Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2017, June 24, 2016

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2017 with a release date of
Friday, June 24, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. New Mexico ARES teams respond to deadly
wildfires. There's upheaval inside the ARRL's National Traffic System.
Some DXing friends prepare to take a big step. And it looks like the
North Korea activation is about to happen! All this and more in Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2017 coming your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART HERE


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HAMS FACE NEW MEXICO WILDFIRE CHALLENGES

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with the deadly New Mexico
wildfires which spurred evacuations and prompted activation of local
Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers. The fires also put a number
of Field Day operating sites at risk. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bobby
Best, WX4ALA, has that story.

BOBBY: The Dog Head fire that began its deadly sweep on Tuesday, June
14, through more than 16,000 acres northwest of Tajigue, New Mexico,
was still only marginally contained by the start of the week beginning
Monday, June 20. As evacuation centers for both people and their pets
were established in Bernalillo and Torrance counties, nearly 1,000 New
Mexico responders stepped in - and New Mexico ARES members were among
them. ARES teams were activated in Valencia and Torrance counties, with
Sandoval County ARES placed on standby.

The main emergency channels being used for Dog Head Fire responders
have been the Capilla Peak 146.96 repeater and the Tapia Mesa 147.06
repeater. New Mexico Section Emergency Coordinator Bill Mader, K8TE
told the ARRL that the repeater coverage was likely sufficient for
communications needs in this emergency.

Meanwhile, the fire continued its deadly progression as blasting record
heat pressed down upon states in the desert southwest region. Fire
officials said efforts to contain the wildfires were being complicated
by the excessive temperatures.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bobby Best, WX4ALA.

JIM/ANCHOR: At press time, at least one Field Day site, to be operated
by the Albuquerque DX Association W5UR group, had to be relocated, as
others assessed their own situations. Officials said the cause of the
fire was still under investigation as of Wednesday, June 22.


(KOB-TV, ARRL, NBC NEWS, ACCUWEATHER)

**

HONORS AND UPHEAVAL IN THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC SYSTEM

JIM/ANCHOR: Major upheaval has shaken the ARRL's National Traffic
System, just a day after a key ARRL committee praised the NTS for its
valued public service contribution. The league's executive committee
has removed the system's Eastern Area Chair, Joe Ames, W3JY, who has
also been relieved of his position as Eastern Pennsylvania Section
Manager. His ousting became effective immediately.

According to the ARRL website, the executive committee determined that
Ames acted on behalf of the NTS and ARRL without authority to do so,
and had made commitments to FEMA, violating ARRL Field Organization
rules and regulations which state that NTS communication with FEMA
should happen only through authorized ARRL representatives.

Ames' removal was announced barely 24 hours after the league's Programs
and Services Committee asked the ARRL board to recognize the NTS for
its public service role, calling its members QUOTE "the lifeblood of
this important ARRL program." ENDQUOTE

(ARRL)


**

FRIENDS GO THE DISTANCE IN SEYCHELLES

JIM/ANCHOR: What's better than starting out as a DXpeditioner? Doing it
with friends! Newsline's Paul Braun, WD9GCO, tells us about one group
that's going the distance.

PAUL'S REPORT: They're just a group of friends who like two main
things: adventure and ham radio. And from July 1st through the 10th,
they're going to combine both of them as they venture to the Seychelles
to mount an expedition. I spoke with Martin Wennergren, A65DC, about
their plan.

MARTIN: I haven't been there before. I guess the reason why we are
chosing the Seychelles is that -- as it says on the web we are a small
group of hams from the United Arab Emirates and we want to do cooler
and greater and bigger DXpeditions in the future. But we need to start
somewhere. We are all kids in the beginning. So I guess the choice, we
were playing around with Bhutan and Vietnam and some other places that
might actually be slightly higher up on the list of wanted countries
but the Seychelles came naturally. It's easy to get to from Dubai.

PAUL: Wennergren spoke briefly about their radio setup.

MARTIN: We have two stations running and one backup station with us
that we hope we are not going to use. But two TS-590s are going to be
operating all the time we hope.

PAUL: He said that the best way to keep up with them and to see if you
got in the log is to watch their website, A6DX.com

MARTIN: Yeah absolutely. We will try to have the current operating
frequencies, we will try to communicate what we are looking for. We
will have kind of short windows into North America so we are going to
communicate on our website where our antennas are headed at the moment
and what we are looking for, for shorter periods of time.

PAUL: So listen in and add a new island to your collection -- and keep
an eye on this group of hams. They've got big plans for the future! For
Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.


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SCOUTS ARE OUT AND ABOUT

JIM/ANCHOR: Once again, the young hams operating as K2BSA are on the
move. Newsline's Bill Stearns, NE4RD, brings us this Radio Scouting
update.

BILL: This week in Radio Scouting, we have 5 activations of the K2BSA
callsign in MI, MO, NM, OH, and VA, as well as a father and his son
activating their camp QRP.

Our portable zero station is still active at Camp Geiger in St. Joseph
MO and will continue to be through July 22nd. Our portable five station
at the Philmont Scout Ranch continues as well in NM through
September1st.

Fred Stieg, KT6K, will be the control operator for the portable 6
station at the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network's Field Day
setup in Yucaipa, CA. Fred will be operating the GOTA station with
scouts from the Arrowhead and Greyback districts.

Edward Evans, WV8ED, will be the control operator for the portable 4
station at Camp Powhatan in Haiwasee, VA from June 27th through June
30th. Ed will be running a solar powered HF station on 10 through 40
meters as conditions allow.

Richard Zarczynski, AC8FJ, will be the control operator for the
portable 8 station at Camp D-Bar-A Scout Ranch in Metamora, MI from
June 26th through July 2nd. Richard will be offering a first time radio
merit badge course at this very successful Trail to Eagle program.

Jeremy Adler, KG6YFT, will be attending summer camp with his son, Jacob
Adler KK6MYW, at Camp Chawanakee in Shaver Lake, CA from June 26th
through July 2nd. Jeremy and Jacob will be getting scouts on the air in
the afternoons with their portable QRP station.

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.

**

RACING FOR A BENEFIT NEAR BOSTON

JIM/ANCHOR: On Independence weekend, the New England Patriots won't
have an MVP at Gillette Stadium....but a group of hams might. Here's
Amateur Radio Newsline's Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

NEIL: Seats at a stadium's 50-yard line are often coveted spots because
they offer the best view of the action. But there's another reason for
all eyes to be on the 50 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough,
Massachusetts this coming Independence Day weekend. The kickoff on July
3 will be a benefit run for One Mission, the pediatric cancer
foundation based in Framingham, Massachusetts. Both a 5K and a 10K
event will step off that evening, with the 50-yard line as the
finishline.

Hams are needed to get in the running -- not to race but to bring their
HTs and monitor runners' safety as the athletes tackle both the
football field and the various ramps throughout the stadium itself. If
you've got a dual-band HT and a few hours to spare the evening of July
3, consider helping out between 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. To sign up, contact
Brett Smith of the Boston Amateur Radio Club at
or phone him on 859-466-5915.

Once the event is over, there'll be a fireworks display at 9 p.m., just
right for celebrating our nation's freedom -- and perhaps one day too,
freedom from childhood cancers.

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

(FINISH AT THE FIFTY.COM, DAVID WOLFE KG1H)

**
BREAK HE

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
Triangle Repeater Association's WB5ITT repeater in Beaumont/Port
Arthur/Orange, Texas on Monday nights at 7:30 central time.

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THE MOST WANTED DX MOVES FORWARD

JIM/ANCHOR: If you're still hoping to work that prized DX in North
Korea, you may get your chance at last. Newsline's Jason Daniels,
VK2LAW, has more.

JASON: The latest news reports are saying that the North Korean
government has given approval for Dom, 3Z9DX, to return for his
long-anticipated operation from the world's most-wanted DX spot. The
Polish DXer has apparently been authorized to operate from P5 for as
many as five days. Though there are not many details yet, he will
apparently be working single sideband only, possibly 20, 15 or 10
meters.

Dom had surprised the amateur world last December with an unannounced
activation from North Korea on the 20th and 21st of December, working
mostly on 15 meters. He made 780 contacts during that operation, which
was a demonstration for the North Korean officials. He had hoped to
return in midwinter for a more formal, planned activation but that did
not happen.

And now, apparently, that is about to change. More details as we
learnthem.

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

(SOUTHGATE)

JIM/ANCHOR: Please note too: Dom's activation will be permitted on one
band only, and at short notice.

**
KOSOVO HAMS ARE UP TO THE CHALLENGE

JIM/ANCHOR: For a long time, hams in Kosovo had their eyes on
membership in the International Amateur Radio Union. Now they've got
their eyes on the prize. Newsline's John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us
what's next.

JOHN'S REPORT: Admitted just this past December into the International
Amateur Radio Union, the Amateur Radio Society of Kosovo is busy
preparing for its first IARU HF Championship event. Station Z60A will
be jumping into the mix from its home station in the capital city of
Pristina between 6 July and 11 July.

Callsign Z60A represents a new HQ multiplier in the internationalevent.

In going for the big score, the Kosovo operators will have plenty of
help from a team of visiting hams, including Kim Ostman, OH6KZP, who
will be in town to lecture at the local university on RF
microelectronics circuit development. The competitors plan to make use
of equipment donated by Force-12 and the Chiltern UK DX Foundation: a
Force-12 XR6 beam antenna with a Yaesu G1000DXC rotator mounted high
atop the university building. The Kosovo radio society, or SHRAK, is
based on the campus of the Technical University of Pristina where most
of the SHRAK members are also located.

For these championship newcomers, however, this exercise promises to be
anything but academic.

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

(IARU REGION 1)

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THE WORLD OF DX

In other DX operations, be listening for Vladimir/RV1CC and Mike/UA1QV
who are active as RV1CC/P and UA1QV/P, respectively from Kashin Island
until June 27th, They will be on 40 meters through 15 meters, also
making use of the Russian St. Petersburg University club callsign
--RC1M/p. QSL via their home call signs.

You have until June 29 to catch Dave/W9DR and Tom/W9AEB as FJ/W9DR and
FJ/W9AEB operating from Saint Barthelemy Island. Be listening for Dave
as FJ/W9DR on 6 meters only, doing CW/SSB with a 6m Beacon. Tom is
working as FJ/W9AEB on 40 through 10 meters CW/SSB. QSL via their home
callsigns.

Martin, DL5RMH, is working holiday style through June 25th as LA/DL5RMH
from Lofoten Island. Listen for him on various HF bands using CW and
SSB. QSL via his home callsign, direct, by the Bureau or LoTW.


(OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN)

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KICKER: MEN'S SHEDS HAVE THEIR WATERSHED MOMENT

JIM/ANCHOR: And finally, this week's newscast closes with a story about
men's sheds in the UK. They're not exactly garden sheds, but they are
definitely places for cultivating something important. Here's Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY'S REPORT: Most everyone has heard of a ham shack. But how about
a ham SHED?

While not unheard-of, it's not exactly commonplace either -- at least
not yet. One ham in Scotland, David Searle, GM8WNY, is hoping to change
all that. The shed movement itself, which has evolved over the years in
Australia, New Zealand and the UK, typically concerns itself with
groups who gather to share information about woodworking, metalworking,
gardening and engineering. David, whose New Zealand call sign had been
ZL3DWS, and in Australia, VK2DWS, was a part of the movement, even
starting a shed of his own in New Zealand, with a diverse group ranging
in age of 5 to 83. When he and his wife relocated a few years ago to
her native Scotland, David decided to keep the movement going. He's now
trying to assemble a project called Electronics in Men's Sheds.

He wants to see amateur radio and electronics get more of a foothold
under the roof of sheds such as those in the UK. These nonprofit sheds
resemble gardening sheds but are somewhat larger. What David hopes will
grow and flourish inside them is the kind of innovation and enthusiasm
that has kept amateur radio buoyant. David not only wants to find
like-minded hams - or electronics enthusiasts - but individuals who
have some of the electronic components or hand tools to help everyone
get their projects started. He asks that interested amateurs contact
him by email at

Typically these sheds are the domain of older men, but in some locales
they are actually not limited by age or gender. Taking what he calls
"small steps" for now, David is counting on enthusiastic amateurs to
provide the spark for this small project to grow among older men.

David told Amateur Radio Newsline, in an email, he considers it QUOTE
"a sort of skills transfer. It might even create new hams and more
voices on the bands one day. I do hope so!" ENDQUOTE

The goal is, after all, to build not just a knowledge base but a
community.

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

(SOUTHGATE, UK MEN'S SHEDS ASSOCIATION, DAVID SEARLE, GM8WNY)

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NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Accuweather; Alan Labs; the ARRL; CQ
Magazine; David Wolfe, KG1H; David Searle, GM8WNY; Facebook; Finish at
the Fifty.com; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the IARU; KOB-TV, NBC-TV;
Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO
Radio Show; Wireless Institute of Australia; UK Men's Sheds
Association, 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.

And a final reminder: June 30th is a few days away. That's it: our
deadline to nominate candidates for the Bill Pasternak Young Ham of the
Year Award is here. Please visit our website at arnewsline.org and
click on the tab that says "Y-H-O-T-Y" for information and an
application. Remember to mail your applications to the New York address
printed on the application. And may the best Young Ham win.

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.