Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2065 for Friday, May 26, 2017- Audio https://www.arnewsline.org/s/Report2065.mp3 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2065 with a release date of Friday, May 26, 2017 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Ham radio operators help answer a boat's Mayday call. The Special Olympics needs some hams to make a special effort -- and we share some of the sounds of Hamvention 2017. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2065 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** HAMVENTION 2017 IS HISTORY JIM/ANCHOR: So you couldn't get to Hamvention? Well, there's always next year. Meanwhile, we open this week's report with a sampling of sounds direct from Ohio's Greene County Fairgrounds as reported by Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephen Kinford N8WB. STEPHEN: Hamvention brought new products, forums, award ceremonies, contests and more than 1,000 exhibitors plus a huge flea market. Yes, there was rain and mud and traffic delays part of the time but there was also fellowship among the thirty thousand or so attendees. Here are a few we spoke to: "My name is Frank Roman. Im KC8VKA and I've been coming to the Hamvention for about the past six years and this one here surprisingly is very nice and well-organized. The people in town are friendly and it's a good thing that they moved. The other one was kind of a little bit embarrassing when people from another country come and they see that place falling apart. I can see people coming into this little town. Everything is clean, the grass cut, the whole town went way out to make sure that everything looked good. As I drive through town, I can see that they're proud of their town and they want everyone to see it. "Randy W9ZR from Columbus Ohio. I've been coming to Dayton since 74 and I love the flea market. There are always special finds out here in the flea market that can only be found at Dayton. We are enjoying the new venue here - just a little bit too much rain this weekend. "My name is Gary Shorter the call is AA8CS. I am from the Akron Ohio area. I love the Hamvention, I love the new facility but could do without the mud in the flea market. "My name is Ken Dorsey, my call is KA8OAD and I'm loving the new venue here. I am really liking the Hamfest this year. I think it's a great opportunity to get a new chance to have a new venue so enjoying it a lot. "I'm Brian K3USC from Cleveland Ohio, licensed since 1962. It'll be 55 years this summer. [STEPHEN: And how many years have you been selling equipment?] I would say 54 years of the 55. Sure, as a kid, this was a way that I can upgrade my equipment by buying and selling and I haven't given it up." STEPHEN: Best of all, we get to do it all again next year. Hamvention 2018 will be held May 18th through the 20th. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB. JIM/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Newsline had a presence there too - at the Ham Nation booth. If you did get to Hamvention and we missed you, see you there next year. ** HAMS NEEDED FOR OLYMPIAN EFFORT JIM/ANCHOR: What is the essence of ham radio? It's people, of course. The Virginia Special Olympics, which takes place in June, is offering a unique opportunity for amateurs who want to really make their on-air time count for people. Amateur Radio Newsline's Paul Braun WD9GCO has the details. PAUL: If youve ever known someone whos been involved with Special Olympics, you know just how uplifting of an event it can be. But it doesnt go on without a lot of logistics and support personnel, and quite often, Amateur Radio is part of that staff. The Virginia Special Olympics are coming up on June 9th and 10th of this year, and theyre looking for additional help. I spoke with Matthew Kimball, K4MTK, about how hams can help: MATTHEW: Paul, I started about eight or nine years ago actually. I took over as the director and I got involved in amateur radio then and it kinda just fell into my lap, to be honest. From the first time I volunteered working Special Olympics it hits ya, being around these athletes who have no fear, they show nothing but love, and theyre always just so excited. Its amazing - they just come up to you and high-five you and hug you and from then on I was hooked. So, I took over the directors position and weve grown it ever since. PAUL: I asked Kimball who theyre looking for: MATTHEW: Were looking for amateurs who would like to participate locally at the event and weve got three different venues that we provide amateur radio support at. Weve got stationary positions, weve got positions where you are gonna run until youre dead. We learned last year that we need to have more people with the medical staff so well be filling that out even more so this year as well to make medical response even faster. Secondarily, I would love to have some amateurs that would like to do some HF just promoting Special Olympics during that weekend using the call sign K4O. Ive already gotten QSL cards complete and ready, I just need people to complete logs and send them to me and I will be more than happy to mail out QSL cards to those people who made contact with those stations as well. PAUL: They are even offering incentives for out-of-the-area hams: MATTHEW: The best way to reach out to us is through RVAHams.com, thats Romeo Victor Alpha Hotel Alpha Mike Sierra dot com. You can go to the Events tab and theres a dropdown there for Special Olympics and it will tell you all about the event and it will also give you the page where you can sign up. Were also taking amateurs from out-of-town, so if anybody from the Northern Virgina, Eastern Virginia, wherever would like to participate, well be more than happy to get hotel rooms for them. PAUL: Sure, DXing and contesting is fun, but its events like this that show the community at large what ham radio is really all about. For Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Paul Braun, WD9GCO. ** THE EAGLE FLIES HIGH FOR ARNEWSLINE's NT3V JIM DAMRON: On a personal note, Amateur Radio Newsline would like to congratulate one of its own - correspondent Mark Abramowicz NT3V, whose reports you may have heard on some of our newscasts. In addition to working hard as part of the Newsline team, Mark is active in Scouting as he has been for most of his life - having achieved status of Eagle Scout in 1973. Becoming an Eagle Scout is a difficult challenge. It's an honor that only a small percentage of Scouts get to achieve. On May 18, Mark - who considers himself an Eagle Scout for Life - received another honor: The Outstanding Eagle Scout Award of the National Eagle Scout Association. He was recognized for his devotion to public service and for upholding the values and traditions of the Boy Scouts of America. We at Amateur Radio Newsline already know personally Mark's selfless work not just on the air but behind the scenes. Mark also chairs the committee that selects each year's winner of the Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year award. Although some might say this kind of devotion comes naturally to hams, we know with even greater certainty it comes naturally to Mark, a professional journalist whose talents and generosity have served Newsline so well over the years. Congratulations Mark Abramowicz NT3V from all of us at Newsline. (THE READING EAGLE) ** NOMINATE A YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR JIM/ANCHOR: Speaking of awards and honors.....we are down to the final days to receive nominations for the Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. Nominations are open to licensed hams 18 or younger who reside in the United States, its possessions or any Canadian province. Find application forms on our website at arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. The award will be presented on August 19th at the Huntsville Hamfest in Alabama. Nominations close on Wednesday, May 31. ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the West Chester Amateur Radio Club repeater WC8VOA in West Chester, Ohio, on Monday nights. ** A MAYDAY FOR MARITIME MOBILE JIM/ANCHOR: The real strength of radio isn't its signal but its potential to save lives. Just ask hams who participate in the Maritime Mobile Service Network, as Amateur Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY did. KENT's REPORT: May 12th started as a typical day for the net control operators of the Maritime Mobile Service Network until around 1825 UTC. KEN: I monitor all the time, I leave my radio on 14.300 and I heard faintly a voice saying May Day May Day emergency traffic. KENT: That Mayday call was heard by net control operator Ken Porter AC0ML. Porter thinks he's handled about 20 emergency calls during his 10 years as net control operator. KEN: I took charge of the net and told everyone to focus only on the emergency traffic. KENT: Meanwhile control operator Scott Roberts KK4ECR was reaching out to other control operators. KEN: Scott was calling several of the other net controls and getting as many sets of ears on frequency as possible for us to offer assistance. KENT: The captain of the sailing vessel Ubiquity is ham operator Brian Stipak KF7QCX who was in VHF marine radio contact with the Free Spirit and relayed their location to the Maritime Net using his shipboard SSB ham radio. KEN: The captain of Ubiquity reported the Free Spirit was taking on water and the engine would not start and they were taking on water and they were preparing to abandon ship. The Ubiquity had lost contact with the Free Spirit. There was a lot of concern at that time. KENT: Meanwhile the 20 meter band had closed as well. KEN: I had lost contract with the Ubiquity I made several calls over the course of an hour, no one was able to reach him. And I also asked other net control stations but no one was able to reach him either KENT: Porter was able to reach the U.S. Coast Guard in San Diego who also came on frequency in an attempt to reach the vessel Ubiquity, but band conditions had changed and they too were unable to reach the boat. The U.S. Coast Guard relayed the information provided by Porter to the Mexican Navy who located the ship in distress and towed the ship and passengers to the Port of San Carlos in Mexico. KEN: We didn't find out the disposition of that event until the following morning. KEN: I've had a number of different vessels in life-threatening situations calling frantically for help and just to know that you can give that help is really rewarding. It is one of the best types of service work I've ever found, I'm a member of my ARES group in this area and that's nice to be part of. But this is something on an entirely different level. KENT: For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY ** HAM RADIO GOES TO CAMP JIM/ANCHOR: Some youngsters prefer swimming and soccer when they go to camp. In Gujarat, India, however, one group of kids were learning about soldering and signal reports. We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot G4NJH. JEREMY's REPORT: This wasn't the average summer camp experience for students in Gujarat, India. This was summer camp, ham radio style, and the young attendees at Science City Ahmedabad got all the basics - from station setup to propagation to different modes of communication. They even learned, much to their surprise, that ham radio can put them in touch with astronauts aboard the International Space Station and help them communicate with satellites. The program on the 20th of May was coordinated by Rajesh Vagadia VU2EXP, regional coordinator of AMSAT-INDIA. As an added measure, Rajesh's nephew, Priyesh Vagadia VU3GLY, gave a demonstration on VHF to encourage his peers. The teenager, a high school student, is a big fan of digital modes. He has been ticketed since 2013. Finally, in a somewhat optimistic gesture, summer camp organizers also included a detailed discussion of the licensing procedure in India - because there's life - and there's radio - after summer camp. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (QRZ.COM, SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO) ** GET READY FOR 100WAAW ACTIVITY JIM/ANCHOR: If Field Day is considered a rehearsal for a real emergency, what do you call a rehearsal for Field Day? Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Paul Braun WD9GCO with the answer. PAUL: Christian Cudnick, K0STH, the host of the 100 Watts and a Wire podcast, has announced the next activity day for the 100 Watts and a Wire community. The event, called The TUNE UP, is being considered a rehearsal for Field Day and will be held on June 10th and 11th. According to Cudnick, there are no formal rules and its not a contest. Anyone with a 100 Watts ID - and there are over 2,000 of them - is encouraged to just get on the air and call CQ. If you have an ID you can exchange with fellow 100 Watters. If not, theyre available for free from the website. Most members will be spotting themselves on the Facebook Group. The event is on any band, any mode. For more information, go to 100wattsandawire.com, thats the number 100, then wattsandawire dot com and click on the Activity Days button. For Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Paul Braun, WD9GCO ** WORLD OF DX Members of the Gotlands Radioklubb SK1BL are operating through December 31st using the special callsigns 7S1GRK and SK70BL from Gotland Island. This is a celebration of the club's 70th anniversary. Listen on various HF bands. A special award is available. All QSOs are being confirmed automatically via the bureau. The club requests no return QSL cards. Two German amateurs, DF3MC and DL8JJ, are on the air from the Faroe Islands until the 25th of May using the callsigns OY/homecall. They are focusing on operating from summits as part of the Summits on the Air program but will also be heard on HF. Listen for Henning OZ1BII as ZA/OU2I while he operates from Albania until the 29th of May. Listen for him as well during t he CQ WW WPX CW contest on the 27th and 28th of May. QSL via Club Log OQRS. Tom KC0W hopes to be active from Zimbabwe as Z25DX from the 23rd of May to the 18th of June. He will operate CW only. QSL cards go via KC0W. ** KICKER: CHASING AFTER HAM NATION GLORY JIM/ANCHOR: And finally, if you tune in for your weekly dose of Ham Nation, you know our friends on the podcast are marking Episode 300 with a special event station. What does that mean? Well, something pretty exciting. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Mike Askins KE5CXP, who can DEFINITELY feel the excitement as he shares it with you now. MIKE: Ham Nation fans, are you up for the ultimate chase? You have until 0500z on the 1st of June to meet the challenge of an on-air event that celebrates Episode 300 of the Ham Nation podcast. What began on Wednesday, May 24 can only get better: Hams taking to sideband and digital mode in dogged pursuit of the show hosts and after-show net control operators. Most of them are using special-event 1 x 1 callsigns and yes, they're worth points! You can earn a Ham Nation 300 certificate by working six of the 9 special event call signs, and a clean sweep sticker for that certificate if you work all nine. There are commemorative QSL cards as well as "wild card" stations using their own call signs - Bob, Gordon, Randy and George. Again, you have until the 1st of June to chase after contacts with Dale, Kevin, Don, Steve, Amanda and the rest of the crew, using the 1 x 1 call signs. For details, visit qrz.com and search for the page for call sign W-ZERO-H [w0H]. Then....expect pileups with the excitement around this event! For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP. ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; the FCC; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; Hamvention; the IARU; Irish Radio Transmitters Society; K2BSA; Ohio Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ; The Reading Eagle; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; 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 located 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 Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston, West Virginia saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
