Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1936 – September 19 2014

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1936 – September 19 2014

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1936 with a release date of September 19th 2014 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Qatar will include ham radio in an upcoming geostationary satellite launch; more information surfaces on the restructuring of the United Kingdom’s ham radio rules; Philippine hams once again respond as a typhoon makes landfall; W5KUB announces live coverage of the K6H operating event and a soon to be space traveler starts training next January. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1936 coming your way right now.


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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: QATAR ES’HAILSAT TO INCLUDE GEOSTATIONARY PHASE 4 TRANSPONDERS

Once again, ham radio in space leads off this week’s newscast. This with word that a ham radio payload is expected to be in geosynchronous orbit around the Earth by the end of 2016. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Heather Embee, KB3TZD picks up the story from here:

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Qatar’s Es'hailSat Satellite Company has signed a contract with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation to build a geostationary communications satellite for it. Once on-orbit, Es'hail 2 will be positioned at the 26° East for television broadcasting in that part of the world using both KU and KA band transponders. It will also provide the first ham radio geostationary communication capability linking Brazil and India using a pair of Phase 4 amateur radio transponders that it will carry woth it into space.

The ham payload will consist of a 250 kilohertz wide linear transponder for conventional analogue operations in addition to a second transponder which will have an 8 MHz bandwidth. The latter is intended for experimental digital modulation systems and DVB format amateur television.

As of now, uplinks will be in the 2.400 to 2.450 GHz range with downlinks in the
10.450 to 10.500 GHz amateur satellite service allocations. Both transponders will have broad beam antennas to provide full coverage over about third of the Earth’s surface.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania.

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The Qatar Amateur Radio Society and Qatar Satellite Company are cooperating on the project. Technical support is coming from Germany’s AMSAT-DL. This is not the first time ham radio has been offered space for geostationary transponders. Back in 1980, a company called Cablesat proposed orbiting a pair of broadcast and communications satellites at either end of the continental geostationary arc each with a ham radio payload on board. The plans for those two birds were later abandoned. (ANS, ARNewsline)

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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO EARTH FROM AROUND THE MOON

Last week we reported that the Lux Space 4M amateur radio payload is expected to fly around the Moon at the end of October. Now comes word that a limited number of hams will be able to upload a message on the 4 M website that will be transmitted on 145.980 MHz using the JT65B mode during the flight.

Lux Space says that there is only room for 2500 messages each up to 13 characters long. Yours might be something like your first name and callsign or whatever fits in that limited number of characters available to you. There will be also a number of experiments and contests with prizes to the winners in each experiment and category.

You can register to take part as well as to upload your message at moon.luxspace.lu/messages. But if you want to take advantage of this once in a lifetime chance you will have to hurry due to the limited number of messages the mission can take with it. (LuxSpace, Southgate)

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RESTRUCTURING: NATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY OF INDIA SEEKS RULES RESTRUCTURING

The Amateur Radio Society of India has renewed its efforts to remove what it calls the old British colonial-style excessive red tape that limits the growth of ham radio in that nation as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline’s Bruce Tennant, K6PZW.

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Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, is the president of the Amateur Radio Society of India and believes that some very archaic rules and long standing issues exist that restrict ham radio in that nation. These include just obtaining a license. Now he has outlined these concerns in a letter representing his society to the nations Minister of Communications, Information Technology, Law and Justice.

One of the points VU2GNM addresses is gaining a security clearance before an amateur radio license can be issued. According to Madhavan, this can take months or even years, and often the paperwork is lost in transit between various agencies.

VU2GNM then goes on to note the voluntary contributions that amateur radio makes in terms of technical training, experimentation, and communication. He also points out the public service role of the ham radio community throughout the world in regard to disasters and emergencies.

VU2GNM says that the society is seeking an immediate easing of many antiquated regulations. He believes that could lead to the issuing new licenses and to help amateur radio grow in a country of more than 1 point 2 billion people.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I’m Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.

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According to a statement contained in the Amateur Radio Society of India letter the nations new government wants to do away with measures that bring no benefit to its citizens. The national society says that it would like to see amateur radio included in that process. (VK3PC)

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RESTRUCTURING: UPDATE ON PROPOSED UK LICENSE RESTRUCTURING

An update on the proposed changes to the United Kingdom’s regulations covering that nation’s amateur radio service that we first reported on last week.

According to news reports, in recognition of the role of amateur radio users in emergencies, the consultation or Notice of Proposed Rule Making would change the United Kingdom license condition that states that hams can only communicate with other hams. Rather, where a license-holder is participating in a rescue operation possibly as a part of a Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network or RAYNET operation, provisions would be made to permit these hams to talk to others such as rescue team members involved in an emergency operation.

Ofcom also proposes permitting encryption of communications for hams involved in RAYNET operations. Currently, encryption is forbidden, which creates a problem if an incident commander asks for a message to be encrypted.

The consultation also seeks comment on Ofcom proposals to add license conditions that ensure that a callsign assigned to an amateur radio club remains with that club. It also proposes a relaxation of the requirement that amateur licenses are automatically revoked if they don't revalidate their licenses every five years and the easing of the demand that hams transmit their callsigns every 15 minutes.

As previously reported, Ofcom is already looking for opinions from the United Kingdom ham radio community regarding proposed changes to spectrum and other aspects of amateur licensing. This includes giving that nations radio amateurs access to spectrum in the 470 kHz and 5 MHz bands.

The consultation or commentary period on these proposals runs through October 20th. If approved any rules changes could come into effect in April of 2015. The complete story is on the web at tinyurl.com/uk-regs-update (Ofcom via the Register.com)

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DX UP FRONT: PENANG ISLAND JANUARY THROUGH FEBRUAY 2015

In DX up front, word that PA0RRS will be active as 9M2MRS from Penang Island Malaysia between January 1st and February 3rd of 2015. He currently plans to operate 30 through 10 meters CW, RTTY and PSK with SSB only on request. QSL via his home callsign, direct, via the bureau or using the OQRS on ClubLog. (OPDX)

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RADIOSPORT: VOODOO CONTEST GROUP TO KUWAIT FOR CQ WW DX CONTEST

The Voodoo Contest Group has been invited to operate at the 2014 CQ World Wide DX CW contest from emerging Multi-Multi contest station being assembled by 9K2HN in northern Kuwait. According to the announcement, the visiting club members are expected to arrive at the station on November 22nd and will operate before the contest with particular emphasis on the lower bands. The Voodoo Contest Group is a band of United States and United Kingdom hams dedicated to winning the CQ World Wide CW Contest each year. QSLs for the 9K2HN operation will go via instructions on QRZ.com. (AA7A, Southgate)

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BREAK 1

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the KC4HAZ repeater network serving all of Central Florida.


(5 sec pause here)


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RESCUE RADIO: PHILIPPINE HAM RADIO RESPOND TO TYPHOON KALMEGI

Once again, ham radio volunteers were activated in the Philippines. This as fast-moving Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall on Sunday, September 14th. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Stephan Kinford, N8WB, reports:

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The Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had asked all in Typhoon Kalmaegi’s path to take the necessary precautions. Even with this early warning the storm left at least 10 people dead from landslides, flash floods, storm surge and wind gusts that at times exceded 100 miles per hour.

As the Typhoon approached, the Philippines Amateur Radio Association activated its Ham Emergency Radio Operations or HERO network for priority disaster traffic and relief coordination. The group then requested that the frequency of 7 dot 095 MHz, plus or minus 5 kHz be kept clear for emergency response operations. The HERO operators remained in place as required throughout the severe weather event.

At the height of the storm some 7,800 residents were moved to evacuation centers. The typhoon then headed out to the East over the South China Sea toward Hong Kong where it hit with wind gusts again close to 100 miles per and injuring some 29 people.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I’m Stephen Kinford, N8WB, in Ohio.

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The Typhoon then took aim at southern China where the nations Meteorological Administration had an orange alert in place. That’s the second-most severe in the nation's four-tier severe weather warning system. (VK3PC, published news reports)

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RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO RESPONDS TO NEVADA FLASH FLOOIDING

The ARRL reports that ARES and RACES members in Clark County, Nevada, activated Monday, September 8, after heavy rains sparked flash flooding. Accoding he ARRL, the ham radio volunteers deployed after being called up by local emergency managers to support communication during recovery efforts in the Moapa Valley northeast of Las Vegas.

Heavy flooding and mud closed nearly 50 miles of Interstate 15, stranding motorist and truckers while buckling or washing away pavement in many areas. The marooned motorists were cared for at a middle school in the city of Mesquite, on the Arizona border. Emergency sheltering was also needed for nearly 200 tribal members of the Moapa River Reservation.

A slow-moving storm that spun off from Hurricane Norbert dumped nearly 4 inches of rain within 90 minutes onto the town of Moapa. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service personnel staffed the Emergency Operations Center in Las Vegas while the Clark County Mobile Communications Vehicle was on the scene as a result of this severe weather event in which at least two people lost their lives. (ARRL)

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RADIO LAW: NEW VANITY FEE IN EFFECT

The new $21.40 Amateur Service vanity call sign regulatory fee became effective on September 11th. The $5.30 increase represents the largest vanity fee hike in many years. The FCC released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on August 29, in which it recalculated the fee to $21.40 for the 10-year license term. (FCC, RW)

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PUBLIC SERVICE: HAM COMMUNICATORS NEEDED FOR BOSTON HALF MARATHOM

Sunday, October 12^th will see this years running of the Boston Half Marathon and ham radio operators are needed for the event. Some 20 radio amateurs will be required to cover medical teams to support their communications and logistics. The event will run from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern time. All any volunteer needs is a dual band hand held with some extra batteries and perhaps a gain antenna. If you live in the area or will be visiting and want to volunteer, simply take your web browser to tinyurl.com/boston-half-2014 (KG1H)

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NAMES IN THE NEWS: IARU REGION 1 OUTSTANDING HAM YOUTH AWARD

Some names in the news. Mitchel Mynhardt, ZS6YH, has been selected to be the recipient of the first International Amateur Radio Union’s Region 1 Outstanding Ham Youth Award. This, for the year 2013.

Last March a call went out soliciting nominations of the first Region 1 Outstanding Ham Youth Award. In May 2014, the nominations closed after three nominations had been received. Seven Youth Coordinators from IARU Region 1 were then named to judge the entries with ZS6YH selected to be the 2013 recipient. (IARU-R1, SARL)

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NAMES IN THE NEWS: AMSAT-NA BOD ELECTION RESULTS

The votes have been counted and the results are in. Elected to AMSAT North America board seats for a two year term are Tom Clark, K3IO; JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM; and Lou McFadin, W5DID.

Jerry Buxton, N0JY will serve the remaining year of the late Tony Monteiro, AA2TX term. The First Alternate is Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and the Second Alternate is Frank Griffin, K4FEG.
(AMSAT-NA)

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HAM HAPPENIGS: K6H HOLLYWOOD CELEBRATES HAM RADIO TO STREAM LIVE AT W5KUB.COM

Even if you miss making make contact with the upcoming K6H Hollywood Celebrates Ham Radio operation, you will be able to watch it live on-line. This, thanks to Tom Medlin, W5KUB who will be streaming the event live on his W5KUB.com video website. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has more:

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As previously announced here on Amateur Radio Newsline, the Southern California based Papa Repeater System in association with Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society and the Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service will be hosting this second K6H Hollywood Celebrates Ham Radio on the air. The event will again originate from legendary Stage 9 of the CBS Studio Center on Sunday, September 28th from 7 AM to 3 PM Pacific time. Stage 9, best known as the Seinfeld Stage is currently the home of the hit ABC Situation Comedy Last Man Standing in which amateur radio is an ongoing part of the plotline.

Operations of K6H will be on 10, 20 and 40 meters along with D-STAR on reflector 12A. The event will also use the facilities of Disney Amateur Radio Interconnect to link the WB6AJE repeater in Los Angeles to Disney/ABC employee sponsored repeaters in Manhattan New York, Bristol Connecticut, Washington DC and Orlando Florida. Various IRLP and Echolink nodes will also be on-line. Those who make contact with K6H will receive a special limited edition QSL card.

And as the day moves along, Tom Medlin, W5KUB , will be live from the event and will be streaming the highlights along with interviews of those who happen to drop by to operate K6H. And as if this was not enough, the Papa website at papasys.org will also stream video directly from each of the operating stations, so that you may just be able to see yourself actually making contact with K6H.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.

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The first K6H operation took place on October 28^th of 2012 and was a rousing success. Looking at what has been added this time around will likely result in even more fun as Hollywood once again celebrates Ham Radio, this year on Sunday, September 28th. (PAPA, AA6RA, W5KUB)

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BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today’s radio amateur. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

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RADIOSPORTS: RESULTS OF THE 2014 WORLD ARDF CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Seventeenth World Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding have just concluded and Team USA has medaled again. Newsline's Joe Moell, K0OV has the story.

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The Kazakhstan Federation of Radiosports and Radioamateur was host for this year's ARDF World Championships. Over 270 on-foot transmitter hunting experts from 25 nations converged on National Park Burabay on September 6 for six days of competitions and cultural events.

World Championships take place every even-numbered year and USA began sending a team in 1998. Our team medaled for the first time in 2006 and has done so every time since. 2014 was no exception, as Vadim Afonkin KB1RLI of Boston won silver in the two meter competition's category for men ages 40 through 49. Vadim also finished in the top seven in the sprint and foxoring competitions.

USA's team consisted of four men and three women, ages 29 through 72. This was about half the size of the team that went to the World Championships in Serbia two years ago. Medical, financial and political considerations all played a hand in reducing the size of this year's team. For instance, a foot injury sidelined Bob Cooley KF6VSE of Pleasanton, California. He won four medals two years ago, including three golds, but was unable to travel this year.

This year's Team USA members were selected from the best performers in the 2014 USA Championships in Massachusetts and the 2013 USA Championships in North Carolina. Plans are now under way for our 2015 national championships in Colorado during the last weekend of August. Winners there may earn places on Team USA 2016 for the World Championships in Bulgaria.

For more information on the championships and the sport of ARDF, plus links to complete results, point your Web browser to www.homingin.com. That's homingin as one word.

From southern California this is Joe Moell, K0OV for Amateur Radio Newsline.

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This is the first time that Kazakhstan has hosted the ARDF World Championships. In addition to the competitors another one hundred and fifty visitors were on hand as a part of this major radiosporting event. (K0OV)

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WORLDBEAT: UK TO CONDUCT LTE TEST TRANSMISSIONS IN 2.3 GHZ HAM RADIO BAND

The Radio Society of Great Britain has been advised by telecommunications regulator Ofcom to expect Long Term Evolution or LTE test transmissions over the next few months in the 2.3 GHz band. The tests will be conducted in and around the central London area at up to 38 decibels per watt effective radiated power.

Ofcom notes that there is a chance that amateur radio operations could be affected by these tests. For those not aware, Long-Term Evolution is a worldwide standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. (RSGB)

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ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING THE 89TH ANNIVERSAY OF THE IARU

Closer at hand, special event station TM89IARU to active on specific dates through September 29th to celebrate the 89th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union. Operations are on most High Frequency bands using various modes. More information in the French language can be found at tinyurl.com/iaru-at-89 (OPDX)

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ON THE AIR: TC3AFT CELEBRATES FRANCE AND TURKEY FRIENDSHIP

Another special event station to keep an ear open for is TC3AFT to be activated from the Turkey’s Izmir area in late September. The callsign suffix represents the words France and Turkey friendship. Operators of the station will be F1RAF and TA3GO with activity on 80 through 10 meters using only SSB. If you make contact, QSL via TA3GO. (OPDX)

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DX

In DX, word that DF1YP is on the air stroke FO from Moorea Island in French Polynesia and should be active until October 8th. Activity will be holiday style mainly on 20 meters on SSB. QSL via his home callsign, direct or via the bureau.

Members of the Italian DXpedition Team should be on the air from Benin by the time you hear this newscast. According to the groups announcement the operation that was originally scheduled to take place later on this year had to be moved up due to business commitments on the part of some of the operators. They are currently on the air operating as TY1AA through September 26th. If you make contact QSL to I2YSB, either direct or via the bureau.

FK8IK has announced that his trip to the Chesterfield Islands and other Islands on the Air locations that were scheduled for November will not be taking place as planned. This is because the sailboat he was planning to use for transportation is no longer available on these dates. No new schedule has been announced.

Lastly, AA9A, will be operational as PJ7AA from Sint Maarten between February 18th and March 16th of 2015. Activity will be on 40 through 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via AA9A or electronically using Logbook of the World.

(This weeks DX courtesy of the Ohio-Penn DX Newsletter)

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THAT FINAL ITEM: SONGSTRESS SARAH BRIGHTMAN TO BEGIN TRAINING AS SPACE TOURIST IN EARLY 2015

And finally this week, international singing sensation Sarah Brightman will soon begin training for her planned trip to the International Space Station but any ham radio operation by her is still in doubt. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Gary Bernstein, N9VU, has the details:

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According to Russia’s ITAR-TAAS News Agency, Sarah Brightman plans to begin pre-flight training for her journey to the International Space Station early next year.

Yuri Lonchakov is the head of the Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. He says that Brightman’s training will actually begin next January at the Star City facility not far from Moscow. Less than three months ago Lonchakov said that the famous singer had already passed a number of required tests and was ready to begin preparations for the trip.

In conjunction with her role as a UNESCO Artist for Peace ambassador, Brightman says that she will present life on board the space station which requires the mindful, shared consumption of resources and an unwavering focus on sustainability. This as a model for how we might better inhabit our planet.

Brightman is also considered as an ardent supporter of women’s education in science. In 2012 in conjunction with Virgin Galactic, the Brightman STEM Scholarship program was created to help young women in the United States pursue this type of education across their four-year college careers. Stem is an acronym that covers the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Once her training is completed Brightman is tentatively scheduled to be part of a three-person crew travelling to the ISS on board the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft later in 2015 At airtime it is not known whethershe will be trained in the use of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station gear or if she will get an amateur license from the United Kingdom regulator Ofcom so that she can make use of it.

In 1991 the first UK astronaut Helen Sharman was issued with a special callsign GB1MIR by Ofcom’s predecessor the Radiocommunications Division of the Department of Trade and Industry. She was then able to contact radio amateurs on Earth during her stay on the now de-orbited Mir space station.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline I’m Gary Bernstein, N9VU, reporting.

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The first space tourist was U-S entrepreneur Dennis Tito, KG6FZX who made the flight to the ISS in 2001 and spent eight days at the station. The most recent visitor was Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte, who spent 11 days at the ISS in 2009. If the Sarah Brightman reaches the ISS next year, she will become the eighth visitor to the orbiting outpost. More about her plans for her space adventure are on her website at www.sarahbrightman.com. (ITAR-TAAS, AMSAT-UK)

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NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the South African Radio League, the Southgate News, TwiT-TV, Australia's WIA News and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our e-mail address is newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350.

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors’ desk, I’m Hal Rogers, K8CMD, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

 

"Once again, ham radio in space leads off this week’s newscast. This with word that a ham radio payload is expected to be in geosynchronous orbit around the Earth by the end of 2016."
Located at 26E it looks like the United States will not be covered by the first geosynchronous phase 4 satellite.