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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 !

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As the Coronation weekend approaches, don’t forget all the amateur radio activities that are being organised by the RSGB to mark this special event.

hi-impact, based on the Wirral, is planning another high-altitude balloon launch.

More information can be found on hi-impact’s Facebook page and on Twitter via @hiimpactconsult

The following is a QST. The FCC's new Space Bureau releases its first set of rules for satellites. ARRL members: Look for a possible hike in dues soon -- and a new micro-supercapacitor could be a game changer. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2374 comes your way right now.

A newly created bureau of the FCC has just produced its first set of rules governing satellites. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us what this means.

Just days after the US Federal Communications Commission announced the creation of its new Space Bureau on April 11th, the fledgling department has already adopted new rules for spectrum-sharing among satellites in non-geostationary orbit. The rules require operators with licenses for these satellites to avoid interference with one another. According to a report on the spacenews.com website, future licensees must demonstrate how they will coordinate with their predecessors and protect them from interference.

The FCC is asking licensees to coordinate their systems [quote] "in good faith," [endquote] meaning that they are expected to share information, even with competitors in the marketplace.

The regulator will be looking for comments from the public.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(SPACENEWS.COM)

If you are a member of the ARRL, it's time to let them know what you think about their proposal to increase membership dues. Patrick Clark K8TAC tells us how to get your message across.

The ARRL is making an online survey available starting on May 1st, inviting all league members to share their thoughts on membership benefits and the prospect of higher dues. In delivering his message in the April issue of the ARRL magazine QST, CEO David Minster NA2AA stressed the importance of participation by every ARRL member.

Before members can do so, however, they also need to review their accounts on the league website to ensure it is still valid. On May 1st you will be able to share your thoughts when the survey goes live. Please see the text version of our newscast at arnewsline.org for a link you can follow for more details.

The ARRL encourages members who are having difficulty with their log-in process to call the league at 860-594-0200 or send an email to membership@arrl.org

This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.arrl.org/dues-survey ]

(ARRL)

Students enjoyed an amateur radio contact with an ISS astronaut who, like them, is from the United Arab Emirates. It was a "first" for a new educational program. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF shares the details.

Twenty-five students from a number of schools in the United Arab Emirates got a chance to connect over amateur radio with ISS mission specialist Sultan Al Neyadi, KI5VTV. The call on April 18th was the first of 10 scheduled educational sessions being arranged with the communications engineer by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai and the Emirates Literature Foundation in collaboration with the Emirates Amateur Radio Society.

It was the first ham radio contact through this programme for the astronaut, who is the second from the United Arab Emirates. As the ISS passed over the region, the call utilised the Centre's ground station to make the contact.

Like the international ham radio programme known as Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, ELF in Space provides a window into life aboard the space station and the various challenges and projects undertaken by those on board. Perhaps just as importantly for some, it also provides an amateur radio experience.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(GULF NEWS, EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY)

When it comes to super-capacitors, scientists in India are calling their new development the smallest-of-the-small. We hear about it from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

Scientists in India say that they have created the smallest micro-supercapacitor to date, developing it out of two-dimensional materials: graphene and molybdenum disulfide. This is considered significant because as electronic devices continue to shrink - as is the case with wearable sensors and smart devices - their energy storage devices must be just as small. Supercapacitors are considered ideal for this task because they not only store energy but can handle the kind of rapid charge-discharge cycles beyond the ability of conventional chemical batteries.

Misra said that she and her colleagues used two-dimensional materials for the ultramicro-supercapacitor because they are semiconductors. Each of the multi-layer electrodes acts as a field-effect transistor.

She told the IEEE Spectrum that the tiny device has a remarkably high capacitance and an easy ability to integrate with electronic chips because of its use of a gel electrolyte instead of a liquid.

The researchers are not stopping there, however. Their next challenge is to create devices out of other two-dimensional materials in an attempt to boost capacitance even further.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(IEEE SPECTRUM)

Hams in the amateur radio community - and the community-at-large - in Calgary, Alberta, are grieving the loss of a devoted public servant. Here's Andy Morrison K9AWM to tell us about him.

It is difficult for those who knew him to imagine the emergency communications community without Jason Low, VE6SRT, being there. Jason had served Redwood Meadows Emergency Services in Calgary as a firefighter, EMT and fire communications officer. Jason became a Silent Key unexpectedly on April 15th.

According to the Redwood Meadows Emergency Services website, Jason could not be revived despite the best efforts of his colleagues and emergency medical personnel. Chief Rob Evans wrote on the website that the team was "devastated."

According to Vince d'Eon, VE6LK, and Ian Burgess, VA6EMS, Jason - known to everyone as Jay - worked tirelessly to ensure the quality of emergency communications and shared his expertise in radio as well as the computer dispatch system.

Ian told Newsline that Jay was a lifelong radio enthusiast who was introduced early on to the hobby by his scanner. He later got his ham license and used his skills to help communities in the Calgary area connect to the fire department's dispatch.

Vince wrote in an email: [quote] "Jay was generous with his time and expertise, offering solutions across the province, the country, and the continent. There is no way to know how many people were safer and better cared for thanks to Jason." [endquote]

Jay was 50.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(VINCE D'EON, VE6LK; IAN BURGESS, VA6EMS)

Amateurs in the Florida community and beyond are mourning the death of a leader and an Elmer whose deep involvement in ham radio touched many lives over the years. We hear about him from Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

Well-known for his enthusiasm for QRP, Steve Szabo, WB4OMM, served as a powerful influence on the many amateurs he knew personally or had come to know on the air. Steve, a past president of the North American QRP CW Club, became a Silent Key on April 23rd. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

His involvement with amateurs ran deep throughout his years on the air. He was a Life Member of the AARL, which he served as a volunteer examiner and QSL card checker and he had been Northern Florida Section Manager for four years. Steve also belonged to the Quarter Century Wireless Association and numerous local and national clubs, including the Dayton Beach Amateur Radio Association, where he held numerous leadership roles. According to a post by Kevin, KK4BFN on QRZ.com, Steve started the Daytona Beach CERT Amateur Radio Team Group in 2005 and served as its president until illness earlier this year compelled him to step down.

Steve was 70.

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(QRZ, WB4OMM WEBSITE, DIGNITY MEMORIAL)

A devoted group of satellite enthusiasts in Houston, Texas, has something to celebrate. Their weekly 2-meter net, has surpassed the 1500 mark. Neil Rapp WB9VPG tells us more about the group.

On the Houston AMSAT Net, talk usually centers around satellites and balloons but soon migrates to other topics. It's a long-running conversation that dates back to before the 1990s. In recent years the net has gained even more participants by being carried on Echolink on the AMSAT Conference Node. It is also available as a livestream while the net is in progress at amsatnet.com. There is also a link to nets recorded during the previous four weeks. You have even more ways to listen than that: the net is available as a podcast on popular services such as Apple Podcast and on 1860 kHz AM.

The AMSAT News Service recently recognized the group for having held its 1,506th net. Keep the conversation going!

This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)

Sometimes, the only thing that comes close to being on the air is ... reading about being on the air. Here's one of our occasional book reviews -- it's from Randy Sly W4XJ, and it's all about CW.

Whatever your level of CW proficiency, Chris Rutkowski, NW6V has something for you. Chris recently released a great book about Morse Code called “The CW Way of Life.” He provides 232 pages full of meaningful and entertaining content that is well written. With each page, all I could think about was that familiar phrase, “and there’s more!”

Chris first takes us through the basics of CW and operating with a straight key… and there’s more! He talks about how we approach process and understand Morse Code. Do you want to explore a unique approach to strengthening your copy skills, try his chapter on Code Talking… and there’s more! He gives us a special way to notate code, some drills, and a whole section on Morse Code lingo, including standard exchanges, protocols, and operating etiquette… and still there’s more! Finally, he leads us through advanced key training, looking at bugs, paddles and the rest.

Available through Amazon, this is a great book for hams or non-hams interested in the original digital. I give it a 5 9 9.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.

This year's World Amateur Radio Day celebrated the 98th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union, using the theme Human Security for all. Around the world, hams in every nation marked the day in their own way. John Williams VK4JJW tells us more.

For hams in South Africa, World Amateur Radio Day - officially the 18th of April - turned into a month-long celebration. Amateurs in the South African Radio League activated the special event callsign ZS9WARD from the first day of April and will continue to do so until the last. In Canada, the theme was "Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day" and Radio Amateurs of Canada's official stations operated from one coast to the other with numerous callsigns such as VA2RAC, VE4RAC, VO1RAC and VY1RAC.

The IARU webpage acknowledged the participation of stations around the world on the big day itself. Hams in Denmark used the callsign 5PØWARD, in the United States the calls were NU1AW, W1W, W4A, K4A and N4A, Belgium had OT23WARD and Slovenia had S5ØARD.

In India, the celebration took on an added level of meaning as one ham, Hari, VU3UCR announced that on World Amateur Radio Day he accomplished the first-time activation of Bandipur National Park in Karnataka for Parks on the Air India. He announced on Facebook this also makes him the third person in India to activate a national park in POTA, an awards scheme that is still new and growing in popularity in that nation.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(FACEBOOK, IARU, SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE)

There is only a month left to nominate your choice for Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak Young Ham of the Year award. Candidates must reside in the continental United States and be a licensed ham 18 years of age or younger. We are looking for someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio. Find application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations close on May 31st.

In the World of DX, Kasimir, DL2SBY will be using the callsign 8Q7KB from the Maldives, IOTA Number AS-013, until the 7th of May using CW, SSB and FT8/ FT4 (using MSHV). He will concentrate on 30, 17, 12, 10 and 6 meters. QSL via LoTW, Club Log's OQRS, or direct to home call.

On April 26th this year, it will be 100 years since the first amateur radio contact between New Zealand and Australia was made, between Frank Bell of Shag Valley Station, Waihemo in Otago and Charles Maclurcan, 2CM in Sydney.

Listen for the callsign ZL100 from now until the 25th of July. Members of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters will be on the HF bands with this callsign commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first trans-Tasman Radio contact between Australia and New Zealand.

Members of the Russian Robinson Club are using the special call CO3ØRRC from Cayo Coco Island, IOTA Number NA - 086, until the 4th of May. Listen on the HF bands. QSL via N7RO, LoTW, or Club Log. QSL for hams with RU and EW prefixes via RW3RN.

During May 16th through to the 18th, listen for Pete M1PTR, Tom MØDCG and Kieron M5KJM/EI6KP on the air from Great Blasket Island, Iota Number EU-007, in the North Atlantic. They will use the callsign EJ6KP/P. QRV on HF SSB operating during local daylight hours. QSL via LoTW.

(WIA, DXNEWS.COM, 425 DX BULLETIN)

Finally, with International Morse Code Day just having passed on April 27th, we celebrate Morse Code. In fact, a recent magazine article published by a world class institution does just that - and it uses a language that needs no decoding. Kent Peterson KCØDGY takes a look with us.

Smithsonian magazine is published by the Washington, D.C.-based Smithsonian Institution, considered the largest museum, education, and research complex in the world -- and while you might rightfully expect telegraph keys and other communications equipment to be featured as museum pieces, Morse Code itself is hardly the stuff of archives. That's the whole point of the article, in fact: It notes that the dits and dahs of the original digital communications system - which had its beginnings two centuries ago - are not only part of a very vibrant code but one that is experiencing a resurgence.

As one would expect from anything by the Smithsonian, the article gives a clear history of the code's evolution from American Morse to International Morse, explaining its mechanics, its appeal and yes even its purported medical benefits for brain health.

With references to the ARRL, the Long Island CW Club and the Straight Key Century Club, the article extolls the practice as an enduring form of communication that is [quote] "putting the digit back in digital communication." [endquote] There are even instructions, complete with diagrams, telling non-hams on how to build a Morse Code generator so they can practice their dits and dahs with the help of their smartphone.

To see the article, follow the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

The article is encouraging: While CW might not ultimately replace Twitter - as the headline suggests - it may just turn radio communications on its ear.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE)

Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in? 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 Software Award; Amateur News Weekly; AMSAT News Service; ARRL; CQ Magazine; CNN.COM; Dave Altman, KO4YLZ; David Behar K7DB; Dignity Memorial; DX-World.net; Emirates News Agency; 425 DX News; Ian Burgess, VA6EMS; Gulf News; the IARU; the IEEE Spectrum; QRZ.COM; shortwaveradio.de; Smithsonian Magazine; South African Radio League; spacenews.com; Vince D'Eon, VE6LK; 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 30 ARLK030
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT April 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   23115.45907910 -.00000027 00000-0 12262-3 0 9996
2 07530 101.9455 101.7853 0012294 162.8231 349.2216 12.53663567216569
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23115.53220313 .00027629 00000-0 48547-3 0 9998
2 25544 51.6404 229.4846 0005628 240.7961 207.2997 15.50274552393622
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23115.36119850 .00002410 00000-0 34486-3 0 9997
2 27607 64.5560 66.8630 0073458 235.2764 124.1406 14.77152867 94420
0 AO-07
1 39444U 13066AE 23115.48651992 .00005413 00000-0 60597-3 0 9999
2 39444 97.6681 81.5345 0055531 86.7310 274.0257 14.86151015507813
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   23114.75384139 .00000472 00000-0 -23623-4 0 9995
2 40931   6.0006 107.9537 0013691 259.6739 100.1855 14.77171805409446
0 CAS-4B
1 42759U 17034B   23115.27445324 .00019172 00000-0 97484-3 0 9990
2 42759 43.0183 49.6310 0009570 126.7012   3.3815 15.16491823323605
0 CAS-4A
1 42761U 17034D   23115.29222565 .00015840 00000-0 80623-3 0 9990
2 42761 43.0172 48.0754 0009938 125.6218   8.8782 15.16557876323610
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23115.24987375 .00008899 00000-0 63210-3 0 9999
2 43017 97.6369   1.6886 0234098 243.8342 113.8629 14.85415124293322
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23115.45568514 .00003424 00000-0 33284-3 0 9995
2 43678 98.0137 258.3945 0008844 342.2171 17.8773 14.93242936244396
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23115.53598472 .00000141 00000-0 00000-0 0 9993
2 43700   0.0131 236.6647 0001062 168.5950 26.7618 1.00271800 16150
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23115.16769107 .00009439 00000-0 75787-3 0 9996
2 43803 97.5714 179.1226 0012030 287.0274 72.9632 15.00211593239748
0 CAS-6
1 44881U 19093C   23115.44739847 .00003278 00000-0 41499-3 0 9995
2 44881 97.8611 194.7976 0013495 247.4989 112.4807 14.82414285180985
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23115.21500805 .00000021 00000-0 45115-4 0 9997
2 44909 82.5264 23.1433 0216668 311.0712 47.1846 12.79720178155381
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23115.52930775 .00000894 00000-0 30498-3 0 9997
2 50466 98.5518 197.2404 0003105 304.7193 55.3702 14.38846813 69780
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23115.44489866 -.00000003 00000-0 00000-0 0 9992
2 53106 70.1708 338.0537 0008246 197.2240 162.8141 6.42557237 18366
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23115.60348941 .00023699 00000-0 13466-2 0 9993
2 54684 97.5547 253.6135 0014922 155.0047 333.8202 15.12807080 20725

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Friday, April 28, 2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 17 ARLD017
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 27, 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.

SPRATLY ISLANDS. Gil, 4F2KWT will be QRV as DX0NE from Kalayaan from April 30 to May 9. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8.
QSL via IZ8CCW.

FIJI, 3D2. Cezar, VE3LYC will be QRV as 3D2LYC from Vanuca Island, IOTA OC-189, from May 1 to 5. Activity will be on 30 to 10 meters using CW and SSB.
QSL to home call.

UGANDA, 5X. Pista, HA5AO is QRV as 5X2I from Busbala until May 10. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters using CW, some SSB, and FT8. QSL via HA5AO OQRS.

MALDIVES, 8Q. Kasimir, DL2SBY is QRV as 8Q7KB until May 7. Activity is on 30, 17, 12, and 10 meters using CW, SSB, FT8, and FT4. QSL direct to home call.

PAKISTAN, AP. Members of the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society are QRV with special event call sign AP100TC until May 14 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, FT8, and FT4. This includes being active on Satellite QO-100. QSL via LoTW.

ANDORRA, C3. Operators MM0NDX, EA3NT and MM0OKG will be QRV as C37RC from the Unio de Radioaficionats Andorrans club station on April 29 and 30. Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL via bureau.

MOROCCO, CN. Special event station 5F15SIA is QRV until May 7 during the 15th International Exhibition of Agriculture in Morocco. QSL direct to CN8WW.

PHILIPPINES, DU. Jairus, 4F1DY plans to be QRV as 4F1DY/2 from Palawan Island, IOTA OC-128, from May 4 to 7. Activity will be on 20 and 15 meters using SSB. QSL via EA5GL.

GUINEA BISSAU, J5. Carlos, CT2GQA is QRV as J5JUA until the end of May. Activity is on 15 to 10 meters using mostly FT8. QSL to home call.

SAN ANDRES AND PROVIDENCIA, HK0. Operators PY8WW, PY7RP and PY7XC will be QRV as HK0/home calls from San Andres from May 4 to 11. Activity will be on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8, with a focus on the higher bands and 6 meters. Look for HK0/PY8WW to be QRV from Providencia, IOTA NA-049, from May 1 to 3. QSL to home calls.

OGASAWARA, JD1. Harry, JG7PSJ is QRV as JD1BMH from Chichijima, IOTA AS-031, until May 5. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, and RTTY. QSL direct to home call.

WEST KIRIBATI, T30. Members of the Rebel DX Group are QRV as T30UN from Tarawa, IOTA OC-017, until May 1. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, with multiple stations using FT8 in DXpedition mode. QSL via Club Log.

CORSICA, TK. Antonio, IS0JXO plans to be QRV as TK/IS0JXO from May 3 to 7. Activity will be on the HF and VHF bands using CW and SSB. This includes being active on Satellite QO-100. QSL to home call.

MICRONESIA, V6. BJ, WA7WJR is QRV as V63WJR until April 30. Activity is on 20 to 10 meters. QSL direct to home call.

VANUATU, YJ. Michael, VK2BXE is QRV as YJ0MB. Activity is mostly on 40, 20, and 10 meters using SSB. QSL direct to home call.

NEW ZEALAND, ZL. Members of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters are QRV with special call sign ZL100 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Trans-Tasman amateur radio contact. QSL via operators' instructions.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC Sprint, K1USN Slow Speed Test, Feld Hell Sprint, 10-10 International Spring Digital Contest, UK/EI DX CW Contest, Helvetia Contest and the Florida QSO Party are all scheduled for this upcoming weekend.

The K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, AGCW QRP/QRP Party, ICWC Medium Speed CW Test, OK1WC CW Memorial, ARS Spartan CW Sprint, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, ICWC Medium Speed Test, Phone Weekly Test, A1Club AWT, CWops Test, VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest, Mini-Test 40 and the Mini-Test 80 are on tap for May 1 to 3.

Please see April QST, page 69, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest web sites for details.

The International Space Station was pictured Oct.42018, from the departing Expedition 56 crew during a flyaround
aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft. Credit Roscosmos/NASA

The International Space Station partners have committed to extending the operation of this unique platform in low Earth orbit where, for more than 22 years,

humans have lived and worked for the benefit of humanity, conducting cutting-edge science and research in microgravity.

NASA Voyager 2 spacecraft extends its interstellar science mission for 3 more years

A technical trick will keep the 46-year-old mission collecting science for a little longer.

NASA's long-running Voyager 2 mission will postpone an instrument shutdown three years to 2026 thanks to a technical feat by engineers. The change will allow the mission, which launched in 1977, to gather valuable science deep in space.

The RSGB is delighted that Ofcom has confirmed that the callsign GB23C can be used for the RSGB’s Coronation Special Special Event Station.

Finally, if you are planning outreach activities with local clubs and groups, take a look at the paper circuit template the RSGB has just shared on its website—go to our Coronation activity ideas page to find out more.

Following the AGM on Saturday, 15 April 2023, a brief Board meeting was held to consider necessary appointments.

Around Your Region – Club events calendar 76
Around Your Region – Events roundup 80
Coronation Celebrations 54
New products 15
News 11
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 28
Contesting, Chris Tran, GM3WOJ 68
GHz bands, Dr John Worsnop, G4BAO 64
HF, Daimon Tilley, G4USI 60
Members’ ads 86
Propagation, Gwyn Williams, G4FKH 88
Rallies and events 87
Software and systems, Mike Richards, G4WNC 56
The Last Word 89
VHF/UHF, James Stevens, M0JCQ 66

An Improved Antenna Rotator Controller: Part 3, Tim Forrester, G4WIM 44
Design Notes, Andy Talbot, G4JNT 36

100 years of communication history between Indonesia and The Netherlands, Jan van den Berg 74
A simple response to a request for help, Linden J. Allen, M0TCF 50
Castleton Bunker, Ian Miles, G0CNN 30
GB5SC, Andrew Britton, MM0MGB 34
J28MD Djibouti Dxpedition, Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA 70
NVIS blackouts and solar flares, Peter DeNeef, AE7PD 42
Rockall DXpedition, Nick Bradley, G4IWO 29
Thames Amateur Radio Group, Maggie Atkinson, M7LCF 72

Book review 43
Ceecom 10/11m Moxon antenna, Steve Nichols, G0KYA 40
ZUMspot-RPi Elite 3.5” LCD, Mike Richards, G4WNC 22

The following is a QST. In the US, the FCC commits itself to managing satellites more effectively. Two losses hit the World Radiosport Team Championship -- and Nokia and NASA look at putting wireless on the moon. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2373 comes your way right now.

Our top story takes us to Washington, D.C., where two new FCC offices are taking a closer look at how to better handle all those satellites in orbit high above our planet. Andy Morrison K9AWM brings us up to date.

Hoping to get a better handle on regulating satellites and reducing the effects of orbital debris, the US Federal Communications Commission has added two new departments under its umbrella: the Space Bureau and the Office of International Affairs. The move replaces the agency's International Bureau, which handled licensing and regulation of satellite programs and international telecommunications.

The FCC's announcement did not specify what impact, if any, this move would have on amateur radio satellites.

FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said at an opening event for the new departments that they would [quote] "promote long-term technical capacity to address satellite policies and approve our coordination with other agencies on all of these issues." [endquote]

The departments are expected to coordinate their efforts in such areas as the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference. The conference will take place in Dubai starting on November 20th.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(FCC, NEXTGOV.COM)

Another US government agency is taking a look at whether some frequencies need to be reallocated as more and more wireless devices get on the air. Stephen Kinford N8WB brings us that story.

In the United States, an increasing appetite for spectrum from wireless services has spurred the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to find at least 1,500 MHz of the radio spectrum to meet that demand.

The NTIA is looking for input from the public to identify which bands could be repurposed under this new spectrum strategy. The agency said on its website that the strategy is [quote] "a government-wide approach to maximizing the potential of our nation's spectrum resources." [endquote] The NTIA shares spectrum-allocation duties with the Federal Communications Commission.

In the United States, hams already share many UHF and microwave bands with government users.

To learn more, follow the link in the text version of this week's Newsline script.

This is Stephen Kinford N8WB.

[FOR PRINT ONLY: https://ntia.gov/issues/national-spectrum-strategy ]

(NTIA, AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY)

Meanwhile, a whole new wireless network of sorts is being looked at - for the moon! Let's hear more from Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

An LTE/4G network destined for the moon is expected to launch on board a SpaceX rocket later this year, according to plans from the Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia. According to reports on CNBC, it's part of a partnership with NASA that envisions the creation of the first colony on the lunar surface.

A message on Nokia's webpage states that the network will be designed to support the transmitting of telemetry, biometrics, and sensing applications and will also be available for HD video and robotics. Nokia states that the high-bandwidth network will be a vital tool in NASA's plan for so-called "sustainable exploration" of the moon.

NASA chose the Finnish telecommunications company in 2020, announcing Nokia's role in the Artemis lunar program to return a human presence to the moon -- this time for extended operations by the end of the decade. According to the Nokia website, the network will include an LTE Base Station with integrated Evolved Packet Core functionalities, LTE User Equipment and RF antennas. The system will have hardware redundancy and through its software, the capacity for remote operation.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(NOKIA, CNBC)

The World Radiosport Team Championship is going forward this summer in Bologna without one of its key referees, who has become a Silent Key. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us about him.

The World Radiosport Team Championship Committee is grieving the loss of a fellow contester and avid DXer from Texas, Richard King, K5NA. Richard had been chosen to be a referee for the WRTC 2022 event in Bologna in July.

According to a report on the Daily DX, Richard was electrocuted on April 12th while he was assisting another ham taking down a 40-meter antenna. The report goes on to say: [quote] "Richard jumped in at the last minute to try and keep the antenna from getting snagged on a guy wire. The antenna hit a nearby powerline." [endquote] Two nurses who live in the neighborhood began CPR until emergency services could arrive but Richard died shortly thereafter. He and his wife Susan, K5DU, are well-known as serious contesters and DXers.

WRTC 2022 organisers issued a statement saying "Richard's contributions to the sport of amateur radio will not be forgotten and his legacy will continue to inspire and guide us in the years to come." Richard belonged to the Central Texas DX and Contest Club.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

Friday 21st April 2023

Meanwhile, the defending championship team from Lithuania has announced that they will not defend their title when the World Radiosport Team Championship goes forward in July.

The international high-profile contest was postponed from last year because of the pandemic.

The withdrawal announcement by defending championship team members Gedimas, LY9A, and Mindaugas, LY4L, was posted on the WRTC 2022 Reflector, citing a number of frustrations and deeper differences with the organisers that they said will be keeping them at home.

(WRTC 2022 REFLECTOR, WRTC WEBSITE)

A free course in Comprehensive Instant Character Recognition is being offered by CW Innovations with the goal of helping active CW operators learn ways to increase their proficiency. The 10-week classes focus on teaching operators how to help themselves learn Morse Code, addressing the mental and emotional roadblocks that have typically halted learners’ progress. The class is designed for hams who can currently copy 10 to 15 words per minute and are already actively on the air having QSOs. Visit cwinnovations.net for details. The website includes an application form.

(CWINNOVATIONS.NET)

Friday 21st April 2023

What's better than having one great summer camp experience on the air? Having more of it, of course! That's about to become possible, as we hear from Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

Just as young amateurs prepare for this summer's Youth on the Air Americas camp in Canada, camp organizers themselves learned that their summer experience for young hams has received a $125,000 grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications. The funds now assure that the camp experience will continue through 2025 and that each session will become open to more campers than before. The current threshold of 30 will increase to 50 in the two years ahead. So pack your bags if you're going this year: Camp starts on July 16th. And if you want to learn more or plan ahead for next summer, visit youthontheair.org

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(ARDC, YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP)

If you've been wishing for solar maximum to come sooner rather than later in the current cycle, you might just get your wish, according to a group of solar physicists. Patrick Clark K8TAC has that story.

The end of this year - or sometime next year, could bring maximum sunspot activity for Solar Cycle 25, according to Scott McIntosh of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, in Boulder, Colorado and a team of solar physicists. The team presents its findings in a paper in the January edition of Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences.

In the paper, the solar scientists make use of a terminator event during the previous cycle - sometime in mid-December 2021 - to project the maxima of Solar Cycle 25 and to forecast the cycle's amplitude.

Although some might project differently for the future, this team believes it's best to keep your eye on the skies during the fourth quarter of 2023 and thereafter into the new year.

This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.

(FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES)

Hams in Hungary's national ham radio society want to hear from you. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us why.

Hams around the world are being invited to provide their views and share their experiences about amateur radio through an online survey from the Hungarian Amateur Radio Society. The short survey asks questions about your personal preferences and radio history but also wants to know what your priorities are -- whether it is your operating preferences, your expectations from membership in a national society or the roles you think a local club should have. There are also questions about whether you know very many active younger operators. The society is interested in having the survey responses in time for the Youngsters on the Air Region 1 camp which it is hosting from the 5th to the 12th of August in Hungary. The group would also like to present the survey results at the IARU general conference in November.

A link to the survey appears in the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://mrasz.org/state-of-hamradio ]

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(HUNGARIAN AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY)

Hams in the US may notice when they take the survey that the question about license class does not include the option to select the level of FCC license. The creators of the survey recommend that US hams use HAREC for Extra, NOVICE for General and other classes and ENTRY for Technician.

One of the biggest ham radio weekends in the United States is about to get a little bigger. Here's Jack Parker W8ISH with that update.

If Hamvention doesn't give you a big enough dose of amateur radio when you're in Xenia next month, take a side trip to the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in nearby West Chester, Ohio. The museum expands their hours for visitors during Hamvention and features new exhibits including a dedicated room for shortwave equipment and amateur radio. Other exhibits include a complete collection of R.L. Drake Ham Radio equipment that was originally in the lobby of the R.L. Drake Corp. in Miamisburg, Ohio.

The on-site WC8VOA ham shack has new, updated equipment and yes, the station will be on the air for guest operators. The museum's expanded hours are Thursday May 18th and Friday May 19th from 1 to 9 p.m.; Saturday May 20th from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday, May 21st from noon to 5 p.m. so that you can plan on a weekend of total radio immersion.

You can find more details on the museum website at voamuseum.org

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(JOCELYN BRAULT, KD8VRX/VA2VRX; VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM)

Friday 21st April 2023

Hams who are fans of Gridtracker will be happy to learn they're not alone: Its development team just won a major award. Here's Ralph Squillace KK6ITB with the details.

Congratulations to Stephen Loomis NØTTL and the team that produced Gridtracker.org, for becoming recipients of the fourth annual Amateur Radio Software Award. This international honor recognizes free, open projects developed in the spirit of sharing to enhance amateur radio operations everywhere. According to the award website, Gridtracker was chosen for its ability to focus on visualizing radio traffic on FT8 and other modes, simplifying the process of tracking contacts, especially in contests.

In the same spirit of sharing that helped create Gridtracker, Stephen, who lives in Oregon, has asked the awards committee to provide a $300 grant to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Oregon. The nonprofit advocacy, resource and educational organization works to help those who have mental illness and assists their families.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(AMATEUR RADIO SOFTWARE AWARD, AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY, GRIDTRACKER)

One member of the team is back home from the recent Bouvet Island 3YØJ DXpedition but not for long. John Williams VK4JJW tells us what he's got planned next.

Cezar, VE3LYC, is getting ready to put one of the Fiji islands back on the air after too many years of things being quiet there. Yanuca Island, IOTA Number OC-189, was activated first in 1993 and again in 2007 - but there's been no radio operation there since then. Cezar will be on the air May 1st through the 5th using the callsign 3D2LYC. DX World.net reports that his goal is to log 4,000 QSOs with 2,500 unique stations on six continents. He will be on most of the HF bands and will operate both CW and SSB.

While not as harsh an environment as the one found on remote Bouvet Island, Yanuca does not have any visitor accommodation. Cezar said he has been able to locate a generator and gas as well as food and water to use during his stay.

This is John Willliams VK4JJW.

(DX WORLD.NET)

In the World of DX, listen for Harry, JG7PSJ, who is on the air as JD1BMH from Ogasawara between April 24th and May 5th. Listen for him on 40-10m where he is using CW, SSB and RTTY. For QSL and other details follow the link on QRZ.COM to the JD1BMH webpage and monitor Twitter for updates.

(DX-WORLD.NET)

For our final story, we catch up with a very grateful SOTA activator who has this important message for all those hams who, like him, achieved the coveted status of Mountain Goat: "TAG - You're It!" Jim Damron N8TMW tells us his story.

JIM: Dave Altman, KO4YLZ, is looking for a few new goats. Actually, he's looking for a few old goats too. None of this has anything to do with age - it's a reflection of pride in Dave's recent accomplishment. The SOTA activator achieved Mountain Goat status in the Summits on the Air awards scheme on March 30th, 11 months after making his first successful SOTA activation.

When his informal mentor Dean, K2JB, celebrated his new status by saying "welcome to the herd," Dave felt inspired to give something back to colleagues in his own region. What better way to identify a local goat than with a genuine ear tags, the kind of tags Dave sees often on some of the local livestock?? Using the SOTA logo with permission, Dave had the durable plastic tags laser-printed for all those in the W4 region of SOTA who attained the necessary 1,000 points for Mountain Goat status. He's giving them as gifts to fellow members of the herd and no, he doesn't expect anyone to attach the tags to their ears. These are for bags used on SOTA outings.

Dave said in a recent email to Newsline that he had already given out seven but has many more. Using the SOTA Reflector and the groups.io board for his local region, he has told fellow Mountain Goats to either email their name, callsign and mailing address or, better still, meet up with him sometime fon an activation. Picture it: Just a couple of Mountain Goats climbing their next summit together. That would not be so BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD.

This is Jim Damron N8TMW.

(SOTA REFLECTOR, DAVE ALTMAN, KO4YLZ)

We remind our listeners that young hams who live in the continental United States have an opportunity to make news, if they aren't already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or younger -- someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio. Find application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations are now open and close on May 31st.

Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in? 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 Software Award; Amateur News Weekly; AMSAT News Service; ARRL; CQ Magazine; CNN.COM; Dave Altman, KO4YLZ; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; 425 DX News; Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences; Hungarian Amateur Radio Society; Jocelyn Brault, KD8VRX/VA2VRX; NASA; National Telecommunications and Information Administration; NOKIA; QRZ.COM; shortwaveradio.de; SOTA Reflector; Voice of America Museum; 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 28 ARLK028
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT April 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 07530U 74089B   23108.43726917 -.00000036 00000-0 64838-4 0 9999
2 07530 101.9450 94.7179 0012199 176.2859 338.4340 12.53663438215682
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23108.43397694 .00019322 00000-0 34619-3 0 9992
2 25544 51.6395 264.6579 0006032 207.9800 203.3391 15.49946793392526
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23108.32016865 .00002551 00000-0 36392-3 0 9991
2 27607 64.5542 88.4437 0074010 236.6856 122.7146 14.77118110 93389
0 AO-73
1 39444U 13066AE 23108.34934562 .00007112 00000-0 79611-3 0 9998
2 39444 97.6664 74.6521 0055475 109.4293 251.2929 14.86045744506759
0 XW-2A
1 40903U 15049E   23108.42670462 .01556451 20931-2 11245-2 0 9999
2 40903 97.1021 177.1391 0005540 249.1331 171.7674 16.16414329426994
0 IO-86
1 40931U 15052B   23107.10105275 .00002018 00000-0 18949-3 0 9999
2 40931   5.9964 162.6023 0012331 151.6376 83.9217 14.77161234408302
0 CAS-4B
1 42759U 17034B   23108.42507961 .00011021 00000-0 56925-3 0 9995
2 42759 43.0163 87.6404 0009617 70.9090 64.9989 15.16293467322560
0 CAS-4A
1 42761U 17034D   23108.44368561 .00012971 00000-0 66612-3 0 9990
2 42761 43.0158 86.0890 0010387 71.7460 71.2396 15.16370611322576
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23108.24379236 .00008802 00000-0 62703-3 0 9992
2 43017 97.6393 354.9601 0234304 267.1008 90.3374 14.85293658292282
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23108.62064321 .00002966 00000-0 28939-3 0 9994
2 43678 98.0110 251.4293 0009394   6.5905 353.5474 14.93205186243374
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23107.61091091 .00000131 00000-0 00000-0 0 9997
2 43700   0.0387 75.7817 0001274 338.7079 36.7070 1.00273558 16078
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23108.23071582 .00008424 00000-0 67897-3 0 9995
2 43803 97.5739 172.3687 0012476 313.8107 46.2084 15.00092888238702
0 CAS-6
1 44881U 19093C   23108.69744863 .00001651 00000-0 21257-3 0 9991
2 44881 97.8620 188.1618 0013323 272.7838 87.1870 14.82384806179980
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23108.25694536 .00000009 00000-0 -15520-5 0 9993
2 44909 82.5264 27.7643 0216952 327.3910 31.3945 12.79720071154498
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23108.43617977 .00001112 00000-0 37590-3 0 9999
2 50466 98.5522 190.1698 0003400 331.9335 28.1668 14.38832572 68763
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23102.68218782 -.00000003 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991
2 53106 70.1748 342.4876 0008257 200.3328 159.7004 6.42557159 17545
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23108.65190459 .00019138 00000-0 10970-2 0 9999
2 54684 97.5511 246.7314 0014710 178.0420 279.1921 15.12538139 19671

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Friday, April 21, 2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 16 ARLD016
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 20, 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.

TIMOR-LESTE, 4W. A group of operators are QRV as 4W1A until April 22. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8. QSL via DJ4MX.

UGANDA, 5X. Pista, HA5AO will be QRV as 5X2I from Busbala from April 24 to May 10. Activity will be on 40 to 6 meters using CW, some SSB, and FT8. QSL via operator's instructions.

CROATIA, 9A. Special event call sign 9A0EMCOR is QRV until April 25. QSL via 9A7R.

CUBA, CO. Members of the Russian Robinson Club will be QRV as CO30RRC from Cayo Coco Island, IOTA NA-086, from April 24 to May 4. Activity will be on the HF bands with eight stations. QSL direct to N7RO.

SOUTH COOK ISLAND, E5. Janusz, SP9FIH and Leszek, SP6CIK are QRV as E51WEG and E51CIK, respectively, from Rarotonga, IOTA OC-013, until April 28. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8. QSL to home calls.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, E7. Special event station E7WARD is QRV until April 26. Activity is on the HF bands and 6 meters using CW, SSB, and various digital modes. QSL via LoTW.

ST. PIERRE AND MIQUELON, FP. Georg, DK7LX is QRV as FP/DK7LX. Activity is in his spare time on the HF bands using CW. QSL to home call.

VATICAN, HV. Look for HV1CN to be QRV on April 22 for International Marconi Day. Activity will be from 0700 to 1300z on the HF bands using CW, SSB, and FT8. This includes being active on Satellite QO-100. QSL via LoTW.

OGASAWARA, JD1. Harry, JG7PSJ will be QRV as JD1BMH from Chichijima, IOTA AS-031, from April 22 to May 5. Activity will be on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, and RTTY. QSL direct to home call.

DENMARK, OZ. A group of operators will be QRV as 5P5FI from the Jylland West group, IOTA EU-125, from April 22 to 29. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, and various digital modes. QSL via ON6EF.

WEST KIRIBATI, T30. Members of the Rebel DX Group are QRV as T30UN from Tarawa, IOTA OC-017, until May 1. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, with multiple stations using FT8 in DXpedition mode. QSL via Club Log.

BELIZE, V3. Art, NN7A is QRV as V31JZ/p from South Water Caye Island, IOTA NA-180, until April 23. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using CW and possibly SSB. QSL to home call.

AUSTRALIA, VK. Special event station VK100ZL is QRV until December 31 to celebrate the first amateur radio contact made between Australia and New Zealand. QSL via bureau.

LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS, VU7. Operators YL2GM and VU2CDP are QRV as VU7W from Kavaratti Island, IOTA AS-011, until April 29. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL via YL2GN.

MEXICO, XE. Special event station 4A9O is QRV until May 30 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Club de Radio Experimentadores de Occidente. QSL via LoTW.

NEW ZEALAND, ZL. Special event station ZL100 will be QRV from April 26 to July 25 to celebrate the first amateur radio contact made between New Zealand and Australia. QSL via bureau.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The North American SSB Sprint Contest, NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint, K1USN CW Slow Speed CW Test, QRP to the Field, YOTA Contest, SP DX RTTY Contest, International Vintage HF Contest, UA1DZ Memorial Cup and the BARTG Sprint 75 are all scheduled for this upcoming weekend.

The K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, QCX CW Challenge, ICWC Medium Speed CW Test, OK1WC CW Memorial, RSGB FT4 Contest, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, ICWC Medium Speed CW Test, ZL Sprint, SKCC CW Sprint, Phone Weekly Test, A1Club AWT, CWops Test, Mini-Test 40, Mini-Test 80, 432 MHz Spring Sprint and the UKEICC 80-Meter CW Contest are on tap for April 24 to 26.

Please see April QST, page 69, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest web sites for details.

NASA’s retired Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at 8:21 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 19, almost 21 years after its launch. From 2002 to its decommissioning in 2018, RHESSI observed solar flares from its low-Earth orbit, helping scientists understand the underlying physics of how such powerful bursts of energy are created.

A mysterious flash which lit up skies over Ukraine's capital on Wednesday night generated much speculation.

Join the Dark Energy Explorers for an Exclusive Telescope Tour!

The massive, 30-foot diameter Hobby-Eberly Telescope in Davis Mountains, Texas
(Credit EricandHolli, CC BY-SA 3.0)

April is Citizen Science Month, and the Dark Energy Explorers team invites you to celebrate with an extra special treat!

Join the scientists of Dark Energy Explorers online for an hour long event on Wednesday, April 26th at 4 p.m. EST / 3p.m. CST /1p.m. PCT for an exclusive tour of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the largest telescopes in the world!

If you are an RSGB Member you still have time to apply for the RSGB Nominated Board Director vacancy.

To find out more, go to the volunteer vacancies section of the RSGB website or, for an informal discussion, please email Nominations Committee Chair Stephen Purser, GW4SHF at nominations.chair@rsgb.org.uk

The RSGB Regional Forum has created Facebook pages for each of the 13 regions.

You can find them on Facebook by searching for ‘RSGB Region’ and the number of your local region, for example ‘RSGB region 1’.

SOS Radio Week 2023 starts at midnight on the 1 May and concludes at midnight on the 31 May.

Registration is now open and further details can be found at sosradioweek.org.uk

The following is a QST. US-made vacuum tubes prepare to make a comeback. NASA names a trio of hams for the next Artemis mission -- and meet a YL who is Poland's youngest SOTA operator. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2372 comes your way right now.
BILLBOARD CART

American-made vacuum tubes are poised to make a comeback onto the market this summer. Kent Peterson KCØDGY tells us what's been going on.

As the rising cost of vacuum tubes manufactured mostly in China and Russia increasingly cramps audiophiles, musicians and others seeking a particular audio quality, one factory in the US southeast is preparing to bring tube-manufacturing back home.

With assembly line workers getting down to business inside his Western Electric plant in Rossville, Georgia, entrepreneur Charles Whitener expects to restore American-made vacuum tubes to the worldwide market in just a few months. According to reports on such websites as wired.com and audioexpress.com, Whitener's goal is to resume production of the single-ended triode tube known as the 300B, a design that dates back to 1938. His plant, known as the Rossville Works, is home to the Western Electric vacuum tube brand which Whitener bought in 1995 from AT&T.

This summer he expects to introduce a reimagined version of the audio vacuum tube known as the 12AX7, a dual triode tube commonly found in amplifiers for guitars. According to Wired.com, it will be the first US-made tube in decades and it is expected to be followed by numerous other US-made models. The Wired.com report said: [quote] "If all goes to plan, the US could once again dominate vacuum tube manufacturing." [endquote]

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(WIRED, AUDIOXPRESS.COM, HACKADAY)

The next NASA radio amateurs in space are preparing to be part of a four-person team flying near the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us who they are.

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency have announced the members of the Artemis II crew comprising NASA's first crewed mission to establish a presence near the moon next year. Three members of the four-person team are amateur radio operators: commander Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT, pilot Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU. The other mission specialist is Christina Hammock Koch. The mission is scheduled for November of 2024. The previous mission, Artemis I, was not crewed.

This will be a flight test lasting about 10 days and will validate the life-support systems of the Orion spacecraft, along with other demonstrations.

Unlike his fellow crew members, Hansen is making his first trip into space. He is a Canadian citizen and is the first Canadian to train astronaut candidates from both Canada and the US.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(NASA, AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)

It's the QSO Party to end all other QSO parties: World Amateur Radio Day, April 18th, the day amateurs participate in a global celebration of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union. Be listening on HF as the IARU and its member societies get on the air with special events through the 25th of April. There will be more than 50 special event stations around the world with callsigns ending in W A R D, for World Amateur Radio Day. They include TM98WARD, 9Y4WARD, OT23WARD and a host of others.

Here in the States and over in the UK, the ROC-HAM Radio Network is contributing to the festivities by hosting a 12-hour birthday net. Listen for John W2JLD and Dave GW8SZL who will be marking the occasion on the VOIP/ECHOLINK *ROC-HAM* Conference node #531091, as well as various Allstar Nodes, the DMR TGIF Talk Group 2585 and Extended Freedom SIP Portal 2585. John will be on the air during that time too, operating on 10, 20 and 40 metres, using the callsign W2W.

For more details, visit IARU.org.

(IARU, QRZ.COM)

Radio waves have led astronomers to an exoplanet - a planet beyond our solar system - and it's likely the same size as Earth. Dave Parks WB8ODF gives us the details.

Repeating radio signals have led astronomers to a rocky exoplanet that is the same size as our own Earth and, like the Earth, it orbits a star -- one known as YZ Ceti. Further studies of the signal suggest that the planet may also have an atmosphere and a magnetic field. Writing in a recent issue of the journal, Nature Astronomy, the researchers have named the planet YZ Ceti b. The scientists say that the magnetic field's interactions with the star are the likely cause of the radio signals.

The signals were picked up in New Mexico by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array of telescopes. The star and exoplanet are 12 light-years away from Earth.

Of course, this is not the first finding of its kind. Last year, the James Webb Space Telescope discovered its first exoplanet which is also believed to be rocky and almost as big as the Earth. That planet, called LHS 475b, is 41 light years away. The research team, which announced the discovery this past January, is trying to learn more about the star it orbits and whether the planet has an atmosphere. That work is set to be done this summer.

This is Dave Parks WB8ODF.

(CNN, JENNY TUPPER, NASA)

A new record is about to be set in space by an ISS astronaut. We hear more about him from Paul Braun WD9GCO.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP won't be a record-holder for much longer. He made news after logging the most days in space for a US astronaut -- 355 days -- aboard the International Space Station in 2022. Now, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is right behind him and gaining. He's been on the ISS since September 21, 2022 and his mission has grown beyond its original six months. He's now scheduled to leave aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft by September 27th, meaning his 371 days will eclipse the one set by Vande Hei. However, even with that accomplishment, he will still be leaving the world record intact. That was set by the late Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who logged an unprecedented 437 days aboard Russia's Mir space station in 1994 and 1995. The cosmonaut died last year at age 80.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO

(SPACE.COM)

In Melbourne, Australia, one ham whose love for his bicycle rivals his love for his radio is giving them both a good ride. Here's more about him from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

As a bicycle enthusiast and ham, Stuart, VK3UAO, is accustomed to doing things his own way. As a machinist, he fabricates many of his own parts to be used with his radio equipment. As a ham, he carves out his own trail to destinations for portable operating. He is presently riding his bicycle from Melbourne to the Pilliga park-fest, pedaling his way on a journey of more than 1,000 km over the course of three weeks. He has his portable shack in his backpack

The park fest will be held between April 29th and 30th and he hopes his route there will include as many park activations as possible.

The park fest itself is a modest-sized gathering of hams with an enthusiasm for fellowship and the outdoors. So there is certain to be even more operating once he arrives.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in his journey but would rather not try it out yourself on a bicycle of your own, you can ride along with Stuart. Visit his page on QRZ.com, which offers a link to his APRS tracking -- and be listening for him on the air.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(WIA, QRZ)

Special events are becoming more and more popular in our hobby. Often they’re organized by a club or group that is tied to a specific event or place. But in the case of one ham, James Gallo KB2FMH, he simply found a cause that was important and created a global event to celebrate it.

I do a lot of special events, because I find them interesting. So we found Autism Awareness and I thought, “That’s an interesting subject. A lot of people in our hobby have a position somewhere on the autistic spectrum in some way or another and I know that from talking to people over the years. So we decided to make a special event for that".

Gallo started to plan the event, and then his girlfriend came up with a great idea:

And then as I’m putting it together, my girlfriend, who’s my muse in radio business, said, “Why don’t you invite other operators — you’ll get a bunch of operators from around the country.” And then I thought, “Well, it’s considered ‘World Autism Awareness Day’ so let me reach out to a few friends globally that I’ve met over the years and see if they’re interested.” And it started to grow.

And grow it did. The event was a big success, and drew in a large number of participants:

I think we had 80-something volunteers across 26 states and 24 countries.

Gallo is planning on running the event again next year, so keep an eye out for an announcement if you wish to participate or even just chase. It’s all for a good cause.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.

The Radio Society of Great Britain is looking to hire a new technical editor, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

RadCom, the magazine of the Radio Society of Great Britain, is saying goodbye to Matthew Smith, MØVWS, who is leaving his role as technical editor. The team is looking for a new technical editor with a strong background in electronics and the technical side of amateur radio. The ideal candidate should also be capable of writing and editing articles and working with authors from whom articles have been commissioned. The technical editor will also read and edit copy from contributors and columnists and assist volunteers with the RSGB Technical Forum. This is a salaried staff position.

For a full description of other responsibilities visit rsgb.org/careers.

Although there is an opportunity to occasionally work from home, the technical editor will be based at RSGB's headquarters which is near Bedford. For queries or to submit a CV, contact the managing editor Edward O'Neill at edward.oneill@rsgb.org.uk.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RSGB)

A scientist and radio amateur in Howard County, Maryland, has been recognized for his many hours of helping others prepare for disaster. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us more about him.

Congratulations to Dan Wilt, WB6FLL, who has been named Emergency Management Volunteer of the Year from officials in Howard County, Maryland. Dan leads the Howard County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service and is a member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association.

Dan is a device physicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. According to a press release on the webpage of Johns Hopkins lab, Wilt spent more than 150 volunteer hours supporting RACES events and activities last year at public service events and during snowstorms and hurricanes. He has also assisted RACES in the creation of guides to help fellow operators during emergencies so communication can become easier for first responders. As a member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association, K3CUJ, he has coordinated exercises to help prepare his fellow club members for future incidents.

During the awards ceremony, Mike Hinson, director of the county's Office of Emergency Management, praised Dan for [quote] "a willingness to help others learn and a desire to serve whenever and however possible." [endquote]

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, PATCH.COM)

In the World of DX, get ready for the DXØNE DXpedition. This is a single-operator DXpedition to the Spratly Islands, IOTA Number AS-051. Gil, 4F2KWT will be on the air from the 30th of April until the 9th of May. He has set aside one of his two radios to use FT8 using multi stream MSHV. The pilot station is Nic, DU1NA. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, which is preferred, or via IZ8CCW.

Local amateurs in Israel are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Israel Amateur Radio Club and the establishment of the State of Israel by using special prefixes 4X75 and 4Z75 from the 14th to the 30th of April. Awards are being given to hams who contact stations with those prefixes as well as with the standard 4X and 4Z stations until the end of the month.

Be listening for the special event callsign DM23BUGA on the air until October 8th. This callsign honors the biennial horticulture show and festival taking place in Mannheim, Germany this year. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau. You may also QSL direct via DL2VFR.

Listen for Jean, F8CHM, using the call TM1AI (TEE EM ONE AY EYE) from Aix (EX) Island, IOTA Number EU- 032, until the 16th of April. He is using CW and SSB on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. QSL via home call.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

We remind our listeners that young hams who live in the continental United States have an opportunity to make news, if they aren't already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or younger -- someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio. Find application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations are now open and close on May 31st.

We end this week by asking: What parent doesn't hope that one day that their child will achieve success at new heights? Meet a mother and father who aren't only watching their daughter achieve that but are right up there with her. Jeremy Boot G4NJH brings us their story.

The past year has been an exciting climb for Sophie, SN9ZJ. The 11-year-old received her amateur radio licence one year ago this month. It didn't take long for her to find her way to the higher elevations of Poland, calling QRZ for points in Summits on the Air and experiencing the thrill of other operators wanting her callsign in their log. Her father, Pawel, SN9PJ, calls her [quote] "my amazing daughter." [endquote]

Considered Poland's youngest SOTA operator, she activated seven summits during her first year as a ham, with her father beside her on five of those trips and her mother Anna helping her log contacts during the other two. Anna, an avid hiker, had helped Sophie study for her licence and may eventually take the exam as well.

Pawel said Sophie had her sights on those mountain tops the moment her licence arrived. The youngster draws great inspiration and love of the outdoors from her father, a mechanical engineer and her mother, an environmental engineer.

In time, her parents would not be surprised if one day Sophie provided some inspiration herself. She has a younger sister, Elizabeth, and younger brother, Bart who one day, they hope, they may follow her to the mountain tops, operating their own radios.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(SOTA REFLECTOR, PAWEL SN9PJ)

Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in? 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 News Weekly; AMSAT News Service; ARRL; CQ Magazine; CNN.COM; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; 425 DX News; Jenny Tupper; Johns Hopkins University; Hackaday; NASA; Patch.com; Pawel, SN9PJ; QRZ.COM; Radio World; Radio Society of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de; SOTA Reflector; Space.com; Wired.com; 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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune, Mississippi saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Keplerian Bulletin 26 ARLK026
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT April 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 07530U 74089B   23101.48672358 -.00000024 00000-0 14138-3 0 9990
2 07530 101.9445 87.7225 0012114 189.6971 289.1957 12.53663107214813
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23101.67742072 .00013433 00000-0 24546-3 0 9990
2 25544 51.6391 298.1200 0006348 181.7761 307.5395 15.49693937391473
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23101.41437837 .00001653 00000-0 24306-3 0 9994
2 27607 64.5526 109.6103 0074496 238.0440 121.3406 14.77083368 92367
0 AO-73
1 39444U 13066AE 23101.54833232 .00005589 00000-0 62880-3 0 9991
2 39444 97.6664 68.0973 0055177 131.1081 229.4918 14.85947083505742
0 XW-2A
1 40903U 15049E   23101.47082159 .00604836 17245-3 10100-2 0 9991
2 40903 97.1113 169.6608 0003720 197.0730 291.1615 16.02941543425871
0 IO-86
1 40931U 15052B   23101.11531545 .00001454 00000-0 11177-3 0 9996
2 40931   5.9981 205.3858 0013210 62.2590 297.8893 14.77148602407426
0 CAS-4B
1 42759U 17034B   23101.57574979 .00009617 00000-0 50037-3 0 9993
2 42759 43.0154 125.6516 0010056 23.9442 122.2675 15.16148395321529
0 CAS-4A
1 42761U 17034D   23101.52467801 .00009566 00000-0 49701-3 0 9995
2 42761 43.0153 124.4849 0010878 26.0503 104.9001 15.16197640321528
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23101.16983570 .00008292 00000-0 59193-3 0 9990
2 43017 97.6386 348.1663 0234849 290.6004 67.0164 14.85163584291234
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23101.45034608 .00002147 00000-0 21127-3 0 9996
2 43678 98.0097 244.1248 0010268 28.7837 331.3907 14.93164856242304
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23101.45813146 .00000145 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991
2 43700   0.0158 184.5949 0001363 225.4397 340.0900 1.00270528 16014
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23101.15979293 .00006075 00000-0 49246-3 0 9993
2 43803 97.5736 165.4843 0013059 342.6179 17.4596 14.99980829237641
0 CAS-6
1 44881U 19093C   23101.47488052 .00001406 00000-0 18206-3 0 9993
2 44881 97.8632 181.0627 0013569 298.6086 61.3762 14.82361026178914
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23101.29890469 .00000029 00000-0 76941-4 0 9997
2 44909 82.5258 32.3854 0217273 343.6852 15.7328 12.79719887153606
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23101.55159986 .00000926 00000-0 31554-3 0 9992
2 50466 98.5527 183.3069 0003789 355.8028   4.3127 14.38817071 67771
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23088.05176028 -.00000003 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991
2 53106 70.1795 347.5677 0008286 204.3079 155.7190 6.42557135 16603
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23101.57913368 .00015668 00000-0 90579-3 0 9993
2 54684 97.5507 239.7332 0014390 200.1989 292.6299 15.12279304 18605

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Friday, April 14, 2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 15 ARLD015
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 13, 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.

TIMOR-LESTE, 4W. A group of operators are QRV as 4W1A until April 22. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8. QSL via DJ4MX.

UGANDA, 5X. Eddy, OE3SEU is QRV as 5XA1J. Activity is on the HF bands and on Satellite QO-100. QSL via LoTW.

MALDIVES, 8Q. Mike, OE3MZC, Laryssa, OE3YLR, Barbara, OE3YCB and Florian, OE3FTA are QRV as 8Q7BZ, 8Q7FZ, 8Q7LZ, and 8Q7MZ, respectively, from Rakeedhoo Island, IOTA AS-013, until April 29. Activity is holiday style on the HF bands and on Satellite QO-100. QSL to home calls.

CROATIA, 9A. Special event callsign 9A23WARD is QRV until April 30 to bring attention to World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via 9A3JB.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 9Y. Special event callsign 9Y4WARD is QRV from Trinidad, IOTA SA-011, until April 18 to commemorate World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via LoTW.

BAHRAIN, A9. Special event station A91WARD is QRV until April 18 to bring attention to World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via EC6DX.

SOUTH COOK ISLAND, E5. Janusz, SP9FIH and Leszek, SP6CIK are QRV as E51WEG and E51CIK, respectively, from Rarotonga, IOTA OC-013, until April 28. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8. QSL to home calls.

SAUDI ARABIA, HZ. Special event station HZ1WARD is QRV until April 18 to commemorate World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via HZ1SAR.

SURINAME, PZ. Look for Rico, PZ5JW to be QRV in the CQ Manchester Mineira CW DX contest. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters. QSL via EA5GL.

PALAU, T8. Ichiro, JH7IPR is QRV as T88UW from Koror, IOTA OC-009, until April 20. Activity is on the HF bands with a focus on 12, 10, and 6 meters, using CW and FT8. This includes being an entry in the CQ Manchester Mineira CW DX contest. QSL to home call.

GUATEMALA, TG. Dante, TG9ADM will be QRV in the CQ Manchester Mineira CW DX contest. Activity will be on 80 meters. QSL via EA5GL.

AUSTRALIA, VK. Special event station VI6ONE is QRV until April 18 to bring attention to the 2023 Scouts Western Australia's Jamboree style One Camp. QSL via operators' instructions.

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLAND, VP2V. Seth, KD9TAW will be QRV as VP2V/KD9TAW from Tortola, IOTA NA-023, from April 17 to 22. Activity will be on 40 to 10 meters using SSB and FT8. QSL via LoTW.

LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS, VU7. Operators YL2GM and VU2CDP will be QRV as VU7W from Kavaratti Island, IOTA AS-011, from April 15 to 29. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL via YL2GN.

ALBANIA, ZA. Burkhard, DL3KZA is QRV as ZA/DL3KZA until April 17. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using FT8. QSL to home call.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. ARRL SSB Rookie Roundup, NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint, K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, Holyland DX Contest, Worked All Provinces of China SSB DX Contest, YU DX Contest, Dutch PACCdigi Contest, CQ Manchester Mineira CW DX Contest, Nebraska QSO Party, Texas State Parks on the Air, Michigan QSO Party, Feld Hell Sprint, Ontario QSO Party, North Dakota QSO Party, Quebec QSO Party and the Run for the Bacon CW QRP Contest will certainly keep contesters busy this upcoming weekend.

The K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, ICWC Medium Speed CW Test, OK1WC CW Memorial, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, The ZL 80-Meter Sprint, 222 MHz Spring Sprint, Phone Weekly Test, A1Club AWT, CWops Test, VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest, Mini-Test 40, Mini-Test 80 and the RSGB 80-Meter Club SSB Championship are all on tap for April 17 to 19.

Please see April QST, page 69, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest web sites for details.

The information generated in this report is derived from QSOs uploaded to Club Log. To improve quality, only QSOs that have QSLs confirmed are considered. Certain logs, including SWLs and SKs, are excluded. The most wanted charts are rebuilt once per month, on average, but it can take up to a year for expeditions to influence the rankings as only confirmed QSOs are considered.

Rank	Prefix	Entity Name
1.	P5	DPRK (NORTH KOREA)
2.	3Y/B	BOUVET ISLAND
3.	FT5/W	CROZET ISLAND
4.	BS7H	SCARBOROUGH REEF
5.	CE0X	SAN FELIX ISLANDS
6.	BV9P	PRATAS ISLAND
7.	KH7K	KURE ISLAND
8.	KH3	JOHNSTON ISLAND
9.	3Y/P	PETER 1 ISLAND
10.	FT/G	GLORIOSO ISLAND
11.	FT5/X	KERGUELEN ISLAND
12.	YV0	AVES ISLAND
13.	VK0M	MACQUARIE ISLAND
14.	ZS8	PRINCE EDWARD & MARION ISLANDS
15.	KH4	MIDWAY ISLAND
16.	PY0S	SAINT PETER AND PAUL ROCKS
17.	PY0T	TRINDADE & MARTIM VAZ ISLANDS
18.	KP5	DESECHEO ISLAND
19.	VP8S	SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS
20.	KH5	PALMYRA & JARVIS ISLANDS

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Completes 50th Flight

Ingenuity at Airfield D: This image of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument of the
Perseverance rover on June 15, 2021, the 114th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS.

The RSGB’s Annual General Meeting will be held online on Saturday, 15 April 2023.

Over the Easter 2023 weekend, the RSGB will release two more presentations from its 2022 Convention.

Don’t miss out—subscribe to the RSGB YouTube channel so you will be alerted when each presentation is available!

Ofcom has published a statement on its proposed Plan of Work for the year 2023 to 2024.

The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will be closed on Monday, 17 April 2023 for an essential upgrade to the radio equipment.

The following is a QST. A difficult DXpedition takes on a humanitarian goal. The ITU opens an area office in India -- and hams in Australia celebrate the solar eclipse. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2371 comes your way right now.

Our top story this week takes us to a foreboding uninhabitable granite islet in the North Atlantic Ocean, where a trio of DXpeditioners are just weeks away from activating that site. They hope to set a world record while turning that desolate location into a symbol of hope. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us about their plans.

When they land on Rockall Island in a few weeks, Emil Bergmann, DL8JJ, Nobby Styles, GØVJG, and expedition lead Cam Cameron hope to be the third DXpedition team to activate the island and they will use MMØUKI [Pron: Em Em Zero You Kay Eye] as their callsign. They hope that their planned 50- or 60-day stay starting in June will break the current world record of 46 days on the British territory set in 2014 by Scottish adventurer Nick Hancock. Rockall is one of the world's most wanted Islands on the Air and bears the designation EU-189.

The team isn't just looking to set a record: With donations and sponsorship and the team members' own investment in the trip, they are looking to raise £50,000 for charities: The Army Benevolent Fund and Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity. These charities assist veterans and their families as well as the families of serving personnel.

This challenging journey to a remote spot 230 miles west of Scotland and 430 miles south of Iceland follows DXpeditions in 2005 and 2011. Knowing that there are fewer than 400 claimed QSLs from previous DXpeditions, the team expects the airwaves to be busy.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(ROCKALL EXPEDITION WEBSITE, MARK FELTON PRODUCTIONS, QRZ)

Tornado season in the United States is again upon us. In the past week we’ve had reports of fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast, killing at least 32 people. Deadly storms also hit the central US, including Arkansas and Missouri.

Joshua Carroll, AA5JC, Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator for SKYWARN and ARES for Arkansas, reported that during the March 31st tornado in his state, 112 operators were involved in net activities during storms that brought devastation especially to the western part of Little Rock. “It wasn’t just ham radio nets, which included Echolink and All Star,” he told AR Newsline. “Our thought was ‘use what works.” His team also collected and sent reports to the National Weather Service that they received through texts, Facebook, Twitter, GMRS, and Winlink.

In talking with the Forecast Office after the event, Joshua was told, “you guys were on fire!” They indicated that three warnings were issued based on these reports. Lives were probably saved. This is another example of ham radio doing what it does best. So, until all else fails, use what works.

This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

Hams in Chicago are celebrating the journey of beloved ferry that arrived in the city from Canada 40 years ago. Oh what a family history it has! Here's Andy Morrison K9AWM.

The MV Abegweit (ABB IG WHITE) is a ferry that once made many journeys across the Northumberland Strait of Canada, It carried passengers and cargo, connecting Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Now, in modern times, it carries memories. For George Dewar, VY2GF, there are memories of its christening in Quebec in 1947 by his grandmother Katherine and its arrival in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island. For Wayne Anderson VE3UWA, it holds the memories of his childhood trips on the ferry, nicknamed the Abby, which some members of his family had worked on.

The vessel was taken out of service in the early 1980s and and in 1983 sailed to Chicago to become the new home of the Columbia Yacht Club. Hams who belong to the Columbia Yacht Club Amateur Radio Society have been making their own memories on board there for 40 years. The Abby has been involved in the club's Boats on the Air activation with operators such as Alex, KC1NBT, calling QRZ.

Perhaps the biggest memory it will be making next is the special event being planned on board the Abby. Station K9CYC will be on the air on the weekend of April 15th and 16th, marking the 40th anniversary of its arrival in Chicago. Club member Keith Klemick, KD9NEG, told Newsline that while the boat provides operators with its view of the city skyline, hams will be calling QRZ on another kind of wave.

Even as it is kept afloat by its busy future -- it will always remain buoyed by the fond memories so many recall back home on Prince Edward Island.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(GEORGE DEWAR, VY2GF; KEITH KLEMICK, KD9NEG)

Congratulations to the International Telecommunications Union which has opened an area office and innovation center in New Delhi, India. According to a report on the OSCAR India channel on YouTube, the ITU's presence in the Asia Pacific region is intended to help advance technology and improve innovation in India and across south Asia. The ITU is the specialized agency of the United Nations, dealing with information and communications technologies. The ITU's secretary-general, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, KD2JTX, was present at the opening in March.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF

(OSCAR INDIA YOUTUBE)

There will be no more satellite launch plans for Virgin Orbit, and Neil Rapp WB9VPG is here to explain why.

Virgin Orbit has shut the doors of its satellite-launch operations, laying off 675 workers after six years in business. The company said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that its inability to secure sufficient funds has made it unable to continue operating.

Created as a subsidiary of Virgin Galactic, Virgin Orbit's mission was to launch CubeSats into low earth orbit from beneath a commercial airliner that had been modified to accommodate its proprietary satellite launch system. The company did not have a history of great success with the system, known as LauncherOne.

Virgin Orbit's most recent failure was its attempt to launch a rocket on January 9th from Cornwall in the UK. The company CEO later said that the problem may have been caused by a $100 part that may have become dislodged in the second-stage engine. The launch had been a much-anticipated event for Spaceport Cornwall, which has been competing for the UK to enter the global space market by becoming a home to satellite launches.

This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(ENGADGET, NBC NEWS, FORTUNE)

On the weekend of April 8th and 9th, one of the operators in a DX contest honoring cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin will be a former cosmonaut himself. Here's more from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

You can be sure that Aleksandr Volkov, U4MIR, will be doing his best as one of the special stations in a memorial DX contest on the weekend of April 8th and 9th. Aleksandr has something in common with the pioneering cosmonaut for whom the Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest is named: He is a retired pilot and cosmonaut -- and is a former commander of the cosmonaut detachment at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia.

Other operating stations will be representing some of the places that are significant in the life of Yuri Gagarin who on April 12, 1961 became the first person to fly in space. Stations will be representing his birthplace and the site where he landed after that historic flight. Operators will also be paying tribute to the evolution of Russian space travel by operating at significant locations in the space programme's development.

The contest is being held this year in memory of Konstantin Khachaturov, RT3A, who became a Silent Key in April of 2022. Konstantin, a well-known contester and active amateur and had served as director of the contest, also known as the Gagarin Cup.

The contest website is available at the link that appears in this week's text version of Newsline at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://gccontest.ru/ ]

(DMITRI KOLENCHUK, R3GM; BRITANNICA)

Congratulations to Ria Jairam [JIE-RUM], N2RJ, who has joined the board of directors of Amateur Radio Digital Communications. She recently stepped down as director of the ARRL's Hudson Division, a post she held since 2019. Ria is also a well-known presence on social media with her own YouTube channel and hosts a week radio show on shortwave station WRMI.

(ARDC, ARRL)

This month's solar eclipse will have many hams in Australia thinking not just of the sun but the moon. John Williams VK4JJW tells us why.

When the moon passes between the Earth and the sun on the 20th of April, observers in Australia will welcome what's being called Ningaloo Eclipse, a name given to this hybrid solar eclipse from an Aboriginal word. At about that same time, amateur radio operators in Australia hope to be busy celebrating Australia's other link to the moon. They are planning to get on the air from a historic location that has ties to the Apollo 11 moon landing in July of 1969. That landing - and so many other missions - was achieved with the assistance of the NASA Carnavon and Overseas Telecommunications Commission tracking station in Western Australia.

The US and Australian government worked to establish the station, which opened in 1964 and became a vital communications link between Earth and the NASA astronauts on the Gemini and Apollo missions.

From April 17th to the 23rd, hams including Dan VK6NAD and Michael VK6TU, will be activating a site between the Casgrain Horn that was used during the mission and the 30-metre dish. They were still awaiting confirmation of the call sign they wish to use, but are hoping for approval of VI6CRO.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(WIA, ABC.NET.AU, TIME AND DATE.COM)

Throughout Australia, hams with a love of the natural world are celebrating a program that helped them combine nature and radio in that country 10 years ago. Jason Daniels VK2LAW tells us how they're doing it.

This is a big year for hams throughout Australia who are involved in the World Wide Flora and Fauna programme. The global awards scheme, which celebrates parks and other natural settings, began its regional VKFF section in Australia in March of 2013. Activators have been on the air with the special event callsign VI 10 VKFF.

According to the WWFF website, more than 80 percent of the nation's flowering plants, mammals and reptiles are unique to Australia, along with most of its freshwater fish and almost half of its birds.

Although many hams have embraced these activations because of the low high noise floor away from the home QTH, others simply want to travel around Australia and add amateur radio into a journey that helps them discovering nature.

Hams who are hunting for contacts from home rather than activating do not need to submit logs. Activators are very eager to make these contacts. Be listening for VI 10 VKFF which will be active throughout the year.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(WIA, WWFF)

An international team of Dxpeditioners is making plans to visit a coral atoll in the Pacific that hasn't been activated in 10 years. Patrick Clark K8TAC brings us up to date on their agenda.

One of the next big DXpeditions in the works is well into the planning stages by the Perseverance DX Group. It's been 10 years since a major activation has taken place on the uninhabited Clipperton Island, which carries the IOTA designation of NA-011, is a protected environmental reserve that is the only French possession in the north Pacific. Its last major activation was in 2013 - the same year the Perseverance DX Group was founded.
Next year, an international team of experienced operators will be on the island using the callsign TX5S. They expect to be on the air from the 18th of January 2024 to the 2nd of February.

Previous DXpeditions by the group have included South Orkney Island VP8PJ in 2020, Ducie Island VP6D in 2018 and Chesterfield Reef TX3X, in 2015.

This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.

(PERSEVERANCE DX GROUP)

The death of AM radio has arrived at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan. Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood announced that it will not be installing AM radios in any 2024 vehicles, both its gas-powered and electric models. He confirmed the plan to the Detroit Free Press newspaper. He said that Ford will continue to make AM radios available in its commercial vehicles because of contracts the company has. Ford's move comes amidst a push by a number of prominent lawmakers and former officials of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. Opponents of carmakers' elimination of AM radio say it is an integral part of the nation's emergency notification system.

(DETROIT FREE PRESS)

And for our final item this week, the story of a Pennsylvania ham who is still walking on air after a recent “out of this world” contact. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Mark Abramowicz (Abram-o-vich) NT3V has the details…

“Welcome to the International Space Station, over.”

And with that response from NA1SS, 73-year-old Dave Fix N3AMY from the Reading, Pennsylvania area, says he felt like an excited 8-year-old kid at Christmas as he began a specially-arranged amateur radio contact with Astronaut Nicole Mann.

It happened in the early morning hours of March 4 as the ISS orbit passed above Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania just north and west of Philadelphia for about a 6-minute window.

Fix gives a lot of credit for the contact to his long-time friend – also called Dave – who personally knows the first native American woman in space and used to vacation with her and her family many years ago.

It was Fix who suggested to Dave the idea for a ham radio contact.

His friend liked the idea so much that he quickly reached out to Nicole’s father, Howard, who proposed it to Nicole over a private family conversation channel to the ISS. She was all for it.

But Nicole didn’t get a chance to get her ham ticket before last October’s lift-off, so she needed a little assist to set it up and then initiate the contact.

“That was world-famous Koichi Wakata, Japanese astronaut that helped us make this connection, over,” Nicole explained on the 2-meter frequency reserved for the contact.

Indeed, Koichi Wakata, KI5TMN, acted as control op and Elmer for his fellow astronaut.

Fix and Dave, and his wife, Jan, were ecstatic when they heard Nicole’s voice clearly coming from the speaker over the mobile radio in the car.

Dave, the family friend, kidded Nicole about why she never blinked the lights at least once as the station passed over Pennsylvania those many times while she was aboard.

“I don’t know what you mean, Dave. I’m always rocking my wings every time I fly over PA,” Nicole joked. “You’ve got to look a little closer. Over.”

And as quickly as it began, the contact window started to fade but not before a grateful astronaut made her final transmission.

“Okay, thank you Dave Fix for helping to set this up. We really appreciate it,” she declared.

“Toodaloo, Nicole,” they responded.

“I’ll never forget this,” Fix exclaimed as he excitedly related details of the contact and shared the audio with Newsline. “I don’t think Dave and Jan will ever forget it. Nicole certainly won’t. It is once in a lifetime.”

I’m Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in Reading, PA.

Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in? 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 ABC.NET Australia; Amateur News Weekly; Amateur Radio Digital Communications; ARRL; Australia Communications and Media Authority; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; Detroit Free Press; Dmitri Kolenchuk, R3GM; DX-World.net; Engadget; FCC; 425 DX News; George Dewar, VY2GF; Keith Klemick, KD9NEG; National Public Radio; OSCAR India YouTube; QRZ.COM; Perseverance DX Group; Radio Society of Great Britain; Radio World; shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; Time and Date.com; Wireless Institute of Australia; World Wide Flora & Fauna; 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 25 ARLK025
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT April 7, 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   23097.49567484 -.00000045 00000-0 40987-5 0 9994
2 07530 101.9442 83.7060 0012068 197.4122 276.7642 12.53662997214310
0 ISS
1 25544U 98067A   23097.73647199 .00016192 00000-0 29515-3 0 9991
2 25544 51.6405 317.6357 0006641 166.0570 283.3648 15.49590445390863
0 SO-50
1 27607U 02058C   23097.55519922 .00001691 00000-0 24823-3 0 9995
2 27607 64.5535 121.4382 0074781 238.8216 120.5541 14.77069508 91791
0 AO-73
1 39444U 13066AE 23097.44058997 .00005717 00000-0 64397-3 0 9999
2 39444 97.6658 64.1382 0054876 144.3604 216.1296 14.85899889505133
0 XW-2A
1 40903U 15049E   23097.45728439 .00457075 90225-4 97281-3 0 9998
2 40903 97.1181 165.3929 0004112 179.4918 236.3215 15.98681434425234
0 IO-86
1 40931U 15052B   23096.79409533 .00001712 00000-0 14731-3 0 9990
2 40931   5.9988 236.1944 0013820   2.9222 357.1034 14.77143840406785
0 CAS-4B
1 42759U 17034B   23097.62141300 .00011575 00000-0 60066-3 0 9990
2 42759 43.0170 147.5878 0011026 358.1307 140.2615 15.16078310320928
0 CAS-4A
1 42761U 17034D   23097.50699242 .00011138 00000-0 57761-3 0 9996
2 42761 43.0161 146.7778 0011832   0.5508 135.7010 15.16123845320918
0 AO-91
1 43017U 17073E   23097.46422446 .00008685 00000-0 61964-3 0 9992
2 43017 97.6399 344.6083 0235298 302.8922 54.9847 14.85100447290689
0 PO-101
1 43678U 18084H   23097.56357165 .00003204 00000-0 31252-3 0 9993
2 43678 98.0085 240.1675 0010309 41.7982 318.4010 14.93152646241723
0 QO-100
1 43700U 18090A   23096.53727928 .00000152 00000-0 00000-0 0 9993
2 43700   0.0151 238.8786 0001249 160.1530 14.7746 1.00274767 15961
0 JO-97
1 43803U 18099AX 23097.15717452 .00006507 00000-0 52777-3 0 9997
2 43803 97.5764 161.5866 0013349 356.3622   3.7502 14.99929637237040
0 CAS-6
1 44881U 19093C   23097.49229825 .00001694 00000-0 21807-3 0 9990
2 44881 97.8637 177.1484 0013831 312.7352 47.2682 14.82351025178329
0 RS-44
1 44909U 19096E   23097.31171813 .00000014 00000-0 12893-4 0 9999
2 44909 82.5254 35.0336 0217469 353.0108   6.7973 12.79719716153093
0 XW-3
1 50466U 21131B   23097.51817810 .00001008 00000-0 34236-3 0 9991
2 50466 98.5530 179.2861 0004041   9.0206 351.1054 14.38809219 67190
0 IO-117
1 53106U 22080B   23088.05176028 -.00000003 00000-0 00000-0 0 9991
2 53106 70.1795 347.5677 0008286 204.3079 155.7190 6.42557135 16603
0 FO-118
1 54684U 22167C   23097.53031170 .00017101 00000-0 99159-3 0 9992
2 54684 97.5493 235.7283 0014060 215.0379 210.0355 15.12157118 17998

Keplerian bulletins are transmitted twice weekly from W1AW.

The next scheduled transmission of these data will be Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 2330z on Baudot and BPSK31.

DX Bulletin 14 ARLD014
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT April 6, 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.

AZERBAIJAN, 4K. Rashad, 4J9M is QRV with special event stations 4J100TC and 4K100TC in celebration of the 100th anniversary of neighboring Turkey. QSL both calls via DJ9RI.

ALGERIA, 7X. The Amateurs Radio Algeriens national organization is QRV with special call sign 7T60ARA until April 23 to celebrate the organization's 60th anniversary. QSL via bureau.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, A6. Stathis, SV5DKL is QRV as A65SV from Dubai mostly during contests. QSL via LoTW.

EASTER ISLAND, CE0. George, CE0YHF is QRV from Isla de Pascua for the rest of the month. He is active mostly on 12, 10, and 6 meters with QRP power using CW, FT8, and FT4. QSL via operator's instructions.

PORTUGAL, CT. Special event station CQ7HS4A will be QRV from April 11 to 25 in commemoration of World Amateur Radio Day. Activity will be on all bands and modes. QSL via CT1REP.

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, DA. Special call sign DR0LIMES is QRV until June 30 to commemorate German World Heritage Day. QSL via operators' instructions.

REUNION ISLAND, FR. Thierry, FY4JI plans to be QRV as FR/FY4JI from April 9 to 23. QSL via EA5GL.

THAILAND, HS. Brad, VK2BY is QRV as HS0ZNR until April 28. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters. QSL direct to home call.

MINAMI TORISHIMA, JD1. Take, JG8NQJ/JD1 has been active on 15 meters using CW around 2100z. QSL via JA8CJY.

NORWAY, LA. The Akademisk Radioklubb LA1K celebrates its 100th anniversary with the call sign LA100K throughout 2023. QSL via LA1K.

DENMARK, OZ. Special event station 5P0WARD will be QRV from April 11 to 25 as part of World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via OZ1ACB.

WEST KIRIBATI, T30. Members of the Rebel DX Group, including Kam, T33KC, are QRV as T30UN from Tarawa, IOTA OC-017, for about five weeks from the beginning of April. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, with multiple stations using FT8 in DXpedition mode. QSL via Club Log.

UZBEKISTAN, UK. Tulkin, UK8FAI has been active using SSB on 20 meters around 0100z. QSL direct to home call.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, VP5. John, W0UV is QRV as VP5/W0UV from Providenciales, IOTA NA-002, until April 11. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using FT8. QSL via LoTW.

INDIA, VU. The Indian Radio Amateur Organization is QRV as AU40NRO until June 30 to celebrates the club's 40th anniversary. QSL via VU2NRO.

MEXICO, XE. Enri, XE2AA will be QRV as XF3O from Cozumel Island, IOTA BA-090, from April 9 to 15. QSL via IT9EJW.

SERBIA, YU. Members of the Serbia Amateur Radio Union of Vojvodina are QRV with special call YU75SRV until December 31, 2023 to celebrate the club's 75th anniversary. QSL via operators' instructions.

SOUTH SUDAN, Z8. Diya, YI1DZ is QRV as Z81D from Juba until April 22. Activity is in his spare time on the HF bands using FT8. QSL via OM3JW.

ALBANIA, ZA. Burkhard, DL3KZA is QRV as ZA/DL3KZA from Vlora until April 17. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using FT8. QSL direct to home call.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The Japan International DX CW Contest, IG-RY World Wide RTTY Contest, NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint, K1USN Slow Speed CW Test, QRP ARCI Spring CW QSO Party, SKCC Weekend CW Sprintathon, OK/OM DX SSB Contest, DIG QSO CW Party, New Mexico QSO Party, Georgia QSO Party, Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest, WAB 3.5/7/14 MHz Data Modes and the Hungarian 80-Meter Straight Key CW Contest will keep contesters busy this upcoming weekend.

The 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint, K1USN Slow Speed Test, ICWC Medium Speed CW Test, DARC Easter Contest, OK1WC CW Memorial, 144 MHz Spring Sprint, Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest, ZL 80-Meter CW Sprint, NAQCC CW Sprint, Phone Weekly Test, A1Club AWT, CWops Test, VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest, Mini-Test 40 and the Mini-Test 80 are on tap for April 10 to 12.

Please see April QST, page 69, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest web sites for details.

There's an invisible monster on the loose, barrelling through intergalactic space so fast that if it were in our solar system it could travel from Earth to the Moon in 14 minutes

This supemassive black hole, weighing as much as 20 million Suns, has left behind a never-before seen 200,000-light-year-long "contrail" of newborn stars, twice the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy. It's likely the result of a rare, bizarre game of galactic billiards among three massive black holes.

This is an artist's impression of a runaway supermassive black hole that was ejected from its host galaxy as a result of a tussle between it and two other black holes.
As the black hole plows through intergalactic space it compresses tenuous gas in front to it. This precipitates the birth of hot blue stars.
This illustration is based on Hubble Space Telescope observations of a 200,000-light-year-long "contrail" of stars behind an escaping black hole.
Credits: NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)

'Stunning' NASA star photo could hold clues to origin of human life

Friday 7th April 2023

Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is a supernova remnant located about 11,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia.
(NASA, ESA, CSA, D. D. Milisavljevic (Purdue), T. Temim (Princeton), I. De Looze (Ghent University). Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI).)

NASA's telescope captured a "stunning" image of a star exploding and scientists say the secrets in its dust could help humans understand where we came from.

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