Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2021, July 22, 2016

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2021 with a release date of
Friday, July 22, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Concern surfaces over amateur radio licenses
in Turkey the wake of the failed coup in that nation. Australian
authorities crack down on an unlicensed FM broadcaster. The editor of
DXCoffee ham radio magazine is hospitalized following an accident --and
we have an update on Colorado's Hayden Pass Fire. All this and more in
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2021 coming your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART HERE

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BREAKING NEWS: CONCERN FOR TURKISH AMATEURS

JIM/ANCHOR: As this edition of Amateur Radio Newsline went to
production, we received conflicting reports over the state of amateur
radio licenses in that politically troubled nation.

Early reports indicated that the airwaves had gone silent after Turkish
President Recep Erdogan had ordered the Supreme Council of Radio and
Television to revoke 3,213 ham licenses along with those of more than
20 TV and radio broadcasters. We were also told that numerous websites
were also shut down. The news was reported in QRP World which claimed
to confirm its details from TRAC, the national amateur radio nonprofit
organization in Turkey, which represents Turkey in the International
Amateur Radio Union. The IARU, however, had no immediate statement in
response on its website as of Thursday, July 21.

It was unclear at deadline time what changes amateurs face, if any,
under the latest severe government actions. Word came to Amateur Radio
Newsline on Thursday, July 21, that Turkey's sweeping restrictions
against radio and TV operations had not yet affected that nation's
amateur licensees.

One Turkish amateur, Tevfik TA1HZ, reported to us in an email QUOTE "as
of this time, there are is no curfew imposed on amateur radio in
Turkey. The country is now under "extraordinary circumstances law" but
BTK The Communications Authority has not released any announcement
about ham radio restrictions." ENDQUOTE

Tevfik, a Turkish physician, added: QUOTE "There is no information
about any restrictions for amateur radio." ENDQUOTE

Turkey's president had earlier told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, July 20
that he was not convinced the coup attempt was entirely over. He said
QUOTE "I don't think we have come to the end of it." ENDQUOTE

Amateur Radio Newsline will continue to follow this story.


(QRP WORLD, QRZ.NOW)

***
BREAKING NEWS: COLORADO WILDFIRES REPORT

JIM/ANCHOR: We continue our breaking news report with this update on
the Hayden Pass Fire that has burned more than 16,000 acres in
Colorado's Fremont County. Amateur Radio Newsline's Amanda
Alden-Carrier, K1DDN, the ARES Emergency Coordinator for the county,
sent an update to Newsline on Wednesday, July 20 -- 12 days after
lightning first sparked the deadly wildfire. Amanda told us that
Colorado ARES amateurs remained active through Friday, July 15 and
handled all traffic via the DTR system on 800 MHz. She said in an email
that QUOTE "these wildfires spready so quickly, that it reminds us all
to be ready to answer the call for help in a matter of minutes - not
hours." ENDQUOTE According to various news reports, evacuees were
allowed back home Tuesday, July 19. Amanda told us, one day later, that
the second part of the ARES activation remained on standby, with the
possibility of staffing the Red Cross shelters. With Amanda in the
field, Newsline will have more on this story as it develops.

(AMANDA ALDEN-CARRIER, K1DDN; COLORADO 9NEWS; 7NEWS DENVER)

****

LIGHTHOUSE EVENT'S POPULARITY SHINES

JIM/ANCHOR: One of the most popular events in ham radio isn't a contest
but a celebration of the world's lighthouses. In New York's Hudson
Valley, one club is celebrating the distinction of being registrant
number 300 for this event, which takes place next month.

NEIL's REPORT: Three hundred might just be a lucky number for the QSY
Society in Dutchess County, New York. Organizers of the International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend have identified the ham radio club as
the 300th registrant for the annual two-day August event. This year
more than 36 countries are represented so far, from Australia and
Argentina to Sri Lanka and Uruguay.

The QSY Society will be active on Saturday, August 20, operating with
100 watts and some wire antennas at the pavilion in Margaret Lewis
Norrie State Park in Staatsburgh. The location gives them a great view
of the 19th century Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, an octagonal wooden
tower in the Hudson River, according to Paul Bork, KD2CCW, one of the
organizers. The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places and operates as a museum.

The club station K2QS will be working several HF bands, both on phone
and CW. Best of all, the event is not a contest so there's no pressure.
It may not be a walk in the park, but it's definitely going to be a
TALK in the park.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO, PAUL BORK, KD2CCW)

**

DXCOFFEE EDITOR HOSPITALIZED AFTER ACCIDENT

JIM/ANCHOR: Pasquale La Gamba, IZ8IYX, chief editor of DXCoffee, the
Italian-based amateur radio magazine, has been hospitalized following
an accident in which he was struck by a car while enroute to work. Word
of the accident was disclosed on the Dxcoffee website as well as on the
magazine's Facebook page. Details about his condition were not
provided. Both web page reports indicated that although Pasquale
survived, he will have to undergo two surgeries.

The DXCoffee staff also indicated that readers should expect less
activity on the website for the next several weeks -- until Pasquale is
able to return.

We here at Amateur Radio Newsline would like to wish Pasquale a swift
and complete recovery.

(DXCOFFEE, FACEBOOK)

**

BREAK HE

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
Arlington Amateur Radio Club's W4WVP repeater in Arlington, Virginia on
Tuesday evenings at 7.


**


GERMAN LICENSES CONTINUE A DECLINE

JIM/ANCHOR: In Germany, ham radio licenses continue their steady
decline. But if the German national amateur radio society has its way,
that may change soon. We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: With the number of licensed radio amateurs reported to be
shrinking in Germany, it appears that members of the German national
amateur radio society have their work cut out for them; however the
Deutscher Amateur Radio Club seems to be up to that task. A release of
amateur radio licensing figures earlier this year tells a story of this
ongoing slump in German licensees over the years. In 2002, Germany had
about 80,000 radio amateurs -- a number that dropped steadily to 67,468
by the start of 2015.

Those figures made available by Gerrit Herzig DH8GHH, however, also
tell a story of hope. The DARC noted that the numbers show a steady
growth in the number of DN call signs held by those training young
amateurs. By the start of the new year, 2015, those training licenses
had grown to 2,925, up from 2,126 counted only four years earlier. The
number of exam candidates had also increased.

The figures have presented a challenge that the DARC has already risen
to meet. The DARC makes a free training course available on-line on its
website, and members have also become increasingly pro-active in
working with young hams and hopefuls of all ages. The DARC provides
information on correspondence courses and its website features sample
questions from the licensing test. The idea is to get the numbers back
up again. Statistics for 2015 reflect some growth, with 590 candidates
taking the Class E exam last year and 325 for the higher level Class A
exam. Compare that with the five years previously when only 379
candidates sat for the Class E exam and 147 for Class A.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in the UK.
(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO)

**

LESSONS FROM AN UNLICENSED OPERATOR IN AUSTRALIA

JIM/ANCHOR: In Australia, one radio operator got a stern reminder, and
faces a hefty fine, after going on the air as a commercial FM
broadcaster. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB, with
the story, which also serves as a cautionary tale to amateurs too.

GRAHAM: The latest reminder to radio operators from one Australian
court is this: No matter where in the world you are, before you get on
the air, whether for amateur or commercial purposes, get a license. Dan
Morris, a pirate radio operator in the suburb of West Wollongong in New
South Wales was fined for illegally operating a reggae station in the
commercial FM broadcast band.

According to published reports, the Australian Communications and Media
Authority discovered he was operating from his home-based station,
transmitting about 150 watts on 99.4 MHz and raided his home earlier in
the year. In a published report in the Illawara Mercury he did not deny
operation, but simply said he was filling community needs. He was
quoted as saying he believed he had about 800 listeners.

The raid on his home in February, conducted with a search warrant,
brought his operation to a halt. Court action followed earlier this
month. The local magistrate ordered that in addition to paying the
fine, he would have his broadcast equipment confiscated. According to
the Illawara Mercury report.

Magistrate Michael Stoddart fined Morris a total of 3,000 Australian
Dollars. He was charged with possessing and operating
radiocommunications devices without a licence. He told the court that
he had looked into getting a license in the aftermath of the raid. That
request was denied by the ACMA.

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


(SOUTHGATE, RADIOINFO.COM, ILLAWARA MERCURY)

**

INDIA CULTIVATES A CROP OF FUTURE YLs

JIM/ANCHOR: In India, a group of undergraduate women recently got an
introduction to ham radio that included a history lesson as well as a
look to the future. We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jason
Daniels, VK2LAW.

JASON: Nearly 4 dozen students from St. Francis College for Women in
Hyderabad, India, accompanied their lecturers on a visit to the
National Institute of Amateur Radio in Hyderabad on Saturday, July 16,
to learn more about ham radio and to tour the Amateur Radio Museum
there. They were given a live demonstration of operating on the VHF
bands, and got to watch videos as well as a Power Point presentation
about other aspects of the hobby.

The museum, which houses artefacts that tell the history of wireless
from the earliest inventions, regularly presents these kinds of
awareness programs to schools and other organizations who want to know
more about the technology behind all modes of modern ham radio.

So while the 43 undergraduates who attended the program may be studying
to earn their B.Sc degree, it's likely some of them may also end up
getting their "YL" calls too.

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

(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO)


**

SCOUTS' MICHIGAN CAMPOREE GETS ON THE AIR

JIM/ANCHOR: There's lots going on in radio scouting in the week ahead,
including a special event station. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill
Stearns, NE4RD.

BILL'S REPORT: This week in Radio Scouting in addition to our 3 scout
camps that are on the air this summer as K2BSA and making the news, we
have a special event station coming on the air in Michigan and updates
on the National Jamboree.

Richard Zarczynski, AC8FJ, will be the control operator for the
portable 8 station at the Michigan International Camporee at the
Northwoods Scout Reservation in Lupton, MI from July 24 to July 31.
This special camporee, occurring once every four years, has scouts from
over 20 countries as well as from 14 U.S. states. The 1,000-scouters
camp will experience a miniature World Jamboree. Richard will have a
special event station set up to let other amateurs know on various
frequencies about the event.

Jim Wilson, K5ND, announced that K2BSA has secured sponsorship for the
National Jamboree in 2017 from Icom America, DX Engineering, and MFJ
Enterprises. The volunteer roster is full and all leadership roles are
filled. We are all looking forward to a successful event next summer.

Congratulations to the team at Camp Geiger on making it on the news.
Fox 26, KNPN, did a video segment on the scouts finishing their week of
radio merit badge work at camp. Be sure to check it out.

Please help support this activity, and others involving youth in
amateur radio, by working and spotting them on the air and online. For
more information on K2BSA and radio scouting, please visit
http://www.k2bsa.net/

For Amateur Radio Newsline and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association,
this is Bill Stearns NE4RD.

(K2BSA)

**


THE WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, Pierre HB9AMO is operating as HH2/HB9AMO on CW
until July 26 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Send QSL cards to M0URX.

Listen for ST2M using the special callsign ST0A from Khartoum, Sudan
until the end of July. You are most likely to hear him on 40m to 10m
SSB. Send QSLs directly to ST2M.

Noro OM6NM will be active from Corfu Island during the Radio Society of
Great Britain's IOTA Contest on July 30 and July 31. Listen for Noro
working as SV8/OM6NM. Send QSL cards to OM2FY.

(IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTER SOCIETY, DX COFFEE)


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KICKER: EVERYTHING'S PEACHY FOR SOUTH CAROLINA HAMS

JIM/ANCHOR: We close this week's newscast with a story about
propagation and peaches. That's right: peaches. In South Carolina, this
year's Peach Festival ended up bearing a different kind of fruit for
participating amateur radio operators: successful contacts with hams as
distant as North Dakota and even Mexico. The Special Event station,
W4W, had been set up at the peach festival by Cherokee County Coroner,
Dennis Fowler, KG4JIA, using a fully equipped emergency communications
trailer reserved for disaster response.

In a recent report in the Gaffney Ledger newspaper, Fowler shared his
excitement about the special operation, saying, QUOTE "Ham radio
operators all over the world were part of the festival." ENDQUOTE
Indeed, the station's log, compiled over a 24-hour period, showed 107
successful QSOs made on Saturday, July 16.

That surely proved to festival-goers and ham radio operators alike that
the next best thing to enjoying fresh local peaches may be having the
best pickings from the crop of radio contacts worldwide.

(THE S.C. GAFFNEY LEDGER)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; Amateur Radio
Europe; Colorado 9NEWS; CQ Magazine; DXCoffee; Facebook; Scott Powell
of The Gaffney Ledger; Gizmodo; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; Illawara
Mercury newspaper; Irish Radio Transmitter Society; K2BSA Amateur Radio
Association; News7 Denver; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ; RadioInfo.com;
Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; Wireless
Institute of Australia; WTWW Shortwave; and you our listeners, that's
all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Please send emails to our address
at . More information is available at Amateur
Radio Newsline's only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, at the news desk in New York,
and our news team worldwide, I'm Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston, West
Virginia saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.