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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2299 for Friday November 19th, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2299 with a release date of Friday November 19th, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Welcome to the newest hams in space. An antenna
that's the smallest of the small -- and a Florida shack pays tribute to
a ham who gave his all to his community. All this and more as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2299 comes your way right now.

***
BILLBOARD CART

**
WELCOMING THE NEWEST HAMS IN SPACE

DON/ANCHOR: We begin this week by putting out the welcome mat to some
new radio amateurs on board the International Space Station. One of
them's even in charge of the crew! Neil Rapp WB9VPG picks up the story
from here.

NEIL: Congratulations to Raja Chari, KI5LIU, the newest commander of a
NASA space mission. Raja and his three fellow members of SpaceX Crew-3
are now aboard the International Space Station, having made the trip
aboard the Endurance, which launched on Wednesday, November 10th.
According to the Associated Press, the US Air Force test pilot from
Iowa is the first rookie to command a NASA mission in several decades.
The mission is expected to last six months.

It promises to be a busy six months for the crew, which includes
Matthias Maurer KI5KFH from the European Space Agency. The German
astronaut will be involved in more than 35 experiments while on board
the ISS. He will also be using the German callsign DP0ISS [Pron: DP
ZERO ISS] during a dozen scheduled contacts with German schools
through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program.
The first of those contacts is set for a school in Bavaria sometime
between the 29th of November and the 5th of December. For Amateur
Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(AMSAT, SPACE FLIGHT NOW, SCITECHDAILY, SPIEGEL.DE)

**
ISS ASTRONAUTS DODGE DEBRIS

DON/ANCHOR: For now, the newly constituted crew of the ISS is keeping a
very low profile. The Russian military's intentional destruction of an
old Soviet-era intelligence satellite has launched a cloud of space
debris into low-Earth orbit. That's a prime location for pieces to
potentially strike and damage the ISS or any other LEO satellite. As
noted in an article on the National Geographic website, the expanding
universe of space junk has spurred an even more critical need for space agencies, such as NASA, to track the paths of these fragments. While
space agencies sorted out the situation, the astronauts were told to
take shelter in the two capsules attached to the ISS, which could bring
them back to Earth in an emergency. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei
KG5GNP later called the experience [quote] "a great way to bond as a
crew." [endquote]

(NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, NPR)

**

SMALL ANTENNA, BIG POSSIBILITIES

DON/ANCHOR: Think you don't have room for an antenna? Researchers are experimenting with one antenna that's so small it might just blend into
the wallpaper. Dave Parks WB8ODF explains.

DAVE: Imagine an antenna that doesn't look like an antenna. Scientists
at Princeton University's Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering
Education have done just that. They're basing their work on something
called large-area electronics, which allows electronic circuits to be
created on material that is both thin and flexible. As a result,
they're hoping to develop an antenna array that could be incorporated
into something as thin as wallpaper or even a skin patch. Their
findings are published in the October 7th issue of Nature Electronics.

A report on the Phys.org website quotes Naveen Verma, the senior author
of the study, describing how the researchers adapted zinc-oxide
thin-film transistor technology for wireless use. They created a phased
array of antennas in a row that is 30cm, or one foot, long.

Lead study author Can Wu of Stanford University said this phased array
allows for point-to-point wireless communication. Although phased
arrays are already employed by cellular networks, radar systems and
satellites, scientists are seeing this new development as showing
promise for handling even more ranges of radio frequencies than ever
before. Scientists said that to add to their usefulness, the antennas
could be located practically anywhereâ-"even as wallpaper in a
roomâ-"making it potentially compatible with devices being driven as
part of the internet of things. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Dave
Parks WB8ODF. (PHYS.ORG)

**
END OF AN ERA FOR HAM-OWNED BUSINESS IN NEW ZEALAND

DON/ANCHOR: A business begun as a partnership nearly 3/4 of a century
ago by a pair of amateur radio friends in New Zealand has new owners.
Jim Meachen ZL2BHF brings us up to date.

JIM: Seventy-four years after two amateur radio operators opened their
retail doors as the New Zealand electronics business known as Jackson &
Wills, the company has been sold.

Jackson & Wills, which is located in Invercargill, bears the names of
Douglas Jackson ZL4GM and Maurice Wills ZL4GY, who became friends
through amateur radio after World War II. In recent years, the company
was run by the second generation: Maurice's son, Lindsay. Lindsay, who
worked at Jackson & Wills for 34 years, noted that the inventory
gradually shifted from analogue to digital equipment, reflecting the
changes in technology.

The buyer, Ashley Communications, has been in busines since the 1930s
and was among the first to sell the original Tait mobile radios.
According to a story on the Southland Times website, the Jackson &
Wills staff will remain on the job after the sale closes.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(WIA, Southland Times newspaper)

**
GRANT HELPS IRISH RADIO GROUP UPGRADE STORM-HIT STATION

DON/ANCHOR: A prominent amateur radio group in Ireland can finally do
some necessary repairs. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us why.

JEREMY: The weather has taken its toll on the station equipment where
EI0MAR is operated by the Howth Martello Radio Group. The coastal
location has left such antennas as a commercial Cobwebb and an HF
vertical victimised by weather extremes. The group is going shopping
for a new antenna and now they also have a grant of 800 euros, the
equivalent of about $900 in US currency, to help with this and other
needs, such as an up-to-date PC and a new rig. The Irish Radio
Transmitters Society website announced that the grant is from its PAR,
or Promoting Amateur Radio, fund. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy
Boot G4NJH.

(IRTS)

**
WYOMING AMATEURS HELP COUNTY TEST EMCOMM TRAILER

DON/ANCHOR: In Wyoming, radio operators have just completed a test that
will help their county respond better to emergencies. Christian Cudnik
K0STH tells us more.

CHRISTIAN: A large trailer could be seen parked in the lot at the
Sheridan Community Land Trust's trailhead on November 13th, but its
presence had nothing to do with any hiker using that Wyoming trail.
Sheridan County Emergency Management had parked the vehicle, its new
EmComm trailer, to conduct communications testing with the assistance
of volunteers from the Cloud Peak Amateur Radio and Electronics Group
WY7SHR. The test was particularly vital to fire and law enforcement
departments as well as EMS.

Ryan Curry WY7RDC, Cloud Peak's president, told Newsline that the
county asked the hams to participate so they would become familiar with operations in the trailer, which they'd helped build. The hams'
involvement was also needed because of their ability to set up
cross-patch communications if the dispatch center, or primary
frequencies, fail.

It was a long day with an important mission. Ryan said the test was a
first for the club, which deployed three amateurs to operate mobile and
kept one at a base station monitoring the club's repeater as a backup. Following the fire warden's maps, the hams used county HTs to determine
the limits of communication coverage at various locations, pinpointing
any dead spots. The club is looking for more amateurs to participate in
their EmComm activities. Please visit their website at cloudpeakradio
dot org. (cloudpeakradio.org)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik K0STH.

(RYAN CURRY, WY7RDC)

**
TWO-DAY CELEBRATION OF INDIAN AMATEURS' 100 YEARS

DON/ANCHOR: When they couldn't hold their national hamfest as planned,
hams in India decided to celebrate ham history â-" and you can
participate too! Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us about it.

GRAHAM: Although COVID-19 precautions spurred organisers to postpone
Hamfest India until 2022, the Hamfest India 2021 organising Committee
went ahead with plans to offer a national celebration online, marking
100 years of amateur radio in India. The commemoration of amateur
radio's centenary in India was hosted by the Mysore Hams on the 13th
and 14th of November, using the Zoom platform. The committee included
Shankar Prasad VU2SPK and Madhukar VU2MUD.

The two-day programme was livestreamed on YouTube and a recording is
available for viewing on the HamfestIndia 2021 channel there.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(YOUTUBE)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the KA1AAA repeater and Echolink Conference server in Bradenton Florida
on Sundays at 0000 UTC.

**
FRANCE DROPS FEE FOR AMATEUR EXAM

DON/ANCHOR: There is some good news for candidates for the amateur
radio exam in France: They can put away their wallets. Jeremy Boot
G4NJH gives us the details.

JEREMY: Candidates for the amateur radio exam in France no longer pay a
fee for the test and the operator certificate. France's National
Frequency Agency made the announcement recently on its website,
advising hams who have already paid that they may be eligible for reimbursement. The qualifying terms of that reimbursement will shortly
be posted on the agency's portal. Letters will also be sent out to
qualify amateurs, enabling them to apply for a return of the fees.

This announcement is the latest reduction in costs for ham radio
operators in France. In 2019, the ANFR removed the annual fee for the
radio licence itself.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE, ANFR, ICQ PODCAST)

**
NETS OF NOTE: THE ILLINI NET'S BUSY WITH POSTGRADUATE ACTIVITIES

DON/ANCHOR: Our occasional series, "Nets of Note," looks at how and
where hams gather on the air. Paul Braun WD9GCO introduces us to a
dedicated collective of university alumni with an especially dedicated
net control.

PAUL: We love to celebrate our seniors in the hobby, and Earl Finder
W9CGZ, at 98 years old, definitely qualifies. Yes, he's been licensed
since 1947, but what brought him to our attention was the fact that
he's been running the Illini Net out of Champaign/Urbana, Illinois
daily since 1976! According to Finder, it all started when he retired:

FINDER: When I retired, I made arrangements with a ham who had lived
here but moved to California to get on the air the next day. And we did
- we thought we'd just get on the air once in a while, but eventually
it got to the point where we were on there every day!

Eventually it got pretty widespread around the country with a lot of
people from Champaign/Urbana, Illinois where I live, and graduates from
the University of Illinois, and people who were stationed at Chanute
Field for many years and little by little it just grew until we had
quite a few people from all over the country who would check in.

PAUL: Finder told me it's not just for U of I graduates or people from
that area:

FINDER: We have all kinds of people - we have PhDs, research
scientists, NASA engineers, we've had people contact us while flying
airliners over the US, military pilots while they were in the air,
people on ships and on-the-road truck drivers, too. All kinds of
people.

PAUL: If you want to check out the Illini Net, it starts every day at
11:30 AM Central on 14.320MHz, plus or minus. Sounds like a great way
to meet a wide variety of hams.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for the callsign HF150KCH and 3Z150PO
(Three Zed One Fifty Pee Oh), activated by the Klubu (Clue-Boo)
Lacznosci (Watch-Nawgee), SP2KFQ, from their club station until
November 30th. The activation is part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first railway line in Chojnice (Hoy-Kneetsuh), where
their club station is located. QSL to the PZKBureau OT09 to SP2KFQ. See
the club's QR Zed webpage for details on how to apply for the award for
the 150th anniversary of the railway line. Be listening for Vladimir
OK2WX, who is on the air as 5H3WX from Zanzibar until the 3rd of
December. Listen on 80 through 10 metres where he will be using CW and
SSB. Send QSLs to HA3JB.

Listen for John Paul, KN6NNF, in Uganda where he is using the callsign
5X3Z on 20 and 10 meters using FT8. QSL to 5X3Z via LoTW.

(OHIO PENN DX)

**
KICKER: REMEMBERING RUDY HUBBARD WA4PUP SK

DON/ANCHOR: Finally, we ask: What's in a name? If it's the name newly
bestowed on an ARES shack in Escambia County, Florida.....PLENTY! Kevin
Trotman N5PRE concludes our newscast with that story.

KEVIN: The Amateur Radio Emergency Service room inside Escambia County, Florida's Public Safety building, proved to be a fitting place to
dedicate a plaque honoring the late Rudy Hubbard WA4PUP. Named in
Rudy's memory on November 12th, the room works hard to keep people in
northern Florida safe â-" just as Rudy himself did until his death last
May at 97.

To many amateurs, he was perhaps best known as the longest continuously
seated section manager for the ARRL in North Florida. To others, such
as Gene Bannon KB4HAH, he was a lifelong friend and an understanding
Elmer. Gene said one of Rudy's gifts to his community was his
development of the section's first formally organized emergency plan,
which laid out guidelines later adopted by other ARRL sections.

Bill Hayden, WY8O (W Y 8 OH), said Rudy had a calming influence in
tough situations and knew what buttons to push to make things happen.
To Bill and many others, he was a father figure.

Gene said that when Hurricane Ivan battered Florida in 2004, Rudy was
able to secure a replacement for a critical 2m repeater that
failedâ-"and he ensured that it became operational within 24 hours to
restore communications with shelters, distribution centers and various agencies. Gene remembered too how in 2005, Rudy rallied other section
managers to arrange for interstate amateur radio response when
Hurricane Katrina struck in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Shortly before his death, Rudy requested that his shack be dismantled
and its contents sold to benefit the Five Flags Amateur Radio Club. But
Rudy's expertise, his friends and of course, his name are together in
another shack, the ARES room where volunteers continue much of Rudy's
good works.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE. (GENE BANNON
KB4HAH, BILL HAYDEN WY8O, PATCH.COM)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to AMSAT; Bill Hayden WY8O; CQ Magazine;
David Behar K7DB; Gene Bannon KB4HAH; the ICQ Podcast; Irish Radio
Transmitters Society; National Geographic; NPR; Ohio Penn DX;
Patch.com; QRZ.com; Phys.org; Ryan Curry WY7RDC; SciTech Daily;
Southgate Amateur Radio News; Southland Times newspaper; Spiegel.de; shortwaveradio.de; Wireless Institute of Australia; YouTube; 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
you all.

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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