Amateur Radio Newsline headlines for Ham Nation. June 7, 2017.

Amateur Radio Newsline headlines for Ham Nation. June 7, 2017.

 

Brian Lloyd WB6RQN / Aeronautical Mobile is active on the ham bands mainly while in flight over the oceans.
He is often working voice SSB on 14346.0 and 18117.5 kHz USB.
See his schedule http://projectameliaearhart.org/ham-radio/
Many operators have worked him on his flight so far, from USA through the Caribbean and to South America.
Today, he is in Brazil, preparing for the flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa.

It is easier to contact him by calling with ALE, since he is often silently receive-scanning. It is similar to scanning Selcall.
But, after the first station makes an ALE contact, many other stations can piggyback on SSB voice after he completes the first station's voice QSO.
ALE operators get together in a web chat room at http://hflink.net

 

Listen to this recording made on the HF receiver of F4GFZ in France.
It is a 7 minute audio clip of Brian Lloyd on 14346.0 kHz USB while he was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, near Venezuela:

http://projectameliaearhart.org/wp/...ic_Ocean_Near_Venezuela_3JUN2017_rx_F4GFZ.mp3

 

WB6RQN was the elmer who gave me my first station setup after I got my General ticket in October 2012. I still have the Astron RS-20 power supply and Ten Tec 228 antenna tuner he gave me, right here on the desk. Unfortunately, the Kenwood TS-130 blew its RF board after a year or so and I sold it to a Chicago ham who also had a TS-130 with problems, he intended to combine the two rigs. Brian also gave me a Heathkit SB-102 with the intention of me learning the Extra exam answers the old fashioned way. Unfortunately that plan didn't work out and I had to unload the rig to pay a debt. I still hate myself for doing that. I never did pass the Extra, couldn't wrap my brain around a lot of the theoretical mathematics. Anyway, Brian is a great guy and hopefully he will be more careful with his plane than Amelia was with hers-she kept ripping off pieces on takeoffs and landings, the final takeoff she ripped off her rx antenna, which may have sealed her fate.

 

I made two contacts with WB6RQN between Trinidad and the coast of Venezuela on Saturday May 3rd.
I see on the tracking map he is on the runway preparing for the flight across the pond.

Dan, Ni9Y
Mishawaka, IN.

 

I have tried uploading a mp3 or wav audio recording of my contact with WB6RQN aero nautical mobile but the
system keeps telling me this is not an allowable extension ....any help would be appreciated.
Dan

 

This is very exciting..I just monitor now I have worked just about every country in the world and found that it does' not make me a better ham operator..I love cw and I see wonderful people in this hobby..We need more folks like Bonnie..I find myself monitoring the utilities and aircraft over the ocean..Having a ball with my Icom r8500 and indoor dipole..I wish Brian most success in his round the world flight..Best 73..Gene

 

Hi Dan,
You can email it to me and I'll put it on the website for you.
My email is good in QRZ.
-Bonnie

 

Brian had an interesting event during his flight from Fortaleza airport to Natal airport (both in Brazil) on 7 June 2017.

"I had a new experience while enroute [Fortaleza Brazil to Natal Brazil] . I was intercepted by the Brazilian Air Force. A Tocano flew on my wing for about 10 minutes while they questioned me on guard (121.5 MHz). I guess they were satisfied as I was instructed to continue to my destination. Huh." Brian Lloyd wrote.
see photo (via iridium satellite)


More Brian Lloyd trip photos: http://projectameliaearhart.org/photos/

Well, world travel is certainly an adventure

 

Bonnie, there are so many drug runners these days that everyone is a bit paranoid, even with flights that are obviously not drug related..

 

He was flying on a very short flight, following the Air Traffic Control directed vector. There is a Brazilian Air Force training base near Natal, so perhaps they may have just been doing some interception practice or maybe they wanted to have some fun with him

Brian Lloyd plane Spirit intercepted by Tocano of Brazilian Air Force no problem Fortaleza to Natal Brazil 7 June 2017 photo ©2017 Brian Lloyd. CC-BY

 

About 2145utc I saw his takeoff he was at 500ft and then he vanished from the site flightradar24.com

 

Update: 08 June 2017 at time 20:20 UTC:
Brian Lloyd WB6RQN has landed his plane Spirit at the International Airport in Natal Brazil. He has completed his repairs which were done at another airstrip nearby. The revised flight schedule to Dakar Senegal has not been set yet.

 

Look at the tach. Why is he redlining the engine?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1235556346566691&set=p.1235556346566691&type=3&theater

 

Almost half way to Dakar already today (Friday) but the last sat-com report on Live Tracking Map page was at 15:22Z, over an hour ago now, after consistent 10 minute reporting intervals (gulp) Hope that's just a sat comm transfer or internet data processing error. Has there been any ALE ham connections or is any body monitoring HF ATC?