XPost: rec.radio.amateur.misc, rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.info

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2382 for Friday June 23rd, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2382 with a release date of Friday
June 23rd, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams get on the air as a cyclone hits India;
the FCC's systems go back online -- and get ready to chase the 13
Colonies Special Event stations. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2382 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
HAMS MOBILIZE TO ASSIST DURING CYCLONE BIPARJOY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to India where hams played a
crucial role in public safety and communication as a cyclone enveloped
the region. More on that from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: Amateur radio operators in western India were deployed and kept on
high alert as Cyclone Biparjoy closed in on the western shore near the
port of Jakhau on Thursday, June 15th, tearing roofs off houses and
leaving thousands without power.

Local news reports from the Indian state of Gujarat said that the
state's Disaster Management Authority responded to power outages and
other damage by deploying six ham radio teams, two of them in the
district near the port of Jakhau, as well as a number of mobile units.
Pakistan and India had already moved an estimated 173,000 people to
shelters in preparation for the storm's arrival.

The deadly cyclone killed at least two people in India before weakening
and heading toward Pakistan's southern coastal areas. The name of the
Cyclone - Biparjoy (Bipper Joy) - means "disaster" in Bengali.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS, TIMES OF INDIA)

**
FCC REPORTS ITS ULS BACK ONLINE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the United States, the FCC reported an end to the
long shutdown of some of its systems, much to the relief of hams and
others needing to file documents. Paul Braun WD9GCO brings us that
report.

PAUL: The Federal Communications Commission's nearly month-long outage
of its Universal Licensing System and related systems has ended. The
systems came back on line, on a limited basis, on Wednesday, June 21st.
A public announcement by the FCC alerted users to the remaining
unavailability of the systems' query download function, which permits
search results to be saved as text files.

The shutdown put the brakes on amateur radio filings and other FCC
applications that were facing immediate deadlines, causing widespread frustration and much wider speculation as to the cause behind the
shutdown. The FCC's public announcement did not address the cause and
despite repeated requests from Amateur Radio Newsline to clarify what
had occurred, the agency referred only to the announcement on its
website. The announcement cited [quote] "technical issues." [endquote]
It was not possible to determine specifically where those issues
occurred - or why they occurred - and whether there had been a security
breach or if any presumed built-in redundancies failed to operate
properly.

The FCC said it has provided deadline extensions for filings that were
affected by the shutdown and that it expects high traffic on its
systems in the days to come. Those ULS applications that were impacted
will not need to pay waiver fees, seek waivers or provide any special attachments.

The FCC said that the deadline extensions and other relief measures
only apply to those filings between the outage period of June 9th to
June 29th.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.

(FCC)

**
WRTC GAINS SUPPORT FROM ITALIAN OFFICIALS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The World Radiosport Team Championship, which is about
to open shortly near Bologna, Italy, has gained the official patronage
and support of the Ministry of Enterprises and the Made in Italy
initiative. The competition is being held in a region of Italy known as
an economic engine because of the strength of its business ventures in technology and craftsmanship. This recognition adds a much-needed
boost, following the devastating floods that swept through the region, challenging the organizers of the event which takes place July 4th
through July 11th.

(WRTC 2022 REFLECTOR)

**

13 COLONIES OPERATING EVENT MARKS 15th YEAR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: It's a historic milestone for an on-air event that
celebrates America's revolutionary past. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz (Abram-o-vich) NT3V, has the story.

MARK: It's back and marking its 15th year on the ham bands.

It's the annual 13 Colonies Special Event running this year from July 1
to July 7.

Bob Josuweit WA3PZO is coordinator for WM3PEN, a special call sign
activated from the "Cradle of Liberty" in Philadelphia.

"It's a relatively easy event for many people to operate," Josuweit
explains. "It's making contact with one or more of the 13 special event stations in each of the 13 colonies.

"Plus, we've added over the years three bonus stations - WM3PEN in Philadelphia, GB13COL in England and, recently, TM13COL in France."

Josuweit says activity during the 13 Colonies Special Event has been
climbing rapidly in recent years and there are some occasional pile-ups
so you may need a little patience and persistence to get through.

"Last year we were well over a quarter million contacts for all the
stations combined," he recalls. "And, for WM3PEN, back in 2013 I
believe it was we were just around 3,000 contacts. Last year, we were
closer to 13,000."

There's a special certificate offered to operators working the event.
And each of the groups running stations in the original 13 colonies has
special QSL cards tied to this year's theme surrounding the signers of
the Declaration of Independence.

"We'll be on all modes at different times, using HF and satellites.
There will even be some SSTV," Josuweit advises. "The best thing to do
is watch the various spotting networks such as DX Summit. There's a 13
Colonies Facebook page which people can monitor as well."

Josuweit says you don't have to be a contester to work the stations. He
says the operators at each station realize how much interest there is.
Many, Josuweit says, will be operating long hours, even on the Fourth
of July holiday, to make sure every station they can work gets into the
log.

For a link to the group's website <PRINT ONLY: DO NOT READ: http://www.13colonies.us/> go to the text version of this story
published on our website, arnewsline.org.

I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V.

**
SATELLITE ENTHUSIASTS ENCOURAGED TO TAKE THE 'LEDSAT' CHALLENGE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The challenge is on - are you up to it? The European
Space Agency and S5Lab (pronounced: Ess Five Lab) are inviting hams
around the world to get involved in making a special contact through
the digipeater of an educational CubeSat known as LEDSAT. Neil Rapp
WB9VPG tells us how to get involved.

NEIL: LEDSAT, an LED CubeSat developed by university students in Rome
with assistance from AMSAT Italia, was created primarily to demonstrate
an LED-based payload to be used with ground-based optical tracking.
Starting on June 26th and through to July 30th, it takes on a secondary purpose: It is part of a challenge to hams that will win them the prize
of a personalized QSL card designed just for this competition. Hams are
being asked to send a digital message via satellite to PI9ESA, the
ground station of the ESA's Education Office. The CubeSat follows a sun-synchronous orbit and its digipeater will be activated at certain
times. It has two communication windows, one around midday and one at
midnight. Operators will be based at the ESA ground station to copy the messages. Hams are encouraged to use their preferred pass-prediction
software to assist in the contact.

LEDSAT's digipeater has the ability to store and forward digital
messages with a delay of up to two days.

For details about frequencies being used and other procedures of the
operation, visit the ESA website at esa dot int (esa.int) and search
for LEDSAT.

The challenge was organized to celebrate the launch of LEDSAT in August
of 2021.

(EUROPEAN SPACE AGENY, S5LAB, AMSAT NEWS)

**
BUSINESSMAN AND ALMA MATER'S HAM CLUB SHARE A MILESTONE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The chief executive officer of iFixit, a business that
provides toolkits and repair guides for do-it-yourselfers,
distinguished himself on the California campus of his alma mater
recently. Kyle Wiens [WEENS], who graduated from California Polytechnic
State University, took his ham radio license exam under the watchful
eye of volunteer examiners from the Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club, W6BHZ.
He passed, becoming the newest licensee - number 2,000, It was a
different kind of graduation for Kyle, who founded his company with a
friend in a campus dorm room in 2003 while he was still a student at
Cal Poly.

Six years later - in 2009, the on-campus amateur radio club began
offering license exams for students and the public.

According to an article on the club's website, Kyle wasn't the only one
from iFixit to claim newfound status as a licensee. Several members of
the iFixit team were also there and passed - right along with the boss.

(W6BHZ.ORG, iFIXIT WEBSITE)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the KD2SL repeater in Syracuse, New York at 8 p.m., following the
Monday Night Hobby and Information Net.

**
JAPAN'S HAM FAIR 2023 RETURNS TO TOKYO VENUE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Japan's Ham Fair, continues to be the largest Hamfest
in the world and the Japan Amateur Radio League has high hopes that at
the 2023 event visitors will enjoy a new era in amateur radio this
coming August. In fact, that new era is the very theme of the two-day
event - August 20th and 21st - at Tokyo's Big Sight Convention Center.

This will be the 45th year for the league's ham fair, which was
cancelled in 2021 due to concerns about the pandemic.

Before Japan's HamFair however the weekend of the release of this
newscast, Europe's largest Hamfest, the 46th HAM RADIO event in
Friedrichshafen was getting underway in the new messe (Pron: Mess Ah)
expo centre.

(JARL, WIA)
**
FCC POLICY RESPONDS TO GROWTH IN WIDEBAND DEVICES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Washington, D.C., the FCC's policy on wideband
devices has once again responded to changes in the market. We have
details from Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

KENT: The FCC's policy concerning ultra-wideband devices appears to be broadening to allow for expanded growth in the way the technology is
used, according to a recent report.

A June 13th posting written by Venable LLC and posted on the website JDSupra.com noted that the agency granted a waiver of Part 15 rules to
the Schlage Lock Company LLC to enable the security firm to put one of
its ultra-wideband home security locks on the market. The report said
it was the first waiver of its kind to be granted this year but the
action appears to show that the FCC is continuing on a 20-year
trajectory to relax its permissions for ultra-wideband technology.
Nearly 20 such waivers have been granted over the years for this
unlicensed use of low power RF signals, generally employed for security
uses, medical imaging and even robotic lawn mowers. The Schlage company
made the request on behalf of its smart residential door locks which
make use of ultra-wideband signals in combination with Bluetooth.

The website's report notes that the Commission bases its approval of a
waiver request if it determines that licensed radio services would not
face harmful interference when such a device is in use. The
Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology concluded that there
was a low likelihood of harmful interference in this case, especially
with transmissions taking place in a small space relatively close to
the ground.

The Venable article did say, however, that the FCC has not indicated it
was considering a policy change or any kind of overall update for ultra-wideband technologies.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(VENABLE, LLC)

**
JOIN NEWSLINE'S HAIKU CHALLENGE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Are you enjoying Newsline's weekly ham radio haiku?
Join our challenge! We're inviting listeners to share the joy of
amateur radio in the form of a haiku. On our website, arnewsline.org,
you will find a submission form for sending your most creative
offering. Be sure you follow the traditional form to qualify: The first
line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables and the
finishing third line has another five syllables. Be sure to match that
format to qualify.

Our team will pick from the best submissions that follow the 5/7/5
syllable rule and represent the love of amateur radio. Your prize?
Bragging rights -- and a featured spot for your haiku on the Amateur
Radio Newsline website. Meanwhile, visit our website at arnewsline.org
to see this week's winning haiku.

**
RSGB SEEKS IDEAS FOR NATIONAL CODING WEEK

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In amateur radio, there's Code, as in Morse Code, and
then there's coding, the kind of coding some hams use in programming
for their equipment. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us how the Radio Society
of Great Britain has big plans for newcomers to coding.

JEREMY: Ham radio learning has been transformed by the BBC Micro:bit
and the Arduino and hams attracted to the kind of coding involved are
rapidly gaining enthusiasm. The Radio Society of Great Britain is
preparing for National Coding Week, which takes place during the third
week of September and is looking for volunteers who can help develop
activities to encourage newcomers to coding - newcomers of all ages -to
explore this new experience. The RSGB will be putting an extra emphasis
on coding skills during the third week of September and hopes hams will
offer some creative approaches for amateurs of all ages. If you have an
idea, please contact John Hislop, G7OHO, of the Exam and Syllabus
Review Group. You can find his email in the text version of this week's Newsline script.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[JOHN'S EMAIL: g7oho@rsgb.org.uk ]

(RSGB)

**
AUSTRALIAN AMATEUR GROUP MARKS 100 YEARS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Australia, hams who belong to one radio group know
that a lot has happened in the last 100 years - and they're celebrating
all those years, for a good reason. John Williams VK4JJW tells us what
it's all about.

JOHN: Congratulations to the Ballarat Amateur Radio Group, VK3BML,
which is marking its 100th anniversary with a month-long on-the-air
event. It was big news in June of 1923 when the Ballarat Star newspaper announced the formation of a ham radio group and informed readers of
its first general meeting on the 23rd of June. At the time, the
organisation was identified as the Ballarat Amateur Radio Club. Under
the leadership of Ben Daniel, VK3NRD, the members themselves are not
certain how the original ham groups may have changed, especially with
the slight difference in its name, and they continue to research their
history. Meanwhile, members are celebrating their cententary. There is
no special event callsign but hams around the world are being asked to
listen for individual stations from Ballarat in the state of Victoria, Australia and share in the special occasion.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(BALLARAT AMATEUR RADIO GROUP, WIA)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for Dave, W9DR, on the air as
VP2V/W9DR from Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, IOTA number
NA-023, from the 23rd to the 29th of June. He is using FT8, Q65, SSB
and CW on 6m only. QSL direct to his home call.

Be listening for Ken, K4ZW, and Bob, W9XY, operating with the callsign
ET3AA, the Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society's club station at the Addis
Ababa University's Institute of Technology from June 19th to the 29th.
They will be using CW, SSB and FT8 on 6 metres and all HF bands except
for 80 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

In the Amami Islands, IOTA number AS-023, Masa, JF3ELH, will be using
the callsign JF3ELH/6 for CW and SSB and will be using the callsign
JF3ELH/p for FT 8 operations. He will be operating on 80-6 metres. QSL
via home call.

Listen for Yas, JA1QQU, on the air as KH2/JA1QQU from Guam, IOTA number
OC-026, from the 29th of June until the 4th of July. See QRZ.com for
more details.

(425 DX NEWS)

**
KICKER: SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLES SEEN AS GPS REPLACEMENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Fans of GPS - Global Positioning Satellite navigation
-might soon be feeling a little fickle about their allegiance to this
system. There's a new option in town - or there will be, soon enough.
Graham Kemp VK4BB concludes this week's report with this story about
the promises offered by a special kind of sub-atomic particle.

GRAHAM: They're known as muons, sub-atomic, high-energy particles that
always travel at the same speed. They can be found all over the Earth
and researchers at the University of Tokyo are studying these readily
available muons as the basis for wireless navigation that can also
function indoors, underwater and beneath the ground.

Hiroyuki Tanaka calls it the muometric positioning system. Unlike GPS
devices, which gather information from low-earth orbit satellites,
muometric positioning uses the reference point of muon-detecting
sensors. Researchers acknowledge that while this shows promise,
accuracy needs to be further fine-tuned before the system can be
deployed in devices such as smartphones -- but it certainly means that navigation itself could travel in a whole new direction.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(IFLSCIENCE)

**
DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

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 Daily; AMSAT News Service;
ARRL; ARISS-USA; Associated Press; Ballarat Amateur Radio Group; Cal
Poly Amateur Radio Club; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net;
eHAM.net; 425DXNews; iFixit website; IFLScience, QRZ.COM; Radio Society
of Great Britain; Radio World; shortwaveradio.de; Times of India;
Venable LLC; 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 Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio
saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio
Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)