ROBUST TEAM OF RACES HAMS ACTIVATE IN HAWAII

Hawaii's recent statewide call for hams to get more involved in RACES could not have been better timed:

RACES hams were activated on February 8th and 9th, as severe weather brought high winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, power outages, and hazardous surf conditions across Honolulu and the State of Hawaii. Both Governor Josh Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi issued emergency proclamations to mobilize resources and protect public safety.

According to Michael Miller, KH6ML, deputy director of RACES and Assistant Section Manager, Pacific Section for the ARRL, RACES amateur radio operators were activated inside the Emergency Operations Center in support of the Department of Emergency Management, City and County of Honolulu. Additional amateur radio activity also took place through ARES and CERT activations in the field.

As trained, licensed, amateur radio volunteers, RACES hams are involved in a government-activated amateur radio service used during official emergencies, operating under local, state, or federal emergency management authorities. In Hawaii, RACES operators are a part of the state’s Emergency Management Reserve Corps, helping to keep information moving between the Emergency Operations Center and field sites.

CHILEAN HAMS RESPOND TO AN ANDES MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY

Riding horseback across the mountains each year recalls a defining moment of independence for South American nations. This year's 209th anniversary ride of the Crossing of the Andes under Jose de San Martin and the Army of the Andes, led to an emergency evacuation of one rider in early February. As the mounted expedition began its return trip home through Chile in early evening, the woman suffered a serious fall from her horse.

Writing in the Forums section of QRZ.com, Carlos Almirón, LU7DSY, said that the San Felipe Provincial Radio Club, CE2REU, sent out a call for emergency assistance through the Chilean ham radio network. The Los Molinos Radio Club of Villa Alemana, CE2CQ, provided GPS coordinates for the mountains' La Vega section. As ground resources and a helicopter were dispatched, the Los Molinos hams continued their coordination with the expeditioners through a link with the San Felipe Provincial Radio Club. The rescue teams arrived, performed CPR followed by an evacuation. It was later reported that the rider had died from her injuries while being treated at the hospital.

TINY BIRDS TRANSMIT THE SECRET OF THEIR SURVIVAL

As anyone who has ever worked a satellite - or does so regularly - working these birds, as they are known, has its rewards. A group of researchers in Australia has also been working the birds, a species known as a white-backed swallow, using temperature-sensing radio transmitters. They’ve received some great results, as we hear from John Williams VK4JJW.

JOHN: No matter which hemisphere you live in, no doubt this year has already shaped up to be a time of weather extremes. Wherever you are, you have a lot in common with the white-backed swallow, a prevalent species here in Australia with the very uncommon ability to survive despite freezing temperatures to blasting heat. We’re talking about as much as 50 degrees Celsius - that’s 122 degrees Fahrenheit - and we Australians especially can relate!

To learn how the birds survive, researchers in central Australia’s Sturt National Park outfitted some of them with tiny transmitters. This was not an avian Parks on the Air; this was a research project to monitor the birds’ physiological responses through biologging - a way to record and transmit their body temperatures’ changes as the birds slept in their burrows at night.

The result? A highly successful Worked All States of Bird Physiology. The collected data confirmed the scientists’ theory that a deep torpor - an essential near-shutdown of metabolism, heart rate and breathing - was essential for these birds, just as for some other bird species, such as the tiny hummingbirds in some regions of the world.

The results were recently published in the journal Current Biology. The scientists called the transmitters key to their findings because data could be gathered in the wild instead of an artificial setting, such as a laboratory. Hams, of course, would not be surprised at radio’s reliability. After all, the researchers HAD created a Reverse Beak Network.

CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION IN UK EYES MAKER COMMUNITY

As in previous years, the RSGB’s Construction Competition has six categories which emphasize the hands-on building and designing of projects - activities that are rooted deeply in ham radio. Organisers have introduced a new category this year - Reimagination - which still draws its challenges from radio but produces projects with an appeal to non-amateurs, such as individuals in the Maker community. The society hopes that these innovative entries will shine even more of a spotlight on what ham radio is all about.

This is an international competition. Entries can be from anywhere in the world but competitors must belong to the RSGB.

The deadline for entries is the 1st of March. For details on how to enter and for a list of the other six categories, visit rsgb.org and search for “construction competition.”

US ADVANCED CLASS OPERATORS HOST POPULAR NET

The A13 Advanced Class Preservation Society is more than a gathering of friends - it is a circle of amateur radio operators who celebrate their status as the last holders of a class of license the Federal Communications Commission stopped granting nearly 26 years ago. The holders of these licenses, which are still renewable indefinitely, created the society in 2020 as a welcoming place. It became the home of a ragchew net that operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on 14.213 MHz at 1700 UTC, with Scott Endsley, W5HVO, as primary net control.

Although 445 hams hold numbered certificates of membership in this group, they extend a welcome to any Advanced and Extra Class operators, as well as DX hams who would like to check in.

The elimination of the Advanced Class license was undertaken as a streamlining move - an action that created a three-license system that also removed the entry-level Novice Class.

GPS INTERFERENCE WARNING IN CENTRAL TEXAS

Farmers, pilots and smartphone-users and anyone else who relies on GPS to get from here to there have been paying close attention to an alert from the US military base at Fort Hood in Texas. The announcement said that throughout February, the region that includes Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and even Oklahoma City could experience interference and disruptions. The final rounds of testing are to be held on February 13th and 14th from 3 to 5 a.m. local time and resuming nightly from February 15th through to the 22nd. The final testing period is February 23rd through to the 27th.

NEW HAMPSHIRE POISED TO OK HAM RADIO LICENSE PLATES

Amateur radio operators in New Hampshire are eagerly awaiting the passage of a measure by their state lawmakers to create a new vanity license plate type for motor vehicles that “clearly identifies the owner of the vehicle to be an amateur radio operator.”

A public hearing was held last month on the House Bill which would “authorize the creation of vanity license plates and decals that identify amateur radio operators by their Federal Communications Commission call sign. If the owner chooses not to display their call sign they may use a standard issue plate featuring a lightning bolt symbol to indicate their status as a licensed amateur radio operator.”

If lawmakers approve the bill, it would still need the signature of Gov. Kelly Ayotte (AY-ott) before becoming law. Gov. Ayotte (AY-ott) has shown support of ham radio, proclaiming June of last year "Amateur Radio Month" in recognition of radio operators' important roles in public service and emergency communications.

VICTORY IN SCOTLAND FOR AMATEUR'S TOWER INSTALLATION

The foundations dug and the concrete base with anchor bolts installed, the greatest obstacle facing John Grieve, GM3RTI’s tower project, has been the Scottish winter weather, so John needs to proceed slowly with pulleys, wire ropes and other work; but it was only a few months ago that he could not proceed at all.

Despite supporting statements from neighbours and the Radio Society of Great Britain, the local Perth and Kinross Council rejected John’s planning application for the tilt-over, telescoping structure in the garden behind his home in the village of Inchture. It was to have had an operating height of 15 metres, or 50 feet. John told Newsline that he’d had little opportunity to communicate directly with the Council beforehand. The rejection stated that the project would [quote] “have a detrimental impact on the character and environmental quality of the application property and the surrounding area.”

John, who is also an RSGB Region 2 representative, contacted the RSGB Planning Advisory Committee for an appeal in October. In mid-December 2025, he received a 10-year approval. John also gained enthusiastic support on social media: an update on the RSGB’s Facebook page reached more than 35,000 supporters in just a few days, according to society spokeswoman Heather Parsons M7OWS.

Now if only John could similarly appeal against the Scottish winter weather…...

IRAN RECEIVES BBC SHORTWAVE RADIO PROGRAMMING

The turmoil in Iran that led to an information blackout in that nation has prompted the BBC to launch a temporary shortwave radio service for listeners there. Medium and shortwave frequencies have been carrying programmes each day starting at 1630 UTC. The content includes news and analysis relevant to Iran and provides a global perspective. In announcing the service, the BBC said this was part of its tradition of providing crisis broadcasting, adding that the broadcasts will remain on the air until the end of March.

Half-hour programming is broadcast starting at 16:30 UTC on both 702 kHz and 9465 kHz and repeated starting at 1800 UTC on both 702 kHz and 5935 kHz.

KENYA JOINS ARISS AS ITS SOLE AFRICAN NATION

The Kenya Space Agency has announced that students, professionals and others will have an opportunity to communicate live over amateur radio with astronauts aboard the ISS. Kenya has become the only African nation chosen to participate in the program. Astronaut contacts are expected to take place between July and December.

The country's selection comes as it deepens its commitment to providing greater STEM education. The nation has been encouraging space science studies and innovation through efforts such as the Kenya National Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Learning Ecosystem. This national emphasis is a major part of Vision 2030, a development initiative to industrialize and raise the quality of life in Kenya.

In preparation for ARISS participation, Kenya's space agency and the Pan-African Citizen Science e-Laboratory will collaborate on public outreach technical coordination and of course, the selection of schools and other educational institutions.

A STATION WELL-GROUNDED BY A GROUNDHOG

A shadow was cast over the scene on February 2nd as Punxsutawney Phil, newly emerged from his burrow, looked down with sleepy eyes and saw the dark outline of his likeness. By tradition, that signals six more weeks of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Punxsutawney Area Amateur Radio Club, K3HWJ, who get on the air each year for a special event to mark this winter ritual, did what Phil could not: they were able to stay warm and comfy in their burrows. Judy Smith, KC3JAS, who operated from home on Monday - Groundhog Day - told Newsline that her husband reported temperatures, including wind chill, of minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit - that's minus 23 Centigrade - on the final day of the three-day activation. He told the seasoned POTA operator that she needed to stay indoors. She told Newsline [quote] "I was disappointed, to say the least." [endquote]

Phil's wintry prediction also disappointed many observers, including hams who were either snowbound or tired of the freezing cold, Phil was not winning a popularity contest anywhere.

The event itself did not disappoint anyone, however. Judy said that she and the other three operators, Bill Latta, KA3MKY, Dale Wood, KC3NFD and Mike Brennan KC2EGI, found the bands "amazing" for some of the time. The club logged a total of 556 contacts, most of them on SSB.

For the groundhog, this was nothing to lose sleep over: With the event over, Phil reportedly went right back into hibernation.

YLRL MAKES HIGHER-ED SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

For the next two months, the Young Ladies Radio League will be reviewing scholarship applications from qualified YLs who are pursuing advanced degrees, preferably in subjects relevant to communication or radio. The application period opened on the 1st of February and closes on the 1st of April. YLs holding valid amateur radio licenses anywhere in the world are eligible for any of three scholarships. Preference is being given to YLs who are members of the YLRL.

The Ethel Smith, K4LMB, Memorial Scholarship and the Mary Lou Brown, NM7N Memorial Scholarship both provide $2,500 each toward a student’s full-time pursuit of a bachelor’s or graduate degree at any accredited university.

Students who are enrolled in part-time studies can apply for the Martha Wessel, KØEPE, Memorial Scholarship. Those students must be involved in full-time work or have roles as family caregivers or stay-at-home parents.

For details or an application form, visit the YLRL website at ylrl.net and search for “scholarships.”

YLS MARK INT'L WOMEN'S DAY WITH POTA PARTY

It’s a YL POTA Party - and this one on Saturday, March 7th isn’t just for licensed amateurs but those who are interested in experiencing the beauty of Pineway Ponds Park in Spencerport, New York. The site along the Erie Canal is designated US-6532 within the POTA system. YLs will be spending the day at the cabin known as Owens Lodge within the park.

The organizers, Angela N3ARB and Matt K2EAG, have invited YLs of all ages to participate and either bring their own radios or share others’ rigs. The starting time is 9 a.m. and everyone will be permitted to stay until the park’s 9 p.m. closing time. This is an independent event and is not sponsored by the Parks on the Air organization. International Women’s Day is observed this year on Sunday, March 8th.

The YL POTA Party is timed to coincide with International Women’s Day, which provides an opportunity for YLs to celebrate women in amateur radio.

If you are interested, send an email to Angela N3ARB and Matt K2EAG at Brown at brownbuffalo dot com. (brown@brownbuffalo.com)

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR HAMSCI'S MARCH WORKSHOP

Registration has opened for the annual HamSCI workshop which this year will be held in Connecticut and hosted by the ARRL on the campus of Central Connecticut State University. The dates are March 14th and 15th.

The workshop theme is "Discovering Science through Ham Radio," and will showcase how HamSCI's cooperative relationships between researchers, ham radio operators, citizen scientists and students have brought about notable advances in weather studies, propagation sensing and ionospheric research.

Visitors will have an opportunity to visit the Newington, Connecticut headquarters of the ARRL , where licensed hams will be able to get on the air from the Hiram P. Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW

Although the two-day event is designed for in-person attendance at the New Britain, Connecticut university campus, plans are in the works to provide opportunities for virtual attendance. Details will be announced close to the date of the workshop. Find registration information at the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

** WINTER FIELD DAY: FROM SIMULATION TO ACTIVATION

Eddie Misiewicz, KB3YRU, was with a group of fellow hams for Winter Field Day on Sunday, January 25th, when he was notified by the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the Pittsburgh Weather Forecast Office to activate SKYWARN for Winter Storm reports.

Eddie, who is a SKYWARN coordinator and volunteer, told Newsline that stations from 35 counties across the region got on the air, averaging 150 snowfall and condition reports from each of the counties. Amateur participation came from Central Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, as well as the Northern and Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Of course, this is why drills like Winter Field Day exist. The activation went QRT on Monday evening, January 26th, after 15 continuous hours of being on the air.

TROPHY EVENT CELEBRATES HISTORIC SATELLITE QSO

There was not yet a global satellite community when Hans Rudolf Lauber, HB9RG, and Alfons Haring, DL6EZA, made their pioneering satellite QSO in 1965. That moment gave rise to a new era for ham radio and in the years that followed, as more satellites populated the skies, the international community developed a zest for working "the birds."

AMSAT-HB's trophy, which bears Hans Rudolf Lauber's callsign, is an honour conferred for achieving DX via ham radio satellite between the 2nd and the 15th of March. The competition is timed to coincide with the original two-day contact made on March 10th, 1965. Only QSOs via

low- medium- and highly elliptical earth orbit satellites will be permitted. On the final day, hams will be permitted to use a geostationary satellite for a single contact with HB9RG, the bonus station.

For details and rules, follow the link in the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org.

BRAZIL'S HAMS MARK ANNIVERSARY WITH SSTV, SPECIAL EVENT STATION

When the Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão, or LABRE, the league of Brazilian Amateur Radio Transmitters, was created in 1934 to represent its national radio amateurs, it would be almost three decades before anyone would have the use of amateur radio satellites. Now, however, hams in Brazil have a choice of many such satellites - and to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the league's founding, they have chosen the Russian CubeSat UmKA-1, or RS40S, to transmit SSTV imagery between the 6th and 9th of February.

The transmissions are on 437.625 MHz and the SSTV mode is Robot36 sent every three minutes. Any operator who receives the imagery will be eligible for a special certificate.

Hams with a more terrestrial interest are being invited to chase 28 special anniversary callsigns that are on the air from the 1st of February through to the 1st of March. The callsigns represent each region of Brazil and, according to a Facebook post, present [quote] " a unique opportunity for fellowship, cultural and technical exchange, and friendship—values that have always been at the heart of LABRE." [endquote]

AN OPEN-SOURCE EFFORT TO SALVAGE HAMCLOCK

With last month's tragic death of HamClock developer, Elwood Downey, WBØOEW, the clock is ticking - quite literally - on a way to salvage this popular shack accessory so it remains useful beyond its scheduled sunset in June.

Brian Wilkins, KO4AQF, the developer of an open-source alternative, has posted his work-in-progress on the GitHub website in the hopes of providing realtime HamClock data feeds from publicly available locations, such as PSK reporter, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The final iteration of HamClock is version 4.22. With no further maintenance possible on its Internet backend, news, propagation updates, DX and other data will no longer be delivered to the device after it sunsets.

Brian was not involved in the creation of the original HamClock but said that this replacement project, a free, open-source, Linux-based system, is an outgrowth of [quote] "my own motivation and passion." [endquote]

He told Newsline in an email that [quote] "the goal is preservation, not reinvention - keeping HamClock working exactly as intended for years to come." [endquote]

To see the work that is under way, follow the link in the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

4 HAMS AMONG THOSE CHOSEN TO TRACK ARTEMIS 2 FLIGHT

Thirty-four volunteers from around the world have been chosen by the US Space Agency to track the Orion spacecraft and its crew of four astronauts during the scheduled Artemis 2 test flight. NASA has said that this mission, which includes a trip around the moon, plays a vital role in setting the stage for a return to exploration of the lunar surface. The mission is also viewed as paving the way for the first crewed Mars mission.

Four amateur radio operators are among the 34 observers chosen by NASA in a group that also includes universities, government agencies and private companies. The Canadian Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center are among those chosen. Von Storch Engineering in the Netherlands and Intuitive Machines in Houston, Texas are among the commercial entities selected. Academic institutions include the University of Zurich's Physics Department in Switzerland and the University of New Brunswick in Canada.

The four hams are Chris Swier [pron: SWEER], K1FSD of South Dakota; Dan Slater, AG6HF, and Loretta Smalls, AJ6HO, both of California; and Scott Tilley, VE7TIL of British Columbia, Canada. The hams will be using their radio equipment to track transmissions from the Orion over the course of its 10 days in space.

DELAY FOR BOUVET ISLAND 3YØK DXPEDITION

If you’re keeping your ears tuned for the start of the 3YØK DXpedition to Bouvet Island, the thing you’re going to need more than good propagation, sufficient power, a good antenna and, of course, good timing is…patience. The team’s plans have been delayed by about two weeks, according to their website. Their sailing vessel is undergoing additional maintenance to secure it for the journey to the remote island. The team writes: [quote] “While this delay is disappointing, the safety of our team remains our highest priority.” [Endquote]

According to the team, nothing else about the team’s game plan has changed and after three years of planning, they are looking forward to being QRV before too long.