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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2412 for Friday January 19th, 2024

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2412 with a release date of Friday
January 19th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Vandals destroy an Oklahoma radio tower.
Text-messaging from space is now a reality -- and learn about a Cold
War bunker that's still getting on the air. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2412 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
VANDALS DESTROY OKLAHOMA RADIO TOWER

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with the deliberate
destruction of a radio tower in Oklahoma. A tower is the most visible
sign of an active radio station and this tower belonged to a commercial broadcast station subsequently knocked off the air by thieves seeking
copper. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB has that story.

RALPH: Country music station K95.5 suddenly and unexpectedly went
silent on the 15th of January, its tower in ruins in a field not far
from its Oklahoma studio. As the Chocktaw County Sheriff's office began
its investigation, Will Payne of the Payne Media Group, which owns the
station, assessed the scene, which he described in a Facebook video as
one of "catastrophic damage." The video showed the tower down in the
field, its guy wires cut as a means of taking its top section down. The
nearby generator had been totaled. Wires were ripped out everywhere.
The transmission lines, containing a wealth of copper on the inside,
had been cut in several places. Payne Media Group made an appeal on
Facebook to listeners and to the public in general to be on the alert
for anything that might provide the sheriff with additional clues.

As Newsline went to production it was not clear when the station with
the callsign KITX, would be back on the air serving northeast Texas and southeast Oklahoma. Listeners were being directed to its streaming
programs at K955.com

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(PONCACITY.NOW, FACEBOOK)

**

TEXT-MESSAGING FROM SPACE BECOMES A REALITY

PAUL/ANCHOR: Newly launched Starlink satellites have successfully been
put to the test, making text-messaging from space a reality for SpaceX.
We have the details from Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

KENT: It works. Text messages have been sent successfully on a mobile
phone network in the US using Starlink satellite service. The test of
the direct-to-device, or D2D, service took place on the 10th of January
using the network of T-Mobile USA. This was the first step in realizing
the plan by SpaceX to bring this service to a wider commercial market.

The trial run took place only days after Starlink's first satellites
for D2D were launched and deployed. The company declared shortly
afterward: [quote] "The system works," adding that it has partnerships
as well with mobile operators in Australia, Japan and Canada.
Commercial availability is expected to begin later this year and the
company is hoping voice, data and service for the Internet of Things
will commence in 2025. The premiere of D2D via Starlink comes as a
number of manufacturers of smartphones are preparing to produce devices
with D2D service as well. Apple's iPhone already make this service
available with the iPhone 14 in partnership with satellite operator
Globalstar.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(CNBC)

**
CLASS LICENSE STRUCTURE ARRIVING IN AUSTRALIA

PAUL/ANCHOR: In just a few short weeks, hams in Australia who
previously held an apparatus license will become holders of the new
class license. Graham Kemp VK4BB has that update.

GRAHAM: The Australian regulator has sent letters to hams announcing
that the transition to the new class licence structure takes effect on
the 19th of February. The letter permits hams with valid apparatus
licences to continue operating under the same band and licence
conditions as before and assures hams who renewed the apparatus licence
after the 9th of December that they are eligible for a pro-rated refund
if they surrender the apparatus licence on or after the 19th of
February.

The ACMA plans to check every five years that assigned callsigns are
still being used as authorised. Calls with a one-year expiry, such as
special event callsigns, and those calls with a VK0 or VK9 prefix, will
receive additional instructions in February regarding either renewals
or expirations.

These changes, which the regulator announce last year, also mean that
there are no fees for the licences. The ACMA will also take oversight
of the administration of amateur radio licence exams and callsign
issuance previously delegated to the Australian Maritime College.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(ACMA)

**
VERY LOW POWER DEVICES MAKING GAINS ON 6 GHZ

PAUL/ANCHOR: The FCC is giving greater privileges on 6 GHz to very low
power devices. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us what's going to happen next.

JACK: Following a recent FCC ruling that allows VLPs - very low power
devices - to operate on many of the 6 GHz frequencies, the regulator is
seeking comments on additional rules that would grant higher-power VLPs
access to the band as well under certain operating conditions.

The rules for short-distance operation over high-connection speeds take
effect on the 4th of March. Businesses including Amazon, Microsoft,
Hewlett Packard and Google have been eager to make use of this part of
the spectrum, which will become home for IOT, or internet of things, applications. These include wearable devices, short-range mobile
hotspots, healthcare monitors, virtual reality devices and in-car
connectivity.

Innovation, however, is expected to rev up among businesses who have
been waiting for this kind of spectrum availability. The FCC has asked
for comments on the proposed rules to be submitted no later than the
7th of February, with reply comments to be filed no later than the 8th
of March. Two of the main questions under consideration are whether higher-power VLPs should be given access to additional parts of the 6
GHz spectrum and whether a higher-power class of VLPs should be
established.

A link to the FCC document appears in the text version of this week's
AR Newsline report.

[DO NOT READ: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-23-86A1.pdf]

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(FCC)

**
ARISS ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE FEATURES 3 ASTRONAUTS

PAUL/ANCHOR: The 40th anniversary conference of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station features a lineup of three influential
astronauts. The latest to be added to the lineup is NASA's Tony
England, W0ORE, who is the first astronaut to transmit Slow-Scan TV
from orbit - and the second astronaut to operate amateur radio from
space. Tony joins the program with conference keynote speaker Richard
Garriott, W5KQW, son of NASA's Owen Garriott, W5LFL, the first ham to
make a QSO from space. The group also includes Bill McArthur, KC5ACR,
who played an active role in the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment.

The conference is being held at the Kennedy Space Center from the 22nd
to the 24th of February. Its focus is the positive impact of ham radio
on human spaceflight.

(AMSAT, ARISS)

**
PREPARE NOW FOR WINTER FIELD DAY

PAUL/ANCHOR: Winter Field Day is a worldwide event that is taking place
on January 27th and 28th. Despite its name, participation should leave
you with a good warm feeling, as Patrick Clark K8TAC explains.

PATRICK: Preparedness counts more than points do during Winter Field
Day and organizers are encouraging ham radio operators worldwide to use
the opportunity to sharpen their portable emergency communications
skills. Snow, ice, freezing temperatures and other cold-weather hazards
are part of the environment as hams get on the air using the HF, VHF
and UHF bands and via digital voice. This year, "bonus points" are
being reclassified as "objectives," and anyone activating is being
encouraged to achieve as many objectives as they can.

The maximum power allowed is 100 watts PEP and stations operating QRP
are encouraged to transmit at less than 5 watts on CW or less than 10
watts on phone.

The organizer, the Winter Field Day Association, is also encouraging
the use of Winlink emails. Although the basic exchange contains simply callsign, location, class and category, operators are being asked to
consider including temperature, weather conditions and signal reports.

For details or to register your station, visit winterfieldday.org
-that's one word "winterfieldday dot org"

This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.

(WINTER FIELD DAY ASSOCIATION)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the KV3B repeater in Rockville, Maryland on Sundays after the net at
7:30 p.m. local time.

**
HAMSCI WORKSHOP TO REVIEW ANNULAR ECLIPSE FINDINGS

PAUL/ANCHOR: With October's eclipse behind us and April's eclipse ahead
of us, the citizen scientists' group that has been studying both is
inviting hams and researchers to its next workshop to discuss some
findings. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us how to get on board.

ANDY: Professional scientists and radio amateurs are being invited to
HamSCI's sixth annual workshop, which will present findings yielded by ionospheric data collected during the annular solar eclipse last
October. The workshop will be held on March 22nd and 23rd at Case
Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The citizen scientists'
research group will also share how it is getting ready for the solar
eclipse taking place on the 8th of April. This will be a total eclipse
for the Cleveland area.

The program will also include a discussion about how a college
curriculum can successfully integrate studies of amateur radio. Ham
radio has been at the forefront in much of the research being done by
HamSci, which is examining ionospheric disturbances, sporadic E,
geomagnetic storms, solar flares and of course, eclipses.

For details about HamSCI, its work and the workshop, visit hamsci dot
org (hamsci.org).

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(HAMSCI)

**
WRTC 2026 RECEIVES GRANT FROM YASME FOUNDATION

PAUL/ANCHOR: The World Radiosport Team Championship has just received a
major financial boost from a private foundation that will help the next
event prepare for 2026 in England. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us more.

JEREMY: The organising committee of the World Radiosport Team
Championship 2026 has received a $7,500 grant, about £5,900, from the
Yasme Foundation to support this goodwill gathering of the world's top amateurs. The WRTC UK will be held in 2026 in England, where the
counties of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk will host 50 operating
sites for qualifying teams.

The private foundation's gift recognises the opportunity the WRTC
offers to engaging top competitors from around the globe and providing
a venue that showcases the skills as well of youth operators.

The event taking place in July 2026 will be the 10th WRTC. The previous worldwide competition, WRTC 2022, was held in Italy in 2023, delayed by
one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(DXNEWS.COM, WIA)



PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, organizers of the World Radiosport Team
Championship stirred up even more enthusiasm and support for the event
by announcing that a bronze coin - the first of three in a series - is
being made available to donors for contributions of 100 pounds or more
in 2023 and 2024. The announcement was made on Monday, January 15th by
Mark Haynes, M0DXR, chairman and program manager, appearing on "Tonight
@ 8," a livestreamed webinar of the Radio Society of Great Britain.

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Felix, DL5XL, who is on the air as
DP1POL in Antarctica, IOTA Number AN-016, from the German research
station "Neumayer III." [PRONOUNCED: NOY-MY-ER Three ]He is using
mostly CW, with some digital modes and SSB. He is on the air until the
end of the month. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Special event callsign AT3SM is being activated during a multi-club
joint IOTA DXpedition to the rarely activated St. Mary's Island, IOTA
Number AS-096. This island has not been activated in six years. The
hams operating from the 26th to the 28th of January are from three organizations: the National Institute of Technology radio club, the
Mangalore Amateur Radio Club and the MIT radio club. They will also be participating in the national field day of the Amateur Radio Society of
India. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Between the 24th of January and the 6th of February, Keith, G3WRO, will
be operating holiday style as 8Q7WR from the Maldives, IOTA Number
AS-013. Listen for Keith on 40-10 metres and possibly on 80 metres. He
will be using SSB. QSL via his home call.

Kevin, W1DED is active until the 21st of January as W1DED/C6A from
Eleuthera, IOTA Number NA-001, in the Bahamas. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.

Listen for Tom, 9A2AA, throughout the year. He is on the air with the
callsign 9A67AA in honor of 67 years of being on the air as a ham radio operator. QSL via his home call.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: "UNDERGROUND RADIO" HAS DIFFERENT MEANING INSIDE BUNKER

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our final story this week takes us underground where one
amateur radio club puts a Cold War-era relic to good use. Jeremy Boot
G4NJH introduces us to that club.

JEREMY: A Cold War-era bunker that was one of the last to be taken out
of service in the UK in 1991 has become a base for a ham radio club on
the North Yorkshire Moors. Like so many radio operators before in the
Royal Observer Corps, the hams are surrounded by concrete walls, 5
metres deep into the underground, as they transmit important
information and take measurements. Now, however it is signal reports
they are sending to other hams - not levels of radiation that would
have followed the dreaded nuclear blast.

The station GB0ROC of the Guisborough & District Amateur Radio Club is underground radio at its finest. Like the other bunker sites, this
location was once a secret. Now you can't miss its high visibility on
the map of various amateur radio awards schemes: It is part of the
Bunkers on the Air scheme as B/G-0919, within Parks on the Air number
G0003, Worldwide Flora and Fauna area GFF-0012 and Worked All Britain
square NZ60. Its video on YouTube also shows how the club welcomes
visitors who walk in or, in this case, climb in - since access to the
radio room requires careful descent down a metal ladder.

The bunker is a restored symbol of history of a time when the world was
on edge. Now its business of radioactivity is simply just that:
friendly activity on the radio.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: VIDEO AT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8HKixZuWKs&t=16s]

(YOUTUBE)


PAUL/ANCHOR: A link to the video can be seen in the text version of
this week's newscast at arnewsline dot org.

**
DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

If you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would
be interested in, 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. Meanwhile, if you're feeling even a
little bit poetic, visit our website to learn more about the Amateur
Radio Newsline haiku challenge. We have started a new year - and a new challenge! Use the entry form on our website and please follow the
rules for the proper number of syllables when writing your three-line
haiku --and be sure to check out our previous winners!

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the ACMA; Amateur Radio Daily; Amateur
Radio Digital Communications; AMSAT; ARISS; ARRL; CQ Magazine; CNBC;
David Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; FCC; HamSCI; Poncacity.now; QRZ.com; shortwaveradio.de; the WIA; Winter Field Day Association; YouTube; 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 2024. All
rights reserved.

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