AMSAT-DL SEEKS INPUT FROM SATELLITE ENTHUSIASTS

AMSAT-DL wants amateurs to look to the future. We're not only talking about June 27th, when the organisation will be hosting a workshop that builds on the experience of Qatar OSCAR 100. AMSAT-DL wants a workshop with ideas, perspectives and proposals for the upcoming ESA sponsored geostationary satellite which will carry an amateur radio payload.

At the time that OSCAR-100 was sent into space in 2018, the OSCAR number administrator Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA noted on the AMSAT-DL website that it would be [quote] "the guiding star for future amateur radio satellites and payloads in geostationary orbit and beyond." [endquote]

The time has come at Friedrichshafen next month to follow that star's light. AMSAT-DL will present two or three mission and payload concepts for open discussion, including a concept that builds on QO-100's success in new directions. An experimental concept will also be presented, offering digital signal processing and software-defined payload architectures. There is a possible third option to be presented which involves beacons and experiments in high-frequency ranges and would include new antenna concepts and space imaging.

The workshop's location in the Neue Messe will be announced as the date gets closer. Meanwhile, AMSAT-DL welcomes everyone with varying levels of experience - all that is required is an interest in amateur radio satellites and helping to shape their future.

The AMSAT-DL meeting will not be the only space-related activity at Ham Radio Friedrichshafen, as this year ASTRO, the astronomy trade fair, will take place alongside the Ham Radio exhibition.

ARISS ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR MOON-BASED HAM RADIO

The Morse Code transmitted more than two years ago by JS1YMG, the lunar ham station of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, is apparently just the beginning. Attendees at a Hamvention forum hosted by ARISS in Xenia, Ohio recently learned about a moon-based project called CAVIAR. That's an acronym for "Communications, Audio, Video and imaging using Amateur Radio." The feasibility of CAVIAR is being studied by ARISS and AMSAT through a partnership known as AREx, for Amateur Radio Exploration.

According to the early information being discussed publicly, the station could have support for voice, digital and video - with 10 GHz and 5 GHz links supported by a network of stations on Earth. More far-reaching goals can be found on the ARISS website, which describes AREx as [quote] an "international effort to develop and operate amateur radio systems for deep space, starting at the moon and later to Mars." [endquote]

A-ROVING THEY WILL GO

Members of the TOG Hackerspace and South Dublin Radio Club are no strangers to experimentation. Tinkerers, amateurs, makers and experimenters all find a welcome home in Dublin where the ham radio club station, EIØTOG, has its headquarters.

The radio operators are now working on yet another experiment - their first POTA Rover Day - in the hope of activating five POTA designated parks in a single UTC day, qualifying them for the POTA Rover Warthog Award.

Their shared daylong adventure is planned for Sunday the 31st of May. While they're not looking to bag an actual warthog - the tusks and tempers of these sub-Saharan mammals can be quite intimidating - they are going for five successful activations and as many QSOs as possible. As club members note on the TOG Hackerspace website: [quote] "This could be a great idea, or it could totally fall apart, but that is all part of the fun. Amateur radio has always had that experimental side to it, and a day like this has a real sense of adventure." [endquote] One ham plans to take the spirit of adventure to the extreme. He hopes to make the trip on his bicycle.

Be listening for EIØTOG and help them catch that warthog. This would not only be the first such award for the club, it would be the first warthog - wild or figurative - to actually find a habitat in the Republic of Ireland.

WIA ASKS FOR CHANGES IN SUB-ANTARCTIC CALL PREFIXES

The Wireless Institute of Australia has responded to the regulator's request for input on its Five-Year Spectrum Outlook, spanning 2026 through to 2031, and its Work Program, spanning 2026-2027. It is asking that the Australian Communications and Media Authority improve spectrum access to support experimentation and emerging technologies; modernise regulation of repeaters and beacons; and develop a staged EME competence framework that will give amateurs greater access to operating at increased power safely. The WIA has been actively seeking greater power for hams since 2013. It told the ACMA that increased power for the class licence should be backed up by training, certification and communications industry best practices.

The WIA has also asked that the callsign prefixes be changed in the sub-Antarctic, restoring VKØ for operations on Heard Island and Macquarie Island, which are now assigned the VK9 prefix of Australian external territories. The WIA is also proposing that the VK9 prefix be restored for Lord Howe Island, which is presently assigned VK2.

The response to the consultation highlights ham radio's key role in STEM, innovation and emergency communications, noting that a number of the issues it has raised address barriers to ham radio's growth and operators' participation and efficiency.

OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE MODEM CALLED A VARA REPLACEMENT

Developers have announced the release of Mercury, an open-source software modem that they are calling a replacement for Vara. Mercury is a digital radio OFDM protocol, which can be used for HF broadcast and peer-to-peer ARQ connections with compatible TCP interfaces.

According to Peter Bloom, general coordinator of the developer Rhizomatica, Mercury is compatible with Windows, Linux and a number of non-Intel architectures.

Peter told Newsline that Mercury, the newest element of Rhizomatica's HERMES software suite, it is built for reliable store-and-forward email and file transfer over HF radio links. He said it is compatible with most HF transceivers and it complies with ham radio use. The project coordinator is Rafael Diniz, PU2UIT.

He said that Mercury has a number of advantages over Vara, including improved performance over high-SNR links.

There is no license fee. Find additional details at the website that appears in the text version of this week's report at arnewsline.org

SILENT KEY: ROSS MERLIN, WA2WDT. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONAL

If you are involved in emergency communications or security, it is likely you're familiar with the name of Ross Merlin, WA2WDT.

Ross became a Silent Key on the 3rd of May.

A former radio communications professional with National Disaster Medical Services, he had a long government career that also included serving as manager of the National Emergency Radio System of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He had also been a board member of the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation, which funds and operates Winlink. Ross is credited with being one of the creators of a Winlink network on a number of government radio channels.

Ross wrote the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide published by the US Department of Homeland Security and later served as program manager of the department's Shared Resources HF Radio Program.

Licensed in 1974, he enjoyed DXing, contesting, automatic link establishment and the digital modes. He had also held a General Radiotelephone Operator License.

He was 67.

NEW ZEALAND CYCLONE REVS UP RECRUITMENT DRIVE

Volunteers from Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Tauranga answered the call in April when the severe storm known as Cyclone Vaianu approached the coast. Tairāwhiti Emergency Management in Gisborne was asking that the hams keep communication lines open throughout that tense weekend. AREC members were able to staff the emergency centre radios which are connected to remote community civil defence teams.

The volunteers were reminded that this is the very purpose for which AREC was established in 1932 and the reason it has since evolved into something that Civil Defence, Search and Rescue and police can rely on. Last month, three of the Tauranga volunteers went to Gisborne and worked in shifts around the clock to ensure welfare checks were made and community contact was maintained, especially in the most remote areas. One community ended up having a power failure - and their backup power did not function either - and so the AREC volunteers got that addressed.

AREC also created a nationwide safety net on the HF bands.

The team is now hoping to grow even stronger by adding trained volunteers and put out a call through local media to ask that interested people contact them.

Group leader Joanne Watson ZL1JDR told the SunLive website: [quote] "You never know when your skills might be the link that keeps someone connected." [endquote]

AUSTRALIAN RADIOCOMMUNICATION LICENSES GET NEW WEBSITE

A new website for broadcast and other radiocommunication licences has gone live in Australia, with changes designed to simplify searches by offering a variety of filters along with customisable options for the export of data.

This replaces the older website, which the Australian Communications and Media Authority will keep online until the 10th of June during the transition period. The new site does not contain data about any class licences, which include citizens band and amateur radio. Australia introduced the amateur class licence in February of 2024 in a sweeping change that replaced individual amateur radio licences.

The ACMA has also designed the new site a resource for broadcast licence applicants, who may see what frequencies are available and other relevant information.

UK HAMS PLAN TRIBUTE TO BBC TRANSMITTERS MARKED FOR SHUTDOWN

Commissioned in 1934, the BBC's Droitwich long-wave transmitter went on the air delivering programming at what was to become a major facility. It played an important role in occupied Europe during wartime. Over the decades that followed, its broadcast programmes became the background to so many lives throughout the UK.

Responding to the BBC's announcement of this year's shutdown of the Droitwich Transmitter, as well as Long Wave transmitters at Burghead and Westerglen in Scotland, amateur radio operators have plans to mark the end of the era. The BBC Amateur Radio Group and the Radio Society of Great Britain are planning an on-air event and are looking for hams around the UK to participate.

Meanwhile, hams are being asked to let organizers know they are interested by emailing contestclub at rsgb dot org (ContestClub@rsgbcc.org)

PROJECT PURSUES MYSTERIES OF SPORADIC E-SKIP

Loyd Van Horn, W4LVH, is a fan of mysteries and there are perhaps few ham radio mysteries greater than that of Sporadic E-skip which makes its appearance on VHF in the Northern Hemisphere every year at about this time.

Loyd is the force behind DX Central, a resource for DXers that does, among many things, data analysis. This month he unveiled SEDAP, an acronym for his Sporadic Es Data Analysis Project. It can be found at fmdxdata.com and is free to use by hams, educators and anyone with a hobbyist's interest in this special season that turns propagation magical in the eyes of many.

He writes on the website SWLing Post that he compiled more than 95,000 FM broadcast logs from North America to get the data relevant for the project, which goes beyond simple spreadsheets by adding interactive visualizations.

He writes: [quote] "SEDAP allows us to physically watch ionospheric clouds spawn, compress and track across the continent in real-time. We can finally see what a typical season looks like on a macroscopic level." [endquote]

He told the Radio World website that he also plans to include amateur radio data from 6 metres. He said that will permit analysis of days that had no propagation alongside days with active openings - days on which the maximum usable frequency did not reach the FM broadcast band.

JAPANESE AMATEURS GIVE WARM RECEPTION TO ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

Four kilometres off the Antarctic mainland on East Ongul Island, the research facility known as Showa Station stands as the starting point where researchers from Japan long ago began unlocking the various mysteries of the atmosphere, including studies of the ozone layer. The station has since become a resource for the Japan Meteorological Agency, the National Institute of Polar Research and other organisations -- and at any given time, 30 researchers are engaged in observations and analysis. The facility is even home to a ham radio club station of the Japan Amateur Radio League, and members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition team call QRZ using the callsign 8J1RL.

Starting this month and through to next January, the amateur radio action shifts north to Japan itself, where a different callsign is the one to listen for. Hams throughout Japan will be calling CQ as 8J7ØJARE. staring on the 22nd of May. Hams - who know well the importance of understanding the atmosphere - are paying tribute to the expedition's 70th anniversary and the team's establishment of this important research site. The on-air tribute will continue through to the 29th of January, 2027 - the date that marks the station's 70th anniversary.

INCREASED RECOGNITION FOR YOUTH ON DXPEDITIONS

Two young amateurs who are already experienced DXers and DXpeditioners have been given the responsibility of helping guide support for future DXpeditions to top entities around the world. Violetta Latham, KN2P, and Max Freedman, N4ML, are now among the panel of directors who will oversee ways the private Northern California DX Foundation can provide financial support to those teams.

Violetta's earliest DXpeditions include the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure in Curacao in 2018. According to her page on QRZ.com, she is scheduled to be part of the ZK3 team going to Tokelau in the South Pacific in November of this year and to South Georgia for the VPØSG DXpedition in March of 2027. Max's recent DXpeditions include this year's 3YØK activation of Bouvet Island, where he was the youngest member of the team, and his activation in Curacao as PJ2/N4ML.

Their selection underscores the importance of bringing younger hams into the DXpedition universe.

At the same meeting held on the 20th of April, the board accepted the resignation of George Wallner, AA7JV, who has been a leading proponent in developing Radio-in-a-Box technology for the DX community. His replacement is Gregg Marco, W6IZT, who has developed a Next Generation Radio-in-a-Box system that has been enabling more young hams around the world to become involved in DXpeditions via remote access. He has also led DXpedition teams that included young amateurs.

RAC SEEKS EDITOR FOR CANADIAN AMATEUR MAGAZINE

Alan Griffin, the current editor of The Canadian Amateur, the Radio Amateurs of Canada magazine, is retiring. The RAC is in search of someone to step into the role at the membership journal, which is published in print and digital versions six times a year.

Candidates should be experienced in the publishing, journalism or communications field and be familiar with desktop publishing software and the use of AI tools for writing. The editor is also responsible for the magazine's design and its content, which should be a balance of historical, technical, operating and community-focused topics. Content should also reflect the RAC's priorities.

The editor will also coordinate with advertisers and sponsors and manage the placement of ads within the magazine.

This is a contract position that requires oversight of the editorial content and management of the full production cycle.

The application deadline is May 15th. Interested candidates can send a resume, a cover letter and work samples to the RAC office manager, Adam MacDonell, at the email address in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

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.