XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.info

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2421 for Friday March 22nd, 2024

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2421 with a release date of Friday
March 22nd, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The FCC releases rules for satellite use by
cell phones. An Indian DXpedition doubles as a disaster drill -- and celebrating the anniversary of a historic ham radio law in Germany. All
this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2421 comes your
way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**
FCC SETS RULES FOR CELLULAR-SATELLITE COVERAGE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Could a recent FCC action start narrowing the gap between
cellular and satellite networks for mobile phone users? Kent Peterson
KC0DGY looks into that question.

KENT: The communications industry calls it "supplemental coverage from
space," or SCS. It is the ability of mobile phones to seamlessly tap
into satellite service in remote areas where cellular communication is
not available. That capability became more of a reality on the 14th of
March when the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules that
will guide the industry in making this possible.

In a prepared statement, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said [quote]
""We won't need to think about what network, where and what services
are available. Connections will just work everywhere, all the time."
[endquote] The FCC praised the new rules as setting the stage for a
potentially life-saving service and called the new regulations the
first of their kind for SCS.

The move comes as wireless companies begin signing collaboration deals
with satellite operators to provide this kind of expanded coverage.
Although Verizon does not yet have such a deal, companies in the US,
such as AT&T and T-Mobile, each have one in place.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(SATELLITE TODAY, FCC, TELECOMPETITOR)

**
FCC QUESTIONS CELLPHONE SECURITY THREATS VIA SATELLITE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the FCC has begun looking into whether any
security threats are being created by US mobile phones having access to satellites that are operated by adversarial foreign countries. Only
access to the Galileo GNSS system in Europe has been approved, however.
As early as 2018 FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has expressed concern
that chips in US phones make them capable of operating with other
nations' global navigation satellites; hence, the agency's concern.

(YAHOO FINANCE)

**
SRI LANKA CHOSEN TO HOST RADIO NETWORK CONVENTION

PAUL/ANCHOR: This year, it's Sri Lanka's turn to host a convention of
radio operators specializing in emergency communication throughout
southeast Asia. Jason Daniels VK2LAW has those details.

JASON: The Radio Society of Sri Lanka has been chosen to host the
SEANET 2024 convention in September. SEANET, the South East Asia
Amateur Radio Network, was created in 1964 on 20 metres to provide a
means of emergency communication and to bring ham radio operators
together in fellowship through daily on-air communication at 1200 UTC.
Most of the amateurs participating reside in the region but check-ins
take place from around the world.

SEANET's first convention was held in 1971 in Malaysia. Subsequent
conventions have taken place in Australia, Thailand, China, Brunei,
India, Singapore and other locales throughout southeast Asia.

Details about the event and its agenda will be available on the RSSL's
website and social media channels.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(RADIO SOCIETY OF SRI LANKA, FACEBOOK)

**
IRTS GETS OK FOR HAREC EXAMINATIONS IN IRELAND

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams in Ireland whose summer travel plans include their
radios can plan on taking the Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination
Certificate in May. Ireland's regulator has just received approval to
give it, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The Commission for Communications Regulation has given approval
to the Irish Radio Transmitters Society to hold a HAREC examination for
the certificate. Under the Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination
Certificate, the successful completion of the exam means certificate
holders may apply for a licence in another HAREC country without having
to sit the local exam. This is true for both CEPT and some non-CEPT
countries.

IRTS has scheduled the exam for Saturday the 11th of May in Dublin,
with registration starting at 10:30 a.m. local time. It is hoped that
an exam may also be offered in Kerry at the same time, subject to
demand.

Interested amateurs need to apply in advance and should visit the IRTS
website to download and complete the application form. It can be found
under the header "Applying for an Exam."

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(IRTS)

**
SILENT KEY: CELEBRATED QRP'er DIETER GENTZOW, W8DIZ

PAUL/ANCHOR: The community of QRP operators has lost a well-known and influential member of its inner circle. We learn more about him from
Travis Lisk, N3ILS.

TRAVIS: Dieter Gentzow, W8DIZ, was well-known in QRP circles, having
carved out a reputation as both a leader and a mentor. Known by the
nickname, Diz, he was a veteran of the United States Coast Guard and a
founder of the Flying Pigs QRP Club International.

Diz died on the 3rd of March and was reported as a Silent Key on
QRZ.com

He ran a popular business, kitsandparts dot com (kitsandparts.com) with
his wife, Nancy. He was also well-known for leading the popular
Buildathon at the Four Days in May event in the early 2000s during
Dayton Hamvention and according to Brian, KB9BVN, another member of the
Flying Pigs QRP group, [quote] "was a consummate designer and builder
of all kinds of radio-related projects ranging from amplifiers, antenna
tuners, transceivers and diagnostic gear aimed at the amateur radio
builder [and] maker." [endquote] He had created a series of QRPp radio
kits called the "1-watter" series, which he sold through his business.

Born in 1948, Diz was inducted into the QRP Hall of Fame in 2005.

This is Travis Lisk, N3ILS

(QRZ.COM)

**
BEACH DXPEDITION DOUBLES AS MOCK DISASTER DRILL

PAUL/ANCHOR: In India, two ham radio groups are getting ready for a
DXpedition that doubles as a disaster drill. We hear about their plans
from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: Two amateur radio organisations in India are teaming up for a
combination DXpedition and disaster drill on the weekend of March 29th
to the 31st. Known as the Digha DXpedition, it will feature a mock
disaster drill with radio operators from the Indian Academy of
Communication & Disaster Management and the West Bengal Radio Club. The
hams will be operating from Old Digha Beach in West Bengal and will be
using the callsign VU2WB, the callsign of the West Bengal club, on 10,
20 and 40 metres, using SSB and FT8. This sea beach has suffered for
years from coastal erosion and other damage as the result of natural
and manmade forces. To help prepare hams for emergency response, this
exercise has been scheduled to take place just weeks before the start
of monsoon season in May.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)

**
FUNCUBE AVAILABLE FOR QSOS AGAIN

PAUL/ANCHOR: The CubeSat known as AO-73 has put the fun back in
FunCube. AMSAT reports that the transponder is back in action for
amateur radio communication after a brief period of rest for its
batteries. The satellite had been placed in safe mode on March 3rd,
providing only low power telemetry. The popular educational CubeSat has
been in orbit since 2013.

(AMSAT, AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY)

**
LOW-POWER STATION GETS CITY'S LAST FM BROADCAST FREQUENCY

PAUL/ANCHOR: San Francisco's last remaining FM broadcast frequency for
Low Power FM radio licensees has been assigned by the FCC to a local
nonprofit independent station. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB tells us what
happens next.

RALPH: The announcement on the website of BFF dot fm (BFF.fm) could not
have had a more jubilant tone. The station, which provides listeners
with music and talk programming exclusively on the Internet and through
an app, has been given the go-ahead to operate on a low-power broadcast
FM frequency.

According to a report on the website SFGate, the assignment of 104.9 FM
leaves the city with no more unclaimed low-power FM frequencies.
Writing on its blog, the station said that it still has some homework
to do: among those assignments, determining its four-letter callsign
and building a tower during the next three years. The FCC has given the
station the right to broadcast over a limited area in the southwest
area of the city, giving it access to an estimated 100,000 listeners.

The station, which was created in 2013, has said it will also maintain
its online presence.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(SFGATE, BFF.FM)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the WG8ARS repeater of the Germantown Amateur Radio Society in
Germantown, Ohio on Sundays after the 9 p.m. net.

**
NOMINATE OUR NEXT YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

PAUL/ANCHOR: At this time of year we ask our listeners to nominate a
promising young radio amateur to become the Bill Pasternak Memorial
Young Ham of the Year for 2024. Candidates must live in the continental
United States and be 18 years of age or younger. Tell our judges about
your nominee's talent, promise and commitment to the spirit of ham
radio. This is your chance to help honor and acknowledge that person
who will, no doubt, go on to teach and inspire others. Find the
nomination form on our website arnewsline.org under the "AWARDS" tab. Nominations close on May 31st.

**
A CELEBRATION OF GERMANY'S AMATEUR RADIO LAW

PAUL/ANCHOR: In Germany, the spotlight is on the country's amateur
radio law, which is marking its 75th anniversary. Jeremy Boot G4NJH
tells us how hams are celebrating.

JEREMY: Amateurs in Germany are celebrating 2024 as the 75th
anniversary of the country's amateur radio legislation, which took
effect in March 1949, predating Germany's Basic Law and the creation of
the Federal Republic itself, which took place that same year in May.

To mark the occasion, the German national society, the DARC is making
an award available to any amateurs who contact 75 stations across all
24 regional districts until the end of April. One of those contacts
must be with special event stations DP75AFUG, DL75AFUG or DL75AFUV.
Shortwave listeners may also participate under the same rules.

Congratulations to our friends in Germany on this Diamond anniversary.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(DX NEWS, RADIO DARC)


PAUL/ANCHOR: For the full story behind this historic law and a
fascinating account of how radio amateurs in Germany used ham radio
creativity and house bricks to advocate for the law in Germany, see the
Amateur Radio Newsline website. Under the tab that reads "Extra,"
you'll find the story in translation from the original German.



**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, look out for the EI DX Group's DXpedition to
Maseru, Lesotho. Operators are on the air as 7P8EI until the 29th of
March on 160-10 metres. They are using CW, SSB and digital modes See
QRZ.com for QSL details.

T32EU, a group of German DXpeditioners are operating from East Kiribati
until the 27th of March despite several knock-backs. They are running
three stations around the clock on 160 through 6 metres, using CW, SSB,
FT8 and RTTY. For QSL details and the story so far checkqrz.com.

Listen for the Camaguey DX Group using the callsigns T47C and CO9JAB
from Cayo Romano, Cuba, IOTA Number NA-086, on the 29th and 31st of
March. The team of 9 will be using CW, SSB and the digital modes on 80,
40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. QSL directly to IK2DUW. QSOs will be uploaded
to LoTW.

Celebrate the 135th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower's formal
inauguration by making a contact with Michel, F8GGZ. He will be using
the special callsign TM135TE from the 24th to the 31st of March. QSL
via the bureau.

Listen for Jean-Luc, F1ULQ, operating as TO1Q (TEE OH 1 Q) from
Guadeloupe, IOTA Number NA-102, from the 25th of March to the 7th of
April. Listen for his signal on the HF bands and 6 metres where he will
be using SSB and FT8. He may be active as well on some satellites. See
QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: NOW, VOYAGER: PROBE IS POISED FOR A COMEBACK

PAUL/ANCHOR: We end this week by looking forward into deep space where
NASA's Voyager 1 probe has suffered communication problems recently.
Now, it seems, there is hope things can be fixed and communications can
be restored. Neil Rapp WB9VPG takes us along on that voyage.

NEIL: Could the troubled deep-space probe Voyager 1 - which scientists
had feared was failing - possibly have a second act after all? NASA had
feared the worst when Voyager's transmissions began sending garbled
data four months ago, suggesting problems had developed with the Flight
Data Subsystem. On March 1st, NASA scientists tried something
different: They transmitted a command prompt to direct the spacecraft
to use different sequences in its firmware in case some corruption had occurred. The result was unexpected - a Flight Data Subsystem download
that engineers were actually able to decode. They are now studying the
data for clues to what may have happened.

Once the scientists solve the mystery behind what is troubling the
mission, they will know if Voyager still has miles to go before its
final sleep.

It's a moment of hope for NASA, which treasures the nearly 50 years of
the Voyager mission. It's also a moment of some pride for one science journalist. She reported recently on the Voyager mission and its
connections to the pioneering radio astronomer Frank Drake. The late
radio astronomer, considered the father of the search for signs of life
beyond Earth, is the father of that very same journalist, Nadia Drake.
No doubt she is joining NASA in rooting for Voyager.

This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(ARS TECHNICA, HACKADAY, LIVESCIENCE.COM)

**
DO YOU HAIKU?

Don't forget the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. If you're not
too busy tuning your antennas or chasing the latest DXpedition, pick up
a pencil and share your experience by sending an original haiku to us
here at Newsline. Use the entry form on our website, arnewsline.org and
please follow the rules for writing your three-line haiku -- sorry but
we cannot accept any entries that aren't written in traditional haiku
form. Share with fellow listeners the poetry that is inspired by your
ham radio experience!

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Ars Technica; the Australian
Communications and Media Authority; Amateur Radio Daily; ARRL; BFF.FM;
CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DXNews; DXWorld; 425DXNews; Hackaday;
Irish Radio Transmitters Society; LiveScience.com; QRZ.com; Radio
Competitor; Radio D. A. R. C.; Radio Society of Sri Lanka; Satellite
Today; SFGate.com; shortwaveradio.de; Yahoo Finance website; 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.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)