Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2097 for Friday, January 5, 2018 Audio - https://www.arnewsline.org/s/Report2097.mp3 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2097 with a release date of Friday, January 5 2018 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. A licensing exam puts more than 100 new hams on the air in Cuba. An Australian amateur group marks 60 years -- and a veteran grid square chaser recalls his successes! All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2097 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** ARRL'S INTERNATIONAL GRID CHASE HAS BEGUN STEPHEN/ANCHOR: As hams start the new year learning the ins and outs of the Maidenhead grid squares that mark locations for U.S. contacts, one longtime radio operator in Texas recalls his own chase across the grid and the hard-won success it ultimately brought him. Jim Damron N8TMW has that story. JIM: The dawn of a new year has brought the ARRL International Grid Chase, which is challenging hams to operate on any band except 60 meters in pursuit of as many different Maidenhead grid squares as they can possibly work. Newsline managed to catch up with a veteran of this kind of grid square victory - Pat Rose, W5OZI, of Junction, Texas. In 2010, Pat became the second recipient of the ARRL's Fred Fish Memorial Award. The award is given to hams who successfully work all 488 grid squares in the contiguous United States. Pat became the first ham to replicate on 6 meters what Fred Fish himself had accomplished before becoming a Silent Key. Pat told Newsline that he once believed working all 488 grids was impossible. He said because it was a new award at the time he thought it would be fun to try. He wrote in his email to us: "I had no strategy, but I thought that with a good antenna and with a kilowatt from a home-built linear amp I would have a chance at competing against some big-time six-meter ops." He even ended up working some rare grids. He told us in his email: "I finally worked KB8U, Russ in CM79 on June 17, 2010 for the last one when he went back-packing there. I worked him I think the second day he was there. It was a big surprise and I have thanked him over and over again for his trip." So as you consider this year's event, remember Pat's success and know that persistence surely pays off: Pat has been licensed since 1948. He was 17 years old when he hitchhiked from Austin, Texas to Dallas that year to take the test. That was the first of his many successes since. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron N8TMW. ** DX CONVENTION GOES THE DISTANCE STEPHEN/ANCHOR: April will be here before you know it - and so will the International DX Convention, as we hear from Heather Embee KB3TZD. HEATHER: If you're wanting an early seat at the table for the International DX Convention, you can secure yourself a spot in just a few days. Registration opens on the 15th of January for the 69th annual event. The convention is sponsored by the Southern California DX Club and is being held April 20th to 22nd at the Visalia Convention Center. The keynote speech at Saturday's banquet will focus on the Bouvet Island DXpedition 3-Y-0-Z. The team of hams is scheduled to leave later this month for the rare island, which is second on the DXCC most-wanted list. Other activities at the California weekend convention will feature talks by some of the world's most accomplished DXpeditioners, sharing their tips and their stories. To get more details visit their website dxconvention dot org (dxconvention.org). For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Heather Embee KB3TZD STEPHEN/ANCHOR: An important part of that weekend's event is the Intrepid Spirit Award conferred by the Intrepid-DX Group. It is named in memory of Silent Key James McLaughlin WA2EWE/T6AF. James was among a number of Americans killed in April of 2011 after an Afghan military pilot opened fire. McLaughlin was working as a flight instructor in Kabul at the time of his death. Nominations for this year's award winner are being accepted through the 15th of January. The award will be given on April 21st at the International DX Convention. Send nominations by email to intrepiddxgroup at gmail dot com (intrepiddxgroup@gmail.com). ** CUBAN AMATEURS SCORE HIGH MARKS STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The latest licensing exam in Cuba has produced plenty of new amateurs and quite a few impressive upgrades, as we hear from Kevin Trotman N5PRE. KEVIN: Radio amateurs in Cuba have proven themselves to be scholars. The FRC, the Cuban Radio Federation, reports that 98 percent of the candidates taking the licensing test on December 16th have passed. That means Cuba will have 103 newly licensed hams, gaining call signs with a CL prefix and 100 others qualified for upgrades to higher levels of licensing, with call sign prefixes of CM and CO. The FRC reports that this rate of success surpasses performance on the previous exam by 8 percent. The FRC announced that it was pleased with these latest test results and hopes the addition of new licensed amateurs will increase radio access to regions of Cuba that are mountainous and otherwise inaccessible. The FRC is also reaching out increasingly to youngsters and YLs. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE. (SOUTHGATE) ** K2BSA ACTIVATION STARTS RADIO SCOUTS' NEW YEAR STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The new year is only a few days old but already radio scouts have a busy agenda. We get those details from Bill Stearns NE4RD. BILL: This week in Radio Scouting we have one activation of the K2BSA callsign, the votes for officers are in at K2BSA, and we're looking at Radio Scouting Awards. Chris Clark, W6CBC, will be activating K2BSA/6 at Polar Camp in Idyllwild, CA, on Saturday January 13th. Polar Camp will include more than 250 Cub Scouts participating in winter activities. Chris will set up a Radio Scouting station where Scouts can learn how to include Ham Radios in all of their scouting adventures. The K2BSA organization had its biannual voting of officers this winter and the following will be the new leadership moving forward for a 2 year term as soon as the voting is approved: Jim Wilson, K5ND, will remain President, Bill Stearns, NE4RD, will become Vice President, Donald Sonnefeld, KD2FIL, will remain Secretary, and Mike Crownover, AD5A, will become Treasurer. Amateur Radio continues to be relevant in Scouting through awards that Scouts can earn in their various programs: Cub Scouts can use Amateur Radio for a component of their Arrow of Light, by communicating with a Scout in another country. This can be done at any time or during Jamboree on the Air. Girl Scouts can earn the Radio and Wireless Technology Patch. With this program and award, young women can learn about radio fundamentals, community service, and careers in radio. Boy Scouts can earn the Radio Merit Badge which teaches them about wireless technologies, Amateur Radio direction finding and modern methods of broadcast transmissions. In addition to the merit badge, Boy Scouts can earn the Morse Code Interpreter Strip by showing proficiency in CW by copying and sending a message at 5 words per minute. If a scout earns their amateur radio license, they can get an Amateur Radio Operator strip for their uniform as well. Amateur Radio Operators interested in helping scouts earn these awards, contact your local council, chapter, and district leadership. 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 ** AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS PREP FOR 60th FIELD DAY STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Australia, one amateur radio club is marking 60 years of being on the air by celebrating in a big way. For that story, we turn to Ed Durrant DD5LP. ED'S REPORT: Sunday February 25th, 2018 will see the 60th CCARC field day (Hamfest) at the Wyong horse racing course in New South Wales, Australia. The Central Coast ARC itself celebrated being 60 years old in 2017 and now "the largest gathering of Radio Amateurs in the Southern Hemisphere" will hit its 60th edition in seven weeks' time. The racecourse is now owned by Racing New South Wales and a large high quality, air conditioned marquee will be available to house all of the commercial traders with the old under cover concourse area being available for flea market (car boot) sellers, so come rain or wind, visitors will be able to view goods undercover. As always there is a full and overflowing lecture program and attendance from the national society, the WIA and the QSL card bureau as well as other local radio clubs. The local "50-plus" radio station will be covering the event from an on-site installation. A big hit from last year, the drone flying demonstrations is being brought back and this year the drones, which will also be available for sale will be the "First Person View" type meaning the person flying the drone sees what the drone sees. The racecourse is conveniently located near to the main-line Wyong railway station and there is even a free courtesy bus from the station to the racecourse. For the 60 years young Central Coast Amateur Radio Club, this is Ed DD5LP. ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including W3BN, the 2-meter repeater of the Reading Radio Club in Reading, Pennsylvania on Friday evenings at 8 p.m. local time. ** HAM GRANTED PATENT FOR "INVISIBILITY CLOAK" STEPHEN/ANCHOR: It's no secret that hams are inventive. Paul Braun WD9GCO tells us about one ham in New England whose latest invention has won him yet another U.S. patent. PAUL: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a Massachusetts radio amateur a patent for an invisibility cloak that provides deflective electromagnetic shielding for ships, spacecraft, antennas, satellites, rockets, towers and other structures. Inventor Nathan Cohen W1YW, the founder of Fractal Antenna Systems Inc. issued a statement saying that while the company's previous patent covers an invisibility cloak itself, this technology can deflect electromagnetic waves, leaving an object invisible to those waves. The camouflage occurs at the level of heat and radio wavelengths. A press release from the company noted that the cloaking is possible even over a wide bandwidth. It can be used for defense and intelligence but also has commercial applications for towers and antennas. According to his QRZ profile, Nathan isn't just a fractal antenna specialist but an enthusiastic DXer. This is the latest patent to be granted to the firm. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO. (BUSINESS WIRE, QRZ) ** MARKING ONE SHIP'S TRAGIC SINKING STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Special Event stations exist to remind us of important moments in world history. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us about one such station operating in Ireland to honor those who died aboard a torpedoed World War I ship. JEREMY: If you hear the callsign EI100MCV anytime between now and the end of the year, you are hearing a tribute to a World War I tragedy that is marking 100 years. More than 500 people died after the Royal Mail Ship Leinster was struck by a U-boat's torpedoes just off the Irish coast on the 10th of October in 1918. The ship's sinking 15 miles from Kingstown resulted in the most lives lost in the Irish sea. Many of those who were not killed immediately by the torpedoes died in the waters awaiting rescue. The Leinster was armed and its list of passengers included soldiers who were heading back to the war. The special station call sign contains the original call sign "MCV" from the ship. Amateur radio operators will be on all bands but are operating on or close to all amateur frequencies ending in the number 18. On 80 meters that would include 3.518, 3.618 and 3.718 and on 160 meters that would include 1.918. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (IRTS, THE JOURNAL.IE) ** SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEUR RADIO LEAGUE SEEKS AWARD NOMINEES STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The South African Radio League is preparing for its convention in Pretoria and it's looking to honor deserving amateurs at the gathering this April in Pretoria. Here's more from John Williams VK4JJW. JOHN'S REPORT: In preparation for its national convention in April the South African Radio League is accepting nominations for awards, as well as nominations for council positions and motions for discussion. The convention is being held on April 13th through 15th and is being hosted by the Pretoria Amateur Radio Club. All nominations are due by the 31st of January and should be sent to the secretary via the email address secretary at sarl dot org dot za (secretary@sarl.org.za.) SARL is also reminding its members that the new editions of its Blue Book and Diary of Events can be downloaded from the League's website at sarl dot org dot za (sarl.org.za). Since some contest rules have changed and a new VHF/UHF contest has been introduced, it's important to have the most up-to-date edition. The Diary of Events will contain full information about Summits on the Air, the Fauna and Flora program, SARL awards and IARU awards. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams VK4JJW. (SARL) ** WORLD OF DX In the world of DX, be listening for the special call sign HH70A. The Radio Club of Haiti is operating with that call sign to celebrate its 70th anniversary, which it is marking on March 29. Be listening on all bands. Send QSLs via W3HNK. Adrian EA1CYK is using the call sign OD5/EA1CYK while in Lebanon as a member of the Spanish UNIFIL contingent. He will be there until May. His QSL Manager is EA7LS. Be listening for Pat N2IEN operating as A52PD from Bhutan from the second to the fourteenth of January. QSLs go via NR6M. Jim, WB2TJO, is active as 3D2JS from Fiji through mid-March. Listen for Jim on 40-15 meters using CW, SSB and digital modes. Send QSLs via his home callsign. Alex UA1OJL is on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands where he is active as RI1ANO until the 31st of March. Listen for him using the special callsign RI50ANO to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bellingshausen Base where he is stationed. QSL Manager is RN1ON via Club Log OQRS. (OHIO-PENN DX) ** KICKER: OUR AULD LANG SYNE-OFF STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Finally, should old acquaintances be forgot? Not in amateur radio, where eyeball QSOs and on-air contacts always keep us connected. So as we begin 2018, let's consider some of the top stories we connected you with during the past year. Here's Don Wilbanks AE5DW. DON: What a year: Dayton Hamvention made its debut in a new location in Xenia, Ohio. Pilot Brian Lloyd WB6RQN circled the globe calling QRZ in a tribute to Amelia Earhart. TV's "Last Man Standing" aired its final sitcom episode about a ham radio family. A bankrupt Radio Shack closed more than a thousand stores in the U.S. In the UK, Radio Caroline, the former pirate broadcaster, went legit and got licensed. Radio Australia ended its shortwave service. In the U.S., the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017 was introduced on Capitol Hill where it remains stalled. Hams responded to three major storms during Atlantic hurricane season as well as earthquakes and wildfires around the world. Hams also tracked the first total solar eclipse in more than three decades. Where will 2018 take us? Keep listening - and we'll explore that answer together. Meanwhile, we wish you, our listeners, a Happy New Year. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Don Wilbanks AE5DW ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; Business Wire; CQ Magazine; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the IARU; the Irish Radio Transmitters Society; the Intrepid DX Group; the Journal; K2BSA; 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 Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.
