Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2413 for Friday January 26th, 2024 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2413 with a release date of Friday January 26th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. A young DXpedition team preps to leave for Guyana. An FCC webinar explains experimental licenses -- and imagine needing a radio license just to LISTEN? All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2413 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** A GUYANA DREAM NO LONGER DEFERRED NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with an important callsign 8R7X: You'll be hearing it on the air as a quartet of youthful DXpeditioners prepares - at long last - for adventure and QSOs in Guyana. John Williams VK4JJW has that story. JOHN: The antennas are packed, other equipment is being tested and four young friends - Philipp Springer, DK6SP, Jamie Williams MØSDV, Sven Lovric, DJ4MX and Tomi Varro HA8RT -- are ready to depart for their journey to Guyana where they will activate 8R7X from the 14th to the 24th of February. It's a shared dream long deferred by pandemic travel restrictions but now with that behind them, this youthful quartet of seasoned DXpeditioners is prepared for the challenges of operating from their temporary South American QTH. A statement on the team's website expresses their excitement and adds that their recently issued callsign has a prefix that has never before been used. The four will continue to update their website and to keep DXers informed via social media channels as the date gets closer. They will be operating CW, SSB, FT8 and RTTY on the HF bands. If you want to follow their progress, see the team website listed in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org This is John Williams VK4JJW. [DO NOT READ: www.8R-2024.com ] **' ARRL DEFERS CONFLICT OF INTEREST VOTE; OKS FREE STUDENT MEMBERSHIP NEIL/ANCHOR: The ARRL has announced some changes to its membership policy and is offering full-time students who are 21 years of age or younger a free Associate membership in place of paying the current $30 annual fee. The ARRL has also reintroduced Life Membership and a 70+ Life Membership, for hams 70 and older, on a revenue-neutral basis. Life Membership was suspended last year. The changes were announced in an ARRL Member Bulletin released within 24 hours of the conclusion of the ARRL board meeting, held January 19th and 20th. The ARRL also reported that the board has decided to defer to another time any proposed revisions to its Conflict of Interest Policy, a proposed change to Bylaw 46 discussed at the January meeting. By unanimous vote, the ARRL has established a committee to review ethics guidelines and standards and to review Bylaw 46 further, in addition to Bylaw 42, which applies to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The ARRL bulletin directed members to their website, where the league expected to post the complete minutes of the board's annual meeting. (ARRL MEMBER BULLETIN) ** SILENT KEY: DAVE MILLS, W3HCF, CREATOR OF NTP NEIL/ANCHOR: The creator of the protocol that eventually came to govern synchronized timekeeping on billions of devices around the planet has become a Silent Key. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us about him. SEL: Computer scientist and unstoppable tinkerer Dave Mills, W3HCF, was a professor at the University of Delaware when he first tackled the question of how to synchronize the time on billions of devices around the world, including computers, switches, satellites, servers and clocks. He ultimately addressed this question through the development of Network Time Protocol, or NTP, which he introduced to the world as the internet began emerging as a global force. Dave became a Silent Key on the 17th of January, according to various postings. A fellow in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, he was a recipient of the IEEE (Eye Triple E) 2013 Internet Award. A university professor for 22 years, Dave carved out a long career with an emphasis on making his work accessible to individuals with low vision, a condition he developed as a result of glaucoma at a young age. A September 2022 profile in the New Yorker Magazine recalled Dave's earliest work at COMSAT where he worked on ARPANET, viewed as the precursor to the internet. The article noted that in his earlier work at the University of Edinburgh, he authored programs to decode telegraph signals sent over shortwave and studied how clocks functioned in a power grid. He eventually turned his attention toward timekeeping and the UTC, the international civil time used by amateur radio operators and others around the world. Friends and colleagues shared their memories in postings on various websites and reflectors. A post on the internet society mailing list from Karl Auerbach declared mournfully: [quote] "Oh my, we have lost Father Time." [endquote] Dave was 85. This is Sel Embee KB3TZD, (ARS TECHNICA, INTERNET SOCIETY MAILING LIST) ** SILENT KEY: NOTED SOTA CHASER, BOB WARDEN, KU4R NEIL/ANCHOR: The Summits on the Air community is grieving the loss of a ham whose valued support was evident in their logs: He was an avid SOTA chaser, a high scorer in the SOTA scheme and a frequent contact in the logs of many. We hear about him from Kevin Trotman N5PRE. KEVIN: SOTA enthusiasts have shared the news on the SOTA Reflector that Bob Warden, KU4R, a well-known and high-scoring SOTA chaser from Tennessee, has become a Silent Key. According to one post, Bob recently qualified for a certificate for earning 50,000 chaser points. At the time of his death on the 19th of January, he had a total of 61,408 points. The activators all agreed that Bob was a formidable presence in their logs whenever they climbed the summits and called CQ. One activator, Paula, K9IR, noted that she logged 104 contacts with him over the years and he answered her call in nearly 30 percent of her activations. Another activator, Matt, KQ4CCP, shared that Bob was a contact when he did his first SOTA activation on 2 meters and eventually became his top chaser. Licensed in 1978, Bob wrote on the site pnwSOTA.org that he spent his first 35 years operating VHF/UHF and made some EME contacts as well and became interested in SOTA chasing much later. He also enjoyed rag chewing and CW. This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE. (SOTA REFLECTOR) ** HAMS GET CREDIT FOR ADVANCING THE INFORMATION AGE NEIL/ANCHOR: Could hams somehow be responsible for the evolution of the Information Age? A recent magazine article says it's very likely indeed. We hear more about this from Andy Morrison K9AWM. ANDY: Radio and TV broadcasting, mobile communications and other elements of the so-called wireless revolution can have all their roots traced back to amateur radio, according to a recent article in the IEEE Communications Magazine, IEEE Xplore. The article, which is in Volume 61, Issue 11, credits amateur radio inventiveness that was incubated in the earliest amateur radio clubs growing on college campuses in the early 20th Century. It singles out the Wireless Telegraph Club on Columbia University's New York City campus, noting the student members' propensity for wireless experimentation -- and singles out one club member, Edwin Howard Armstrong, considered the father of FM radio. At the same time that ham clubs were springing up on other US college campuses, societies for wireless enthusiasts were being born in Australia, the UK and elsewhere in the world. The article traces how the advent of FM led to the development of mobile phones and how amateurs' bottomless curiosity continues to be the driving spirit behind more and more inventive ways of communicating. The article was written by Theodore Rappaport, N9NB, of New York University's Wireless Research Center. It is the second in a series of three articles being published by the IEEE. The previous article on the subject was published in October 2022 in Volume 60, Issue 10. This is Andy Morrison K9AWM. (RADIO DARC, IEEE) ** LATEST MISSION TO BOARD ISS HAS ALL-HAM CREW NEIL/ANCHOR: An international crew of amateur radio operators is aboard the International Space Station in the latest commercial mission to be launched from Kennedy Space Center. The crew of Axiom Mission 3 consists of retired NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, KE5GTK, Italian co-pilot Walter Villadei, IUØRWB, Turkish mission specialists Alper Gezeravci, KJ5DIY, and Marcus Wandt of Sweden, KJ5COO. They arrived at the ISS on Saturday, January 20th, two days after their launch, and were welcomed by the seven crew members, most of whom are also licensed hams. (AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, NASA) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K2ADA repeater in Ocala, Florida on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. local time. ** RACING EVENTS SEEN AS SHOWCASE FOR AMATEUR RADIO NEIL/ANCHOR: There are no prizes, no awards, no certificates - really nothing except bragging rights - in a newly organized program that focuses instead on activations at racing events - any kind of racing events. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us about Racing on the Air. JACK: On your mark, get set, get on the air! That's the message delivered this month by organizers of Races on the Air, a program that is purely for fun, not for points. Hams are being encouraged to activate from any type of formal race, whether the competitors are bicycles, horses, boats, airplanes, cars - even off-road motorsport. The objective is to show amateur radio in action and to increase its visibility at places where the public gathers. Callers simply use "CQ ROTA" or "CQ Racing on the Air" to attract attention to whoever is on the bands. Attracting attention at the event itself is as easy as finding a place to set up. The Racing on the Air forum on the WorldWide DX Radio site has all the details at worldwidedx dot com (worldwidedx.com). Even locations such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which already has an association with ham radio activations, are eligible to participate. The ROTA organizers ask only that hams post the details of their planned activation, including modes and frequencies, and then upload the log afterward to the website. Ladies and gentlemen, start your rigs. This is Jack Parker W8ISH. (WORLDWIDEDX, ROTA) ** HAMS DONATE RADIOS TO HUMANITARIAN EFFORT IN UKRAINE NEIL/ANCHOR: In Albuquerque, New Mexico, mobile radios and instructions to build antennas are part of a donation program for a humanitarian effort. We hear about that from Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. RALPH: A donation of 14 mobile radios and simple designs for homebrew antennas have gone the distance from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to a humanitarian organization providing social support and medical care to displaced families in Ukraine. The radios and the plans for antenna construction are a project of the Bosque Amateur Radio Club, N5BRC. When Joseph Nichols,the founder of Care4Ukraine.org, asked his brother Art Nichols, KI5GOL, if the hams could assist with the volunteers' communication needs as they address the sheltering, educational and social concerns of the families, Art decided to approach the club for ideas. Bill Kent, N5UJC, Larry Elkin, NY5L, Terry Zipes, W4RCN and club president, Jerry Aceto, K6LIE, have since established BARCnetUA, the program by which the hams are providing assistance. Club members have donated $700 to the effort, which paid for the 14 handheld radios. Art told the Albuquerque Journal that by using the club's simple plans, the organization's volunteer team has been able to build and use 65 antennas. Joseph Nichols, a former biomedical equipment engineer now living in Ukraine, writes on the GoFundMe page of Care4Ukraine that the hams' gifts have permitted the installation of small micro-networks of solar-powered radio equipment used by volunteers in rural areas for emergency, non-military purposes. He said that the equipment is shared freely with other volunteer aid groups as well. This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. (ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL) ** FCC WEBINAR WILL GIVE OVERVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL LICENSES NEIL/ANCHOR: The heart and soul of the process by which new technologies are developed and launched is often the experimental license which, in the US, is issued by the FCC. The agency is hosting a webinar so researchers and experimenters can learn more about how to put their tinkering on the air - legally. Stephen Kinford N8WB has that story. STEPHEN: The Federal Communications Commission will be presenting a step-by-step guide to its rules, policies and procedures for anyone seeking an experimental license. Different kinds of these licenses are available. They enable eligible license-holders to conduct research and testing while safeguarding other users of the spectrum against harmful interference. The webinar will be held on the 7th of February at 1 p.m. Eastern Time over Zoom and requires registration to participate. It will be led by Martin Doczkat, chief of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Division in the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology. Experimental licenses may be issued to individuals, hospitals, universities and other applicants. To register, see the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: http://tinyurl.com/np7ykbf7 ] I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB. (AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, FCC) ** RSGB NEEDS VOLUNTEERS TO DO YOUTH OUTREACH NEIL/ANCHOR: The Radio Society of Great Britain is looking for volunteers who are at least 26 years old to reach out to youngsters about amateur radio. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has that story. JEREMY: Deepening its commitment to engaging more young people in amateur radio, the Radio Society of Great Britain is looking for prospective volunteer Youth Country Representatives, particularly in Wales and Northern Ireland. The representatives would be involved in direct outreach to youngsters at schools, in youth clubs and in the Scouts, Guides and Cadets. They would also participate in larger activities such as British Science Week and YOTA Month. Representatives also maintain a presence at RSGB activities. Licensed amateurs who are interested in being a part of the next generation in radio should apply no later than the 16th of February. Visit rsgb dot org stroke volunteers (rsgb.org/volunteers) for details. This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (RSGB) ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX, listen for Willy, ON4AVT operating as 6W7/ON4AVT from Warang, Senegal from the 3rd of February until the 16th of April. He is expected to operate mostly FT8 on 80-10 metres. He will also be operating through the QO-100 satellite. See QRZ.com for QSL details. Herve, F5HRY, is active from Marie Galante island, Guadeloupe as FG/F5HRY until the 2nd of February. Listen for him on 80-10m, using CW and SSB. See QRZ.com for QSL details. Bernhard, DL2GAC, will be active again as H44MS from Malaita, IOTA Number OC-047, in the Solomon Islands. He expects to be on the air around the 10th of February and will be active every day on 160-6 metres until the 25th of April. See QRZ.com for QSL details. (425 DX BULLETIN) ** KICKER: WHEN RADIO REQUIRED A LICENSE TO LISTEN NEIL/ANCHOR: In this final story, we look at the privilege of having a radio license: Ours allows us to transmit -- but imagine a time when you needed a license simply to listen. Ed Durrant DD5LP tells us about a ham radio event that recalls that moment in history. ED: Special event stations are on the air throughout Germany calling QRZ and using the callsign suffix "1ØØFK". Their operation marks 100 years since the establishment of the German Radio Cartel, 10 associations who worked together to train interested radio hobbyists to be able to take the receiver licence tests run by the German Government which allowed them to listen to the few AM broadcast stations who were just starting up. The creation of the "Deutschen Funk Kartell" on the 24th of January, 1924, marked the dawn of early radio in Germany and their efforts raised the number of listeners to a million in just 18 months. The mandated test and licence to simply listen to a radio was the precursor to the amateur radio transmission licence later. Now it's your turn to listen (this time without a licence to listen) -- from anywhere in the world. These stations will be commemorating the start of radio, one century ago and plan to be on the air through to the 31st of May. For details, visit one hundred EFF KAY dot Dee Eee. (100FK.DE) Fortunately, hams have the licence not just to listen - but to respond as well. This is Ed Durrant DD5LP. (FUNK TELEGRAMM, 100FK.DE) ** DO YOU HAIKU? Does your amateur radio experience ever inspire a bit of poetry? Why not immortalize that incredible QSO or fantastic antenna by participating in the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. Use the entry form on our website, arnewsline.org and please follow the rules for writing your three-line haiku -- we cannot accept any entries that aren't written in traditional haiku form. And be sure to check out our previous winners! NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Albuquerque Journal; Amateur Radio Daily; AMSAT News Service; ARRL; CQ Magazine; David Behar K7DB; DXWorld; FCC; Funk Telegramm; 425DXNews; IEEE; NASA; QRZ.com; Racing on the Air; Radio DARC; shortwaveradio.de; SOTA Reflector; Wireless Institute of Australia; Worldwide DX; 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Union Kentucky saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2024. 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