Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2309 for Friday January 28th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2309 with a release date of Friday January 28th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. There's progress in restoring some of Tonga's communications. Researchers create a new transistor that uses sound waves - and hams in the UK prepare for the Queen's platinum jubilee. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2309 comes your way right now.

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PROGRESS IN RESTORING TONGA'S COMMUNICATIONS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to the struggling island nation of Tonga, which is still cut off from the world following back-to-back natural disasters. Hams continue to keep a watchful eye. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF picks up the story from here.

JIM: Efforts have been ongoing to restore communications to Tonga, where an undersea volcano left a vital fibre-optic cable broken beneath the ocean, isolating the island nation. According to a BBC report, 2G wireless service has been set up on the archipelago's main island with the help of a satellite dish from the University of the South Pacific. Other than the intermittent service of satellite phones, however, outside contact has been limited as the country struggles with a contaminated water supply and other concerns brought on by a subsequent tsunami.

Tonga apparently has no active amateur radio operators and hams in the immediate Pacific region have reported that the amateur HF bands are presently unusable. Some marine VHF bands are said to be active. Hayden Honeywood VK7HH is among those amateurs using YouTube and other social media channels to provide updates whenever possible. One of Hayden's most recent accounts came from Roly ZL1BQD whose friend in Tonga operates a 1-kilowatt broadcast radio station at 91.3 FM. The station was unaffected by the tsunami and is carrying public service messages.  

Meanwhile, New Zealand's ministry of foreign affairs estimate it will take at least a month, if not more, before the cable can be fixed.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(HAYDEN HONEYWOOD VK7HH, BBC)

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FAA SETTLES INTERFERENCE ISSUE WITH MAJORITY OF AIRCRAFT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The US FAA has made major progress on the issue of interference between 5G transmissions and airline altimeters. Kent Peterson KCØDGY brings us this update.

KENT: For some models of Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft, radio interference isn't just an annoyance; it has the potential for deadly consequences. That was at the root of the US Federal Aviation Administration's concern about 5G cell phone signals, which use the same C-band spectrum as some of the airliners' altimeters.

The FAA said planes landing in low-visibility conditions risked interference from mobile phones, naming Verizon and AT&T as two of the carriers. Now, in a dramatic turnaround of its position, the FAA  has said that more than three-quarters of planes have altimeters that can filter out 5G transmissions and are in the clear. Some telecom and consumer advocates, such as attorney Harold Feld, publicly criticized the FAA for taking too long to evaluate altimeters after the FCC approved the cellular carriers' use of the C-band in 2020.

According to an article on the ArsTechnica website, the FAA only began vetting the altimeters in February 2021 once the FCC had auctioned off the spectrum to the carriers. The ArsTechnica article said that in 40 other countries where C-band spectrum is in use for cellular service, there have been no reports of 5G causing trouble with altimeters.

In the US the FCC standards place a 200 MHz guard band between the cellular carriers and the frequencies used by the altimeters.

More approvals are expected soon.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(ARS TECHNICA)

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PORTUGAL CRACKS DOWN ON RADIO INTERFERENCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the Portuguese communications regulator cracked down late last year on what it called abuse and interference on a number of frequencies, including maritime mobile and amateur bands. IARU Region 1 reported that ANACOM, the Portuguese Communications Authority, in partnership with the Maritime Police, sought to verify the proper and legal use of radios by conducting inspections on vessels between the ports of Caminha and Peniche. According to the report, unauthorized use of frequencies was the most common violation. The report indicated that such practices, in addition to being illegal, can cause interference, especially to radios being used for emergency response. ANACOM noted in the report that it was leaving the matter of sanctions to the Maritime Police.
(SOUTHGATE, IARU REGION 1)

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HAMS IN UK PREP FOR PLATINUM JUBILEE SPECIAL EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There will be big celebrations everywhere in the UK this year for the queens' platinum jubilee. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us how ham radio is getting involved.

JEREMY: Hams in the UK who are planning to operate this June in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee should keep their eyes on the website of the Radio Society of Great Britain. Ofcom has granted permission for callsigns to include the special regional secondary locator letter Q but its use will require a Notice of Variation. The website rsgb.org will carry those details shortly. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's longest reigning monarch and thus the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. Special use call signs have been used by hams for previous occasions, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RSGB)

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HAMS JOIN FCC'S TECH ADVISORY COUNCIL

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The two newest members of the FCC's Advisory Council are radio amateurs. Sel Embee KB3 T Zed D has the details.

SEL: When the Federal Communications Commission's Technical Advisory Council holds its first meeting of the year on Feb. 28, two amateur radio operators will be part of the proceedings for the first time. Greg Lapin, N9GL, chairman of the ARRL's RF Safety Committee, and Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, CEO of the Open Research Institute, have joined the council following their appointment by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC relies on the council's advice on a number of issues including artificial intelligence, emerging wireless technologies and advanced spectrum-sharing technologies.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(ARRL)

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DEADLINE NEARS FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT NOMINATIONS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you know a software innovator who's devoted to helping amateur radio operations improve, you still have a little time to submit their name for the Amateur Radio Software Award. The deadline is February 14th. The international award is given each year to developers of creative open-source programs that follow good development practices and are available free to users. Previous winners have included Jordan Sherer KN4CRD for JS8Call and Anthony Good K3NG for the K3NG Arduino CW Keyer.

For details and to find the official nomination form, visit arsaward dot com (arsaward.com). The winner will be announced in April.

(ARS AWARD WEBSITE)

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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 VK3HJQ repeater in Victoria, Australia, and the EchoLink Conference Server 69556 and IRLP Node 9556 on Sundays at 9 a.m. local time.

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SILENT KEY: SPACE ADVOCATE CHUCK BIGGS SR., WA5GNB/KC5RG

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A Texas amateur known for his devotion to NASA programs and to the Military Auxiliary Radio System, or MARS, has become a Silent Key. Chuck Biggs Sr., WA5GNB and KC5RG, died on January 18th in hospice care in Houston. The Arkansas native was a US Air Force veteran who took a civilian position with NASA's then-new Manned Spacecraft Center, which was later to be renamed the Johnson Space Center. His three decades of effort with NASA led him to ultimately become vice president of the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation. Chuck had also been involved in SAREX, the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment and OSCAR, the Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio programs. The Space Center named him ham radio operator of the year in 1987.
A bronze plaque hangs at the Space Center today, bearing his name and likeness. Chuck was 84.

(LEGACY.COM)

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RESEARCHERS' TRANSISTORS OPERATE USING SOUND WAVES

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Imagine a transistor that uses sound waves. Researchers have done more than imagine it: they've created it. Andy Morrison K9AWM explains.

ANDY: They're called acoustic topological transistors and unlike devices presently in use, they operate using sound waves, not electrons. Researchers say that one of the transistors' key assets is its ability to function with almost no dissipation of energy. The electrons are designed to flow with no resistance.

According to a January 19th post on the IEEE Spectrum website, the creation of these transistors was made possible with the use of acoustical topological insulators. This follows the development in 2007 of something related: electronic topological insulators. These insulators protect electrons' flow from any disturbances. Oxford University researcher Harris Pirie said the development of these newest transistors will find applications in such fields as one-way acoustic propagation, ultrasound imaging, acoustic noise reduction, echolocation, acoustic cloaking and acoustic communications.

He said that because the physics of sound waves and the physics of light waves are so alike, the same design principles that scientists used for creating acoustic topological transistors would be useful as well for similar devices using light.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(IEEE SPECTRUM)

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CYBERATTACK HITS GERMANY RADIO CLUB WEBSITE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in Germany are being reassured that their personal data has not been affected by a cyberattack on the DARC website. Ed Durrant DD5LP tells us more.

ED: The Deutscher Amateur Radio Club is reassuring hams in Germany that a cyberattack on the group's website, which exploited the vulnerability of a plug-in, does not appear to have compromised any members' data. The DARC said it successfully halted the January 15th attack and will not restore the full website to online status until it is convinced the site is completely secured again. A statement by the DARC board reaffirmed to members that their personal data is kept in folders that are distinct from the website and members' passwords to the website itself are stored encrypted. The board said it believed the attack was automated and was not launched specifically to collect members' data. Meanwhile, an IT company has been asked to conduct a forensic investigation.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.

(DARC)

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NORDIC RADIO SOCIETY PLANS FOR LATEST HF CONFERENCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Nordic Radio Society's HF Conference promises to be an international event as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: Thirty-three years after their first HF Conference, the Nordic Radio Society is preparing to host a return to Fårö, [pronounced: Foor-ô ] the small Swedish island in the Baltic Sea where all previous such events have taken place.

This year’s conference is scheduled from 15th to 17th August and should, as usual, draw a substantial international attendance; they have been held consistently every three years. Organisers note on their webpage that the popularity of the programme has grown substantially since the first in 1986, the agenda now including exhibits and talks, with participants from all around the world. The society encourages interested attendees to submit presentation papers now, the deadline being 15th February. Previous conferences have addressed such subjects as propagation, building resiliency for HF networks, achieving higher efficiency using low bandwidth links, and robust communications through HF skywave channels using a filter bank spread spectrum technique.

To learn more about the conference, visit the link that appears in the text version of this week's newscast.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

https://www.nordichf.org/

(NORDIC RADIO SOCIETY)

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WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, from the Maldives, listen for Henry, LU4DXU, operating as 8Q7AH between February 8th and 15th. Henry will be using various HF bands. QSL direct to his home callsign.

Listen for Mathias, DL4MM, active as P4/DL4MM from Aruba  until the 2nd of February. He will be on various HF bands, focusing on the lower bands and 30, 17 and 12 metres. Mathias will be using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via DL4MM, direct or via the Bureau Club-Log or LoTW. Listen for him in the CQ 160m CW Contest on January 28th through the 30th, where he will be using the callsign P40AA.

Alex, OE3DMA, will be operating as OE19AAW from Altenburg, Austria during the 19th Antarctic Activity Week taking place between February 21st and 27th. Send QSLs to his normal callsign.

Listen for Thaire, W2APF, on the air as VP2MDX from Montserrat Island until February 18th. Listen on 80-10 metres for Thaire using CW and SSB. Send QSLs to his home callsign. 

If you've been chasing operators in Italy for the WRTC Award, this scheme resets every month. With the start of February, you have a chance to work all the Italian special event WRTC stations again starting February 1st and see how far up the monthly ranking tables you can get. Full details are in the rules at WRTC2022.IT.

(OHIO PENN DX)

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KICKER: NO MORE 'PI' IN THE SKY FOR 'ED AND IZZY'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our final story is about a changing of the guard, of sorts, aboard the International Space Station. Ed Durrant DD5LP tells us what's been happening up there.

ED: After nearly six years of loyal service, Ed and Izzy have been told their services are no longer needed. European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer KI5KFH / DP0ISS broke the news to them recently aboard the International Space Station where the two AstroPi computers have operated for a half-dozen years. Matthias completed the installation of their replacements, which had been brought to the ISS in December on board a Falcon 9 supply rocket.

The units comprise Raspberry Pi 4 Model B hardware, a 12.3MP camera, and a range of sensors. The AstroPi units are capable of uploading code submissions from two programs: Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab, both of which are used to nurture students' coding skills. The new units have greater capacity than Ed and Izzy and are expected to outperform them dramatically.

Now, this changing-of-the-guard should have come as no surprise to Ed and Izzy, who were originally installed on the ISS by British ESA astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI / GB0ISS. The ESA gave a very public preview of their replacements in September of last year, calling the replacements essential - adding that the original batteries were due to expire soon.

There was no word as to whether Ed and Izzy would be given a formal farewell or even offered severance pay. The names of the new AstroPis have yet to be disclosed.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant DD5LP.

(SOUTHGATE)

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NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the the ARRL; Ars Technica website; the ARS Awards Website; the BBC; CQ Magazine; the DARC; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; Hayden Honeywood, VK7HH; the IEEE Spectrum; Nordic Radio Society; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great Britain; Southgate Amateur Radio News; shortwaveradio.de; Wireless Institute of Australia; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at newsline@arnewsline.org. We remind our listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that incurs expenses for its continued operation. If you wish to support us, please visit our website at arnewsline.org and know that we appreciate you all.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As always we thank you for listening.

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