Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1974 with a release date of Friday, 
August 28, 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Amateur radio comes through in two far-reaching 
emergencies wildfires in Washington State and in a Great Britain air 
tragedy. The FCC cracks down on an Ohio ham charged with malicious 
interference. Tennessee amateurs get ready for their annual QSO Party. 
And a science museum in India honors ham radio's heyday in the city of 
Bangalore. All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline report 1974 
coming your way right now.

(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)

**

BREAKING NEWS:
We begin with breaking news out of Washington State, where the largest 
wildfires in the state's history have left three dead, consumed more 
than half a million acres and destroyed at least 200 homes. The fires 
surrounding the central Washington town of Twisp, where three 
firefighters died, were considered among the hardest to contain. Amateur 
Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, spoke with two hams in the Town 
of Twisp -- Dave Corrigan, KB7SVP, and Police Chief Paul Budrow, KG7PTU 
- about how a collective of relatively new hams in the police 
department, working with hams in the community, has allowed residents to 
help one another by keeping those all-important channels of 
communication open.

--AUDIO ONLY--

Chief Budrow noted too that the town's police department is now entirely 
made up of licensed ham radio operators.

**

AIRSHOW ASSISTANCE:
In another example of radio amateurs performing critical services under 
daunting and dangerous circumstances, a team of British hams stepped in 
to help restore order and assure public safety after an air show 
demonstration turned deadly. Fourteen were injured and as many as 11 
died perhaps more, according to news reports -- after a Hawker hunter 
aircraft, doing a demonstration for thousands of spectators on Saturday, 
Aug. 22, crashed into cars traveling on a busy road near the Shoreham 
Airport grounds. The South Sussex RAYNET group joined with members of 
the South Kent RAYNET, to assist emergency services, directing people 
and equipment where needed. The RAYNETS are part of their respective 
counties Radio Amateur Emergency Network. At the time of the crash, they 
had already been on site, providing communications support to the 
event's organizers.
(SOUTHGATE, CNN, TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPER)

**

OHIO HAM CENSURED:
Ohio radio amateur Daniel R. Hicks, K-B-8-YOU-Y-Z (KB8UYZ), is being 
charged by the FCC with malicious interference with other radio 
operators communications and failure to properly identify, subject to a 
combined fine of $8,000. The agency said that, beginning last year, the 
Cincinnati ham's actions disrupted activity primarily on a number of VHF 
repeaters. The FCC's Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Apparent 
Liability for Forfeiture on Aug. 20, citing complaints dating to April 
2014. Tom Delaney, W8WTD, speaking on behalf of the Greater Cincinnati 
Local Interference Committee, said the interference was initially 
described as a nuisance but later escalated into racist and obscene 
remarks. The enforcement bureau's initial investigations did not succeed 
in locating the source of the transmissions but according to the FCC, 
ongoing disruptions prompted a return visit some months later and 
verified Hicks address as the source. The NAL document said the agent 
heard several recorded messages for about 90 minutes, with the station 
identifying itself with another licensee's call sign.

Delaney told the that short transmissions, sent across several 
repeaters, used he called a "sophisticated" synthesized voice. The 
proposed fine is $7,000 for malicious interference, with an additional 
$1,000 for failure to identify properly.

**

BOSTON ON THE MOVE:
Hams are hitting the road in Boston to assist with two important public 
events for the benefit of that city's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The first event, the Jimmy Fund Marathon Walk, steps off on Sunday, 
September 27. The all-day trek, along the 26-mile route, follows the 
same path as the Boston Marathon, with hams providing administrative 
communications as well as emergency communications for medical tents and 
the sweep vehicles deployed to them. Hams are needed to operate on 2 
meters and 440. To participate, send an email to Bob at W-A-ONE-EYE-D-A 
at arrl.net (WA1IDA@arrl.net).

Just a few weeks later, on Sunday, Oct. 11, the Boston Athletic 
Association's annual Half-Marathon, which also raises funds for the 
cancer institute's Jimmy Fund, will set out along the Emerald Necklace 
in Boston. Amateur radio volunteers are needed to provide communications 
at medical and water stations until early afternoon. Registration can be 
done on the athletic association's website. For questions, contact the 
ham radio team's captain, Brett Smith, of the Boston Amateur Radio Club, 
A-B-ONE-R-L, (AB1RL), at ab1rl@brettcsmith.org.
(BOSTON AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio 
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the 
W4WVP repeater of the Arlington Amateur Radio Club of Arlington, Virginia.

**

BRIGHT LIGHTS:
Registration for International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend can be 
described in one word: Shining. Organizers say the numbers topped 500 
this year: A total of 506 registrants from 32 countries took part in the 
annual event on August 15 and 16, and the greatest participation was 
seen in England, Australia and Germany. Other nations showing increased 
growth in participants included Canada, Cuba, Bulgaria, France, Portugal 
and Scotland.

In the United States alone, there were 70 lighthouses and lightships 
registered for the event. Thirteen sites were registered from Cuba, 
which has been normalizing its relations with the United States. 
Although the numbers were good, organizers said that 2014 was still the 
best year, when 544 entrants signed up to operate.
The next Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend will be held on August 20 and 
21 in 2016. The event is off to a good start: It already has 30 
registrations.
(ARRL)

**

TENNESSEE SET TO PARTY:
Tennessee is ready to get this party started, and on Sept. 6 and Sept. 
7, all antennas around the world will be rotated in the direction of 
that state or so the hams there have been hoping. The Tennessee QSO 
Party, organized by the Tennessee Contest Group, operates in CW, phone 
and digital modes as well as VHF/UHF. And yes, there will be party 
favors. The contest group awards plaques and certificates for different 
categories, as well as magazine subscriptions and even radio kits. For 
more information visit the QSO party's website at tnqp.org

**

RELIVING HAMS HEYDAY IN INDIA:
India's world class science museum, the Visvesvaraya (VIZ-VEZ-VER-AYAH) 
Industrial and Technological Museum in Bangalore, is marking its 50th 
year with special exhibits, one of which pays tribute to ham radio's 
popularity in that city. In addition to new displays of a meter gauge 
steam locomotive engine and Nobel Prize milestones, the museum devotes 
space to the history of amateur radio in India. The museum has had a 
radio station on the premises since the 1970s, when licensed amateurs 
were a rapidly growing community in the region, and many hopeful hams 
took classes, and then their licensing exams, at the museum.

The display includes transmitters and other equipment that is now 
considered hard to come by. Museum curator Madan Gopal tells the 
Bangalore Mirror the acquisition of those radios was quite a feat for 
its time. "Back then, even to import an international magazine on 
science took at least three months and we had to seek several clearances 
from the government. You can only imagine how hard it was to import a 
transistor."

The museum, which is part of India's Ministry of Culture, draws 1 
million visitors annually.
(BANGALORE MIRROR)

**

HOMEBREW SWEET HOMEBREW:
Elsewhere in India, hams from the South India Amateur Radio Society were 
marking a historic first: Hams from the South India Amateur Radio 
Society gathered on Aug. 22 and 23 for a home-brewers meetup and field 
day at the YMCA Camp in Yelagiri, not far from the capital city of 
Chennai. The focus was on home-brewing but activities eventually moved 
into a night of chasing DX using some of the hams own home-brew 
antennas. There was also a bit of Elmering, with the help of Dev Rama 
Prabhu, VU2DEV, from Bangalore.

Two home-brews projects were in the spotlight: OM Prabin, VU3MJF, from 
Bangalore, shared the creation of his transmitter and another ham from 
Bangalore, OM Sudhindra Rajaurs, VU3PWT, spoke about the automation 
system he designed and built.
Of course, the gathering wasn't complete without at least one more 
important project befitting the occasion: a good strong cup of tea 
home-brew, of course.
(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS)

**

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?:
With this month already gone, the ARRL is already looking toward next 
August, specifically to spark new interest in its August UHF Contest. 
The ARRL's Ad Hoc Subcommittee on VHF and Above Revitalization is asking 
the amateur community to suggest ways to boost involvement in the annual 
late-summer competition and want input no later than October 1. The 
committee is seeking details about hams involvement on the UHF/VHF bands 
and thoughts on how to increase participation in the contest. Submit 
ideas, suggestions or other comments via email to 
V-H-F-DASH-INPUT-AT-ARRL-DOT-ORG (vhf-input@arrl.org)

**

THE POLITICS OF RADIO:
Election season is in high gear in the ARRL's Northwestern Division, 
where both the current director and vice director face challengers. 
James Pace, K7CEX, presently the director from Centralia, Washington, is 
being challenged by William Balzarini, KL7BB, of Auburn. Meanwhile, Vice 
Director Bonnie Altus, AB7ZQ, of Sheridan, is facing rival Delvin 
Bunton, N7QMT, from Vancouver, Washington. The election is for the term 
running from 2016 to 2018. Ballots will go into the mail on Oct. 1 to 
all division members in good standing as of Sept. 10. Only paper ballots 
will be used. Winners will be announced on Nov. 20. All other remaining 
division office-holders were unchallenged and have been declared 
re-elected.
(ARRL)

**

BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio 
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the 
W7TA repeater of the Sierra Nevada Radio Society, high atop the Grand 
Sierra Resort Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada.

**

HUNGARY PUTS 5MHz TO THE TEST:
Hungarian radio amateurs can now apply for permits to operate in the 
band from 5350 kHz to 5450 kHz, on a secondary basis. The National Media 
& Infocommunications Authority, Hungary's telecommunications register, 
is granting the three-month permits largely for propagation research, 
with support from the Hungarian National Amateur Radio Society.

The temporary permits, which are renewable, permit power of as much as 
100 watts with a maximum bandwidth of 3kHz. Although the permits are 
issued by the telecommunications register, hams apply through the 
amateur radio society, which is coordinating the details. The band 
already has a CW beacon at 5357 kHz, using the call sign H-A-7-S-OH 
(HA7SO).
(SOUTHGATE ARC NEWSLETTER)

**

THE WORLD OF DX:
Pedro, OH-N-7-W-P (ON7WP), has been operating as C5WP in Buntu, Gambia 
where he is working with the private charity group, Smile Gambia, 
supporting a small remote village in the central part of the nation. He 
is focusing on WARC band operation but will also be active on 6 meters. 
He is hoping for 40 and 80 meters as well until he concludes his 
operations on Sept. 1. QSL directly to his home address in Belgium.

David F-ZERO-C-R-S (F0CRS) and Freddy F-FIVE-EYE-R-O (F5IRO) will be in 
French Guyana for the next four months, active on the HF bands, CW and 
PSK. Both operators can be sent QSL cards via F5KIN.

The Manx Kippers will be on the air from the Isle of Man, on 80 through 
10 meters, during SSB Field Day on Sept. 3 and 4, using the call sign 
G-D-ZERO-E-M-G-SLASH-P (GD0EMG/P). If time permits, they will try to be 
active on 30 meters as well. Send cards to M-ZERO-B-E-W (M0BEW).

The Amateur Radio Club at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm 
is marking its 50th anniversary and using a special call sign for the 
event. They will take part in the Scandinavian Activity Contest on SSB 
from Sept. 24 to Sept. 25 using the call sign SA50L. QSLs should be sent 
via S-K-ZERO-B-U (SK0BU)

Alan Rovner, K7AR, is heading to Rarotonga Island (IOTA OC-013) where he 
will be on the air from Sept. 24 to Sept. 29 as E-FIVE-ONE-A-A-R 
(E51AAR). He will be on 80 meters through 10 meters, participating in 
the CQ Worldwide RTTY contest on Sept. 26 and 27. Send QSLs via his home 
call sign, K7AR, Logbook of the World, or the Online QSL Request System.

K2HVN returns to Iceland, and is operating as TF/K2HVN between Aug. 31 
and Sept. 7, holiday style. He'll be on 30 meters through 10m, using CW 
and SSB. Send QSL cards via his call sign. He is not accepting Logbook 
of the World or eQSLs.
(OHIO PENN DX NEWSLETTER, DXCOFFEE)

**

KICKER: 10 YEARS AFTER KATRINA;
As this newscast goes to air Hurricane Katrina was coming ashore in 
Buras, LA and later on the Louisiana-Mississippi border exactly 10 years 
ago.  It was a storm that claimed, by some estimates, at least 2,000 
lives, and forever changed the shape of life for tens of thousands more, 
including mine.  We lived in Chalmette, about a 10 minute drive from the 
New Orleans Superdome in 2005.  I evacuated my family to Little Rock, 
Arkansas for what we thought would just be a long, unscheduled weekend 
trip, like so many other storms before. Two weeks later we departed for 
our then-weekend home in Picayune, Mississippi, 50 miles northeast of 
New Orleans.  That has been our home for the last 10 years.  While in 
Little Rock Bill Pasternak asked me to file a report.  He said just say 
what you want.  I picked up a microphone and just started talking.  No 
script, no editing, just my thoughts while the flooding was unfolding.  
There was no cell service, only this new fangled thing called texting. 
Finding satellite maps online was tedious at best, but I had a Yaesu 
FT-817 that I had bought just the week before at the Huntsville 
Hamfest.  That little radio allowed me to get on the local repeaters 
and, more importantly, listen to what was happening back in New Orleans 
and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Here is that report:

-AUDIO ONLY-

I don't mind telling you that it's a bit surreal listening to that again 
after 10 years.  Something I don't want to go through again. So, in 
closing, I'd like to thank all the ham radio operators, first responders 
and everyone around the country and around the world who put their lives 
on hold and traveled down to the Gulf Coast to help with the rescue and 
the rebuilding.  It was a team from Canada that made it to my house, way 
before the local folks got there.  And to the great people and radio 
amateurs of North Little Rock, thank you.  We will never forget how you 
made us feel welcome.

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, the ARRL, the Bangalore Mirror, the Boston 
Amateur Radio Club, CQ Magazine, CNN, DX Coffee, DXWorld, Hap Holly and 
the Rain Report; LIDS, the Ohio-Penn DX Newsletter; Southgate Amateur 
Radio News, TWiT TV, QRZNOW and you our listeners, that's all from the 
Amateur Radio Newsline.  Our email address is newsline@arnewsline.org. 
More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official 
website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or 
support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita, 
CA 91350.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, at the news desk in New York, 
and our news team worldwide, I'm Don Wilbanks AE5DW in New Orleans, 
saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

***

As a Service to the HAM Radio Community and HAM Operators all over the
world, this Amateur Radio Newline(tm) message has been gated from the
internet and posted to you by Waldo's Place USA, fidonet node 1:3634/12.
We hope you enjoyed it!

Please address all comments and questions to the ARNewsletter editor as
described in this posting. If you have any specific questions related
to the actual posting of this message, you may address them to
hamfdn(at)wpusa.dynip.com.

Thank you and good day!

-73- ARNTE-0.1.0-OS2 build 42
(text/plain utf-8 7bit)