Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2272 for Friday May 14, 2021

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2272 with a release date of Friday
May 14, 2021 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams bring compassion and critical supplies to
COVID-ravaged India. A solar probe unlocks mysteries of a planet's
ionosphere -- and a shipboard amateur delivers some very rare grid
squares. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2272
comes your way right now.

***

BILLBOARD CART

**
INDIAN HAMS ASSIST WITH SUPPLIES TO COVID PATIENTS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is a tale of compassion and
community service arising out of a landscape in India ravaged by the
deadly pandemic. John Williams VK4JJW brings us those details.

JOHN: As COVID-19 continues to devastate India, amateur radio operators
in West Bengal are helping health care workers and patients by
providing a network of support. Club secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas
VU2JFA told Newsline that the West Bengal Radio Club and the students
of the Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster Management are
providing access to food as well as to lifesaving medicines, plasma and
oxygen, assisting the neediest with admission into health care
facilities. The academy is an amateur radio training institute headed
by Rinku Nag Biswas VU2JFB. He said other hams in these two groups are
also arranging for mental health support to be provided online for
those who need it. Meanwhile, club members Arnab Roy Chowdhury VU3JWN,
Arub Bhattacharya (Botta-Charr-Ya) VU3ZIB, Debdutta (deb-DUTTA)
Mukherjee (Mook-Er-Gee) VU3JXA and Jayanta (Jiy-YONTA) Baidya
(BYE-DEE-YA) VU3YJB have been working around the clock, even as two
other members of the club became stricken with COVID and are now
receiving treatment. Ambarish Nag Biswas told Newsline: "We are happy
to help people in this crisis period. We believe 'ham' stands for Help
Always Mankind.' "

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS VU2JFA)

**
BRAZILIAN AMATEURS SEEK EQUIPMENT TAX EXEMPTION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Brazil, hams are renewing their efforts to have
taxes eliminated on amateur radio equipment, as we hear from Jeremy
Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: Brazil's national amateur radio society has intensified its
ongoing efforts to have ham radio equipment declared exempt from import
tax and the tax on industrialized products. The exemption being sought
by the Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão would be granted
to any qualified amateur radio operator and participant in Rener, the
National Amateur Radio Emergency Network or member of Sindec, the
National Civil Defense System.

The bill was introduced in 2009 but there has been no action on it
since 2018 when it was given to lawmakers in the Finance and Taxation
Committee. LABRE is asking hams in Brazil to push for a renewal of the
effort to get parliamentarians to vote on the measure. LABRE is
collecting signatures on a petition on its website to send to the
National Congress.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE, LABRE)

**
DEBRIS FROM CHINESE ROCKET SCATTERS IN INDIAN OCEAN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Although China successfully launched the first module
for that nation's space station, the mission launcher re-entered
Earth's atmosphere along an uncontrolled path. We hear more about its
fate from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: The uncontrolled low orbit of a Chinese Long March rocket ended
in a flare of light over the Arabian Peninsula before the rocket
plunged into the Indian Ocean near the Maldives. The dramatic re-entry
into Earth's atmosphere came late on Saturday May 8th, quieting nervous
speculation that the space debris from the empty core of the Long March
5B would land in a populated region. The Chinese space agency said much
of the rocket was consumed during re-entry. At 22 tons, it was
considered one of the largest objects to re-enter the atmosphere with
an uncontrolled trajectory. Its path had been followed by the US Space
Command's Space-Track Project and European Space Surveillance and
Tracking. There had been concern that the rocket's fate might have been
similar to that of the first Long March 5B. During a similar
uncontrolled re-entry in May of last year, debris from that rocket fell
in an area of Ivory Coast in Africa where it damaged several buildings.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(WASHINGTON POST, CNN, REUTERS)

**
PARKER PROBE EXPLORES SUN'S IMPACT ON VENUS' IONOSPHERE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Much farther out in space, a probe has unlocked some
mysteries that will surely pique the interests of watchers of solar
weather. Paul Braun WD9GCO gives us the details.

PAUL: As it moves through its solar cycle, the activity of the sun
causes changes in the ionosphere of the planet-but the planet we're
talking about here is Venus. The Parker Solar Probe, in a flyby of the
planet last summer, picked up a naturally occurring low-power radio
signal and determined that the Venusian ionosphere is thinner during
solar minimum than during solar maximum. Last summer's flyby happened
six months after solar minimum. The probe found changes that had
occurred in Venus' upper atmosphere since data collection nearly three
decades ago by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter in 1992 during a high activity
period.

Although the Parker probe's primary mission is to study the sun, it
does interact with Venus because it uses gravity assist from the planet
to bend th orbit of the probe and bring it closer to the sun.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.

(CNN)

**
NEW ZEALAND AMATEURS APPROVED FOR 60M OPERATION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There's good news in New Zealand for hams who have been
hoping to make contacts on the 5 MHz band. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF has that
report.

JIM: Amateurs in New Zealand have won the right to use 60 meters on a
secondary basis operating as sub-licencees of the New Zealand
Association of Radio Transmitters. NZART's president Mark Gooding
ZL2UFI announced the decision, which followed successful talks with the
regulator, RSM. This approval is being treated as the precusor to
adding the 5 MHz band to the General User Radio Licence at the end of
12 months. This would eliminate the need for any further sub-licences
for use of the band. In the interim, RSM will assess interference
issues before moving forward.

Hams who hold the old sub-licence are being advised that it will not be
grandfathered in under the new agreement and they must complete the new
application and send it to NZART headquarters. All hams are being asked
to review a list of frequently asked questions which can be found on
the NZART website, nzart dot org dot nz (nzart.org.nz)

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(NZART)

**
RSGB ADDS RESOURCES FOR RADIATION MEASUREMENTS, OPERATOR EXAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The website of the Radio Society of Great Britain has
added new material to guide hams in two areas of their biggest
concerns: safety and licensing. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has been following
that development.

JEREMY: New resources are available on the website of the Radio Society
of Great Britain to help amateurs with upcoming examinations and to
assist as well with the new requirement to measure their stations'
electromagnetic radiation.

Two new videos assist with measuring a station's electromagnetic
radiation as is now required by Ofcom for public safety and which
explain the reasons behind the new rules. Stations with power of more
than 10 watts must perform these measurements and calculations as part
of their licence requirement. Both videos feature EMC Chairman John
Rogers, M0JAV, who explains the procedure in one video - and in the
other, demonstrates how to use the downloadable calculator.

Meanwhile, the Society's Examinations and Syllabus Review Group has
updated its collection to include two new mock exams for the Full
licence, adding PDFs that show the questions' answers and explanations
for each. The Society notes that these are not the same questions that
would appear in a Full licence exam and are provided merely as a study
aid. Mock exams for Foundation and Intermediate level licences will be
added later.

Links to both videos as well as the mock exams can be found in the
print version of this script on our website arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. PRINT ONLY: To see
both videos go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lL_gdUU3Wo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9NYlQwbCZQ

PRINT ONLY: For exams, www.rsgb.org/mock-exams

(RSGB)

**
100 WATTS AND A WIRE MARKING EPISODE 300

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We here at Newsline want to take time out to
congratulate our colleague Christian Cudnik K0STH at 100 Watts and a
Wire. The show, which began in 2015 as an audio podcast, is marking
Episode Number 300 on Saturday, May 15th. The show can be seen on
YouTube or heard on the 100wattsandawire.com website.

**
BREAK HE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the KD2SL repeater in Syracuse, New York at 8 p.m., following the
Monday Night Hobby and Information Net.

**
OHIO CLUB HONORED AS ARRL 'SPECIAL SERVICE CLUB'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: When the Highland Amateur Radio Association got
together recently for brunch in a local park in southern Ohio, they
were marking two occasions: it was the first time members were able to
be together in a long time for a "meet and greet"â-"and they were
receiving special recognition from the ARRL as a Special Service Club.
ARRL officials attended the event too and presented the honor formally.
Special Service Clubs are defined as groups leading the way in
training, publicity and community support to improve the interests of
amateur radio. The club in southern Ohio is one of only a dozen in the
state to be given this designation.

(HIGHLAND COUNTY PRESS)

**
HISTORY LESSON HIGHLIGHTS ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST NOTABLE HAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Arizona Historical Society has an online history
lesson scheduled. Its topic is a lawmaker who was also one of the most
high-profile American hams. Kevin Trotman N5PRE explains.

KEVIN: The late United States Senator Barry Goldwater was also known by
his callsign K7UGA. History has recorded his many contributions as a
lawmaker to the evolution of amateur radio in the US. The Arizona
Historical Society is presenting a virtual event on Wednesday, May 19th
that explores the life of the state's most notable amateur radio
operator who, during the war in Vietnam, was instrumental in organizing
volunteers to connect families via ham radio with their relatives
serving overseas during the conflict. The Society, based in Tucson,
houses much of the senator's longtime shack in its collection. The
presentation by Arizona State University history professor Eric Nystrom
will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time - or 0100 UTC. A
donation to the museum is requested for anyone attending the
discussion, which will be held on Zoom.

A link to register for the event can be found in the script of this
week's newscast at arnewsline.org

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

[FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: https://bit.ly/3mRPwTz]

(ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY)

**
DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Just a reminder that we are fast approaching the May
31st deadline to nominate the next Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial
Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year. If you know a dedicated
radio operator 18 or younger who embodies the spirit of
experimentation, community service and communication, they are
eligible. Think of nominating them for this honor. The award will be
presented in August at the Huntsville Hamfest. Candidates should be
living in the United States, its possessions or any Canadian province.
Downloadable forms are available on our website arnewsline.org

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, members of the Korean Amateur Radio League are
using the special callsign HL41GDM to mark the 41st anniversary of the
Democratic Uprising in South Korea, which occurred between May 18th and
27th in 1980. Operators will be calling on all bands and modes through
May 31st. QSL via HL4CCM, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog, or eQSL.

In Germany, operators are marking the 25th anniversary of the German DX
Foundation using the special event callsign DL25GDXF. The station will
be on the air until the 31st of July. Send QSLs to DL6DH. A contact
with this station or DF0GDX and club members are needed to be eligible
for the GDXF 25 years certificate.

Operators Ennio, IW1RBI, Alessandro, IZ1AZA, Gianluca, IU1KBL and
Andrea, IU1JXW will be on the air with the callsign 3A/IW1RBI from
Monaco and will identify a weekend between the end of May and mid-June
that works with the current COVID-19 restrictions. Be listening for
them on 80-6 meters using CW, SSB and FT8 in fox-hound mode. QSL via
the address on QRZ.com or LoTW.


**
KICKER: RARE GRID HUNTERS FIND THAT THEIR SHIP HAS COME IN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: OK grid hunters: Our final story of this week is for
you. If you are a ham on the prowl for the rarest grids, your ship came
in-literally-earlier this month. Neil Rapp WB9VPG explains.

NEIL: It's a long journey by ship between Florida and Saipan and
merchant mariners like Jim Clary who make the trip often face a
seven-day work week. On the trip he made this month, however, Jim,
whose call sign is ND9M, also faced a unique opportunity: Using the
passes of about a dozen satellites and two Yaesu rigs for full duplex
operation, he activated some of the rarest grid squares on Earth. Jim,
who is his ship's communications officer, told Newsline that operating
maritime mobile in his spare time helps him keep his wits together on
long runs like this one. The real gift, however, is the one he's been
giving hams around the world â-" an opportunity to work so-called "wet
grids," many of which he said are rarely, if ever, activated.

He told Newsline in an email: "Since these grid squares that I'm
sailing through are so rare, it would be a shame not to make them
available to VUCC chasers." VUCC is the VHF-UHF Century Club of the
ARRL, which issues awards for confirmed contacts with 100 or more grid
squares on UHF, VHF or via satellite. Grid squares themselves measure a
modest 1 degree latitude by 2 degrees longitude, so on this big planet
of ours there are plenty out there. There's an abundance of satellites
too: from the oldest one, AO-7, to the RS-44 with its huge footprint.

For Jim, this may have been just one more supply cruise, but for the
hams who intercepted his rare cargo on this trip, he surely delivered.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(JIM CLARY ND9M)

** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL;
Arizona Historical Society; CQ Magazine; CNN; David Behar K7DB;
Highland County Press; New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters;
Ohio Penn DX newsletter; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great Britain;
Reuters; Southgate Amateur Radio News; shortwaveradio.de; Ted Randall's
QSO Radio Show; Washington Post; WTWW Shortwave; Wireless Institute of
Australia; YouTube; 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. Be sure to follow
some of these stories as they get a more indepth look on the YouTube
Channel of 100 Watts and a Wire. Search for the video segment with the
title "Two Stories."

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and
our news team worldwide, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio
saying 73. As always we thank you for listening.

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