HAMLIB CHOSEN FOR 2026 AMATEUR RADIO SOFTWARE AWARD

The Amateur Radio Software Award committee has recognized the Hamlib project for reliably providing a means for amateur radio software applications to connect with controllable devices such as radios, amplifiers and rotators. The international team of core developers were praised for keeping Hamlib current in a dynamic world that regularly introduces new amateur radio applications.

Hamlib's core team is Nate Bargmann, NØNB, Daniele Forsi, IU5HKX, George Baltz, N3GB, and Mikael Nousiainen, OH3BHX.

The software award website notes that [quote] "despite its age, the project remains actively maintained, with new radios and devices added regularly. Hamlib continues to be the go-to library for both established and emerging amateur radio applications." [endquote] Hamlib abstracts many of the serial, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces that allow software-based control, enabling interaction with shack equipment for the use of Fldigi, JS8Call, WSJT-X and other widely use applications.

Earlier developers included founder Frank Singleton, VK4FCS, Stéphane Fillod, F8CFE and Mike Black, W9MDB, now a Silent Key.

SPECIAL EVENTS IN CANADA HIGHLIGHT PUBLIC SAFETY

In Canada, two special events in May are designed to be public-service events too. Hams have organized VB3COPS during Police Services Week and VB3EMS during Paramedic Services Week, also known as Emergency Medical Services Week. Although both events are about getting on the air, there's a lot more to them than just the QSOs.

Between May 10th and 16th, a group of amateurs in southwest Ontario will be calling CQ as VB3COPS as a thank-you to the police for the various services they provide. This coincides with National Police Week, a campaign that began in 1970 in Canada, when those in police services also showcase their different responsibilities.

Then from May 17th through to the 23rd, hams using the callsign VB3EMS will honour first responders for their work and remind chasers of some basic safety tips, such as the need to know your blood type, your allergies, your emergency contacts and how to perform CPR - among many other important points.

For details, frequencies and operating modes, see the QRZ.com pages for these stations.

AMSAT'S CUBESAT UPDATES AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE

If you weren't able to attend the 23rd annual CubeSat Developers Workshop held in early April in California, you can still catch up with an important presentation about amateur radio in space, delivered by AMSAT president Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA.

Drew gave a progress report on the 3U CubeSat project known as the GOLF-TEE mission. GOLF-TEE is expected to carry a 30 kHz wide linear transponder for ham radio communications as well as a 10 GHz high-speed experimental downlink and improved three-axis attitude control. This project is targeted for completion by early next year. He also provided an update on the Fox-Plus series of CubeSats, which blend commercial hardware with radio payloads developed by AMSAT.

To see the presentation, visit the link that appears in the text version of this week's report at arnewsline.org

SILENT KEY: ENNIO TONON, IØFHZ, LEADER, MENTOR FOR ARI

During the many decades that followed his entry into ham radio, Ennio Tonon, IØFHZ, became a well-known presence on VHF, UHF and even SHF, taking part in contests, presenting at technical symposia and eventually rising to leadership within the ranks of the ARI, Italy's national amateur radio society. Ennio, who had served as president of ARI's section in Orvieto, became a Silent Key on the 17th of April.

A Facebook post, translated from Italian, announcing his death ,called his passing [quote] "a great loss for the entire Italian radio amateur community, a community which recognized in him not only a skilled operator, but a reference point — a steady signal in a world that often fades into noise." [endquote] His leadership was praised for taking diverse groups of newcomers and experienced operators and creating a community from them.

Ennio's death came just a few days short of what would have been his 102nd birthday in May.

HAM RADIO LESSONS PREPARE STUDENTS IN PAKISTAN FOR ADVENTURE

When the Science Society at Sindh Madressatul Islam University in Karachi, Pakistan, called CQ, it was only natural that amateur radio responded. Between 45 and 50 students from various arts and science disciplines received a history lesson about amateur radio and hands-on instruction on how radio can help save lives.

At the students' invitation, Muhammad Salman AP2MS, a regional coordinator for the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society, visited the school on the 25th of April with a number of other hams to give a introduction to amateur radio and engage the students in field demonstrations using repeaters and later, DMR, to talk to one another.

He then showed everyone how to operate, dividing students into groups with the help of fellow hams, Kashif AP2KM and Rehan AP2DDC, along with SWL members Ahmad Feroz and Dewan Shahid.

Muhammad told Newsline in an email: [quote] "They were surprised to know that a 100-year-old technology still has impact." [endquote]

The response was strong and positive - so much so that the hams will return to conduct a field day on VHF and HF in a remote area. The hams will demonstrate how copper wires can be transformed into antennas and how stations can be quickly established in emergencies.

Muhammad told Newsline: [quote] "We received a very good response from students. Many showed their interest to join the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society as SWL to start their Ham Radio journey." [endquote]

HONORS FOR DXPEDITIONS FEATURING REMOTE ACTIVATIONS

Two recent DXpeditions that featured remote radio operations have been recognized by the Northern California DX Foundation, which is presenting both activations with the DXcellence Award, now in its fifth year.

The criteria included the DXpedition's complexity, its impact on its "Most Wanted" ranking on ClubLog and, of course, overall performance.

The foundation's board of directors chose the KP5/NP3VI Desecheo DXpedition and the PJ6Y Youth DXpedition to Saba Island. Both adventures included remote radio operations. The KP5 operation was 100 percent remote as well as being solar powered. The team's media officer, Steve N2AJ, said in a press release that having the first fully solar-powered, fully remote DXpedition was a "groundbreaking achievement" adding that [quote] "advanced technology and careful planning can deliver the world-class results while maintaining an exceptionally low environmental footprint." [endquote] The team of operators was required to follow strict guidelines from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to ensure a minimal impact on the environment. That means no generators, no amplifiers and no traditional beam antennas.

The PJ6Y Youth DXpedition was chosen for its involvement of young operators from around the world who spent two weeks on the island of Saba. This more traditional style activation featured some first-time DXpeditioners. It was supplemented with radios operated remotely by as many as 30 young amateurs from around the world. The technically complex arrangement was considered a success on many levels, most especially as an investment in the future of amateur radio for the next generation.

HAM CLUB'S LIBRARY LOAN ISN'T DONE BY THE BOOK

Now here's a library loan that any ham could appreciate: Some rigs and other shack equipment - all in good repair and functioning - showcased so the folks in Prescott, Arizona, can see what all this radio fuss and excitement is about.

The borrower is the Prescott Public Library. The lender is the Yavapai Amateur Radio Club. Acting on a suggestion from club member Jim Zimmerman, N6KZ, the club offered to design a display area that is used by organizations on a temporary basis inside the library. The equipment has been on display through April, accompanied by details that explain what ham radio operators do -- and why.

Jim told Newsline in an email: [quote] "We are hoping to get some middle [and] high school student interest, as we have a nice club station, W7YRC, that we can show the kids how to operate." [endquote] He said a few youngsters have already asked about becoming hams and even the library staff has been intrigued.

If things go according to plan, the club may consider returning with another display next year. But for now, like library books themselves, the exhibit has an expiration date which, in this case, is the 30th of April. So for now, it's on borrowed time.

RSGB HEADQUARTERS STATION WELCOMES GUEST OPS IN JULY

Guest operators are being invited to get on the air this July as part of station GR2HQ, the Radio Society of Great Britain's headquarters team in the IARU HF World Championship contest. With many of the station's regular operators involved instead this year in assisting with the World Radiosport Team Championship, opportunities are now available for visiting operators.

In a notice in the WRTC2026 groups.io discussion, Nick Totterdell, G4FAL, chairman of the RSGB HF Contest Committee, said that the invitation to join the headquarters team station is extended only to those radio operators who are not committed to supporting the WRTC during the contest period.

There is a good choice of locations throughout the UK. A maximum of 12 stations will be using the callsign GR2HQ in the IARU event from such locations in Wales, Scotland and England on the six contest bands.

Nick said that operating will be done in shifts at the various sites, most of which will be in members' homes. Some locations will also be operating "field-day" style.

Interested radio operators should send an email to contestclub at rsgbcc dot org. That's contestclub - one word - at rsgbcc dot org.

FORMER ARI PRESIDENT GRAZIANO SARTORI, IØSSH

Graziano Sartori, IØSSH, served the ARI, Italy's national ham radio society, first as vice president of the Rome section and later, as the national president. He is credited with developing the first database of Italy's amateur radio callsigns. Joining in a long-running campaign with international amateur radio organisations, Graziano was a vocal proponent for having Morse Code listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage element with UNESCO.

Graziano died on the 8th of April. A tribute to him on the ARI website described him as a leader whose actions and personal interest in his fellow hams made him effective in his various roles throughout his long association with the organisation.

He was 89.

ONE HUNDRED REASONS TO ATTEND NEW ZEALAND CONVENTION

An annual conference comes along every year but a centennial conference only comes along every 100 years - once in a lifetime. The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters will be honouring its past and looking toward its future on the 30th and 31st of May in Auckland as guests gather for the milestone centennial conference.

The ham radio spirit of experimentation will acknowledge the earliest adventures in wireless and will explore the way today's hams test our advanced digital technologies.

Presentations will tell NZART's story from its earliest origins. NZART members who pay for a full registration to the conference will receive a free copy of an illustrated book that tells the association's history. Other copies will also be available to purchase.

Registration has opened and visitors who book their accommodations before the 26th of April will be eligible for discounted rates.

Details are available from the link that appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

ARRL HONORS OFFICER FOR SERVICE TO PENNSYLVANIA CLUB

Congratulations to Bill Power KB3WP who was honored recently by the ARRL for his long service to the Two Rivers Amateur Radio Club in Pennsylvania. Bill, who has been secretary for the past three years, had been nominated for the Gilbert Crossley Award for Exemplary Club Leadership by club president Jim Bricker, N3JHB. Jim told Newsline that Bill's history of handling club correspondence as well as members' questions, with kindness and accuracy and his willingness to help whenever needed inspired him to nominate him for the honor. The presentation was made by ARRL Western Pennsylvania Manager, Joe Shupienis W3BC.

MODERN RADIOS TO LIGHT UP BESIDE HISTORIC MILLS

Windmills. Watermills. Tidal Mills. Even Horse Mills.

Historic sites like these, scattered throughout the UK, are celebrated annually in early May by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. In 1996, the former Denby Dale Radio Society joined that effort by creating the Mills on the Air special event which, this year, takes place on Saturday the 9th of May and Sunday the 10th of May.

The Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group, who organise this event now, stress that this not a contest but a recognition of the historical importance of each of these sites. Hams wishing to call CQ from any of these sites need to register on the event website and provide full information in the online form. Operators must, of course, secure permission from each of the mills to operate there.

Of course, there will be awards - and shortwave listeners are encouraged to participate as well. This year, the organisers are asking that all award applicants consider making a donation to their local historic mill or directly to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

For details about registering or to find out more about logging contacts, visit nharg.org.uk

Meanwhile, the Society has been collecting stories from volunteers, owners or even amateur historians about the various mills in the UK, Ireland or Europe and how they evolved. The stories will be published in a book. Submission deadline is the 1st of May, Visit the society website at spab.org.uk for information on how to contribute.

FREQUENCIES IDENTIFIED FOR EXPANDING 6G ON 2.7 GHz BAND

The promise of creating space for 6G communications on the 2.7 GHz band has moved closer to reality in the US, following the band's successful technical review by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, part of the US Department of Commerce.

The NTIA had been mandated to find room for full-power commercial licensed use on the band, which already has a pair of primary users - the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. The NTIA issued a press release stating that it is assisting both agencies to make sure that radar systems, weather monitoring and aviation safety technology will not be vulnerable to interference.

Arielle Roth, the NTIA administrator, said [quote] "This milestone brings us one step closer to ensuring the American people realize the full benefit of this spectrum as quickly as possible." [endquote]

A report last year by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association cautioned that communication capacity will be challenged by 2030 unless more midband is identified for 6G use.

STEPPIR ANNOUNCES RETURN TO AMATEUR RADIO MARKET

SteppIR, which announced last summer that it was halting production of its popular antennas for the amateur radio market, is returning to the ham radio business.

A recent statement on the website of the Washington State company said that although SteppIR had decided last year to focus on commercial sales, recent favorable developments in that sector are permitting the company to resume supplying hams with antenna kits, parts and accessories as before. The ham radio market is to be served only by online sales.

SteppIR said that the commercial side of its business may lead to the introduction of new products for amateur radio. Its statement acknowledged that its earlier decision was made [quote] "in search of more stable long-term income sources" [endquote] but said that SteppIR never gave up the hope that it would go back to serving amateur radio operators in some way.

BREAKING NEWS: FCC GRANTS FREQUENCIES' USE FOR SATELLITE SERVICE

As Newsline prepared to go to production, the US Federal Communications Commission announced that it had authorized AST SpaceMobile’s full, 248-satellite constellation to use requested parts of the radio spectrum, including those that had drawn objections from the amateur radio community.

The agency’s move will permit AST to fulfill its goal of providing services to consumers in so-called “dead zones,” regions without terrestrial networks, especially for emergency services. The successful application on behalf of the low-Earth orbit satellite system was granted on the 21st of April with conditions. The grant for the use of 698 to 960 MHz includes permission to make use of 430 to 440 MHz for emergency control and tracking of the satellites - a move that amateur radio operators feared would cause interference with hams’ operations.

The FCC said that AST emergency telemetry use will be limited to the 430.5MHz, 432.3MHz, 434.1MHz, 435.9MHz, and 439.5MHz frequencies for a duration of less than 24 hours. The FCC has said in the past that interference with ham radio was “unlikely.”

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS 'OVER THE MOON' WITH THIS ASSIGNMENT

Yes, tracking a moon mission can be a personal experience - as many of students on several university campuses discovered. In Pennsylvania, Sawyer Mervis and Jake Wendt were up on a campus rooftop in the early morning hours with a parabolic antenna and other student-built equipment. They were collecting data for the US space agency NASA from the 248,655-mile flight around the moon. The receiving station had been a team project, with the Panther Amateur Radio Club at the University of Pittsburgh receiving guidance and support from faculty in various engineering departments.

Farther south, students at the American University in Washington, D.C. tracked the Orion spacecraft with a radio dish about six and a half feet wide installed by physics major Ankur Purao at a university-owned property in nearby Warren, Virginia. Emotions ran high for everyone toward the end of the 10-day mission. Suddenly the students were no longer tasked with an assignment that called for tracking, collecting data and measuring Doppler shift: Now all eyes were on the return of the four crew members as their journey ended safely in a Pacific splashdown.

That conclusion brought the Artemis 2 mission back home to all of them. As American University first-year student Shafaq Yousaf said: [quote]: "We're gonna be telling generations about this - and that we've played a part in this." [endquote]

STATIONS REGISTER FOR INT'L MARCONI DAY

It's a party and you're invited to RSVP. April 25th is International Marconi Day and amateurs around the world will be calling CQ to honor the man who helped bring us wireless communication. Register for the official event by visiting the website operated by the Cornish Amateur Radio Club. You'll find it in the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

The number of registered stations continues to grow - and you can see the list as well on the same website. There are awards available for shortwave listeners as well as hams. Visit the webite to see how to qualify. Internet-assisted modes, such as DMR, Echolink and Digital Voice modes are not eligible.

SATELLITE ENTHUSIAST IN OMAN DEVELOPS TRACKING APP

It didn't take long for Yousuf Al Balushi, A46UNX, to find his place in amateur radio right after becoming licensed in 2024: He was almost immediately drawn to chasing satellites, often using his own homebrew tools. Those challenging early days inspired him to create a free satellite-tracking mobile app to help deliver the best possibilities for successful contacts.

He gave it the name, Ham Satting. A member of the Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society, he shares the app freely with amateurs around the world, whether they are using its interactive map to track the ISS or to search for one particular amateur satellite. The app's numerous features include a built-in SSTV decoder that supports Robot 36/72 and other modes.

He told the website, Muscat Daily, that this was his attempt at creating a single place that integrated as many needed services as possible without requiring the user to switch between several apps. Finding all existing apps incomplete, he began his development work in August of last year. HamSatting was formally released this past January. He designed it for use by licensed hams, satellite chasers and people involved in ARISS contacts -- in fact, tracking the ISS is a default function. Individuals who want access to other satellites will need to obtain a free API key from the satellite tracking service N2YO.

Yousuf said that the app is also useful for grid-square hunters working toward awards such as VUCC. It can be downloaded for free from the Apple and Android app stores. More details are available at unixeer dot com (unixeer.com).

He told the website: [quote] "I hope the app will make satellite communication easier and more enjoyable for the amateur radio community." [endquote]

CHICAGO CLUB'S POTA BECOMES IMPROMPTU SCOUTING EVENT

When is a ham club POTA not just a ham club POTA? When it turns into an impromptu on-the-air outing for Scouts working to earn their Radio Merit Badge. Jen DeSalvo W9TXJ was there.

JEN: It started as a club POTA at the historic Santa Fe Prairie Nature Preserve just outside of Chicago City Limits.

DENNIS: We were just going to do a POTA event and one of the members is a Scout leader and said "Well, hey, how about if I bring some Scouts?"

JEN: That member was Dennis Calderone, KC9DSP, president of the Suburban Technical Amateur Radio System, referring to Tom Bosworth, KE9JQ, who is both an amateur radio operator and active in Scouts for nearly four decades. Tom is cub master for a local pack.

TOM: .....And I'm a Radio Merit Badge Counselor. We expected four or five to show up and we have 35 here today.

JEN: That was for a Radio Merit Badge Class. Tom says it is inevitable that kids will grow up to have careers in computers and technology.

TOM: This is the most basic technology you're going to have.

JEN: He said the first thing hs covered with the Scouts was to tell them what radio is....

TOM: ....which isn't just ham radio. Obviously, it's also broadcast radio. It's your garage-door opener.

JEN: The club set up five stations, giving the Scouts a hands-on experience of how everything works. Club members set up stations for FT8, CW/Morse Code.

[[NATS – CW]]

JEN: They used mobile units to hit their 2-meter repeater and operate sideband voice.

TOM: One of the requirements is for them to talk to five other stations. So when they're on sideband and when they're on FT8, they're actually participating in the communication.

JEN: Dennis, the club's president, plans to host more events for local Scouts to not only earn their Radio Merit Badge but to carry the torch of ham radio.

DENNIS: We have to get the youth involved and pass it down generation after generation - get them involved so that they can get into this community to help people out.

FUJI-OSCAR29 LEAVING SUNLIGHT FOR NEW ECLIPSE PERIOD

The aging solar-powered satellite, Fuji-OSCAR29, made big news in early March when its entry into a full-sunlight orbit woke the 30-year-old satellite from a long slumber. Well, guess what? It's nap time again, as Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us.

JIM: If you've been enjoying continuous operation using the newly awakened Fuji-OSCAR29 from Japan, you may want to make plans to take a break. AMSAT News reports that on or around the 21st of April, the satellite will return to a period of eclipse - in other words, no more sunlight. The Japan Amateur Radio League has estimated that the satellite will remain without power - and go back to sleep and out of service - for about a month. The satellite is fully dependent on its solar panels since its onboard batteries have not worked in many years.

There is a bright spot in all of this - and we do mean bright in every sense of the word: Full sunlight will become available to the satellite again starting around the 20th of May. Hams can once again look forward to more continuous operation through to the middle of November.