Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2104 for Friday, February 23, 2018Audio - https://www.arnewsline.org/s/Report2104.mp3 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2104 with a release date of Friday, February 23, 2018 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. A planned DXPedition will honor Amelia Earhart. CQ Magazine is looking for some Hall of Famers -- and we revisit the distracted-driving controversy. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2104 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** HAMS AND DISTRACTED DRIVING, REVISITED NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast by revisiting the controversial issue of distracted driving laws and ham radio - a particularly murky area, at times, when it comes to hams traveling outside their home territories. Kent Peterson KC0DGY updates us on the issue as it relates to the U.S. and Canada. KENT: An Amateur Radio Newsline Report several weeks ago noted that U.S. hams wishing to operate mobile while behind the wheel in New Brunswick, Canada, would be breaking the law. We heard from Dave Goodwin VE9CB, Atlantic Director of Radio Amateurs of Canada, who contends this is not correct. Additional reporting by us has found that while a reciprocal treaty for radio operators does indeed exist between the U.S. and Canada, a tangle of local regulations has caused much confusion and appears to supersede this treaty. Distracted driving regulations have been imposed by State and Provincial governments in both the US and Canada. Individual amateurs and groups have lobbied their own localities for exemptions for Amateur Radio operation. Where such exemptions for radio exist, language in many of these regulations only allow for mobile operation by amateur radio operators provided they are licensed residents of that country. Treaty Series 1952 Number 7, which governs amateur radio by Canadians operating in the US and US amateurs operating in Canada, allows for reciprocal operation across borders. But the various states and provinces have distracted-driving regulations that fail to take this treaty into account. Newsline obtained an email from Alan Killam, licensing officer in New Brunswick, who points out their provincial regulation only covers amateur radio operators licensed in Canada. It is important to clarify that Newsline has not been able to find any instances of an American Amateur being cited in the provincial distracted driving regulations. Newsline did make repeated requests to the New Brunswick Attorney General's office for clarification on their regulation, but our requests went unanswered. Conversely, distracted-driving regulations in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia state require an FCC license for legal mobile amateur radio operation. Only the state of New Jersey generically specifies licensed amateur radio operators may operate mobile. Thus, for Canadian amateur radio licensees to operate mobile in the U.S. would require that that those operators also hold a valid FCC license. Amateurs in either country need to research the distracted driving regulations in the state/province they plan to operate in and be prepared to defend a moving citation. Reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY ** SWEDISH AMATEURS TAKE NEW LOOK AT HAND-HELD MICROPHONE BAN NEIL/ANCHOR: With distracted-driving regulations becoming more and more commonplace, concerns about mobile operation of amateur radios have become increasingly global. Add one more country to that list, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH. JEREMY: In Sweden, the SSA, the country's national amateur radio organization, recently asked the government to revisit legislation that bans the use of mobile phones while driving. The radio group is hoping to clarify the wording which it fears may impact on hams operating mobile in their vehicles as well as on those in the transport industry. The group is asking, in its letter to the Ministry of Food and Transport, that the wording make it clear that the ban is not applicable to hand-held microphones attached to radios mounted inside the vehicles. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO) ** BAKER ISLAND DXPEDITION TO HONOR EARHART NEIL/ANCHOR: American aviatrix Amelia Earhart still captures the imagination of the world and certainly the world of amateur radio. This year, the pilot is being remembered as part of a larger commemoration on a major DXpedition, as we hear from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. JIM M: Most of us remember the American amateur Brian Lloyd WB6RQN who last year commemorated Amelia Earhart's final flight by piloting his single-engine plane around the globe along what was Earhart's final route. This year the Baker Island DXpedition KH1/KH7Z is staging its own tribute, marking the 81st anniversary of Earhart's disappearance on that flight. At the same time, the DXpedition is also honoring the colony of students who were living on those islands at the time of her flight and who had helped prepare for her arrival. Earhart went missing on July 2, 1937 near Baker and Howland islands. An airstrip had been built for her much-anticipated landing by Hui Panala'au students from Hawaii who were living on the islands at the time. The students were living there as part of a colonization project designed to help legitimize the islands as U.S. territories. They awaited the pilot's landing, which never came. The location is the fourth most-wanted DX entity. The DXpedition is expected to cost an estimated $400,000 in U.S. currency with the operator team contributing about half. For more details, visit baker2018.net For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF ** CQ MAGAZINE SEEKS HALL OF FAME NOMINEES NEIL/ANCHOR: It's not enough to make a good contact on the air - it's often the connections made with other hams in person that count more. CQ Magazine has plans to recognize these amateurs and Stephen Kinford N8WB tells us to get involved. STEPHEN's REPORT: If there is a ham whose contributions make you proud to be part of this hobby, you have until March 1st to show your admiration with a nomination for membership in one of three halls of fame: the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, the DX Hall of Fame and the Contesting Hall of Fame. In making the announcement CQ Magazine noted that induction into one of these three groups is based on "considerable personal sacrifice" -- in other words, an amateur who has gone above and beyond with tremendous personal effort. Clubs or individuals or even national organizations can make nominations and should do so before the March 1st deadline. Email submissions are preferred and can be sent to w 2 v u at cq hyphen amateur hyphen radio dot com (w2vu@cq-amateur-radio.com). Conventional mail should be postmarked by March 1 and sent to CQ Magazine, 17 West John Street, Hicksville New York 11801 USA. Please indicate which hall of fame your nomination applies to. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB. (CQ MAGAZINE) ** SILENT KEY: WIA'S JIM LINTON VK3PC NEIL/ANCHOR: The amateur radio community has suffered yet another major loss, a ham with a prominent role among Australian operators. We hear more from Robert Broomhead VK3DN. ROBERT'S REPORT: Jim Linton VK3PC, a mainstay of the Wireless Institute of Australia which he served as executive secretary, has become a Silent Key. He died on Thursday, the 22nd of February following a short battle with thyroid cancer. Jim, who was one of the WIA's longest-serving office holders, joined the organization as a teenager and an enthusiastic shortwave listener. A career journalist with 3UZ Nilsen's Broadcasting Service and later AAP news agency and various trade magazines, he became a senior newsman covering the major stories of the day. His active life in amateur radio included the presidency of WIA Victoria, WIA Federal Councillor, news editor of Amateur Radio magazine and guest editor. Known as a ham with a strong volunteer spirit, he was the WIA Exam Service inaugural assessor for VK3 and a WIA team member for a number of IARU Region 3 triennial conferences, IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee Chairman and the WIA IARU Liaison. He was also an honorary life member of the WIA which awarded him its highest honor in 2011: the GA Taylor Medal. He also received the Chris Jones Award for his exceptional contributions to the WIA and amateur radio. Jim Linton was age 71. Vale Jim Linton VK3PC. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Robert Broomhead VK3DN. ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including the KE0MQF-R repeater in Sikeston, Missouri on Mondays at 7 p.m. ** JAPANESE YLs GEAR UP FOR FESTIVAL NEIL/ANCHOR: The month of March brings a special festival for YLs in Japan and they're going - where else? - on the air to celebrate. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has those details. JEREMY: If YLs in Japan are a little busier than usual right now, it's because they're preparing to take part in a celebration that's believed to be at least 900 years old. It's called the Doll Festival, also known as Hina-matsuri, and it celebrates the birth of a baby girl while offering hope and prayers for her future happiness. Japanese families do that with an elaborate display of dolls at home, figurines dressed in ancient costumes. The day of the festival is March 3 - or on the calendar, three-three, the same numbers that YLs use to say goodbye to one another in ham radio. So on that day, the Japan Ladies Radio Society is operating the "3.3 Hina Contest" as a way of encouraging YLs to use three-three to say hello instead. Yukiko Maki 7K4TKB told Newsline that the event grew into a national contest from its humble beginnings 14 years ago. She said it's a way for YLs to meet other YLs on the air. By the way, it's not just for YLs - although a contact with a YL counts as 10 points while non-YL counts as only 1 point. The contest begins on the 2nd of March at 1500 UTC and continues until 1500 UTC on March 3. All modes and all bands, except for the WARC bands, may be used. For more details, visit the JLRS website at triple w dot jarl dot com forward slash jlrs forward slash and click on "Hina Contest" for contest rules in English. (www.jarl.dot.com/jlrs) For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. ** NORWAY CONTESTERS GET A CALL SIGN BOOST NEIL/ANCHOR: Avid contesters in Norway just got encouraging news about the call signs they will be able to use, as we hear from Ed Durrant DD5LP. ED'S REPORT: Hams in Norway with big plans for radio contesting just got a boost from Norwegian authorities: amateurs can now apply for 2x1 contest call signs that have the prefix LC. According to the NRRL - the Norwegian radio relay league - the call signs can only be used in national and international contests and are valid for five years after being assigned. The call signs cannot be used during Lighthouse Weekend, Field Day or Jamboree on the Air. In Norway, there is only one class of Amateur Radio license and it permits an operating output of up to 1,000 watts. While the 2x1 call signs should give the hams something of a competitive edge, they're still going to have to win those contests on their own. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP. (SOUTHGATE, NRRL) ** IN SEARCH OF AN AUSTRALIA-SOUTH AFRICA CONNECTION NEIL/ANCHOR: It's a long way between Australia and South Africa but one ham is looking to bridge that distance on 6 meters, as we hear from Robert Broomhead VK3DN. ROBERT: An amateur in western Australia is trying to stir up interest among hams to explore a VHF path between Australia and South Africa. Andy Hemus VK6OX, who lives in a suburb of Perth, believes that if there is a VHF path from Eastern Australia to Argentina, Chile and the South Shetland and nearby islands, then surely there must be one between South Africa's east coast and Australia's western coast. He's looking for a ham to try 6 meters with him using SSB, CW, JT65A or FT8. Noting that the season for Es propagation is pretty much done in the Southern Hemisphere, he'd still like to be able to plan for later in the year. This sort of challenge is nothing new. The South African Radio League, acknowledging the great and longstanding challenge of Indian Ocean contacts, notes that there have been attempts before - without success. A more recent campaign to stir up interest came from Ken Bainbridge VK6RH of the West Australian Radio Group. Ken had hoped at the time South African VHF operators would participate in chirp modulation tests but support for that experiment waned. Andy, meanwhile, remains hopeful someone will answer his call. Andy said he is reachable via email at vk6ox at wia dot org dot au (vk6ox@wia.org.au) or through ON4KST chat. As he told Newsline in an email "the six meter band has not been labeled 'the Magic Band' for no good reason, so anything\92s possible for those of us dedicated enough and around at the time of some weird and wonderful opening!" For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead VK3DN. (SARL, ANDY HEMUS VK6OX) ** WORLD OF DX In the world of DX, Arnaud, JG1XMV, is active through the third of March as FK/JG1XMV from Grande Terre in New Caledonia. He is operating with Yves FK4RD. The duo will also activate two other islands - Lifou and Mare as FK/JG1XMV. Arnaud may also try to activate a few SOTAs. Send QSLs direct via JG1XMV, by the Bureau or by FK/JG1XMV via LoTW or eQSL. John, KB7LBY, is in Tanzania operating as 5H2LBY while ascending Mt. Kilimanjaro through March 2nd. His operating hours will be limited during his climb. He will be running QRP on 40/20 meters into a magnetic-loop antenna. QSL via LoTW. In Honduras, Clay, WC6YJ, will be active as HR8/WC6YJ from Rus Rus Hospital until the 28th of February. He is operating holiday style on 80 through 17 meters. Clay is using 10 to 15 watts into an end-fed wire antenna. QSL via LoTW or ClubLog. (OHIO PENN DX) ** KICKER: THREADS OF FRIENDSHIP AMONG YLS NEIL/ANCHOR: Finally, we consider friendship, a common thread among radio amateurs. We close with this story about certain threads that have made their way into cross-stitch creations of a talented YL in the Philippines. Here's Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT. CARYN: Theresa Aniceto DW3TRZ knows her way around the dots and dashes of CW. Lately, though, when she has wanted to say thank you to other YLs for their help and friendship she's been using Xs instead. These are tiny, carefully crafted Xs that make up the cross-stitch needlework pieces she has been sending her far-away friends incorporating their call signs and the word "Mabuhay" (ma-BOO-hay) which, in the Philippines, is a welcoming wish for a good life. Unfortunately, Theresa has been off the air lately so her connections have been limited to email and social media. THERESA: My last transmission was first week of December last year. I think I pushed my rig too much on the CQWWCW contest and after that something went wrong. CARYN: While her rig awaits repairs, her friendships in the Young Ladies Radio League remain intact. The cross-stitching serves as a variation on the QSL card. THERESA: The Young Ladies, they are really helpful in their support, especially on Facebook. So they have been very supportive and encouraging. CARYN: Hams are no stranger to homebrew of course but this kind of homebrew is created with a needle and thread -- and that's something special in this worldwide community of YLs. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT. ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the Irish Radio Transmitters Society; the Norwegian Radio Relay League; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; South African Radio League; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; Waverley Amateur Radio Society; 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.
