WHEN HAMS CARE TO TAKE CARE

Forty-eight Novembers have come and gone since Doug KC2YME and his wife, Linda, were married and they have rarely been apart. The couple raised three sons and even as Doug pursued his career, he found joy in his off-hours as a ham radio operator. Those off-hours are precious to him now since he retired to become fulltime caregiver to his wife, who has dementia and requires kidney dialysis. Being deaf, she either reads his lips or increasingly relies on messages being written down.

Still, amateur radio is there for him and, at times, Doug’s ragchews have put him in touch with any number of amateurs who, like him, are devoting time – sometimes fulltime – to a family member’s complex needs. He is now hoping to bring together these kindred spirits to gather on 40 metres to share insights, stories and ultimately friendship. He is looking for suggestions as to the date and time for such a net. Anyone wishing to join to or learn more can contact him at k c 2 y me ham @ gmail.com

HAM CLUB CW ACTIVITY BUILDS NEWCOMERS' CONFIDENCE

The activity is called "CQ XING," or "CQ Crossing," and it was launched on the 1st of January by the A1Club to help new CW operators overcome their fear of having QSOs longer than the customary short exchange. Described as a "crossing to meet more CW friends," the activity centers around 7.030 MHz, particularly on Fridays from 1300 to 1500 UTC. The international club, which is based in Japan, said in its announcement that while a simple exchange of RSTs is often fine, amateurs engaging in "CQ XING" (SEE CUE EXXING} are leaving the opportunity open for something a bit longer - even a ragchew. The club said that calling CQ in this manner conveys [quote] "our shared desire to operate with consideration and respect, making it easier for CW beginners to participate...." [endquote]

Any ham hearing the message "CQ A1C XING" is welcome to reply. A speed of between 10 and 20 wpm is suggested.

To find out more about the A1 club, visit the link https://a1club.org/A1_club_e.htm

DX REBEL GROUP EXPEDITES CONWAY REEF PLANS

The Rebel DX Group has announced that they expect to face fully restricted physical access to Conway Reef but are nonetheless hoping to activate the site before the new limitations begin. The team posted a notice on various DX news sites saying [quote] "We are quickly organizing a trip to 3D2/C before the new restrictions take place." [endquote] The team reports that Fiji's Ministry of Fisheries will soon designate the site as a restricted-access zone. No specific dates were provided in their announcement -- either for the activation plans or the start of the restrictions.

A trip to Conway Reef would mark a fourth return there. The Rebel DX group activated it in May of 2024 as 3D2CCC, facing numerous challenges, including very windy conditions and issues with birds interfering with the equipment.

UK TELEGRAPHY STATION MARKS 125th ANNIVERSARY

The commercial telegraphy station that opened in 1901 at the Lizard Wireless Station captured the imagination of the pioneer Guglielmo Marconi. He used it as a test site while planning what was to become part of his historic transatlantic transmissions from nearby Poldhu in December of that year. By then, radio had already emerged as a prominent communication force: Just 23 days after the Lizard station opened, its operators received the first over-the-horizon wireless signals sent from St Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight. It was a record-setting moment.

The station's historic callsign, GB4LWS, is back on the air throughout the month of January. Ham radio operators from the Cornish Radio Amateur Club join Geoff GØFHT and Tim MØAFJ of the National Trust to mark the anniversary.

Geoff, who is the Lizard's amateur radio operations manager, told Newsline that the celebration recognises the station's role in creating the foundation for our modern connected world.

GERMAN AMATEURS' ACCESS TO 70 MHz BAND IN LIMBO

In Germany, amateurs' use of the 70 MHz band appears to be in limbo as of January 1st. The annual temporary-use permit that had been in place expired on the 31st of December. The regulator has taken no action to renew it.

The Novice-level -- the middle licence class in Germany -- amateur radio licenses have had temporary permission to use the 6-metre band. The nation's regulator, BNETzA a Federal Agency, has not extended these operating privileges for Class E license holders. Any amateurs wishing to transmit on 50 MHz in Germany must hold a Class A, full license, which has had permanent access to the band since June 2024.

MINNESOTA AMATEURS HONOR WW2 MILITARY CHAPLAIN

Father George Metcalf, who held the callsign WØJH, also held faith in the troops he served under Gen. George Patton -- and that favorable weather would aid the Allies' efforts during the Battle of the Bulge. With the help of a fellow military chaplain, the priest offered a prayer for the Allies to enter the key battle under fair skies.

In the decade following the war's end, the Episcopal priest made his home at what is now the Belwin Conservancy’s Savanna Center in Afton, Minnesota. On January 9th, 10th and 11th, the Stillwater Amateur Radio Association will be on the air from the priest's former home to honor him and will be using his original callsign. They will be joined by Father Brian K. Burgess, KD4UTL, an Episcopal bishop who will be visiting from Illinois to operate with the hams and officiate on Sunday at a local service.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR CONTEST HALL OF FAME

The nomination period is also open through to the 1st of March for the Contest Hall of Fame, which is being managed by the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation. Originally established by CQ magazine in 1986, candidates for inclusion are those who have personal operating achievements but also provided meaningful support to others in pursuit of contesting excellence. Recent inductees include Uli Weiss, DJ2YA and Pat Barkey, N9RV. The hall of fame also includes Silent Key Dick Ross, K2MGA, president of CQ publishing.

For details visit the website contesthof.com

HALL OF FAME NOMINATION PERIOD OPENS

Nominations are open now through to the 31st of March for candidates to be nominated for entry to the Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. Licensed hams and any individuals whose actions have an impact on amateur radio are eligible.

The Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame continues the tradition established in 2001 by CQ magazine, which has ceased publication. Hamgallery oversees the hall of fame and is accepting nominations sent to the attention of Tom Roscoe K8CX at k8cx@hamgallery.com

A diverse group of licensed amateurs will review the nominations. Please ensure that the words "CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame" appear in your email's subject line.

There will be a maximum of three inductees.

EXPERIMENTAL HF STATIONS LOSE CALLSIGN-ID WAIVER

Experimental HF stations that had previously held waivers exempting them from station identification are now being required to transmit their assigned callsigns at least once every half-hour. The FCC sent letters in December to those stations who held the temporary waivers saying it was dropping the exemptions following complaints of interference from other spectrum users. The experimental licenses are for stations operating on the band between 2 and 25 MHz.

A posting on Radio World reported the change, which first appeared in Experimental Radio News from Bennett Kobb, AK4AV

The FCC has said that the identification must be in either by voice or Morse Code and that digital encoding and digital modulation must be disabled during the ID.

NEW HOLLAND RADIO SHACK ACQUIRES QUICKSILVER RADIO

Quicksilver Radio Products, the popular Connecticut-based business established by John Bartscherer, N1GNV, two decades ago, is relocating to Pennsylvania as a division of the New Holland Radio Shack.

John, who was widely known as John Bee, became a Silent Key in October of 2025 while he was hospitalized. The death of the popular and personable radio amateur also drew concerns among loyal longtime customers that his business would permanently close its doors. In a late December announcement that appeared in the QRZ.com forums and on Facebook, the company said it was in the process of moving its inventory to its new location. Quicksilver said that the company also planned to have a presence at Hamcation in Orlando, Florida in February.

The business' website, qsradio.com , is also operating again.

MONTENEGRO LAUNCHES FIRST SATELLITE

The small Balkan nation of Montenegro finished 2025 by taking a history-making step into space with the launch of its first satellite.

Weighing just under 2 kilogrammes, the 1U CubeSat began its journey on the 28th of December aboard a Soyuz carrier rocket from Russia's new cosmodrome near the border with China. A project of Montenegro Space Research, it is designed to collect data for transmission back to Earth. On board are a high-resolution camera, solar panels and a variety of sensors - all designed to function throughout the satellite's three-year mission in low-earth orbit.

Montenegro's amateur radio association announced that it received its first telemetry signals from the satellite on the 31st of December, adding that it planned to donate an antenna to the space research organisation for everyday reception.

The satellite has been named Luca [pronounced: LOO CHA], which is Montenegrin for "light."

SWEEPING REGULATION CHANGES FOR UK DRONES

As of January 1st, the landscape for drone operators has also changed in the UK, under new Civil Aviation Authority regulations. Each drone to be sold must carry Class Marks that reflect compliance with that particular aircraft's technical and safety standards. The Class Marks are similar to those used in the EU and cover where and how the drone can be flown.

There is also an array of new regulations covering different weights of drones and their permitted proximity to people - or crowds of people. Drones carrying cameras, and weighing at least 100 grams, are also required to have a Flyer ID. A Remote ID is also required to transmit the drone's identification and its location while airborne.

The new regulations apply to drone use by hobbyists as well as professionals. The class-based regulations do not apply to drones purchased before the first of this year. They will instead operate under the weight-based rules.

For specific rules, visit caa.co.uk/drones

FCC BANS IMPORT, SALE OF FOREIGN-MADE DRONES

The import and sale of foreign-made drones and components are now banned in the US, following action by the Federal Communications Commission, citing the potential of national security risks. The agency's move follows an executive order from the White House in June, banning unmanned aircraft systems and their parts.

The executive order, known as "Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty," stated that the move also has the goal of boosting drone manufacture in the US for use here and for export to the global marketplace.

The ban is expected to have far-reaching effects on drone sellers as well as their customers. Drones are widely used by first responders, farmers, business owners and hobbyists. The ban affects only new products that are not already here in the US.

WEATHERING A LONG LIFETIME OF STORMS

Well-respected, kind and personable, Neil Frank understood how storm preparedness could be vital for lifesaving communication during hurricane season. He particularly valued amateur radio for its resiliency when disaster cut conventional means of getting the word out. The meteorologist's long tenure at the helm of the National Hurricane Center, part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, changed everything -- especially in 1980, when he established an amateur radio station at the NHC in Florida to stay connected to vulnerable areas in the Caribbean.

Julio Ripoll, WD4R, was a university student pursuing architecture studies at the time -- and was president of his school's ham radio club -- when Neil Frank tapped him for the role of cofounder and the first amateur radio coordinator of station WX4NHC. What was to have been a two-year assignment lasted for more than 45 years and more than 100 hurricanes, encouraged by his friend and mentor. Julio, who remains active as assistant coordinator, told Newsline in an email: [quote] "Dr. Frank showed this young ham kindness and understanding from Day 1 and for many years after. His support and pep talks helped my confidence and inspired me in many ways." [endquote]

Neil Frank's own tenure at the NHC lasted from 1974 to 1987, the longest term any director has held. He eventually moved on to KHOU-TV in Houston, Texas where, affectionately given the nickname "Doc," he was chief meteorologist until 2008.

Neil Frank died December 24th, 2025 - Christmas Eve Day - at the age of 94.

FCC READY TO ELIMINATE FOUR HAM-RELATED REGULATIONS

Four rules covering the amateur radio service in the United States are marked for elimination by the Federal Communications Commission unless the agency receives objections filed no later than the 2nd of January -- objections that it considers worthy of consideration. The FCC plans to otherwise remove the four rules, three of which it called “obsolete,” and one that it says duplicates an existing provision.

The FCC published its intention in the Federal Register and identified the rules. They are provisions 97.27, 97.29, 97.315 (b)(2), considered out of date by the FCC. The fourth provision is 97.521 (b), which relates to Volunteer Examiner Coordinators.

The FCC has scheduled the removal of the four rules on the 10th of February. The agency’s action is part of its broader 2025 initiative to remove regulations that it considers burdensome or no longer necessary.

To see each of the rules relevant to ham radio in depth, visit federalregister-dot-gov (federalregister.gov). There you will also find information on how to file a comment, if you wish to do so.

NEW ZEALAND HAMS USE "ZM" PREFIX FOR CENTENARY YEAR

How do you show pride in the group that has come to represent and advocate for amateur radio in New Zealand? One way is to drop the "ZL" prefix and swap it out with "ZM" during the centenary year of 2026. So be listening! The "ZM" prefix is a recognised special-event callsign in New Zealand and has been used before. This occasion is a far happier one than the previous authorisation by Radio Spectrum Management, which allowed the use of "ZM" during the period of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Don't worry, the "ZL" prefix isn't going away for the year. You'll see be hearing for special event callsigns such as ZL100MVL and ZL100AM, which have been approved for use until 31 March.

Here's to the next 100 years for New Zealand's hams!

AMSAT YOUTH INITIATIVE TAKES CLOSER LOOK AT CLIMATE CHANGE

As students return to school after the holiday break, the AMSAT Youth Initiative has released the second installment in its free online series about satellites and their impact on life here on Earth.

The course is called "Satellites and Climate Change" and was written by Eric Sonnenwald, N2XSE, a retired educator in New Jersey. Eric was also the author of the first installment, released in late 2025: "Satellites and Meteorology."

Anyone wanting to help students learn more in the fields of science, technology, engineering art and mathematics will have access to material in the Youth Initiatives program, which will have 14 installments in all.

The program has received two grants from Amateur Radio Digital Communications. Two more courses will be launched online shortly: "Satellites and Pollution Control" and "Satellites and Preservation of Natural Resources." Visit the website buzzsat dot com (buzzsat.com) for more details.

EASING THE WAY FOR BLIND HAMS TO USE DIGITAL MODES

One of the gifts that Darrell Hilliker, NU7I, has provided to users of contemporary technology is his blog, Blind Access Journal. As an advocate for people who are blind like Darrell - or perhaps challenged by low vision or obstacles posed by aging - he has developed his blog to provide resources to developers, decision-makers and other consumers of technology so they can make the modern world more accessible to everyone.

The Arizona radio amateur has now issued a call - a QST in every sense - asking fellow hams to turn their efforts toward making digital mode software such as WSJT-X more accessible too.

Darrell said in a press release that the increasing popularity of digital modes has made it harder for hams with disabilities to participate fully because an accessible user interface is missing from the software. He wrote: [quote] “A month doesn’t go by where I don’t hear at least one conversation on the bands where an older ham is contemplating giving up or curtailing their activities due to a physical disability like arthritis or a visual impairment. We can do better as a community—and we can do it together.”

He told Newsline in an email that he is issuing a call, through his blog, [quote] "to inspire and engage members of the amateur radio community." [endquote] He said that because WSJT-X is open source, it provides an opportunity for collaboration for improvements in keyboard navigation, screen reader support and overall usability. He hopes his blog can be a place where advocates, developers and users can brainstorm.

To volunteer or simply to learn more, contact Darrell at editor at blindaccessjournal - that's one word - dot com. (editor@blindaccessjournal.com)

LOCAL GOVT., CHILEAN HAMS SIGN EMCOMM CONTRACT

Almost a year ago, 90 percent of Chile was plunged into darkness during a national blackout, causing the government to declare a state of emergency. Recalling that disaster recently, the mayor of the municipality of Villa Alemana, Nelson Estay, said that [quote] "the only ones who were functioning and available were the amateur radio operators." [endquote]

If anything of that magnitude should ever happen again - or, for that matter, should almost any emergency occur at all - the municipality knows that the radio operators are there. Now, however, it has been formalized. The Los Molinos Amateur Radio Club has signed an agreement with Villa Alemana in support of the Communal Emergency Operations Committee

The club's president, Lorenzo Passalacqua, CA2PJP, said the agreement strengthens an already healthy working relationship established some time ago. He said [quote] "All that was missing was the official signing of this agreement." [endquote]

IT'S GROWING SEASON FOR NEW HAM CLUB IN MONTANA

The newly-formed Headwaters Amateur Radio Club of Montana is growing strong: Members are preparing to hold their first meeting on the 19th of January at the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce office -- and making plans to participate in Winter Field Day a week later. According to their publicity director, Carol Flaherty, KA7ROL, the club was formed recently in Belgrade and has already had some success holding a net using 2-meters simplex. They are hoping soon to establish a repeater.

The biggest priority will be to provide emergency communications to the various communities in this snowstorm- and windstorm-prone region in Montana's Gallatin Valley. For now, the club continues in growth mode. Carol said members expect to welcome area university students and some of the Scouts who received their ham licenses after last summer's Camporee.