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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2292 for Friday October 1st, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2292 with a release date of Friday
October 1st, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams help plan public safety in wildfire
country. Citizen science marks one decade of aurora-watching â-" and
SOTA summit activators celebrate four-legged friends. All this and more
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2292 comes your way right now.

***
BILLBOARD CART

**
CALIFORNIA HAMS AT FOREFRONT OF PUBLIC-SAFETY INITIATIVE

DON/ANCHOR: Our top story is an example of amateur radio playing an
active role in broad-based public-safety planning. The hams, in this
case, are in a wildfire-plagued part of California. A California
amateur radio club in a region imperiled by deadly wildfires has led
the charge for a recently approved early warning system designed to
enhance safety in communities near the San Bernardino National Forest.
Here's Ralph Squillace KK6ITB to bring us that story.

RALPH: At the urging of the Mile High Radio Club, the Riverside County
Board of Supervisors approved the network of strategically placed
speakers to broadcast public safety information during wildfires and
other emergencies and disasters. The speakers are to be located at
schools, camps, fire stations and other venues. The Mile High club has
been a proponent of the project, which will receive a $210,000 grant
from the US Department of Homeland Security. The project is expected be
built in five phases and take about two years before it is fully
operational. The hams have favored the establishment of the
communications system to enhance their own roles in providing realtime information to first responders and the public during a crisis. The
club is based in Idyllwild and covers the San Jacinto Mountain region
which is a high-risk zone for wildfires such as the Cranston Fire
in2018.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(NBC PALM SPRINGS, LA-IST)

**
RADIO OPERATORS PREP FOR ARRL'S SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST

DON: September was named "National Preparedness Month" by the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, with dozens of organizations and
agencies participating in drills. On the heels of this emphasis for
citizen preparedness, the ARRL's Annual Simulated Emergency Test takes
place on October 2nd and 3rd, as amateur radio operators show their
readiness for emergencies and disasters. Randy Sly W4XJ has the
details.

RANDY: The Simulated Emergency Test, or SET, is an annual nationwide
exercise designed to assess the skills and preparedness of Amateur
Radio Emergency Service volunteers as well as those active in the
National Traffic System, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service,
SKYWARN, Community Emergency Response Teams, and other allied groups.
While the first week in October is the normally scheduled weekend for
the SET, local and section-level exercises may take place throughout
the fall.

In addition to determining the strengths and weaknesses in providing communications under simulated emergency conditions and scenarios, the
SET also provides a platform, like Field Day, for a public
demonstration for service agencies and the news media regarding amateur
radio's emergency capabilities.

The SET offers amateurs an opportunity to learn or practice useful
skills in traffic handling, net operation and emergency communications protocols and management. They can also update their "go-kits" for use
during deployments and ensure their home station's operational
capability is ready for any emergency or disaster.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Randy Sly W4XJ.

**
PROPOSAL EYES REMOVAL OF AMATEUR SATELLITE ALLOCATIONS

DON/ANCHOR: A proposal to give radio astronomy operations use of
frequencies between 300 MHz and 2000 MHz within the Shielded Zone of
the Moon would remove amateur satellite allocations at 435 MHz and 1260
MHz for communications such as those with Lunar-OSCAR 93 and
Lunar-OSCAR 94, two satellites in lunar orbits. The proposed changes by
the Space Frequency Coordination Group, reported in the online
journal, Inside GNSS, would also apply to Mars. According to the
article in the journal, the purpose of the proposal is to protect radio astronomy from RF interference. The article identifies several affected projects already in the works, including one from China that would
include between 5 and 8 satellites forming a radio astronomy antenna
array in orbit around the moon.

(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, SOUTHGATE, INSIDE GNSS)

**

CITIZEN SCIENTISTS MARK DECADE OF AURORA-WATCHING

DON/ANCHOR: The Northern Lights are nothing new but citizen scientists'
study of the aurora is a fairly recent development. Paul Braun WD9GCO
tells us about one established group whose enthusiasm endures.

PAUL: It's been ten years since that October night when space weather
scientist Elizabeth MacDonald logged onto Twitter to read the
observations people were recording about an aurora-filled northern sky
â-" the product of a solar storm. That moment marked the starting point
for Aurorasaurus, a means by which thousands of citizen scientists and
aurora enthusiasts around the world contribute realtime observations
about the Northern Lights. The research project has garnered the
support of the National Science Foundation and according to its
website, has participation from researchers at NASA, the New Mexico
Consortium, Penn State University, and Science Education Solutions.

Newsline's Science Editor Dr. Tamitha Skov WX6SWW recently joined in
the celebration by tweeting: [quote] "Congratulations on the 10-year anniversary of Aurorasaurus and to all the dedicated aurora field
reporters and contributors over the years." [endquote]

If you're interested in participating, visit the website at
aurorasaurus.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.

(AURORASAURUS, TWITTER)
**
SILENT KEY: TOM CLARK K3IO, PIONEER IN HAM RADIO SATELLITES

DON/ANCHOR: The director emeritus and president emeritus of AMSAT and
prominent ham at the forefront of satellite operations has become a
Silent Key. Tom Clark, K3IO, died on September 28th. AMSAT has renamed
its annual general meeting and space symposium in his memory. The AMSAT
Dr. Tom Clark K3IO Memorial Space Symposium will be held virtually on
October 30th on Zoom and will be livestreamed on AMSAT's YouTube
channel. In a statement on his Twitter account, AMSAT's Bob McGwier
N4HY wrote that he is putting together a memorial talk for the AMSAT
meeting and the journal will have an appreciation as well.

Tom Clark was 82.

(AMSAT)

**
A DAY OF HERITAGE AND HAM RADIO FOR S. AFRICA'S VOORTREKKERS

DON/ANCHOR: Youngsters in South Africa's Voortrekker organisation
marked their nation's Heritage Day by getting on the air and making
some meaningful contacts. Jason Daniels VK2LAW tells us about them and
the hams who helped make it happen.

JASON: A group of young Voortrekkers, part of South Africa's scouting
movement that celebrates Afrikaaner heritage, were eager to get on the
air to celebrate the organisation's 90th birthday. With the help of the Northern Cape Amateur Radio Club ZS3NC, they spent five hours at a
Kathu field station on September 24th, working and logging amateurs
from a number of provinces in South Africa and regions in Namibia. Roy
Walsh ZS3RW, Esmè Walsh ZS3EW and Gerhard Coetzee ZS3TG helped them
add new names and callsigns to the log of special event station
ZS90TVK, moving them even closer to qualifying for a communication
badge.

Said Roy: [quote] "We had fun as well." [endquote] In all there were 60 contacts logged. Best of all, two of the youngsters now want more than
just their badge: they're looking to take the exam and get their
licence.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(ROY WALSH, ZS3RW)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the WM9W repeater in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesdays at midnight local
time during the Nightcrawlers net.

**
CELEBRATING THE WORLD'S LARGEST HORSESHOE CRAB

DON/ANCHOR: There's nothing like being around a big crab â-" we mean a
really big crab â-" to put you in a good mood for a special event
station. Neil Rapp WB9VPG tells us about this "claws celebre."

NEIL: Horseshoe crabs are more commonly found on beaches, not near
major highways, but the world's largest horseshoe crabâ-"really an
oversized replica of oneâ-"is being celebrated in Hillsboro, Ohio, as
one of America's notable roadside attractions. The Highland Amateur
Radio Association K8HO is getting into the act on Saturday, October 2nd
by activating a special event station that calls attention to this
crabbiest of curiosities. According to the Times Gazette newspaper,
Crabbieâ-"a pavilion-like structure made of fiberglass and foamâ-"is 12
feet high and measures 28 feet wide by 67 feet long. That's a good bit
larger than the real thing, which is no more than 19 inches. Hams will
be on the air between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time. Successful QSOs
will make radio operators eligible for a special certificate with a
picture of Crabbieâ-"so for all your efforts getting through the
pileups, you'll have nothing to crab about.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(TIMES GAZETTE)

**
ILLINOIS RADIO CLUB'S EMERGENCY TRAILER MAKES ITS DEBUT

DON/ANCHOR: When it comes to emergency response, nothing can substitute
for hitting the road in an emergency. Knowing this, one Illinois ham
radio club has been preparing its new communications trailer for
serious action. Andy Morrison K9AWM brings us the details.

ANDY: The new mobile command center of the Massac County Amateur Radio
Club is making its debut at a major fall celebration in Illinois this
month â-" but the vehicle's appearance there is actually a dress
rehearsal for its real role, assisting in emergencies. The trailer,
which is on loan to the club, will be introduced to the public at the
annual Fort Massac Encampment on the 16th and 17th of October. Club
president Ruben Fuentes WB5WTF told Newsline that the club has been
busy outfitting it with radios, cables and antennas and will
demonstrate its operation during the two-day event. He told Newsline:
[quote] "Our goal is to be completely prepared to utilize the trailer
in response to natural or man-made disasters, such as floods,
earthquakes, and tornados." The fall celebration is part of their prep
work for activities requiring more urgent response. Ruben said: [quote]
"This will afford us the opportunity to fine tune the equipment as well
as our skills." [endquote]

Club members will also be working to purchase the loaned trailer to
make it a permanent part of their resources.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(WSIL-TV, RUBEN FUENTES WB5WTF)

**
SATELLITES, ARCTIC DXPEDITION, HIGHLIGHT RSGB'S CONVENTION

DON/ANCHOR: It's almost time for the online convention of the Radio
Society of Great Britain. The agenda for the October 9th program is
putting some of its spolight on amateur satellites and on one recent
Arctic DXpedition. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has more details.

JEREMY: One of the operators from the JW0W Arctic DXpedition will
recreate this past summer's adventure during the RSGB online
convention. Allen, EA3HSO, will share the adventure of how Prins Karls
Forland Island was activated for the first time in 20 years. During the four-day operation, six hams logged 16,000 QSOs. Allen will describe
the setup - and the pileups! Also on the programme is Sean, KX9X, who
will give convention attendees an introduction to using amateur radio satellites, whose popularity has been on the rise. The convention
lectures will be livestreamed and there will be an interactive Q&A for
the lectures. Anyone missing the convention can view the talks later on
the YouTube channel of the RSGB.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, Emilio, HP2NG, is one of several operators on the
air with the callsign 3E200P from Colon, Panama, marking the nation's
200th anniversary of independence from Spain. The station will be on
the air until November 30th on various HF bands using several modes.
There is a special QSL card that will be sent for contacts. It is
recommended to QSL via ClubLog's OQRS. You may also use eQSL or LoTW.

Be listening for special event station 8J250IWA celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Japanese city of Iwakura. This callsign will be on
the air starting October 1st through to December 5th. QSLs will be sent
via the bureau.

Members of the Tifariti Gang/DX Friends will be using the callsign HD8R
from the Galapagos Islands starting October 26th and through to
November 7th. Be listening on 160-6 meters, including 60m, where
operators will be using CW, SSB, the Digital modes and low orbit
satellites. Send QSLs to EA5RM.

The Budapest Radioamateur Society BRASZ will be using the special event callsign HG5NATURE until October 22nd. The activation will take place
during and after the World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition in
Budapest. QSL via eQSL.

(OHIO PENN DX)

**
KICKER: SOTA SUMMITS BECOME A DOG'S BEST FRIEND

DON/ANCHOR: Our final story this week goes a little bit off the beaten
track and a whole lot off the leash. It's about Summits on the
Air....and the dogs who love summit activations as much as their human counterparts do. Ed Durrant DD5LP tells us of their adventures.

ED: A good dog will happily come when called. Some especially good dogs
will retrieve something you need. Radio operators know, however, that
even the best dog can't necessarily fetch good DX from a Summit on the
Air activation. Still, many bring their dogs along for the trip and are
glad to have a friend there. A recent photo gallery called SOTA Dogs on
Summits was so popular when it first appeared online on the SOTA
Reflector website that a second edition surfaced this year: This new
pack of SOTA dogs includes Juri and Vinnie, with Vinnie the elder
statesman of the mountain for Martin OE3VBU. There's Zoe, avid radio
hound of Jeffry KX6I, and even a SOTA puppy in training, introduced by
proud radio buddy Stuart KB1HQS. The mountain goat of the bunch turns
out to be a mountain sheepâ-"a lamb named Norit, born last May and
rejected by his mother. Norit says "baaaa" instead of bark but he and
his friend Jon EA3BV are likely to have some summit adventures that are
likely wild and...woolly.

To see more of these loyal SOTA friends, visit the SOTA reflector
website at the link provided in this week's Newsline script at
arnewsline.org.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP, that's DD5 loves
puppies.

[PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://reflector.sota.org.uk/t/sota-dogs-on-summits-part-2/23919/5]

(SOTA REFLECTOR)

**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to AMSAT; the ARRL; Aurorasaurus; CQ
Magazine; David Behar K7DB; Inside GNSS; Ohio Penn DX; QRZ.com; Radio
Society of Great Britain; Roy Walsh, ZS3RW; Ruben Fuentes, WB5WTF; the
SOTA Reflector; Southgate Amateur Radio News; shortwaveradio.de;
Spacenews; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; Times Gazette newspaper;
Twitter; WSIL-TV; WTWW Shortwave; and you our listeners, that's all
from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at newsline@arnewsline.org. 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 youall.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and
our news team worldwide, I'm Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune Mississippi
saying 73. As always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.

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