EQUATORIAL GUINEA SUSPENDS HAM RADIO LICENSES

s DXpeditioners called off the 3CØW and 3C3W activations in Equatorial Guinea, the government suspended all amateur radio licences in the country. Authorities made the announcement saying that a visiting ham radio operator gained access to sensitive areas in the country with radio equipment that was unauthorised. The government announcement did not identify the radio operators but various DX sites online listed Yuris, YL2GM and Eugene, EA5EL, as DXpeditioners operating from Annobon Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Both callsigns were seen on the spotting clusters, with 3CØW's last spot made on the 11th of September, accompanied by the comment that there was bad news reported on the DX-World.net.

That report said the operation had gone forward [quote] "without properly verifying the legality of the equipment or the compliance of the assigned frequencies with national regulations."

In its announcement, the Malabo government did not identify the callsigns but said that the hams had applied for licenses in 2018 and this year but had not verified that the equipment to be used was in legal compliance.

Yuris posted an update on DX-World, confirming that the team had not yet managed to get the local permit to operate as 3CØW in Annobon Island and that they were returning to the mainland where they had previously had a successful activation as 3C3W.

Meanwhile, authorities said that the suspension of licences will enable the government to develop a new regulatory framework with respect to legal frequencies and equipment - an action it said also aligns with national security requirements. A government statement said: [quote] "The goal is to ensure that no high-frequency equipment enters the country without proper approval and review of the license." [endquote]

The news comes one month before the scheduled 3C2MD DXpedition of the Mediterraneo DX Club International, which is to operate from the 30th of October through to the 11th of November. It is unclear what impact this move by the government will have on the planned DXpedition.

LETTING YOUNG READERS SEE A NEW DIMENSION TO RADIO

There are many dimensions to Lorilyn Roberts, KO4LBS. The Florida resident is an educator, a storyteller and a ham -- something she has wanted to be since childhood. Although she enjoys CW, one of her preferred modes when she is off the air is fiction. In many of the books she has authored, she uses that mode to communicate with faith and passion, reaching out most especially to young adult readers.

In her latest book, released September 5th, Lorilyn shows yet another dimension of her work, one that is reflected in its title "Eighth Dimension - Frequency." This is a work of fantasy fiction. It's the story of a teenager who gains fluency as an amateur radio operator but off the air, struggles to communicate as a caregiver for her mother who has dementia. The young girl, named Chumana, believes that her faith and her future have been shattered and she questions why things happen as they do in this universe.

Like Lorilyn, the protagonist at the core of this tale is a communicator - a gift that serves her well as she begins to make some unusual and unexpected connections via the digital modes.

Lorilyn told Newsline in an email that her hope is that young readers will discover amateur radio - and something more - by hearing Chumana's story. In fact, perhaps they will end up on the same frequency.

SIX RECIPIENTS SELECTED FOR YLRL SCHOLARSHIPS

The Young Ladies Radio League has announced six scholarship recipients for this year - two each for the Ethel Smith K2LMB Memorial Scholarship, the Mary Lou Brown NM7N Memorial Scholarship, and The Martha Wessel KØEPE Memorial Scholarship.

Congratulations to Grace Papay, K8LG and Neeti Sonth, KN6ØJJ for their selection as recipients of the Ethel Smith scholarship. Grace, who was Amateur Radio Newsline's Young Ham of the Year in 2024, is a top contester and youth mentor. She is studying electrical engineering at Cedarville University in Ohio. Neeti is a PhD student at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she is studying toward her PhD in aerospace engineering sciences. She is the communications officer for the school's amateur radio club.

Madison Clogher, KC1KJT, and Camrynne Ellis WX5CAM, have been chosen for the Martha Wessel scholarship. Madison is active in public service and emergency communications and worked recently with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its office of planning and preparedness. She has a bachelor's degree in emergency management and is pursuing her master's in cybersecurity. Camrynne is entering her final year at Texas A&M University where she is studying meteorology and atmospheric sciences. She became involved in ham radio through the school's Texas Aggie Storm Chasers organization.

Rachel Jones KO4HLC, and Katherine Forson, KT5KMF are receiving the Mary Lou Brown scholarship. Rachel, a PhD candidate in aerospace sciences at the University of North Dakota, has been a presenter on radio space science for students and is currently the winter manager of KC4USV at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Katherine is a senior meteorology student at Texas A&M University and active as an officer in the campus radio club W5AC. She is also a liaison between the club and the Texas Aggie Storm Chasers, where she serves as radio and licensing director. Katherine received the ARRL's Hiram Percy Maxim Award in 2021.

Newsline extends its congratulations to these six promising young talents.

WILD CARD TEAM MEMBERS CHOSEN FOR WRTC 2026

The excitement continues to build during these remaining months of planning for the World Radiosport Team Championship to be held next year in England.

Event chairman Mark MØDXR, has announced that members of the Wild Card team have been chosen by the Organising Committee. The lead position will be held by Diego, LW5HR, who showed much promise in the qualifications both as a single operator and as part of a number of multi-op teams. His teammate will be Manu, LU9ESD.

Mark said that given the strong representation of the US and Europe in the other teams, the make-up of the Wild Card team from South American amateurs has satisfied the organisers' goals for the field to achieve international diversity.

Wild Card teams are created to recognise candidates with exceptional competitive skills but who were not chosen during the selection process for the other teams.

The preparations and 24-hour contest take place from 8th to the 13th July showcasing the skills of 50 teams of two-person operators. Like the Olympic Games, it is held every four years.

PORTABLE-OP CELEBRATION ACTIVATES NY'S ERIE CANAL

Ten days on the air. Fourteen clubs in NY State. Six months of planning. It all adds up to two hundred years of the Erie Canal - the celebrated public-works project that sparked economic growth by providing a connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes in the early 1800s. It ultimately earned the nickname, the "Mother of Cities," because its connections fostered the development of towns, villages and cities.

Ham radio operators will light up the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor with an operating event that runs from the 16th through to the 25th of September. Many of them will be doing Parks on the Air activations, including a notable two-fer that also includes the Empire State Trail.

Organizers Matt K2EAG, Angela N3ARB and Mike N2MAK are encouraging clubs to create their own commemorative QSL cards for the event. The organizers aren't just looking to collect QSOs, though; they also want to gather stories from operators about their experiences during the event. They can be emailed directly to Matt at k 2 e a g at arrl dot net (k2eag@arrl.net) or posted on social media with the hashtag symbol and one of these three words: ErieCanal200, Erie Canalway or parksontheair.

UK REGULATOR MULLS SATELLITE-TO-CELL PHONE SERVICE

The UK is poised to become Europe's first country offering legal satellite connectivity for smartphones. The regulator Ofcom has released a consultation authorising the move and is requesting comments no later than the 10th of October.

Making this service available to standard mobile phones would provide the most remote parts of the UK with the access needed to send texts, make phone calls or even connect to the Internet - functions presently not possible in areas without mobile phone coverage.

This is known as "direct-to-device" and operation would be permitted after Ofcom has provided a variation to the licences of Mobile Network Operators. The change would also grant such use to mobile handsets and any other devices that make use of SIM cards.

DOUBTS ABOUT SOLAR CYCLE PREDICTION METHODOLOGY

As this year brings the solar maximum of Cycle 25, a different kind of solar storm has been raging - one that challenges the longstanding and prevailing paradigm scientists use to help arrive at forecasts. Sociologist and statistician Frank Howell K4FMH has done an extensive study of this so-called NASA-NOAA-ISED prediction formula, which utilizes a consensus methodology, pitting it against the work of solar physicist Scott McIntosh of Lynker Space.

In this busy, high-profile year for the sun and its activity, Frank has written extensively and presented a series of virtual talks on the subject in the US and overseas. He has also discussed the competing models extensively in his blog, K4FMH.com. Frank's most recent talk, "Progress in the Revolution: Sunspot Cycle Forecast Accuracy at Cycle 25," was given to Pennine [PEN-NINE] Ham in the UK, and can be seen on their YouTube channel.

Whether the NASA team or the McIntosh team prevails, one thing is certain: Like CMEs themselves, this scientific competition over solar predictions promises to rage for some time to come.

MANDATE FOR INDIAN HAMS TO CONVERT TO DIGITAL LICENSES

Hams in India who received amateur radio licences in paper form are being required to replace those certificates with a digital licence no later than the 15th of September by logging into the Saral Sanchar, a web-based portal of the Department of Telecommunications.

There is no application fee for the process, which provides amateurs with a QR code-authenticated certificate. This is the equivalent of the amateur radio booklets that had been issued manually with paper certificates until December 31st, 2019.

In early 2020, India began issuing all new and renewed amateur radio certificates digitally. The Telecommunication Rules of 2024 now require the holders of the older paper certificates to use the digital web-based portal as well. Failure to migrate will mean that when the licence expires, it cannot be renewed.

FCC EYES GIVING OK TO MOBILE PHONE JAMMING AT PRISONS

The Federal Communications Commission hopes to grant federal and state prisons the right to jam mobile phones that have been smuggled in to inmates.

The commission has scheduled a vote this month to remove a restriction that keeps the prisons from such jamming. The inmates are not authorized to have the phones, which the commission said are being used to assist them in conducting criminal activity while behind bars.

US law prohibits the use - and even the sale or distribution - of any equipment that can jam authorized signals such as radio communication, police radar, GPS devices and cell phones. Jamming is forbidden under the Communications Act of 1934, which has been amended and updated since its original drafting.

The vote is scheduled for September 30th.

FCC GRANTS LIMITED USE OF AMATEUR BANDS TO AST SPACEMOBILE

The FCC's Space Bureau said in a statement that it was giving permission to AST SpaceMobile to use frequencies between 430 and 440 MHz on an emergency basis only, The regulator said its move was in direct response to overwhelming concerns raised by amateur radio operators.

Citing potential interference among their issues, member societies of the International Amateur Radio Union, AMSAT, the ARRL and individual amateurs worldwide also argued that alternate UHF allocations exist for the satellites' telemetry, tracking and command functions. More than 2,500 comments were submitted to the FCC .

The FCC's action gives use of the amateur frequencies to the satellites for no more than a 24-hour period. The amateur radio 70cm band is used by hams worldwide for such applications as mobile FM voice, analogue and digital TV, digital data transmission, amateur radio satellites and weak-signal communications on SSB and CW.

AST SpaceMobile ultimately plans a full constellation of 248 satellites for broadband service from space.

SWEPT AWAY AT IOTA EXPEDITION TO PAJAROS ROCKS

A Honda generator. An IC 7000. Seven bandpass filters. Two multi-band antennas. A 500-watt amplifier. This equipment -- and more - are all gone now from the Pajaros rock where the team on IOTA Number SA-100 began operating on the 18th of August as 3G1P. Ocean swells of up to 3 metres - considered the worst seen in five years - forced Cezar, VE3LYC; Felipe, XQ7IR and Johan PA3EXX to be evacuated by the Chilean Coast Guard three days later. Wearing wetsuits, the hams swam to the rescuers' boats, eyeing the carefully packed-up equipment they had to leave behind on the rock. Already they were making plans to return for its retrieval.

Sea conditions prevented anyone from gaining access to the rock again until the 26th of August. Afterward, the team wrote on their website: [quote] "VERY BAD NEWS." [endquote] adding [quote] "There is absolutely nothing there except for the beam antenna that we left anchored, which has been damaged." [endquote] They believe that all else was swept away by the sea.

Now instead of QSOs, the trio has been collecting words of encouragement. In one of their most recent messages to chasers and supporters, they wrote: [quote] "We want to express our gratitude to all those who helped and will continue to help. They are living proof that the ham spirit is alive and well." [endquote]

To see the team's daily blog, detailing their challenges, follow the link in this week's newscast script at arnewsline.org

GAINS FOR JAPAN's OPEN-SOURCE MULTI-MODE LINEAR TRANSPONDER

The Japan Amateur Satellite Association, or JAMSAT, has announced progress in its development of an open-source multi-mode linear transponder for amateur radio on CubeSats. The project is called Blueberry JAM.

The international team working on the project believes it will have a model available by the middle of 2026 and hopes to make it available to satellite developers and universities where CubeSats are being prepared for flight. According to a report by AMSAT News, Blueberry JAM will support linear operation and will have the potential for delay modes, data handling and other digital capabilities.

Because of the project's fully open-source design, the ham radio community can expect to have access to design documents and details about the transponder's development. The ultimate goal is to have up to 10 spacecraft in flight with the transponder on board.

CANADIAN STRAIGHT KEY MONTH IS ON THE AIR

This year it takes just four letters - C S K and M - to let everyone on the air know that they're hearing a CW operator in one of Canada's provinces who's taking part in the Canadian Straight Key Month of the Straight Key Century Club. The event has eliminated the use of special callsigns. Now, hams will be heard calling "CQ C S K M," followed by their own callsigns.

According to the SKCC website, the change was made to make it easier for everyone to enjoy the event, which runs through to the 31st of September. Operators who work at least six different provinces are eligible for a special downloadable award.

The annual event is similar to the SKCC's Straight Key Month featuring US stations. That event, which uses the callsign K3Y, takes place every January.

NASA DEPLOYS LARGEST ORBITING RADAR ANTENNA REFLECTOR

Unfolding, some say, like a huge hidden flower emerging in bloom, a radar antenna with a 39-foot, or 12-metre diameter has been unfurled aboard a satellite in low Earth orbit, following its launch in late July from India.

The mission is known as NISAR, an acronym reflecting the partnership between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO.

NISAR will be capturing detailed data about forest and wetland ecosystems undergoing change, about the impact of earthquakes on the Earth's crust and the motion of glaciers and sheets of ice over time.

The mission is designed to help communities around the world plan ahead for natural disasters and implement recovery from them more efficiently. Karen St. Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science Division in Washington, DC, said this project will go a long way toward using science to assist in decision-making under these difficult circumstances -- from responding to disasters to formulating agricultural policy.

The antenna reflector, made of gold-plated wire mesh, has been compared to the "eye," of the system and it operates on both the L-band and the S-band. According to NASA, the system that operates on the L-band is particularly suited to penetrate forest canopy and clouds. The S-band system has particular sensitivity to light vegetation and moisture in snow.

The unprecedented joint satellite project will collect an estimated 80 terabytes of data daily.

NASA SEEKS VOLUNTEER TRACKERS FOR ORION SPACECRAFT

NASA is looking for volunteers to track next year's Artemis II Orion spacecraft during the crewed mission's roundtrip journey between the Earth and the Moon.

The US space agency is asking for those with the necessary capabilities to observe the Doppler shift on the Orion's S-band return link carrier signal. The monitoring is designed to achieve and keep a carrier lock solely for purposes of tracking the spacecraft. Volunteers will not be transmitting or uplinking signals. Orion's S-band range is between 2200 and 2290 MHz.

The crew aboard the Artemis II test mission will be NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman KF5LKT, the commander; Victor Glover KI5BKC, the pilot; and Christina Hammock Koch [pronounced "COOK"] as well as the Canadian Space Agency's astronaut Jeremy Hansen KF5LKU. The launch is expected to be no later than April of 2026 and the flight will last an estimated 10 days.

This planned flight follows the Artemis I mission of 2022 which featured an uncrewed Orion spacecraft that was tracked by 10 volunteers.

NASA hopes to hear from prospective candidates no later than 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, October 27th.

For more details see the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

SILENT KEY: BA-MA-TECH OWNER MARKUS BASELER, DL6YYM

Ba-Ma-Tech, the maker of precision keys popular with CW ops around the world, has announced the sudden death of its owner Markus Baseler DL6YYM and the company's plan to close its doors. No details about his death have been immediately provided but there is a message posted on the business website saying that it is reviewing existing orders to determine whether they can be fulfilled.

Markus was known as an enthusiastic CW op, operating QRP in POTA. He had made plans to operate in Greenland in August but called off the trip, writing on his QRZ.com page [quote] "Due to unexpected illness, unfortunately I have had to cancel everything." [endquote]

The company website includes an earlier message posted by Markus himself, noting that DHL had temporarily halted its shipments to the US.

NEW ZEALAND HAMS EYE BAND PLAN CHANGES FOR 30M

Following the lead of the amateur bandplan in place in Australia, the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters is recommending the establishment of a new 10 kHz-wide sub-band for SSB on 30 metres. This change would divide the CW-only band in half, giving it 20 kHz at the bottom of the band.

Digital mode operators would get 20kHz of spectrum -- double their current allocation - at the top of the band. Sideband's proposed 10 kHz would be found between 10.120 and 10.130 MHz.

With SSB operation already legal in New Zealand, the association notes that only the approval of this revised bandplan stands in the way of the change taking place. The proposal is for this to occur on a 12-month trial basis, with a review to take place in the final months.

TARIFFS SPUR HALT IN RADIO EQUIPMENT DELIVERIES TO US

Founded in France in 2014, Passion-Radio.com has become a leading online seller of ham radio receivers, antennas and other equipment to customers around the world. As from the 25th of August, however, the company suspended all shipments to the US, noting that the French national postal operator has stopped accepting US-bound parcels.

The company's director, David, F1JXQ, told visitors to its website: [quote] "With constant changes in tariffs, shipping costs, and carrier processes, we cannot guarantee fair or transparent conditions for our US customers any longer. Our priority is to restore a reliable and cost-effective shipping solution as soon as possible.” [endquote]

He added that import duties are paid by the buyer, not the seller, when the purchased goods arrive in the US; the seller has no control over that. United Parcel and other shipping services are also reviewing their deliveries to the US. UPS expects to apply an extra international processing fee to all imports from anywhere outside the US starting on the 8th of September.

Imports to Europe from the US remain unaffected, David said. [quote] "Our collaboration with five US-based suppliers continues without disruption, as the European Union has not imposed any retaliatory tariffs or reciprocal 15% import duties on products arriving from the United States." [endquote]

A RADIO HOMECOMING, ONE CENTURY LATER

Elizabeth Hutchings, VK3HM, had the distinction of being the first YL licensed as an amateur radio operator in the state of Victoria, Australia. Radio apparently was in the family's genes -- in the 1920s, her son Alan held the callsign VK3HL and her daughter, Marjorie, was licensed as VK3HQ.

Some 100 years later on the Callawadda land where the famliy's old radio shack still stands, Geoff Smart, VK3GCM, is putting amateur radio back into action. He chose this property, known as Bryn Avon, as his QTH for the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association's annual competition. Geoff knew Bryn Avon from commercial consultancy work he had done but he only learned of its connection to ham radio after reading an article by ALARA historian Jennifer Wardrop VK3WQ.

It's been a busy year of celebration for ALARA, which was founded in 1975. The association's contest, held every year during the last full weekend in August, is one of the many ways the group has been marking the occasion. The rules of the international contest stipulate that YLs may work anyone they please but men can only work YLs.

As Newsline went to production, Geoff was making plans to be active from the farm on 40 metres. Whether operating from the home of a notable YL from Victoria gives him a winning edge in a YL association contest remains to be seen. Win or lose, no doubt this would meet with the approval of one radio pioneer from Victoria.

ANDAMAN ISLAND DXPEDITION RECRUITING YOUNG REMOTE OPS

The team planning the Andaman Island DXpedition in 2026 has an ambitious agenda: the goal is to log at least 100,000 QSOs while the team is on the air from the Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal.

Contacts from around the world are expected to keep the on-site crew of 18 busy but organisers plan to add to the team by bringing remote operators, especially young licensed amateurs, on board.

The remote team lead, Gerry, W1VE, is a veteran of remote operations for the VP6A, E51D and other DXPeditions, and is hoping to replicate those successes with the Andaman Island DXpedition. Hams who participate in the remote operation will be required to have an Indian visa and an amateur radio license from India even though they will not be physically present. Operators are to be selected by the 1st of April, 2026.

It promises to be a busy time once the activation gets under way on Oct. 19, 2026. The operators expect to participate in the 2026 CQ WW SSB Contest representing India They will also be activating three POTA sites between the 27th and the 29th of October. The entity is also IOTA AS-001.

Gerry asks that interested amateurs contact him directly via email at gerry at remote dot radio. That's "Gerry" spelled "G E R R Y" at remote dot radio (gerry@remote.radio).