GLOBAL REGISTRY BEGINS VERIFICATION OF DMR IDS

Faced with managing a finite universe of digital radio ID numbers, the global registry RadioID dot net (RadioID.net) has begun contacting users to verify their assigned IDs. An announcement on the registry's website said that the verification process, which began on the 1st of July, is expected to lead to the deactivation of ID numbers for account holders who do not respond to emails sent to them annually on the anniversary of an account's creation.

Ultimately, deactivated IDs will be marked for removal from the database and will then become available for reassignment to new users.

For more details about the process, read the community notice posted at RadioID dot net (RadioID.net)

HOMECOMING FOR COLLECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

A radio shack overlooking Ballyscanlon Lake has been transformed into a new home for the Collective Communications Group which has served as a radio family for four years for hams, citizens band operators and PMR 446 enthusiasts.

Having a new address means it's going to be a busy season for the 73-member group. Its radio room is set up near space used by the 35th Copper Coast Scout Group. The scouts and the radio club have enjoyed an ongoing relationship since their earliest Jamboree on the Air together -- and the scouts, who are learning radio and basic electronics from their new neighbours, can expect to start using the ham shack under supervision.

The club was organised by John Tubritt EI3HQB in 2022 in Kilmurrin Cove, Waterford with the help of Wayne EI7HKB and shortwave listener Alex EI1895. John told Newsline that they operated out of Wayne's van until they were able to obtain and renovate a mobile shack complete with solar setup and full kitchen.

Having a dedicated club house overlooking the lake is an important step forward. John told Newsline [quote] "We have great plans for the future with youth in our hobby." [endquote]

To join the opening-day party for the new clubhouse, visit the group's YouTube channel, Collective Communications EI3CC.

RESEARCHERS CREATE SPACE 'WALL' TO WEAKEN SOLAR STORMS

Researchers believe they have developed an effective line of defense against geomagnetic storms that would protect radio communications, GPS systems, electrical grids and satellites from disruption. It's not quite a vaccination against storms, but it provides what the scientists are calling a bold line of defense. The system, known as StormWall, has emerged from research and computer simulations by a Boston University team led by associate engineering professor Brian Walsh.

Using computer modeling, the researchers said they have found a way to fortify earth's natural magnetic defenses against geomagnetic storms by deploying a half-dozen spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. The six spacecraft would be used to release sodium, calcium, lithium, barium and other materials into space for ionization by the sun, creating an artificial cloud of electrically charged plasma. Writing in the journal Space Weather, the team said that process would slow the storm's rate of penetration into our planet's magnetic shield, reducing its power by more than 50 percent.

StormWall, of course, resides only in theory at the moment but the researchers believe it shows promise globally. They said the risk of contamination from the released chemicals would be insignificant because solar wind would disperse the material within several hours, preventing any entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

CANADA REVIEWING POLICY ON ANTENNAS, TOWERS

Ham radio operators are among the interested parties weighing in with Canada's radio regulations agency, which is seeking comment until the 16th of July on proposed changes to policies covering antennas and towers. Radio Amateurs of Canada and the Federation of Radio Amateur Clubs of Quebec have responded in support of many of the changes and are pressing the agency known as Innovation, Science and Development Canada to modify an existing rule concerning maximum antenna and tower height. Current law requires consultation with local authorities when antenna and tower heights are above 15-meters, or roughly 48 feet. The two amateur radio groups have asked that the height threshold be raised to 20 meters, or roughly 65 feet, to qualify for the exemption from consultation.

The joint RAC/RAQI position of support on the changes was explained recently by Dave Goodwin, VE3KG, the RAC's regulatory affairs officer, in a YouTube interview with Stuart Crawford VE9CF. Dave told Stuart that the added height would [quote] "give us that much more latitude" [endquote] in putting up antenna structures. He said that a new 20-meter threshold would cover almost all amateurs.

In Canada, federal policy has final say on antennas, towers and related structures but under current policy, local land-use authorities and neighbors must still be informed. The amateur groups also asked for a decrease in the size of the zone within which hams must respond to neighbors’ concerns.

Dave told Stuart that although ISED [Eye Said] is proposing these and many procedural changes primarily to make things easier for commercial wireless services, the regulations and any benefits would apply to radio amateurs as well. The RAC has been encouraging amateurs in Canada to submit their feedback to the agency.

HAM RADIO, FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE

The push for youngsters' involvement, education and adventure in amateur radio seems everywhere, from courses in STEM to intensive camps that promise a bit of work and a bit of play. Now into the mix comes the Wireless Institute of Australia, which has released a new publicity brochure that focuses on bringing new hams into the hobby. These are prospective hams who are a little bit - well, OK, maybe a whole lot MORE than a little bit - older.

In other words, this is recruitment for the grown-ups, the parents whose kids have moved out and moved away. It's for the retirees who want a challenge but not another job. It's for anyone who's come of age at a time when it's exciting to discover the ever-increasing options that come with having an amateur radio licence. It might even be for grandmothers and grandfathers who want to operate portable with their ham-radio operator grandkids.

The brochure, unveiled at the recent WIA annual general meeting in Albury, Australia targets them all - those non-amateurs who may want to consider becoming older and wiser in the ways of radio science. It's something we can all grow into.

For details, or if you wish copies of the brochure to distribute at club meetings, contact the administrative office of the WIA.

WRTC LAUNCHES PLATFORM FOR REAL-TIME CHASING

A live scoreboard created by World Radio League in collaboration with WRTC 2026 will make its debut at the competition next month, allowing thousands of viewers to follow the action as it happens. The platform will feature integrated spotting and will offer updated live rankings, a leaderboard, pages for each team and a list of top countries and top contacts. Chasers will be able to track how many QSOs they've had with the teams on individual bands and in what modes.

The platform is still a work in progress, subject to refinement. Viewers can get a look at what's planned by visiting the YouTube channel for Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio, which is hosting a demonstration by James Cribbs NØWRL, CEO and founder of World Radio League. See the link the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://youtu.be/RzjKQBGUeAc ]

Meanwhile, the WRTC 2026 Committee has approved the operation of six remote operating positions at the competition's headquarters in Wyboston, UK. All the remote stations are considered world-class contest stations. Their callsigns are ZW5B in Brazil; 7Q6M in Malawi; VK6SJ in Australia; ZF5T in the Cayman Islands and two US stations - K6RO in Maine and KH7M in Hawaii. Individual operators who would like to sign up can visit the link that appears in the text version of this week's newscast.

YOTA AMERICAS CAMPERS WRAP UP HUNTSVILLE ADVENTURES

Thirty-five campers arrived in Huntsville, Alabama from 17 states and 3 countries - the US, Mexico, and Argentina - but their focus quickly turned to matters high above the earth. They enjoyed an ARISS contact with astronaut Chris Williams, KJ5GEW, and a surprise visit from Penny Pettigrew, payload communications manager and others from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Payload Operations team. Closer to Planet Earth, campers sent up a balloon to near-space, topping out at 93,500 feet as it signaled as W4Y-11 on APRS. The balloon carried a successful biological experiment from Xavier University and a radiation experiment using Polaroid film. Two pico balloons - W9EAR-12 and KM4ZIA-1 - were also launched.

In between sharpening their kit-building skills and getting acquainted with how to work DXpeditions and use the DX clusters, they operated special event station W4Y, visited the US Space & Rocket Center and the SIGNALS museum. The week ended with an intercultural evening which brought everyone back down to earth.

Want to sample some of the fun vicariously? Visit the Youth on the Air channel on YouTube. Bring your own refreshments.

UK'S INTRUDER WATCH TEAM NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS

Although the International Amateur Radio Union says its Intruder Watch Service is not "the band police," it places a big emphasis on the difference that volunteer monitors can make in keeping the amateur bands free from harmful interference. Watch Service participants identify unauthorised transmissions and report them to their relevant national coordinator.

In the UK, the Intruder Watch Team of the Radio Society of Great Britain is looking to add more volunteers. It plays an important part in finding and disclosing the harmful interference by non-amateur stations. These often include broadcast signals and over-the-horizon radar. The IARU notes on its website that such intrusions appear to be growing rapidly.

Ian Suart GM4AUP, RSGB coordinator, asks that anyone wanting to learn more - or to offer help - should contact him at iw at rsgb dot org dot uk (iw@rsgb.org.uk)

SOUTH KOREAN AMATEURS CONCLUDE NATIONAL FOX-HUNTING EVENT

Amateur radio direction finding - or fox hunting - is a big priority among hams in South Korea, where the 19th *direction-finding world championships were held in 2018 hosted by the Korean Amateur Radio League. That was the same year a commemorative postage stamp was issued by the Korea Post Office

This organised pursuit of hidden transmitters continues in Korea as its own national championship recently marked its first quarter-century as a formal event. The 25th Korean Amateur Radio Direction Finding National Championship was held in Wanju (won-Joo) on the 13th of June.

Navigating fields and forests with the help of maps, compasses and radio receivers, hams worked as both teams and individuals, with sections created by gender and age.

Korea's Central Radio Management Service, the agency that oversees radio spectrum and amateur radio, looks favourably upon the development of direction-finding techniques to sharpen communication technology skills useful in emergency-response situations.

GRANT SUPPORTS REPAIR OF REVERSE BEACON NODE

The Reverse Beacon Node serving Mauritius is undergoing necessary repairs with the help of a grant announced by the Yasme Foundation. The worldwide foundation's board of directors approved the grant in February but it was only recently announced. The funds are being given to Ashwin Mandary 3B8GL, who will repair his node on the RBN. The move was praised by the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society, whose active hams rely on the network. An RBN station monitors signal propagation, listening specifically for CW and digital modes. Ashwin is treasurer of the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society.

In a separate move, the Yasme Foundation is also providing a grant to the Korean Amateur Radio League to support its involvement in the activities of the Youth on the Air programme. The program is well-respected by young amateurs in South Korea, who used the callsign HLØYOTA during the December 2025 YOTA Month event.

THREE SATELLITES TO BE 'FIRE TOWERS IN THE SKY"

This summer, three new satellites are expected to be launched to serve as the equivalent of fire towers in the sky, Three FireSat satellites are being readied by the nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance and its wildfire-detection program, which is satellite-based. The three FireSats have received support from a $26 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund. The initiative also has the support of Google.

The FireSats are expected to monitor for wildfires in critical and sensitive areas at least twice a day, with a special emphasis on the Amazon Basin, which is known to be particularly vulnerable.

The Earth Fire Alliance released a statement saying that it hopes to have more satellites in place to assist with such monitoring so that every point on the planet will be seen every 20 minutes.

A WEEKEND OF FIELD DAY AND FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

As Newsline went to production, hams were arriving at Messe Friedrichshafen [PRON: Freed Ricks Harr Fenn] to attend Europe's top amateur radio event and in North America, hams in Canada and the US were getting on the air for Field Day. In Huntsville, Alabama, registration is already under way for the Huntsville Hamfest, which opens on the 22nd of August. It's going to be another busy season - but not before one more event, which begins on July 1st at 1300 UTC - the annual 13 Colonies special event which is celebrating America's 250th birthday. It concludes on July 8th at 0400 UTC.

Now in its 18th year of operation, the event is featuring downloadable certificates for the first time. As always, stations will represent the 13 original colonies and there will be bonus contacts with GB13COL, TM13COL and WM3PEN. This year's event is dedicated to Ken Villone, KU2US, the founder of the 13 Colonies event, who became a Silent Key last year.

Visit 13colonies dot us (13colonies.us) for more details. Be sure to use numerals "one" and "three" for "thirteen"

COSTLY ANTENNA REPAIRS FOR NASA'S DEEP SPACE STATION

The US Space Agency NASA is facing a repair bill of between $4.1 and $4.6 million for Deep Space Station 14, its 70-meter RF antenna near Barstow, California - all because of what it has found to be inadequate procedures and inadequate training of workers A report recently released by the agency said that its investigation found a number of primary causes, including human error, weaknesses in software and an undetected failure in the antenna's hydraulic limit system, which is its final mechanical safeguard.

The incident that took the antenna out of service occurred last September as it was tracking the Juno mission for deep-space exploration focused on Jupiter. The antenna over-rotated, adding stress to structural supports and cables and damaging water lines feeding the antenna's fire-suppression system. An article on NASA's website states that investigators concluded that operators felt compelled by "workplace culture" to work as quickly and efficiently as possible [quote] "often stretching beyond their usual roles, expertise and training to keep the antenna operating." [endquote]

NASA considers these findings to be its final report. The antenna, a key part of the Deep Space Network, is expected to be out of service until October of 2028

HAMS ON ALERT AFTER EARTHQUAKE IN VENEZUELA

As Newsline went to production, a state of emergency was declared in Venezuela following a pair of closely spaced earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 7.2 and 7.5. Injuries and deaths were reported across the South American nation, where amateur radio operators began receiving reports via Domingo L. Hernández Lima, YV5IZE of the Venezuelan Radio Club, that the capital city of Caracas was among those areas that had lost power. Using batteries, hams were already activating voice and digital emergency nets on HF. A global call went out for amateurs to keep the frequency at 7.135 MHz clear. Emergency communication coordinators for hams in Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and others in the region were asked to remain on standby. Newsline will be following this story as it unfolds.

IN CANADA, RADIO HAS A "SENIOR MOMENT" TO REMEMBER

The newest centenarian in town at the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization in Alberta, Canada is attracting a lot of attention. The organisation, which serves adults age 55 and older, focuses on recreation, well-being, nutrition and education as well as providing support to older area residents in their homes.

The new 100-year-old newcomer will be reaching out to the community - if not the world.

Radio Station CJOC, 94.1 FM, is marking its centennial year on the air by forming a partnership with the senior group's amateur radio club, honouring radio's roots in the years before the birth of its broadcast counterpart. The result of that partnership is the newly renamed CJOC Amateur Radio Club and Radio Room, which the commercial station has pledged to support. The ham club has the callsign VE6LSC.

The club predates its partnership with the broadcaster: It was established under a different name in the 1970s inside the senior centre. Its shack is a museum of sorts displaying vintage equipment that provides a visual narrative of radio history.

This new effort, in the digital age, is anything but backward-looking: It has a promise from the commercial station that it will promote the hams' activities through its social media channels and on-the-air coverage. CJOC-FM is also supporting training efforts to involve more people in broadcasting as well as amateur radio - as its second century of radio begins.

TYPHOON OVER JAPAN DESTROYS FLORIDA STUDENTS' PICO BALLOON

The little Sky Tracker pico balloon enjoyed a triumphant launch by Sky Academy students and the Englewood Amateur Radio Society in February. It carried the callsign N4EAR-1 and a lot of hope and ambition as it soared, communicating via APRS -- that is, until it met the Category 1 storm known as Jangmi over Japan on the 2nd of June. Its journey of 153,468 miles or 24,689 kilometres, ended there, 103 days and 14 hours after it had first begun.

There was loss, yes, but no grief.

As club president Bill Reed K7WWR wrote in an email to Newsline: [quote] "It was a great weak-signal learning experience and a great kickoff of our STEM support of Sky Academy and a great learning experience for the students." [endquote]

The flight of the little balloon not only launched the school's STEM program but the partnership with the amateur radio society.

TEXAS AMATEURS TO RUN OPEN-SOURCE VERSION OF HAM.LIVE

It was a race against the calendar to keep the service known as Ham.Live [pron: Ham Dot Live] on the air while it made the transition to an open-source model at the end of this month. With so many amateur radio net participants relying on it for net logging and realtime chat, the June 30th deadline loomed large. Now it has been picked up as an open-source service by the Sachse Amateur Radio Club N5SAC, which is asking fellow hams to help beta test its operation on a new server.

Keeping communications going under challenging circumstances is a specialty of this group, which comprises both the Sachse RACES and ARES teams. To help with the effort in testing Ham.Live, visit their website at sachseraces.org - that's spelled s a c h s e r a c e s dot org.

Other clubs or individuals wanting to develop and run Ham.Live for their own activities can visit the link on Github that appears in the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org.

RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA SEEKS NOMINATIONS

The Radio Club of America would like to recognize outstanding achievers in the fields of radio and wireless technology and the deadline for nominations is the 30th of June and it is approaching fast. If you know of someone devoted to preserving the history of wireless, consider sending in their name for the Ralph Batcher Memorial Award. If you would like to honor someone whose contributions to the field have advanced electronic communications, submit their name for the Sarnoff Citation. The club will also be presenting the Wireless Innovation Award to someone who has developed a groundbreaking product or concept.

There are also two business-related awards. The Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award and the Wireless Small Business Award.

Visit the website radioclubofamerica dot org, that's radioclubofamerica - one word - dot org for more details (radioclubofamerica.org)

INDIAN HAMS HELP FAMILY FIND TROUBLED YOUNG MOTHER

Already traumatised by a number of tragic deaths in her family - a young woman suffering from mental trauma has been returned to the home village in Uttar Pradish that she had wandered away from five months ago in apparent confusion and grief. According to media reports, the woman, Usha Devi, had stopped talking coherently shortly before her disappearance. Usha had been troubled for most of her life by a series of deaths in her family, beginning with the incident in which her father was hit by a passing train - a death that she witnessed. Relatives told police that the recent death of her husband this year preceded her disappearance by several weeks. Like her father, her husband was fatally struck by a train in an incident she also witnessed.

The hams had been told by police that the woman had been found in the care of a shelter home for her mental trauma where she was taken after having wandered on the streets of West Bengal for some time.

The hams connected with their contacts in Hindi-speaking regions and across several states, reaching out through numerous amateur radio networks until relatives could be located. Usha recognised family members during a video call arranged by the club.

The club's secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2FJA told Newsline in a text message that Usha returned to her village on Friday the 12th of June.

NASA DECLARES MARS 'MAVEN' MISSION OVER

Since 2013, the project known as MAVEN - for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution - was on a mission to study that planet's upper atmosphere, ionosphere and its interactions with the Sun. The spacecraft's signal was lost on the 6th of December after a pass behind the red planet, prompting NASA to immediately begin a review of what actions the agency would take next. At a media teleconference earlier this month, officials declared MAVEN to be no long useful and said there will be no attempts at recovering it.

Although MAVEN's original mission was to last only a year, it proved useful for more than a decade beyond that period as it continued to transmit data, even serving as an antenna during the delivery of the Perseverance rover to Mars in 2020.

Preliminary findings of MAVEN's failure determined that its batteries may have drained, shutting down its communications system, when it emerged from its orbit behind Mars. A review board is studying the mission to discover the cause while NASA decommissions the MAVEN program and archives its data.