Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2009, April 29, 2016


Amateur Radio Newsline report number 2009 with a release date of
Friday, April 29, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams in the UK put patriotism on the air for
St. George's Day. Australian licensees could be getting more power.
Romania joins other nations on 60 meters. And some breaking news about
the longtime home of Dayton Hamvention. All this and more in Amateur
Radio Newsline Report 2009 coming your way right now.

(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)

**
BREAKING NEWS: MORE SPECULATION ON HAMVENTION SITE

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast with breaking news. Just as
Amateur Radio Newsline's deadline approached, a new published report
has again revived speculation about the future of the financially
troubled Hara Arena, where Dayton Hamvention, the world's largest
gathering of amateur radio operators, will be held in a few weeks. The
arena has been the host site for Hamvention since 1964. According to a
Wednesday, April 27 report in the Dayton Daily News, the arena is among
three venues being scouted as a possible new location for the
Montgomery County Fair, which is held in late summer. John Friedline,
president of the fair's board, was quoted as saying that the city and
county will seek proposals to relocate the fair and redevelop its
former fairground location on South Main Street. This news is the
latest in a series of recent reports that have questioneds Hara Arena's
future. . It was not clear what impact, if any, the possible
selection of Hara Arena as a county fairground could have on the
struggling arena's bookings in the future. Mayor Mary McDonald told the
Dayton Daily News she would not comment.

Amateur Radio Newsline will continue to follow this story. Meanwhile,
Dayton Hamvention 2016 will be opening on May 20.

(DAYTON DAILY NEWS, MONTGOMERY COUNTY FAIR WEBSITE)

**

DROPPING A LINE FOR 'MINOWS'

JIM/ANCHOR: On the West Coast of the U.S., a group of YLs has
discovered a way to promote fellowship - even though there aren't any
fellows. Amateur Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, tells us mo

KENT: When most of us think of MINOWs, we thing about dropping a line
over the side of a boat. But there's a group of hams who give Minnow a
totally different meaning. ROBIN RESNICK: MINOWs is a YL group, young
ladies, an awful name in ham radio lingo for women. All the members of
MINOWS are YLs from Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington and
we've been known to have a member or two from California

KENT: That's Robin Resnick KJ7BI who is the current president of MINOW.
Resnick explains why the group was founded.

RESNICK: One of the reasons we exist is to support women working on the
bands, just getting on the radio and talking. There's not really a
dearth of female hams, there's quite a few out there, but they are not
active because oh its always been the husbands hobby or Oh my Father
was a ham and I've never done anything with it. Lots of female hams
are mike shy when they can't see who they're talking to. And you don't
have to live in the MINOW states to become a member.

Resnick told me they have one member who lives part time in Alaska.

RESNICK: You can contact this group even if they're not from Montana,
Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington. We had a woman from Australia last
week because she knew we were on Echolink.

KENT: The group meets every Thursday evening at 7:30PM Pacific time on
Echolink node 286905 and on HF Friday mornings at 8:30AM Pacific on
3912 KHz. There's an upcoming Spring Annual MINOW Eyeball Meeting
May14.

RESNICK: The annual MINOW Eyeball Meeting, as it's called has happened
at my house. I'm the most centrally located, I live in Portland,
Oregon.

KENT: If you have an interest in contacting them:

RESNICK People can email me directly, my email is my call sign
..........

KENT: For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY


**
GOOD CONTACTS, BY GEORGE!

ANCHOR: In the UK, St. George's Day isn't just about patriotism, it's
also about propagation. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
tells us about an annual Essex Ham event that celebrates this fact.

JEREMY: St. George, the patron Saint of England, unofficially became
the patron saint of amateur radio on Saturday, 23 April, with the third
annual Essex Ham event at Galleywood Common near Chelmsford. The
amateurs had been poised, since early morning, for operations as
Special Event station GB1STG.

Despite skies that threatened rain, the operation on 4 HF bands was the
usual upbeat undertaking. As coordinator Charlie, M0PZT, writes on his
blog: QUOTE "For those not in the United Kingdom, it's a bit like what
St Patrick's Day is to the Irish - although drinking Guinness and
playing radio at the same time probably isn't advised!" ENDQUOTE

The aerials were mounted high, along with a couple of requisite St.
George's Cross Flags. And never mind the concerns over QRN or solar
flares: this special event station suffered briefly from a blast of
hail. Charlie writes that the amateurs, in proximity to the Horse and
Groom Pub, found a workable solution that involved neither filters nor
linear amps: QUOTE "We hid in the bar until 1 p.m. when things
improved." ENDQUOTE

And improve they did: Later, the amateurs even got a clear copy on the
afternoon's linkup between the Wellesley House School in Kent and
Britain's own ISS astronaut Tim Peake, GB1SS, on 2 meters.

In the end, with QSOs throughout the UK and some DX, it was a day for
good propagation as well as patriotism -- and also for planning the
next big thing. M0PZT reports that the next event will come in June, at
the time of the summer solstice. The call sign then will be GB1JSS.

And even without the chance of hail, no doubt the amateurs will still
find some good reception inside the Horse and Groom pub too.

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

(M0PZT blog)

**

UPDATE: SCOUTING FOR MORE QSOS


JIM/ANCHOR: And now, an update on the young K2BSA radio amateurs, who
this week are activating stations in the western United States. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Bill Stearns, NE4RD, has details for hams who want to
work these Scouts on the air.

BILL: This week in Radio Scouting we have two activations of the K2BSA
callsign in Oregon and Texas.

Norm Royce, KD6IFF, will be the control operator for the portable 7
station in Seaside, Oregon, for the Tuality District Camp-o-ree this
weekend April 29 and 30 and will be active on 20, 40, and 80 meter
phone. Norm will also have several STEM stations setup where
scouts will learn about science of propagation, technology and history
of morse code, the engineering behind antenna construction, and math to
calculate antenna lengths!

Jeff Sorrells, KG5BTF, will be the control operator for the portable 5
station at Durango's Canyon in Mt Enterprise, TX for the Quadrennial
All Council Jamboree this weekend April 29th through May 1st and will
be active on 20 & 40 phone. Jeff plans a demonstration of QRP gear and
operation, and is looking forward to working you on the air.

Next week we have activations in Alabama, Iowa, and New Hampshire!
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.


**
IN SOUTH CAROLINA, A HALF-CENTURY OF CELEBRATION

In South Carolina, the party never ends -- at least not this year. The
Anderson Radio Club is turning 50 and Steve Foster, N4SZ, is one member
of the club who's been there as long as it's even been a club. The club
is marking this milestone for much of this year with celebrations and
special events in and around Anderson. Foster, a retiree, joined at 14
and later helped organizers build the club, eventually assisting with
Sunday night Nets, repeater work, emergency coordination and Field Day.

The club's secretary and anniversary event chairwoman, Margie
Spangenberg, KK4AGN, told Amateur Radio Newsline that the club's 50th
anniversary celebration was too big a moment to be limited to a single
celebration on April 23. It took 50 years to build the club and so it
is taking much of this year to mark it in style. A Special Event
station operated from Sunday, April 17 through Monday, April 25. Club
officers also visited local clubs in South Carolina, North Carolina and
Georgia to talk about the club's history and invite hams to the the
anniversary event.

The club newsletter, which she edits, got in on the commemoration too:
With permission from QST magazine, the pages carried QST articles and
ads from 1966, the club's founding year. Steve Foster played a role in
that too. The January 2016 newsletter featured him as its cover story.
So he not only got top billing when Margie interviewed him, the two
enjoyed an eyeball QSO over lunch.


(MARGIE SPANGENBERG, KK4AGN, ANDERSON RADIO CLUB WEBSITE, THE
INDEPENDENT MAIL NEWSPAPER)

**

BREAK HE

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around such as the Mingus Mountain
Repeater Group, K7MRG, in Arizona, on Tuesday evenings.


**
A FOUNDATION FOR MORE POWER

JIM/ANCHOR: Big changes could be coming for hams in Australia. There's
a push to give all classes more power. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jason
Daniels, VK2LAW, explains:

JASON: The suggestion from the Wireless Institute of Australia is a
strong one -- a full 40 watts stronger, in fact, for Foundation
license-holders. The WIA is asking the Australian Communications and
Media Authority to approve an operating power increase for Foundation
licensees from 10 watts to 50. The WIA is also asking that Standard
license holders be permitted to operate at 200 watts, up from the limit
of 100 watts -- and that Advanced licensees be permitted to operate at
1,000 watts.

The WIA presses its case, saying Foundation signals in particular are
challenged in more congested regions of the country by competing RF
noise levels. The WIA also points out that most commercial rigs already
have a 50-watt capability. Foundation's comparable license level in the
United States is the Technician class, where operators are given a
maximum operating power of 1500 watts.

It's all in the name of good copy, of course. But the best reception
the WIA is after right now, is the one these requests will ultimately
get from the ACMA.

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

(WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA)

**

A BOOST FOR HAMS IN ANGUILLA

JIM/ANCHOR: On World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, a group of hams in
the Caribbean discovered that they have the government's ear after all.
We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: For members of the Anguilla Amateur Radio Society, it was a
contact like no other they could have ever had on the air. In a
roundtable discussion with the island nation's top government
officials, the hams learned that Anguilla's Minister of Communications
has committed to greater recognition for radio amateurs -- largely
because of the vital emergency work they do. Visiting the club on World
Amateur Radio Day, April 18, Minister Curtis Richardson thanked the
hams for their ongoing assistance in disasters, emergencies, hurricanes
and other crisis situations. The minister agreed that hams in the club
who import their radio equipment and provide volunteer help during
emergencies on the island should be granted a duty-free status for any
of those equipment purchases, as the club leadership had asked.

He also said he is considering the issuance of a special ID card,
sanctioned by the Ministry of Communications, that could be carried by
ham radio operators, much like a driver's license.

Gov. Christina Scott, who also attended the roundtable, said that
networks, such as those comprised of ham radio operators, are paramount
when information needs to be relayed quickly and reliably. She said she
considered the amateurs' work especially vital.

In a published report in the April 25 issue of The Anguillan newspaper,
the club president, Keith Greaves, VP2EKG, said the club looked forward
to the minister's fulfillment of his commitment to them.


For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.


(THE ANGUILLAN NEWSPAPER, IARU, Region 2)

**

OPENING UP THE 60 METER BAND

JIM/ANCHOR: Radio amateurs in Romania have been given the go-ahead to
operate on 5 MHz for the next year, on a test basis that could
determine whether the band is useful for carrying out emergency
communications.

The Romanian telecommunications agency, ANCOM, is allowing 3 kHz of the
spectrum - between 5363.5 and 5366.5 kHz to be used for PSK, RTTY, CW
and WSJT at no more than 15 watts. Romanian hams who wish to use this
portion of 60 meters are required to register for the program, which
will schedule the permitted operations on Thursdays at approximately
1600 UTC.

Romania's move follows a similar option made available to hams in
Belgium, which is providing a 15 kHz sliver between 5351.5 and 5366.5
kHz, also at a permitted 15 watts and on a secondary basis. Spain and
the Netherlands are among a number of other countries to have hams
access to portions of 60 meters on a secondary basis. Some DXpeditions
have also experimented with operations on 60 meters.

The United States has yet to follow suit. The FCC still needs to set
operating parameters for the band and commence a rule-making
proceeding.

(ARRL)

**

THE WORLD OF DX

Koji, JI1LET, is operating as JD1BOI from Chichijima Island in the
Ogasawara Archipelago until May 6. Ogasawara is about 1000km south of
Tokyo and counts as a separate entity for the DXCC Award. Koji is
working all bands 80m to 6m in a variety of modes: CW, SSB and RTTY.
QSL via the home call.

Dave EI9FBB and Jeremy EI5GM are among the 11 hams on Hawar Island in
the Arabian Gulf until May 1. Be listening for them as A91HI. QSLs
should be requested by ClubLog OQRS and will be handled by M-ZERO-O-X-O
(M0OXO).

Chris HB9LCA will be working from Vanuatu as YJ0CS from May 1 through
May 27, mainly holiday style and on CW. QSL to Chris' home call.

There is still time to work the Ukrainian team operating as ET7L in
Ethiopia. They have been there since the middle of January and will
remain there only for a short time longer. QSL cards go via
ClubLogOQRS.

(IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTERS SOCIETY)

**

KICKER: AMONG MONKS, THE SPIRIT OF HAM RADIO

JIM/ANCHOR: And finally, we close our newscast with a story about the
spirit of ham radio. And in this case, the word "spirit" takes on a
whole new meaning because the operators are Orthodox Christian monks.
We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

DON'S REPORT: Considered one of the most sacred places on Earth for
Orthodox Christians, Mount Athos in northern Greece is home to some 20
monasteries. It is also home, as it turns out, to two very busy ham
radio operators: Monk Apollo, SV2ASP/A, who since 1988 enjoyed the
distinction of being the only radio amateur in the community of sacred
collectives. Last year, however, the brotherhood of radio amateurs grew
to two when he gained a new colleague: Monk Iakovos, SV2RSG. Monk
Iakovos resides in a different monastery but the two hams share the
same mountain community.

In the past, Monk Apollo's busy operating schedule has included working
with noted DXer Zorro, JH1AJT, on Mount Athos. He has also worked
Expedition 5 commander Valery Korzun, RZ3FK, on 2 meters and ultimately
enjoyed an eyeball QSO with the Russian cosmonaut on his visit to Mount
Athos. In 1998, the monk became a member of the ARRL's DX Century Club
and a year later got his Worked All States award - among his
achievements.

As for Monk Iakovos, it's only been a few months since he received his
license from the Ministry of Telecommunication, but he has already been
heard on 40 meters SSB, and elsewhere operating CW. He runs his rig, an
IC-735, into a vertical antenna.

Now, in the peaceful quiet of a landscape where other monks study, read
and pray from sacred manuscripts, there are two hams who are also hard
at work, copying Code. You can also find them working digital modes and
logging contacts on SSB. After all, when your monastery is also your
shack, that's a blessing in itself.


(SOUTHGATE ARC, QRZ, MACEDONIAN-HERITAGE.GR, MOUNTATHOS.GR)

-- --

NEWSCAST CLOSE: NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the Anderson Radio Club; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; Dayton Daily News; DX.NET; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; IARU Region 2; the Independent Mail newspaper; Irish Radio Transmitter Society; Macedonian-Heritage website; Margie Spangenberg, KK4AGN; the M0PZT blog; MINOWS; Mount Athos website; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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.

We also remind our listeners that there's still time to nominate candidates for the 2016 Bill Pasternak Young Ham of the Year Award. This honor recognizes licensed amateurs who are no older than 19 and living in the U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada, and who have made significant contributions to ham radio and their community. To download an application form, visit our website, www.arnewsline.org, and click on the tab for "Y-H-O-T-Y." Completed applications should be sent to: The Young Ham of the Year Award, in care of Amateur Radio Newsline Inc., Editorial Office, P.O. Box 451, Huntington Station, New York 11746.

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.