Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2079 for Friday, September 1, 2017Audio - https://www.arnewsline.org/s/Report2079.mp3 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2079 with a release date of Friday, September 1, 2017 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Hams respond to Hurricane Harvey. Prelimimary results for eclipse radio contacts are in - and our series Nets of Note looks at an Australian safety net for travelers. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2079 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** HAMS RESPOND TO HURRICANE HARVEY JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with Hurricane Harvey which left Houston, Texas and surrounding areas flooded and ravaged. On the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, this devastating storm ripped through the Gulf region where hams were preparing for the worst which, in many cases, came. Kent Peterson KC0DGY has details in this special report on the amateur radio preparation and response. KENT'S REPORT: Fueled by the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Harvey became an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane when it slammed into the Texas coast around 10PM on Friday August 25th. MIKE: Rockport was ground zero for the hurricane and Fulton had no power or communications. Lots of structure damage, which you'd expect from a Category 4 hurricane. KENT: Mike Urich KA5CVH works with Harris County ARES. MIKE: From a ham radio standpoint there are not a lot of hams in that general area. I know that DPS the state troopers are down there to support the local agencies and to provide an extra safety and security. KENT: Harris County has recognized the resources Ham Radio can bring. MIKE: Harris County is one of the best-equipped counties in the country. We have a homeland security office which is very supportive of the ham radio community. We have an awesome radio station in our county communications center. KENT: The area hams are ready to offer assistance. MIKE: We're primarily in a support role, but that is shifting. We are now getting shelters supported by hams. We're setting up a network supporting the Red Cross in the shelters. We also have along the coast PODS or points of distribution. Residents can go to a point of distribution. At least you can get body and soul together. KENT: Urich says advanced preparation is key. MIKE: We have definitely looked at the ham radio infrastructure identified asserts that we would like to use and have worked out MOUs with the clubs or trustees of those repeaters and have a very good communications plan. As far as any major needs, we pretty much bit the bullet. One of the county's 800 MHz sites was on emergency backup. They were scrambling to get it on line while we were scrambling to put together a plan if we needed to support them. They were able to alleviate the disaster on their side and that took pressure off of us. KENT: Weak points in public safety communications systems were identified and strengthened. MIKE: After Katrina and all the failures from that event most of the emergency managers in counties and cities have really stepped up their game so we're maybe not quite necessary as we once were 20 to 30 years ago years ago, but we are still a valuable asset to them and they know but they know when stuff fails, hey call the hams, they can do it. KENT: For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY ** ECLIPSE COUNT: HERE COMES THE SUN JIM/ANCHOR: So how did radio amateurs do during the big solar eclipse last month? We have a report from Jack Parker W8ISH courtesy of Amateur News Weekly. JACK'S REPORT: The 2017 Solar Eclipse QSO Party is history now. Although the final numbers are not yet in, according to SEQP, the special event QSO party planners, prelminary reports estimate that over 670 thousand spots were detected by the reverse beacon network and over 542 thousand spots were reported by the PSK Automatic propagation reporter. <short audio clip of QSO> All of this data is being compiled by the event coordinator Nathaniel Frissell W2NAF of HamSci. Frisell is an associate research professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Frissell and others are investigating whether the sudden absence of sunlight during the eclipse had any effect on ham radio propagation. Reporting for Amateur News Weekly, this is Jack Parker W8ISH. JIM/ANCHOR: Thank you Jack. For more news of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana area, visit the website amateurnewsweekly.com ** SOURIS SPEAKS TO THE WORLD JIM/ANCHOR: In Canada, one group of amateurs is about to let one of its most historic lighthouses shine. We hear more from Jeremy Boot G4NJH. JEREMY: International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend may be over, but for some amateurs the weekend of September 15th through September 17th may be considered Souris Lightouse Weekend. Members of the Maritime Lighthouse Amateur Radio Group will be activating the historic Prince Edward Island lighthouse, which is considered a rare catch for hams who are collectors of lighthouse contacts. Souris Lighthouse carries the designation of CAN-464 from the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, which lists a total of more than 15 thousand lighthouses around the world. The hams will also be welcoming visits by members of the public, who will be able to get on the air under supervision of licensed amateurs. The Souris lighthouse was built in 1880 and the wooden tower is a symbol of the town of Souris. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. ** REMEMBERING A LIFE DEDICATED TO RADIO JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, another lighthouse is shining bright as a memorial to a ham who played a big role in his Louisiana community. We hear more from Stephen Kinford N8WB. STEPHEN: In the Town of Berwick in Louisiana, the recent International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend took on an added importance for the Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Services and other area hams. At a pavilion not far from the Berwick Southwest Reef Lighthouse, officials dedicated the new Ray Rasberry Memorial Radio Tower and Flagpole in a formal ceremony. The flagpole was donated by the Silent Key's family. The tower is to be used by amateur radio operators - as it did during the lighthouse weekend. Ray Rasberry WB5LKR, who had been a member of the St. Mary Parish Amateur Radio club, a volunteer firefighter and fire chief, became a Silent Key in 2008. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB. (KQKI NEWS, ST. MARY NOW) ** SISTERS' ACHIEVEMENTS FLY HIGH AGAIN JIM/ANCHOR: Two Seattle sisters, inspired by their ham radio dad, have accomplished another launch of their radio-equipped weather balloon. The results were, well, a little different this time, as we hear from Mike Askins KE5CXP. MIKE: You may remember Winston Yeung KI7CSK, proud father of daughters Rebecca and Kimberly. The girls' successful weather balloon launch project landed them at the White House in 2015 for the National Science Fair. Well, the Seattle siblings were at it again during the recent solar eclipse. Eclipse day found them in Wyoming to once again launch their balloon -- this time into the eclipse shadow. They had hoped to gather camera images from the stratosphere just as the moon's passage over the sun created that celebrated moment of total darkness. They were also conducting a solar panel experiment. The mission, however, was only partially successful. The girls told Geekwire that the on-board cameras had shut down - due partially to the cold temperatures encountered at such altitudes. Their on-board solar panel experiment also hit an obstacle. They had hoped to determine how an eclipse would affect power generation -- but that study was killed by a loose wire. The balloon reached an altitude of 96,371 feet and eventually the payload landed 30 miles away in Nebraska, parachuting safely to its mission's conclusion. The balloon's next stop is an exhibit in Seattle's Museum of History and Industry. After three trips into the stratosphere, the girls have decided to keep their project a little closer to terra firma. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP. ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Cookeville Repeater Association's W4HPL repeater in Cookeville, Tennessee on Tuesday nights at 8:30 p.m. ** NETS OF NOTE: THE AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLERS NET JIM/ANCHOR: As part of our occasional series, Nets of Note, we look at what hams are up to in these specialized on-air gatherings. Graham Kemp VK4BB introduces us to one dedicated group in Australia with a special mission. GRAHAM: With nearly 3 million square miles, Australia is a big country - and with plenty of remote regions, it doesn't have the sort of distances you want to cross by yourself, unless your companion happens to be your HF mobile rig. Then you're in good company - you've got the Australian Travellers Net. ROSS: When a traveller calls in we want to know where he is at the time of course and that everything is all right. We also want to know where he is going to stop overnight and all of that is logged in the computer. So that is how it works. GRAHAM: That was Ross Cunningham VK5KMH, the Australian controller for this net, which serves as a lifeline to travelers on land and even those on water, 365 days a year. Its relay teams can be found on 14.116 MHz, for check-ins at 0200 UTC and on 21.185 MHz for check-ins at 0400 UTC to be accessible to hams with Australian Foundation licenses. Most of the time, the communication is uneventful but crises DO come up: ROSS: "Yesterday I had to get a hold of a fellow that was out in the Harts Range here and tell him that his mother had passed away the night before. Not good news but these things happen and sometimes we are the only communications that some of the amateurs have got." GRAHAM: As Ross notes, land or sea, it all comes down to personal safety. ROSS: The other day a fellow came from Darwin down to Alice Springs and went on a holiday in the Tanamai Desert desert. He was out there there for quite a few days before coming back to Alice Springs. So these fellows like to get in out-of-the-way places and it is the Travellers Net that gives them the mantle of safety. If they break down out there we get the RAA or whatever to go out there and tow them in or get their cars fixed so they can travel on. GRAHAM: Ross said the Net has a need for more relays, most especially in Australia's western and northern territories. The Travellers Net also extends its coverage into the ocean surrounding the continent, taking care of maritime travellers. Contact Ross if you can help. His email address is rossco eighteen at optusnet dot com dot au (rossco18@optusnet.com.au) For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB. JIM/ANCHOR: If you know of an unusual or interesting net you'd like to have featured, write us at newsline@arnewsline.org ** A MOUNTAIN OF SUPPORT JIM/ANCHOR: Two events taking place in Arizona are in search of radio support. Here's Kevin Trotman N5PRE with the details: KEVIN's REPORT: On Saturday the 23rd of September, two races will be kicking off, one on foot and the other on bicycle. The Mount Lemmon Gravel Grinder is a bicycle race that takes its name from the peak north of Tucson where it happens. Racers follow a 40, 50 or 60 mile course. At the same time, the Peppersauce Stampede will be challenging Arizona runners along a 3.1-mile, 8-mile or 10-mile course. Radio operators are needed to help keep track of the runners and cyclists as they pass each of the aid stations along their courses. The communications leader for the two events, Greg Peters KC5ZGG, is looking for at least two radio operators at each aid station. Hams should bring their HTs and be in place by 7 a.m. Greg has more information for interested Arizona hams. Write him at KC5ZGG at cox dot net. (kc5zgg@cox.net) The events are in their second year and benefit the Arizona Trail Association. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE (Greg Peters KC5ZGG) ** THE WORLD OF DX In the world of DX, get ready for a DXPedition to Isabela Island in the Galapagos Islands between the 14th and 21st of September. The 7163 Group will be on the air on 160 to 6 meters using SSB, CW and the digital modes. Listen for the call sign HD8M. The DXPedition is known as the "Protect the Galapagos Islands Wildlife DXPedition." Isabela Island's designation is SA-004. Send QSLs direct to Jim WB2REM with a stamped, self-addressed envelope or via the bureau through Nancy KG0YL. For more details visit QRZ.com. From September 5th through the 22nd, be listening for Hans, PA3HGT, operating as 3B8/PA3HGT from Mauritius. His activity will be holiday style on 40, 20 and 10 meters on SSB and possibly digital. Send QSLs via his home call sign, direct or via the bureau. Bill K9HZ can be heard through the 16th of September using the call sign J68HZ from St. Lucia. Listen for him on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. Send QSLs via his home callsign. (OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN) ** KICKER: GIRL'S RADIO RESCUE ACROSS THE MILES JIM/ANCHOR: Our final story is a tale of rescue, something amateurs often excel at. Ed Durrant DD5LP has the details. ED'S REPORT: One of the best things about amateur radio is that you can help at the scene of an emergency without even being at the scene itself. No one knows that better right now than Mike Everett M6MGE, an electronics student from Bristol in the UK. Mike was at his home QTH in Horfield recently when he heard a distress call on his rig: A 12-year-old girl out camping with friends had begun suffering seizures. A ham at the campground, who'd brought along his radio, grabbed it and called for help. The campground at Wimbleball Lake on Exmoor was 70 miles away but the radio signal got where it needed to go. Contacted by John Matthews G6ASK through the GB3WR repeater, Mike was able to summon an ambulance by land-line. He stayed in touch with John at the remote campground, learning that the girl had epilepsy and was experiencing what was known as cluster seizures. The ambulance arrived in time for hospital transport of the youngster who received treatment and was later released. According to a newspaper report, she was eventually able to return and enjoy her holiday at the campground. Mike told the Bristol Post that most of the time he's spent on the air since getting his license 5 years ago has been chatting. This was his first emergency response he said and he was grateful for the happy ending. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP. (BBC, Bristol Post) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL; the Bristol Post; the BBC; CQ Magazine; Greg Peters KC5ZGG; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; Irish Radio Transmitters Society; KQKI News; Ohio Penn DX Bulletin; Southgate Amateur Radio News; St. Mary Now; 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.
