Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2093 for Friday, December 8, 2017Audio - https://www.arnewsline.org/s/Report2093.mp3 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2093 with a release date of Friday, December 8, 2017 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. The radio journey of Canada's Polar Prince isn't over just yet. Hams in India assist in tracking criminals -- and the new operating mode FT8 makes its debut at a party. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2093 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** HOMEWARD BOUND AND STILL ON THE AIR CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: We open this week's report with an update on the Canada C3 Expedition Vessel, the Polar Prince. It has completed its historic journey via the Northwest Passage - but its radio adventure is far from over, as we hear from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. JIM MEACHEN'S REPORT: The Polar Prince is heading home to Canada's East Coast. The Canada C3 Expedition Vessel completed its 150-day journey to British Columbia via the Northwest Passage on Oct. 28, transmitting as CG3EXP. That call sign has since been retired but the ship will continue with its Ultimate 3 WSPR beacon, identifying as VE0EXP now as it ventures east through the Panama Canal. Listeners with an HF receiver and the WSPR application can hear its signal and track its path on WSPRnet. The expedition credits Michael VE7XMC a graduate student from the University of Victoria with helping implement that changeover. Hams are especially encouraged to continue tracking the vessel. The expedition from Toronto to Victoria, with visits to 75 communities in between, marked Canada's 150th birthday. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. (WSPRNET.ORG, RADIO AMATEURS OF CANADA) ** IN INDIA, HAM RADIO TEAMS UP WITH LOCAL POLICE CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: In one community in India, the real power of ham radio isn't necessarily measured in watts, as John Williams VK4JJW tells us. JOHN: Ham radio operators in Pune, India are teaming up with local law enforcement officials to harness the power of modern communications to help locate criminals. With the assistance of the local amateurs, the wireless department of the Maharashtra Police is hoping to develop a mobile locator to track cell phones that are being rendered otherwise untrackable. The new initiative was announced December 2nd by Abdur Rahman, deputy inspector general of police at a local ham radio club event. Ham radio club advisor Vilas Rabde VU2VPR said that an innovation hub is being developed by the police department's wireless division and the technical knowledge of the hams will prove invaluable here. He said that, at present, criminals are able to stay several steps ahead of authorities because they cannot be tracked by their mobile phones. The individuals being sought often change the phones' SIM cards and phone numbers too rapidly, he said. The hams, however, are making progress. Deputy inspector Rehman said the initiative is expected to go live very soon. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams VK4JJW. (TIMES OF INDIA) ** AMATEUR RADIO HELPS WITH BOAT RESCUE AFTER CYCLONE CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Meanwhile in southern India, hams were out in force after a deadly cyclone swept through two coastal states. We hear more from Jason Daniels VK2LAW. JASON: When Cyclone Ockhi hit the Indian state of Kerala on the 30th of November, a ham radio network based at Cheruthoni stepped in to help locate and ensure the safety of boats stranded in the waters off the southern coastal region. According to Manoj Galaxy VU2DTH, initial communication attempts via simplex did not get very far and were frequently disrupted until the hams were able to connect with a repeater station at Calvarymount - a station that is 5,000 feet above sea level. Finally confident in its connections, the hams were able to make use of the repeater to listen for any signs of distress calls. The station was also able to relay information to the Coast Guard and other rescue entities. Between wireless and GPS, the operation was a success. Stranded fishing boats were soon spotted and rescuers could then step in. According to some news reports, the cyclone's deadly force in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu killed at least 12 before heading off to the islands. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW. (THE HINDU) ** SILENT KEY: FRANCE'S JEAN TOUZOT F8IL CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: The French amateur radio community is marking the loss of one of the world's oldest hams, as we hear from Ed Durrant DD5LP. ED's REPORT: While there are no official records tracking who is the world's oldest amateur radio operator, clearly it could have been Jean Touzot F8IL of Albi, France, who at 109 years of age, had only been off the air for four years. At 105 the retired industrial designer was still operating on CW with a mix of the old and the new: His transceiver was a modern Yaesu rig and his key was the old-fashioned kind. A native of Algeria, Jean has died in France. He had been a member of France's amateur radio society, the REF, and the Union of French Telegraphists. Widely known for his proficiency in CW, he received the gift of a custom Morse Key on the occasion of his 100th birthday. He had learned CW while in the military over the course of two months --and it was enough to last a lifetime for the man known as the "dean of French radio amateurs." For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP. (SOUTHGATE) ** RADIO CAROLINE COMES ASHORE WITH A LICENSE CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Pirate radio fans, listen up: Radio Caroline is now licensed and on shore, as Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us. JEREMY: It's almost as if the old Ross Revenge pirate ship has come ashore - except this time things are different. Radio Caroline hasn't just come ashore from its pirate ship, it's now legally riding waves of a different kind: radio waves. Licensed now by Ofcom, the former world-renowned former pirate radio station reports it's been getting great reception with its 1 kilowatt ERP operation on 648 kHz. That frequency was at one time allocated to the BBC for its world service broadcasts, mostly in English. It was granted earlier this year to Radio Caroline. Transmissions can either originate from studios on land or on the restored Ross Revenge ship moored in the River Blackwater where those interested can even take a trip out to visit the ship for just 25 pounds - full details on the radiocaroline DOT co DOT uk website. The medium wave frequency seems to suit it well. By its own reports, it's been heard in Italy and Finland and even Japan. Signal quality has also been encouraging, the operators say. They are even being inundated with offers to send mp3 recordings of their transmissions - an offer they are, for now, politely declining. Reception reports, however, can be submitted on their website radiocaroline dot co dot uk (radiocaroline.co.uk) For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (RADIO CAROLINE) ** AN ON-AIR PARTY ROCKS WITH NEW MODE FT8 CHRISTIAN: Get ready to party. The weekend of December 16th and 17th is set aside for the European Radio Amateurs' Organization event on the air which - this year - features operations on FT8, one of ham radio's newest modes. Make your contacts, exchange your callsign, locator and give your signal report but remember, it's not a contest - it's more like a radio meet-up. There will be a certificate of participation for amateurs who send their log with at least 10 percent of the QSOs confirmed. Logs are being kept to gather statistical data only and should be submitted in ADIF format to: party at eurao dot org, using your call sign as the name of the file. (party@eurao.org) FT8 mode, which was still in beta-testing mode this summer, is considered a good mode for HF DXing. It is often used in situations such as multi-hop Es where openings may be short and signals may be weak and fading. QSOs can often be made quickly. This is the first party of its kind being held by the group and members are hoping that FT8 will give hams something to celebrate. ** BREAK HERE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W9ELK repeater in Elkhorn, Wisconsin on Mondays at 8 p.m. ** NORWEGIAN CLUB CELEBRATES TELEFUNKEN TRANSMITTER CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: One ham club in Norway gave a bit of a history lesson to on-air listeners with the help of a very old transmitter. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has that story. JEREMY: There's no transmitter like an old transmitter and what better way to celebrate one that went into service 80 years ago than to get it back on the air. That's what a group of hams in Norway did on Sunday the 26th of November with the Telefunken LW/MW transmitter station, an old medium-wave broadcasting station outside Bergen, Norway. The Bergen Amateur Radio Club LA1ASK reports that their listener response from that day's activation from the station site came from radio enthusiasts in the UK, Finland - and beyond. The hams were marking the transmitter's first day on the air - which was the 28th of November in 1937. The club's shack is inside the broadcast station which is considered a museum site and so a number of its transmissions, such as this one, are done in the interest of preserving history. As for the Telefunken 20 KW transmitter, it was finally taken out of service in 1978 and is apparently the only one of its kind left. Club station LA1ASK uses much more modern equipment: an IC7600 and an Acom PA. The club is active on the bands from 160 meters to 10 meters. There is also a connection through from Echolink. The station sometimes uses the call sign LA1C when it is active on behalf of the Norwegian Relay League. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (SOUTHGATE, QRZ) ** HONORING INDIANA HAMS FOR LONGEVITY CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Here's another story of longevity -- this time, it's about two ham radio operators in Indiana. They're marking 60 years on the air. Jack Parker W8ISH brings us this report courtesy of Amateur News Weekly. JACK'S REPORT: It's always nice to be recognized for making amateur radio an outstanding hobby. Two Indiana hams were recognized recently by the Northwest DX Club for longevity. The Northwest DX Club presented two of their own with certificates for achieving 60 years of amateur radio participation. The awards went to Jerry Hess W9KTP and Alex Kostelnik K9KAN. Group president John Poindexter W3ML presented the awards. Reporting for Amateur News Weekly this is Jack Parker W8ISH. CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: For more news of the Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky area visit amateurnewsweekly dot com (amateurnewsweekly.com) ** W1AW TO RETURN TO 6 METERS CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: You say you haven't worked W1AW yet? Well now you have even more of a chance to get it in your logbook. Starting January 2nd, the ARRL's Maxim Memorial Station will have scheduled transmissions on 6 meters, the band where the station once operated regularly until late 1989. W1AW will include 50.350 MHz in its regular CW code practice and will also use the frequency for its digital, CW and phone bulletins. Six meters will also act as a beacon and hams may send their signal reports by email or through the web. (ARRL) ** CANADA REVIEWS HAND-HELD RULE FOR DRIVERS CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: In Canada, it's almost decision time: Officials are looking at handheld radio use behind the wheel. Heather Embee KB3TZD has the details. HEATHER: On January 1st, the five-year exemption permitting drivers' handheld use of two-way radios in Ontario, Canada is set to expire. Radio Amateurs of Canada has been waiting to hear from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation about the fate of the exemption from the province's Distracted Driving Law. RAC Directors Allan Boyd, V-E-3-A-J-B, and Phil McBride, V-A-3-Q-R, had met with Ontario Transportation officials earlier this year and declared the session productive but are still awaiting word of what will happen. The RAC has formed a committee to work with both Ontario and British Columbia, both of which have distracted-driving regulations. In British Columbia, amateurs have been permitted since February of this year to drive while operating radios that have push-to-talk buttons. According to the RAC's website, there will be a decision on the Ontario regulations prior to the 1st of January and the RAC has pledged to issue a bulletin as soon as theres an update. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, K-B-3-T-Z-D. (RADIO AMATEURS OF CANADA) ** WORLD OF DX In the world of DX, listen for Jacques, F6HMJ, operating as 6W7/F6HMJ from Senegal between December 21st and January 15th. He will be active using CW with some SSB on 20-10 meters. Send QSLs via his home callsign. Off the Senegal coast, a group of four operators is using the call sign 6V1A from Goree Island between December 15th and 17th. Listen for them on CW and SSB on all HF bands. According to the most recent 6V1A page on QRZ all QSLs should be sent to: Post Office Box 971, Dakar, Senegal. Lester, W8YCM, is using the call sign 6Y6Y in Negril Jamaica (NA-0097) through January 2018. Lester is working holiday style on a number of HF bands. Send QSLs via W8YCM direct only. Rich, PA0RRS, is on Penang Island operating as 9M2MRS until January 31st. Listen for Rich on 40-10 meters using CW, RTTY and PSK. Send QSLs to his home callsign via ClubLog's OQRS, LoTW or eQSL. (OHIO PENN DX) ** KICKER: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 'MIR' KIND CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: In our final story, we find ourselves once again welcoming ham radio as a film or TV hero. In this case, it's a film that is just now making its premiere in Cuba. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us more. GRAHAM: It's not quite true....but it's not quite false. The story of of Sergio the Cuban amateur radio operator and Sergei the MIR Space Station cosmonaut is indeed the stuff of fiction. The movie is making its premiere at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, which opened in Havana Dec. 7. Its story follows the friendship of a Cuban amateur with an orbiting cosmonaut who is stranded in space in 1991 as the Soviet Union crumbles during its final days. The 93-minute movie is directed and co-written by Ernesto Daranas, who told several media outlets that the film is a fictionalized account based on several real-life exchanges that Cuban amateurs had with Soviet crews at that time in history. Sergei is the cosmonaut stranded on the MIR. His counterpart, Sergio the ham, is a Marxist philosophy professor watching his own world in Cuba struggle with a very down-to-earth economic crisis. Ham radio gives rise to a growing friendship between the two men - both adrift in their respective universes - and it eventually widens to include a U.S. journalist covering NASA, played by American actor Ron Perlman. The film reflects a greater friendship, however, one not evident on screen: the warmer relations between the U.S. and Cuba and their cooperation in the production. What better way to honor the spirit of ham radio than to bridge two worlds here on earth? For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB. (IMDB.COM, SOUTHGATE, DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; Deadline Hollywood; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the Hindu newspaper; the IARU; IMDB.com; Ohio Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ; Radio Amateurs of Canada; Radio Caroline; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; the Times of India; WSPRNET.ORG; 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 Christian Cudnik K0STH in St. Louis, Missouri saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
