators around the world.

This is Ed Durrant DD5LP

(HANZ VAN DE POL, YL3JD)

Well, we're back from the Huntsville Hamfest and Newsline has one very happy Young Ham of the Year. Let Don Wilbanks AE5DW tell us more.

The 2023 Young Ham of The Year presentation was held on Saturday, August 19th at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville Alabama and a very large crowd gathered for the annual 2 p.m. presentation at the main stage. Nineteen-year-old Kees Van Oosbree, W0AAE joined me on stage. Here are some of his remarks.

"I want to thank two people; Neil Rapp, WB9VPG. I contacted him three years ago and he's pushed me to be my best and has connected me with so many people. The second is all the people in Minnesota, the Minnesota Wireless Association. Of course, they' re not here right now because they're all contesting in the North America QSO Party, but they helped me set up my first HF station four years ago and have pushed me to operate CW. CW is my one passion right now. Just a week ago they helped me put up a Yagi antenna in my backyard, that I never thought was possible. I just want to thank them and Neil Rapp. That's all I have to say. Thank you!"

Kees is a very impressive young man and he fully represents the people who will be running the planet in a very short few years. Congratulations again, Kees. Welcome to the Newsline Young Ham family. The nominating period for the 2024 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Young Ham of The Year award opens March 1st and the presentation will be August 17th, 2024 at the Huntsville Hamfest. Our thanks to CQ Communications, Yaesu USA, Heil Sound and RadioWavz Antennas for their corporate assistance. You can hear the complete presentation on our website, arnewsline.org under the Extra tab.

I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

As expected, research halted on August 14th at the US National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory. The agency is now hoping to keep the site alive by selecting one of several proposals submitted earlier this year for the development of an educational center at the site in Puerto Rico. Sel Embee KB3TZD has the details.

The doors to research at the world-renowned Arecibo Observatory have been shut, more than two years after the collapse of the facility's 305-metre-wide dish - an instrument that once tracked asteroids, gravitational waves and exoplanets. The site's conversion into a STEM Education and Research Center, was originally planned for this year but has taken longer than expected. Proposals were invited in late 2022, with the agency setting a February 2023 deadline for all those interested. So far, no decision has been announced.
In the months following the collapse in 2020 of its iconic radio telescope, the observatory reopened its visitor center and observation deck. Scientists continued their research with other tools at the facility. All that has ceased as Arecibo, the site where the first binary pulsar was discovered, now ponders its future.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, NATURE.COM, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

A Sunday night net held every week on Echolink is all about letting nothing get in your way of your time on the air - whether it's a physical challenge or the restrictions of a homeowners' association. Stephen Kinford N8WB has that story.

Greg Miller KD9VPJ wants to help other hams make things happen on the air - even if there are obstacles of any kind that might make things more difficult. So he launched the Sunday night net known as the HamABLE Net just a few days ago. Check-ins for this weekly net begin on Sunday nights at 6 p.m. Central Time on Echolink. In a posting on one of the QRZ.com forums, Greg writes that this a directed net designed to attract hams who [quote] "may be dealing with both seen and unseen disabilities." [endquote] He told Newsline in an email that no one should be hindered from enjoying amateur radio on account of what they believe are limitations, whether it is a neighborhood issue or a medical condition they are trying to manage.

The Chicago-based radio operator serves as net control, overseeing the roundtable ragchew format that has two rounds. If you're interested joining the group and checking in, search on Echolink for KD9VPJ or use direct node number 934347.

This is Stephen Kinford N8WB.

(QRZ.COM, GREG MILLER, KD9VP)

In the World of DX, be listening for Alan, VK1AO, operating as 4W/VK1AO from East Timor, IOTA Number OC-148 until the 30th of August. He is mostly using FT8 on 40-12 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Four radio operators are operating as E51D from the North Cook Islands until the 10th of September. They are AA7JV, HA5YD, HA7RY and KN4EEI. They are setting up on the island with Radio in a Box stations and will have remote operators worldwide. Listen for them on 160-6 metres using CW, SSB and FT8. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Three members of the Czech DXpedition Group are using the callsign 5X3K from Uganda between the 28th of September and the 7th of October. They will operate CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 on 160-10 metres. For QSL details see QRZ.com

Be listening for Jon, W5JON, using the callsign V47JA from St. Kitts, IOTA number NA-104, between the 28th of August and the 12th of September. He will be on the HF bands and 6 metres using SSB and FT8. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

We end this week's report with the story of an overdue QSO - a long overdue QSO. Overdue, in fact, by more than 50 years, as we hear from Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

More than a half-century has passed since Jess, W6LEN, and Ron, K6PAM, had their first CW QSO as new Novice class operators. The two teenagers became junior high school classmates and friends in 1953 and studied for their tickets together. Jess received the callsign KN6QQB and Ron's was KN6PAM.

They had studied Morse Code together, grew up together, were best men at one another's weddings. Life moved on: There was college, military service, family life. Ron, meanwhile, had gone off the air. The friends' CW ragchews had long since gone silent -- at least until recently. At Jess' encouragement, Ron purchased a "cobweb" antenna, put up a 40 meter longwire and bought a rig. In a gesture of both faith and generosity, Jess then sent him one of his old paddles. That, it seems, was all it took: Jess' telephone rang one night recently and there was Ron, inviting his old friend to meet him on 40 meters.

Ron told readers on Facebook: [quote] "His CW is coming back and we had a nice relaxed long QSO."

While Jess' life is now filled with chasing and activating parks and going after some big DX, the best QSO of his life for the moment is the one that reconnected him on the air with the childhood friend who lived just two blocks away.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(FACEBOOK, JESS GUADERRAMA, W6LEN)

If you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in, send it on! We are not talking about advertising your club's upcoming hamfest or field day participation, but something that is out of the ordinary. If so, send us a brief overview via the contact pag e at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to cover it, we'll get back to you for more details. Meanwhile, visit our website to learn more about the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; Brian Wilkins, KO4AQF; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; Facebook; FCC; Greg Miller, KD9VP; Hanz Van De Pol, YL3JD; HEMA.ORG.UK; Jess Guaderrama, KD9VP; New York Times; National Science Foundation; Nature.com; QRZ.COM; Radio World; shortwaveradio.de; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Keplerian Bulletin 64 ARLK064
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT August 25, 2023
To all radio amateurs

Special thanks to AMSAT-NA (AMSAT.ORG) for the following Keplerian data.

Decode 2-line elsets with the following key:
1 AAAAAU 00 0 0 BBBBB.BBBBBBBB .CCCCCCCC 00000-0 00000-0 0 DDDZ
2 AAAAA EEE.EEEE FFF.FFFF GGGGGGG HHH.HHHH III.IIII JJ.JJJJJJJJKKKKKZ
KEY: A-CATALOGNUM B-EPOCHTIME C-DECAY D-ELSETNUM E-INCLINATION F-RAAN
G-ECCENTRICITY H-ARGPERIGEE I-MNANOM J-MNMOTION K-ORBITNUM Z-CHECKSUM

0 AO-07
1 07530U 74089B   23237.62439281 -.00000022 00000-0 14988-3 0 9993
2 07530 101.9530 224.7824 0011884 292.1808 182.0402 12.53666337231877
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23237.77701451 .00062844 00000-0 11027-2 0 9996
2 25544 51.6408 343.8026 0005178 354.6290 141.4849 15.49929835412588
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23236.93777303 .00001686 00000-0 24823-3 0 9995
2 27607 64.5540 54.1219 0062086 210.2708 149.4804 14.77515551112388
0 AO-73
1 39444U 13066AE 23237.43777309 .00005959 00000-0 64859-3 0 9990
2 39444 97.6766 199.3292 0053850 45.9981 314.5655 14.87322529525935
0 XW-2A
1 40903U 15049E   23112.43632650 .18814400 25108-5 15498-3 0 9990
2 40903 97.0819 181.5568 0011783 175.5276 309.8044 16.51931608427640
0 IO-86
1 40931U 15052B   23237.22369874 .00001278 00000-0 87070-4 0 9992
2 40931   6.0004 313.6882 0013236 195.3124 164.6603 14.77325987427462
0 CAS-4B
1 42759U 17034B   23237.47478903 .00003026 00000-0 15460-3 0 9991
2 42759 43.0152 90.1593 0011362 197.4548 162.5911 15.18642872342167
0 CAS-4A
1 42761U 17034D   23237.55650931 .00008437 00000-0 40986-3 0 9998
2 42761 43.0141 88.2272 0012073 199.1199 160.9197 15.18663006342172
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23237.57952612 .00004495 00000-0 31248-3 0 9990
2 43017 97.6199 119.1953 0229563 199.5492 159.6816 14.87080271311495
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23237.59630689 .00001416 00000-0 13958-3 0 9993
2 43678 98.0325 23.0120 0008338 295.9780 64.0580 14.93671164262620
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23237.18799355 .00000149 00000-0 00000-0 0 9990
2 43700   0.0143 176.0073 0002279   3.7164 246.9466 1.00269862 17378
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23237.56666350 .00005355 00000-0 41591-3 0 9990
2 43803 97.5707 298.4085 0011544 220.6482 139.3882 15.01685864258104
0 CAS-6
1 44881U 19093C   23237.54095964 .00001084 00000-0 14070-3 0 9994
2 44881 97.8583 314.8088 0014057 207.1278 152.9203 14.82696943199073
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23237.56997925 .00000009 00000-0 -11332-4 0 9994
2 44909 82.5215 301.8493 0217790 25.0463 336.1016 12.79722116171035
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23237.56485553 .00000593 00000-0 20641-3 0 9990
2 50466 98.5496 318.8918 0003123 299.1811 60.9064 14.39018263 87335
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23235.44552909 -.00000003 00000-0 00000-0 0 9994
2 53106 70.1535 296.3528 0008587 173.6806 186.3963 6.42556895 26073
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23237.56745823 .00011682 00000-0 61469-3 0 9999
2 54684 97.5703 14.7822 0014054 96.4445 263.8388 15.15715219 39186

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Tuesday, August 29,2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 34 ARLD034
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 24, 2023
To all radio amateurs

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by VU3XRY, The Daily DX, 425 DX News, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.

TIMOR-LESTE, 4W. Alan, VK1AO is QRV as 4W/VK1AO from Dili until August 30. Activity is on 40 to 12 meters using mainly FT8. QSL via LoTW.

WEST MALAYSIA, 9M2. A number of special event stations will use the 9M66 prefix from August 30 to September 1 to celebrate the 66th anniversary of Malaysia's independence. QSL via operators' instructions.

EAST MALAYSIA, 9M6. To celebrate Malaysia's 66th anniversary of independence, special event stations 9M66MQ from Sarawak and 9M66MS from Sabah will be QRV from August 30 to September 1. QSL via operators' instructions.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9Q. Vlad, OK2WX is QRV as 9Q2WX until September 9. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and various modes. QSL via IZ8CCW.

BOTSWANA, A2. Leon, A25SL has been QRV on 20 meters using SSB around 1730z. QSL via N4GNR.

NAURU, C2. Phil, 3D2TS is QRV as C21TS. Activity is on the HF bands using FT8 and possibly SSB. QSL via M0OXO.

NORTH COOK ISLANDS, E5. Operators AA7JV, HA5YD, HA7RY and KN4EEI are QRV as E51D from Penrhyn Atoll until September 10. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL via HA7RY.

ESTONIA, ES. Ed, ES2TT will be QRV as ES2TT/0 from four or five lighthouses on Hiiumaa Island, IOTA EU-034, on August 26 and 27. QSL to home call.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA, HL. Members of the Korean Amateur Radio League are QRV with special call sign HL78V during August to mark the 78th anniversary of the country's liberation. QSL via 6K0MF.

SVALBARD, JW. Tom, LA6VDA will be QRV as JW6VDA from August 30 to September 6. QSL to home call.

MARIANA ISLANDS, KH0. Uli, DL2AH is QRV as KH0/DL2AH from Rota Island until September 14. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters using SSB and FT8.
QSL direct to home call.

GREECE, SV. Christo, LZ3FN and Thomas, SV2CLJ will be QRV as SV8/LZ3FN and SV8/SV2CLJ, respectively, from Skyros Island, IOTA EU-060, from September 1 to 7. Activity will be on 80 to 2 meters using CW, SSB, and various digital modes. QSL SV8/LZ3FN via LZ1PM, and SV8/SV2CLJ to home call.

EAST KIRIBATI, T32. Ken, KH6QJ will be QRV as T32AZ from Kiritimati, IOTA OC-024, from September 1 to October 17. QSL to home call.

PALAU, T8. Operators JA6UBY and JH6JWE will be QRV as T88RR and T88HV, respectively, from August 29 to September 4. Activity will be on the HF bands. QSL T88RR via JA6UBY and T88HV via LoTW.

ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, V4. John, W5JON will be QRV as V47JA from St. Kitts, IOTA NA-104, from August 28 to September 12. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using SSB and FT8. QSL direct to home call.

INDIA, VU. Special event station AT2ISRO is QRV until August 25 to commemorate the work done by the Indian Space Research Organization and the Chandrayaan 3 Landing. Activity is on the HF, V/UHF bands, Echolink, and FT8. In addition, India amateur radio operators may affix 3CY to the suffix of their call signs as part of the commemoration. QSL via operators' instructions.

MEXICO, XE. Special event station 6E0G is QRV until December 17 during the Ghost Towns on the Air event. QSL via XE1EE.

LAOS, XW. Sadao, JA1PBV is QRV as XW5SI. Activity is on 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters. His length of stay is unknown. QSL to home call.

IRAQ, YI. Wisam, YI1YY is QRV from Baghdad. Activity is on the HF bands using SSB. QSL direct to IK2DUW.

ALBANIA, ZA. Dragi, YT2KID plans to be QRV as ZA/YT2KID from Pogradec from August 28 to 31. Activity will be on 20 meters using SSB. QSL direct to home call.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The World Wide Digi DX Contest, SARL HF CW Contest, QRP 20-Meter CW Fox Hunt, NCCC FT4 Sprint, NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint, K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, SCRY/RTTYOps World Wide RTTY Contest, Hawaii QSO Party, ALARA Contest, YO DX HF Contest, W/VE Islands QSO Party, Kansas QSO Party, Ohio QSO Party, CVA SSB DX Contest, 50 MHz Fall Sprint and the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt are all on tap for this upcoming weekend.

The K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, QCX CW Challenge, ICWC Medium Speed CW Test, OK1WC CW Memorial, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, ZL 80-Meter Sprint, Phone Weekly Test, A1Club AWT, CWops Test, Mini-Test 40 CW and the Mini-Test 80 CW are scheduled for August 28 to 30.

Please see August 2023 QST, page 72, and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM Contest Web Sites for details.

The RSGB Convention is being held between 13-15 October. The programme is nearly finalised and contains some fantastic speakers on a range of amateur radio subjects.

National Coding Week is taking place from 14 September, but the RSGB is dedicating the whole of September to amateur radio and coding activities.

If you are taking part, whether on your own or in a group, the RSGB would love to share what you’re doing so that you can inspire others. Please email details to comms@rsgb.org.uk

Around Your Region – Club events calendar 76
Around Your Region – Events roundup 80
Beyond Exams update, Mark Burrow, 2E0SBM 51
Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society Do and Discover event, David De La Haye, M0MBD 75
New products 15
News 11
RSGB Convention 28
RSGB Matters 6
Special Interest Groups News 16

Advertisers’ index 85
Antennas, Tim Hier, G5TM 18
ATV, Dave Crump, G8GKQ 26
Contest Calendar, Ian Pawson, G0FCT 58
Contesting, Chris Tran, GM3WOJ 70
GHz bands, Dr John Worsnop, G4BAO 64
HF, Daimon Tilley, G4USI 60
Members’ ads 86
Propagation predictions, Gwyn Williams, G4FKH 88
Propagation studies: Insights into HF propagation using FST4W, Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZII 30
Propagation studies: Rolling HF Blackouts and Solar Flares, Peter DeNeef, AE7PD 24
Rallies and events 87
The Last Word 89
VHF/UHF, James Stevens, M0JCQ 66

The RSGB Intruder Watch Service is looking for a volunteer to act as coordinator when Richard Lamont, G4DYA retires from the role in September 2023.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this role, please email the RSGB Spectrum Forum Chair, Murray Niman, G6JYB at spectrum.chairman@rsgb.org.uk.

Have you responded to the Ofcom consultation 'Updating the amateur radio licensing framework' yet?

The following is a QST. Emergency-response challenges after the fires on Maui. A CW beacon in the UK is an asset for fans of meteor-watching -- and a full day of amateur radio helps India mark the anniversary of its independence.

All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2390 comes your way right now.

Our top story takes us to the Hawaiian island of Maui, which faces a long road back following the deadly sweep of wildfires. Amateur radio operators are evaluating what else emergency communicators can do to ensure that life-saving messages continue to get through. Randy Sly W4XJ has been following this story.

Even as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service responded to the devastating wildfires that brought death and destruction to parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui, emergency management agencies acknowledge that they were taken largely by surprise by the August 8th disaster. Swift to deal with hurricanes, tsunamis and other weather-related events, Hawaiian emergency management agencies on the island struggled to stay on top of conditions brought about by low humidity and high winds generated by Hurricane Dora, hundreds of miles to the south. Scores of people lost their lives and the town of Lahaina, a tourist favorite, was virtually destroyed by the next day.

With phone, internet and cell services seriously affected, the KH6COM interlinked repeater system and other repeaters on Maui, along with Winlink, and a 40 meter net were all activated to support local agencies.

Presenting an improved strategy for the future, the Hawaiian television station KHON broadcast a report focused on the importance of ham radio in times of emergency. Michael Miller, KH6ML, ARRL assistant section manager for the Pacific Section, showcased the capabilities of amateurs during disasters and urged the expansion of amateur radio response resources in Hawaii. He stressed that while hams are not first responders, they do provide a communications lifeline for those who are.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

Michael reminds Newsline listeners that donations to help Maui residents affected by fires are being accepted by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Maui United Way. You can find the links to both organizations in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org.

https://mauiunitedway.org/disasterrelief

(KHON, ARRL, ARES)

Although the peak viewing days for the Perseid (PERCY-IDD) Meteor Showers have passed, the shooting star show goes on for a little while longer, at least until the 24th of August. In the UK, a meteor beacon at the Sherwood Observatory of the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society, keeps its eye on the sky. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us about it.

Hams in the UK have created the UK Meteor Beacon Project, GB3MBA, to give a better look at the dramatic activity in the sky overhead. The beacon's CW signals capture data on meteorites as they pass through a 400km wide section of sky over England and Wales.

The volunteer project was funded by the Radio Society of Great Britain with the support of the British Astronomical Association. Using circular polarisation, the beacon targets the part of the atmosphere some 80 to 100 km high where the meteors are burning up and generating ionisation.

The meteor echoes can be heard by any radio receiver capable of covering 50.408MHz, provided the antenna can receive meteor echoes. Software defined radios are considered preferable. Organisers of this project are hoping to realise its educational potential by helping the distribution of suitable radio receivers throughout the country, encouraging schools to build STEM-related programmes around the meteors. Ultimately the project has the ability to track meteors from anywhere in the world.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(UK METEOR BEACON.ORG, FAGEN WASANNI TECHNOLOGIES)

The first of two scheduled Solar Eclipse QSO Parties to be held by HamSI will take place in October. It may seem like months away but Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us why it's important to make your plans for it and register now.

You needn't live anywhere near the path of the next solar eclipse passing over North America to contribute data to the citizen science project being undertaken by HamSCI on the 14th of October. The Solar Eclipse QSO Party is a particular attraction for hams who can contribute valuable ionospheric data from anywhere in the world. Amateurs making QSOs using CW, SSB and digital modes on 160 through 6 meters can help researchers gain better insights into ionospheric variability. Shortwave listeners and AM DX'ers can also get in on the action by signing up for HamSCI's Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge. This challenge relies on CW and digital beacons - and modes such as WSPR and FST4W.

The HamSCI website reminds hams that researchers rely on amateur radio operators through initiatives such as these. The data that is collected helps researchers get a better grasp of how the HF bands behave, particularly at the time of a solar eclipse.

Registration is open for the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge and the Solar Eclipse QSO Party at hamsci dot org (hamsci.org), that’s h-a-m-s-c-i dot org.

This is Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.

(HAMSCI.ORG, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

August 15th was a day of celebration in India - on and off the air. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us what made the day so memorable.

Hams in India marked a full day of celebrating for the 76th anniversary of the nation's independence with activities on and off the air on the 15th of August. Well-wishers checked in to nets on 20 metres, 40 metres, 2 metres and Echolink - all using the callsign AT76IND.

Locally, about 100 students from local schools and colleges attended a technical workshop in Kolkata that provided guidance for building three types of antennas. The activities were organised by the West Bengal Radio Club and the Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster Management whose principal Posupoti Mondal VU3ODQ and vice principal Deepak Chakraborty VU3OKT, provided the technical guidance. The academy provides training and test-preparation year round for interested candidates who want to pursue their amateur radio license -- helping them achieve their own personal independence every day of the year.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(SABORNI NAG BISWAS, VU2JFC; AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)

Two satellites are getting ready to enter space from Europe and both have amateur digipeaters on board. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what to expect.

Slovakia and Romania are preparing to launch digipeating satellites this autumn, following coordination of their frequencies by the International Amateur Radio Union. The Slovakian satellite, a 1U CubeSat, will have experimental slow-scan digital video as well as a digipeater operating around the clock on two different bands. Because the satellite has an educational role to fulfill, there will be messages transmitted in both CW and using AX.25 occasionally. The IARU has coordinated a downlink on 436.680 MHz.

The Romanian satellite is a picoSAT with the primary role of serving as a digital amateur radio repeater. A CW beacon will also be transmitted so that hams can measure various properties of the signals and detect its speed by using Doppler. The satellite will also transmit low-resolution SSDV images in GFSK mode.

The satellite will be using a downlink on 436.235 MHz. CW will be sent at 20 wpm. GFSK telemetry will be sent at 500 bps and GFSK SSDV will be sent at 5 kBps.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(ARRL, IARU)

A ham whose long and varied broadcast career helped launch his amateur experience has become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Andy Morrison K9AWM.

Ron Kazda's radio career took root in the world of commercial broadcasting, with Wisconsin stations such as WTCH, WHBY and WAPL. A broadcast engineer, he made subsequent moves to Doubleday Broadcasting in Colorado and in 1986 to Parker Communications in Minnesota. According to his page on QRZ.com, his favorite job was at Hubbard Communications and he remained there as director of engineering until 2002 when he retired.

His other favorite moments on the air were found in amateur radio. Ron got his license while working in the broadcast field and upgraded to Extra in 2008. After a lifetime on the commercial side, he embraced the amateur side after his retirement. He wrote on his page on QRZ.com [quote] "I should have done this years ago. I am having the time of my life with this new hobby." [endquote]

Ron died on the 3rd of August in Wisconsin. He was 86.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(RADIO WORLD, QRZ.COM)

Do your QSOs inspire poetry? Is there a haiku perhaps waiting to be written about the last QSL card you got? Join the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. In the spirit of fun and perhaps a little bit of literary adventure, we invite you to share the joy of ham radio in the form of a haiku. On our website, arnewsline.org, you will find a submission form. To qualify, you need to follow traditional haiku form: The first line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables and the finishing third line has another five syllables. We cannot accept any other formats.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5 syllable rule and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize? For now, bragging rights -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the Amateur Radio Newsline website. We may have a surprise for you at the end of the year, however. So visit our website at arnewsline.org and take a look at this week's winning ham radio haiku.

The unending search for better battery power with improve storage capacity has led to yet another innovative design - and this one is about to be released for commercial use. We have the details from Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

A professor emeritus from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created a liquid metal battery that he will soon be introducing into the commercial market as a low-cost, long-life option.

Donald Sadoway is a materials scientist who has focused on developing affordable batteries throughout his years of research He cofounded his company, Ambri, in 2010, as a way to commercialize his liquid metal battery, which contains molten metal electrodes and a molten salt electrolyte. The Massachusetts-based company will be working with Colorado-based Xcel Energy in early 2024. Ambri plans to install a 300-kWh system for the utility and expects it to be up and running late next year.

An article on the IEEE Spectrum website said that the liquid-metal battery could lead to a substantial reduction in energy costs.

The scientist credits the battery's alternative components for creating a system design different from that found in lithium-ion batteries. He told the IEE Spectrum [quote}: "“The concept of a liquid-metal battery makes it unique for stationary storage. It’s not flammable, unlike lithium. And it’s resistant to capacity fade. We’ve got data on thousands of charge cycles, which is years of operation. This thing should go 20 years and still retain 95 percent of its capacity." [endquote]

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(IEEE SPECTRUM)

History will not let anyone forget the horrors of the concentration camps of World War II. Hams in Mexico have devoted the month of August to remembering a Polish priest considered the patron saint of amateur radio. We have more details from Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

The Franciscan friar, Maximilian Kolbe, was killed at Auschwitz in 1941, giving his life in exchange for saving a Polish army sergeant condemned by the Nazis to die. In remembrance of the priest, who was declared a saint in the Roman Catholic Church in 1982, the callsign 4A2MAX is on the air until the 31st of August.

Father Kolbe is considered the patron saint of amateur radio. Using the callsign SP3RN, he went on shortwave radio in 1938 from a station he built in the monastery to spread words of faith.

Throughout August, the special event station in Mexico has been calling QRZ in his memory on various bands using CW, SSB and the digital modes. Details are available on QRZ.com.

Hams unable to contact 4A2MAX this month can still check into the weekly St. Maximilian Kolbe Radio Net, operated on Sundays year-round on 80 metres, 20 metres and on the TGIF DMR Network Talk Group 3814. The net was founded in 1998 by a group of hams in the United States to commemorate the priest's martyrdom.

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(QRZ.COM, SAINTMAXNET.ORG)

In the World of DX, listen for Gary, GØFWX operating on SSB holiday style as V47FWX from St. Kitts, IOTA number NA-104, until the 26th of August. QSL via MØURX's OQRS.

Yuris, YL2GM will use the callsign ZD9W from Tristan da Cunha, IOTA number AF-029 from the 24th of September to the 22nd of October. He will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on 160-10 metres. He will also operate FT8 on 6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Lau, PF3X, is on the air in Iceland on 160-6m using SSB and the digital modes.Listen for his callsign TF/PF3X between the 21st and the 25th of August from Reykjavik. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(DX WORLD.NET, 425 DX BULLETIN)

We end this week's newscast with a story about beginnings. They're rarely easy and often intimidating - but one club in North Carolina has established a way to make rough starts for new hams a bit smoother. Jack Parker W8ISH has that story.

Bringing new hams on the air and keeping them there is a priority for the Forsythe County Amateur Radio Club in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Test sessions are held just before general meetings - and passing the test earns the new ham a free one-year membership and welcome packet with detailed information about operating.

Club members without a rig, or an antenna analyzer or even an antenna are entitled to something else - the opportunity to borrow one from the club for a limited time and get on the air right away. According to club member Sam Poindexter, NI4TG, this loaner program is a formal update of one the club established number of years ago. This time, however, the loaner program focuses on the recognition that some operators need more than advice to get started.

Sam told Newsline in an email: [quote] "Our loaner program attempts to provide club value to membership, support recently licensed hams, allow members to try new things, learn, and grow in a documented fashion." [endquote] Equipment is not available, of course, during Field Day or hamfests and does not apply to the club station itself but there are gin poles, tuners and analyzers - and three HF transceivers - that would otherwise be idle most of the time. There is even a complete kit for POTA and other portable operations and instructions along with a folding wagon. While helping new hams check out any equipment, club officers get to know them better, learning their skill levels and offering advice.

Even after the equipment gets returned, there's still one thing the new hams do end up keeping - a lasting relationship with the club that helped them on their way.

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(MARCIA THOMPSON, NC4MT, SAM POINDEXTER, NI4TG)

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; Fagen Wasanni Technologies; FCC; HamSCI.org; IARU; IEEE Spectrum; Marcia Thompson, NC4MT; Radio Society of Great Britain; Radio World; Saborni Nag Biswas, VU2JFC; St.MaxNet.org; Sam Poindexter, NI4TG; shortwaveradio.de; SPACE.COM; UK Meteor Beacon.org; 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 2023. All rights reserved.

Keplerian Bulletin 62 ARLK062
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT August 18, 2023
To all radio amateurs

Special thanks to AMSAT-NA (AMSAT.ORG) for the following Keplerian data.

Decode 2-line elsets with the following key:
1 AAAAAU 00 0 0 BBBBB.BBBBBBBB .CCCCCCCC 00000-0 00000-0 0 DDDZ
2 AAAAA EEE.EEEE FFF.FFFF GGGGGGG HHH.HHHH III.IIII JJ.JJJJJJJJKKKKKZ
KEY: A-CATALOGNUM B-EPOCHTIME C-DECAY D-ELSETNUM E-INCLINATION F-RAAN
G-ECCENTRICITY H-ARGPERIGEE I-MNANOM J-MNMOTION K-ORBITNUM Z-CHECKSUM

0 AO-07
1 7530U 74089B   23229.73753235 -.00000036 00000-0 65657-4 0 9999
2 7530 101.9516 216.8389 0011954 307.6366 226.6948 12.53666188231120
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23230.69336806 .00014015 00000-0 25797-3 0 9995
2 25544 51.6407 18.8690 0003495 321.7156 231.9544 15.49453540411489
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23229.83080858 .00001371 00000-0 20552-3 0 9994
2 27607 64.5539 75.9180 0062847 211.8110 147.9191 14.77491135111543
0 AO-07
1 39444U 13066AE 23230.44086941 .00006052 00000-0 65953-3 0 9990
2 39444 97.6763 192.5614 0054383 68.3989 292.3009 14.87241619525480
0 XW-2A
1 40903U 15049E   23112.43632650 .18814400 25108-5 15498-3 0 9990
2 40903 97.0819 181.5568 0011783 175.5276 309.8044 16.51931608427640
0 IO-86
1 40931U 15052B   23230.27015241 .00001268 00000-0 85778-4 0 9998
2 40931   6.0012   3.3220 0012395 94.7189 265.4354 14.77316847426544
0 CAS-4B
1 42759U 17034B   23230.17386098 .00010546 00000-0 51174-3 0 9991
2 42759 43.0146 130.8191 0010123 149.0508 211.0938 15.18513019341055
0 CAS-4A
1 42761U 17034D   23230.18987827 .00009893 00000-0 48059-3 0 9993
2 42761 43.0142 129.2540 0010939 150.1846 209.9627 15.18523485341067
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23230.11024011 .00005037 00000-0 35094-3 0 9992
2 43017 97.6209 112.0187 0229283 224.3494 133.9158 14.87000055310389
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23230.36130867 .00001961 00000-0 19122-3 0 9998
2 43678 98.0316 15.6206 0008622 322.8994 37.1628 14.93647039261543
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23230.29112928 .00000144 00000-0 00000+0 0 9994
2 43700   0.0122 103.6298 0002278 79.4105 273.9575 1.00272147 17555
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23229.43711595 .00006205 00000-0 48244-3 0 9996
2 43803 97.5719 290.4786 0011500 253.2212 106.7751 15.01590380256886
0 CAS-6
1 44881U 19093C   23230.45489176 .00001142 00000-0 14804-3 0 9999
2 44881 97.8592 307.8449 0013586 231.5933 128.4062 14.82680246198025
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23230.14285862 .00000033 00000-0 82948-4 0 9998
2 44909 82.5229 306.7837 0218079 42.3784 319.3931 12.79722109170136
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23230.40304991 .00000674 00000-0 23281-3 0 9995
2 50466 98.5504 311.7537 0003370 327.1235 32.9742 14.39008659 86306
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23230.15367163 -.00000003 00000-0 00000+0 0 9992
2 53106 70.1554 298.1914 0008599 175.0748 184.9997 6.42557003 25732
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23230.43715345 .00013160 00000-0 69559-3 0 9995
2 54684 97.5705   7.6764 0014124 119.1429 241.1219 15.15526674 38105

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 33 ARLD033
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 17, 2023
To all radio amateurs

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by The Daily DX, 425 DX News, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9Q. Vlad, OK2WX will be QRV as 9Q2WX from August 20 to September 9. Activity will be on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and various modes. QSL via IZ8CCW.

NAURU, C2. Phil, 3D2TS is QRV as C21TS. Activity is on the HF bands using FT8 and possibly SSB. QSL via M0OXO.

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, DA. Radio amateurs from Rostock are QRV with special callsign DQ125LH until the end of October to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Lighthouse Warnemuende, DOK 125LH. QSL via bureau.

FRANCE, F. A group of operators will be QRV as TM0BSM from Lighthouse Berck-sur-Mer during the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. Activity will be on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, and various digital modes, and on Satellite QO-100. QSL via LoTW.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA, HL. Members of the Korean Amateur Radio League are QRV with special callsign HL78V during August to mark the 78th anniversary of the country's liberation. QSL via 6K0MF.

ITALY, I. Members of ARI Lecce will be QRV as II7SML from the Lighthouse at Capo Santa Maria di Leuca during the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. They will be active on the HF bands, as well as 6 and 2 meters from Grid Square JM99et. QSL via bureau.

MARIANA ISLANDS, KH0. Uli, DL2AH is QRV as KH0/DL2AH from Rota Island until September 14. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters using SSB and FT8.
QSL direct to home call.

DENMARK, OZ. Johanna, DJ5YL and Carsten, DF1XC will be QRV as OV5YL and OV1XC, respectively, from Spodsbjerg Lighthouse, ILLW-DK0039, on Sjaelland Island, IOTA EU-029, during the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. QSL to home calls.

NETHERLANDS, PA. Special event station PG100N celebrates the centenary of the Lighthouse in Noordwijk aan Zee, ILLW-NL0009, during the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. QSL via operators' instructions.

BRAZIL, PY. Special callsign PX8AMA is QRV from Ji-Parana in the Brazilian state of Rondonia until August 29. QSL via LoTW.

CORSICA, TK. Alex, SQ9UM is QRV as TK/SQ9UM until August 31. Activity is holiday style on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, FT8, and FT4. QSL to home call.

ASIATIC RUSSIA, UA0. A group of operators are QRV as RI0Z from Beringa Island, IOTA AS-039, until September 3 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Russian Robinson Club. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, and various digital modes. QSL via operators' instructions.

CANADA, VE. Members of the Kraken DX Club plan to participate as VO1KDX/LH from Bell Island, IOTA NA-198, in the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, depending on weather conditions, and available ferry services. QSL via LoTW.

INDIA, VU. Station AT5KLH will be QRV from the Kachchhigadh Lighthouse during the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. Activity will be on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters using SSB and various digital modes, and on Satellite QO-100. QSL direct to VU2EXP.

MEXICO, XE. Special event station 6E0G is QRV until December 17 during the Ghost Towns on the Air event. QSL via XE1EE.

SOUTH AFRICA, ZS. A group of operators are QRV as ZS9V from Robben Island, IOTA AF-064, until August 21. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL via M0OXO.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, ARRL RTTY Rookie Roundup, International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, North American SSB QSO Party, QRP 20-Meter CW Fox Hunt, NCCC FT4 Sprint, NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint, K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, SARTG World Wide RTTY Contest, Russian District Award Contest, Keyman's Club of Japan CW Contest, Feld Hell Sprint, CVA DX CW Contest, FISTS Sunday CW Sprint and the Run for the Bacon QRP CW Contest will certainly keep contesters busy this upcoming weekend.

The K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, ICWC Medium Speed Test, OK1WC CW Memorial, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, ZL 80-Meter Sprint, SKCC CW Sprint, Phone Weekly Test, A1Club AWT, CWops Test, Mini-Test 40 and the Mini-Test 80 are on tap for August 21 to 23.

Please see August 2023 QST, page 72, and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM Contest Web Sites for details.

The RSGB Intruder Watch Service is looking for a volunteer to act as coordinator when Richard Lamont, G4DYA retires from the role in September 2023.

The following is a QST. The controversy over finance trading over short wave heats up. Voyager 2's antenna is fixed -- and a bigger role for amateur radio on the African continent. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2389 comes your way right now.

Our top story revisits the controversial proposal to make shortwave frequencies available to financial traders. A second FCC comment period is about to come to an end, as we hear from Jim Damron N8TMW.

Although the US Federal Communications Commission has closed the window for initial comments on a business group's petition to make shortwave frequencies available to high-frequency traders, the period to file reply comments - responses to the original set of comments - remains open until August 15th.

The stakes remain high on both sides of the issue, even as the ARRL said in its own filing to the FCC that the potential for destructive interference from the nearby 20,000-watt signals could be tremendous. While the proposal from the Shortwave Modernization Coalition does not include the amateur bands, the ARRL believes the suggested protections against interference from the traders on the nearby bands will be ineffective.

An article in the Wall Street Journal, published on the 4th of August, quoted amateurs around the United States who expressed their fears. The Journal also spoke to the traders' group, who described those concerns as exaggerated. The traders have said they need the frequencies so financial transactions can take place as quickly as possible. They said that transferring data at the speed of light is a far more efficient method than using methods such as fiber-optic cable employed in intercontinental data transfers.

Some hams have also expressed concern that if this petition succeeds, it will open the door for future petitions seeking trader access for parts of the spectrum presently used by hams. The traders' group has said it has no interest in the amateur frequencies, however.

As the days tick down to the reply-comment deadline, the FCC told the Wall Street Journal: "We appreciate the importance of amateur radio and make every effort to ensure spectrum uses do not interfere with each other."

This is Jim Damron N8TMW.

(WALL STREET JOURNAL)

Two degrees of separation stood between NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft and its ability to communicate with the Earth due to a faulty command in July that changed the critical orientation of its antenna - but now that's been fixed, from a distance of more than 12 billion miles. Kent Peterson KCØDGY has been following that story.

It was a long shot - as long as the stretch of 12 billion miles - but NASA's Deep Space Network sent a command from its highest-powered transmitter in Canberra, Australia in an attempt to correct the 2-degree shift of the antenna that had knocked the space probe out of contact with the Earth last month.

Their attempt worked.

The space agency took a literal shot in the dark on Wednesday, August 2nd, but believed it was essential to re-establish communications with the probe, which was launched into interstellar space 46 years ago. The command traveled the distance, taking more than 18 hours to deliver its message. In another 18 and a half hours after that, NASA was celebrating its success.

NASA compared the transmission to an "interstellar shout" - one that worked. The agency said in an update afterward that Voyager 2 had returned to normal operation, sending science and telemetry data as before. It is expected to remain on its intended trajectory.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(WASHINGTON POST, AP)

There is nothing quiet or low-power about the enthusiasm that QRP operators have for this challenging mode. In fact, the love of QRP is what's powering the revival of one relatively inactive QRP club in the United States. Here's Sel Embee KB3TZD with the details.

It's been a while since the New Jersey QRP Club has been operating at full power - the club, that is, not the hams themselves, who prefer to transmit with the traditional settings of 5w or less. The club's NJQRP Skeeter Hunt, a popular QRP activity, has remained active even after the club itself went dormant in 2016. Now there's an ongoing effort to bring new life into the beloved old club, which hit its stride among QRP clubs in the early 2000s.

Old and new members have begun gathering on a newly created Facebook page for the club and a groups.io mailing list is providing a place for an introduction of members and the exchange of ideas.

If you are an avid QRP operator or want to explore the experience with like-minded hams, begin by becoming a recipient of the club's email list. You can get on the list by sending an email to Larry W2LJ at w2luj at gmail dot com (w2ljqrp@gmail.com). You don't have to live in New Jersey to participate.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

The hurricane season is still going strong in parts of the United States, and so is the need for control operators for the Hurricane Watch Net. Randy Sly W4XJ tells us how to get involved.

As the Atlantic Hurricane Season enters its second month, Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, manager of the Hurricane Watch Net is sending out a “CQ” for new Net Control Operators. These operators are critical to the mission of providing ground-truth weather reports for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Bobby said he is especially looking for bilingual operators who are fluent in Spanish and English or French-Creole and English, as many of the areas threatened by hurricanes speak those languages. Net control stations don’t need to live in a hurricane endangered area. In fact, given propagation and safety, it is beneficial to live farther away.

Not everyone who applies is accepted. New net control stations must also serve a probationary period under the supervision of the net training officer to learn the HWN operating procedures, tune their operating skills, and help remove any undesirable operating practices.

As Bobby told AR Newsline, “the heritage of the Hurricane Watch Net is built on service during extreme conditions. We are looking for men and women who can operate in a professional manner and accept the challenges emergency services personnel face every day, specifically with long hours and unpredictable schedules.”

Interested amateur radio operators can find out more at hwn.org.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

(BOBBY GRAVES, KB5HAV)

A new agreement between the African Telecommunication Union and the International Amateur Radio Union is being hailed as a landmark agreement on the African continent. Jason Daniels VK2LAW has those details.

Praising ham radio for its responsiveness in a crisis, the secretary-general of the African Telecommunications Union signed an agreement with the International Amateur Radio Union advocating for expanded use of ham radio during emergencies in African nations. The agreement places a special emphasis on ham radio's role in the 51 African countries that belong to the ATU. Both organisations pledged to cooperate when preparing for and responding to crises. A large part of the pact involves coordinating workshops and training programs and stepping up promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education in Africa through the use of amateur radio.

Sylvain Azarian, F4GKR, the president of IARU Region 1, said that the agreement would also have an impact on regulatory changes that are needed for amateur radio in Africa. As he signed the pact, he told those in attendance [quote]: "This is our first step to initiating a collaborative approach that is keen to find solutions and to ensure a conducive environment for amateur radio operations in the region.” [endquote]

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(IARU REGION 1)

A former member of the Ham Nation podcast team and an occasional reporter for Amateur Radio Newsline has become a Silent Key. According to an online obituary, Cheryl Lasek Russell, K9BIK, died unexpectedly in her sleep on Thursday, the 27th of July. Viewers of the Ham Nation program formerly seen on twit.tv will remember Cheryl as having been part of the team many years ago. She also contributed reports to the newscast here on Amateur Radio Newsline. Cheryl had been a member of the North Shore Radio Club NS9RC and the Lake County RACES.

A native of Deerfield, Illinois, Cheryl was 66.

(CONGDON FUNERAL HOME)

**
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 Nightcrawlers net.

The Radio Society of Great Britain isn't changing the location's name to the National Radio and Amateur TV Centre but yes, visitors are seeing some very visible changes - and a television screen - in a new permanent display there.

Amateur Radio TV has become the newest attraction at the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park where visitors can interact with a touchscreen and select signals to be received from the geostationary satellite QO-1ØØ. the signals are being transmitted from the wide-band segment. The television configuration was created with the help of the British Amateur Television Club and it allows visitors to see the signals decoded and displayed on a large monitor. The satellite's wideband transponder has downlinks between 10491 MHz and 10498 MHz and uses horizontal polarisation.

The exhibit is part of a permanent display at the radio centre. The RSGB credits Justin, G8YTZ, with its design and for assisting the BATV club with the configuration.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(WIA, RSGB, BRITISH AMATEUR TELEVISION CLUB)

The URESAT-SAT1 pocketQube satellite of Spain's national amateur radio society needs your help. More specifically, the satellite's antennas need your help. Launched on June 12th and sent into orbit on June 22nd, the satellite has been unable to deploy them. Even with limited antenna capabilities, URESAT-1 has been able to send CW, telemetry and SSTV images but a solution is needed so the issue can be remedied. The URE is reaching out to groups that may have a VHF station powerful enough to transmit a successful request to the satellite's antenna system to deploy.

Additional details about the satellite can be found by visiting the link that appears in the text version of this week's Newsline report at arnewsline.org

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, URESAT-SAT1 WEBSITE)

Do your QSOs inspire poetry? Is there a haiku perhaps waiting to be written about the last QSL card you got? Join the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. In the spirit of fun and perhaps a little bit of literary adventure, we invite you to share the joy of ham radio in the form of a haiku. On our website, arnewsline.org, you will find a submission form. To qualify, you need to follow traditional haiku form: The first line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables and the finishing third line has another five syllables. We cannot accept any other formats.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5 syllable rule and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize? For now, bragging rights -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the Amateur Radio Newsline website. We may have a surprise for you at the end of the year, however. So visit our website at arnewsline.org and take a look at this week's winning ham radio haiku.

In the World of DX, be listening for the callsign HL78V through to the end of August. Members of the Korean Amateur Radio League's Chungbuk headquarters are on the air marking the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Korea from Japan. QSL via 6KØMF.

Listen for TMØBSM, the callsign being used by a team of German operators on the air from the lighthouse at Berck-sur-Mer, France, between the 16th and 21st of August, which includes the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on the 19th and the 20th. They will be using CW, SSB and digital modes on the HF bands. They will also be using the QO-1ØØ satellite. QSL via LoTW only.

In French Polynesia, Eric, F4FJH, will be operating from Moorea, IOTA number OC-Ø46, using the callsign FO/F4FJH until the 22nd of August. QSL to his home call.

In Belgium, the members of Radioamateur club Diest, ON4DST, will be on the air as special event station ON38IOF on the 12th and 13th of August from the 38th International Oldtimer Fly & Drive In. QSL via ON7QC.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

Many of us have heard that there is an art as well as a science to amateur radio. For our final story this week, we explore the art side. It's a project by a radio amateur in Canada, created with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Radio is an art form for Amanda Dawn Christie, VE9OHM, who has created a multimedia experience - a music and image duet of sorts - using research instruments at the HAARP Ionospheric Research facility in Alaska. This mix of ionospheric audio and imagery, created with the help of air glow experiments, is a citizen science experiment to explore propagation. Amanda expects that when it gets on the air on Monday, August 14th, at 0330 UTC, the one-hour transmission will be well-received. Indeed, the program, known as "Ghosts in the Air Glow," is expected to be received and decoded by hams and shortwave listeners around the world using software defined radio. There will also be a live stream for those who want the experience but have neither the equipment nor the expertise to set up reception.

Amanda's website, ghostsintheairglow.space, gives minute-by-minute breakdowns of the various movements of the transmitted piece on various frequencies of the 9 MHz band. The 10 segments contain propagation experiments, poetry readings, vocal performances, recordings of Arctic wolves and a saxophone improvisation, for starters. The website also gives information on how to download and install some of the free open source software that will permit Slow Scan TV and Narrow Band TV to be decoded in real time. You can also find earlier presentations of "Ghosts in the Air Glow" archived online from 2019 and 2022.

Find a link to the transmission schedule and frequencies in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

Amanda says on her page on QRZ.com: [quote] "I make art with the electromagnetic spectrum, mostly with light and radio waves." [endquote] Once again, the world will be looking and listening.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(GHOSTS IN THE AIR GLOW WEBSITE, QRZ.COM, GEORGE DEWAR, VY2GF)

We have an important message for our audience: Please note that Amateur Radio Newsline does not send out unsolicited emails and we never have. We only send specific responses to requests for contacts submitted via the form on our website.

If you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in, send it on! We are not talking about advertising your club's upcoming hamfest or field day participation, but something that is out of the ordinary. If so, send us a brief overview via the contact page at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to cover it, we'll get back to you for more details.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; Associated Press; Bobby Graves, KB5HAV; British Amateur TV Club; Congdon Funeral Home; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; FCC; Ghosts in the Air Glow website; George Dewar, VY2GF; IARU Region 1; NASA; Radio Society of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de; SPACE.COM; Wall Street Journal; 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Union, Kentucky saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Keplerian Bulletin 60 ARLK060
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT August 11, 2023
To all radio amateurs

Special thanks to AMSAT-NA (AMSAT.ORG) for the following Keplerian data.

Decode 2-line elsets with the following key:
1 AAAAAU 00 0 0 BBBBB.BBBBBBBB .CCCCCCCC 00000-0 00000-0 0 DDDZ
2 AAAAA EEE.EEEE FFF.FFFF GGGGGGG HHH.HHHH III.IIII JJ.JJJJJJJJKKKKKZ
KEY: A-CATALOGNUM B-EPOCHTIME C-DECAY D-ELSETNUM E-INCLINATION F-RAAN
G-ECCENTRICITY H-ARGPERIGEE I-MNANOM J-MNMOTION K-ORBITNUM Z-CHECKSUM

0 AO-07
1 7530U 74089B   23223.49996359 -.00000017 00000-0 18058-3 0 9993
2 7530 101.9509 210.5570 0012028 319.8021 155.0707 12.53666017230343
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23223.77426780 .00217414 00000-0 38035-2 0 9993
2 25544 51.6401 53.1099 0003466 281.0915 174.4375 15.49314225410418
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23223.12985868 .00001101 00000-0 16902-3 0 9990
2 27607 64.5542 96.4676 0063575 213.2196 146.4910 14.77472067110550
0 AO-73
1 39444U 13066AE 23223.44357375 .00005027 00000-0 54973-3 0 9995
2 39444 97.6745 185.7949 0054623 90.6441 270.1035 14.87166593524448
0 XW-2A
1 40903U 15049E   23112.43632650 .18814400 25108-5 15498-3 0 9990
2 40903 97.0819 181.5568 0011783 175.5276 309.8044 16.51931608427640
0 IO-86
1 40931U 15052B   23223.38401031 .00001207 00000-0 77362-4 0 9991
2 40931   6.0012 52.4707 0013145 354.3431   5.6548 14.77308326425527
0 CAS-4B
1 42759U 17034B   23223.33273935 .00008500 00000-0 41637-3 0 9996
2 42759 43.0142 168.9081 0009534 100.2127 259.9797 15.18386716340012
0 CAS-4A
1 42761U 17034D   23223.34879409 .00008146 00000-0 39943-3 0 9991
2 42761 43.0131 167.3447 0010281 101.2628 258.9376 15.18391073340025
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23222.64061947 .00004847 00000-0 33901-3 0 9993
2 43017 97.6228 104.8414 0229121 249.1970 108.4569 14.86925102309274
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23223.46113921 .00001369 00000-0 13530-3 0 9992
2 43678 98.0301   8.5728 0009123 346.9561 13.1420 14.93621367260517
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23223.05279059 .00000137 00000-0 00000+0 0 9991
2 43700   0.0113 103.9413 0002167 75.3805 184.7323 1.00270926 17481
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23223.10637157 .00005477 00000-0 42712-3 0 9999
2 43803 97.5728 284.3023 0011924 278.0328 81.9543 15.01518341255930
0 CAS-6
1 44881U 19093C   23223.50372206 .00000997 00000-0 13010-3 0 9997
2 44881 97.8596 301.0131 0013317 256.3341 103.6390 14.82664140196991
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23223.49751300 -.00000003 00000-0 -61920-4 0 9999
2 44909 82.5235 311.1979 0218309 57.8692 304.3390 12.79722107169280
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23223.51932707 .00000575 00000-0 20084-3 0 9999
2 50466 98.5507 304.8922 0003736 351.3023   8.8099 14.38999374 85319
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23220.19253009 -.00000003 00000-0 00000+0 0 9998
2 53106 70.1585 301.6514 0008561 176.9672 183.1040 6.42556855 25090
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23223.43800084 .00011792 00000-0 62703-3 0 9995
2 54684 97.5683   0.7052 0014020 141.5924 218.6309 15.15341562 37040

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 32 ARLD032
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 10, 2023
To all radio amateurs

BELIZE, V3. Jeff, W3AAB will sign V31JN from August 13 to 25. QSL via W3AAB, direct or bureau.

NAMIBIA, V5. Dieter, DL5GAN will be active as V5/DL5GAN from August 14 to September 7 on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and FT8.
QSL via DL5GAN direct or bureau.

SOUTH KOREA, HL. Members of the Korean Amateur Radio Organization (KARL) mark the 78th anniversary of their country's liberation with the call sign HL78V during August. QSL to 6K0MF via bureau.

NORWAY, LA. Chris, OE6CUD plans an extended road trip from mid August until the end of October, visiting the islands Vaeroy (EU-055), Lofoten (EU-076), Vesteralen (EU-033), and Senja (EU-046). He will be QRV as LA/OE6CUD on HF CW and on QO-100. QSL via OE6CUD direct or bureau.

ICELAND, TF. Lau, PF3X will be QRV from August 11 to 25 as TF/PF3X on 160 to 6 meters using SSB and digital modes. QSL via PF3X direct or LoTW.

GREENLAND, OX. Look for Emil, DL8JJ operating as OX/DL8JJ from Tasiilag from August 11 to 16 on CW with a 10W rig. QSL via LoTW.

ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, V4. Gary, G0FWX will operate holiday style from V47JA's station as V47FWX from August 12 to 26. He will be QRV only on SSB. QSL via M0URX (OQRS). Also, John, W5JON, is heading back to his Calypso Bay vacation home. He'll be QRV as V47JA from August 28 to September 12. Listen for him on SSB and FT8 on 1.8 through 50 MHz. QSL via W5JON.

SAINT MARTIN, FS/PJ7. Burt, FG8OJ, will be active from the French part of the island as FS/FG8OJ. QSL via FG8OJ.

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS, KH0. Uli, DL2AH will put Rota Island on the air from August 13 to September 14 as KH0/DL2AH on 80 to 6 meters using SSB and FT8. QSL via DL2AH direct, LoTW or eQSL.

DODECANESE, SV5. Juha, OH5CW and Pia, OH5JZP are QRV as SV5/OH5C on Rhodes Island until August 13.

FAROE ISLANDS, OY. Col, MM0NDX, and Jonathan, MM0OKG will be returning here as OY/home calls at the end of October.

INDIA, VU. In celebration of India's 76th anniversary of Independence, Vijayyan, VU2WDP will be operating as AT2CMN from Pollachi, Tamilnadu from August 10 to 31. QSL via VU2WDP.

MALTA, 9H. Members of the Marconi Radio Circle and Central Radio Amateur Circle will be operating with special call 9H6XPO in Imtarfa from October 2 to 6.

CORSICA, TK. Alex, SQ9UM will be operating from two locations. His first stop will be in Porto Vecchio where he will be QRV as TK/SQ9UM from August 18 to 25, and then Calvi from August 25 to 31. QSL via SQ9UM.

SWAINS ISLAND, KH8/S. This effort, postponed since 2020, is now scheduled for October 4 to 17 using the call sign W8S. Six stations are planned, using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8, on 160 to 6 meters, with ops DL6JGN, PA3EWP, DL2AMD, PG5M, KO8SCA, PA4WM, PA5X, PA2KW, DJ9RR and NG7M. QSL via M0OXO.

NAURU, C2. Phil, 3D2TS/FK1TS is QRV as C21TS. Look for him on FT8 and possibly SSB. On FT8 it's MSHV on secondaries in multi-stream mode. \
QSL through M0OXO OQRS.

FRANCE, F. TM0BSM will be active from August 16 to 21 from the lighthouse at Berck-sur-Mer. They will be using CW, SSB and digital modes on HF and the QO-100 satellite. The ops are DJ5KX, DJ8EI, DK5OPA, DL1DCT, DL5KA and DL8KR. QSL via LoTW, no paper QSLs for this one.

BELGIUM, ON. The Radio Amateurclub Diest, will put ON38IOF on the air August 12 and 13 from the 38th International Oldtimer Fly and Drive from the Diest Aero Club. QSL to ON7QC.

HUNGARY, HA. HG23YOTA is the special call sign to be used by the participants in the YOTA Summer Camp 2023 hosted by the Hungarian Radio Amateur Society (MRASZ) until August 12.

NIGER, 5U. Due to the recent crisis events in the country, the F6KOP team had to postpone their trip, initially scheduled for October. The group now is looking into alternative destinations.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The FISTS Saturday Sprint CW, ARRL EME Contest, WAE DX Contest, 144 MHz Meteorscatter Sprint Contest, SARL Youth QSO Party, SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, Kentucky State Parks on the Air and the Maryland-DC QSO Party will keep contesters busy this weekend. The SARL HF Digital Contest is on August 13 and the 4 States QRP Grp 2nd Sun Sprint is on August 14.

Please see August 2023 QST page 72 and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM Contest Web Sites for details.

This Tuesday the 1st August the 25th World Scout Jamboree will take place in SaeManGeum, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea !

This is the second time the Korea Scout Association will be the Host, as the 17th World Scout Jamboree was held in the country back in 1991.
It will also mark the 100th anniversary of the Korea Scout Association, a milestone we will all celebrate together in 2023.

The 25th World Scout Jamboree experience will enable young people to realise their dreams, make friendships with people from different cultures, and take part in a safe, inclusive and sustainable programme. The Programme is designed around several core elements: Scouting for Life, Smart & Scientific, Safe & Secure, Sustainability, and ACT: Adventure, Culture, Tradition.

The Korean Amateur Radio League will be operating HL25WSJ from the site of the Jamboree in Korea

All Licensed foreign visiting scout hams will be allowed to operate the station without any Korean radio license applications. They can write their names and home callsign in the registration book at the radio station.

A reminder that the second of the RSGB’s special Tonight @ 8 events on the Ofcom Consultation will take place on Monday, 7 August 2023.

The 2023 Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) summer camp in Hungary begins this weekend, and lasts for a week.

Take a look at their updates over the coming week on the YOTA Hungary pages at rsgb.org/yota-hungary and look out for their fuller report in the October 2023 issue of RadCom.

As part of the RSGB’s commitment to encourage youngsters into amateur radio and to support lifelong learning, the Society is providing resources and creating coding activities for people to get involved in throughout the month of September 2023.

If you would like to get involved, contact ESRG member John Hislop, G7OHO on g7oho@rsgb.org.uk.

This would use a new network of 400kW EIRP transmissions at ~90-110kHz to provide an alternative to GPS for Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT).

The following is a QST. Hams respond to deadly landslides in western India. Antenna issues plague the Voyager 2 probe -- and the co-founder of Ten-Tec becomes a Silent Key. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2388 comes your way right now.

Our top story brings us to the scene of tragedy in western India, where Hams were on the scene as monsoon rains caused a deadly landslide. Graham Kemp VK4BB has those details.

Amateur radio seemed to be the only way to communicate among rescue workers as a torrent of rain and high winds lashed the remote mountain village of Irshalwadi in western India's Maharashtra state, causing a massive landslide in the middle of the night.

With their handheld radios tuned to 2 metres, the Ham Radio Search and Rescue Team - amateurs from Mumbai, Pune and Dombivli - helped in the effort during the 48 hours of rainfall that began in the hours following the July 19th landslide. Members of the National Disaster Response Force found at least 27 people had been killed; scores more were feared trapped or missing.

Hams were deployed in teams to operate at the basecamp, assisting Jaiprakash Pullakudy, VU2JPN, a veteran radio operator at many of these disasters. Other hams were deployed to the top of the hill, directed by Bimal Nathwani, VU2CFE, assisting rescue workers who focused their efforts from there.

According to a report on the National Public Radio website, although monsoons are not uncommon in the region at this time of year, scientists say their pattern has become more erratic due to climate change.

(INDIAN EXPRESS, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, MIDDAY.COM)

Fair Radio Sales, a well-known supplier of surplus electronic military equipment for more than a half-century, has announced that it is closing its doors at the end of the year. Its 30,000-square-foot location in Lima, Ohio has been a destination for local radio amateurs and those making a pre-Hamvention visit each spring in Ohio. The company, founded in 1947, has been in its second-generation of ownership under Phil Sellati, along with his late brother.

(FAIR RADIO SALES, QRZ.COM)

A satellite completing its five-year mission returned to Earth using a method designed to minimize stray space debris. More on that from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

A British-built weather satellite achieved an unprecedented re-entry to Earth on Friday 28th July, guided by the European Space Agency.

The spacecraft, known as Aeolus, had outlived its usefulness in gathering data and monitoring weather after a five-year mission. It returned to Earth in an assisted crash into the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite, named after the Greek god of the winds, had served weather centres across Europe.

Its guided re-entry, accomplished by the European Space Agency's mission control team in Germany, was seen as an alternative to the more conventional method of simply letting it burn up upon re-entry. The ESA was hoping to minimise the risk of space debris going astray, adding that it believed the mission would inspire other such guided re-entries.

In addition to accomplishing the first-time re-entry of its kind, Aeolus claims another distinction as the first satellite to use space as a vantage point for measuring the Earth’s winds, and since 2018, it had been measuring the movement of winds at any location on the planet by firing a laser down into the atmosphere.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(BBC, THE GUARDIAN, SPACE.COM

The co-founder of a popular US-based ham radio equipment manufacturer has become a Silent Key. According to an online obituary, Jack Edward Burchfield, K4JU, who created Ten-Tec with partners Albert Kahn and Tom Mitchell in the late 1960s, died on July 15th in South Carolina. The original line of products carried by the company were of his design, as were many other products that were developed in the years afterward.

Jack distinguished himself as an amateur radio operator as well as a businessman. He was inducted into the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame in 2004. For years, the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC had many of his radios on display.

Jack was 88.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL)

From Canada, we hear of another Silent Key: A lifelong amateur radio operator who retired from a distinguished broadcast radio career in the Yukon. We hear more about him from Andy Morrison K9AWM.

In professional radio, Ron McFadyen (MC FADD-YEN) was known for delivering an eloquent newscast just as smoothly as for presenting a vibrant sports report. In amateur radio, a passion he had for most of his life, he devoted himself to community service, emergency response and volunteerism.

His fascination with the inner workings of radio began early and by high school he had built his first shortwave set. Shortly afterward, he began exploring career options at small radio stations in Canada which eventually led him to arrive at a new station, CKRW, starting up in Whitehorse, in the Yukon, in 1969. He left professional broadcasting briefly, only to return in 1973 to work in the Whitehorse offices of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. His voice soon became a familiar source of news and sports updates as he interviewed local people everywhere along with political and entertainment luminaries.

In 1976 Ron received the amateur radio callsign of VE8AD and became the charter president of the Yukon Amateur Radio Association. Two years later, when the Yukon became VY1, his callsign changed to VY1RM.

Longtime friend Jeff Stanhope VA7JPS, who had been a member of the Yukon Amateur Radio Association, told the CBC that Ron, as a ham radio advocate and promoter of emergency response and communications, was [quote] "essentially the face of amateur radio in the Yukon." [endquote]

Ron was 80.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(CBC, WHITEHORSE DAILY STAR)

Commercial space launches would enjoy some new and expanded allocations on the spectrum under rules proposed by the US FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. A new allocation would be established for these operations on a secondary basis on frequencies between 2025 and 2110 MHz. They would also gain use of the part of the band between 2200 and 2290 MHz, where they have privileges on a secondary basis. The proposed change here would expand access from four-channel to full access. Finally, the proposed rules would permit federal space stations' use of the allocation between 399.9 and 400.05 MHz. A press release from the FCC called the announcement the latest initiative to be taken through the agency's Space Innovation agenda.

The FCC chairwoman said that the new rules would ensure stable and reliable communications for private companies as they transport astronauts, launch and operate satellites and explore space.

(FCC)

In Pakistan, a massive antenna project is being built to bring Digital Radio Mondiale service to the nation's public radio listeners - and beyond. John Williams VK4JJW has the details.

Calling Radio Pakistan's analogue and shortwave broadcast technology outdated, the nation's minister for information and broadcasting formally launched a project on July 30th designed to bring 1,000-kw digital signals from the public broadcaster to listeners in Pakistan and beyond. The upgrade begins at a time when the majority of Radio Pakistan's transmitters have been declared obsolete and have been shut down.

According to the DRM website, DRM was approved in January of 2020 as the standard in Pakistan for all frequency bands on AM and FM radio.

The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation's digital transmitter project is being built in Rawat, which has been declared as the nation's first media city. Pakistan's new broadcasting system is based on Digital Radio Mondiale, or DRM, technology. Its ability to transmit as many as four signals at the same time has found favour with Pakistani government officials who believe this will save energy costs and be more efficient. The minister for information and broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said that the boost in signal strength and range will benefit listeners in the Middle East, the Far East, Central Asia, South Asia and Eastern Europe.

According to the DRM website, the technology is enjoying a robust rollout elsewhere. Thirty-five medium-wave transmitters are sending signals to more than 900 million people in India, where cars are also being outfitted with DRM receivers. Indonesia, China and Romania are among the many nations that also have various forms of DRM broadcasting.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(RADIO PAKISTAN, BUSINESS RECORDER)

We've all had antenna issues at one time or another but what happens when changes in your antenna take you off the air and your antenna is more than 12 billion miles away? That's the problem facing the Voyager 2 deep space probe, as we hear from Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

NASA lost communications with the Voyager 2 probe after sending it a set of commands on July 21st. Those commands caused a change in the spacecraft antenna's orientation by 2 degrees and that was enough to interrupt communications between the spacecraft and the Earth. However Voyager is programmed to reset its orientation on occasion to keep its antenna correctly pointed. The next regularly scheduled reset is October fifteenth

However, by using the multiple antennas of NASA’s Deep Space Network or DSN mission engineers were able to detect a carrier signal from Voyager 2. They hope to use the DSN to shout a command for Voyager to reorient its antenna. This intermediary attempt may not work, in which case the team will wait for its automatic orientation reset this October.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY

(GIZMODO, NASA)

Police in New York City are the latest to join the move among municipal law enforcement to encrypt their radio transmissions, as we learn from Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

Amid calls of protest from the news media and from local New York City officials, the New York City Police Department has begun encrypting its radio transmissions, following a practice taking place at police departments around the United States. Six police precincts in northern Brooklyn were the first to implement the use of encrypted transmissions recently, and the NYPD confirmed to various media outlets that more are to follow. In response, members of the New York City Council issued a statement on July 28th saying, in part: [quote] "Transparency is key to achieving and maintaining public safety. It is troubling that the NYPD began encrypting its radio system without an adequate transparency plan implemented first, which can jeopardize the safety of New Yorkers. Journalists, volunteer first responders, and other key stakeholders across diverse neighborhoods rely on the system to help keep people safe and deliver important information." [endquote]

Police radio transmissions have traditionally been transparent and first responders, members of the media and others often monitor scanners to learn what is going on.

New York City's change to its police radios follows similar actions in California, Colorado, the city of Chicago and elsewhere.

An NYPD statement defended its decision by saying, in part: [quote] "The safety of our first responders and the community at large will always remain our top priority. From preserving the integrity of active crime scenes to restricting those who intentionally transmit on police frequencies to disrupt emergency communications, there are many reasons encryption is vital." [endquote]

This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(AM NEW YORK, RADIO TELEVISION DIGITAL NEWS ASSOCIATION, NYPD)

In the World of DX, George, F5MAG, is using the callsign TMØMM from the Frioul archipelago, IOTA number EU-095, through the 19th of August. He is using CW, SSB and FT8 on 40 through 60 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL information.

Operators Lazio and Molise are using the special callsign II6PN to celebrate the centenary of the National Park of Abruzzo. They are on the air from now until the 31st of October. Most of their activity will be from the 1st to the 17th of September. Certificates are available. See QRZ.com for further details.

Anton, RGØC, will have a low-power CW operation as RGØC/p from the Shantar Islands, IOTA number AS-044, until the 10th of August. Listen for him on 20 metres. QSL via his home call.

Listen for special event station PA14JAMBO in the Netherlands until the 14th of August. Operators are marking the 14th Haarlem Jamborette, a large international scout camp. Operators are using CW, SSB, and the digital modes. For QSL details, see QRZ.com

(425 DX BULLETIN)

Our final story is about history, celebration and some happy memories of a celebrated - and celebrity - local amateur. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB brings us that report.

The Hualapai Amateur Radio Club was barely four years old when much-loved American character actor Andy Devine died in 1977. Distinctly gravel-voiced and garrulous, Andy was perhaps less known among his film and TV fans for the off-screen role he played regularly as WB6RER - or Whiskey Bravo Six Red-Eyed Rooster, as he spelled it out.

Born in Flagstaff, Arizona, Andy had grown up in Kingman where the Hualapai club was founded in 1973 -- so it was natural after Andy's death for the club to ask his family to grant permission for them to apply to the FCC for his callsign.

Whiskey Bravo Six Red-Eyed Rooster has been back on the air ever since. The club marked its 50th anniversary with special event station between July 15th and the 23rd. Mike Risser, KG6ECW, the club secretary, said that band conditions were challenging but like the late actor himself, the radio operators took on an important role.

Mike told Newsline in an email: [quote] "Not a lot of people under the age of 60 even know who he was. Many of those who do know who he was didn't know that he was a ham -- but we're hoping to change that." [endquote]

To fans of a certain age, Andy is remembered for his screen appearances, some of them alongside such icons as Roy Rogers and John Wayne. Baby Boomers will grew up with the popular children's TV show Andy hosted in the 1950s: It was called "Andy's Gang" and it featured an assortment of memorable characters.

The show went off the air in late 1960 but as Mike told Newsline [quote] "We're proud to be 'Andy's Gang' and look forward to doing more to keep his call and his memory alive." [endquote]

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(MIKE RISSER, KG6ECW)

If you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in, send it on! We are not talking about advertising your club's upcoming hamfest or field day participation, but something that is out of the ordinary. If so, send us a brief overview via the contact page at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to cover it, we'll get back to you for more details.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; AM New York; Bobby Graves, KB5HAV; Business Reporter; CBC; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; FCC; Gizmodo; the Guardian; Mike Risser, KG6ECW; NASA; NY Police Department; QRZ.COM; Radio Pakistan; Radio-TV Digital News Association; shortwaveradio.de; SPACE.COM; Whitehorse Daily Star; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Keplerian Bulletin 57 ARLK057
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT August 1, 2023
To all radio amateurs

Special thanks to AMSAT-NA (AMSAT.ORG) for the following Keplerian data.

Decode 2-line elsets with the following key:
1 AAAAAU 00 0 0 BBBBB.BBBBBBBB .CCCCCCCC 00000-0 00000-0 0 DDDZ
2 AAAAA EEE.EEEE FFF.FFFF GGGGGGG HHH.HHHH III.IIII JJ.JJJJJJJJKKKKKZ
KEY: A-CATALOGNUM B-EPOCHTIME C-DECAY D-ELSETNUM E-INCLINATION F-RAAN
G-ECCENTRICITY H-ARGPERIGEE I-MNANOM J-MNMOTION K-ORBITNUM Z-CHECKSUM

0 AO-07
1 7530U 74089B   23212.95515608 -.00000037 00000-0 60152-4 0 9991
2 7530 101.9496 199.9378 0012155 340.1470 84.0909 12.53665745229025
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23213.51664541 .00018985 00000-0 33986-3 0 9996
2 25544 51.6412 103.9367 0001058 148.2039 270.1280 15.49997604408827
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23213.04443411 .00001258 00000-0 19018-3 0 9997
2 27607 64.5545 127.3938 0064657 215.4168 144.2634 14.77443294109066
0 AO-73
1 39444U 13066AE 23212.40864458 .00004657 00000-0 51142-3 0 9997
2 39444 97.6735 175.1264 0054282 125.8135 234.8143 14.87053392522809
0 XW-2A
1 40903U 15049E   23112.43632650 .18814400 25108-5 15498-3 0 9990
2 40903 97.0819 181.5568 0011783 175.5276 309.8044 16.51931608427640
0 IO-86
1 40931U 15052B   23212.31213277 .00001266 00000-0 85416-4 0 9999
2 40931   5.9989 131.5094 0013287 202.7363 157.2175 14.77294406423883
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23212.41144138 .00006731 00000-0 46955-3 0 9998
2 43017 97.6245 95.0116 0229468 283.2715 74.3002 14.86803452307750
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23213.07719029 .00001946 00000-0 19004-3 0 9992
2 43678 98.0287 357.9691 0009876 21.2692 338.8935 14.93583033258964
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23209.88201112 .00000155 00000-0 00000+0 0 9991
2 43700   0.0128 318.5947 0002155 194.8997 136.1016 1.00269318 17347
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23212.70994680 .00006247 00000-0 48798-3 0 9996
2 43803 97.5738 274.1607 0013178 315.6754 44.3414 15.01387601254370
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23211.77035144 -.00000000 00000-0 -52449-4 0 9991
2 44909 82.5242 318.9873 0218508 85.1565 277.4446 12.79722080167785
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23213.08935945 .00000636 00000-0 22056-3 0 9996
2 50466 98.5513 294.4954 0004411 22.6872 337.4510 14.38983901 83817
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23211.32088643 -.00000003 00000-0 00000+0 0 9993
2 53106 70.1608 304.7333 0008570 178.1483 181.9209 6.42556882 24523
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23213.06973450 .00014346 00000-0 76826-3 0 9990
2 54684 97.5674 350.3825 0013547 176.2885 183.8450 15.15048885 35473

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Friday, August 4, 2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 31 ARLD031
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 3, 2023
To all radio amateurs

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by The Daily DX, 425 DX News, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA, 3C. Ersoy, TA2OM continues to be QRV as 3C3CA from Bioko Island, IOTA AF-010, until August 30. QSL to home call.

TAIWAN, BV. Special event station BU0SAR is QRV until August 31 to mark the 10th anniversary of New Taipei's Urban Search and Rescue Unit. QSL via BV5OW.

NAURU, C2. Phil, 3D2TS is QRV as C21TS from a temporary location. Activity is in his spare time. He is currently active on 10 meters but plans other bands as well.
QSL to home call.

PORTUGAL, CT. Special event stations CS23WYD and CQ7JMJ are QRV until August 6 to mark World Youth Day. QSL via LoTW.

SAINT BARTHELEMY, FJ. Burt, FG8OJ will be QRV as FJ/FG8OJ from August 6 to 8. Activity will be on 10 and 6 meters. QSL to home call.

FRENCH POLYNESIA, FO. Eric, F4FJH is QRV as FO/F4FJH from Tahiti, IOTA OC-046. Activity is holiday style, and he has been active on 20 meters using SSB.
QSL via LoTW.

HUNGARY, HA. Special event station HG23YOTA will be QRV beginning August 5 for one week to mark the 11th annual YOTA Summer Camp.
QSL via operators' instructions.

MINAMI TORISHIMA, JD1. Take, JG8NQJ is QRV as JG8NQJ/JD1 until October 19. Activity is in his spare time using CW and FT8. Lately he has been active using FT8 on 17 meters around 2100z. QSL via JA8CJY.

FAROE ISLANDS, OY. Laurens, PF3X will be QRV as OY/PF3X from August 7 to 9. Activity will be holiday style on 160 to 6 meters using SSB and various digital modes. QSL via LoTW or direct to home call.

GREENLAND, OX. Bo, OZ1DJJ is QRV as OX3LX from Tasiilaq Island, IOTA NA-151, Grid Square HP15eo, until August 15. Activity is holiday style mainly on Satellite QO-100, but also on 6 and 4 meters, and possibly on the HF bands. QSL via OZ0J.

NETHERLANDS, PA. Special event station PA14JAMBO is QRV until August 17 to mark the Haarlem Jamborette, an international scout meeting hosted every 4 years in Spaarnwoude. This event welcomes about 3500 scouts hailing from more than 15 different countries. QSL via PA9LUC.

SABA, ST. EUSTATIUS, PJ5. Burt, FG8OJ will be QRV as PJ6/FG8OJ from Saba, IOTA NA-145, from August 8 to 11. Activity will be on 10 and 6 meters.
QSL to home call.

POLAND, SP. A group of operators will be QRV as SP88YL from August 6 to 12 from various SOTA and WWFF references. QSL via HB9FPM.

NAMIBIA, V5. Dieter, DL5GAN is QRV as V5/DL5GAN from multiple locations until September 7. Activity is with QRP power on 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, and 10 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL to home call.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, VP5. Josiah, KI5UBT and John, N5VOF are QRV as VP5/KI5UBT and VP5/N5VOF, respectively, from Providenciales, IOTA NA-002, until August 14. Activity is on 40 to 2 meters using SSB and FT8. This includes being active from POTA references VP5-0001, VP5-0002, and VP5-0003.
QSL direct to home calls.

MEXICO, XE. Special event station 4A2MAX is QRV during August to honor the memory of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. QSL via LoTW.

MYANMAR, XZ. Akio, JE2QIZ is QRV as XZ2B from Yangon until the end of September. Activity is on 15, 12, 10, and 6 meters using CW. QSL via JH3SIF.

ZIMBABWE, Z2. Eddy, OE3SEU is QRV as Z21MV until the end of August. QSL via LoTW.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The ARRL 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest, North American CW QSO Party, 10-10 International Summer SSB Contest, NCCC FT4 Sprint, NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint, K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, Batavia FT8 Contest, HARC Anniversary QSO Party, European HF Championship and the SARL HF Phone Contest will keep contesters busy this upcoming weekend.

The K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, ICWC Medium Speed CW Test, OK1WC CW Memorial, ARS Spartan CW Sprint, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, ZL 80-Meter Sprint, DARC FT4 Contest, NAQCC CW Sprint, Phone Weekly Test, A1Club AWT, CWops Test, VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest, Mini-Test 40 and Mini-Test 80 are on tap for August 7 to 9.

Please see August QST, page 72, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest web sites for details.

British Inland Waterways on the Air (Biwota) brings attention to hams that utilize the canals, rivers, and adjacent land for recreation and work.

Jack began his career with Electro-Voice in Buchanan as an acoustical engineer. In the late 1960s, he, along with Albert Kahn and Tom Mitchell, founded Ten-Tec, a manufacturer of amateur radio equipment in Sevierville, Tenn. Jack designed the initial line of products and most of the radio equipment that followed. His radios were on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History for many years. He was an amateur radio enthusiast and was inducted into the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame in 2004.

The ARRL board has voted to increase membership dues starting January 1st. In addition, members will be required to pay $25 on top of the membership dues in order to continue receiving printed copies of ARRL magazines such as QST and On the Air.

This page will be regularly updated to reflect Club News and Activities and both UK and World News Items deemed to be of interest to members. If you have an announcement which you think would interest Club members and would like it mentioned here, please send details to:- webmaster@wadarc.com