Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1997 with a release date of Friday, February 5, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Radio amateurs help an Ohio community suffering lead-tainted water. Hams give a gift of history to a prominent World War II aircraft. And three women who made lasting contributions to radio during their long lifetimes, have died. All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1997 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here and Intro) ** DON: This week's newscast opens with news of the deaths of three women who made far-reaching contributions to radio communications during their long careers and even longer lives. We begin with a report from Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, on the death of Rose L. Shure, who chaired audio component giant Shure Incorporated in Niles, Illinois. [KENT'S REPORT]: Rose Shure, who became chairman of the audio products manufacturer, Shure Inc., after the death of her husband Sidney in 1995, has died in Chicago. The company, founded by Sidney Shure in 1925 as an outgrowth of his hobby in amateur radio, began as a mail-order distributor of components for home-brew radio builders. Shure later got into manufacturing of audio components and during World War II, supplied microphones to the U.S. military, including headsets and noise-canceling microphones. The company later expanded into phonograph cartridges and other audio equipment. But it was its microphones, particularly the Shure 440/444, that gained great popularity in the amateur radio marketplace. Dubbed the "microphone maven" in her obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times, Rose Shure married Sidney Shure in 1954 and in the decades that followed, helped deliver mics into the hands of presidents as well as performers - from Franklin Roosevelt to Elvis Presley. Rose Shure was 95. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Petersen, KC0DGY, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, SHURE INC., CHICAGO SUN-TIMES) ** WORLD WAR II CODE READER DIES DON: Mary Harding, a wireless operator who worked for the Bletchley Park codebreakers in Britain during the Second World War, has died in Britain. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH: JEREMY: Mary Harding, who was born Dorothy Mary Thompson, was from Keynsham in Somerset. She had worked as a Morse Code slip reader after learning wireless techniques and code as a young volunteer for the war effort. Her daughter, Sarah, told the Western Daily Press newspaper that her mother was posted to Bletchley Park in 1942 and by age 22, she had been promoted to sergeant in charge of a watch. In her memoir, Mary described her assignment at Bletchley Park like this: "It turned out that we were a nucleus for setting up signal communication using high-speed Morse virtually worldwide - this did eventually include a few very important hand key mobile units. These messages were prefaced with the highest code for priority and communication was always very poor quality." Many of the messages, in German, were given to the codebreakers, making accuracy paramount. The work at Bletchley Park was credited with shortening the war by two years. Mary Harding died Jan. 19, just days after she turned 93. Added her daughter, Sarah, Mary Harding passed her legacy on to her daughters years later when she and her husband, David, raised their family. Sarah told the newspaper QUOTE "One of the first things she taught us two daughters was Morse Code." ENDQUOTE. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham, the UK. (WESTERN DAILY PRESS) ** ARRL'S EVELYN GAUZENS, W4WYR, BECOMES SILENT KEY DON: And lastly, the ARRL has lost a beloved member of its extended family: Evelyn Gauzens, W4WYR, longtime vice director and honorary vice president, became a Silent Key in Florida on Jan. 31. A longtime part of the ARRL's close circle, Gauzens was elected to an honorary vice presidency by the Board of Directors in 2002. The following year, she was honored by the ARRL for 50 years of membership - and also received a W4EHW/National Hurricane Center Award of Appreciation during the annual Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference. Her career in ham radio was extensive, and she left an enduring mark: She had been the ARRL's Southeastern Division Vice Director for more than 20 years, and was a cofounder of the Miami Tropical Hamboree, which she chaired for 45 years. Past ARRL President Kay Kraigie, N3KN, recalled Gauzens as a strong leader. She said QUOTE "She had a sense of humor, and she was kind. She contributed to amateur radio and her community." ENDQUOTE She received numerous honors and in 2012 was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. She was recognized for promoting the presence of amateur radio in public relations, and for her role helping to organize the IARU Region 2 conference held in Miami Beach in 1976. Her QRZ.com profile reflected her devotion to ham radio with these words: QUOTE "Love Amateur Radio and all those I have met in the fraternity." ENDQUOTE Gauzens became a Silent Key shortly before her 87th birthday. (ARRL) *** RADIO? WHO NEEDS A RADIO ANYWAY? [DON/ANCHOR:] Flint, Michigan, isn't the only community struggling lately with the crisis of lead-contaminated water. In one Ohio community, radio amateurs stepped up to assist in a similar situation in a very effective manner. All without even getting on the air. We hear the details from Amateur Radio Newsline's Paul Braun, WD9GC0: [PAUL'S REPORT]: A group of amateur radio volunteers responded recently to a water emergency in one Ohio community by showing up without their radios. But that's exactly what they were supposed to do: They needed their hands free instead to help distribute bottled water - safe, drinkable water for more than 8,000 residents of Sebring, Ohio, who'd learned on Jan. 18 that their drinking water had become tainted with a high lead content. By Jan. 22, Mahoning County ARES Emergency Coordinator Wes Boyd, W8IZC, had activated ARES to assist the Ohio and Mahoning County emergency management agencies in distributing the water in Sebring. The timing, however, made it a bit of challenge initially. Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Stan Broadway, N8BHL, told the ARRL, QUOTE "Response on the workday was low, but a handful of ARES volunteers were able to respond." ENDQUOTE The radio-less radio operators were welcomed by the Red Cross and the Emergency Management Agency personnel, who put them to work immediately, distributing pallets of the bottled water. When the weekend came, another call went out for help and this time, even more ARES volunteers showed up from neighoring counties. Officials report that the volunteers were able to move more than 166 pallets of water over a six-day period. Sometimes, that's the best kind of signal report a ham can hope to hear. Especially without even having a radio. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO, in Valparaiso, Indiana. (ARRL) ** KEYING IN ON HISTORIC PLANE'S RESTORATION DON: When it comes to giving to their communities, radio amateurs are no strangers to such gestures. But in Arkansas, some hams are making a very special gesture for an even more special recipient. We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH. [SKEETER's REPORT] What better way to celebrate your 100th birthday than to give a gift to someone else - perhaps a somewhat younger but distinguished military veteran? In this case, the centenarian is the Amateur Radio Club of the University of Arkansas, W5YM. And the gift recipient is "Fifi," the noted B-29 Flying Fortress that served the nation honorably during World War II. The historic aircraft is in the process of being restored, and members of the Rockwell-Collins Amateur Radio Club are setting up a radio operator's position on board. The gift from the hams at the University of Arkansas should fit right in: They're presenting Fifi with a J-37 telegraph key, also known as the "Mae West" key - named in tribute to the shapely entertainer so popular during the war years. The key itself was notable in its own right for the remarkably curvy indentations on its base. Fifi, by the way, is still flightworthy. And now, with the Smith-Erwin Memorial Radio Operator position nicely equipped with the J-37 telegraph key, the aircraft will be taking to the skies carrying just a little more history on board. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, in Topeka, Kansas. (ARRL) ** LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF MORSE The tie between the Navy and Morse Code also remains strong these days. At the Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station in Florida, Morse Code training has been a continuous effort since 2005, when the coursework was moved to the learning center there for easy delivery with training in cryptology, intelligence and other disciplines. Corry Station is where students train as CTRs - cryptologic technicians. The last class of CTRs has just finished their program as of late January, and these students were the first to make use of a new revised Basic Manual Morse Trainer and updated software used by the Department of Defense. Military trainers say Morse is one of many tools to stand the test of time, which is why the Department of Defense has once again renewed its commitment to Morse training, investing in it now, more than ever. That, of course, is no secret to hams. But it's no military secret either. The course supervisor, Gabriel Albarran, a Cryptologic Technician (Collection) First Class, said, QUOTE "Morse code is not only used in military operations but also in commercial navigation. Search and rescue, science navigations and weather status are frequently passed in automated Morse code." ENDQUOTE Cryptologic Technician Mary Kaitlin McKeeby adds: QUOTE "It's a language. If you have a knack for languages, Morse Code is going to be easier to pick up." ENDQUOTE She should know about that: She beat the course record during the pilot program by two days, completing the self-paced instruction in 39 days. (U.S. NAVY, DEFENSE VIDEO AND IMAGERY) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including W8VPV in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Monday nights at 8. ** SOUTH AFRICA'S NEXT GENERATION OF 'HAMMIES' DON: Is it ever too early to start cultivating the love of radio in kids? The South African Radio League doesn't think so, and so its popular Hammie Program, which kicked off in May of 2015, is back. We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB. GRAHAM: Now here's a concept that would make almost any OM wish to be young again: The Hammies Amateur Radio Club has begun another season of teaching young children radio science, helping them get licensed and on the air. Working with the South African Radio League, they've opened the classroom doors again to youngsters aged 10 to 15. Classes began on the 30th of January with an eye toward getting the young hopefuls prepped for their Amateur Radio B-class exam at the conclusion of the 10-week program. But first things first, there's a bit of ground to cover here: Classes meet Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon, combining a lecture, some practical experience and then getting on the air. The youngsters learn basic electronics, how to troubleshoot and fix things and then, of course, how to do those all-important QSOs. Created by Graham Busse, ZS6GL, and Noel Hammond, ZR6DX, the Hammies instruction was designed to accommodate the schedules and priorities of young children. And if those priorities include going one day from being a Hammie to a Ham, they too can aspire to eventually become an OM. Yes, even the girls. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. ** AIR CADETS BECOME LICENSED AMATEURS The UK brings us word of more young amateurs in the news. In Essex, the Orsett Hundred 106 Air Cadet Squadron has reason to celebrate: Four cadets within the youth group recently passed their exam for the Foundation amateur radio license. They follow in the footsteps of their commanding officer, Darren Attersley, 2-E-ZERO-O-C-A (2E0OCA), who passed his Foundation license exam last October and went on to Intermediate level on December 6. The cadets attended two weeks of weekly coursework at headquarters in Essex, supplementing that with the Essex Ham's Foundation course online. They were also supported in their training by members of the Thurrock Acorns Amateur Radio Club, which helped them review the syllabus. Welcome to the bands! (ESSEX HAM, THURROCK ACORNS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB) ** HAMS KEEP ORDER AT NAVY FLEET REVIEW IN INDIA In India, the prestigious International Fleet Review is getting a boost from hams in and around Visakhapatnam (VEE-ZOK-HOPT'-NUM), a coastal city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Arza Ramesh Babu, VU2RDM, Director of City Ham Radio Academy, was appointed coordinator of this year's review by the Wireless Monitoring Organization. The spectacle, which engages the president, prime minister and delegations from 51 countries, opened Thursday, Feb. 4 and features a dozen ongoing events, concluding on Monday, Feb. 8. The review is an exercise in assuring the nation of the Indian Navy's discipline, high morale and preparedness. Ramesh Babu said in a report in The Hans India that he and a team of 22 other ham radio operators from around that part of India will be present throughout the event using HF and VHF equipment, software-defined radio and VHF base sets, all owned by the individual amateurs. Stations were also established at the airport, collector office, police control room, the beach and the function hall. Considered the Indian Navy's showcase event, this is the second time since 2001 that it has been held in India. (THE INDIA TIMES, THE HANS INDIA, SOUTHGATE NEWS) ** RST ACTIVITY TAKES TO THE AIR Point your antennas north - if you can. RST stations in the Yukon Territory, Alaska, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories will join with the North Country DX Association in getting on the air, starting Feb. 15, to work as many stations as possible. The QSL manager is K7ICE. But the goal isn't just to log as many RST stations once per band and mode but also to promote amateur radio in that very remote part of the world. The stations will continue to work 160 through 6 meters right up through March 27, exchanging signal reports as well as states or provinces. If you contact an RST station from the DX Association they will also send their town or city. Stations will be on the air from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and other locations, including a diamond mine in the Northwest Territories - and maybe even an Alaskan glacier. A few good DX contacts should certainly help these hams in the far north to break the ice. (ARRL) ** THE WORLD OF DX Operators Jim/W4RS (DU3JH) and Larry/N0QM (DU3LA) will be active as DX3R from Subic Bay in the Philippines during the CQ WPX RTTY Contest on Feb. 13 and 14. Send QSLs via LoTW. Operators Gildas/F6HMQ and Michel/F6GWV will once again be active from Guadeloupe between February 26th and March 14th. Look for them to sign TO66R during the ARRL International DX SSB Contest, which is being held March 5 and 6. They will be working as a Multi-Single entry. Send QSLs to TO66R via F6HMQ. Outside of the contest they will be active on all bands. QSL via their home callsign. Peter, DC0KK, is once again active as 4S7KKG from Moragalla, Sri Lanka, between now and April 3rd. Peter will be working mainly in CW and digital modes with operation on 20-10 meters. QSL via DC0KK, by the Bureau, which is preferred, or direct. All QSLs will be sent via the QSL Bureau. And finally, Sam, LY5W, will be on the air in Lithuania using the special callsign LY16W for the month of February. This is a rare prefix for LY WPX Trophies award credits. His time on the air celerates Lithuania's independence on Feb. 16, 1918. Visit his QRZ page for more details. (OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN) ** KICKER: OLD MILITARY RADIO REPORTS FOR DUTY We close with this story of new life for an old radio - a VERY old radio: Doug Christensen of College Station, Texas, had no inkling that the antique naval radio he bought from the collection of a late professor still had life in it. For all his many talents at tinkering, the electrical engineer just couldn't get the device to work. Doing research on the Indiana War Memorial Museum website, he discovered that the 120-pound radio had a strong resemblance to those used on early 20th century battleships -- in fact, one ship's radio in particular: the ill-fated USS Indianapolis, sunk by a Japanese torpedo in 1945. The museum, it seems, was recreating the battleship's radio room but was missing one critical piece. And that's how Christensen discovered a different way to get the radio to work - by donating it to the museum. He told the Bryan-College Station Eagle newspaper that he learned QUOTE "This radio was a very high tech receiver for the time. No one could ever reach a frequency as high as these radios went, so you didn't have to use special codes for secrecy." ENDQUOTE Arrangements were being made late last month to transport the radio to its new home. And perhaps best of all, museum staffers said they were confident that they might just get it back on the air after all. (THE BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION EAGLE, TEXAS) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; The Bryan-College Station Eagle; The Chicago Tribune; Chicago Sun-Times; CQ Magazine; DX.NET; Essex Hams; the Hans India; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the India Times; the U.S. Navy; the Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ.COM., Shure Inc., Southgate Amateur Radio News; Thurrock Acorns Amateur Radio Club; TWiT TV; Western Daily Press; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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. 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 Picayune, Miss.,saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.
