Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1997, February 5, 2016

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1997 with a release date of
Friday, February 5, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Radio amateurs help an Ohio community suffering
lead-tainted water. Hams give a gift of history to a prominent World
War II aircraft. And three women who made lasting contributions to
radio during their long lifetimes, have died. All this and more in
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1997 coming your way right now.

(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)

**

DON: This week's newscast opens with news of the deaths of three women
who made far-reaching contributions to radio communications during
their long careers and even longer lives. We begin with a report from
Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, on the death of Rose L. Shure, who chaired audio
component giant Shure Incorporated in Niles, Illinois.

[KENT'S REPORT]:


Rose Shure, who became chairman of the audio products manufacturer,
Shure Inc., after the death of her husband Sidney in 1995, has died in
Chicago. The company, founded by Sidney Shure in 1925 as an outgrowth
of his hobby in amateur radio, began as a mail-order distributor of
components for home-brew radio builders. Shure later got into
manufacturing of audio components and during World War II, supplied
microphones to the U.S. military, including headsets and
noise-canceling microphones. The company later expanded into phonograph
cartridges and other audio equipment. But it was its microphones,
particularly the Shure 440/444, that gained great popularity in the
amateur radio marketplace.

Dubbed the "microphone maven" in her obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times,
Rose Shure married Sidney Shure in 1954 and in the decades that
followed, helped deliver mics into the hands of presidents as well as
performers - from Franklin Roosevelt to Elvis Presley. Rose Shure
was95.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Petersen, KC0DGY, in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.


(CHICAGO TRIBUNE, SHURE INC., CHICAGO SUN-TIMES)

**


WORLD WAR II CODE READER DIES

DON: Mary Harding, a wireless operator who worked for the Bletchley
Park codebreakers in Britain during the Second World War, has died in
Britain. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH:

JEREMY: Mary Harding, who was born Dorothy Mary Thompson, was from
Keynsham in Somerset. She had worked as a Morse Code slip reader after
learning wireless techniques and code as a young volunteer for the war
effort. Her daughter, Sarah, told the Western Daily Press newspaper
that her mother was posted to Bletchley Park in 1942 and by age 22, she
had been promoted to sergeant in charge of a watch.

In her memoir, Mary described her assignment at Bletchley Park like
this: "It turned out that we were a nucleus for setting up signal
communication using high-speed Morse virtually worldwide - this did
eventually include a few very important hand key mobile units. These
messages were prefaced with the highest code for priority and
communication was always very poor quality."

Many of the messages, in German, were given to the codebreakers, making
accuracy paramount. The work at Bletchley Park was credited with
shortening the war by two years.

Mary Harding died Jan. 19, just days after she turned 93.

Added her daughter, Sarah, Mary Harding passed her legacy on to her
daughters years later when she and her husband, David, raised their
family. Sarah told the newspaper QUOTE "One of the first things she
taught us two daughters was Morse Code." ENDQUOTE.

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


(WESTERN DAILY PRESS)


**

ARRL'S EVELYN GAUZENS, W4WYR, BECOMES SILENT KEY

DON: And lastly, the ARRL has lost a beloved member of its extended
family: Evelyn Gauzens, W4WYR, longtime vice director and honorary vice
president, became a Silent Key in Florida on Jan. 31.

A longtime part of the ARRL's close circle, Gauzens was elected to an
honorary vice presidency by the Board of Directors in 2002. The
following year, she was honored by the ARRL for 50 years of membership
- and also received a W4EHW/National Hurricane Center Award of
Appreciation during the annual Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference. Her
career in ham radio was extensive, and she left an enduring mark: She
had been the ARRL's Southeastern Division Vice Director for more than
20 years, and was a cofounder of the Miami Tropical Hamboree, which she
chaired for 45 years.

Past ARRL President Kay Kraigie, N3KN, recalled Gauzens as a strong
leader. She said QUOTE "She had a sense of humor, and she was kind. She
contributed to amateur radio and her community." ENDQUOTE

She received numerous honors and in 2012 was inducted into the CQ
Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. She was recognized for promoting the
presence of amateur radio in public relations, and for her role helping
to organize the IARU Region 2 conference held in Miami Beach in 1976.

Her QRZ.com profile reflected her devotion to ham radio with these
words: QUOTE "Love Amateur Radio and all those I have met in the
fraternity." ENDQUOTE

Gauzens became a Silent Key shortly before her 87th birthday.

(ARRL)



***
RADIO? WHO NEEDS A RADIO ANYWAY?

[DON/ANCHOR:] Flint, Michigan, isn't the only community struggling
lately with the crisis of lead-contaminated water. In one Ohio
community, radio amateurs stepped up to assist in a similar situation
in a very effective manner. All without even getting on the air. We
hear the details from Amateur Radio Newsline's Paul Braun, WD9GC0:


[PAUL'S REPORT]:

A group of amateur radio volunteers responded recently to a water
emergency in one Ohio community by showing up without their radios. But
that's exactly what they were supposed to do: They needed their hands
free instead to help distribute bottled water - safe, drinkable water
for more than 8,000 residents of Sebring, Ohio, who'd learned on Jan.
18 that their drinking water had become tainted with a high lead
content.

By Jan. 22, Mahoning County ARES Emergency Coordinator Wes Boyd, W8IZC,
had activated ARES to assist the Ohio and Mahoning County emergency
management agencies in distributing the water in Sebring. The timing,
however, made it a bit of challenge initially.

Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Stan Broadway, N8BHL, told the ARRL,
QUOTE "Response on the workday was low, but a handful of ARES
volunteers were able to respond." ENDQUOTE The radio-less radio
operators were welcomed by the Red Cross and the Emergency Management
Agency personnel, who put them to work immediately, distributing
pallets of the bottled water.

When the weekend came, another call went out for help and this time,
even more ARES volunteers showed up from neighoring counties. Officials
report that the volunteers were able to move more than 166 pallets of
water over a six-day period.

Sometimes, that's the best kind of signal report a ham can hope to
hear. Especially without even having a radio.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO, in Valparaiso,
Indiana.

(ARRL)

**

KEYING IN ON HISTORIC PLANE'S RESTORATION

DON: When it comes to giving to their communities, radio amateurs are
no strangers to such gestures. But in Arkansas, some hams are making a
very special gesture for an even more special recipient. We hear more
from Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.

[SKEETER's REPORT]

What better way to celebrate your 100th birthday than to give a gift to
someone else - perhaps a somewhat younger but distinguished military
veteran? In this case, the centenarian is the Amateur Radio Club of the
University of Arkansas, W5YM. And the gift recipient is "Fifi," the
noted B-29 Flying Fortress that served the nation honorably during
World War II. The historic aircraft is in the process of being
restored, and members of the Rockwell-Collins Amateur Radio Club are
setting up a radio operator's position on board.

The gift from the hams at the University of Arkansas should fit right
in: They're presenting Fifi with a J-37 telegraph key, also known as
the "Mae West" key - named in tribute to the shapely entertainer so
popular during the war years. The key itself was notable in its own
right for the remarkably curvy indentations on its base.

Fifi, by the way, is still flightworthy. And now, with the Smith-Erwin
Memorial Radio Operator position nicely equipped with the J-37
telegraph key, the aircraft will be taking to the skies carrying just a
little more history on board.

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


(ARRL)

**

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF MORSE

The tie between the Navy and Morse Code also remains strong these days.
At the Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station in Florida, Morse Code
training has been a continuous effort since 2005, when the coursework
was moved to the learning center there for easy delivery with training
in cryptology, intelligence and other disciplines. Corry Station is
where students train as CTRs - cryptologic technicians. The last class
of CTRs has just finished their program as of late January, and these
students were the first to make use of a new revised Basic Manual Morse
Trainer and updated software used by the Department of Defense.

Military trainers say Morse is one of many tools to stand the test of
time, which is why the Department of Defense has once again renewed its
commitment to Morse training, investing in it now, more than ever.

That, of course, is no secret to hams. But it's no military secret
either.

The course supervisor, Gabriel Albarran, a Cryptologic Technician
(Collection) First Class, said, QUOTE "Morse code is not only used in
military operations but also in commercial navigation. Search and
rescue, science navigations and weather status are frequently passed in
automated Morse code." ENDQUOTE

Cryptologic Technician Mary Kaitlin McKeeby adds: QUOTE "It's a
language. If you have a knack for languages, Morse Code is going to be
easier to pick up." ENDQUOTE She should know about that: She beat the
course record during the pilot program by two days, completing the
self-paced instruction in 39 days.

(U.S. NAVY, DEFENSE VIDEO AND IMAGERY)

**

BREAK HE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
W8VPV in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Monday nights at 8.

**

SOUTH AFRICA'S NEXT GENERATION OF 'HAMMIES'

DON: Is it ever too early to start cultivating the love of radio in
kids? The South African Radio League doesn't think so, and so its
popular Hammie Program, which kicked off in May of 2015, is back. We
hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Now here's a concept that would make almost any OM wish to be
young again: The Hammies Amateur Radio Club has begun another season of
teaching young children radio science, helping them get licensed and on
the air. Working with the South African Radio League, they've opened
the classroom doors again to youngsters aged 10 to 15.

Classes began on the 30th of January with an eye toward getting the
young hopefuls prepped for their Amateur Radio B-class exam at the
conclusion of the 10-week program. But first things first, there's a
bit of ground to cover he

Classes meet Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon, combining a lecture, some
practical experience and then getting on the air. The youngsters learn
basic electronics, how to troubleshoot and fix things and then, of
course, how to do those all-important QSOs.

Created by Graham Busse, ZS6GL, and Noel Hammond, ZR6DX, the Hammies
instruction was designed to accommodate the schedules and priorities of
young children. And if those priorities include going one day from
being a Hammie to a Ham, they too can aspire to eventually become an
OM. Yes, even the girls.

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

**

AIR CADETS BECOME LICENSED AMATEURS

The UK brings us word of more young amateurs in the news. In Essex, the
Orsett Hundred 106 Air Cadet Squadron has reason to celebrate: Four
cadets within the youth group recently passed their exam for the
Foundation amateur radio license. They follow in the footsteps of their
commanding officer, Darren Attersley, 2-E-ZERO-O-C-A (2E0OCA), who
passed his Foundation license exam last October and went on to
Intermediate level on December 6.

The cadets attended two weeks of weekly coursework at headquarters in
Essex, supplementing that with the Essex Ham's Foundation course
online. They were also supported in their training by members of the
Thurrock Acorns Amateur Radio Club, which helped them review the
syllabus.

Welcome to the bands!


(ESSEX HAM, THURROCK ACORNS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

HAMS KEEP ORDER AT NAVY FLEET REVIEW IN INDIA

In India, the prestigious International Fleet Review is getting a boost
from hams in and around Visakhapatnam (VEE-ZOK-HOPT'-NUM), a coastal
city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Arza Ramesh Babu, VU2RDM, Director of City Ham Radio Academy, was
appointed coordinator of this year's review by the Wireless Monitoring
Organization. The spectacle, which engages the president, prime
minister and delegations from 51 countries, opened Thursday, Feb. 4 and
features a dozen ongoing events, concluding on Monday, Feb. 8. The
review is an exercise in assuring the nation of the Indian Navy's
discipline, high morale and preparedness.

Ramesh Babu said in a report in The Hans India that he and a team of 22
other ham radio operators from around that part of India will be
present throughout the event using HF and VHF equipment,
software-defined radio and VHF base sets, all owned by the individual
amateurs. Stations were also established at the airport, collector
office, police control room, the beach and the function hall.

Considered the Indian Navy's showcase event, this is the second time
since 2001 that it has been held in India.

(THE INDIA TIMES, THE HANS INDIA, SOUTHGATE NEWS)

**


RST ACTIVITY TAKES TO THE AIR

Point your antennas north - if you can. RST stations in the Yukon
Territory, Alaska, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories will join with
the North Country DX Association in getting on the air, starting Feb.
15, to work as many stations as possible. The QSL manager is K7ICE.

But the goal isn't just to log as many RST stations once per band and
mode but also to promote amateur radio in that very remote part of the
world. The stations will continue to work 160 through 6 meters right up
through March 27, exchanging signal reports as well as states or
provinces. If you contact an RST station from the DX Association they
will also send their town or city. Stations will be on the air from
Anchorage, Fairbanks, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and other locations,
including a diamond mine in the Northwest Territories - and maybe even
an Alaskan glacier.

A few good DX contacts should certainly help these hams in the far
north to break the ice.


(ARRL)


**

THE WORLD OF DX

Operators Jim/W4RS (DU3JH) and Larry/N0QM (DU3LA) will be active as
DX3R from Subic Bay in the Philippines during the CQ WPX RTTY Contest
on Feb. 13 and 14. Send QSLs via LoTW.

Operators Gildas/F6HMQ and Michel/F6GWV will once again be active from
Guadeloupe between February 26th and March 14th. Look for them to sign
TO66R during the ARRL International DX SSB Contest, which is being held
March 5 and 6. They will be working as a Multi-Single entry. Send QSLs
to TO66R via F6HMQ. Outside of the contest they will be active on all
bands. QSL via their home callsign.

Peter, DC0KK, is once again active as 4S7KKG from Moragalla, Sri Lanka,
between now and April 3rd. Peter will be working mainly in CW and
digital modes with operation on 20-10 meters. QSL via DC0KK, by the
Bureau, which is preferred, or direct. All QSLs will be sent via the
QSL Bureau.

And finally, Sam, LY5W, will be on the air in Lithuania using the
special callsign LY16W for the month of February. This is a rare prefix
for LY WPX Trophies award credits. His time on the air celerates
Lithuania's independence on Feb. 16, 1918. Visit his QRZ page for more
details.

(OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN)


**

KICKER: OLD MILITARY RADIO REPORTS FOR DUTY

We close with this story of new life for an old radio - a VERY old
radio: Doug Christensen of College Station, Texas, had no inkling that
the antique naval radio he bought from the collection of a late
professor still had life in it. For all his many talents at tinkering,
the electrical engineer just couldn't get the device to work.

Doing research on the Indiana War Memorial Museum website, he
discovered that the 120-pound radio had a strong resemblance to those
used on early 20th century battleships -- in fact, one ship's radio in
particular: the ill-fated USS Indianapolis, sunk by a Japanese torpedo
in 1945. The museum, it seems, was recreating the battleship's radio
room but was missing one critical piece.

And that's how Christensen discovered a different way to get the radio
to work - by donating it to the museum.

He told the Bryan-College Station Eagle newspaper that he learned QUOTE
"This radio was a very high tech receiver for the time. No one could
ever reach a frequency as high as these radios went, so you didn't have
to use special codes for secrecy." ENDQUOTE

Arrangements were being made late last month to transport the radio to
its new home. And perhaps best of all, museum staffers said they were
confident that they might just get it back on the air after all.

(THE BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION EAGLE, TEXAS)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; The Bryan-College
Station Eagle; The Chicago Tribune; Chicago Sun-Times; CQ Magazine;
DX.NET; Essex Hams; the Hans India; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the
India Times; the U.S. Navy; the Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ.COM., Shure
Inc., Southgate Amateur Radio News; Thurrock Acorns Amateur Radio Club;
TWiT TV; Western Daily Press; Wireless Institute of Australia; and you
our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our email
address is . 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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Picayune,
Miss.,saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

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