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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2388 for Friday August 4th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2388 with a release date of Friday
August 4th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

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

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
DEADLY MUDSLIDES SPUR AMATEUR RESPONSE IN INDIA

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

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

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

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

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

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

**
FAIR RADIO SALES SHUTTING DOORS

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

(FAIR RADIO SALES, QRZ.COM)
**
SATELLITE RETURNS VIA GUIDED RE-ENTRY

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

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

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

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

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

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(BBC, THE GUARDIAN, SPACE.COM

**
SILENT KEY: TEN-TEC CO-FOUNDER JACK EDWARD BURCHFIELD, K4JU

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

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

Jack was 88.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL)

**
SILENT KEY: CANADIAN BROADCAST VETERAN RON MCFADYEN, VE3YXY/VY1RM

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

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

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

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

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

Ron was 80.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(CBC, WHITEHORSE DAILY STAR)

**
FCC PROPOSES FREQUENCY PRIVILEGES FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCHES

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

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

(FCC)

**
PAKISTAN LAUNCHES DRM RADIO WITH TRANSMITTER PROJECT

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

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

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

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

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

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(RADIO PAKISTAN, BUSINESS RECORDER)


**
BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
K4EX repeater in Dade City, Florida on Tuesdays after the 7 p.m. net.

**
VOYAGER 2 PROBE STRUGGLES WITH ANTENNA ISSUES

PAUL/ANCHOR: We've all had antenna issues at one time or another but
what happens when changes in your antenna take you off the air and your
antenna is more than 12 billion miles away? That's the problem facing
the Voyager 2 deep space probe, as we hear from Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

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

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

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY

(GIZMODO, NASA)

**
NYC POLICE JOIN MOVE TO ENCRYPT RADIO SIGNALS

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

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

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

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

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

This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

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

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, George, F5MAG, is using the callsign TM0MM from the
Frioul archipelago, IOTA number EU-095, through the 19th of August. He
is using CW, SSB and FT8 on 40 through 60 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL information.

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

Anton, RG0C, will have a low-power CW operation as RG0C/p from the
Shantar Islands, IOTA number AS-044, until the 10th of August. Listen
for him on 20 metres. QSL via his home call.

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

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: 'DIVINE' MEMORIES FOR CLUB'S 50th ANNIVERSARY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(MIKE RISSER, KG6ECW)

**
THE POETRY OF AMATEUR RADIO

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

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


DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

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

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; AM New York; Bobby
Graves, KB5HAV; Business Reporter; CBC; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; FCC; Gizmodo; the Guardian; Mike Risser, KG6ECW; NASA; NY
Police Department; QRZ.COM; Radio Pakistan; Radio-TV Digital News
Association; shortwaveradio.de; SPACE.COM; Whitehorse Daily Star;
Wireless Institute of Australia; and you our listeners, that's all from
the Amateur Radio Newsline. We remind our listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that incurs
expenses for its continued operation. If you wish to support us, please
visit our website at arnewsline.org and know that we appreciate you
all. We also remind our listeners that if you like our newscast, please
leave us a 5-star rating wherever you subscribe to us. For now, with
Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. As
always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

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