Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2100 for Friday, January 26, 2018 Audio - https://www.arnewsline.org/s/Report2100.mp3 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2100 with a release date of Friday, January 26 2018 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Hams in Germany get the green light to stay on 6 meters. Kosovo becomes the newest DXCC entity -- and citizen scientists get an invitation to a ham radio conference in New Jersey. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2100 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** GERMANY KEEPS 6 METERS - AND KOSOVO'S A NEW DXCC CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast with a look at some change and growth that continues in our hobby. In our first report, hams in one country get the hoped-for green light to continue using 6 meters -- and in our second report, the world of radio gains a whole new entity for DXCC. We start with this report from Ed Durrant DD5LP in Germany. ED'S REPORT: While some amateur bands are permanently allocated to amateur radio enthusiasts in Germany, others are bands where amateurs are "geduldet" (put up with). These authorizations are for set periods of time and if not renewed, amateurs can no longer use the band. One case in point is 6 meters and in the December 2017 issue of memos from BNetZa (the government regulator) the authorization for amateur use of 6 meters has been extended. Another change in the memos is the authorization for Class E (Novice) licensees now to be able to use the 13 and 6 centimeter bands at a maximum of 5 watts PEP until the end of 2018. At the other end of the scale, Top Band (160 meters) has had the permitted power that can be used between 1850 and 1890KHz in the band increased from 75 to 100 watts PEP. Contests are also now allowed on weekends but only in the frequency range of 1890 to 2000 KHz. As yet, there is no news as to whether German hams may get access to the 4 meter band for further tests during the sporadic-E season later in the year - we wait in hope. For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Ed Durrant DD5LP. CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Add to that some good news for DXers. There's one more good reason now to call "CQ DX." A new DXCC entity has been added to the radio map: Inclusion of the Republic of Kosovo (Z6) raises the number of DXCC locations to 340. The change is effective as of the 21st of January. The ARRL Board of Directors made the announcement after approving a motion to amend the DXCC rules to include entities that have a separate IARU member society and are included on the U.S. State Department Independent States in the World list at their meeting held January 19th and 20th. Kosovo, formerly part of Yugoslavia, was admitted to the International Amateur Radio Union in 2015. The Kosovo Amateur Radio Association is known by the initials SHRAK. (ARRL) ** RADIO ATHLETES GETTING FIT FOR WRTC 2018 CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: This year brings big things to Jessen/Wittenberg (YESSEN/Wittenberg), Germany, as some of the world's top contesters converge for the contest-of-all-contests. Neil Rapp WB9VPG spoke to a ham and published author who has sized up the challenge ahead. NEIL: In our continuing coverage leading up to the World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 in July, one thing stands out. Preparing for the competition and being selected takes an amazing amount of effort. Jim George, N3BB, author of the book (and soon to be released Audible book) Contact Sport, shares his perspective on the competitors endurance from WRTC 2014 in Boston. JIM: All in all, to qualify for this contest and to do it really well is an amazing personal commitment. It almost takes 4 years from your life......three of the four to qualify, and then one to get ready to get ready and then to do it and then to recover from it. So, its quite an adventure. NEIL: There are also the challenges in the moment of the contest itself - and they can be formidable, from equipment not working to bands, such as 10 meters, opening at an inconvenient time. JIM: A lot of things have to go right. The gear had to work, you had to catch the openings, you had to stay awake, you had to have considerable personal endurance Wow. All in all, that's the pinnacle. NEIL: Yes, there are some physical considerations too. Hams are, after all, only human. JIM: Believe me, to keep concentration for 24 hours with the thing running at, you know, 200 contacts an hour for the most part, is really tough for both operators. In New England, very few teams even went to the bathroom. This is a straight through thing. It was complicated, or assisted, by the fact that the weather was very hot. So people were drinking a lot, but they were sweating a lot. And, many teams didnt go take a nature break whatsoever. NEIL: For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, in Bloomington, Indiana. ** AIKEN TO GROW IN SOUTH CAROLINA CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: In Aiken, South Carolina, things just keep getting better for one middle school ham club. As the FCC roster of licensees keeps growing, so does the club's membership, as we hear from Kevin Trotman N5PRE. KEVIN: On January 6th and 7th, there were 4 new additions to the world of Radio Amateurs in Aiken, South Carolina. The Aiken Scofield Middle School Technology and Amateur Radio Club, N4SMS is proud to report that their membership now includes 4 new Tech Class license holders. They each received a new Baofeng UV-5R radio to announce their newly acquired callsigns on a weekly net on Thursday, January 18. Checking in were Andrew (KN4IVA), Anna (KN4IVD), Lance (KN4IWB) and Piper (KN4IWC). Thanks go to the sponsoring club, the North Augusta-Belvedere Amateur Radio Club (K4NAB) for doing what they've done for the past 7 years by Elmering Scofield Middle School students and providing equipment such as their new Baofeng HT's and other club equipment to keep their interest going. The Scofield Middle School club is no stranger to Newsline. They were recently mentioned by placing 1st overall in the nation in the School Club Roundup in all school categories from elementary to university level last October, and that was for the second year in a row. Our congratulations goes out to the Aiken Scofield Middle School Club and our thanks go to the North Augusta-Belvedere Amateur Radio Club for keeping Amateur Radio growing and ensuring our future will be better than ever. For Amateur Radio Newsline in Aiken, South Carolina, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE. ** HAMS TAKING ST. PATRICK'S DAY GLOBAL CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Happy St. Patrick's Day! well....OK, not yet. But hams really should be thinking about the holiday now - and Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us why. JEREMY: St. Patrick's Day is coming to Bangalore, India with amateur radio station VU3YPP. It's also going to be happening in a big way in Italy with station IZ4OSH. You'll find GB1SPD and GB9SPD celebrating on the air from Northern Ireland as well as many from the "Emerald Isle." After all the whole idea is to bring good spirits -- even a bit of the Irish Blarney -- to the bands for 48 hours with station activations across the time zones around the globe. Organizers are encouraging everyone anywhere in the world to go green and get on the air between 12 noon UTC on the 16th of March to 12 noon on the 18th of March. There are a number of awards being given out both for mobile and fixed stations and organizers are encouraging stations to register as early as possible to become an official St. Patrick's Day station. You can do that by visiting the website is spelled out as S T Patrickaward dot webs dot com (stpatrickaward.webs.com) From Ireland to the rest of the world, it will be a time to wish a top-of-the-morning....from the top of the bands. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH ** BREAK HERE Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W6JW repeater of the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club in Santa Clarita, California on Mondays at 8 p.m. ** IN SEARCH OF AFRICAN OPERATORS ON HF CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: If you are listening to this newscast from the African continent, this next report from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF is for you. JIM MEACHEN: It's not hard to find HF amateurs in Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Lesotho. Nor is it a challenge to tune around the HF dial and find Namibia, Angola, Mozambique or Zambia. What hams in South Africa are hoping, however, is that there are hams out there who are using VHF - or want to try. The South African radio league would like to find amateurs who want to explore single-hop or double-hop Sporadic-E communications with South Africa and learn more about how Sporadic-E behaves in middle Africa. SARL is also hoping there will be some insights too into Tropical Tropo propagation. Whether you get on the air using VHF or opt to put up a VHF beacon, your input and your participation is welcome. Interested African amateurs can email A R today at sarl dot org dot za (artoday@sarl.org.za) for more details. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF (SARL) ** K2BSA GETS ON THE AIR AND HAS BIG PLANS CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: The radio scouts of K2BSA never rest. Bill Stearns NE4RD tells us what they'll be up to in the week ahead. BILL'S REPORT: This week in Radio Scouting we have one activation from Scout Camps on the Air, the BSA National Radio Scouting Committee reviews action items for this and we're in the first month of your planning for Jamboree on the Air. Dudley Allen, KD0NMD, will be activating KN0BSA at the Mid-America Council Goldenrod Winter Camporee at Camp Cedars near Fremont, NE from January 26th through the 28th. Members of the Mid-America Council Radio Scouting Group will provide a Ham radio demonstration station and participate in the annual Winter Field Day. They will use common scout frequencies across all bands that are open. The BSA National Radio Scouting Committee had their first meeting of the year on January 12th and there was a lot of good discussion surrounding comments and feedback received during the 2017 JOTA event. Some of the critical items that are being looked at are more guides and videos on using HF and digital voice modes, improving handouts and brochures about the event and radio scouting and continuing improvements to the content and training materials for the Radio Merit Badge program. January is an important month for planning your Jamboree on the Air event because this is the month that you get it into the calendar. JOTA is the weekend of October 19th through the 21st. While there was some success in pop-up JOTA events across the US, there were greater numbers and responses from those that planned in advance. For more information on radio scouting, please visit our website at www.k2bsa.net. For Amateur Radio Newsline and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association, this is Bill Stearns, NE4RD (K2BSA) ** NEW JERSEY TO WELCOME HAMS AND CITIZEN SCIENTISTS CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: If you're a ham who's also a citizen scientist - and you especially follow the weather or an eclipse - you'll want to hear this report from Stephen Kinford N8WB. STEPHEN: Registration has opened for a two-day amateur radio event in New Jersey that will focus on last year's solar eclipse as well as ways to design personal weather stations. The 2018 HamSCI workshop will take place on the 23rd and 24th of February at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. Nathan Frissell W2NAF, an assistant research professor at the school, said presentations by hams will feature reports on ionospheric observations made during last year's historic total eclipse of the sun. Hams will also explore ways radio operators and scientists in space weather can collaborate. Registration for attendees on Friday is $100 and includes breakfast, lunch and a ticket to the evening banquer. On Saturday, registration is $25 and includes breakfast and lunch. Organizers are looking for presenters as well as attendees. If you have an interest in sharing some of your own research or experience along these lines - especially related to the eclipse - contact Nathan no later than February 15. For more information send an email to: h a m s c i dot org (hamsci@hamsci.org). Reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB. (HAMSCI.ORG) ** WORLD OF DX In the world of DX, be listening for Charles, W0DLE, operating in Saigon as 3W9DLE between February and April. You can hear him on 20 meters using CW, SSB and FT8 and in the ARRL International CW DX Contest, which is taking place on the 17th and 18th of February. Charles will also participate in the Russian DX CW Contest which is on March 17th and 18th. Send QSLs via W-ZERO-DLE. Hermann, HB9CRV, is using the call sign CU8FN from Flores Island in the Azores until February 16th. Listen for him on 160-10 meters using mainly FT8. He will be joined by Antonio, CU8AS, operating as CR2W in the CQWW 160 Meter CW Contest which ends January 28th. Send QSLs via LoTW, or via HB9CRV, direct or by the Bureau. In the Bahamas, Tim, AF1G, is operating as C6ATH from Andros Island until further notice since he has a home there. You can listen for Tim mainly on weekends and holidays and during the week you may hear him in the evenings. QSL via LoTW or direct. In Nicaragua, operators Jim WB2REM and Mark WY1G will be using the call sign H7DX starting the 26th of February until the 6th of March. Listen on various HF bands where they will be using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL via WY1G, direct or ClubLog's OQRS. ** KICKER: HAM RADIO HELPS THE HOMELESS CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Our final story is a tribute to the difference ham radio operators can make. In earthquakes, in hurricanes, in wildfires - and even in the dead of an unseasonably cold winter - the presence of ham radio is a beacon of hope and fellowship. Jim Damron N8TMW has this report from Florida. JIM's REPORT: January has been a bitter cold month in much of east-central Florida but perhaps nowhere was it more brutal than on the streets where the homeless lay down to sleep. Freezing temperatures had the city of Titusville in its clutches in the early part of the month as the North Brevard Amateur Radio Club K4NBR set out to find those who huddled against the elements. After alerting local law-enforcement agencies, club members used their radios and their own cars, fanning out on a 12-hour mission find those in need of a warm bed and a roof over their heads. Club members such as Ricky DeLuco, K4JTT; Robert Ortiz, KJ4VEH; William Klosowski, K4SVT, and Michael Ellixon, KE4MWZ brought them them to warmth and safety inside the Disabled American Veteran Center in Titusville. Club members covered 120 miles and on their first night alone, bringing in five homeless individuals. More people in need, who had been located by city police, were also transported to shelters - including one who needed medical attention at a local hospital. The club's website states its mission as being dedicated to emergency communication for its communities. In this case, the word "community" extended well beyond those who have a place to call their own and the work proved even more lifesaving. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Damron N8TMW. (NORTH BREVARD AMATEUR RADIO CLUB) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; HAMSCI.ORG; the IARU; the Irish Radio Transmitters Society; K2BSA; North Brevard Amateur Radio Club; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ; South African Radio League; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; 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 Christian Cudnik K0STH in St. Louis Missouri saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.
