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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2290 for Friday September 17th, 2021
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2290 with a release date of Friday September 17th, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Tokyo's ham fair is cancelled because of COVID.
A special event station marks a birthday for a Voice of America station
-- and 1,000 new parks join the POTA program. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2290 comes your way right now.
***
BILLBOARD CART
**
COVID SPURS CANCELLATION OF TOKYO HAM FAIR
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the cancellation of Tokyo Ham
Fair 2021, the world's largest ham radio event. Yoshinori Takao,
JG1KTC, chairman of the Japan Amateur Radio League, announced that JARL
had been committed to holding the ham fair as planned on October 2nd
and 3rd using extreme preventative measures against COVID-19 but new
waves of infection made it necessary to call everything off. He
expressed hope for better chances in 2022. The 2020 ham fair was also
called off due to the pandemic. According to the JARL website, more
than 42,000 people attended the fair in 2019 over the course of two
days.
(JARL)
**
IARU REGION 3 OPTS FOR VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
NEIL/ANCHOR: The IARU Region 3 is also responding to the pandemicâ-"by
holding its first digital regional conference. Jason Daniels VK2LAW
brings us that story.
JASON: The IARU Region 3 Conference kicks off on September 20th and for
its hosting organisation, RAST, it was supposed to be three days of
business and fellowship in Bangkok, Thailand. It will instead be held digitally: a first for Region 3, but a necessary response to the
extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. RAST's president,
Jack Hantongkom, HS1FVL, writes on the conference website: [quote] "We
are excited about the opportunities of holding an innovative virtual conference." [endquote] As such, the member societies will still meet
in working groups to deal with technical, operational and policy
matters, typical of any such conference except that this, the 18th
regional conference, will take place on the Zoom platform. The
tentative list of participants on the conference website includes
attendees from ORARI, the Indonesian amateur radio society; the Chinese
Taipei Amateur Radio League; the Chinese Radio Amateurs Club; the
American Radio Relay League and the Malaysian Amateur Radio
Transmitters Society, among others. Jack writes further: [quote] "This conference will bring us together at what is a very difficult time for
us all. " [endquote]
For full details of the conference go to the URL given in this weeks
script at arnewsline.org
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:
https://www.iarur3conf2021.org/ ]
(IARU REGION 3)
**
AMSAT SYMPOSIUM MOVES FROM HOTEL INTO VIRTUAL MODE
NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in the US, AMSAT has also announced a change in
plans for its 2021 Space Symposium and Annual Meeting. Originally
scheduled to take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Bloomington,
Minnesota, it will instead be held on Zoom on Saturday, October 30th
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. The program will be a mix of live
Q&A sessions and pre-recorded video segments. Registration is required
through the AMSAT member portal. AMSAT plans to make the event
available for public viewing later on its YouTube channel. AMSAT
announced the changes, citing concerns about safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(AMSAT)
**
SPACEX RECOVERY VESSELS NAMED FOR 'BOB AND DOUG'
NEIL/ANCHOR: Remember Bob and Doug? No, not the fictional McKenzie
brothers but the NASA astronauts. SpaceX is remembering them and Paul
Braun WD9GCO tells us how.
PAUL: In August of 2020, Bob Behnken KE5GGX and Doug Hurley became the
first astronauts launched aboard a crew Dragon spacecraft in a historic commercial flight. This year, Bob and Doug were to play key roles in
the splash-down stage of another history-making mission called
Inspiration4. Well....at least their namesakes were ready: Two vessels
in SpaceX's recovery fleet were named for the pair, in a nod to last
year's mission which helped signal a new era in spaceflight. The ships
bearing their names became part of the recovery fleet for Inspiration4, whichâ-"with a crew of four private citizens aboardâ-" marked the
world's first all-civilian space flight.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.
(NASA, SPACE.COM)
**
SPECIAL EVENT CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY OF VOA RELAY STATION
NEIL/ANCHOR: The "voice of freedom" transmitted its first words from
West Chester, Ohio across the ocean in September of 1944 at the
then-new Bethany Relay Station of the Voice of America. The West
Chester Amateur Radio Association WC8VOA, which calls the iconic
building its home, is celebrating the relay station's birthday this
year with a special event station on September 25th and 26th. Jocelyn
Brault KD8VRX/VA2VRX told Newsline that the club's shack is actually
the original control room for the relay station. For the special event,
be listening on 20 and 40 meters for SSB, FT8 and perhaps some CW as
well. Those making a QSO are eligible for a downloadable certificate
available 24 hours after the event.
(JOCELYN BRAULT KD8VRX/VA2VRX)
**
ULTRA-TINY BATTERY SHOWS POWER AND PROMISE
NEIL/ANCHOR: When it comes to batteries, tiny might just be the next
big thing. Kent Peterson KC0DGY explains why.
KENT: The smaller the battery, the more powerful the possibilities? The designers of a new battery technology being used in a fitness tracker
would like to think so. California-based Sila created the battery for a wristband tracker that experts say could revolutionize everyday
electronics and perhaps have implications for modes of transportation
too. For now, the ultra-tiny powerhouses are in a niche-market item, a
fitness tracker called the Whoop 4.0. According to a New York Times
article, the battery has the same lifespan as the power source used in
the previous model of that tracker but it's a whole one-third smaller.
Sila and Whoop together said the battery had potential for mass
marketing in other devices in the next couple of years. Unlike
lithium-ion batteries, which rely on the ionization and movement of
lithium atoms, these new batteries use an anode made of silicon instead
of graphite, requiring smaller space for the lithium atoms as they move
from the anode side of the battery to the cathode.
Sila and another company, QuantumScape, told the New York Times that
their batteries will likely be used in a few short years in smart
eyeglasses, electric cars and maybe even flying cars one day.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY.
(NYTIMES)
**
SILENT KEY: CHARLIE BYARS, W5GPO, LONGTIME WEATHER SPOTTER
NEIL/ANCHOR: A well-known weather-spotter and amateur radio operator in
north Texas has become a Silent Key. Randy Sly W4XJ tells us about him.
RANDY: Charlie Byars, W5GPO, took the lead in tracking severe weather
with his local Amateur Radio Emergency Services Skywarn group, which he
helped create in 1974. A licensed ham since 1959, Charlie died Sunday, September 12th. Devoted to alerting people in Archer and Wichita
counties about dangerous weather, Charlie was a part of the crucial
information network in operation on April 20th, 1979, when a deadly
tornado swept through the region, killing 40 people and destroying
thousands of homes.
Over the years Charlie's commitment to weather reporting found him in
numerous roles, including ARES district coordinator for eight counties. According to a report in the Times Record News of Wichita Falls, he was
also the recipient in 2005 of an award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Charlie Byars was 86.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Randy Sly W4XJ.
(THE WICHITA FALLS TIMES-RECORD NEWS)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the D-Star Reflector 91-C in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday nights
at 7:30 local time.
**
REPLICA TRANSMITTER BEING PREPPED FOR DECEMBER EVENT
NEIL/ANCHOR: Big plans are being made to mark the day radio amateurs
proved they could send signals across the Atlantic. Jack Parker W8ISH
tells us what's happening.
JACK: December 11th, 1921 was a significant day for amateur radio: It
was the day of the Transatlantic Test Project, when hams' shortwave
frequencies showed themselves to be capable of transatlantic radio communications, even at 200 meters or less. The experimental
transmission of station 1BCG, using a tube-based transmitter, was
conducted by the Radio Club of America on 1.3 MHz and resulted in
successful reception in Scotland.
One hundred years later, December 11th, 2021 will be an equally
significant day. A replica of that transmitter will be used to re-enact
that CW transmission on 160 meters not far from the spot in Connecticut
from which the original CW transmission was sent. Longtime Antique
Wireless Association member Bob Raide, W2ZM, now a Silent Key, (SK)
built the replica for a special event 25 years ago. AWA volunteers have
spent lots of time lately refurbishing it, wiring a plate supply,
building a filament power supply and sorting out usable tubes.
For a day that comes along once every hundred years, radio
operatorsâ-"and the transmitterâ-"need to be ready.
AWA trustee, Joe Stoltz, K2AEI, told Newsline: [quote] "We have had the transmitter powered up and are able to get 350 watts RF on 160 meters
with one amplifier tube. The next step is to construct a 160 meter
antenna so we can do some actual on-air testing before December."
[endquote] Then be listening for the contact of the century.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jack Parker W8ISH.
(ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION, JOE STOLTZ K2AEI)
**
US, UK STATIONS ALSO MARK TRANSATLANTIC ANNIVERSARY
NEIL/ANCHOR: Some equally important modern-day contacts are being
planned for the big anniversary and they involve radio societies in the
US and the UK. Here's Jeremy Boot G4NJH with those details.
JEREMY: The Radio Society of Great Britain also has big plans for the
centenary of the first transatlantic personal message between radio
amateurs. Nick Totterdell, G4FAL, the society's HF contest committee
chairman, told Newsline that the ARRL and RSGB members are organising a
number of activities surrounding the anniversary. There will also be a Transatlantic QSO Party to be held on the 13th and 14th of November,
being sponsored by the Radio Club of America. Nick said other
activities will be disclosed soon on the society's website and will
appear in the society's RadCom magazine. The society is hoping to
maximise participation in the US and the UK and increase worldwide
awareness of this achievement 100 years ago.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
**
POTA ADDS MORE THAN 1,000 PARKS TO ITS SYSTEM
NEIL/ANCHOR: If you activate or even chase Parks on the Air, you'll
want to hear the first of this new monthly POTA report from Vance
Martin N3VEM.
VANCE: This month in Parks on the Air news we have two exciting updates
to share with everybody. Our first: We are excited to announce that we
have recently added over 1,000 parks to the Parks on the Air System.
For the last several months we've had a small contingent of volunteers
combing through user requests to add additional parks, validating that
those requested parks meet the criteria for inclusion in POTA and
formatting the list so they can be added to the system. After hundreds
of volunteer hours the lists are now in the system and ready for you to
go activate. Check out the maps and search pages at the POTA.APP
website to see if any of these new units are in your area.
Also in POTA news, we are excited to share that we are formalizing a
Parks on the Air support desk. You can always continue to get community
support via the Facebook group or via the POTA Help Channel in the POTA
Slack Group. But we have a small group of volunteers who have agreed to
be on a rotating schedule to help you with your official technical
support questions. To reach the official POTA support desk, all you
need to do is send an email to
help@parksontheair.com
We have coverage for most days of the week so you will usually get a
response within 24 hours but no worse than 48 hours based on our
volunteers' schedules. We won't solve every problem that fast but
you'll know that we're on it. Issues requiring Level 2 support are
generally resolved within the week.
This is N3VEM. Be sure to visit Parks On the Air dot com for more info
about the program and POTA.APP for spotting, park information,
leaderboards and more.
(VANCE MARTIN, N3VEM, POTA)
**
WORLD OF DX In the world of DX, Dom, 3Z9DX, will be on Conway Reef west
of Fiji activating as a one-man DXpedition to this, the 41st most
wanted DXCC entity. Dom, who belongs to the Rebel DX Group, expects to
be on the air by the 17th of September and will be using the callsign
3D2CR. Be listening on 160 through 6 meters where he will be using CW,
SSB and FT8/FT4 for about a two-week period. See QRZ.COM for QSL
details.
Kiyo, JA7NQQ, is on the air from Katmandu, Nepal as 9N7NQ until the
23rd of September. This is not a DXpedition so he will be operating
only during his free time, likely 23:00 to 0100 UTC and 12:00 to 15:00
UTC). Be listening on 40 to 10m where he will be using mostly FT8 mode.
His QSL information is at QRZ.com.
Brian, N3OC, and Bud, AA3B, are on Antigua operating as V26OC and V26K, respectively, until September 20th. Be listening on the HF bands and
6m. QSL via their home callsigns, LoTW or Club Log OQRS.
Mike, VK4DX, will be on the air from Russell Island OC-137 between
September 23rd and the 26th, operating on 40-15m. He will be using CW,
FT8 and SSB.
Bo, OZ1DJJ, is active as OX3LX from Greenland until the 21st of
September, operating on the low bands with a vertical antenna. Send
QSLs via OZ0J. (Oh Zed Zero Jay)
(DX-WORLD.NET)
**
KICKER: WITH CW, IT'S NO SPEED? NO PROBLEM!
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our final story is a retelling of the old fable that "slow
and steady wins the race." For one Australian club, it's especially
true for fans of CW. Graham Kemp VK4BB picks up the story....slowly.
GRAHAM: The Peel Amateur Radio Group believes there's no business like
Slow Business, especially when it comes to CW. The club, based on
Mandurah, Western Australia, has been on a mission to get CW to
flourish among its newest members and to rekindle the keyers of
oldtimers among them. They credit one member, Tony VK6DQ, with leading
the charge through his nighttime coaching sessions. The club itself has
already run a pair of Slow CW contests on 80 metres this year for
members and nonmembers alike. The third event, on Saturday September
18th, extends the competition throughout all of the Oceania region.
It's actually not a competition at all. It's about being friendly and.....Taking. Your. Time. In fact, downloadable guidelines on the
club's website tell readers [quote] "You'll make mistakes and
you'll hear others making mistakes while they're learning too -
relax, have fun and don't sweat the small stuff!" [endquote]
It's not that the club is in any big rush to find slow sendersâ-"but
members DO want to encourage the slowest of the slow to get in on the
action. In fact, members David Millett VK6FAAZ and Mark Bosma
VK2KI/VK6QI have written in a Facebook post: [quote] "Please give it a
go, no matter how bad you think you are, it's all about having a go and
having some fun." [endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB.
(PEEL AMATEUR RADIO GROUP)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to AMSAT; the Antique Wireless
Association; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.Net;
IARU; Japan Amateur Radio League; Joe Stoltz K2AEI; NASA; NY Times;
Ohio Penn DX; Peel Amateur Radio Group; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great Britain; the SOTA Reflector; Southgate Amateur Radio News;
shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; Wichita
Falls Times-Record News; WTWW Shortwave; and you our listeners, that's
all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at
newsline@arnewsline.org. For more information or to support us visit
our official website at arnewsline.org.
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 2021. All rights reserved.
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