• Amateur Radio Newsline (A)

    From Daryl Stout@954:895/7 to All on Friday, June 16, 2023 02:36:02
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2381, for Friday, June 16th, 2023

    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2381, with a release date of Friday,
    June 16th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

    The following is a QST. A youth DXpedition sets its sights on Guyana. Satellites get in the act on Field Day -- and ham radio aids in a
    dramatic rescue in Idaho. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
    Report Number 2381, comes your way right now.

    **

    BILLBOARD CART

    **

    YOUNG DXPEDITIONERS SET SIGHTS ON GUYANA

    PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to Guyana - that's the
    location a young quartet of DXpeditioners has its collective eye on. We
    hear about their plans from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    JEREMY: Their trip has been years in the making and now, with the travel precautions of the pandemic behind them, a team of DXpeditioners -- all
    in their 20s -- is finally free to travel to their destination: Guyana.
    Four friends, Jamie, M0SDV, Philipp, DK6SP, Tomi, HA8RT, and Sven, DJ4MX,
    are young: Sven is 21, team co-leader Jamie is 22; Tomi is 24 and co-
    leader Philipp is 25.

    Their youth hasn't stopped them from becoming veteran DXpeditioners.
    Jamie told Newsline: "We have been fortunate enough to visit some amazing locations worldwide." Now they putting together their plan to operate in Guyana between the 14th and the 24th of next February, operating CW, SSB,
    FT8, and RTTY, on the HF bands.

    They have not yet been assigned a callsign.

    The Northern California DX Foundation said it has given the team a $5,000 grant as a way of encouraging the next generation of adventuring
    amateurs.

    Jamie said that the group's website will be updated regularly to keep DX hunters apprised and, of course, to encourage others to support the activation.

    See the text version of this week's newscast on our website,
    arnewsline.org, to find a link to the DXpedition. The team will also be releasing a separate website dedicated to the DXpedition itself and will communicate with chasers via social media.

    [DO NOT READ: www.8R-2024.com]

    This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    (GUYANA DXPEDITION WEBSITE, JAMIE MØSDV)

    **

    HAM RADIO PLAYS PIVOTAL ROLE IN SEATTLE DRILL

    PAUL/ANCHOR: Residents in the city of Seattle take the notion of being neighborly quite seriously. So seriously, in fact, that they regularly
    hold disaster drills to practice ways to help one another out. Of course,
    it involves amateur radio. Here's Jack Parker, W8ISH, with a report on
    the latest exercise, which was held on June 11th.

    JACK: The disaster scenario in the city of Seattle, Washington, was
    simulated but there was nothing fictional about the scene of neighbor
    helping neighbor. On June 11th, the city's Emergency Communication Hubs rehearsed the all-important coordinated response that everyone would have
    in the event of a citywide power outage -- from neighbors to local authorities.

    The exercise was called Power Down. Twenty-five hams from the Auxiliary Communications Service of Amateurs were dispatched to transmit messages
    using voice and digital modes, such as Winlink and Fldigi. The hams
    worked at one of the city's 10 participating hubs, at rally points for
    city workers, or in the radio room of the city's Emergency Operations
    Center. Many of the hams were asked to move between the various locations
    to help balance out resources. Most of the hams communicated via nets
    using repeaters that have power generators on site.

    According to Susanna Cunningham, WB7CON, the public information officer
    for the ACS, the exercise was a successful demonstration of cooperation
    but unearthed some challenges: There were coverage issues with repeaters
    that are used less frequently -- and hams making use of Winlink did not
    always succeed in getting all the ICS forms submitted from the Hubs to
    their targeted locations. Susanne said that these issues and others will
    be evaluated at the July meeting of the ACS on July 8th.

    This is Jack Parker, W8ISH.

    (SUSANNA CUNNINGHAM, WB7CON)
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)
  • From Daryl Stout@954:895/7 to All on Friday, June 23, 2023 06:17:52
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2382 for Friday, June 23rd, 2023

    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2382, with a release date of Friday,
    June 23rd, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

    The following is a QST. Hams get on the air as a cyclone hits India; the
    FCC's systems go back online -- and get ready to chase the 13 Colonies
    Special Event stations. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
    Report Number 2382, comes your way right now.

    **

    BILLBOARD CART

    **

    HAMS MOBILIZE TO ASSIST DURING CYCLONE BIPARJOY

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to India where hams played a
    crucial role in public safety and communication as a cyclone enveloped
    the region. More on that from Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

    JIM: Amateur radio operators in western India were deployed and kept on
    high alert as Cyclone Biparjoy closed in on the western shore near the
    port of Jakhau on Thursday, June 15th, tearing roofs off houses, and
    leaving thousands without power.

    Local news reports from the Indian state of Gujarat said that the state's Disaster Management Authority responded to power outages and other damage
    by deploying six ham radio teams, two of them in the district near the
    port of Jakhau, as well as a number of mobile units. Pakistan and India
    had already moved an estimated 173,000 people to shelters in preparation
    for the storm's arrival.

    The deadly cyclone killed at least two people in India before weakening
    and heading toward Pakistan's southern coastal areas. The name of the
    Cyclone - Biparjoy (Bipper Joy) - means "disaster" in Bengali.

    This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

    (ASSOCIATED PRESS, TIMES OF INDIA)

    **

    FCC REPORTS ITS ULS BACK ONLINE

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the United States, the FCC reported an end to the long shutdown of some of its systems, much to the relief of hams and others
    needing to file documents. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, brings us that report.

    PAUL: The Federal Communications Commission's nearly month-long outage of
    its Universal Licensing System and related systems has ended. The systems
    came back on line, on a limited basis, on Wednesday, June 21st. A public announcement by the FCC alerted users to the remaining unavailability of
    the systems' query download function, which permits search results to be
    saved as text files.

    The shutdown put the brakes on amateur radio filings and other FCC applications that were facing immediate deadlines, causing widespread frustration and much wider speculation as to the cause behind the
    shutdown. The FCC's public announcement did not address the cause and
    despite repeated requests from Amateur Radio Newsline to clarify what had occurred, the agency referred only to the announcement on its website.
    The announcement cited [quote] "technical issues." [endquote] It was not possible to determine specifically where those issues occurred - or why
    they occurred - and whether there had been a security breach or if any presumed built-in redundancies failed to operate properly.

    The FCC said it has provided deadline extensions for filings that were affected by the shutdown and that it expects high traffic on its systems
    in the days to come. Those ULS applications that were impacted will not
    need to pay waiver fees, seek waivers, or provide any special attachments.

    The FCC said that the deadline extensions and other relief measures only
    apply to those filings between the outage period of June 9th to June
    29th.

    This is Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

    (FCC)

    **

    WRTC GAINS SUPPORT FROM ITALIAN OFFICIALS

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The World Radiosport Team Championship, which is about to
    open shortly near Bologna, Italy, has gained the official patronage and support of the Ministry of Enterprises and the Made in Italy initiative.
    The competition is being held in a region of Italy known as an economic
    engine because of the strength of its business ventures in technology and craftsmanship. This recognition adds a much-needed boost, following the devastating floods that swept through the region, challenging the
    organizers of the event which takes place July 4th through July 11th.

    (WRTC 2022 REFLECTOR)
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)
  • From Daryl Stout@954:895/7 to All on Friday, June 30, 2023 14:24:48
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2383, for Friday, June 30th, 2023

    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2383, with a release date of
    Friday, June 30th, 2023, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

    The following is a QST. Ofcom proposes sweeping license changes in the
    UK. The QSO of a lifetime makes one ham's Field Day unforgettable --
    and meet Amateur Radio Newsline's Young Ham of the Year for 2023.
    All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2383, comes
    your way right now.

    **

    BILLBOARD CART

    **

    OFCOM PROPOSES SWEEPING CHANGES FOR UK LICENSES

    NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to the UK, where Ofcom is
    proposing a major overhaul of amateur radio licensing and
    operations. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us those details.

    JEREMY: Stating it wants to provide amateurs in the UK with greater
    access to licences while delivering greater operating freedom, the communications regulator Ofcom is proposing sweeping changes to its
    ham radio licence framework.

    None of these changes affects the frequencies or bands amateurs
    can use but it does increase the maximum permitted power for
    transmitting across the three classes of licence. The proposed
    maximum allowances are 20 watts for Foundation; 100 watts for
    Intermediate in most bands and 1,000 watts for Full licence
    holders who are operating where ham radio has a primary
    allocation. Ofcom is also proposing low power airborne
    transmission on some bands.

    Beacons, repeaters and gateways would no longer require a Notice
    of Variation in most cases -- the holders of a Foundation licence
    would be permitted on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Foundation
    licence holders would also be allowed to build their own
    equipment.

    In another change, hams advancing to a higher class of licence
    would be required to surrender their lower-level licence and call
    sign, holding only a single personal licence. This requirement
    would not apply to clubs.

    This is just a sample of what Ofcom is suggesting. The regulator
    is seeking feedback and has set a deadline of the 4th September
    for comment. For a link to the document please see the text
    version of this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org

    This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    [FOR PRINT ONLY:

    https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/ updating-amateur-radio-licensing-framework ]

    (above URL all on one line)

    (OFCOM, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

    **

    OH BABY! WHAT A GREAT FIELD DAY!

    NEIL/ANCHOR: So you think you had a great Field Day? Sorry....but
    no matter how amazing a time you had, no matter how many QSOs you
    and your club logged, it can never compare to the experience of
    one amateur in Alabama who helped organize his club's big weekend.
    Jim Damron, N8TMW, tells us more.

    JIM: Patrick Nagle, N4GLE, was ready. Field Day weekend couldn't
    come soon enough for this member of the Muscle Shoals Amateur
    Radio Club. Patrick has been part of the organizing committee for
    the club's Field Day for the past three years and everyone was
    ready to put the club callsign, W4JNB, on the air.

    This year, Rhett Allen Nagle was also ready. In fact, on June 23,
    2023, just as Field Day prep was under way, he was so ready that
    he was born. With the doctor's help, Rhett's mother, Kaitlyn
    Hendrix Nagle, brought him into this world, and into Patrick's
    arms.

    Patrick told Newsline that he and his wife had hoped for Rhett's
    birth to take place a few days after Field Day but the doctor
    wasn't available on their chosen date of June 26th. So June 23rd
    it was going to be! Holding strong at the Field Day site was
    brand-new grandfather, Papa Roy Nagle, KI4UX, who kept things
    running smoothly, and stayed in touch with his son.

    The happy new father may have been away from the club's operating
    site this year, but he told Newsline he knows he had the best QSO
    of Field Day weekend. While it may not have been made over the
    air, he said that all those eyeball QSOs with his new son included
    plenty of snuggles.

    This is Jim Damron, N8TMW.

    NEIL/ANCHOR: Newsline offers the Nagle family all the best. We
    can't wait to hear that Rhett has received his callsign.

    (PATRICK NAGLE, N4GLE)
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)
  • From Daryl Stout@954:895/7 to All on Friday, July 07, 2023 07:23:22
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2384, for Friday, July 7th, 2023

    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2384, with a release date of Friday,
    July 7th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

    The following is a QST. Gains in attendance at Europe's largest hamfest.
    Sri Lanka loses a respected member of the amateur community -- and there
    are big plans ahead for radio at Scout camps. All this and more, as
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2384 comes your way right now.

    **

    BILLBOARD CART

    **

    GAIN IN ATTENDANCE AT HAM RADIO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to Germany. With Ham
    Radio Friedrichshafen (Pron: Freed Ricks Harfen) completing two weeks
    ago, the attendance figures have been announced and there's some good
    news. Over to our European Correspondent Ed Durrant, DD5LP, who attended.

    ED: This year's attendance at Ham Radio, Europe's largest Hamfest, was up
    by 10% to 11,100 and the number of traders by 15% compared to last year, despite predictions that Hamfests may suffer due to the increase in
    online sales during and following the pandemic.

    It was clear there was an increase in the number of people both at the
    indoor flea market halls and in the main trader and exhibitor hall.
    While there were no new major radio announcements -- other than we
    already know of from Hamvention -- it was good to see Kenwood back with a stall but a shame that only Yaesu's agents represented them. ICOM was
    there with their usual impressive large display area and competing in
    size was a new company to the amateur radio market - Aaronia a
    manufacturer of high quality test equipment.

    All in all, it was a very uplifting event.

    Just as important was the announcement that the required legislative
    document had just been signed to implement the new German entry level "N class" amateur radio licence. The regulations will come into force on the
    21st of June 2024, the week before next years "Ham Radio" event between
    the 28th and 30th and indeed the very first examinations for this new
    class of licence will take place at "HAM RADIO 2024." The new licence
    will allow access to 70cm, 2m and 10m running a maximum of 10 watts and
    will conform to CEPT specifications for an entry level licence.

    This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

    **

    FCC SEEKS INPUT ON COMMERCIAL USE OF HF SPECTRUM

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Following years of experimental use of the frequencies
    between 2 and 25 MHz - a range the FCC considers underutilized - members
    of the Shortwave Modernization Coalition have asked the agency for rule changes that would permit fixed, long-distance, time-sensitive
    transmission of data by commercial entities. The FCC is requesting public comment on the proposed rule change, which the Commission said would not
    have an impact on that part of the spectrum used exclusively by amateur
    radio, maritime or aeronautical services.

    A rule change would make the frequencies available to regular commercial operations. At present only 61 of the 21,507 active licenses for
    frequencies between 2 and 25 MHz are for industrial and business use, according to the FCC.

    The businesses seeking access have relied until now on satellite, fiber, microwave and millimeter wave wireless transmissions.

    Shortwave Management Coalition members, who include such entities as
    companies in the financial markets, believe a rule change could widen
    access to other industries such as mining, petroleum and manufacturing.

    Comments are due to the FCC within the month.

    (FCC, SWLING POST)

    **

    FCC TO CONSIDER KEEPING FM6 RADIO FOR LOW-POWER TV

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In other action in Washington, it is shaping up to be a
    busy month for the Federal Communications Commission, which is
    considering whether low power analog TV stations that have a Channel 6 allocation can continue to broadcast analog FM radio. Kevin Trotman,
    N5PRE, tells us what's behind the issue.

    KEVIN: In a small number of US markets, FM broadcast audio has long been available from TV stations making use of a subcarrier 250 kHz from the
    top of the Channel 6 frequencies. At the FCC's open meeting on July 20th,
    the FCC will look at an option it favors: permitting these low-power TV stations to continue this practice as a supplementary service even after
    the TV stations' conversion to digital.

    The FCC believes that preserving the operations for those 13 low-power stations would benefit the public interest, noting as well that there is
    no record of TV interference with the adjacent FM channels, known as FM6 stations. The FCC wrote in a fact sheet on its website that it has not received complaints with credible evidence showing anything to the
    contrary.

    FM6 radio is permitted to operate only on 87.75 MHz and the service may
    only be offered within the low-power TV station's coverage area and on a non-interference basis.

    This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

    (FCC)
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)
  • From Daryl Stout@954:895/7 to All on Friday, July 14, 2023 12:58:50
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2385 for Friday July 14th, 2023

    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2385, with a release date of
    Friday, July 14th, 2023, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

    The following is a QST. The World Radiosport Team Championship heads to
    the UK. Campers prepare for Youth on the Air camp in Canada -- and
    calling QRZ among a universe of UFOs. All this and more, as Amateur
    Radio Newsline Report Number 2385 comes your way right now.

    **

    BILLBOARD CART

    **

    UK CHOSEN TO HOST WRTC 2026

    PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to the World Radiosport Team
    Championship. The prestigious international competition wrapped up in
    Italy on July 9th and the winners were announced -- including the venue selected to host the competition in 2026. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us
    that report.

    JEREMY: The World Radiosport Team Championship - a high profile
    competition often viewed as the Olympics of amateur radio - has
    declared the United Kingdom the winner in the selection process to be
    host site for the next international contest. The English counties of
    Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk - all in East Anglia - were selected
    by the Sanctioning Committee to serve as home to the 50 operating
    locations for the competing two-person teams.

    In an interview with ICQ Podcast presenter/technical editor Martin
    Butler, M1MRB, WRTC 2026 President Mark Haynes, M0DXR, said organisers
    are going to rely heavily on amateur volunteers throughout the UK to
    provide technical help and support during setup and operation.

    Meanwhile, as WRTC 2022 concluded, the top three winning pairs - among
    the other victorious operators - were identified as UW7LL and VE3DZ for
    first place; DJ5MW and DL1IAO, second place; and 9A7DX along with 9A3LG, third. For a full list of winners and their scores, visit the WRTC 2022 website at wrtc2022 dot it (wrtc2022.it).

    Newsline would also like to congratulate our colleagues at the ICQ
    Podcast, which has been chosen as a media partner, providing updates as
    the organising progress goes forward. The announcement was made on the podcast's website on 10th July by its founding editor, Colin Butler,
    M6BOY.

    This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    (ICQ PODCAST, WRTC 2022, WRTC 2026)

    **

    STUDY CONFIRMS EMISSIONS FROM SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS

    PAUL/ANCHOR: According to a new study, those tiny low-earth orbit
    satellites may be delivering something unwanted and much less attractive
    than broadband internet access. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the details.

    JIM: Large satellite constellations that provide detailed Earth imagery
    as well as broadband internet access to some regions have been shown to
    emit unintended electromagnetic radiation that may prove a challenge to radioastronomers' research. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for
    Radio Astronomy in Germany report that interfering signals appear to
    come from the electronics on board a number of SpaceX satellites.
    Writing in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the researchers said
    they made the discovery using the facility's Low Frequency Array
    telescope. They drew their conclusions after observing 68 of the
    satellites in low earth orbit.

    The report's lead author, Federico Di Vruno, said [quote] "This study represents the latest effort to better understand satellite
    constellations' impact on radio astronomy." [endquote] The scientist
    said that the most recent observations confirm there is a measurable
    existence of the radiation.

    This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

    (PHYS.ORG)

    **

    SILENT KEY: RUSSIAN ROBINSON CLUB'S GEORGE CHLIYANTS, UY5XE

    PAUL/ANCHOR: The DX community is grieving the loss of an influential
    amateur who helped organize and promote DXpeditions in the polar
    regions. We hear more about him from Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

    GRAHAM: George Giorgiy Chliyants, UY5XE, was a friend and an advocate to
    many. A number of reports say that George recently became a Silent Key.
    He has clearly left his mark: In 1993, while attending the IOTA
    convention in Spain, George encouraged the creation of what became the
    Russian Robinson Club, a group of adventurous amateurs who would come to operate out of particularly challenging locales in the polar regions.
    He later became QSL manager for many of the Russian expeditions in bot
    h the Antarctic and the Arctic. He had also served as the president of
    the UDXC and vice president of the Robinson club. One of his DXpeditions
    was EM20YU, in which he activated the Chernobyl exclusion zone in 2006
    with Boris, UT7UT.

    Licenced in 1966, he was an active ham whose contesting activity had won
    him many awards and plaques. He was also a published author and had been
    a correspondent for a number of amateur radio magazines, including Radio
    and RadioMir, both in Moscow and RadioHobby, in Kyiv.

    George was 75.

    This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

    (WORLDWIDE ANTARCTIC PROGRAM, UT7UT.COM, UY5XE HOMEPAGE)
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)
  • From Daryl Stout@954:895/7 to All on Thursday, July 20, 2023 17:32:26
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2386, for Friday, July 21st, 2023

    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2386, with a release date of Friday,
    July 21st, 2023, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

    The following is a QST. Changes in band access await hams in Australia. A much-loved electronics supplier is closing after 50 years -- and a ham
    marks a DXCC achievement of two lifetimes. All this and more as Amateur
    Radio Newsline Report Number 2386 comes your way right now.

    **

    BILLBOARD CART

    **

    BAND-ACCESS CHANGES AWAIT AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS

    JIM/ANCHOR: There are gains and losses for amateurs in Australia, as the nation's regulator moves ahead with proposed changes to spectrum access. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has that story.

    GRAHAM: Advanced amateurs in Australia and overseas equivalents will be
    losing their access to frequencies between 3.4 and 3.6 GHz, which have been identified for reallocation to commercial interests and for use by earth station protection zones. While proposing those changes, the Australian Communications and Media Authority is expanding standard amateurs and
    overseas equivalents access to frequencies between 50 and 52 MHz, in
    addition to the current 52 to 54 MHz. These modifications are contained in
    the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions Omnibus Amendment Instrument
    2023, Number 1.

    The ACMA took its action following the submission of public comments to the consultation. The regulator said it received only six such comments, with
    the majority supporting the changes.

    This is Graham Kemp, VK4BB.

    (ACMA)

    **

    RSGB VIDEO EXPLAINS SWEEPING CHANGES AT OFCOM

    JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile in the UK, hams are getting some help in
    understanding the changes that Ofcom has in the works. We have those
    details from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    JEREMY: As Ofcom undertakes the first sweeping changes in ham radio
    licensing and call sign policy in 25 years, the Radio Society of Great
    Britain has been hoping to make things simpler. The society is offering guidance on this consultation through a variety of materials that include a newly released video by Murray Niman, G6JYB, the society's spectrum and licensing expert.

    The RSGB is hoping that clubs will share the video at their meetings and assist hams in understanding the work underway. The video can be found on
    the RSGB's YouTube channel or on the consultation web page of the society
    at the link found in the text version of this week's newscast.

    The regulator is seeking feedback and has set a deadline of the 4th
    September for comment.

    This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    [DO NOT READ: rsgb.org/licencereview ]

    **

    SILENT KEY: COMPUTER HACKER KEVIN MITNICK, N6NHG

    JIM/ANCHOR: A computer hacker who was once on the FBI's "most-wanted" list
    - and who described himself as possessing the world's most expensive
    amateur radio license, has become a Silent Key. Here's Sel Embee, KB3TZD,
    to tell us about him.

    SEL: Kevin Mitnick, N6NHG, whose computer-hacking skills landed him a
    federal prison term with hundreds of supporters pressing for his freedom,
    has become a Silent Key. Kevin died on Sunday, July 16th, of pancreatic cancer.

    According to several online obituaries, by the time he was 16 years old,
    Kevin had already sharpened his software skills, gaining unauthorized
    access to computer systems. Ultimately, it was his illegal download of software from Digital Equipment Corporation in the 1980s that led to a
    massive manhunt, his conviction and five-year prison term.

    Having become a ham radio operator at the age of 13, he wished to return to the air once he was released from prison and spent more than $16,000 in
    legal fees to petition the FCC for a license renewal. He succeeded, saying afterward that, as a result, he possessed the most expensive amateur radio license in the world.

    Kevin was 59.

    This is Sel Embee, KB3TZD.
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)
  • From Daryl Stout@954:895/7 to All on Thursday, July 27, 2023 18:37:08
    Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2387, for Friday, July 28th, 2023

    Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2387, with a release date of Friday,
    July 28th, 2023, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

    The following is a QST. Hams call QRZ to help a flood-damaged region of
    Italy. Dangerous conditions cancel a second activation on Rockall -- and a successful orbit for CubeSATS from the Philippines. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2387 comes your way right now.

    **

    BILLBOARD CART

    **

    CALLING QRZ TO RESTORE FLOOD-DAMAGED EMILIA-ROMAGNA

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Italy's flood-devastated region of Emilia-Romagna faces a
    long period of reconstruction and hams are involved in providing their own kind of support. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us the details.

    JEREMY: Although some hams may be more familiar with the Emilia-Romagna
    region of northern Italy as the host of the recent World Radiosport Team Championship, it is actually now in the amateur radio spotlight for another reason. Remember the callsign 1A0C (One Ay Zero C). Hams will be calling
    QRZ until the 2nd of August to focus attention on the charitable work being done there by the Italian Relief Corps of the Order of Malta, focusing on
    the badly damaged Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The historic deadly
    floods in May displaced thousands of families, destroyed communities and threatened to wreck many local industries. A multinational team of amateurs will be on the air from the radio station at the Magistral Villa on the Aventine Hill. The Order of Malta's humanitarian projects are known
    throughout the world, assisting 120 nations with medical, social and humanitarian needs. The operators include Fernando EA5C, Simone IK5RUN, Jun JH4RHF, Dmitry RA9USU and others.

    At the time Newsline was being produced, the team's website was under construction. Visit the QRZ.com page of 1A0C for updates.

    This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    (425 DX BULLETIN, QRZ, ORDER OF MALTA)

    **

    A TRIBUTE TO BELOVED SOTA SILENT KEY

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: SOTA activators are planning an international tribute to recall the treasured friendship of a ham who became a Silent Key last year.
    Ed Durrant, DD5LP, gives us the details.

    ED: From his shack in Poland, Jarek SP9MA, is leading the way among his
    fellow SOTA supporters. He has issued a call to all friends of the beloved
    ham known as Guru who became a Silent Key in March of 2022. Jarek wrote on
    the SOTA reflector that he will begin using the callsign SP59GURU on
    January 11th of next year, which would have been Guru's 59th birthday. The callsign will remain active through to March 11th, the anniversary of his death. The loss of Jose-Antonio Gurutzarri Jauregi EA2IF to cancer rocked
    the SOTA community last year, most especially in Europe, where his
    commitment to radio on the summits began in his native Spain in 2013.

    Jarek has put out a call to SOTA activators worldwide to join him in this special event activation and to start making plans now, well in advance of January.

    Though there will be no diplomas or awards for QSOs, Jarek believes the contact itself will provide a memorable moment. In that way, Guru, who left his mark also as a top contester and CW operator, will get another moment
    with his SOTA brothers and sisters.

    Or, as Jarek wrote on the SOTA reflector: [quote] "I just think that as
    many hearts as possible would connect with the Guru at that time."
    [endquote]

    This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

    (SOTA REFLECTOR)

    **

    DANGEROUS CONDITIONS CANCEL REPEAT ROCKALL ACTIVATION

    STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Radios and other equipment remain on Rockall Island, where
    a second attempted activation has failed. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us up
    to date.

    JEREMY: A second - and very brief - activation of the remote granite islet known as Rockall was called off after hazardous conditions in the North Atlantic had forced the team to return to the mainland.

    Cam Cameron, Emil Bergmann, DL8JJ, and Nobby, G0VJG, set sail on the 16th
    of July, only to turn back three days later after making several passes at Rockall. The hams were hoping to have a second activation - three hours of
    CW and SSB - during their return trip.

    The trio was traveling to recover radio equipment left there during the
    June activation of MM0UKI. Emil and Nobby had called QRZ for several days before their departure, leaving Cam on Rockall. In a challenge to benefit charity, Cam was hoping to break the previous 45-day stay record set in
    2014. He had called for rescue in late June after 32 days of exhaustion and hypothermia.

    Describing the team's failed attempt to return, Emil wrote on the Rockall DXpedition's Facebook page: [quote] "Nature has said NO. We reach[ed] the Rockall without difficulty, but the waves [were] extremely high. That's the way of life." [endquote]

    Don't be discouraged: The team plans another recovery attempt.

    This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

    (FACEBOOK, DX-WORLD.NET)
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)