Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2339 for Friday August 26th, 2022 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2339 with a release date of Friday August 26th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Experts call a national emergency alert system vulnerable to hackers. Students in Romania return from a four-day SOTA outing -- and Amateur Radio Newsline goes to Huntsville, Alabama to present its Young Ham of the Year Award. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2339 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** US EMERGENCY BROADCAST NETWORK DEEMED VULNERABLE TO HACKERS JIM/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is about a word of warning experts have issued to the US Emergency Broadcast Network, calling it vulnerable to hackers. Andy Morrison K9AWM brings us those details. ANDY: The United States' national broadcast network which transmits child abduction alerts and severe weather warnings - is becoming increasingly vulnerable to fake alerts from hackers unless state and local governments fix security weaknesses in devices that connect to that system. That was the warning delivered recently by the nation's Department of Homeland Security, which repeated its cautionary message about the US Emergency Alert System at a recent session of DEFCON, a major hacking conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Homeland security officials said that ongoing vulnerabilities in the encoder/decoder devices enable hackers to transmit the bogus warnings over radio and TV stations. Cybersecurity researcher Ken Pyle, who is credited with discovering the vulnerability, told reporters recently that without a necessary software update for these devices, hackers can pre-empt broadcast signals, exploit web servers and disrupt the legitimate system. He said the problem has existed for several years and has gone uncorrected. Reporting on this issue, Cable News Network asked the Federal Communications Commission for a tally of how many devices are running the vulnerable software. The FCC had no immediate response. This is Andy Morrison K9AWM. (CNN, ARSTECHNICA) ** NEWSLINE PRESENTS YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR AWARD IN HUNTSVILLE JIM/ANCHOR: The Huntsville, Alabama Hamfest is history now and Newsline was happy to be there to meet with this year's Young Ham of the Year Award. Don Wilbanks AE5DW tells us all about it. DON: "Good afternoon everyone, it is a little after two o'clock on Saturday at Huntsville, that means it is time for the Young Ham of the Year Award. My name is Don Wilbanks AE5DW, I'll be presenting the Young Ham of the Year this afternoon to Audrey McElroy KM4BUN. We're so proud of her, and first off I want to say that after two years of being away, it is so good to be back at Huntsville, Alabama at the hamfest!" That was how the first in-person Young Ham of the Year presentation in two years began Saturday, August 20th on the main stage at the Huntsville Hamfest. I read off a short list of the many accomplishments that earned Audrey this honor and then the floor was hers. "Hello everybody, I am so happy to be here! Huntsville Hamfest is definitely my favorite place to be! I'm sure a lot of you can agree. I'm very honored to receive this award! My brother and I have worked in amateur radio for many years now but I can't not thank the people who helped me throughout this. Of course, my parents Tom McElroy and Janet McElroy along with others like Carole Perry WB2MGP, Bill Brown who is right there, WB8ELK, and tons of other people who have been mentors to me and helpers to me because if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be able to do the things I'm able to do. And so I hope in the future I can continue pushing for bringing more youth into amateur radio as well as bring more women into STEM and the wonderful world of amateur radio. So, thank you all again." Representatives from CQ Communications, Yaesu USA, Heil Sound, RadioWavz Antennas and GigaParts had remarks and gifts for Audrey. Of course, we mentioned the last two honorees, Christopher Brault KD8YVJ from 2020 and Faith Hannah Lea KD3Z from 2021 who were presented their awards virtually online. Sadly, neither could attend live this year due to prior school commitments. All of us at Newsline including our awards committee and judges wants to congratulate Audrey. She is a shining example of why Bill Pasternak was so committed to honoring the amazing young people in this hobby and service. She carries the torch high. If you would like to hear the entire, unedited presentation audio you can find it on our Extra page at arnewsline.org. Speaking for our Young Ham of the Year committee chairman Mark Abramowicz NT3V and our panel of judges, we can't wait for next year! See you there. I'm Don Wilbanks AE5DW. ** ROMANIAN STUDENTS RETURN FROM 4-DAY SOTA EXPEDITION JIM/ANCHOR: Students in an amateur radio club in Romania have returned home with full hearts and full logbooks after four days of activating the countryside's beautiful mountains. More on their trip from Ed Durrant DD5LP. ED: Accompanied by their teacher Adrian YO5IA, and other mentors, a group of young amateurs from the school radio club YO6KGS in Romania set out from Râciu Village in late July for their latest adventure, a four-day SOTA expedition in the Giumalau Mountains. After watching demonstrations by Csaba, YO6PIB, and Eva, YO6EVA, who activated their first summit, Giumalău Peak, the students joined them on 20m and 17m. Ranging in age from 12 to 20, many of the students had gone on previous activations with the school club and their advisors. Mihaela, YO5MCM, could not be there in person this time but made sure to chase the group from her QTH in Cluj about 200 km away. There was also a family reunion, ham radio style, as Nico YO6YLJ, made a summit-to-summit contact with his father, Mihai YO6SM, who was operating from Norway using the call sign LB9HI. Mihai was able to give the other students their chance for a summit-to-summit contact too. Everyone spent comfortable nights in a mountain cottage and by the final night they had earned some bragging rights: The whole team had activated Giumalău summit, YO/EC-007, and logged summit-to-summit QSOs from Muncel, YO/EC-527, to Giumalău on VHF and UHF. Daria YO6CDC wrote in her online diary that until the next time: [quote] "We have the radio waves, the contests, the radioclub where we meet, while the memories last forever." [endquote] This is Ed Durrant DD5LP. (ADRIAN YO5IA) ** TOP HONORS FOR CALIFORNIA AMATEUR'S DOCUMENTARY AT LOS ANGELES FILM FEST JIM/ANCHOR: A documentary film celebrating the spirit of invention has just won top honors at a Los Angeles Film Festival. Not surprisingly, the film's creative team included a ham. We hear more from Mike Askins KE5CXP. MIKE: "Pathways to Invention," a newly released documentary film directed and coproduced by a Santa Barbara, California amateur radio operator, has been chosen as Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards. Levi C. Maaia, K6LCM, is both a teacher and a tinkerer who believes that technology can be a driving force to power education. A proponent of the Maker movement, Levi and his production partner Noah G. Mark follow 10 emerging innovators on their journeys to become inventors. The film was made with the support of the Lemelson Foundation. At the festival, the film also received awards for best producer, best original music score and best director of a documentary feature. The film is to premiere this year. Levi has been active on the education committee of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. He is also a life member of AMSAT and a board member of the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club. I'm Mike Askins KE5CXP. (LEVI C. MAAIA, K6LCM) ** INDIAN AMATEURS MARK NATION'S 75 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE JIM/ANCHOR: India has just marked its 75 years of independence and hams have been busy celebrating on the air. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us some of the ways they're marking the occasion. JIM: Amateurs throughout India and beyond have been marking that nation's 75 years of independence with special event stations and commemorative nets. Special event station AT75CW will be on the air using CW from September 1st trough October 2nd from northern India. Rajesh, VU2CW, is the same operator who activated AT75RADIO earlier this month on SSB. Meanwhile, the Indian YL Net on the India Conference Server on Echolink marked the nation's independence with a series of guest net control operators during the week of Monday, August 15th. Guests net controllers on this daily net included Dr. S. Sathyapal, VU2FI, director of the Indian Institute of Hams, using the call sign AU75IIH, and Omprakash Khiyani, VU2KOC, who runs a popular net in India. He used the call sign AU75KOC. India officially marked its independence on Monday, August 15th. This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. (QRZ, INDIAN YL NET) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, like the George County ARES repeater in Lucedale, Mississippi Wednesdays at 7:37 p.m. local time. ** ITCHING TO WORK THE SCRATCHIN' POST QSO PARTY JIM/ANCHOR:If you want to have a QSO party, all you need is a reason. Much like the World's Largest Teapot event that recently concluded, this ARES special event station is just dripping in Southern charm. DON: In coastal Mississippi exactly 40 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and 10 miles west of the Alabama state line lies the friendly little town of Lucedale, Mississippi, founded in 1901, population 24,762. Right in the heart of downtown Lucedale on the corner of Mill and Main you'll find a four-by-four wooden notched post known as The Scratchin' Post. From 1937 until 1993 there was a very popular 24-hour restaurant at that site known as The Coffee Pot, renowned for its 5-inch tall merengue pies. The restaurant is long gone, a victim of progress and rerouted highways, but The Scratchin' Post still stands tall. And on Saturday, September 3rd, George County ARES will put it on the amateur radio map with The Scratchin' Post QSO Party. You may be asking why is it called The Scratchin' Post? It was a tradition when entering and exiting the restaurant to scratch your back against the post. Several famous spines found comfort in rubbing up against that hunk of wood. Baseball legend Dizzy Dean. Country music legends Tennessee Ernie Ford and Ernest Tubb. Actors Kirk Douglas, Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers. Even Ronald Reagan in his Hollywood days as well as Tom Lester, "Eb" on "Green Acres." You can scratch that radio itch by listening for K5K on 20 and 40 meters phone as well as FT4 and FT8. Operating hours are 1300 to 2300 UTC on Saturday, September 3rd. They will be operating Field Day style from the downtown City Park. If you're in that neck of the woods, stop by and enjoy some fine Southern hospitality. Everything you need to know, as well as a picture of The Scratchin' Post, can be found on the K5K QRZ page. Sounds like the perfect excuse for a QSO party. I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW. ** VOLUNTEER MONITORS SEND HAMS COMMENDATIONS, NOTICES JIM/ANCHOR: A recent trip to the mailbox brought surprises for some hams - some pleasant surprises, others not-so-pleasant. Sel Embee KB3TZD explains. SEL: The Volunteer Monitor Program, begun in 2020 as a cooperative effort between the FCC and the ARRL, recently released its report for July of this year. The program delivers commendations as well as notices of improper operation to hams as a way of boosting compliance with amateur radio license regulations. The latest commendations include a ham in Columbia, South Carolina for helping amateurs complete programs for the Community Emergency Response Team and for assisting those involved in the county's Emergency Operations Center. Commendations were also given to hams in Poughkeepsie (poo-KIPP-See) New York for conducting the community bulletin board on a local repeater. Hams in Roslyn, Pennsylvania were also given commendations for involving the Phil-Mont Mobile Radio Club in Field Day and MESH operations. Meanwhile, notices for unlicensed operation were sent to logging companies in Washington state for their use of 2-meter amateur frequencies. Another notice for unlicensed operation was sent to an operator in Indian Hills, California for operating 2m simplex APRS during a high-altitude balloon flight, one year after the operator's license had been cancelled by the FCC. Notices for operating FT8 outside license privileges were issued to a Technician class operator in Martinez, California and a General-class operator in Trenton, New Jersey. Notices for operating on SSB outside their General class privileges were issued to hams in Massapequa (massa-PEE-KWAH), New York, and Trenton, New Jersey. This is Sel Embee KB3TZD. (ARRL) ** SPECIAL 9/11 EVENT MARKS TERROR ATTACKS' 21st ANNIVERSARY JIM/ANCHOR: Recalling the difficult day that was September 11th, 2001, a group of US amateurs is marking that grim anniversary with a special event starting very soon. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us what their plans are. JACK: Members of the Alabama Contest Group will be carrying the message "Nine Eleven, Remembered Once More," during a special event being activated to honor the victims of terrorism who perished 21 years ago in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Stations will be using the callsign K4A starting at 0001 UTC on September 8th and running through to September 12th, operating on all bands and using CW, SSB, FT8 and RTTY. Organizers are expecting many hams to be calling in with stories of remembrances from September 11th, 2001. Planners have been busy on the Discord chat app making a schedule that will be accessible to amateurs worldwide. An extra effort will be made on CW and FT8 to help Pacific DX operators, especially in VK and ZL, make contacts. Certificates will be available in addition to QSL cards. QSOs are needed on four bands in any combination of modes to qualify for a certificate. Outside of North America, only three bands are needed. According to the QRZ page for K4A, this event recognizes "peace-loving people all over the world." Visit the page for K4A or WA1FCN for more details. This is Jack Parker W8ISH (ALABAMA CONTEST GROUP) ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX, members of the Zagreb Amateur Radio Association will activate the special callsign 9A24ZRF during the 24th ZagrebRadio Fest on September 2nd and 3rd. QSL via the Bureau or LoTW. In Malaysia, the Taiping Amateur Radio Club and the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitter Society (MARTS), will be using the callsign 9M65MA from August 30th through to September 1st. This is to mark the 65th anniversary of Malaysia's independence. Listen on various HF bands for operators using CW, SSB, FM and the Digital modes. QSL via 9M2OHM direct. Trinidad and Tobago will be marking the 60th anniversary of their independence with an amateur radio special event operated by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society. They will be using the callsign 9Y60TT between the 26th of August and the 2nd of September. Listen on HF as well as the VHF bands where operators will be using CW, SSB, Slow Scan TV, Digital Modes and Moonbounce. They will also be making use of satellite contacts and APRS via the International Space Station. Be listening as well on DMR, C4FM, D-Star and EchoLink. QSLusing LoTW, ClubLog or QRZ.com. (OHIO PENN DX) ** KICKER: ONE ANTENNA THAT'S A-MAIZE-ING JIM/ANCHOR: We end this week's report with a story about field day. No, not THAT field day. For this story, we're going straight to the field - the corn field, that is. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB brings us some kernels of wisdom. RALPH: If you're stalking the newest and most unusual kind of antenna, look no further than the two 8-foot-tall green stalks that Kevin KØKLB harvested recently in an Iowa cornfield to create the homebrew vertical he called the CornTenna. Relying on the combination of two stalks plus their inherent conductive moisture, Kevin had a hunch that by joining them and adding a copper wire, mounting them on a wooden batten and adding radials, he might get an SWR acceptable enough for some QSOs on 20m. With a little adjusting, the CornTenna tuned right up in the field and, well, things were soon popping. Operating at 5w QRP, he logged two contacts in Texas and had a few other contacts that almost made it into the log. Not quite smooth as silk, but for a Corn-Tenna? Downright a-maize-ing. You can see Kevin and the CornTenna in action on YouTube at the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org. He's got a real antenna farm and yes, he's having a field day. Meanwhile, one lingering question remains: Whether this innovative vertical can hold its own in a real amateur radio DX CORNtest. We're all ears. This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. [FOR PRINT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG1e1K1RR-s&t=165s ] (YOUTUBE) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Alabama Contest Group; the ARRL; Arstechnica; CQ Magazine; CNN; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; Indian YL Echolink Net; Levi C. Maaia, K6LCM; Ohio Penn DX; QRZ.com; Southgate Amateur Radio News; shortwaveradio.de; YouTube; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. 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. We also remind our listeners that if you like our newscast, please leave us a 5-star rating wherever you subscribe to us.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. As always we thank you for listening.Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.