Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2034, October 21, 2016

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2034 with a release date of
Friday, October 21, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Colorado wildfires keep hams vigilant. Three
deaths shake the global radio community -- and schoolkids enjoy a radio
roundup! All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2034 comes
your way now.

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BILLBOARD CART

**

SKEETER/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with more Colorado
wildfires. Amateur Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson KC0DGY has the
latest.

KENT: In what is becoming an all too common headline this year, amateur
radio has stepped in to assist communications in another wildfire. This
time its the Junkins Fire in southern Colorado.

ROBERT: The fire is in mostly rural country. We've got some vacation
homes. I think there are 200 homes evacuated. The amateur radio role
right now is basically in standby unless it blows up.

KENT: That's ARES Section Emergency Coordinator, Robert Wareham, N0ESQ
who is currently supporting efforts to fight the Junkins Fire at the
Colorado State EOC.

ROBERT: We had an interesting request from the Fremont County Sheriffs
yesterday: because its hunting season they asked us to put out
evacuation bulletins so hunters with amateur radio in the back country
would be aware of the fire danger.

KENT: Wareham explains how they assist at the state EOC

ROBERT: They activate Colorado ARES and then our personnel who have
been trained and qualified come into the state EOC and we become their
communication function here. So in addition to monitoring amateur
radio we also monitor the state 800 MHz trunked network -- all of the
mutual aid channels, so it's a broader role than traditional amateur
radio. Because it's a largely rural wildfire at this point, there just
isn't a need to bring up a full time amateur net right now.

KENT: He points out they have access to a statewide interconnected ham
repeater network as well as a new DMR network

ROBERT: The Rocky Mountain ham radio club based out of Denver here has
over the past 5 years or so developed a very robust DMR network. So
right here from the state EOC I can communicate directly into the
southern part of the state. It's a dramatic improvement over what we
had ten years ago.

KENT: Disasters are nearly becoming commonplace for these Coloradohams.

ROBERT:: We've had so many disasters in Colorado over the last five or
six years that we learn from each one of them. Believe it or not they
become routine after a while. We know what we need to do. We go in and
staff the center. We work with the folks at the EOC and we take it in
stride.

KENT: Hams are standing by to lend assistance where needed in the
latest Colorado wildfire. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent
PetersonKC0DGY

**

SILENT KEY: KING OF THAILAND, HS1A

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, three deaths have touched the radio world.
Here's Newsline's Paul Braun, WD9GCO, with our first report.

PAUL'S REPORT: On Thursday, October 13th, Thailand lost not only their
King, but also their most prominent amateur radio operator. King
Bhumibhol Adulyadej was also known among hams as HS1A.

Acceptance of amateur radio in Thailand took a lot of work by a very
dedicated group of hams, both native and resident aliens. The movement
took on a new meaning starting in 1963 with the founding of the Radio
Amateur Society of Thailand, or RAST.

I spoke with Robert Leo, W7LR, who was actually working in Thailand in
1963 and was one of the founders of RAST.

ROBERT LEO: "I was teaching up here in Montana, at Montana State
University. I did that for twenty years. Early in that venture, in
1963, I was selected to go to Thailand and so I did that for Stanford
Research and I was the research director. In Thailand we had seven
agencies to work with but we got research done in spite of all that.

Along the way, I got to know all the hams - well, not all of them, but
a bunch of hams over there. Some of them were in the military, some
were in businesses and we decided to form RAST and I was one of the
founders. At that time that's when they didn't have regular call signs
so I wondered "how can I operate?" so I went to the Thai military and I
said, "Well, what do I do? Can I operate?" and the guy said, "Yes, just
pick out a call sign" so I picked out HS1L, the "L" is for Leo."

PAUL: It's important to note that until RAST was formed, the Thai hams
that were in existence were not allowed to make QSOs with any DX
stations. RAST joined the IARU in 1969, which opened Thailand's hams up
to the world.

RAST officers and members worked hard for the next 23 years to gain
acceptance of ham radio by the government and communications agency
and, in 1988, the official Thai amateur radio rules and regulations
were adopted into law.

King Adulyadej was presented with his license and call sign, HS1A, in
1989 and officially put RAST under his patronage in 1994.

King Adulyadej was 88 years old and had been king since 1946. At the
time of his death, he had been the world's longest-reigning monarch.

If you'd like to read more about RAST, please visit the official
website at www.qsl.net/RAST.

We here at Amateur Radio Newsline extend our condolences and sympathies
to not only the hams, but to the entire Thai people during this time of
national mourning.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO

**

SILENT KEY: REPEATER PIONEER JOHN CROCKETT W3KH

SKEETER/ANCHOR: In South Carolina, a pioneer in repeater systems has
died. Here's Newsline's Jim Damron N8TMW.

JIM: Amateurs in South Carolina are mourning John Crockett W3KH, who
became a Silent Key on October 12 following a long bout with cancer. An
electrical engineer, he is credited for his work as Project manager of
the South Carolina Healthcare Emergency Amateur Radio Team system's
linked repeaters as well as the Digital Mobile Radio linked repeater
system. He was also the developer of and project manager for the
Southeastern Repeater Association Universal Coordination System. John
got his amateur license in 1963 and was a life member of the ARRL. An
Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam War, he became an advocate
for effective emergency communications and served as net manager for
the South Carolina Statewide ARES VHF/UHF Net, which met on the SC
HEART linked repeaters.

The SC HEART website posted this message following John's death: QUOTE
"Amateur radio and emergency communications had no greater advocate in
South Carolina than John Crockett. His tireless devotion to service led
to the establishment of the SCHEART network, the SC DMR network and
countless other innovations of immeasurable service to the people of
South Carolina." ENDQUOTE

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

(SC HEART WEBSITE, ARRL)


**
NAVAJO CODE TALKER DIES IN ARIZONA

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Finally, our nation joins the Navajo nation in mourning
a hero of World War II. Newsline's Mike Askins KE5CXP has the details.

MIKE: Sgt. Maj. Dan Akee Sr., one of the last of the Navajo Code
Talkers of World War II, has died. Considered a hero by his tribe, the
96-year-old veteran died on Friday, October 14 in Tuba City, Arizona.
The sergeant major had served in the 4th Marine Division of the 25th
Regiment in the Pacific and was one of several hundred Code talkers
whose use of the Navajo language kept the Japanese from decoding
messages sent by the Allied forces.

According to his son, Dan Akee Jr., he was at the Battle of Iwo Jima
and was present when the American flag was raised on Mount Suribachi by
six Marines, including Ira Hayes, a member of the Gila River Indian
Community.

The Navajo Nation's president Russell Begaye said in a press release:
QUOTE "Dan Akee was not just a Navajo Nation treasure. He was an
international treasure and icon whose service will stand as a testament
to the freedom of all Americans." ENDQUOTE

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP in Shawnee,
Oklahoma.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS, NATIVE NEWS ONLINE)

**

BREAK HE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the Silvercreek Amateur Radio Association's 2 meter repeater, W8WKY,
Tuesdays at 7:30 PM local time in Doylestown, Ohio.

**

YOUNG VOICES HEARD IN SCHOOL CLUB ROUNDUP

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Now here's one after-school activity that doesn't
involve homework. This sounds more like HAM-work......as we hear from
Newsline's Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

NEIL's REPORT:

AUDIO OF MARIA:

"November Hotel 6 Hotel Charlie station, you're coming in as a five and
nine from Bloomington, Indiana with the Bloomington High School South
club. My name is Maria. NH6HC: OK, very good, Maria. My name is Arnie,
America Radio November Italy Echo, Arnie, and I'm in Orange County,
California near Disneyland. Back to you."

NEIL: This is just one of many contacts that were made during the first
day of School Club Roundup, a five-day contest for student stations
typically working after class. As this broadcast goes to air, School
Club Roundup is in its final hours. Schools across the globe have been
making contacts with other schools, clubs, and just whoever they find
on the air. From elementary schools to big name universities, schools
are taking to the airwaves to learn more about ham radio. Some are very
competitive and treat the roundup as a contest atmosphere. Others enjoy
engaging a string of students in a casual QSO with someone who just
stops by the frequency. My high school students at Bloomington High
School South in Bloomington, Indiana mostly lean toward the contest
side of the roundup, but enjoy a little of both. Club president Maria
Lysandrou, KD9BUS, tells Amateur Radio Newsline what she especially
likes about School Club Roundup.

MARIA: "I love being able to talk to people all around the world, and
meeting people... and I love being able to have just a bunch of
pileups... especially since I'm a girl. I get a lot of people trying to
talk to me.

AUDIO OF PILEUP

MARIA: "It's nice to get a lot of points for our club and it's nice to
talk to people all around the world, just sitting in one place."

NEIL: Club co-Vice President Ryan Butler, who is still operating as a
third party, has become an expert at logging and enjoys getting on the
mic too. Repairs to our primary antenna, tower and rotor that couldn't
be completed in time for the fall roundup, despite valiant attempts,
have impacted our team's performance, but Ryan remains optimistic.

RYAN: "I think that we are going to get less points than normal, but
since we did a bunch of tuning to the radio we're able to get out much
clearer signals across America. I think we'll be able to rack up a lot
of points still, even though we are hindered by the bad radio antenna."

NEIL: So as we finish School Club Roundup, we hope you were all able to
take some time to talk to some schools on the air this week and create
these opportunities for students to experience ham radio. With any
luck, our station repairs will be complete in a few weeks and we will
do even better in the next roundup which takes place February 13th
through 17th. For more information about School Club Roundup, check out
the arrl.org website and search for School Club Roundup. Be looking as
well for an article in an upcoming edition of QST.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is club sponsor Neil Rapp, WB9VPG
reporting from the K9SOU shack in Bloomington, Indiana.

**

AUSTRALIAN STEM SYMPOSIUM NEEDS INPUT

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Teaching kids about Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math takes lots of planning and the Wireless Institute of Australia
is looking for some help in doing just that. Here's Amateur Radio
Newsline's John Williams VK4JJW.

JOHN'S REPORT: Australian amateur radio operators are being asked to
participate in an event that doesn't involve being on the air but will
hopefully result in meaningful contacts anyway. The Wireless Institute
of Australia needs amateurs willing to share their technical knowledge
as it applies to STEM education programs for young Australians. Hams
are being asked to submit expressions of interest in participating in
the institute's STEM Symposium on November 19 at the Canberra ARC club
rooms. The WIA would like to see amateurs share not just their
knowledge but ways to integrate it into STEM programs. Those ideas will
be discussed during the one-day gathering with an eye toward writing up
briefs that can be submitted to government agencies involved in STEM.
Amateurs already involved in STEM activities are especially welcome.
For more information, send an email to

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

(WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA)

**

SYDNEY AMATEURS DEBUT NEW WEBSDR

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Also in Australia, there's some new WebSDR activity
online. Want to listen in on what's happening on the bands around
Sydney? Amateur Radio Newsline's Richard Murnane VK2SKY has those
details.

RICHARD's REPORT: In VK2, the Manly-Warringah Radio Society in Sydney
Australia is pleased to announce that its new WebSDR is now online.
This web-accessible software defined radio receiver covers five amateur
bands; 160, 80, 40, 20 and 15 meters, making it easy to check from
anywhere in the world if your HF signal is reaching VK2. It's also
handy if you're away from the shack and just want to do some shortwave
listening through your mobile phone or other portable device. You can
even listen in through your computer at work -- just don't annoy the
boss. This project has been supported by a generous development grant
from Amateur Radio New South Wales for which the club would like to
express its heartfelt thanks. The receiver may be used by anyone,
whether they're a licensed amateur or not. Simply go to the
Manly-Warringah Radio Society website at http://www.mwrs.org.au and
click on the WebSDR link in the top menu. Give it a try and let the
club know how it works for you. All feedback will be most welcome. Just
Google the club callsign, VK2MB, for more information. Happy listening!

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Richard Murnane VK2SKY

**

A RADIO MYSTERY ALONG BENGAL BORDER IN INDIA

SKEETER/ANCHOR: In India, the West Bengal Radio Club is helping
authorities clear up a disturbing mystery, as we hear from Newsline's
Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The strange messages come over the airwaves, typically around
midnight. They are sent from transmitters that appear to be moving and
in transmissions that appear to be in a language featuring numeric
codes as well as Bengali and Urdi words Hams with Bangladeshi-type
pronounciations. These transmissions are of great concern to hams in
South Bengal, who have been hearing the traffic along the
Bengal-Bangladesh border, and have now been asked to help track the
source. Hams with the West Bengal Radio Club were asked by the Ministry
of Communication and Information Technology to monitor this traffic
around the clock with an eye toward tracking any potential terror
activity. The club's secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, said the club has
assigned 23 operators to do so.

He said hams have apparently been noticing these transmissions on VHF
as early as June but said this is the first time amateurs have
encountered this kind of radio traffic along the border.

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

(HINDUSTAN TIMES)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, Istvan HA5AO has reactivated his 7P8AO callsign and
is operating from Lesotho until October 29th. Send QSL cards via Club
Log OQRS.

Be listening for callsigns 9N7FD, 9N7WE, 9N7ZT and 9N7XW as a group of
Polish operators gets on the air from Nepal through October 29th. Send
QSL cards to their home calls.

Chris GM3WOJ and Keith GM4YXI are operating from Micronesia as V6Z
until November 1st. The IOTA reference is OC-011. Send QSLs via Club
Log OQRS.

Be listening for call sign TL0A, which is being used by a group of
French amateurs in the Central African Republic. They will be on the
air until October 28th. Listen for them operating CW, SSB and RTTY on
80 meters to 6 meters. Their QSL Manager is F4WBN.

**

KICKER: NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR, VK STYLE

SKEETER/ANCHOR:

GRAHAM: They don't call it portable operations for nothing. As hams in
Australia prepare for the sixth annual Keith Roget Memorial National
Parks Award activity weekend in Victoria's National Parks, amateurs
have chosen their times and locations for operating and many of them
plan to be on the move at more than one spot, from Lower Goulburn to
Warby Ovens to Port Campbell and points in between.

This is all, of course, nothing new in Victoria or in the United
States, which will soon be wrapping up its centennial celebration of
its own National Parks after a year of similar portable ops.

In Victoria's case, though, hams have Keith Roget VK3YQ to thank for
being the award's inspiration. Keith became a Silent Key in 1981 after
an amateur career that kept him forever on the move with his radio
equipment. Keith was a respected World War II veteran who served with
the Royal Australian Air Force and became an active amateur in his
later years.

Now it's just a matter of waiting until Friday the 11th of November for
the activity to begin. It doesn't conclude until Monday the 14th of
November. Across those four days, hams will be on the move, in the
spirit of Keith Roget.

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

(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS, AMATEUR RADIO VICTORIA)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur Radio Victoria; the
ARRL; the Associated Press; Bloomington High School South club; CQ
Magazine; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the Hindustan Times; Irish
Radio Transmitter Society; the Manly-Warringah Radio Society; Native
News Online; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ; SC HEART; 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 Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, in Topeka,
Kansas, saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

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