Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1967 July 10 2015 Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1967 with a release date of Friday, July 10, 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Heightened recognition comes for radio amateurs in the days before Field Day. Some new QSOs make their mark aboard the International Space Station. Changes are coming on 160 meters. In Europe, young hams are packing for a one-week radio camp in Italy for amateurs. And the FCC seeks additional comments for new usage on lower and medium frequency bands. All this and an update on our Young Ham of the Year Award in the Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1967 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here) [INTRO TO CHANGES IN ARNEWSLINE FORMAT, REMARKS ABOUT BILL PASTERNAK, SHORT INSERT INTRODUCING NEW STAFFER] BILL PASTERNAK WA6ITF (SK)/NEWSLINE 2.0 Many of you listening are by now aware that Amateur Radio Newsline lost our Co-founder, Executive Producer, Lead News Writer and friend, Bill Pasternak WA6ITF. Bill became a Silent Key on June 11th, after a series of health setbacks over the previous six months. For more than thirty-seven years, Bill was at the helm of these news bulletins, and led an all-volunteer team of amateur radio enthusiasts—many with a background in broadcasting—who were dedicated to distributing the latest news about the hobby and service of ham radio. Just days before his passing, Don Wilbanks AE5DW and I shared a conference call with Bill to discuss the future of Newsline. I told Bill about an email I received from a ham who was very interested in volunteering to take on the task of writing each week’s newscast script; something Bill had done almost exclusively since its inception as Westlink Amateur Radio News in September of 1977. After hearing her qualifications and background, Bill’s words were—and I quote—“Hire her!†So now, please join the entire Newsline staff in welcoming aboard Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT as our new Lead News Writer. Caryn lives on Long Island, New York, and holds a General Class ham license. As her QRZ.com profile says, she is a writer, editor, and an equestrian and wildlife rescuer. Now, we'll let Caryn tell you more about herself... 
 [Caryn's audio] 
 Thanks, Caryn! And welcome to the Amateur Radio Newline family! Now, with more of this week's news, here is Don Wilbanks AE5DW. Don...? REGULATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS Amateur radio has just come off of a very productive couple of weeks, culminating in Field Day, with recognition by local and national government. Governors in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Washington State were joined by officials in various counties and cities around the nation honoring the hobby with proclamations recognizing hams' public service and emergency response roles. At the same time, lawmakers on Capitol Hill were also turning a sharper focus on hams' service in natural disasters, as Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, presented that chamber's equivalent of the Amateur Radio Parity Act already under consideration in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill, cosponsored by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, addresses the land-use restrictions that often prohibit amateur radio antennas from being installed, especially in areas where homeowners associations exist and set standards for neighborhood aesthetics. In sponsoring the bill, Wicker noted the role hams had played during Hurricane Katrina, which had left more conventional forms of communication disabled. The bill, which is now on the floor of the Senate, seeks to protect the rights of radio amateurs to install antennas and towers for communication. (ARRL, eham.net) QSO WITH THE COSMONAUTS In little more than a month, elementary school students in Bunker Hill, Indiana will be experiencing the ultimate QSO: Sometime in August, they get to work the International Space Station. The students were chosen earlier this year for the program, which is known as Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. Maconaquah Elementary School was among those approved for the coveted DX, which will take shape as a 10-minute QSO on FM. The school district plans to provide a live feed to each of the school district's buildings as well as make the contact available for listeners to hear online. As in years past, hams aboard the space station have been busy connecting with students this year, and recently completed a scheduled radio contact with Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma. On July 1, students there connected with one of the Russian cosmonauts on board. (www.ariss.org, KSL-TV, Tulsa World, Kokomo Tribune) REGULATION: UPGRADE ON 160 METERS Amateur Radio will gain primary status in part of the 160 meter band, starting Aug. 5, following an action by the FCC that the agency said reflects an uptick in usage on the band. The FCC decision affects amateur use on the band’s range between 1900 khz and 2000 khz. David Sumner, CEO of the ARRL, said he expected hams would likely have to contend with radio buoys operated on 160 meters out of fishing vessels. But according to the FCC, the buoys are mostly low power and occupy a narrow portion of the band and they are expected to have negligible effect on hams using those frequencies. (ARRL, QRZ.NOW) AMATEUR RADIO GOES TO CAMP In Europe, 76 amateur radio operators from more than 22 nations in the International Amateur Radio Union are getting ready to share their youthful enthusiasm for the hobby with one another at the fifth session of YOTA, Youngsters On The Air. The amateur radio summer camp, which attracts hams under the age of 25 in Region 1 of the radio union, is taking place this year in Tuscany, from July 18 through July 25. Its host is Italy's official organization of radio amateurs, the ARI. The annual, week-long event has been held, in previous years, in Finland, Estonia and in Belgium in 2012, the year it made its debut. The program, which is a mix of educational and intercultural events, is expected to feature a presentation on PSK, a workshop on soldering cable connectors and a session on how to build HF wire antennas. There will also be foxhunting and a contest with 70cm handhelds. (Ham.yota.com, Southgate Amateur Radio News)
 BREAK 1 Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the N9MCS Repeater Group serving Rockford Illinois. (5 second pause) NEW BANDS FOR HAMS The FCC will continue to receive comments until Aug. 31 on its proposal to establish amateur radio on Low Frequency and Medium Frequency bands. Although amateur radio would have secondary status on the new bands, it would mark the first time hams were permitted on these frequencies, which are identified as 2200 meters on LF and 630 meters on MF. The LF band was previously allocated by the FCC but the MF allocation is still in proposal status. For amateur radio to operate on either band, operational and technical rules must be added to Part 97. The frequencies are presently in use by utilities using power line carrier systems to control the power grid. The FCC contends that, based on experimental radio operations on these frequencies, particularly on the MF band, the two uses can coexist without interfering with one another. The FCC is seeking input on power limits, antenna height and other relevant limitations that would apply to amateur radio users. The ARRL expects to file comments with the FCC. Others are asked to use the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System and refer to ET Docket No 15-99. (ARRL, FCC) THE WORLD OF DX Friday, July 10, is the last opportunity to work Zorro, JH1AJT, who has been QRV as KH0/KH8Z since Monday, July 6 from Saipan, where the noted DXpeditioner has traveled on business. As such, Zorro has been working holiday style on 10, 15 and 20 meters, single sideband. QSL via JH1AJT. (dxworld.net, QRZNOW) IARU World Championship The International Amateur Radio Union’s HF World Championship gets under way on Saturday, July 11 at 1200 UTC and challenges operators to contact as many amateurs as they can worldwide in as many ITU zones as possible, with a special emphasis on IARU member society HQ stations. The event concludes on Sunday, July 12 at 1200 UTC. Most activity will be on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters using CW and SSB. Find detailed information at http://www.arrl.org/iaru-hf-championship and http://www.iaru.org/contests.html 3B8, MAURITIUS Jean-Paul, HB9ARY, is working Mauritius (AF-049) as 3B8HC until July 25. Activity will include some slow CW but mainly SSB on all HF bands, from 80 to 6 meters. QSL via NI5DX direct. 5B, CYPRUS You have until July 15 to work Tony, RT9T, who is active in Cyprus as 5B4ALB. QSL 5B4ALB only direct via RT9T. 5Z4, KENYA Until July 20, Giuseppe, IK2YDJ, will be active from Rongo, Kenya as 5Z4/IK2YDJ, working frequencies between 40 and 6 meters. QSL via his home callsign. SPECIAL EVENT STATION PV70, BRAZIL A World War II special event commemorative station has been set up in Brazil by Ronaldo, PS7AB, and will continue through July 30. Station PV70FEB celebrates the 70th anniversary of World War II and honors the importance of peace. The special callsign also honors the Brazilian Expeditionary Force on Italy’s battlefields, and pays tribute to all others who participated in the war. Certificates will be sent in 2016 via email to all stations who complete contacts with at least 10 special event stations on SSB, digital or CW. QSL via PS7AB, direct (2 USDs), by the Bureau, eQSL or LoTW. This week’s DX news courtesy of Ohio-Penn DX newsletter . NEWSCAST CLOSE With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, CQ Magazine, The FCC, Southgate News, Youngsters on the Air, KSL-TV, the Tulsa World, eham.net, the Ohio-Penn DX newsletter, TWiT TV, the Kokomo Tribune and you our listeners. Our email address for news tips and comments is arnewslinetips@gmail.com. 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, CA 91350. For now, with our news team worldwide, I’m Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, in Topeka, Kansas and from New Orleans, Don Wilbanks AE5DW.saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
It's very nice to see ARN back after Bill's passing. God bless and 73! A side note, OP, I'm not sure if you're seeing it, but this article is extremely hard to read in places due to some sort of text encoding problem. I'm seeing goofy letters all over the place.
