Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2266 for Friday April 2 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2266 with a release date of Friday
April 2 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The UK prepares to resume in-person license
exams. A worldwide balloon launch marks the equinox -- and the "Last
Man Standing" special event goes out with a bang. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2266 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

**
ARCTIC DXPEDITION PACKS UP BENEATH NORTHERN LIGHTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to a frozen Arctic island, where
the rewards of a physically grueling DXpedition included something even
more than the thousands of contacts logged by the team. Graham Kemp
VK4BB brings us that story.

GRAHAM: The RI0Q (R EYE ZERO Q) DXPeditioners have arrived back on the
mainland following a challenging but successful activation of the rare
Arctic IOTA, AS-152. The island, named Bol'shoy Begichev (BEG-i-chev)
after its discoverer Nikifor Begichev in 1908, held many discoveries
for the team during their one-week activation. Challenges included
making a large part of the trip by snowmobile. Once they arrived on
March 20th, they remained constantly vigilant for polar bears, wolves
and incoming blizzards especially as they were setting up for
operations.

By March 26th, as the activation was winding down, they were able to
enter into their online diary that they'd logged 6,913 QSOs
representing more than 4,000 unique callsigns.

Their departure came just as a blizzard was supposed to come blasting
in. There was one event they did not miss, however, nor did they want
to miss it â-" because it was spectacular. DXworld-net reported on its
Twitter feed on March 27th: [quote] "The RI0Q team are already back on
the mainland. As they left the island, the Northern Lights started to
show. Looks like they left at the right time!" [endquote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB

(DXWORLD-NET, RI0Q DIARY)

**
'LAST MAN STANDING' TRIBUTE WRAPS UP ACTIVATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to the activators of the "Last Man
Standing" special event which went QRT on Wednesday March 30th.
Starting on March 24th, the team logged more than 85,000 QSOs,
contacting 1,850 counties in 50 states and 138 countries. There were
134 contacts using moonbounce -and yes, there were pileups. The
multi-mode effort was also a multi-media one, featuring livestreaming
of operators as they navigated pileups. Coordinated by Lou Maggio NO2C
and Salli Rosato K2RYD of the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club and
the show's executive producer John Amodeo AA6JA, it was an experience
many of the dozens of operators in both the US and Canada said will
remain with them even as the studio goes dark after the show's day of
production. "Last Man Standing" featured Tim Allen KK6OTD as Mike
Baxter KA0XTT, and was celebrated for putting amateur radio in a
positive light in the public eye.

**
IN-PERSON EXAMS TO RESUME IN UK

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the UK, the Radio Society of Great Britain has resumed
booking in-person exams. Jeremy Boot G4NJH gives us those details.

JEREMY: Examiners in the UK have begun planning the resumption of exams
for amateur radio candidates wishing to sit them in a club setting with
in-person invigilation.

With this in mind, the Radio Society of Great Britain said it
anticipates bookings for the in-person exams from club examination
secretaries once the government has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in
their part of the UK. The booking process is expected to be more
streamlined than previously. The remote invigilations, which began last
year during the pandemic lockdown, will continue as an option.

Mandatory practical assessments at Foundation level will remain
suspended until a review led by the Examinations Standards Committee
and Exam and Syllabus Review Group can determine their long-term
future, clarifying whether they should continue and, if so, in
whatform.

In yet another sign of post-COVID life in the UK, the RSGB Contest
Committee began accepting portable entries in contests from stations in
England, provided the stations strictly follow local COVID measures.
England dropped its "Stay at Home" restriction on the 29th March,
meaning portable operations can resume. The RSGB cautions however, that
portable multi-operator entries must comprise people from the same
households because vans, cars and tents are considered indoor
environments and indoor mixing of households is still prohibited.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.


NEIL/ANCHOR: In other business that has caught Newsline's attention:
Paul Devlin, G1SMP, the joint winner with the Radio Society of Great
Britain of the 2020 Amateur Radio Newsline International Newsmaker of
the year award for the "Get on the air to care" public campaign, is
standing for election as a director of the RSGB board at the upcoming
AGM in April. As there are two nominees for two positions, I think we
can say Paul will be elected and we at Newsline would like to be the
first to congratulate Paul and wish him well in his new role. (RSGB)

**
ALABAMA TORNADOES HIT HOME FOR ONE AMATEUR

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Alabama, where tornadoes raged through part of the
landscape in late March, one radio amateur made an especially painful
discovery about the importance of preparedness. Randy Sly W4XJ brings
us that story.

RANDY: James Spann, WO4W, is no stranger to severe weather. As chief
meteorologist for WBMA in Birmingham Alabama, he is a familiar TV face
during tornado activations, always reminding viewers that they need a
severe weather plan. If fact, when he and his wife built a new home a
few years ago, they included a storm shelter

Last week, tornadoes and other severe weather pummeled the state,
wrecking buildings and killing at least five people in one county.
During his report on a long track of violent storms, he suddenly said,
"What I'm doing is texting my wife to be sure she's in the shelter.."
He moved off camera with a co-worker taking over.

Rejoining less than 15 minutes later, he shared some bad news with
viewers. His home was hit by a tornado.

"The reason I had to step out," he explained, "we had major damage at
my house. I had to be sure â-" My wife is okay, but the tornado came
right through there and it's not good. It's bad. It's bad."

However, their preparedness made the difference. "My wife got the
warning," he said, "she had a plan, she was in the shelter and she's
fine."

Then, Spann was back to work making sure others would be informed and
safe too.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

**

RECORDINGS AVAILABLE ONLINE FROM HAMSCI EVENT

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you missed the HamSCI virtual event which was
livestreamed on March 19th and 20th, you can attend via YouTube where
videorecordings of the workshops are now available. This is the second
year HamSCI went virtual in response to the global pandemic. The free
program, supported by the National Science Foundation and the
University of Scranton, featured presenters on such topics as personal
space weather stations, mid-latitude sporadic-E, weak signal VHF
propagation and related topics.

A link to the recorded programming for Days 1 and 2 can be found in the
printed version of this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org


FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: FOR DAY 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfhAxuViTYQ

FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: For DAY 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CrvuS0h9XA

**
WORLDWIDE BALLOON LAUNCHES MARK EQUINOX

NEIL/ANCHOR: Spring in the Northern Hemisphere isn't just about flowers
waking up and starting to bloom. It's also about..... balloons! Mike
Askins KE5CXP explains.

MIKE: When the medium altitude balloon launched by science teacher Jill
Gravante took to the sky on March 20th from an upstate New York junior
high school, the event was part of a wide-ranging celebration
dispatching 14 such balloons, linking students and teachers involved in
STEM activities worldwide. In what was called the Equinox Balloon
Launch, each balloon carried a lightweight Skytracker APRS and WSPR
payload, all solar-powered. They were launched from various spots in
the US, Argentina and Australia on paths that, one week later, had them
sailing over Siberia, China and South Africa. After the launch at
Winburn Middle School in Kentucky, science teacher Jenny McCall and Ron
Malinowski WX4GPS later tracked the balloon named "Bessie" over
southern Siberia, heading into Mongolia. Although it's not spring in
his part of the world, the launch even attracted involvement by
Melbourne teacher Greg Hellard.

Bill Brown WB8ELK, the designer of the Skytracker technology, said the
launches were coordinated by Washington State high school teacher
Trevor MacDuff KS1LAS with help from Los Angeles science educator
Joanne Michael KM6BWB. The enthusiasm, however, needed no coordination
at all. In fact, Joanne posted on Facebook that befitting a project
that involved students, it was a "textbook launch."

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP

(BILL BROWN WB8ELK)

**
BREAK HE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
WA5AIR, the Texas Link System which carries Newsline on seven repeaters
on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. local time.

**
AUSTRALIAN REGULATOR SEEKS INPUT ON 5-YEAR PLAN

NEIL/ANCHOR: Do you have an opinion on radio spectrum use in Australia?
The Australian Communications and Media Authority wants to hear from
you. Here's John Williams VK4JJW.

JOHN: The ACMA is looking for input on a draft of its five-year
spectrum plan, a key document that will guide its priorities in
allocating and managing frequencies in the years ahead. The proposed
changes are being drawn up in consultation with members of the
telecommunications industry, radio hobbyists and others in the
community. This is the first such draft to be created under the
Radiocommunications Legislation Amendment (Reform and Modernisation)
Act 2020.

Priorites are expected to be heavily impacted by the ACMA's goal to
support deployment of 5G services throughout Australia. A review is
also ongoing to replace apparatus licences with non-assigned amateur
licensing arrangements as a way of keeping licensees' costs affordable
and to reduce the burden on regulators. The ACMA has a number of
options for replacing the current apparatus licence but prefers the
establishment of non-assigned amateur and outpost stations under a
class licence. The agency also plans to review the prospect of creating
licences for higher-power operations and intends to consult with the
amateur community on this issue.

Feedback may be submitted to the ACMA no later than April the 28th.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW.

(ACMA)

**
UTAH AMATEURS CELEBRATE CENTENNIAL

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Ogden Amateur Radio Club, one of Utah's oldest ham
radio clubs, bears the call sign of its founder Dr. W. Glen Garner
W7SU. He became its first president shortly after its founding 100
years ago this May.

The club is marking its centennial with an array of activities,
including a special event station in May and a centennial QSL card
contest for its members. Newsline congratulates the Ogden amateurs on
100 great years.

(OARC WEBSITE)

**
IARU REGION 1 EYES INVOLVEMENT BY YOUNGER GENERATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: IARU Region 1 is assessing its future and hoping for a
younger perspective. Here's Ed Durrant DD5LP to tell us what's up next.

ED: Faced with eroding enrollment in many of its member societies, IARU
Region 1 has begun organising a workshop on keeping amateur radio
vibrant as its licensees age. Discussions about the workshop were held
at its General Conference on March 24. The workshop itself will be held
in October of this year, hosted by the Serbian Amateur Radio Society.
If COVID restrictions are still in place at the time, the workshop will
be conducted virtually instead.

Participants are particularly concerned about the lack of top
leadership among amateurs 35 and younger. The committee wrote on the
IARU website: [quote] "The IARU Region 1 Executive Committee shares
that it's time for change and we need to start moving forward. Working
together and changing the current trends. We need to focus our thinking
and way of operating." [endquote]

Towards that end, the committee said it was committed to bringing new
people into the discussion.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.

(IARU REGION 1)

**
MISSILE RANGE DEEMED VULNERABLE TO INTERFERENCE

NEIL/ANCHOR: RF control links being used at 420 and 430 MHz to set up a
linked repeater system in New Mexico are being cited as potential
sources of interference to critical systems at the nearby White Sands
Missile Range, the largest open air test range of the United States
Department of Defense. The department's Regional Spectrum Coordinator,
the FCC and the ARRL worked together to track down the amateur radio
communications, which were discovered to come from the repeater
system's RF control links on 70 centimetres. Amateur radio is a
secondary service on the band. The owners of the control links have
been asked to re-coordinate the frequencies by May 31st.

(SOUTHGATE, ARRL)

**
NEW ZEALAND YOUTH NET EXPANDS ITS REACH

NEIL/ANCHOR: A popular net among the youngest amateurs in New Zealand
just got a little bigger and a little more ambitious. Jim Meachen
ZL2BHF tells us how they're growing.

JIM: Like everything that starts out in life young and small, the net
formerly known as Young Transmitters New Zealand has grown up. It has
rebranded and expanded to become the YOTA Oceania Net. The net's
founder Thomas Bernard ZL3TOM announced the change in a recent
newsletter, telling Newsline that the net is now run in partnership
with Youngsters on the Air, recognising that participants hope to
connect with other hams in more regions than before. The net is held
Mondays at 0600 UTC on All-Star and Echolink. Tom uses the special
event callsign ZL6YOTA during the net to encourage more young
amateurs to check in.

For more information about the net and ways to join this growing
community, visit his website at zl3tom dot com [zl3tom.com]

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

**
WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, Matthew M0ZMS has announced he will be heading to
the Falkland Islands at the end of April and hopes to get on the air
from this rare DX using the call sign VP8ZMS. He may also use the call
sign VP8RAF on occasion. Matthew will be promoting awareness of the
Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society. Matthew is the serving members'
representative of the society and will be deploying to the British
Forces South Atlantic Islands, Mount Pleasant Complex for the
activation. Find his operating details and other information on the
Twitter page for VP8ZMS. He will QSL on LoTW and ClubLog and will issue
paper QSL cards upon his return to the UK after August.

Be listening for John, MW1CFN, operating as GB ONE ZERO ZERO FOUR FTS
(GB1004FTS) from Anglesey Island off the Welsh mainland's northwest
coast until April 8th. He is marking the 100th anniversary of the Royal
Air Force's Number 4 Flying Training School. Listen for him on various
HF bands as well as 6 and 2 metres. He will be using SSB and the
Digital modes. Send QSLs directly to his home call.

Danish radio amateurs are active with two special callsigns OZ75BO and
OZ75MAY until April 11th to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation
of Bornholm Island following the end of World War II. Be listening on
all bands, including the WARC bands, where operators will be using CW,
SSB and all the Digital modes. Operators on the island itself will be
using the OZ75BO call. Send QSLs via OZ1ACB or ClubLog's OQRS.
Operators prefer to NOT receive a paper QSL card. A special award is
available.


(OHIO PENN DX, SOUTHGATE)

**
KICKER: HELPING HIS ALMA MATER GET BACK ON THE AIR

NEIL/ANCHOR: We end this week with the story of a grateful graduate of
an Indiana college. He and his wife have given the school the gift of
amateur radio. Here's Dave Parks WB8ODF with that story.

DAVE: Bill Becher AA8RW may have graduated from college in Indiana in
1950 but to a small group of undergrads studying there now, he is
indisputably the Big Man on Campus. During Bill's time as an radio
engineering student, the Angola, Indiana school was known as Tri-State
College. Today its name is Trine University and its campus is where the
Michigan resident and his wife Helen KG8TQ recently helped awaken the
students' amateur radio club from dormancy by donating money and
equipment.

Many of the 15 members are studying electrical engineering, as Bill
did, or other forms of engineering and information technology. When
they're not tending to their academic obligations they're hosting the
weekly net of the Trine University Amateur Radio Club. According to the
university's website, the young hams are also mentoring would-be
licensees and building new equipment and antennas.

The club's president Tim Mayer KD2TCP, licensed for two years and
majoring in mechanical engineering, said the club also hopes to get
involved next in EME and satellite communications.

The students can look forward to aiming for the sky because of a
generous husband and wife who never forgot the thrill of keying the
mic, or sending some CW and discovering the world.

Said faculty advisor Kevin Woolverton KW9S: "Without them, it wouldn't
have been possible to start and continue."

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Dave Parks WB8ODF.

(TRINE UNIVERSITY)

**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the ACMA; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL;
Bill Brown WB8ELK; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; HamSCI;
IARU Region 1; Last Man Standing Special Event; RI0Q online diary;
Trine University; Ogden Amateur Radio Club; Ohio Penn DX newsletter;
QRZed.com; Radio World; Radio Society of Great Britain; Southgate
Amateur Radio News; shortwaveradio.de; Twitter; Ted Randall's QSO Radio
Show; the 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 at
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. As always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.