Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2053 for Friday, March 3, 2017

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2053 with a release date of
Friday, March 3, 2017 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Australian hams turn a retired public bus into
a classroom and ham shack. Texas amateurs donate books to inspire and
teach new licensees -- and amateur radio becomes a tool for police in
India. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2053 comes
your way right now.
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BILLBOARD CART

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HAM RADIO ADDED TO POLICE RESOURCES IN INDIA

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes a look at how one police
organization in India has been busy integrating amateur radio into its
well-established strategy of radio response. That's going to mean more
ham radios - and more licensed hams! Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's
Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The Assam Police Radio Organization, which uses wireless
communication for law enforcement and crises, is working to integrate
amateur radio use more deeply into its operations, particularly for
disaster preparedness. According to a recent article in the Assam
Tribune, the strategy gained traction during a February APRO seminar on
disaster response and planners said priority needed to be given to
communication methods that did not rely on the existing
communicationsgrid.

The director general of Assam's police, Mukesh Sahay, said during the
seminar that the need for more trained and licensed amateur radio
operators is paramount.

The police will be working with S. Ram Mohan VU2MYH, director of the
National Institute of Amateur Radio in Hyderabad, to develop a system.
Police in Assam have used various forms of wireless communications
since 1946 and an independent communications network was expanded
following India's independence the following year. Disaster response
was taken to a new level in 2005 when the Amateur Radio Center VU2VKP
was opened at the APRO Training School.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(ASSAM TRIBUNE, ASSAM POLICE, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AMATEUR RADIO)


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WORLD-CLASS PLANNING FOR HF CONTEST

NEIL/ANCHOR: Staging a world-class HF contest takes a lot of planning
and preparation, so organizers of next year's World Radiosport Team
Championship in Germany can't start too soon. With some milestones
already under their belts, planners still have a few more to go -- as
we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT.

CARYN'S REPORT: It's around 500 days to the 2018 World Radiosport Team
Championship and preparations are well under way. A successful test was
already performed on one of the planned sites in July 2016 and now,
from June 23rd to the 25th, several stations will be set-up and taken
down in the Jessen/Wittenberg area of North East Germany where the 2018
event will take place. From antenna and mast assembly through power
supplies and tents, everything will be tested to find any possible
problems. The processes for the volunteers supporting the event will be
"fine tuned" and documented so that when the pinnacle of HF contesting
comes to Germany next year all will be ready and everything will run
smoothly.

For anyone wishing to help with the financing of this major event full
details of how to sponsor the event, a team or a tent can be found on
the WRTC2018 website at W R T C TWO ZEROONE EIGHT DOT D E.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT

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HELPING PROSPECTIVE HAMS, BY THE BOOK

NEIL/ANCHOR: Elmering has a long tradition in amateur radio and one
Texas club takes it so seriously, they have invested some grant money
in a special book to recruit and encourage new licensees. Let's hear
more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash N5ASH.

SKEETER: Members of the Cedar Creek Amateur Radio Club K5CCL don't
consider prospective hams to be dummies - and they're not calling them
dummies. They'd actually like to call them fellow hams. That's why
they're making free copies available of the ARRL book, "Ham Radio for
Dummies." The Athens, Texas club believes that wide distribution of the
book to libraries and schools will give people greater access to radio
knowledge and perhaps help cultivate new licensees. The book, which is
in its second edition, is by ARRL contributing editor Ward Silver N0AX.
A grant from LDG Electronics of St. Leonard, Maryland, made it possible
for the club to purchase copies and nearly every school and public
library in the tri-county area around this Texas community received a
copy from Glenn Hughes KF5CTG, a former teacher who coordinated the
project for the Cedar Creek club.

An estimated 30 copies were distributed now await their new readership
and the club hopes some VE sessions will eventually follow.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash N5ASH.

(CEDAR CREEK LAKE NEWS, THE ATHENS REVIEW, CEDAR CREEK AMATEUR RADIO
CLUB BLOG)

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A WINNING WYONG FIELD DAY

NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateurs from the Central Coast of New South Wales,
Australia, had a full day recently - a VERY full day - during Field Day
at Wyong. With that story is Amateur Radio Newsline's Ed Durrant DD5LP.

ED'S REPORT: After months of preparation and hard work, the Central
Coast Amateur Radio Club's Field Day at Wyong took place Sunday, the
26th of February.

Aerial shots of the hamfest from a drone showed the car parks to be
full, in fact overflowing and lots of people walking around the flea
market.

Many positive comments have already been received regarding the variety
of topics being covered in the two, parallel lecture streams. A big
vote of thanks goes to Bob VK2AOR for putting both lecture streams
together.

The ATV and DMR demonstrations on the upper floor of the race club were
well attended with all seats being filled and standing room only for
the Brandmeister and DMR demos. Ian VK2HK, who ran these
demonstrations, tells me he was only able to get away for 10 minutes
during the day, so high was the interest and questions about this new
digital voice mode. Ian had to be supplied with food and drink by other
club members, so again thanks to Ian for his dedication.

Along with the DMR demonstrations, the other hits of the day were the
lecture on Space Weather from the Australian Government's Bureau of
Meteorology and the Drone flying demonstrations. These demonstrations
were so effective that the drone retailer left at the end of the day
with no stock left.

While lectures and demonstrations were taking place on the upper
floors, there was also lots happening at ground level with the traders
and flea market stalls getting lots of attention and the testing room
busy not only with Australian but this year also US amateur radio
examinations.

For a hamfest that has been going almost 60 years, it is good to see
the CCARC expanding into new areas of interest to their visitors and
having a very successful Wyong Field Day 2017.

Through involvement of a local radio station and attendance of
youngsters from local schools, it is hoped that the message about
Amateur Radio will be passed on to a new generation of club members but
before the CCARC Field Day in 2018, the club has a lot to prepare in
it's celebrations of the club's 60th. birthday in October. Long may the
CCARC continue in its efforts of promoting Amateur Radio in "God's
Country" the Central Coast of New South Wales Australia.

For the Central Coast ARC this has been Ed DD5LP VK2JI

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NOMINATE YOUR "YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR"

NEIL: Amateur Radio Newsline would like to remind listeners that the
nomination period has opened for the Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham
of the Year Award. Although we accept nominations through May 31, don't
wait too long to download your application from our website and get
your documentation together to support your nominee. Young Ham
candidates must be 18 or younger and be a resident of the United
States, its possessions or any Canadian province. Application forms are
available on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Please
read the rules carefully. Applications are being accepted between
Wednesday, March 1 and May 31. The award will be presented on August
19th at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville Alabama. Join us in
helping celebrate young, talented, community-minded amateurs by
nominating a youngster you admire.

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BREAK HE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
K8SCH, the 2-meter repeater of the OhKyIn (Oh-KY-Yin) Amateur Radio
Society, on Wednesday nights following the Tech Net.

**

GETTING ON BOARD THE HAM RADIO BUS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Australia, one lifelong amateur has turned an old
public bus into a kind of school bus - the school of radio - as we hear
from Amateur Radio Newsline's John Williams VK4JJW.

JOHN: An out-of-service bus sits outside town in the central Victoria
community of Castlemaine, and the vehicle's not likely to be going
anywhere soon. The same can't be said for the small group of teenagers
inside: They are Castlemaine Venturers, scouts who have just begun
their journey into ham radio. Their tutor, Tony Falla VK3KKP, is
igniting in them the same wonder he felt as a child.

TONY: When I was 5, my dad brought home radios from work. He was
working connected with the military. I was playing with radios,
dismantling them and putting them in boxes and every weekend I would
bring them out and take them into even smaller parts. Then I went to
primary school. I must have been about 7 years old. I was next to an
army training camp and the soldiers invited us all into the trucks and
into the tanks to listen to headphones. We heard the whole battles, the
pretend battles going on and I think that really got me in. I remember
that moment so vividly. So when I introduce these ideas to kids these
days I do see that they have the same excitement. I just put some
earplugs into my first grandchild, she was about 5, and it was a radio
station there. To see the look on her face was amazing!

JOHN: Sometimes, Tony said, even well-taught classroom theory and radio
simulation can't compete with the power of the real thing.

TONY: When we were just talking across the car park, somebody broke in
from New Zealand and we got talking to them. The scouts saw that was a
genuine contact that hadn't been set up and the scouts talked to the
chap. He was up a mountain, one thousand meters high, camped in a
little cabin with a radio and a battery. Again because they are scouts,
they knew this person was in a remote area. Chatting to us one evening
suddenly made it real again, you see. So I think what we were talking
about before, making all these examples real, not just simulating them
over Echolink or Skype, we were actually doing it for real -- and that
person was isolated! So it did tweak them as well.

JOHN: A member of the Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club, Tony
said the enthusiasm for ham radio has now gotten a bit infectious.

TONY: We've had teachers approach us and other members of the public
and we are going to be teaching the teachers hopefully. We are going to
teach the scoutmasters so they can go on and teach other scouts. We
think we should move up a level so that we don't get burned out -- but
at the same time just keep using these arguments to demonstrate why we
think it is important.

JOHN: The first group of students takes the Foundation exam this month.
We wish them luck as they ride the ham radio bus and bring more
passengers on board.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW.

**
NEW MANAGER FOR ARRL WEST VIRGINIA SECTION

NEIL: Leadership of the ARRL's West Virginia section has just changed
hands. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Damron N8TMW tells us who's in
charge now.

JIM: Here in West Virginia, a new ARRL Section Manager has been
appointed as of March 1st. He is Morgantown attorney Dan Ringer K8WV,
and he will succeed Phillip Groves, N8SFO. Phil has served since July
2015 and is stepping down for personal reasons. Dan will fill the
remainder of the term, which concludes on September 30th. The new
two-year term for section manager begins on October 1st and nominating
petitions are due at the ARRL's Connecticut headquarters no later than
June 9th. I talked with Dan about his new position.

DAN: I took the position because first of all I have been deeply
involved in amateur radio for most of my life. I was first licensed
when I was 13 years old...and I have been involved with the ARRL during
most of that time. I was an assistant director for the Roanoke
Division for a number of years. I have been an assistant section
manager for a longer period of time. I'm an attorney so I've
volunteered as a volunteer counsel with the ARRL. And because I'm an
attorney, I tend to know people involved in local government so I have
been a local government liaison.

JIM: Any closing thought on our ham radio hobby?

DAN: It's a wonderful hobby. It's an important hobby, and it's a useful
hobby. Everybody...there's a role for everybody in amateur radio.

JIM: That was Dan Ringer, K8WV, newly appointed WV ARRL Section
Manager.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW

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THE WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, listen for Makoto JI5RPT from Ogasawara Island,
operating as JD1BLY from March 7th to 10th. He'll be on 160m to 10m CW,
SSB and digital. QSLs go to the home call.

In Ghana, a group of 6 operators from the UK will be using the callsign
9G5X between the 7th and 21st of March. They will operate on all bands
from 160m to 10m. Send QSL cards via M0OXO OQRS.

Peter HA3AUI will be using the call sign J5UAP in West Africa in early
March for a few days. Listen for him on CW running 100w to a
Spiderbeam. QSL via the on-line log on cqafrica.net.

Between March 3rd and March 5th, members of the Kuala Lumpur DX Team
will sign 9M4IOTA from Tioman Island on all bands from 80 meters to 10
meters, using CW, SSB and digital modes. This will count as AS-046 for
the Islands on the Air Award. QSL manager is 9M2OOO.


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KICKER: HEARING DUBAI'S VICE PRESIDENT LOUD AND CLEAR

NEIL/ANCHOR: In our final story this week, we hear how the leader of
Dubai is sharing a message with the world via satellite -- relying on
more than just a little help from ham radio. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Graham Kemp VK4BB has those details.

GRAHAM: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai,
may not have his ham radio license, but his message is traveling far
and wide on the HF bands, the first message to be transmitted from a
newly launched satellite of the United Arab Emirates.

The satellite is a Nayif-1 launched in late February from the Satish
Dhawan Space Center in India and it is Dubai's first nanosatellite. The
sheikh's message, being sent out in Arabic, translates to say [quote]
"The renaissance of peoples, nations and civilizations starts with
education and the future of nations starts at their schools."
[ENDQUOTE]

At one school in particular, the American University of Sharjah,
engineer students worked with the space center in India to design,
build, test and operate the nanosatellite. Now the school is monitoring
it. Its main objective is to send and receive messages on amateur radio
frequencies, transferring messages mainly among speakers of Arabic.

So far the sheikh's message has been heard loud and clear by hams in
Haiti, the U.S., Sweden and Spain, as the satellite flies high over the
earth at an altitude of 600 kilometers, or not quite 375 miles high.
Its telemetry and transponder data are available online at the AMSAT-UK
website.

Now, if the sheikh happens to hear his own message endorsing the power
of education, perhaps he will undertake some study himself and get on
the air in a more conventional manner - as a brand new ticket.

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

(AMSAT-UK, THE UAE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER)

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NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur News Weekly;
AMSAT-UK; the ARRL; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; Irish Radio
Transmitters Society; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ.COM; Southgate Amateur
Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; The UAE National Newspaper;
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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Bloomington,
Indiana saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.