Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2118 for Friday, June 1, 2018
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2118 with a release date of Friday,
June 1, 2018, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. In Montana and Maryland, hams respond to floods.
In Australia, amateurs take on on-air bullies - and South Africa awaits
use of 60 meters. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
2118 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
YELLOWSTONE ARES STEPS IN DURING MONTANA STORM
NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast with reports of amateur
response to flooding. While most of the U.S. concentrated on their
holiday celebrations over Memorial Day weekend, hams in two parts of the
country dealt with crisis conditions. We begin in Montana with the
Yellowstone Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Here's Kent Peterson KC0DGY.
KENT: Amateur radio operators in the Billings, Montana area mobilized
over the Memorial Day holiday weekend as a "perfect storm" brought
massive flooding to the region brought on by melting mountain snowpack,
heavy rain and an anticipated crest of the Yellowstone River. There were
concerns too that the region's complex canal system that feeds local
farms could further complicate the scenario. As the holiday weekend
began on Friday, May 25th, Brad Shoemaker, Disaster and Emergency
Services Director turned to YARES, the Yellowstone Amateur Radio
Emergency Services. Ron Glass WN7Y, the ARRL's Emergency Coordinator for
Yellowstone County, activated a net, 23 hams checked in and staffing got
under way. Five hams went the next morning to sandbag centers where they
helped manage traffic and ensure that no one ran out of bags or sand. In
some cases, said Ron, the hams even helped residents load the sandbags
into their vehicles. Others staffed the Emergency Operations Center and
Net Control while still others served as "loggers" tracking callouts.
The weekend operation brought logistics challenges and long work shifts,
Ron told Newsline, but the hams kept their duties covered. By Monday, as
the anticipated rainstorm began to hit hard, hams were dispatched for
River Watch Duty and at roadway locations to identify any threatened
bridges, flooded roads and other trouble spots identified by the county.
The damage ultimately turned out to be less than predicted. Ron told
Newsline: [quote] "Even though the storm dropped over an inch of rain in
the first 15 minutes and we were driving through flooded streets the
rest of the day, the event was NOT as large as expected." [endquote] By
3 p.m. that same afternoon, the flood warning was dropped and the EOC
went into standby mode, said Ron. He told Newsline that YARES was
officially deactivated within the hour.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY.
(RON GLASS, WN7Y)
**
HAMS PREP FOR FLOODED MARYLAND MILL TOWN
NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, not quite two years after the historic mill town
of Ellicott City Maryland was nearly swallowed up by flood waters, it
was being described again as a "war zone." Memorial Day weekend storms
and flooding that affected other parts of Maryland brought particular
devastation to this Howard County community where there were reports
that one man had gone missing and a body was recovered two days later
from the water. Maryland hams wasted no time. Marty Pittenger KB3MXM,
the ARRL Maryland-DC Section Manager told Newsline that just as the
flood alerts started popping up in early evening on Sunday May 27th, the
ARES team activated. Marty said the word went out - "this is NOT a
drill" - and a half-hour later, at 7 p.m. when the governor declared a
state of emergency, stations had already been checking in. As they
remained on standby, hams began sharing weather information, agency and
SKYWARN reports and other situational details. According to Marty the
quickly-assembled team comprised 40 hams across five repeaters covering
an area of about 5600 square miles across six counties. Hams were also
monitoring EchoLink and conducted a quick test on 80 meters in case HF
was needed to pass messages.
Marty said that the nets remained active until instruction to stand down
came at 10:15 p.m. Marty said there was ultimately no need for the hams
to be deployed to assist.
(CNN, Marty Pittenger KB3MXM)
**
SLENT KEY: JIM SELLARS N0UAM
NEIL/ANCHOR: Net control operators are the heart and soul of emergency
response and one noted weather-watcher has become a Silent Key, as we
hear from Geri Goodrich KF5KRN.
GERI: Jim "Mad Dog" Sellars N0UAM became a Silent Key on May 22nd - but
for all the years before he was an active radio amateur who lived, some
might say, in the eye of the storm. An enthusiastic storm-chaser, Jim
was perhaps best known as Assistant Director of VoIP Hurricane Net
Operations and Net Control.
He most recently made a name for himself as a tireless net control
during the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season which included Maria, Irma and
Harvey. He also played a big role in the National Weather Service
Springfield Missouri SKYWARN program.
The Springfield, Missouri resident had battled a heart condition for
years. He was 64 at the time of his death.
A certified meteorologist, Jim wrote his own obituary for the local
newspaper and described his final wishes: he wanted to be cremated and
then have his ashes scattered into a tornado. He wrote "that'll be fun."
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Geri Goodrich KF5KRN.
NEIL/ANCHOR: There was a Final Call for Jim on May 26 just prior to the
WX4NHC annual test. Rob KD1CY was net control. Please listen to this
tribute on our website. Go to arnewsline.org and click on the "Extra"
tab on the left.
**
TIME TO TALK TO A MINESWEEPER
NEIL/ANCHOR: What are you doing on the air June 1st through June 3rd?
It's Museum Ships Weekend and you have a chance to work a Navy
minesweeper. Paul Braun WD9GCO talked to one of the team members.
PAUL: If theres one thing that gets hams excited, its a special-event
station. And when you can combine a group of special-event stations into
a major happening, all the better. Such is the case with Museum Ships
Weekend, where groups of hams activate from various historic ships that
have been turned into museums. One of those ships is the USS Lucid, the
last of the ocean-going wooden minesweepers.
A group of YLs from the Stockton-Delta Amateur Radio Club will be
activating the Lucid that weekend. I spoke with one of the members,
Emelia Seiferling KI6YYT about how they got involved:
SEIFERLING: My husband and I were presenting a program for the Stockton
radio club. It was concerning an activation that I had participated with
a YL group - KM6CIR - Ladies of the Net. They had organized a session on
the USS Hornet. And after the program, the president there, John, N6ZQ,
said, "Well, we should have something like that here in Stockton!" And
after a little talk over the next few days, it was decided to activate
the USS Lucid that the Stockton club is affiliated with and have a YL
afternoon on Museum Ships Weekend.
PAUL: Seiferling originally got involved with activating ships through
contacts she had made on a net:
SEIFERLING: When I retired, my schedule got flexible enough that I could
check into the 40 meter Ladies' Net, KM6CIR it's just a general net for
all YL's - all YL's are welcome. One of the first things they were
talking about after I started trying to check in on a regular basis was
an activation that they were doing at the USS Hornet because one of
their members had connections there. Then several months later we did an
activation on the Queen Mary, because again there was another member who
had some connections to get us permission to use the radio room. So,
when this thing came up with the Lucid, I contacted the ladies and
hopefully we'll have several people from our group show up.
PAUL: You can find out more details at the clubs website, triple-w dot
W6SF dot org. Museum Ships Weekend runs from June 1st through the 3rd.
The Lucid is the only ship of her kind left in the USA, so the hope is
that events like this will bring more attention to the restoration efforts.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
**
SCOTLAND's 'UNICORN' TO LAUNCH FROM ALASKA
NEIL/ANCHOR: Do you believe in unicorns? Some hams in Scotland do - and
Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us why.
JEREMY: Radio amateurs in Scotland are going to be mighty proud later
this year. The PocketQube satellite they constructed at Alba Orbital in
Glasgow is being prepared for launch sometime during the third quarter
of this year. It will be sent into space from Kodiak, Alaska on board a
Vector Launch Inc. rocket for a mission that is expected to last about
45 days.
The launch is considered a milestone for Scotland's space industry and
will mark the first time an orbiter built in that country has not been
piggybacked aboard another launch vehicle. Alba Orbital has collaborated
on the project with the University of Aachen in Germany as well as its
amateur radio club DL0FHA.
The satellite has been named the Unicorn-2A and it will have downlinks
in both the 437 MHz and 2400 MHz bands and one of its transmission modes
will be LoRa, a long-range, low-power wireless platform. The Unicorn is
the creation of amateurs Constantin Constantinides MM6XOM, Alejandro
Gonzalez Garrido EA7KDU and Sajimon Chacko 2M0DSY.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(BBC)
**
BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the WB0QXW
repeaters in St. Louis Missouri on Monday nights following the World
Friendship Net which begins at 7 p.m. local time on EchoLink.
**
NEW 100 kHz ALLOCATION ON 60 METERS for SOUTH AFRICA
NEIL/ANCHOR: South African hams are getting some new frequencies for
their QSOs as we hear from Robert Broomhead VK3DN.
ROBERT: There's encouraging news for amateurs in South Africa waiting to
get on 60 metres. Hams have been granted access to the band between 5350
and 5450 kHz on a shared non-interference basis. They have also been
given 5290 kHz for a South African Radio League propagation research
project involving WSPR beacons. The South African Radio League reports
that the Council will publish a band plan as soon as possible,
permitting the start of 60-metre operations on the new allocation. The
Independent Communications Authority of South Africa published the good
news in the new National Radio Frequency Plan on Friday, May 25th. The
South African Radio League Council has meanwhile issued a special appeal
to hams, reminding them to guard against misconduct on the air. The
message from SARL President Nico ZS6QL was issued following the
resolution of a situation of abuse reported on 20 metres by the Namibian
Amateur Radio League.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead VK3DN.
(SOUTHGATE, SARL)
**
NO ROOM FOR AMATEUR RADIO BULLIES
NEIL/ANCHOR: On the subject of on-air behavior, an unfortunate side to
our hobby is the bullying and trolling that happens on the air. One ham
in Australia is trying to help others make the best of a tough
situation. Here's Jim Meachen ZL2BHF with that report.
JIM MEACHEN: Yes, there are bullies on the air. Onno Benschop VK6FLAB
discovered this first-hand as a beginner licensee in December 2010 when
he said he was regularly harassed by amateurs with more advanced
licenses and subjected to rude remarks. For the past few years, the ham
and amateur-radio podcaster has spent time trying to provide guidance
for all those who've had to endure that same painful experience. In
addition to speaking locally at amateur radio classes about ways to
deflect the abuse rather than engage it, Onno provides suggestions and
confidence and hosts a weekly net for new and returning amateurs.
Since July 2014 he has also maintained a bully reporting form at vk six
dot net (vk6.net), the NewsWest website. Hams who've felt bullied can
use the online form to report all the details. There are also links to
articles and sources of additional support, including directions on how
to report any recording of the incident. The website indicates that any
pattern of repeat offenses is turned over to the ACMA with
recommendations that official action be taken.
Onno told Amateur Radio Newsline in an email that while bullies may
always be out there in the world, these efforts provide victims with
recourse and support. He told Newsline [quote] "they have given new
entrants a level of confidence that was simply not available when I
started." [endquote]
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
**
OHIO HAMS KEEP THAT HAMVENTION FEELING ALOFT
NEIL/ANCHOR: A team of hams in Dayton has discovered that even though
Hamvention is over, there's a really good way to keep that Hamvention
feeling aloft: Launch a balloon! Andy Morrison K9AWM explains.
ANDY: It's helium-filled, it's high-flying at 30 thousand feet and it's
communicating with the world via APRS as it circumnavigates the globe.
This is the balloon that was launched just outside Building 5 on the
Greene County Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 19, during Hamvention. One
week later the Mylar balloon and its 13-gram payload, which includes a
25 mW solar-powered transmitter, headed toward Morocco and points
beyond. These launches are nothing new said Joe Muchnij N8QOD, the
committee chairman for the Dayton Amateur Radio Association. In fact,
Bill Brown WB8ELK, who oversaw the technical side of the beacon's
launch, has sent quite a few ballons into space - including one launch
for a school in which the balloon has already gone around the world four
times, Joe said. Reports have already come in from Nova Scotia, the
Azores and the Canary Islands as the ballon, traveling at 55 miles an
hour, travels powered by the wind and that Hamvention spirit. Keep
listening!
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Andy Morrison K9AWM.
**
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN LETS HAMS OPERATE AERONAUTICAL MOBILE
NEIL/ANCHOR: The Dayton high altitude balloon is not the only Ham Fair
that's up in the air as we hear now from Ed Durrant DD5LP.
ED: That's right! Some lucky visitors to the Ham Radio Friedrichshafen
event this weekend have already booked their seats in one of two
chartered Zeppelin Airship flights leaving from the airport next to the
show grounds where, as well as getting some great views of the area,
they will also be able to operate Aeronautical Mobile!
Great as that may be there's more happening in Freidrichshafen this
weekend....
Dib Dib Dib or Dot Dot Dot ? This years Ham Radio event at
Friedrichshafen Germany has the theme of Amateur Radio working with The
Scouting Association. There has long been links between Scouting and Ham
Radio and this year, the 43rd. International Ham Radio exhibition wants
to celebrate Radio Scouting. There will be radio Fox Hunts, a youth tent
camp within one of the Zeppelin sized halls and several related free
teacher training forums for school teachers and scout leaders. This year
will see a two day "Ham Camp" with Ham Radio activities including
Quizzes, kit building (this year it's the "Ham Camp Bell"), telecoms
experiments, radio operation, go-kart racing and Morse code.
As well as the Radio Scouting theme there will of course be the usual
large inside Flea Market, the regional Makers Faire and 180 exhibitors
and traders from 30 countries making this Europe's largest and the
worlds third largest hamfest after the Tokyo Ham Fair and Dayton.
Exam tests for both German and US licences will take place. Food is
available either inside or outside in the Beer Gardens. We'll see what
the weather brings but forecasts are good at the moment both for sunny
weather and the fun and excitement at Ham Radio Friedrichshafen 2018!
Looking forward to bringing you some highlights of the event in next
weeks show, this has been Ed Durrant DD5LP for Amateur Radio Newsline.
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, listen for Thomas, F4HPX operating as FR/F4HPX from
Reunion Island through the 15th of June. He is operating on SSB, digital
modes and a little CW on 40 through 15 meters. QSL via LoTW, Club Log's
OQRS or via home call (direct or bureau).
The EIDX Group is preparing to activate ALL Irish IOTA Groups. Using the
'Echo Juliet' prefix, EJ0DXG will be active from IOTAs EU-006, EU-007,
EU-103 and EU-121 this summer. The first activation will be "Little
Saltee Island" which is EU-103 between June 15th and 18th. The group
will be active on the HF and 6m bands using CW, SSB and the Digital
modes. QSL via M0OXO.
(DX WORLD, OHIO PENN DX)
**
KICKER: BROWN UNIVERSITY'S LATEST "GRADUATE" IS A SATELLITE
NEIL/ANCHOR: We end this week with a college story - and as Skeeter Nash
N5ASH reminds us, graduates aren't all a university can launch.
SKEETER: In this season of commencements, speakers often address the new
graduates urging them to aim high - but there's one graduate of Brown
University in Rhode Island that didn't need any encouragement to be
launched: It's the EQUiSat satellite sent to the International Space
Station and it was sent into the sky on May 20 from NASA's Wallops
Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia.
EQUISat was built by students at Brown and if you look real carefully
into the sky you might even see the bright blinking LED lights that are
on board as the satellite travels some 250 miles upward over the earth.
The satellite will transmit a CW beacon and 4FSK 9k6 telemetry on
435.550 MHz. Its XDL Micro radio transceiver has the ability to
communicate with radio amateurs as well as other ground stations, which
can receive data from its sensors and current operation.
The primary ground station for EQUISat is being built at the Ladd
Observatory in partnership with the Brown Amateur Radio Club.
The goal is for the satellite to depart the Space Station, enter orbit
and using the earth's magnetic field, point its lights toward Rhode
Island. Now that's a fitting homecoming for any college graduate.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash N5ASH.
(BROWNSPACE.ORG)
*
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL;
BBC; Brownspace.Org; CNN; CQ Magazine; DX World; Hap Holly and the Rain
Report; Marty Pittenger KB3MXM; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; Ron Glass, WN7Y;
South African Radio League; 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 newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is
available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official website 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Bloomington Indiana
saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.
--
73
James-KB7TBT
www.arnewsline.org
www.ylsystem.org
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