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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2378 for Friday May 26th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2378 with a release date of Friday
May 26th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Deadly floods ravage a region in Italy.
Hamvention 2023 is just a memory now -- and a tragic antenna accident
claims a noted contester's life. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2378 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**

FLOODS RAVAGE REGION OF ITALY HOSTING WRTC

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to Italy where deadly
floods in one region have displaced and disrupted lives and the
economy. This is to be the location of the World Radiosport Team
Championship later this summer, as we hear from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Besieged by flooding that displaced more than 36,000 people and
killed at least 14, Italy's Emilia-Romagna region has received some
limited support from amateur radio. Greg Mossop, G0DUB, emergency communications coordinator for IARU Region 1, told Newsline that hams
made use of local VHF repeaters to resume communications within
affected towns until mobile and landline phone networks could be put
back into service. He said the failures were not severe enough for
local authorities to ask regional ham radio emergency networks to
activate. Hams did remain on standby, ready to use HF, VHF and digital
voice if necessary. Greg said the IARU received the information from
Alberto Barbera IK1YLO (Eye Kay Won Why El Oh) of the RNRE radio
communications network. Alberto said the affected area asked for
additional support from other countries in the region to provide extra
pumping capacity and those teams made use of VHF/UHF commercial
communications supported by Starlink satellite terminals.

Separately, organisers of the World Radiosport Team Championship, to be
held this summer in Bologna - in this flood-impacted region -- were
keeping an eye on the challenging conditions. Luca Aliprandi, IK2NCJ,
who handles media and communications for the event, said on the WRTC
Groups.io list that if some sites for WRTC are unusable, competitor
stations may need to be relocated farther north of Bologna. He wrote
[quote] "Our will and dedication to organising WRTC2022 will be
stronger than any adversity." [endquote] This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(GREG MOSSOP, G0DUB, IARU REGION 1)

**
ACMA, COLLEGE END RELATIONSHIP FOR AMATEUR LICENSING

NEIL/ANCHOR: As Newsline went to production, the Australian Maritime
College announced that it was severing its relationship with the
Australian regulator for providing amateur licensee services. The
college and the Australian Communications and Media Authority will go
their separate ways in February 2024. Before the college's selection in
2019, services such as exams and callsign recommendations were provided
through the Wireless Institute of Australia. The ACMA is to take the
role of call sign allocation and examination syllabus control
"in-house" to go with the licensing role which it already fulfills
--and to do this under the new class license framework. The ACMA said
it would release a consultation on the new accreditation scheme this
coming August at the same time as the new class licensing arrangements
take effect.

(ACMA)
**

FCC TO REVISIT SPECTRUM ALLOCATIONS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the US, the FCC has a busy June ahead of itself: It's
taking a second and perhaps a third look at spectrum allocations -- and
there's a new candidate nominated to join them, as we hear from Paul
Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: In June, the US Federal Communications Commission will revisit
ways the radio spectrum can be utilized more efficiently and study the
propose testing of a few uses on part of the 42 GHz band in the
so-called "greenfield spectrum." Greenfield spectrum refers to the part
of the spectrum that is unutilized. The FCC's focus has been
intensifying on this along with other parts of the spectrum because of
the growing demand for its use by emerging wireless services -- and
limited places to authorize their operation.

FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced this plan in the
commission's June agenda, posting her message on the agency website on
May 17th. She said the 42 GHZ band was an apt place for conducting
experiments with various spectrum-access models because of the absence
of licensed users there.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has nominated a longtime telecom
lawyer for the government, to join the FCC. Anna Gomez must still be
confirmed by the Senate. The president's previous nominee, Gigi Sohn,
withdrew from consideration several months earlier.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.

(FCC)

**

A SUCCESSFUL HAMVENTION 2023 IS IN THE LOG

NEIL/ANCHOR: This year's Dayton Hamvention was another success, with
several vendors returning after an absence along with some great
weather. The rain was mostly overnight on Friday and caused minimal disruptions. The main buzz was about 2 new handheld radios being
announced, one from ICOM America and another from JVC/Kenwood who
returned to Hamvention after being absent since the start of the
pandemic.

2023 Hamvention Amateur of the Year Carsten Dauer, DM9EE, received a
standing ovation in front of a large crowd attending his forum about
his work to house evacuated Ukrainian family members as well as
shipping donated radio gear, power banks, solar panels, and first aid
kits for use to assist operators despite the partial Russian invasion.

Steve Morgan, W4NHO, was recognized with the Spirit of Amateur Radio
award for his work in coordinating disaster relief communications
during the recent Eastern Kentucky flooding. The Voice of America
Museum in nearby West Chester, Ohio, had expanded hours during
Hamvention and reported record attendance of nearly 400 visitors.

The youth socials at the YOTA booth were standing room only. And, many
hams were greeted by the first known live duck to attend Hamvention,
Mochi, accompanied by Junie, N1DUC who was promoting her new YouTube
channel and educating people about domesticated ducks.

Finally, 2023 marked the return of our own Newsline Town Hall.
Attendees heard international updates from Tim Ellam, VE6SH, the
president of IARU. Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, returned to the town
hall to talk about the ARRL Volunteer Monitoring program, while Mark
Smith, N6MTS proposed a new open headset interconnect standard to
assist with group activities and EMCOMM.

**
US AUTOMAKER WON'T ELIMINATE AM RADIO IN NEW CARS

NEIL/ANCHOR: AM radio isn't quite dead yet among those selling cars in
the US. One carmaker has shifted gears into reverse - literally. Here's
Kent Peterson KC0DGY with an update.

KENT: In the United States, the Ford Motor Company has reversed an
earlier decision to eliminate AM radios in its new cars, trucks and
SUVs. The carmaker's announcement was made on Tuesday, May 23rd, on the
heels of a bipartisan bill introduced in Washington, D.C., pressing for
AM broadcast radio's retention as a public safety measure.

Ford CEO Jim Farley announced on social media that the reversal comes
came after discussions with government policy leaders who believe the elimination of AM broadcast radio in vehicles will cut motorists off
from essential emergency alerts transmitted on those frequencies.

The CEO wrote on Twitter that all 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles would
include AM radio. He added: [quote] "For any owners of Ford's EVs
without AM broadcast capability, we'll offer a software update."
[endquote] The update would restore AM functionality.

The US Federal Communications Commission has also thrown its support
behind the proposed legislation that seeks to halt the trend toward
automakers' removal of AM broadcast in US vehicles. The bill,
introduced May 17th, is known as the "AM for Every Vehicle Act." The
FCC cannot regulate what automakers do but was nonetheless vocal about
the value AM radio has to motorists who may need to receive emergency
alerts while on the road.

Other manufacturers, including Volvo, Tesla and BMW, have indicated
they were dropping AM radio from their new electric cars because of interference between the vehicles' electrical operating systems and the
AM broadcast band. The Associated Press did not immediately receive
comment from the other carmakers.

The bill's opponents, including The Alliance for Automotive Innovation,
which represents US automakers, called the AM radio proposal
unnecessary. They said that the US warning system, operated by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, can also deliver safety warnings
by other means, such as FM broadcast, satellite and cellular networks.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS, HOUSE.GOV, INSIDE RADIO, VARIETY)

**
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION RANGE EXPANDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

NEIL/ANCHOR: Emergency preparedness got a needed boost in South
Carolina and Kevin Trotman N5PRE has those details.

KEVIN: Dorchester County, South Carolina is getting ready for hurricane
season on the ground and in the air. High atop a 226-foot tower,
members of the county's emergency management office have been
installing an antenna system that will allow the county's amateur radio response team a wider communication range with first responders during emergencies. The hams are members of DART, or the Dorchester Amateur
Radio Team.

County officials told the local CBS TV station that the installation is designed to close a communications gap between Columbia and as far away
as Charleston, South Carolina - a need that became apparent after
Hurricane Ian struck the region last autumn. As storm season approaches
again, the emergency management office is supplementing this antenna
work high in the air by taking on some serious training on the ground. Emergency officials will soon be teaching classes to help get more
volunteers prepared for their amateur radio technician license.

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(NEWS2)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the KJ3LR repeater in Bradenton Florida on Fridays at 10 p.m.


**
SILENT KEY: CONTESTER, DXER, BERNHARD "BEN" BUETTNER, DL6RAI

NEIL/ANCHOR: An antenna accident has claimed the life of another ham -a well-known DXer and contester. We have those details from Jeremy
BootG4NJH.

JEREMY: A noted DXer, contester and CW enthusiast from Germany has
become a Silent Key. Bernhard Buettner, DL6RAI, who was known to
everyone as Ben, was killed following an accident while doing antenna
work at his QTH in Aruba. Writing about his friend's death, Martin
DL5RMH, said that they were working together to prepare to change one
of the antenna masts when the mast Ben was tending to buckled
unexpectedly and Ben fell to the ground. He could not be revived
despite immediate first aid and the work of an ambulance rescue crew.

Ben's own account of his ham radio life reflects a long and enduring
love for active radio operation around the world. He fell in love with
CW as a shortwave listener in 1978 after decoding a message he copied
from a local ham. He worked to gain proficiency in Morse and by March
of 1980, the 16-year-old radio enthusiast passed his license test,
qualifying at 12 words per minute.

An avid traveler, he operated from at least 45 countries around the
globe and became a serious contester using CW, RTTY and the digital
modes. Between 2002 and 2005, he was the WAE DX contest manager for the
DARC. From 2007 to 2019 he was president of the prestigious Bavarian
Contest Club.

He purchased the QTH in Aruba in 2014 from another ham and was
operating from there intermittently as P4/DL6RAI or P44X. His widow,
Luise, is also an amateur, with the callsign DL2MLU.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

NEIL/ANCHOR: Newsline takes this opportunity to remind listeners to
please follow safety precautions always when doing antenna work or any
other radio activity that presents a potential hazard such as this.

(SOTA REFLECTOR, QRZ.COM)

**

MASSACHUSETTS HAMS STEP UP FOR 'RELAY FOR LIFE'

NEIL/ANCHOR: In one Massachusetts community, amateur radio is helping
shine a brighter spotlight on a public event for cancer-awareness. We
have those details from Andy Morrison K9AWM.

ANDY: While participants in the annual Relay for Life take thousands of
steps around a college athletics track during a two-day fundraiser for
cancer research, the Mohawk Amateur Radio Club will be taking steps
too: These Massachusetts amateurs will be on the air as the two-day
event steps off on Friday, June 9th, at 6 p.m. local time. They will be
on the campus of the Mount Wachusett Community College, reaching out
globally over the airwaves to raise awareness of the lifesaving work of
the American Cancer Society.

The hams will be on 20 and 40 meters during the day and will switch to
80 meters at night.

As in the past, many of those answering the call of station N1WW are
likely to have cancer survival stories of their own -- and some of the operators, such as Jack Burgoyne, W1PFZ, will be sharing theirs.

Jack and club president Kevin Erickson, N1ERS, spoke to the Gardner
News website recently about the event and the club's history of
providing support to it.

With a big turnout of spectators expected as individuals and teams in
the relay make their rounds on the track, the ham club will also be
raising its own profile. Kevin said the club hopes people will take a
moment to visit the club trailer and check out the radios that are
carrying that important message around the world.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, THE GARDNER NEWS)

**

QRP DAY COMES TO IARU REGION 3

NEIL/ANCHOR: The power of QRP isn't always measured in watts or even milliwatts. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF explains.

JIM M: It started as a long-ago suggestion from the New Zealand
Association of Radio Transmitters, which suggested to IARU Region 3 in
1997 that QRP operation be given its day in the sun - literally. Since
then, Region 3 societies have helped advance involvement in such QRP
activities as QRP field days, QRP contests, instructions for QRP
kit-building and publication of articles about QRP operating. That's
all about to get even more intense on June 17th, which will once again
be QRP Day throughout IARU Region 3.

Writing to IARU member societies' directors and liaison officers, Yuki
JH1NBN, Region 3 secretary, encouraged promotion of QRP operation,
particularly when it is highlighted on that day. He wrote in his letter
that QRP [quote] "offers advantages concerning, among others, the
reduction of QRM on the amateur bands." [endquote]

The day promises a powerful outcome.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(IARU REGION 3)

**
100 WATTS AND A WIRE SCHEDULES SPRING TUNE-UP

NEIL/ANCHOR: The 100 Watts and a Wire community, which has been around
since 2015, has chosen the weekend of June 9th, 10th and 11th as its
Tune-Up weekend, its annual spring operating event. That means that
operators will be on the air calling "CQ Tune-up" on June 9th, 10th and
11th on any band at anytime during those three days - and in any mode, including digital. If you're a member of the 100 Watts and a Wire
community, exchange your membership numbers with one another - and if
you're not a member, you can still make a contact and then check out
the 100 Watts and a Wire podcast. Membership is free. As podcast
producer Christian Cudnik K0STH notes, the weekend event is a perfect
time to test your equipment and operating skills in preparation for
Field Day - and to get out of the shack for some fresh air while ON
theair!

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for members of the Rockall DXpedition,
MM0UKI. They are hoping to set a new record on the air from the
uninhabitable granite islet in the North Atlantic Ocean. This rare
location has the IOTA designation of EU-189 and is Grid Square IO37DO
(Eye Oh Three Seven Dee Oh). The team departed for the island on May
25th and will be on the air around the clock using SSB, CW and FT8 on
40 through 10m as well as 2m. Details and QSL information are on
QRZ.com

(DX-WORLD.NET, 425 DX BULLETIN)

**
NOMINATE OUR NEXT 'YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR'

NEIL/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that the window closes on May 31st
to nominate a promising young radio amateur for this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award.
Young hams who live in the continental United States have an
opportunity to make news of their own in the world. Think of 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 the
nomination form on our website arnewsline.org under the "AWARDS" tab.
Time is about to run out!

**
KICKER: LOST AND FOUND WITH THE HELP OF HAMS

NEIL/ANCHOR: For our final story, we ask you to imagine being missing
and lost for three decades. Listen to this story of an older man's
30-year journey back to his family - thanks to ham radio. Jason Daniels
VK2LAW has his story.

JASON: For one homeless grandfather from Nepal, this was a homecoming
that was three decades in the making, with the help of a merchant in a
busy Bengali business district and a group of ham radio operators in
West Bengal.

The man, identified as Bir Bahadur Singh, had been spotted as a vagrant
by a Bengali businessman who reached out to the West Bengal Radio Club.
He knew the club's reputation of using their wide-ranging amateur radio
network to reunite family members. Club secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas
VU2JFA contacted hams in Nepal who were able to locate the man's
village, and eventually his wife. They learned that Bir Bahadur Singh
had apparently fallen ill 30 years ago while he was transporting his
son from Nepal to Delhi. From there, the man somehow disappeared.

The son, now grown and working in Delhi, was overjoyed his father had
been found so many years later, according to media reports. He has been coordinating with the Nepal Consulate to bring his father home.
Ambarish Nag Biswas told the Indo-Asian News Service: [quote] "He never
doubted his father and always knew that the man must have suffered from
some sort of mental illness to have left him alone." [endquote]

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur News Weekly; the American Cancer Society; ARRL; Associated Press; Australia Communications and Media
Authority; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; 425 DX News;
FCC; Gardner News; House.gov; IARU Region 1; IARU Region 3; Indo-Asian
News Service; News2; 100 Watts and a Wire; QRZ.COM; shortwaveradio.de;
SOTA Reflector; Variety; West Bengal Radio Club; 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.

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