Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2181 for Friday August 16th, 2019

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2181 with a release date of Friday, August 16th 2019 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. In India, flood disaster brings out the best in new hams. New details emerge about a fatal tower accident -- and a global expert in radio propagation becomes a Silent Key. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Number 2181 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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NEW HAMS IN INDIA PROVIDE BIG ASSIST IN FLOODS

JIM/ANCHOR: Our top story this week reports on the deployment of amateur radio operators to assist with communications in one flood-ravaged part of India for the first time. Ham radio operators are helping relief workers in North Karnataka's (Karna-TAKKA's) Belagavi district, something hams have not previously been deployed to do in this flood-ravaged area, according to the city's Indian Institute of Hams. Their radio communication has been based out of a variety of vehicles including a mobile control station inside an SUV. News reports noted that 50 of the hams had been trained earlier in the month for just this kind of intervention during a mock disaster drill and that these are relatively new hams as the local postal department only started its amateur radio club last year.

(THE HINDU, BANGALORE MIRROR)

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SILENT KEY: RADIOWAVE PROPAGATION EXPERT LES BARCLAY G3HTF

JIM/ANCHOR: An influential amateur radio operator, educator and engineering expert in the global arena has become a Silent Key. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us more.

JEREMY: Officers of the International Telecommunication Union and hams worldwide are grieving the loss of an influential amateur who shared his valuable expertise in radio propagation throughout his long career. Les Barclay, G3HTF, of Chelmsford, England, became a Silent Key on the 31st of July.

Les was credited with key input that shaped technical discussions at World Radiocommunication Conference 2015, leading to the international secondary allocation for amateurs on 60 metres. Former ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price N4QX called his expertise in ionospheric propagation invaluable and much-sought-after.

He was given the ITU's Silver Medal in 1993 for chairing the first Radiocommunication Assembly. He was a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a recipient of numerous honours including the Institution of Engineering and Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1994 for his work in radiocommunication, the Polar Medal for Antarctic propagation research, and the IGY Gold Award in 2007. He was a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the IET.

Les Barclay was 85.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(ITU)

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NEW DETAILS EMERGE AFTER N.H. TOWER ACCIDENT

JIM/ANCHOR: More details have emerged following the tower accident that claimed the life of one ham and injured another late last month in New Hampshire. Paul Braun WD9GCO has that update.

PAUL: As Newsline reported last month, a 40-foot tower collapsed on July 27th, taking the life of Joe Areyzaga (Array-SAGGA) K1JGA and seriously injured Mike Rancourt K1EEE as the two worked to take the tower down at Mike's QTH. It was a used tower that had only been installed three years ago. An update posted on the Yankee Clipper Contest Club discussion board and written by Mark Pride K1RX, adds the following new details.

Mark wrote that the general reason given for the collapse of the Rohn tower was corrosion at the junction of the hinged base short legs, where one leg had been previously repaired but not with galvanized material. Mark wrote that the structure had become weakened and the first point of failure was that leg. When the guy wires were removed from their anchor points - a necessary action to remove the top section - the tower became free-standing. Both climbers were 35 feet high, wearing safety belts, when the base failed. He wrote: {quote} "Subsequent movement by climbers at the top of the unguyedtower led to breakage at the base." {endquote} 

He said that normally all hardware associated with the hinge plate are galvanized to protect gainst the elements. Water or ground contaminants had collected in gaps under the plate, contributing to the corrosion of the previously repaired short leg.

Mark suggested the following safety procedure: attach a set of additional guy wires at either the 10 feet or 20 feet level prior to any work on the tower to further stabilize the base and reduce stress on the legs. He named this procedure in honor of Joe K1JGA, the Silent Key.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.

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NETHERLANDS CAMPGROUND PREPARES FOR YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR

JIM/ANCHOR: What's better than summer camp? How about winter camp? It's even better with ham radio, as John Williams VK4JJW tells us.

JOHN: If you're a young radio operator - or even a prospective radio operator - it's not too early to start thinking about spending part of your winter in the Netherlands. Winter-YOTA, a sub-regional Youngsters On the Air Event, will open its radio camp on Thursday the 12th of December at a full-service forest campground near Oosterhout {pronounced OO-ster-OWT). Campers will enjoy a full agenda of radio activities as well as camping activities until Sunday, December 15th. 

The date coincides with December being declared again as YOTA Month, when young amateurs around the world will be on the air using call signs with the suffix Y-O-T-A. The winter campers themselves will be using the call sign PA6YOTA.

It's important to note that the camp is open to prospective hams as well as licensed hams. Newcomers to the hobby - and young people who hope to get their license - all are welcome. The only requirement is that campers be between the ages of 16 and 25 and belong to one of the member societies of the IARU. If you have questions, send an email to winteryota at ham dash yota dot com (winteryota@ham-yota.com)

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter will arrive before you know it! That's when those of us Down Under can start enjoying warmer temperatures again.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams VK4JJW

(SOUTHGATE)

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SPECIAL EVENT STATION CELEBRATES 'HARVEY HOUSES'

JIM/ANCHOR: Get ready for a special event that has an extra dose of ham radio hospitality - because it celebrates a part of American history steeped in providing a warm welcome to travelers as far back as the late 1800s. Jack Parker W8ISH has details.

JACK: Organizers of a special event known as Harvey Houses on the Air are expecting this year's activation to be twice as good as last year's. Seven stations called QR Zed for this event in 2018 but this year, you can double that amount: As many as 15 are expected to get in on the action. The sponsoring organization in New Mexico, the Valencia County Amateur Radio Association KC5OUR, says the special event happening on September 14th is as much about ham radio as it is about hospitality. The Harvey Houses being celebrated by the hams were rest stops built in the late 19th century along railroad routes in the western United States. New Mexico had 13 such restaurants and hotels; Texas had 16. The last ones to close operated until the 1960s. While this is not a contest, hams who contact 25 percent of the listed stations can get a PDF of a certificate. Contacts are not being verified against logs so organizers are relying on the honor system -- and yes, the sponsoring club in New Mexico will be among those activating. Be listening for the call sign KC5OUR and visit qsl dot net slash v-c-a-r-a {qsl.net/vcara} for details.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jack Parker W8ISH.

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NO CONTEST: CONTESTER MAKES GENEROUS GIFT TO FOUNDATION

JIM/ANCHOR: There seems to be no limit to the spirit of giving that can be found in the ham radio community.  Heather Embee KB3TZD shares an example.

HEATHER: Delaware amateur Chick Allen NW3Y devotes himself to contesting at his QTH in this mid-Atlantic State as well as his QTH in the New England state of Vermont. Chick notes on his QR Zed page that he's devoted to CW operation, a member of the Frankford Radio Club and sends and receives paper QSL cards. He is also devoted to the future of amateur radio and recently made that known through a donation of $25,000 to the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, a nonprofit organization that cultivates skillful contesting and other radio activities. Chick noted that he hoped his gift would be used to train and encourage the youngest hams among us to pursue creative contesting and carry the hobby into the future. 

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Heather Embee KB3TZD.

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BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W8WKY repeater of the Silvercreek Amateur Radio Association on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

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WINLINK OPERATION HELPS MAKE 'CITADEL RUMBLE' A SUCCESS

JIM/ANCHOR: What happens when hams team up with the military in a communications exercise that envisions a major earthquake? Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us.

ANDY: Seven San Diego area hams using Winlink were part of the United States Navy's recent preparedness exercise known as Citadel Rumble 2019. The two-day earthquake response and recovery exercise at Navy Medicine West in San Diego was designed to sharpen the Navy's ability to respond to disaster by following established response plans. With the help of seven San Diego area Winlink operators, Navy Medicine West checked in with Naval Hospital Bremerton Naval Health Clinic Oak Harbor, U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa and U.S. Naval Hospital Guam. The seven operators who volunteered to participate were identified on the discussion group Winlink for EmComm as Rob Freeburn K6RJF, Bob Younger AI6KU, Patrick Gooden K6PFG, Gary Asbury N6GLS, Mike Bradbury N2DDS, Rhonda Bradbury KK6KTM and Bill Honaker N9LZ.

Rob noted in a posting to the discussion group that the RF operations went smoothly. He wrote: {quote} We operated four Winlink stations simultaneously (three VHF and one HF) with minimum mutual interference. This was the second year that we participated in Citadel Rumble with the Navy Medical focus being an earthquake scenario north of Seattle affecting a Naval Air Station." {endquote}

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Andy Morrison K9AWM. 

(STARS AND STRIPES, U.S. NAVY WEBSITE, WinlinkforEmComm) 


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HAM RADIO BANNED AT POPULAR AUSTRIAN AIR SHOW

JIM/ANCHOR: Families visiting a popular Austrian air show will get to see plenty of planes and pilots -- but no amateur radio. Ed Durrant DD5LP explains.

ED: Airpower 19, Austria's popular showcase of talented air squadrons and solo pilots at Hinterstoisser military airfield near Zeltweg in the province of Styria, will not be a showcase for amateur radio. The family event on September 6th and 7th, organized by the Austrian Federal Armed Forces, has forbidden the use - and even the presence - of amateur radio equipment.

Mobile phones are being permitted, according to an announcement by the Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie in Vienna. A statement recently released from their offices notes that any unauthorized radio equipment discovered on the military property will be taken away temporarily by the military.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.

(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS)

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SISTERHOOD AND TEAMWORK LIGHT UP CZECH REPUBLIC CONTEST STATION

JIM/ANCHOR: Take thirteen YLs, a powerhouse of a contest station and the spirit of sisterhood and what have you got? Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT tells us.

CARYN: More than 8400 QSOs later, Eva HB9FPM is feeling pretty proud of the 13 YLs from six European and one North American country, who operated special event station OL88YL. The activation from the 2nd to the 7th of August was a celebration of sisterhood and radio teamwork. Eva told Newsline that although last August found the YLs on DXpedition to France's Noirmoutier Island as TM64YL, this year's venue was Eva's country of birth, the Czech Republic. Though not a DXpedition, it turned out to be quite an adventure too: The home QTH was the big contest station OK5Z which has five rigs and an impressive array of antennas including a vertical, a halfsquare and monoband Yagis. YLs were also operated elsewhere under the summits on the air program as OL88YL/P. As Eva told Newsline in an email: {quote} "As a YL usually you don't have the chance to play too much with the radios." {endquote} They did play plenty, however, and the final tally included 6,470 contacts on SSB, 872 on CW and 1,076 on digital. At Newsline production time, more than 592 hams had downloaded the OL88YL award certificate.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT.

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NEW LIST RELEASED FOR DXCC'S MOST WANTED

JIM/ANCHOR: In case you've been wondering about the DXCC Most Wanted entities, Bouvet Island remains in the Number Two spot, with the top spot going to North Korea. In the third and fourth spots, respectively, are Crozet Island and Scarborough Reef. The fifth spot went to the San Felix Islands. The list was updated on ClubLog as of the 29th of July and no changes have been reported. There are 340 entities in all.

(OHIO PENN DX)

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WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Thor DK7RD, Paul G4PVM and Col MM0NDX as they activate Europe's 5th most wanted IOTA, Shiant Isles between August 23rd and 25th. They'll be using the call sign MS-ZERO-INT and will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB and FT8. Send QSLs to M-ZERO-SDV.

Operators Da YO3GA, Mircea YO4GKP, Alina YO9RYJ, Petrica YO9RIJ and a number of others will be using the call sign YP ZERO F from Fericirii Island between August 27th and September 1st. Be listening on 160-10 metres where they will be using CW, SSB and FT8. Send QSLs to YO9RIJ.

The Royal Amateur Radio Association of Morocco is active using the special event callsign 5E6A for their National Celebration until September 29th. QSL direct to EA7FTR.

Listen for Michele, IW7EGQ, using the call sign SV8/IW7EGQ from Zakinthos in Greece between the 20th and 28th of August. QSL via EM ZERO OH EX OH's (M0OXO's) OQRS.

(OHIO PENN DX)

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KICKER: 'QSL QUILT' GIVES BLANKET COVERAGE

JIM/ANCHOR: What's better than a QSL card? Try 50 QSL cards, all combined into a unique quilt. Kevin Trotman N5PRE tells us about this one-of-a-kind creation.

KEVIN: Margie Spangenberg KK4AGN has been taking comfort in good old fashioned QSL cards since she started receiving them in 2011 as a new ham -- but there's another time-honored symbol of comfort Margie also loves - quilts. With the help of a talented relative she was able to combine those two worlds last year. In a symbol of perfect unity, all 50 United States are represented in the replica QSL cards stitched together by a beloved aunt into something Margie calls her QSL quilt. There are squares stitched together representing the special event station she contacted in Utah, her 13 Colonies contact from Delaware and the Marconi station in Wellfleet Massachusetts. That's just for starters. The images of each card were transferred by inkjet printer to cotton fabric and with Margie's aunt working diligently, the quilt was QRV in less than four weeks. Since then she's been taking the quilt on tour to hamfests - most recently to the big one this month in Huntsville, Alabama - and she's even visited a couple of quilting clubs.

A QSL quilt like this is the perfect example of what our hobby is all about - stitching together far-away places and far-away friends - acknowledging ham radio's role in the real fabric of our lives.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

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NEWSCAST CLOSE:

With thanks to Amateur News Weekly; AMSAT.ORG; the ARRL; Bangalore Mirror; CQ Magazine; the Hindu newspaper; the ITU; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QRZ.COM Forums; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Stars & Stripes; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; WTWW Shortwave; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Please send emails to our address at newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official website at arnewsline.org.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, at the news desk in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston West Virginia saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

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