Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2209 for Friday February 28th 2020 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2209 with a release date of Friday February 28th 2020 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Satellite issues on the South Orkney Islands. A beloved figure in the D-STAR world becomes a Silent Key -- and electricity out of thin air? All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2209 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** CHALLENGES FOR SOUTH ORKNEY DXPEDITIONERS JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with news of challenges facing the VP8PJ DXpedition team on the South Orkney Islands. The radio operators, who expect to remain there until March 6th, have had only limited success with satellite connections - even from the ship - restricting the regular uploading of logs. Team member Gene K5GS writes Newsline from the island: [quote] "We've been in contact with the service provider and we all agree that the problem is the terrain and the satellite's low angle in the sky." [endquote] Meanwhile, Gene said uploads will be done whenever possible. The team asks hams refrain from emailing pilots about whether they made it through the pileups into the log. He writes: [quote] "This is an experienced DX-pedition and Contest team. If you hear them repeat your call you're in the log." [endquote] He added: "Have patience." The South Orkney Islands are the 16th most wanted DX entity listed on ClubLog. (GENE SPINELLI K5GS, GLENN PETRI KE4KY) ** A MILESTONE FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA D-STAR NET JIM/ANCHOR: Nothing succeeds like consistency and that's probably why the Western Pennsylvania D-STAR Net is getting ready to mark a major milestone next month. For almost eight years, the Net has been taking check-ins on Reflector 063C with Al Losch N3FKE as Net Control. On Monday March 9th at 9 p.m. Eastern time, Al will be running his 400th consecutive net, which he conducts from his home just outside Erie, Pennsylvania. Needless to say he's hoping it will be the biggest Net ever. Hams, including first-timers, are invited to check-in and be part of this proud D-STAR tradition. ** SILENT KEY: CONNIE BALLANTYNE KB0ZSG JIM/ANCHOR: The amateur community, especially those on the International D-STAR Net, are mourning the loss of an unforgettable YL. Paul Braun WD9GCO tells us about her. PAUL: Sunday nights will never be the same for hams who regularly checked into the International D-STAR Net during the past few years. Its longtime net control station Connie Ballantyne KB0ZSG (K B ZERO ZED S G) became a Silent Key on February 21st. The long-running net which begins at 7 p.m. Central Time in the U.S., has had regular check-ins from around the world. A licensed ham since 1997, she was inspired by her father who was also a ham radio operator. When she lived in Missouri, she became active in C.E.R.T., A.R.E.S., R.A.C.E.S., Weather Spotting, and Emergency Management. She wrote on her profile page on QRZ.COM that in 2007 after helping form the Ozark Mountain Amateur Radio Group, she helped with the installation of a 2 metre D-STAR repeater and later became hooked on the mode. She was also active in the Texas Emergency Amateur Communications Radio Group in Kingwood, Texas, where she lived. Many YLs called her an inspiration for women on the radio. Connie wrote on her QRZ.COM page: "It is great having friends around the world. It is like an extended family." With her death, that extended family is now in mourning. Connie Ballantyne, who died of cancer, was 64. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO. (VIRGINIA OLIVER KC5SAM, DARYL STOUT WX4QZ, QRZ.COM) ** FCC REJECTS CALIF. HAM'S RENEWAL APPLICATION JIM/ANCHOR: The Federal Communications Commission has rejected the license renewal application of William F. Crowell W6WBJ, the California amateur who has had a long-running case with the agency which has charged him with interference and transmission of prohibited communications. The FCC, releasing its decision on February 20th, concurred with an administrative law judge's earlier ruling that Crowell's failure to attend a hearing on his application justified its dismissal. His license expired in 2007. Crowell told Newsline he will file an appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals under Secs. 402(b) and (c) of the Communications Act. He said in an email that although he believes he has the right to stay on the air in the meantime, he is trying to clarify that point with the Enforcement Bureau and would stay off the air temporarily until then. He said the FCC's decision was based on an incorrect premise that he had waived his right to a field hearing -- something he called a constitutional right. Newsline will continue to follow this case as developments warrant. ** (YORK DISPATCH) ** 'SMART METER' INTERFERENCE STILL AN ISSUE FOR ST. KITTS JIM/ANCHOR: National regulators in St. Kitts have been called in to help contain interference the local utility company has caused hams on the island. John Williams VK4JJW hs been following that story. JOHN: The Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla Amateur Radio Society has been locked in an ongoing battle over RF interference, jamming and noise but the group's nemesis hasn't been a problematic ham or group of hams: It's been the so-called "smart meters" installed by the electric company on the island of St. Kitts. "Smart meters" keep track of a customer's use of electric energy and relay the data to the utility for billing and monitoring purposes. The leadership of the radio society has plans to meet with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission or NTRC, within the next few weeks to attempt to resolve the issue. The hams are receiving guidance and support meanwhile from officials at Region 2 of the International Amateur Radio Union. Despite the fact that the NTRC sent the electric company a "cease and desist" order more than four months ago, St. Kitts hams continue to report issues on 40 metres and 80 metres. There are no "smart meters" on the island of Nevis. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams VK4JJW. (IARU REGION 2) ** INSTITUTE FOR BROADCASTING TECHNOLOGY TO SHUT JIM/ANCHOR: The Institute for Broadcasting Technology, an important radio resource, is closing its doors at the end of the year - though some are trying to save it. Ed Durrant DD5LP has the details. ED: An on-line petition has been set-up to save the Institute for Broadcasting Technology, which is to be closed-down at year's end. The institute, which has its headquarters in Munich-Freimann, serves public broadcasting companies in Austria, Germany and Switzerland with its research. Much of its work has focused on radio, TV and internet technology but it has also addressed amateur radio concerns with its study of RFI from LED lamps. That research was published on the website of a regional radio station and generated discussion in other mainstream media IRT shareholders are ending their partnership agreement on December 31st. If you wish to sign the online petition, see the script for this week's newscast on our website arnewsline.org. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP. [for print only: Petition: https://weact.campact.de/petitions/das-institut-fur-rundfunktechnik-muss-erhalten-bleiben Explanatory text in English: https://rundfunk.verdi.de/++file++5e43c54cadbc719bab5ad993/download/Petition%20IRT%20English%20version.pdf] (DARC) ** FOR THE ISS, ANTENNA ASSISTANCE FROM THE UK JIM/ANCHOR: Something arrived recently on the International Space Station from the UK and it will make communications home that much easier for the astronauts. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us more. JEREMY: Thanks to a recent special delivery to the International Space Station astronauts will be able to make contact with their families and with scientists using home broadband speeds. A communications antenna manufactured by MDA UK was delivered to the ISS earlier this month aboard a Cygnus freighter and marks the UK's first industrial contribution to the ISS. In just a few weeks, the antenna will be installed on the outside of Europe's ISS science module where it is expected to help deliver improved radio links. It will route video, voice and data to the ground making use of satellites that are actually higher in the sky than the ISS. David Kenyon, the managing director of MDA UK based in Oxfordshire told the BBC that for now communications from Columbus will continue to go through the American data relay satellites. He noted however that those satellites are prioritized for U.S. use. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (BBC) ** NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR JIM/ANCHOR: Weremind our listeners that the nomination period opens on March 1st for this year's Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Young Ham of the Year Award. This recognition--for talented, community-conscious amateurs 18 or younger living in the US or Canada-- was established in 1986 by Bill, Newsline's cofounder, in 1986. For details and this year's nomination form visit our website arnewsline.org ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including the WM3PEN repeater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. local time. ** NZART LOOKING FOR HISTORIAN FOR NEW ZEALAND'S RADIO STORY JIM/ANCHOR: Every ham radio contact - and every ham - has a story to tell. New Zealand's amateur radio association is looking for someone to help tell those stories, as we hear from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. JIM MEACHEN: Although you can't unearth radio history in any kind of archaeological dig, the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters is looking for someone who can perform the equivalent task, radio-style. The group needs a historian who can study periodicals such as newspapers as well as interviews, diaries, letters and other records and find radio-relevant stories there. The historian will also collect information about individuals that can be used in their biographies or after they have become Silent Keys. A good candidate for the job would be someone who is also able to prepare exhibits with historical relevance and verify the historical accuracy of materials. Yes it's a tall order but it's one that will make history - quite literally - if such a devoted candidate can be found. If you are a history-loving ham and wish to be considered for the post, send your resume and a letter of interest to Debby at the association headquarters. Send the email to nzart at nzart dot org dot nz (nzart@nzart.org.nz) For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. (NZART) ** ** MAINE EMERGENCY NETWORK EXPANDS JIM/ANCHOR: A mainstay of northern New England safety is on the move, expanding its reach. Kevin Trotman N5PRE has more about this vital network. KEVIN: It's called the Maine Emergency Communications Packet Network and it has grown well beyond its beginnings several years ago in the mid-coast region of that New England state. In those formative days, Steve Hansen, KB1TCE, former Section Emergency Coordinator, and Richard Bates, WD1O, were behind the effort that served Knox and Waldo counties. A year ago the remainder of the state's southern tier was added. Through the efforts of Jimmy White, KC1ETT, Dave Johnson, AA1LO, Brad Brown Jr., KC1JWH, and Tim Watson, the network has deepened its reach in the mid-coast region and extended its reach into New Hampshire. It also gained the ability to connect into the Canadian Maritimes at the northeastern end. This emergency network relies mainly on John Wiseman G8BPQ's BPQ32 packet node software for operations and has two nodes interconnected via HF. A third node will be added soon. Meanwhile, there is more expansion to come: Although the network serves the coastal corridor along Interstate Route 95, which is more populated, it has now begun making its way toward parts of north and western Maine where the population is more sparse. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE (JIMMY WHITE KC1ETT) ** FINDING (AND RESCUING) NEMO JIM/ANCHOR: Hams from AMSAT-ARGENTINA are undertaking a different kind of rescue and recovery to give new life to an important tool that aids maritime navigation and assists in the study of propagation. Graham Kemp VK4BB has those details. GRAHAM: Just like the American animated movie "Finding Nemo," hams from AMSAT-ARGENTINA are taking on an adventure. But this "Nemo" is actually "NEMO-1" and it's the name of an amateur radio buoy launched on the 30th of January into the south Atlantic with the call sign LU7AA. It was designed to transmit in WSPR mode at 14095.6 kHz and APRS on 2 metres. NEMO ran into trouble less than a month after however. On February 11th, a tuna vessel spotted it and noticed it appeared to be sinking - so it was pulled out of the water and contact made with AMSAT. The buoy was brought to the Mar del Plata Radio Club. AMSAT team member Pedro Converso LU7ABF told Newsline in an email AMSAT-ARGENTINA will assess the damage to the buoy and spend about a month refurbishing NEMO before it is returned to its ocean home some 150 miles from the coast of Mar del Plata using a fishing vessel. Pedro said NEMO will be outfitted with a large visible "X," the international symbol for a scientific buoy. Its label will read: "I am NEMO-1, I like the ocean, please don't take me out." Hopefully things will go well again onwards. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB. (PEDRO CONVERSO LU7ABF, SOUTHGATE) A TOWERING VICTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA JIM/ANCHOR: Hams and their neighbors are often at odds over the towers on their residential property but in Pennsylvania one amateur has won the support of local officials. Heather Embee KB3TZD has that story. HEATHER: A Pennsylvania town council has upheld the right of an amateur radio operator to have a 40-foot tower at her house. According to a report in the York Dispatch, a town engineer told the board of supervisors in Windsor Township, Pennsylvania that his on-site assessment of the tower constructed by Lindsey Fowler K0WXT convinced him that despite neighbors' concerns, the structure is safe. Area residents have been objecting to the tower's presence since Lindsey built it last September. Neighbors have expressed concerns about the tower's safety and also call it an eyesore that they claim will destroy property values of nearby homes. They are also afraid that exposure to radio waves will prove harmful to them. The York Dispatch report notes that Pennsylvania state law protects hams' rights and municipalities cannot unreasonably restrict towers standing less than 65-feet high. According to the newspaper, another amateur radio operator living a few houses away has a similar tower. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Heather Embee KB3TZD. ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX, an update was recently posted, reporting that the long-awaited 3Y0I (Three Y Zero Eye) Bouvet Island Dxpedition, the Rebel DX Group is on track. Although the team said they are still needing funds to help with the budget, the trip is becoming a reality and the second try will be in December. Meanwhile, the team has plans to first activate Banaba Island with the call sign T33T later this year. The team is in the process now of securing the call sign T22T for activate Tuvalu afterward. They promise more updates. (OHIO PENN DX, FACEBOOK) ** KICKER: ELECTRICITY THAT COMES FROM THIN AIR JIM/ANCHOR: In an ideal world, you could operate portable or even mobile without ever worrying about running out of electricity -- but what if electricity turned to be, well, ALL around you? It's no fantasy, as Dave Parks WB8ODF explains in this week's final story. DAVE: Electricity doesn't grow on trees - as anyone involved in Summits on the Air, Parks on the Air even Field Day will tell you. Still, wouldn't it be nice if you could leave all those batteries, solar panels and generators home and just pull the power for your activation out of....thin air? Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst think so. They're working on a device that creates electricity from humidity by using a natural protein. Using a microbe known as Geobacter, they've created an air-powered generator with electrically conductive protein nanowires, something the microbe produces. Researchers are calling the protein-based device the Air-gen. Their finding, written up in Phys.org, was first reported in the journal Nature. The protein nanowires are connected to electrodes by the Air-gen in a manner that creates electrical current using ambient water vapor. Researcher Jun [pronounced: Joon] Yao told Nature: [quote] "We are literally making electricity out of thin air." [endquote] It's non-polluting, it doesn't require wind or sunlight and it even works indoors. OK, well don't get too excited right now. Before you ditch that Honda generator, keep in mind what the scientists have also written in the Nature abstract: [quote] "the devices produce a sustained voltage of around 0.5 volts across a 7-micrometre-thick film, with a current density of around 17 microamperes per square centimetre." [end quote] At least for now, Field Day may have to wait. For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Dave Parks WB8ODF. (PHYS.ORG, NATURE) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL; the BBC; the DARC; David Behar K7DB; Daryl Stout WX4QZ; FCC.GOV; Jimmy White KC1ETT; Nature; Pedro Converso LU7ABF; Phys.Org; shortwaveradio.de; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; Virginia Oliver KC5SAM; 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. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.