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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2313 for Friday February 25th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2313 with a release date of Friday February 25th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Ukraine bans ham radio before Russian invasion.
An amateur in Pennsylvania faces criminal charges -- and a historic
Marconi hut goes digital in England. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2313 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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UKRAINE BANS AMATEUR RADIO AS PART OF STATE OF EMERGENCY

NEIL/ANCHOR: A decree by Ukrainian officials imposing a state of
emergency, including a ban on amateur radio operation, took effect on
Thursday, February 24th. Officials had announced the previous day that
they would do so in anticipation of a Russian military invasion. The
decree can last as long as 30 days, with an option to be extended.

The International Amateur Radio Union was monitoring the events. Greg
Mossop, G0DUB, IARU Region 1's emergency communications coordinator,
told Newsline in an email [quote] "The events in Ukraine are obviously
fast moving and although there were early reports of telecommunications failures it appears these may have been due to the volume of calls on
the networks. Webcams in the area are functioning and people do seem to
be able to make calls. Sadly, the Ukrainian National Society has
reported that a ban on the operation of amateur stations in Ukraine has
been put in place for 30 days commencing February 24th. IARU Region 1
and its member societies are monitoring the situation closely but
remind all amateur radio operators they must follow their national laws
and regulations." [endquote]

The US news website Politico quoted Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, describing the actions
as [quote] "preventive measures to keep calm in the country."
[endquote]

The declaration is not in effect in the political subdivisions of
eastern Donetsk and Luhansk, which have been occupied by Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

(GREG MOSSOP, G0DUB; IARU REGION 1; POLITICO)


**

PENNSYLVANIA HAM CHARGED WITH FALSE INFORMATION, BOMB THREATS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the United States, a ham faces serious criminal charges
for on-the-air activities. Sel Embee KB3TZD has that story.

SEL: An amateur radio operator in Erie, Pennsylvania has been charged
with transmitting false weather emergencies on the radio and making
bomb threats, according to published reports.

The Erie Times-News identified the ham as Richard L. Wagner, whose call
sign is listed as N3BWG on QRZ.COM. The newspaper said that Erie County detectives charged him with reporting bogus weather emergencies while
on the air and with making threats against other hams who told him to
stop. The news report said that a criminal complaint was filed on
Monday, February 14th, alleging that between the 19th of December and
February 13th, he went on air with threats to bomb public buildings,
including the city police station and the county courthouse.

There were no details about any involvement in the case by the US
Federal Communications Commission.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 3rd.

(ERIE NEWS-TIMES)

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DIGITAL VOICE EMERGENCY NETWORK PLANNED IN MAINE

NEIL/ANCHOR: The largest United States county east of the Mississippi
River is about to get its first digital amateur radio emergency service
to be affiliated with the county. Jim Damron N8TMW has that story.

JIM: There's a lot of ground to cover in Aroostook [pronounced:
uh-ROO-stick] County, Maine, which at more than 6600 square miles, has
a lot going on when disaster strikes. A group of amateur radio
operators calling themselves the Caribou Emergency Amateur Radio
Service are now working to establish formal emergency communications
structure in that rural county with D-STAR. The idea is to connect hams
with one another as well as local and state agencies using that digital
voice mode. Emergency response is already provided from the Aroostook
Amateur Radio Association and ARES, but Caribou's response will
primarily come alongside those of county agencies using D-STAR. Caribou announced on its Facebook page earlier this month that it is working to establish the first D-STAR repeater in northern Maine.

Meanwhile, T.H. Merritt KM4TJI, the group's president and cofounder,
told a Bangor, Maine newspaper that the group has already met with
local fire, police and emergency medical services. He said that the
Caribou group is being created based on his experience as an emergency
radio operator in Florida and has a membership of 17. That is expected
to grow as more people sign up and begin studying for their ham radio
licenses.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Damron N8TMW.

(BANGOR DAILY NEWS)

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AMATEURS ENJOY TWO QSO PARTIES IN ONE

NEIL/ANCHOR: What's better than one QSO party? Try two that are going
on in the Carolinas. Kevin Trotman N5PRE has the details.

KEVIN: In the United States, North and South Carolina are teaming up
for a two-QSO-party weekend: On Saturday, February 26th, hams in South Carolina's 46 counties will be chasing contacts. There is a new
category for hams operating portable from temporary stations,
activating in one or more counties. Expedition stations may move from
county to county.'

On Sunday, February 27th, it's North Carolina's turn and hams will be
chasing contacts in that state's 100 counties. There are bonus points
for working the NC4QP bonus station as well as the callsigns N4D, N4U,
N4K, N4E -- all the stations having suffixes that spell "DUKE" in honor
of Duke University, the pride of North Carolina.

For details on both QSO parties, see the text version of this week's
Newsline script at arnewsline.org.

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: https://ncqsoparty.org/ http://scqso.com/
]

From beautiful Aiken, South Carolina, this is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE for

Amateur Radio Newsline.

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HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY WORKSHOPS NOW ONLINE

NEIL/ANCHOR: If there was a workshop you wanted to attend at the
virtual Ham Radio University conference, but missed it, now's your
chance to make up for lost time. Stephen Kinford N8WB tells us how.

STEPHEN: Held on January 8th as a virtual conference, Ham Radio
University may be over but it's not gone. Videos of the day-long event
have been uploaded to YouTube where any number of workshops are
available for viewing. Whether you couldn't attend HRU or weren't able
to get to all the workshops you wanted, the HRU YouTube channel makes
it easy to see what you missed.

In addition to the introductory classes for DXing and the basics of HF operating, presenters also cover contesting, the various logging
programs out there, Parks on the Air, the HF digital modes and QRP
operations. As well as several other topics covered in the videos, an assortment of workshops from previous years complete the channel. Ham
Radio University played host to the ARRL New York City / Long Island
Section Convention.

Find a link to the channel in the text for this week's newscast script
at arnewsline.org

[PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ:
www.youtube.com/c/HamRadioUniversityNLI/videos]

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB.

(HRU)

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VOICE OF AMERICA EVENT LOGS 3,665 QSOs

NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the organizers of the Voice of America
80th anniversary special event station. Operators logged 3,665 QSOs at
stations W3V, W8O and W4A, according to Jocelyn Brault KD8VRX/VA2VRX of
the West Chester Amateur Radio Association. He said that all digital
cards have been sent and certificates will be emailed shortly. Paper
QSLs are expected to be sent out sometime in March.

**

HISTORIC MARCONI HUT DEPICTED IN VIRTUAL 3D MODEL

NEIL/ANCHOR: In England, radio is about to embrace one digital mode yet
unknown on the amateur bands: Digital art. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has
thatstory.

JEREMY: Hams in the UK have played a big role in celebrations of the
BBC's centenary this year. The most recent special event station was
heard on the 14th of February as radio operators in Chelmsford called
QRZ as station GB100 2MT [pronounced as GB100 2MT], marking the
historic first transmission from the Marconi Company's Writtle Hut
there. The hut is now going digital with the help of an artist who is
creating a digital model of it for inclusion at the Chelmsford Museum.
The artist, Sian Fan, and the museum are calling the exhibit Forecast22
- the Birth of British Broadcasting. The virtual 3D model will include
a replica of the 2MT transmitter as well as contents of the building.
The exhibit opens in October.

If you can't get to Chelmsford to take a step inside history, don't
worry. You can take part in the Forecast22 on your mobile phone
wherever in the world you might be. It's a different kind of 'digital
DXing' but a fitting option for a celebration that changed the shape
and the sound of British broadcasting.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(CITYLIFE CHELMSFORD)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the word, including
the K5DUR repeater in Dallas, Texas on Sundays at 7 p.m. local time.

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AUSTRALIA PREPARING FOR A WHOLE LOT OF 'MAYHAM'

NEIL/ANCHOR: There are big happenings planned for hams in New South
Wales, Australia. Jason Daniels VK2LAW brings us that report.

JASON: Mayham, the largest amateur radio gathering in the Southern
Hemisphere, has an equally large and ambitious agenda for Sunday the
1st of May. In addition to planning the usual activities, such as
pedestrian and mobile fox hunts, organisers from the Central Coast
Amateur Radio Club are looking for lecturers to deliver talks on a
variety of subjects. Each 45-minute presentation will be followed by no
more than 15 minutes of questions and answers. Formerly known as Wyong
Field Day, it has run over 60 years without a break, even through these
COVID years. Mayham is scheduled to be held at the customary location
of the Wyong race course. If you have a presentation you'd like to
share with some of Australia's most enthusiastic radio amateurs,
contact Col VK2ZCO by emailing ccarc at ccarc dot org dot au (ccarc@ccarc.dot.org.au) and describe your proposed lecture. If you're
looking to upgrade - or even get - your first licence, contact
education coordinator of the club at education at ccarc dot org dot au (education@ccarc.dot.org.au)

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(CENTRAL COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

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ARISS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ISS CONTACTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you're interested in learning more about setting up,
hosting and participating in a contact with the ISS through Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station you may want to attend an
introductory webinar being hosted by ARISS. It will be held on UTC
March 4th - which is the evening of March 3rd for attendees in North
America. The webinar will help give schools, science centers, museums
and other institutions information they need to apply for a contact
with the space crew. Registration for the seminar is required.

Applications for a space-crew contact should be submitted no later than
the 31st of March. Such a contact would ideally draw a large number of attendees and participants and be included in an educational plan
focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Visit the ARISS-USA website for more details. All contacts are being scheduled
for January the 1st through June 30th of 2023.

(ARISS-USA)

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COLLECTOR IN ENGLAND ENJOYS MORE THAN 200 RADIOS

NEIL/ANCHOR: If certain important people in your life, maybe even the
ones living under the same roof as you, constantly remind you that you
have far too many radios, perhaps it's time you shared this story about
a retired electrical engineer in England and his collection of more
than 200 radios. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has all the details you'll need.

JEREMY: How many radios is too many? Norfolk retiree Richard Allan
stopped counting when his collection reached 200. His shelves of
crystal sets, antique transistor and valve radios is valued somewhere
around £15,000, or $20,000 in US currency. His favourite radio
is the one his late father bought in 1928 and listened to throughout
World War II. His father had been an amateur radio operator and at one
point even built his own transmitter. He passed along his skill for
repairing radios to his son along with his massive radio collection.
Richard, who is 85, has spent the past 50 years adding to that
collection and restoring the nonfunctioning ones to good working order.
He told the Daily Mail newspaper: [quote] "The value is in the eye of
the beholder." [endquote]

About 90 percent of the radios work just fine. The other 10 percent are
the ones that keep him busy. He told the newspaper: [quote] "If they
were all working, I'd have nothing to do with my time!" [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(THE DAILY MAIL)

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WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, Karel, OK2WM, and Vlad, OK2WX, are on the air as
8Q7WM and 8Q7WX, respectively, from Innahura Island, AS-013, in the
Maldives, until March 8th. Listen for them on 160, 80 and 40 metres
where they will be using CW and SSB. Send QSLs to their home calls.

Listen for Oliver, DJ5QW, who is using the callsigns D4CW and D44DX
from Sal Island, AF-086, Cape Verde, until the 2nd of March. You can
hear him on 80-10 meters where he is using CW and SSB. QSL via his home callsign or by the DARC Bureau.

Philippe, EA4NF, will be operating as EA8/EA4NF from Hierro Island,
AF-004, the smallest island of the Canary Islands. He will be on the
air between March 4 and 6th using the FM and Linear low-earth orbit
satellites. He hopes to activate the very rare grids IL07 and IL17. QSL
via LoTW.

Listen for Gildas, F6HMQ, and Michel, F6GWV, operating as FG/F6HMQ and FG/F6GWV, respectively, from Guadeloupe until the 27th of March.
Operating on the HF bands holiday style, they will be in the ARRL
International DX SSB Contest on March 5th and 6th and the CQWW WPX SSB
Contest on March 26th and 27th using the callsign TO3Z. For QSL
information, visit QRZ.com.

(OHIO PENN DX)

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KICKER: DRAKE RECEIVER'S WINDFALL IS ITS.....WATERFALL

NEIL/ANCHOR: It's uncommon to mention "boat anchor" and "waterfall" in
the same sentence unless, of course, you're talking about the kind of
boat anchor you'd drop to secure a seagoing vessel. Meet a relatively
new ham who talks about boat anchors AND waterfalls on dry land - in
his shack. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB brings us this week's final story.

RALPH: Scott Baker KK7CAI is no stranger to tinkering in the shop. A
list of his varied electronics projects populate his website smbaker
dot com. So when he got his amateur radio license this past December,
it was only natural that he wouldn't let his newly acquired Drake R-4B
receiver stay in the 1970s forever. He decided to build a panadapter -a
circuit to capture a wideband signal from the old tube radio receiver.
With the help of an SDR dongle and his computer, his goal was to
display all the transmissions on the band.

The project wasn't without its hitches and glitches. As he writes on
his blog: "I had to install a hefty RF choke on the cable going to the
SDR, or it would lock up whenever I transmit." There were other
challenges along the way too but nothing he couldn't resolve.

Now the waterfall pours forth and the old Drake has entered the 21st
century. Scott says in his video it's a "useful visualization tool."
Yes, it's a success -- and more than that, it looks like this old boat
anchor's ship has finally come in.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(HACKADAY, SOUTHGATE, YOUTUBE)

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NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to AMSAT; ARISS-USA; Bangor Daily News;
Central Coast Amateur Radio Club; City Life Chelmsford; CQ Magazine;
the Daily Mail; David Behar K7DB; the Erie, Pennsylvania News-Times;
Greg Mossop, G0DUB; Hackaday; Ham Radio University; IARU Region 1; Ohio
Penn DX; Politico; QRZ.com; QSO Today; Reuters; Southgate Amateur Radio
News; shortwaveradio.de; 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 youall.

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 2022. All rights reserved.

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