AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS ON MOON MISSION ABOARD ARTEMIS 2

Our top story takes us into space - specifically, looking toward the moon. Delayed weeks ago due to technical issues, NASA's Artemis 2 mission lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on the 1st of April, carrying a crew of four astronauts - three of whom have amateur radio licenses. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT; Victor Glover, KI5BKC, Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU, and Christina Koch, now embark on a test flight that will pave the way for an eventual return of a human presence on the moon.

Meanwhile, four amateur radio operators here on Earth are among the group of 34 volunteers chosen by NASA to track transmissions from the Orion spacecraft during its 10-day journey.

OUT ON THE AIR AND UNDER BLUE SKIES

The most important connections we make in amateur radio aren’t the ones we solder on the workbench or fasten with a PL-259 in the field. So says Jacques Redmond WW1ZRD, founder of Out on the Air, an amateur radio activity that focuses on connections that are human-to-human. You can make them on a hilltop, a sidewalk or even in your garden. Jacques created the website outontheair dot com to encourage hams to get off their couches and out of their houses or apartments and give it a try.

The idea is as simple as sunshine itself. Or, as he says on his website, call CQ from a rooftop or a beach at midnight. He writes: [quote] ‘If you left home and you're on the air — you're Out On The Air.”

Jacques, whose preferred mode for now is SSB - at least until he learns CW - treasures the sound of a real human voice as it rises above the noise. To him, it [quote] “captures everything I love about ham radio.” He said that in the week or so since the activity launched along with the website, radio operators have registered from around the world and begun working toward the different awards.

It’s no surprise that those awards, like the operating locations themselves, are all registered on the honor system. That’s because Jacques believes first in humans on the air.

SPECIAL EVENT REMEMBERS THE TITANIC

Mark the date of 14th April on your calendar. If you know your history, you'll recall that at 23:40 ship’s time on that day, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, bringing its inaugural sailing to a fatal end.

Mark this year's calendar, as well, from 0000 UTC on the 10th April to 2359 on the 15th April. That time period marks the date of the luxury liner's voyage from Southampton, which ended with its sinking. The Titanic Memorial special event station EG-1912-T will be on the air using all modes HF, VHF, UHF and SHF during that period, organised by the Union of Radio Amateurs of Vigo-Val Miñor. A number of Spanish citizens were on board the ship.

The activation will focus on CW to honour Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, the first and second telegraphers on board. The activation also honours Harold Cottam, the telegrapher on board the Carpathia, the first ship to make a rescue effort at the site of the doomed Titanic.

There will be a special QSL card for hams contacting EG1912T in CW. All other QSLs will be sent via the bureau, eQSL and LoTW.

RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA HONORS YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

The Young Professionals program of the RCA and IWCE celebrates industry professionals who have at least two years experience in wireless communications and who are no more than 40 years of age. The RCA website calls these young professionals [quote] "the next generation of innovators shaping the field." [endquote]

This year, the program recognized at least one amateur radio operator: Andy Huynh, KA6NDY, a telecommunications systems engineer in the Interoperable Radio Systems Division of the County of Los Angeles' Internal Services Department. His work on the Spectrum Management Team includes a specialty in interference mitigation. He also supports mission-critical public safety communications

Other honorees are Precious Fodor, who serves as the National Service Manager at Eastern Communications Ltd.; Max Johnson, an electrical engineer at Dark Wolf Ventures in Colorado, a firm specializing in advanced radio and satellite communications systems; Sean Martin, a sales professional in the aerospace and defense Industry; and Chris Vargas, whose 10-year career in sales has most recently brought him into consumer electronics. He is presently working for Icom.

The group was praised by attendees for their achievements and for the promise their careers hold in shaping the field of wireless communications in new directions.

SILENT KEY: DISASTER-RESPONSE OPERATOR S. ARUNA KUMAR, VU3VGP

Radio amateurs who knew and operated their radios alongside S. Aruna Kumar, VU3VGP, were remembering his kind and helpful nature and how it complemented his radio skills. The National Institute of Amateur Radio, where he was once on staff, reported that he became a Silent Key at midnight on the 17th of March in Rajasthan.

The notice said that during his work at the National Institute and later, with the Brahma Kumaris, he was active in helping with emergency communication and disaster relief.

S. Aruna Kumar was 57.

OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO PLUTO ANNIVERSARY EVENT

The team of amateurs for W7P, while operating portable much of the time from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, along with W7P/Ø and W7P/P, made over 6500 QSOs with 81 countries. In its six-year history, this event saw significantly higher SSB results and the second highest volume of QSL cards ever received.

Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, nephew of Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930, along with his team of operators in the Kansas City area, made over 2200 contacts as W7P/Ø, which was a 70 percent increase over last year.

Organizers heard from the special event's chasers that they learned more about Pluto than they ever knew and especially enjoyed being able to speak with Doug. Bob Wertz, NF7E, event coordinator, told Newsline that despite a rocky start, W7P was a success by every meaningful measure — strong QSO totals, excellent public engagement, and enthusiastic feedback from operators worldwide.

NEW NET BUILDING BRIDGE WITH HISTORICALLY BLACK CAMPUSES

The OMIK Amateur Radio Association has launched the first of its Tuesday night nets designed to build connections with Historically Black College and Universities throughout the US. The ham radio organization was originally created in August of 1952 as a welcoming group for Black amateurs seeking membership without having to face discrimination. OMIK eventually hopes to extend its expertise and the hand of friendship to many of the more than 100 historically Black US campuses and their faculty, alumni, parents and students.

Net check-ins begin at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesdays which is 0100 UTC Wednesday on the OMIK Conference server on Echolink.

The net is one part of the group's emerging commitment to the campuses. For OMIK members, the goal will ultimately bring opportunities to provide service and make connections across the generations. On-campus visits - and even on-air activations - will help students gain mentors in STEM and STEAM learning and, of course, amateur radio.

Net controller Jesse Alexander WB2IFS, the developer of the program, said the net is just the beginning.

CHARTERED FLIGHT TO CARRY INTERNATIONAL TEAM TO ISS

Just two years before the International Space Station's scheduled retirement, it is expected to receive a crew of European astronauts delivered via a chartered SpaceX Crew Dragon mission.

Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency, said at a March 19 press briefing that that the ESA was chartering the flight to give the agency's astronauts an experience aboard the ISS to conduct research before the spacecraft is decommissioned and deorbited in 2030. The trip by the Provided Institutional Crew is being proposed for early 2028.

The ESA expects to include international partners in the mission but has not named any potential partner nations - nor has it said how many non-ESA astronauts would be included.

Both the UAE and Australian Space Agencies' websites report that agreements were signed in recent years with the European Space Agency committing to deeper collaboration in space-exploration initiatives.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP CALLS CQ FOR AUTISM AWARENESS

Now in its fourth year, the World Autism Awareness Week special event will again carry the message that "it's OK to be different." It's a theme uniting amateurs across oceans, with callsigns that include W2A here in the US and others in participating nations such as Italy, South Africa, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Israel and West Malaysia.

This weeklong special event begins on Wednesday the 1st of April. It has gained momentum as it brings advocacy on the air for those with autism spectrum disorder - a developmental disorder seen among people of all races and nationalities.

More details about the event and its callsigns - as well as useful information about autism spectrum disorder - can be found on the QRZ.com page of W2A.

FUNDS WOULD EXPAND, UPGRADE NOAA'S WEATHER RADIO NETWORK

Lawmakers in Washington, DC, have moved ahead with their commitment to invest $100 million in improved antennas and transmitter equipment to expand coverage for the VHF weather radio service of NOAA. A bipartisan measure that authorizes the expense was passed recently by members of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

An estimated 1,030 such weather stations hold licenses to operate on 162 MHz. The antenna and transmitter additions and upgrades focus on NOAA's radio service in remote areas of the US that have a higher risk of extreme weather. Beyond VHF improvements, the bill calls for NOAA to explore options on the microwave band to further strengthen the network's ability to communicate warnings about hazardous conditions. Other language in the bill directs NOAA to explore the possibility of satellite backup or partnerships with commercial providers.

The action in Washington stands in sharp contrast to a recent announcement by the Meteorological Service of Canada - that nation's equivalent of NOAA - that it was ending Weatheradio, its own national VHF radio weather service/

The US lawmakers' measure moves next for a vote in the full House but is not yet on the calendar. The action on Capitol Hill comes almost a year after the White House announced that the administration was looking to cut NOAA's weather research centers, particularly those focused on understanding climate change.

HAMS RESPOND TO HISTORIC FLOODS IN HAWAII

Our top story takes us to Hawaii, which was slammed with two so-called "atmospheric river storms" that brought heavy rains and high winds, flooding all the state's islands and sweeping many houses off their foundations. ARES and RACES hams were activated, providing realtime ground reports for weather and field information on Oahu and Maui. ARRL Pacific Section Manager Alan KH6TU/AD6E told Newsline in an email that VHF linked repeater systems carried individual voice reports sent to EOCs. Meanwhile, federal emergency ICS-213 forms were transmitted carrying messages and incident reports over peer-to-peer Winlink via VHF or on HF.

As emergency crews cleared landslides and repaired communications and power lines, hams continued to update road and weather conditions, assisting with coordinated communications. As Newsline went to production, recovery continued after what was being called the state's worst flooding in two decades.

TAKE THE "FIVE TWO" SIMPLEX CHALLENGE

If you grab your HT, tune to 146.52 MHz and call out for a contact, you are already rising to the challenge being posed by Mike N2MAK. Mike launched a project called the Five Two Simplex Challenge at the beginning of March and it runs through to the end of April. He is hoping to focus attention on 2m FM simplex for 52 days,

Mike told Newsline in an email [quote]: "I often hear from other hams that there isn't much 2m simplex activity and they wish there was more." [endquote]

Now, he hopes, there is: He chose this commonly monitored frequency because, he said, plenty of people listen but few people call out. He doesn't expect 52 days of nonstop activity but, as a portable operator himself, he is hopeful that there are many others like him.

He intends for this to be a learning experience: Operators may get a better idea of what their stations can do and perhaps consider upgrades or changes. Depending on where they live, they may even get to experience tropospheric ducting at this time of the year.

Mike said one of his most memorable contacts was on 2m simplex right right after a POTA activation. He told Newsline: "It was a brand new Technician who had been licensed for less than 2 weeks and it was his first ever simplex contact! You don't forget contacts like that, no matter which side of the radio you are on. Surprises like that are what can make 2m simplex contacts so special and fun." [endquote]

To see Mike's YouTube video about the event, see the link in the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org

HURDY GURDY MUSEUM STATION BACK ON THE AIR

The sun was shining above the Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio in Howth as Tony EI5EM and Reg Shannon, a short-wave listener, started some serious antenna work on the roof of the museum's Martello Tower.

They were installing a vertical HF antenna donated by Mike Keane, EI4-DF - a gift that has put County Dublin museum's ham radio station, EIØMAR back on the air - just in time for April’s International Marconi Day. The museum lost the use of the station after its previous antenna had been destroyed by storms. Although marked by periods of rain, installation day finally took place under clear skies, according to a report on the Irish Radio Transmitters’ website.

The tower has a celebrated role in radio history, not only because in 1902 American innovator Lee de Forest conducted experiments in wireless telegraphy, but also because it housed a Marconi receiving station that conducted ship-to-shore telegraphy experiments with HMS Monarch.

NEW INDIANA LAW PROTECTS HAM RADIO ANTENNAS, TOWERS

Starting on the 1st of July, amateur radio antennas, towers and feedlines cannot be restricted by homeowners associations in residential communities in Indiana. A new law signed by Gov. Mike Braun will afford hams such protection on any property they rent, lease or own within the association’s purview.

This is not a green light for all amateurs, however. According to the measure’s language on the Indiana General Assembly website House Bil number 1152 will only apply to homeowner’s associations that are formed or create documents containing such restrictions after June 30th, 2026.

Meanwhile, at the federal level, the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, which would create protection nationwide, remains stalled in Washington, D.C. According to the website GovTrack.us, the bill was introduced into committee on the 6th of February where it must be considered and voted on before it can move along to either of the two main houses of Congress.

CAMBODIAN STUDENTS EXPLORE SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

The logbook of callsign XU7AMO - the Radio Club of the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia - once again has made contact with space. A satellite training session between the 26th of February and the 3rd of March gave 300 students a hands-on learning experience, building and utilising antenna systems, gaining an understanding of ground stations and learning to track low-earth orbit satellites. An international team joined the session to support the different activities. They included ham radio satellite technician Mikio JA3GEP and marine electronics and telecommunications systems expert Paulo F5VMJ.

The students focused on low-earth orbit satellites and had a contact with the International Space Station. This was a follow-up to last year's session when XU7AMO operated for the first time using the QO-100 satellite. Making their first contact with Antarctica, they had a question-and-answer session with DOØGVN at Neumayer III, the German research base. That QSO had been made possible after the Cambodian Telecommunications Regulatory Commission authorised the station's use of the higher frequencies needed for the transmission.

HAMVENTION ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS

Four influential US amateurs and a well-known club based in New York State have been chosen to receive this year's Hamvention Awards.

The Technical Achievement Award is being given to Robert Famiglio K3RF, whose six decades as a ham radio operator are followed by more than four decades of providing volunteer legal counsel and regulatory literacy to his fellow amateurs on a variety of issues. In addition to being a lawyer, Bob has used his ham and electrical-engineering background to provide technical expertise. He has previously been involved in leadership roles in the Radio Club of America and, formerly, the ARRL.

Dr. Jose “Otis” Vicens NP4G has been named Amateur of the Year. An orthodontist, he has also been involved in DXpeditions at various locations globally, including Bouvet Island. His most recent DXpedition took him to Desecheo Island where he operated as part of the KP5/NP3VI team. Otis' leadership role in emergency communication provided vital coordination during the 2017 Puerto Rico hurricanes as well as followup.

Special Achievement Award has been given to Martha Fell N3QBE and Joe Fell W3GMS for their longtime mentorship of students of all ages and interests through a program they have organized and a weekly technical net that welcomes newcomers as well as professional engineers.

Hamvention is also recognizing the Long Island CW Club as Club of the Year. Under the club's umbrella, structured online classes provide all levels of CW training - led by members - for diverse groups of students around the world.

Congratulations everyone!

FEDERAL COURT RULES AGAINST VOA LEADERSHIP

A federal court has ruled that Kari Lake's oversight of the agency responsible for Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other shortwave news broadcast networks, was in the position illegally. Her appointment to the post, which she gave up last November, was made last July without the customary confirmation by the US Senate. Lake told the website Politico that the government intends to appeal the decision which she "strongly disagrees" with. Her brief tenure was marked by firings of staff and dismissals of contractors, withholding of funds to Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia and a contract with the far-right news provider, One America Network.

AUSTRALIAN HAMS CHALLENGE HIGHER FEES ON STATE LANDS

Amateurs in New South Wales are troubled by what they believe are prohibitive fee hikes recently put in place for access to Crown Land.

Calling the situation “unsustainable” for amateur repeaters and other equipment installed there, the president of the Goulburn & Southern Highlands Amateur Radio Society has written a letter to ham clubs around the state, urging members to contact their members of Parliament.

In his open letter to the clubs, Pete Chatwin, VK2PET, the radio society’s president, noted that new or continued access to elevated Crown Land sites for repeaters and towers could cost clubs as much as AU$20,000 per annum. Pete said that hams need to substantiate their own clubs’ financial hardship by forwarding examples to Steph Cooke, member for Cootamundra and Shadow Minister for Crown Lands.

Pete wrote: [quote] “It is important that we provide genuine, practical examples of how these costs are affecting clubs across NSW.” [Endquote] He said that groups in rural areas as well as those providing emergency communications and training, rely on robust functioning networks that include these sites.

WRTC NOT PERMITTING NATIONAL FLAGS, SYMBOLS

Spectators and participants can expect to see plenty of things at the World Radiosport Team Championship event in the UK this coming July. There will be antennas, rigs, cables, microphones and keys -- and plenty of spectators to cheer on the hams using them.

What will not be evident anywhere are any emblems, flags or other symbols of national identity. The Organising Committee of WRTC 2026 has reaffirmed the approach that was used during the WRTC event held in 2023 in Bologna, Italy. That means that, as before, this year's teams will avoid national symbols of any kind. This is especially significant because it is consistent with the competition's qualification process which identifies all participants by qualification area and not by their DXCC.

Like the Olympics, the WRTC is held every four years with different host countries each time. They have included Brazil, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovenia and, in the US, San Francisco, Boston and Seattle.

RESTRICTIONS TO IMPACT KANTON ISLAND DXPEDITIONS

The Rebel DX Group’s plan to operate as T31TTT this month from Kanton Island in central Kiribati could well be the last for amateur radio for a long time, according to a report from organisers on the website DX-World.

Dom, 3D2USU, said that the nation’s fishery and environmental officials have put in place a full array of costs affecting visitors. He said that these new permit fees and other requirements will impose a great financial burden on teams. DXpeditioners will need to provide accommodation, food and transportation for four government officials who will need to be present on any future visits to Kanton.

He says that in simple terms future Kanton Island DXpeditions will cost about 200,000 US dollars which makes T31 prohibitive.

The obstacles are not unlike some of the restrictions the same group of operators face for its hoped-for trip to Conway Reef 3D2/C. Since Rebel DX’s 2024 operation there in May 2024 as 3D2CCC, Fiji’s Ministry of Fisheries has begun moving toward declaring it a restricted-access zone. The group announced in January that, with those plans in mind, the hams are accelerating their plans for an activation there.

Meanwhile, the DXpeditioners are hoping to get to Kanton Island and be on the air sometime around March 25th.