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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2392 for Friday September 1st, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2392 with a release date of Friday September 1st, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Historic contact between 2 US missile silos.
Big changes for hams in Australia -- and for one parachute mobile YL,
the sky is no limit. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report Number 2392 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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RADIO CONNECTS US MISSILE SILOS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE '60s

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Our top story takes a page right out of history. Two
United States missile silos have made radio contact with one another
for the first time since the 1960s. This time, however, it was a
contact between civilians: they were hams on high alert for QSOs. Kent
Peterson KC0DGY brings us the details.

KENT: The Atlas F Missile silo in Plattsburgh, New York, possessed the
kind of military readiness in the 1960s that reflected an American
nation poised for war. Among those sites decommissioned by the US
military in 1965, one silo within a mile of the border with Canada
showed a different kind of readiness on the 19th of August. On that
day, the activation was for an amateur radio contact. Despite difficult
band conditions, a successful QSO was logged - and it was with another deactivated missile silo, this one in Texas.

Members of the Champlain Valley Amateur Radio Club originally wanted to
simply test the club's equipment - but after the club learned about a
ham radio test scheduled that same day at a deactivated silo in Texas,
they modified their plan.

The northern New York club's second vice president Matt Pray, W2UXE,
told the Press-Republican website that all the hams decided to try for
a contact between the two silos. Their effort delivered the brief but
hoped-for result: Matt's call was logged in Texas by Robert Grabowski,
KB5RG, at the Dyess Air Force Base in Texas

The day presented another link to history: Dick Somerset, a retired
member of the US Air Force, was there in Plattsburgh. In the '60s, he
had been a launch crew member stationed at the Dyess base in Texas and
had also worked in Plattsburgh with the silos' Quality Control. More
than a half-century later, he was pleased to see radio contact between
the two silos - this time with peace in mind.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(SUN COMMUNITY NEWS, PRESS-REPUBLICAN)

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TRIO OF HAMS JOIN TEAM ON ISS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: A launchpad in Florida has sent three more ham radio
operators into space, as we hear from Paul Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: Three amateur radio operators were among the four-member crew
aboard the spacecraft Endurance as it lifted off on the 26th of August
from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The launch of the Crew-7 mission
launch was provided by SpaceX for NASA.

US astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL, is the commander of the mission
and the pilot is Andreas Enevold Mogensen, KG5GCZ, an ESA astronaut
from Denmark. One of the two mission specialists is Satoshi Furukawa,
KE5DAW, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Satoshi trained as a
doctor in Japan, where he practiced as an anesthetist and surgeon. The
trio is joined by another mission specialist, cosmonaut Konstantin
Sergeyevich Borisov of Roscosmos.

This is the eighth commercial crew program launch for NASA and SpaceX.
The crew is expected to be on board the International Space Station for
about 190 days,

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.

(CNN, AMSAT NEWS)

**
ACMA INVITES COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIAN HAMS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: There are big changes ahead in Australia for operators
and hams have until the end of this month to share their thoughts with
the regulator. Graham Kemp VK4BB gives us the details.

GRAHAM: The Australian Communications and Media Authority is seeking
input on the new amateur radio qualification framework it intends to
have in place in December, two months ahead of the February date when
apparatus licences are to be replaced by the new class licence
structure. The new class structure will also revoke overseas class
licences and instead permit qualified amateurs visiting from overseas
to operate.

University of Tasmania's Australian Maritime College will no longer
conduct exams or issue qualifications for the ACMA, which has said only
that it will manage such work instead.

The authority seeks input as well on a new fee structure that includes
the cost of recognition certificates and other payments associated with
the licence process. The regulator's website calls these proposed fees "similar" to those already in place.

Comments are due by the 26th of September. For a list of fees and other details, visit the link in the text version of this week's Newsline
script at arnewsline.org

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

[DO NOT READ: https://acma.cmail20.com/t/d-l-vtrnil-itljzkttl-i/ ]

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SILENT KEY: BROADCAST ENGINEER, CONSULTANT WILLIAM CULPEPPER, W4BZ

SKEETER/ANCHOR: A longtime broadcast engineer with a history of
mentoring and supporting fellow amateur radio operators has become a
Silent Key. William Culpepper, W4BZ, formerly W4PER, was devoted to
amateur radio and was active in the Antique Wireless Association, the
ARRL, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers. On the
professional side of radio, he worked with RCA, New Jersey Public
Broadcasting and a variety of consulting firms, including the one he
later founded, William Culpepper & Associates.

His death in July was reported on the website Radio World.com. William Culpepper was 90.

(RADIO WORLD)

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NEW ZEALAND ACTIVATION HONORS MEMORY OF SOTA ADVOCATE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: In New Zealand, hams will be activating summits and
remembering a devoted SOTA friend and colleague, as we hear from Jim
Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: The sudden death of Andrew White, ZL3CC, in March of 2018 was a
difficult loss for many of the amateur radio friends who had come to
know the Christchurch operator through Summits on the Air and his SOTA activation blog. New Zealand hams are especially grateful that Andrew
played a big role in establishing SOTA on the South Island. On May 1st,
2016, the day that the South Island officially became active in the
SOTA programme, Andrew wrote happily on his blog and thanked the many
friends on the team who helped make it happen.

Many of his radio friends set aside the closest Saturday to what would
have been Andrew's birthday to hold Andrew White ZL3CC memorial day.
This year it is on the 9th of September. It is a day of activation, summit-to-summit contacts when possible and then fellowship at a nearby
cafe, often near the Banks Peninsula summits. Operators will be able to
honour Andrew and work toward the ZL3 award at the same time.

It would no doubt please him to know that the South Island summits are
still alive with RF.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

**
AUSTRALIAN HAMS HOST DEVELOPER OF ECHOLINK

SKEETER/ANCHOR: If you've ever used Echolink and live anywhere in the
world, you're invited to a special talk in Australia by the ham who
created it - and you don't have to go to the airport. John Williams
VK4JJW gives us those details.

JOHN: Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, who developed the Echolink, the Voice
over Internet Protocol network for linking repeaters and amateurs, will
be a guest of the Hunter Radio Group VK2AWX in Newcastle, New South
Wales, Australia on the 14th of September. Echolink has a global reach
of nearly one half a million amateur radio users.

For those who cannot attend the talk in person, Amateur Radio New South
Wales will provide a link via Zoom, where Jonathan will deliver his
talk remotely. Jonathan, a resident of Connecticut, was inducted into
the CQ magazine Amateur Radio Hall of Fame in 2005. The programme will
take place between 18:00 and 22:00 AEST

The Zoom link can be found on the arnewsline website at
www.arnewsline.org

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

[DO NOT READ] Zoom Meeting link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89884640439?pwd=OTFVTjFjM2tteUhNQmRuclp2RVpLZ
z09 Meeting ID: 898 8464 0439 Passcode: 898540

(WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA)

**
PREPARING FOR PAN-INDIA RADIO CONVENTION

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Whether you are an established amateur radio operator
or simply thinking about becoming a ham, the doors are open to you in
West Bengal as a major Indian radio convention kicks off this month.
Jason Daniels VK2LAW brings us those details.

JASON: Amateurs from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are expected to join
conference attendees from all around India when the Pan-India Radio
Convention takes place in West Bengal. The nationwide event is being
held by the Open Source Classes for Amateur Radio, or OSCAR, and it is
opening its doors to prospective hams as well as those who are longtime operators.

A number of classes will be taught during the weekend of September 23rd
and 24th and candidates for an operators certificate will be given an opportunity to take the qualifying exam. Workshops will focus on
equipment, signal propagation, digital modes and the latest
technologies. There will also be fox hunting and CW contests.

According to a post on Facebook, this is the first Pan India amateur
radio event to be held in East India in decades.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(DEVDISCOURSE.COM, OSCAR)

**
BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
N5OZG repeater in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sundays at 8 p.m.

**
UK RADIO FANS LAUNCH PETITION TO SAVE BBC's LONGWAVE SERVICE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Radio fans in the UK are raising their voices - and a
petition - to convince the BBC to keep a longstanding favorite radio
service. We hear about their efforts from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: A petition drive has been launched to press the BBC to reverse
its plans to take its longwave service on 198 kHz off the air by 31st
March 2024. The BBC made the announcement in May 2022 that it was
closing its longwave transmitter, describing it as a dying technology.

According to the petitioners on the Change.org website, the single
longwave transmitter at Droitwich is efficient, covering most of the UK
and northern Europe. It is viewed as one of the more historic features
of the BBC, and its planned shutdown would come a mere six months
before it marked its 90 years on the air. The Change.org petitioners
called it [quote] "a historic radio lifeline." [endquote]

BBC Radio 4 has already begun a public information campaign to convince listeners to make the change from longwave to the broadcaster's other platforms. Those platforms are expected to carry many of the programmes
now on Radio 4 Longwave, including Test Match Special, Yesterday in
Parliament, Shipping Forecast and the Daily Church Service. The BBC has
been following listeners' trend toward favouring digital radio and has acknowledged on its website that a wide range of alternative listening
services have become available.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (RADIO TODAY, CHANGE.ORG, SHORTWAVE
LISTENING POST, BBC)

**
OBSERVATORY'S VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY MARKS 30 YEARS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the National Radio Astronomy
Observatory on the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of one of the
world's most high-precision radio telescopes: The Very Long Baseline
Array of the National Science Foundation. The array of 10 radio
antennas operates remotely from New Mexico and has been collecting data
on galaxies, tracking black holes' and pulsars movements and looking
inward at the planets in our own solar system. The array's stations
have been set up in areas such as Fort Davis, Texas; Los Alamos, New
Mexico and Brewster, Washington, among other locales -- all chosen for
having very low levels of radio interference.

(NATIONAL RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY)

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QSO TODAY ACADEMY SENDS HAMS BACK TO SCHOOL

SKEETER/ANCHOR: In many countries this time of year September means
it's back-to-school season. That's true for hams too, as we learn from
Andy Morrison K9AWM.

ANDY: School is in session at the QSO Today Academy and the virtual
doors open on September 8th. The three-day intensive learning
environment is the outgrowth of six virtual Ham Expo conventions
organized by Eric Guth 4Z1UG, starting in August of 2020 as the
COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The academy will feature a mix of live and pre-recorded sessions and will include a searchable library of the
previous ham expos. Presentation topics include SOTA; the 10 worst
antennas for amateur radio; how to chase the RAC Portable Operating
Challenge award; tips for purchasing a transceiver; and a discussion
about the ICQPodcast's Digital Voice Project. There are additional
sessions on antennas, operating aids and, not surprisingly, even AI
(Ayyy Eye) gets mentioned in the virtual classroom.

Participate in any of the live presentations from anywhere in the World
. Tuition is $15. For details, visit www.qsotodayhamexpo.com

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(QSO TODAY)

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WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for Greg, N9GB, operating holiday
style as 8P9GB from Barbados, IOTA number NA-021) from the 8th to the
15th of September. He will be on 60-10 metres and possibly 6 metres.
During the local afternoon hours he will be on SSB; in the evenings he
will operate on CW. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Listen for Harald, DF2WO, operating as D44TWO from Sao Tiago, (IOTA
number AF-005), Cape Verde from the 2nd to the 17th of September. He
will be using CW, SSB and FT8 on the HF bands and 6 metres. He will
also operate via the QO-100 satellite. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

The special callsign VI7ALARA is active on the HF bands until the 8th
of November, commemorating the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio
Association's meeting to be held in Hobart, Tasmania. The callsign is
being operated by a number of YLs in Tasmania and throughout
Australia. See QRZ.com for more details.

Be listening as well for Amateur Radio Newsline's own Ed DD5LP,
operating as 5B/VK2JI from the island of Cyprus, IOTA Number AS-004,
from the 11th to the 16th of September. Ed will be operating low-power
SSB, mostly on 40 and 20 metres, holiday style. He hopes to activate a
number of SOTA and HEMA summits as well as some POTA parks. QSL to his
home call.

(425DX BULLETIN, ED DURRANT DD5LP)

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KICKER: THE SKY WAS NO LIMIT FOR HER FIRST PARACHUTE MOBILE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: We end this week's report with a love story. We ask:
Just how far would you leap for someone you love? And...would you
remember to take along your radio? Jim Damron N8TMW tells us how one
woman answered those questions at the Huntsville Hamfest.

JIM: The first time Ranae KR5SIX fell for Vern KV5SIX, was more than 22
years ago. The two native Texans, spirited adventure-seekers,
discovered they were on the same frequency. They eventually married,
had travel adventures together and returning home after a stay in
Guatemala, they embraced more adventure by becoming amateur radio
operators.

Just a few weeks ago, Ranae fell for her husband all over again - but
this time it was at Skydive Alabama during the Huntsville Hamfest. To
be precise, Ranae fell 14,000 feet from an airplane, going 130 miles an
hour. Accompanying her on the earthbound trip - her first ever - was an
HT tuned to 2 metres and veteran ham radio skydiver and family friend,
Carlos Felix, KD9OLN. Jumping in tandem, Carlos was helping her fulfill
her husband's dream. Vern had hoped one day to complete his 15th
parachute mobile mission but serious injuries in a fly-fishing accident
more than three years ago ended that plan. Encouraged recently by other
YouTube channel creators at a party in Huntsville, Ranae told Vern:
I'll do it for you. In fact, Vern was the first of the three radio
contacts she made.

Her next mission: Training with Carlos to prepare to jump solo in
Dayton - just in time for Hamvention 2024.

Meanwhile, you can see Ranae's parachute mobile in the video on their
YouTube channel "What's Up with Six." She's smiling the whole way down.
Carlos told Newsline [quote] "That smile is one of the most radiant
smiles I have seen in skydiving." [endquote]

This is Jim Damron N8TMW.

(CARLOS FELIX, KD9OLN; VERN SIX KV5SIX)

**
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
pag e at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to cover
it, we'll get back to you for more details. Meanwhile, visit our
website to learn more about the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge.
Use the entry form on our website and please follow the rules for
writing your three-line haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; the BBC; Carlos
Felix, KD9OLN; Change.org; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB;
DeviDiscourse.com; 425DXNews; Facebook; FCC; National Science
Foundation; Press-Republican QRZ.COM; QSO Today; Radio Today; Radio
World; Shortwave Listening Post; shortwaveradio.de; Sun Community News;
Vern Six, KV5SIX; 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 Skeeter Nash N5ASH in Shelbyville, Tennessee saying 73. As always we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

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