Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2083 for Friday, September 29 2017Audio - https://www.arnewsline.org/s/Report2083.mp3 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2083 with a release date of Friday, September 29 2017 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Hams help Florida with storm recovery. In California, a ham's killer is sentenced to prison -- and Spain celebrates the success of young-but-growing regional hamfest. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2083 comes your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here and Intro) ** AMATEURS HELP FLORIDIANS PICK UP THE PIECES DON/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with a story of post-storm recovery efforts. As Floridians rebuild after the most recent hurricane, hams are there. Kent Peterson KC0DGY spoke with one Red Cross volunteer who also happens to be an amateur involved with a busy ARES team. KENT'S REPORT: MORRIS: I was working Hurricane Harvey in Baton Rouge repairing mobile radios when we were sent back to Florida to prepare for Irma and then joined my ARES team, we opened 4 evacuation shelters and ran radios 24/7. KENT: In addition to being involved with ARES, Dave Morris N4DWM is also a Red Cross volunteer. MORRIS: I hopped in my Red Cross vehicle and came down to the Keys I was one of the first Red Cross people as well as one of the first hams to come down to the Keys. At that point in time no one was allowed into the Keys unless you were in an emergency vehicle. When I arrived down here, I worked on generator power setting up a satellite system. The preferred technology for the Red Cross is satellite communications however I did put up my Buddipole pole and my own ham radio on 40 meters I did check in with the HF hurricane net. We started up in some pretty rugged conditions as days went by the power company got it restored and I was redeployed with the satellite system to Sugar Loaf Key which was ground zero, very rugged conditions, the National Guard was there with us. At that point no residents were allowed in that far down. After several days the power came back and they started to get some infrastructure and they started to let some of the residents in. One thing I noticed was cell phones will not stay up during this kind of weather event and you have to find other means to communicate. KENT: Morris emphasized the value amateur radio operators bring to the Red Cross. MORRIS: The Red Cross really values the use of amateurs in their communications systems, now obviously hams don't get to play with satellite communication much, where in the Red Cross they use it extensively. But in the emergency shelters it was all 2 meters. We did have HF radio but it wasn't necessary. KENT: Morris says there are important lessons learned. MORRIS: Number one, the Red Cross needs the skills that amateurs have to make their relief operations work well. And everything you do on Field Day you do in this scenario. I know everyone practices every field day once a year we all do what we know how to do, believe me when you end up in this situation you use those skills. KENT: And he says the Keys are starting the rebuild. MORRIS: As the Keys recover while there is a lot of devastation here, this is a resilient group of people and it looks to me like they're starting to get back on their feet. For Amateur Radio Neweline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY ** PRISON FOR CALIFORNIA HAM'S KILLER DON/ANCHOR: There's justice at last for the killer of David Caouette (CO-ETT) N6DAC. It arrived at his sentencing in an Orange County, California courtroom on September 22. Joe Moell (MELL) K-zero-O-V has the story. JOE'S REPORT: "You emerged as the face of evil in this community." Those were the words of Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals as he imposed a 232-year prison sentence on Scott Dekraai. It was back in October 2011 when Dekraai, heavily armed and wearing a bulletproof vest, walked into a Seal Beach hair salon and shot his ex-wife. He kept firing at everyone else in sight and then made his escape. In the parking lot, he spotted David Caouette N6DAC sitting in his truck. N6DAC was a former star high-school athlete who loved offroading in his Land Rover. Thinking he was an undercover officer, Dekraai shot the 64-year-old ham, making him the eighth fatal victim of his rampage. Dekraai soon surrendered, but his case dragged on as evidence mounted showing widespread misuse of jailhouse informants by the District Attorney and Sheriff's offices. That led the judge to rule out capital punishment, even though Dekraai had pleaded guilty. However, Friday's verdict gave him no chance of parole. In closing the case, Judge Goethals said that there were no winners in this case, only losers. The only win, he said, is by the rule of law. From Orange County, California, this is Joe Moell K0OV for Amateur Radio Newsline. ** ARISS PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR CONTACTS DON/ANCHOR: Hams on the International Space Station want students to look to the sky - and then start talking. Here's Neil Rapp WB9VPG with the details. NEIL'S REPORT: So what exactly do you say to an astronaut? Well, if you could have been on the air with Space Station astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR recently, you might have asked about his concerns for his home in Houston as well as his family's homeland in Puerto Rico, both impacted by recent hurricanes. Schools, museums, youth groups and science centers will get a chance to ask these kinds of questions - and other kinds of questions - next year as the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program once again solicits for proposals for groups to talk to the orbiting crew members between July 1 and December 31 of next year. The program connects students around the world with the men and women in space but these radio contacts require planning. The ARISS program looks for participants who can build a well-thought-out lesson plan around the actual contact itself, which occurs over amateur radio. That means students are exposed to radio science, satellite communications, wireless technology and other STEM topics. Deadline for proposals in November 15th. For proposal guidelines and other information, the web address is arrl.org/ariss. As any educator will tell you, there's a lot that can be said in those important and unforgettable 10 minutes. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp WB9VPG. (ARISS) ** SPAIN'S IBERRADIO HAMFEST A HIT DON/ANCHOR: Spain's IberRadio hamfest is just three years old but it's maturing, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH. JEREMY: It appears that IberRadio, south Europe's largest hamfest, is gaining some traction. Its third annual gathering was held in Avila Spain on the 16th and 17th of September and the hamfest organizers say they had record attendance, drawing from an even wider international participation. The two days of vendor displays and seminars was designed to appeal directly to CBers, amateur radio operators and electronics enthusiasts, helping to make what the Iber Radio website said is one of the most important ham radio events in Europe. The hamfest also offered license testing by VEs from the ARRL allowing many to upgrade their FCC licenses. Other attendees seized the moment to have their QSL cards checked for DXCC, WAC and other awards. Already the planning has begun for Iber Radio 2018. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH (SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS) ** PENN STATE PROFESSOR WINS SARNOFF HONOR DON/ANCHOR: One Pennsylvania professor isn't just tops in electrical engineering, he's a Sarnoff Citation winner. Jim Damron N8TMW has that report. JIM's REPORT: Antenna designer James Breakall WA3FET, a Pennsylvania State professor of electrical engineering, is in good company: He has joined the late Senator Barry Goldwater K7UGA and Qualcomm founding chairman and CEO emeritus Irwin Mark Jacobs in receiving the Sarnoff Citation from the Radio Club of America. Licensed since the age of 12, he credits ham radio with igniting his later interest in an electrical engineering career. His specialty soon became antennas. Breakall holds a patent for the three-dimensional frequency-independent phased array design antenna which he developed for its intended use at the High Frequency Auroral Research Program in Alaska. His antenna research also took him to Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory, home of the largest dish antenna in the world. He is also credited with the creation of the optimized wideband antenna for amateur radio. On campus, he is known for getting first-year engineering students involved in fox-hunting exercises with hand-held radios, as a way of opening the door for them to ham radio. James Breakall will receive the award in November at the RCA's annual awards banquet in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Damron N8TMW. (PENN STATE UNIVERSITY WEBSITE, RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA) ** 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 repeater in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday nights following the World Friendship Net on Echolink. ** FORMER MIT PRESIDENT BECOMES SILENT KEY DON/ANCHOR: A noted Massachusetts Institute of Technology educator and former ham has become a Silent Key. Kevin Trotman N5PRE tells us about his life. KEVIN: The former president of MIT and a former longtime ham radio operator, Paul Gray of Concord, Massachusetts, has become a Silent Key. An electrical engineering professor emeritus, Paul became a ham radio operator as a New Jersey teen in the 1940s at the end of World War II. He was especially proud of having built all his own equipment and his lifelong fascination with gadgets and all things electrical served him well in his later career. He was first licensed in New Jersey as W2UWN and later became K1ZVT but his license lapsed in 1970. An electrical engineering graduate of the school, he became MIT's 14th president, serving between 1980 and 1990. The school plans a memorial service for November 30th. Paul Gray died September 18th after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 85. For Amateur Radio Newsline in Aiken, South Carolina, I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE. ** 100 WATTS AND A WIRE SCHEDULES 2nd 'FALLOUT' ACTIVITY DON/ANCHOR: It's time to Fall Out. It's not a contest and not a Special Event Station. It's an annual activity of radio fellowship, as we hear from Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT. CARYN'S REPORT: What's the best thing in autumn besides the turning of the leaves? How about the turning of the dials on your rig up and down the HF bands? The 100 Watts and a Wire amateur radio community is marking the autumnal equinox with its second annual FALL OUT activity on the 6th and 7th of October. If you have a 100 Watts and a Wire ID, you're encouraged to go portable and get out among all those falling leaves to work other members -- or find a summit, a park or a beach. Exchange signal reports, exchange your 100WattsIDs, exchange ideas - and spot yourself on the group's Facebook page. If you can't go portable, stay home. Just get on the air - anytime during those days and in any mode. If you don't have a 100Watts ID, get one at the website 100wattsandawire dot com. It's not a contest but if you post your total contacts on their Facebook page you'll automatically be put in a random drawing for some prizes - prizes you'll be able to use in your shack no matter what the season. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT. ** IN NEW ZEALAND, FRIENDLY COMPETITION DON/ANCHOR: In New Zealand, hams are getting ready for two weekends of Pacific Islands DXing, as Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us. JIM'S REPORT: Hams in New Zealand consider the Oceania DX Contest one of the easiest and most friendly competitions around. It's also one of the longest-running ham radio contests. In fact, this event seems to deliver everything but the on-air contact itself. The competition heats up during the first two weekends in October, over two 24-hour periods, and all that's needed is 50 QSOs to qualify for a certificate. The weekend of October 7th and 8th will be reserved for phone; CW operators will get their chance on October 14th and 15th. It's a tradition of Pacific Island contesting that dates back to the 1930s and organizers are encouraging New Zealand hams in particular to make this their first contest if they have yet to jump into the fray. There are new island activations in the contest this year - both VK9XI and VK9CI will be on Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Island respectively. There will also be a memorial plaque awarded for the first time this year in honor of Australian amateur Ken Jewell VK3AKK who became a Silent Key in May. According to the website, organizers in New Zealand and Australia have counted just fewer than 1,200 logs from last year's event - an increase of 70 percent over the previous year - so hope is high for this year's participation. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. (OCEANIA DX CONTEST) ** WORLD OF DX In other DX, be listening for Rich, N0HJZ, who will be active from October 23rd to November 1st as C6ARW from Grand Bahama Island. You can expect to hear Rich on 30/17/12 meters using CW and SSB. He will be operating low power with wires and verticals. His plans are to be in the CQWW DX SSB Contest October 28th and 29th as a Single-Op/All-Band/Low-Power entry. QSL via his home callsign, direct with sufficient postage or by the Bureau. Harald DF2WO is on the air from Burkina Faso through the 30th of October operating as XT2AW. Be listening on CW, SSB and digital. His QSL Manager is M0OXO. Listen for Stan LZ1GC who is on a DXPedition in the Pacific, operating as H40GC from Nendo Island from the 30th of September to the 20th of October. He is in the Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands which counts as a separate entity for the DXCC Award. The IOTA reference number is OC-100. QSL via Club Log OQRS. Victoria Island in the Barents Sea is being activated by a team of Russian operators with the call sign RI1F. No definite dates were made available by production time but they are expected to be on the air from October 1st through 7th. Send QSLs via Club Log OQRS. For the DXCC Award the contact counts as Franz Josef Land but for the IOTA Award use the reference number EU-190. (OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN) ** KICKER: WHEN HAMS MAKE CONNECTIONS FROM THE HEART DON/ANCHOR: Finally, it's been a turbulent season of storms in some parts of the world and you've heard our reports about natural disasters and ravaged communities. You've also heard how ham radio has consistently met those challenges. We offer you now a bit of reflection: One of the many, MANY amateurs to step in with communications assistance this season was Stan Harts KK4WCW, a member of North Carolina's Hampstead Hams club. Stan joined the vast team of hams around his state connecting Puerto Rico's storm victims with worried relatives here in the U.S. Overcome with emotion after completing a successful contact on Sept. 23, Stan decided to share his feelings on social media - and now, we've asked him to share that with you. Here's Stan: STAN'S READING: For the past 5 years I have been into amateur radio. People sort of look at me like I am I crazy and ask me why I don't just use a cell phone. Puerto Rico is devastated by Hurricane Maria and there is no cellular phone system in operation. The Salvation Army is running what is known as a welfare net, where persons in Puerto Rico can get a brief message from a family locally (on paper) and relay it to an amateur radio operator on the U.S. mainland. Depending on a variety of conditions, some people hear certain signals better than others. Today I took a message from the net for a family with a 910 area code. I called to tell the person here that the family and their home was OK. Other than a slight language barrier and the bit of confusion as to how I got the message, the man started to cry with joy. About 15 minutes later, his wife called me back and asked for better details of how I got the message. It seems her husband forgets some of his English when he is crying. Well we were all crying. So for those who ask what my hobby is all about, this is it!!! The Iphone X won't reach Puerto Rico right now but a 1990 amateur radio on a 12V battery and a 100 foot wire strung between two trees in the back yard will. DON/ANCHOR: Thank you Stan and thanks to every amateur who joined in these efforts everywhere. Stan's words speak for every radio operator doing this priceless work: Ham radio is all about connections -- and in these trying circumstances those connections also happen to be lifelines. ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL; the Associated Press; CQ Magazine; The FCC; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; Irish Radio Transmitters Society; Oceania DX Contest; Penn State University; Radio Club of America; 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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
I'm really not trying to be a brat, but for a resource as well-known as Amateur Radio Newsline, five or ten extra minutes formatting these posts would make them so much more enjoyable to read. Current formatting makes it look like something you'd see on a dial-up BBS in the 90's. I'm serious when I keep insisting that I'd proof-read and format it for you before release.
I agree with AF7EC. Take the time to format the text before dropping it into an article. Right now it looks like someone spilled a box of AlphaBits onto the page. But what's even more interesting to me is that Amateur Radio Newsline is an audio broadcast, but published here on QRZ as text. However, just about every OTHER article published on QRZ now 'days is a Podcast or a YouTube video. So...like...um...whatzup with that?
If I'm not mistaken, I think some of this is a regular segment in the weekly "Ham Nation" (their capitalization, show title I guess) videos that are created by the Twit network.
