SPECIAL EVENT URGES SAFETY WITH LITHIUM BATTERIES

Hams who rely on lithium batteries for portable operations and emergency communication may want to check into a special event next month that highlights safe use and charging practices for these batteries.

Radio operators in North America are activating for Fire Prevention Week, carrying this public service message from the 4th through to the 10th of October. All stations will have 1x1 callsigns with the N prefix and F suffix. The number in between will be for each of the ten US geographic call regions.

There are also two wildcard stations: KF2IRE in the US and VE3FIRE in Canada.

Anyone working ten or more of the twelve stations will be eligible for a downloadable certificate.

This is both a special event and an educational one and is scheduled each year to coincide with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. That deadly blaze raged from October 8th to 10th of that year, destroying 17,000 structures, leaving 100,000 people homeless - and killing 300 people.

ARDC SEEKING VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT GRANTS, 44NET SYSTEM

Support for research and development, for education and for the 44Net ham radio internet address system continues to play a vital role in the future of amateur radio. This is why ARDC, Amateur Radio Digital Communications, is asking for volunteer input on one of several committees and teams. The private foundation is accepting applications through to the 30th of October for participation by qualified individuals. Applicants do not have to be in the United States to be a part of these teams.

The Grants Advisory Committee reviews applications for ARDC grants; the Grants Evaluation Team evaluates reports submitted by grant recipients and the Technical Advisory Committee deals with projects and policies related to 44Net. There is also a need for volunteers to serve on the Conduct Review Committee, which is open to individuals who are also serving ARDC in another volunteer capacity. Committee members evaluate incident reports involving ARDC's code of conduct.

See the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org for additional information.

HF RADIO COMES TO 12,000-YEAR-OLD ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

Archaeologists believe the wheel had not even been invented yet when the sanctuary known as Karahantepe was carved into the bedrock almost 12 thousand years ago in what is now the Turkish province of Şanlıurfa/

Special event station TC8KHT will be the first ham radio activation at the site since its creation around 9400 BC. A team of operators from the Turkish Amateur Radio Society will be active on the 18th through to the 20th of September. Where there was once no writing, agriculture or pottery, there now exists a GridSquare designation of KM97PC. From there, the operators will be using CW, SSB, FT8/FT4 and the geostationary satellite QO-100. Any operator completing at least one contact will be eligible for the free Amateur Radio Karahantepe (pronounce: carra hon TEP pay) Heritage Award.

Although the Cradle of Civilisation will never be the cradle of amateur radio, operators will make the most of those three days and then depart, as scientists continue their work through the Karahantepe (pronounce: carra hon TEP pay) Research Support Association. There are always new discoveries to be made - something amateur radio operators can surely relate to.

INDIAN STUDENTS BUILD FLIGHT-READY EAGLESATS

The next two student-built CubeSats to be launched in India are known as EagleSats and they'll be sent into low-earth orbit this month carrying amateur radio payloads.

Both will have a real-time AX.25 digipeater with a 435.170 MHz uplink and 436.547 MHz downlink. SSTV will be available as command-activated Robot36 SSTV demonstrations. The transmissions wiill be sent over the 9600 bps GFSK downlink as packetized data.

The small satellites, built at the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, are part of the country's 75 Student Satellites Mission, a national programme created in 2022 to celebrate the nation's 75 years of independence that year from British rule.

The satellites' launch dates are set for Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 30th of September.

STAMPS, COINS TO MARK MILESTONES FOR GIBRALTAR AMATEURS

This has been a big year for the Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society, which has been marking its 50th anniversary. It is also a big year for amateur radio, which became active in the British overseas territory 80 years ago with the issuance of the first licence bearing the ZB2 prefix. The callsign ZB2A belonged to the RAF Amateur Radio Club, which years later became part of the Gibraltar Amateur Radio Club.

The Gibraltar club's dual celebration this year included a one-week event hosted by members in May -- an exhibit at which they got on the air with the special-event callsign ZB2FTY.

Now, before the year winds down, the group is looking forward to keepsakes being made available for everyone. The Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau will issue a 50p commemorative coin and a set of four postage stamps on or about the 20th of November.

LASERS FROM SPACE SEEN AS DELIVERY MEANS FOR SOLAR POWER

Working with a self-imposed deadline of January 2028, Overview Energy is working on a constellation of satellites in geosynchronous orbit where solar panels would harvest sunlight to be sent to earth using infrared laser beams. The light, not visible to the human eye, would be guided by beacons to solar farms wherever the need is greatest at any given time. The promise of this technology has already inspired an agreement between Overview and Meta so that Meta's data centers can become a major consumer. Overview executives believe the technology would ultimately support a system that could lower electricity prices without compromising safety or health on earth.

Skeptics question the economics of the project, noting that the satellites alone - each the size of two football fields - makes the cost untenable. Others question the reality of this level of wireless transmission of power.

Overview Energy is also not the only one in a crowded field. There are numerous such young companies formed to meet the challenge of harvesting the sun amid the proliferation of data centers and other potential consumers. Some projects are studying the feasibility of microwave beams instead.

DEADLY INDONESIAN VOLCANO SPURS ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY NET

Emergency communications were activated and expected to stay in place in Indonesia through the 24th of September, following volcanic eruptions at Anak Krakatau earlier in the month. The national amateur radio organisation, ORARI, cautioned hams to stay off 7.110 MHz to allow for phone traffic and 7.100 MHz for JS8 Call. The emergency amateur radio net was also making use of the LAPAN-A2 satellite. ORARI was asking that the uplink and downlink frequencies, 145.880 MHz and 435.880 MHz, respectively also be kept clear.

Ageng Aditya, YB1BTM, chairman of IARU Region 3's disaster communication committee, advised amateurs to monitor all of those frequencies whenever possible.

ROUTE 66 TAKES A DETOUR ONTO THE HF HIGHWAY

It's all about connections. Ham radio has always had the power to make that person-to-person connection and in the US, the legendary east-west highway known as Route 66, has been connecting motorists along the open road with small towns, friends and adventure for 100 years. Twenty-four special event stations are marking this centennial year for Route 66 starting on Saturday, the 12th of September through to Sunday the 20th.

Route 66 on the Air's sponsoring organization, the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club in San Bernardino, California, will be calling QRZ using the callsign W6C; other stations will join them, using the same W6 prefix and the remaining letters of the alphabet, from W6A through to W6Z.

With participants such as the Barstow Amateur Radio Club in California, the Albuquerque DX Association in New Mexico, the Southwest Missouri Amateur Radio Club and others, expect a lot of traffic on this busy main road and plenty of stops along the journey.

DXPEDITION GETS HELP FROM CHILEAN ISLAND'S FISHING COMMUNITY

DXpeditioners Felipe XQ7IR and Moises, CE3VTZ, have something in common with the seasonal residents of the remote and rugged Chilean island where they have planned a DXpedition in early October.

While they fish across the ionosphere for as many DX contacts as they can reel in, they will be helped by the small population of temporary residents of this South Pacific island who have come to fish too for yellowtail kingfish and other species.

Alexander Selkirk Island, IOTA Number SA-101, has rough terrain, posing numerous challenges for this team of two as they activate with the callsign XRØZ. The biggest challenge, however, will not be managing the pileups.

Felipe writes: [quote] "Moving all of our equipment to Selkirk will be one of the major logistical challenges of this expedition, given the island's remote location and difficult terrain." [endquote] The fishermen have agreed to help carry fuel, water, sleeping bags, radios, generators and personal belongings to the men's shelter on the summit of the mountain where they will call CQ for 10 days, 3,468 feet - or 1,057 meters - above sea level. It is a four-hour trek from the fishermen's village, covering more than 7 kilometres.

Goodwill and teamwork go a long way. The pair will be installing a VHF communication system upon their arrival and plan to donate it afterward to the fishing community for improved communication between the fishing boats and the island base. Felipe said it will be a token of gratitude for their support.

TWO CHANCES TO GET ANTARCTICA IN THE LOG

Do you want a chance to work Antarctica? How about two? A pair of hams from Australia are getting on the air separately from two different research stations on the frozen continent. David Scott VK2JDS is operating as VKØDS at Davis Station, the Australian Antarctic programme's most southern station. David will remain at the Davis Station through until the end of October.

Tom Blunt VK2TBC is on the air as VKØTBC from Casey Station until the end of the year. The Casey station is closest to Australia and is not far from the Windmill Islands.

Both are on the air as often as their work responsibilities, and weather conditions permit.

Although you can listen for them primarily on HF, be aware that David's previous stays in Antarctica have found him experimenting with some 2-metre EME

NASA ADDS NEW DEEP SPACE NETWORK DISH IN CALIFORNIA

Increasing demands on NASA's Deep Space Network are expected to be met more easily now that NASA has added an antenna. NASA says the dish, measuring 114 feet or 34 meters, is critical to boosting the capacity of its already hard-working deep-space communication system, particularly after the good work done during the Artemis 1 and Artemis 2 lunar missions.

Shortly after the antenna was put into service at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex on the 3rd of August it began tracking NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. It is the fifth antenna being installed under the network's Aperture Enhancement Project, which will add one more in 2029.

The Deep Space Network serves robotic as well as crewed missions in deep space and was first famous for carrying communications with Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1969 as he walked on the surface of the moon.

SWIFT OBSERVATORY RESCUE MISSION ABANDONED

A private satellite's planned rescue mission of the Swift Observatory has been abandoned. The small spacecraft that was supposed to help save Swift could only get close enough to take photographs. The observatory, launched in 2004 by NASA to study such cosmic events as gamma-ray bursts, is experiencing decay of its low-earth orbit as a result of solar storms and is expected to re-enter the earth's atmosphere as early as October.

Last September, NASA awarded a $30 million contract to a company known as Katalyst Space Technologies to deploy a three-armed robotic servicing spacecraft known as Link to save Swift's mission and boost its orbit.

From a distance of 9 miles, or 15 kilometres, Link instead could only collect data and take photographs because the spacecraft itself had been having its own issues - first, with stability and later, with insufficient fuel.

“Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome that we were expecting,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

HAZEL EVERETTS, N8PTL, CHOSEN AS HAMVENTION 2027 GENERAL CHAIR

Hazel Everetts, N8PTL, was selected as general chair for next year's Dayton Hamvention, with Steve Keller AE8AT, serving as assistant general chair. Both Ohio amateurs are stepping forward from many years of behind-the-scenes work at Hamvention in time for it to mark three quarters of a century as an epicenter for ham radio activities and education.

Hazel's Hamvention involvement dates back to her first year as a licensed amateur in 1989. Through the years she has assisted with the coordination of hundreds of volunteers. She was the event's assistant general chair for the past two years. Her leadership roles have extended to DARA itself, which she has served as vice president.

Steve is a longtime Hamvention volunteer and is a senior trustee on the DARA board. His most recent role has been coordinating parking for the massive Greene County Fairgrounds event. Since obtaining his license in 2018, he has become an avid HF contester.

Michael Kalter, W8CI, announced their selection on behalf of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association's board. Hamvention will take place on Friday the 21st of May through to Sunday the 23rd.

FINDING POWER IN BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP WITH AMATEURS

Radio Asheville, WPVM, at 103.7 FM, was one of the few voices that was not silenced by the rage of Hurricane Helene in 2024, which threw the power grid, the internet and cell towers throughout the region into the dark. The station has since launched an emergency alert network that includes the cooperation of amateur radio -- and is a system that is designed to be resilient.

According to an article on the Mountain Xpress website, households throughout the region are now being encouraged to connect to this new system by signing up at RadioAsheville.org/alerts (Radio Asheville dot org stroke alerts).

The partnership with hams reflects the ability during the storm for amateurs to relay information in real time, such as wellness checks, road conditions and water-distribution points. The partnership, along with agreements with emergency-radio networks, makes use of Winlink peer-to-peer radio messaging, all done wirelessly.

The website quoted the radio station's general manager, Davyne [Davv-Vine] Dial, who said: [quote] "We wanted to build something that keeps working when everything else stops — solar power when the grid fails, ham radio when the internet fails, and a text or satellite message when even your phone can’t get a signal." [endquote]

AM RADIO LEGISLATION MOVES TOWARD FULL VOTE IN US CONGRESS

The previous session of Congress adjourned in late 2025 before the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act could be put on the calendar. Now it is there and the date is coming up fast.

The measure, which has the support of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, calls for all new passenger vehicles made or sold in the United States to have fully functioning AM broadcast radios as standard equipment, at no additional cost to buyers.

Its cosponsors are Florida Republican Gus Bilirakis and New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone in the House of Representatives and Texas Republican Ted Cruz and Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey in the Senate. There are 61 cosponsors in the Senate and 317 cosponsors in the House. The auto industry has spoken against continuing to provide AM radio and says it is particularly troublesome in electric vehicles, which interfere with the signals.

NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in a statement that he was hopeful, adding [quote] "AM radio is an indispensable lifeline during emergencies, a trusted source of news and information, and a vital connection for communities nationwide. Now is the time to finish the job." [endquote] The measure would still require the signature of the president, who has previously expressed his support.

HAMS HIT THE ROAD FOR 200 MILES OF SAFE CYCLING

The numbers are daunting: an estimated 1,700 cyclists; a distance of more than 200 miles; three mountain passes along a course that, at some points, approach 9,800 feet.

None of this can be done on the 12th of September without the more than 100 amateur radio operators who have helped to support this event since 1991. The race is known as the LoToJa.Classic, a shorthand for Logan, Utah to Jackson, Wyoming, which is the beginning and endpoint of a course with limited cellular coverage and plenty of risks along the way.

The ham radio safety net is being coordinated by the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club. One of the organizers, Kevin Reeve, N7RXE, said in a press release that hams are deployed in various ways throughout the course to keep the support continuous. That requires 35 radio-equipped vehicles along the course, some of them roving while others follow the packs of cyclists. They often spend as many as 14 hours on the road.

The course itself is covered by 10 ham repeaters in addition to two portable mountaintop repeaters and one portable canyon repeater. Whether there is a mechanical breakdown, a medical incident or a lost rider, the goal is to keep track of - and assist - everyone as necessary.

According to the race director, Brent Chambers, the ham volunteers are essential to the event because their communication goes on, uninterrupted. They are perhaps just as important as the bicycles and the road beneath their wheels.

FOR 11-YEAR-OLD CW OP, A MILESTONE MEMBERSHIP NUMBER

Congratulations to Maggie Flowers, KE2AIZ, who has been declared member number 10,000 in the Long Island CW Club. The 11-year-old New York amateur, who is a fifth generation ham, received her license at age 7 and quickly developed a fascination for CW, which she pursued. She has since become an avid CW contester and a mentor to other youngsters. She says on her page on QRZ.com: "CW is my first language."

Her recognition, published in the LICW Club's most recent newsletter, comes after the club decided that conferring this milestone member number should represent the future. The newsletter announcement states: [quote] Member number 10,000 represents not only Maggie and what she has already accomplished, but also the future of Morse code and the importance of passing this wonderful tradition from one generation to the next." [endquote]

COUNTY TO DONATE SURPLUS TOWER TO ALABAMA HAM CLUB

The Jackson County Amateur Radio Club in Alabama will soon have a new tower to help it continue to fulfill its mission of public service. County commissioners have approved a proposal by county emergency management agency director Joshua Whitcomb to donate the surplus tower to the ham club. He told the commission that it wasn't worthwhile for the county to take on $30,000 worth of repairs that the tower needs. The tower has already been taken down and the club would need to transport it to their headquarters.

The tower is being viewed as a useful addition to the club's network to support the county's emergency backup communications. County attorney John Porter told the commission that he approved the donation because the tower would be used for emergency notification and public safety..

The club's website notes that a big part of the mission of Jackson County ARES is to coordinate during disasters with the emergency management agency and other public service agencies.

TOKELAU ZK3ZL DXPEDITION POSTPONED UNTIL 2027

Only weeks after announcing that they were bringing a team of operators to Tokelau for a DXpedition in November, organizers have announced the trip to the New Zealand island territory has been postponed for a year.

The ZK3ZL DXpedition would have been the first to Tokelau since the ZK3A activation in 2019. Organizers said that the cancelled plans were the result of "an administrative error" that caused the operators to lose their bookings for the return trip by ferry. The team issued a statement saying: [quote] "With no other reasonably priced transportation alternative, the project must be rescheduled." [endquote]

The Perseverance DX Group and the Western Washington DX Club will coordinate their new plans with the administration on the island. Donors can request refunds of their contributions or they will be held in escrow.

WILDFIRE DAMAGES CRITICAL REPEATER IN NEVADA

Amateur radio repeater KA7ZAU became a victim of a raging wildfire that consumed much of the region near Reno, Nevada last month. The 2-metre repeater provides important connections for hams checking into the weekly Weather Net for SKYWARN and it is a link between amateur radio and the Red Cross.

Hams were still evaluating the repeater recently when they updated Newsline through email. Greg Krantz, NT7Q, a director of the Sierra Nevada Amateur Radio Society, said that the building itself suffered no damage but it appeared that the radiant heat burned the feedline leading to the antennas. The hams were still needing to inspect the equipment to see if anything there was damaged.

He told Newsline that the plan was to make repairs and get the site back on the air by Labor Day weekend if the local utility, Nevada Energy, restores power to the building.

The repeater's owner, Arlan Duwayne Robinson KA7ZAU, said that the Hawk Fire had knocked a number of repeaters off the air when the blaze began, affecting both amateur and commercial communications across the region for VHF and UHF analog, P25 digital, the Fusion system and 900 MHz systems. He said that the 2-metre and 220-MHz repeater that serves Reno, Sparks and the surrounding area have been on the air for 16 years and operate to support ARES, SKYWARN and numerous events. Arlan is also the Washoe County emergency coordinator for ARES.

He said: [quote] "It will take time to replace damaged equipment and install new feedlines. The work will help restore coverage, improve reliability, and return systems to full operational status as quickly as possible." [endquote]