Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2359 for Friday January 13th, 2023 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2359 with a release date of Friday January 13th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. An Indonesian ham satellite scores a first for the nation. The FCC studies spectrum space for drones -- and hams in Australia prepare to pay higher fees. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2359 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** INDONESIAN SATELLITE IS NATION'S FIRST BY STUDENTS DON/ANCHOR: An achievement by Indonesian students is being celebrated as a "first" for that nation. Jason Daniels VK2LAW has those details. JASON: Congratulations to the students of Surya University in Indonesia following the deployment of their first satellite from the International Space Station. Known as SS-1, for Surya Satellite 1, the CubeSat was sent into space on its own successfully on Friday, January 6th. SS-1 is also Indonesia's first student-built satellite. The university undergraduates undertook the project with the support of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, which recognised it in a design competition in 2018. That achievement awarded it the chance to be deployed from the ISS. The CubeSat's mission is to test communication between an Automatic Package Reporting System payload and the ground using the amateur radio frequency 145.825 MHz. The university students were inspired to undertake the project after seeing a presentation on amateur radio by the Indonesian Radio Amateurs Organization, known as ORARI. This is Jason Daniels, VK2LAW. (AMSAT News Service) ** FCC EYES 5GHz BAND FOR AERIAL VEHICLES DON/ANCHOR: In the US, the FCC is taking yet another look at spectrum allocation, this time in the 5GHz band. Kent Peterson KCØDGY tells us what they have in mind. KENT: A portion of the 5GHz spectrum could become available to unmanned aerial vehicles, such as drones, under a proposal being considered by the US Federal Communications Commission. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement saying that an assessment of spectrum resources dedicated to remote-piloted aircraft was long overdue. The FCC is studying the range between 5.03GHz and 5.091GHz - frequencies that are below the range typically used in the US and other countries for other low-power, unlicensed wireless devices using frequencies that start at 5.15GHz. In the US, the FCC limits the maximum channel width used by unlicensed devices to prevent interference with users on the licensed portion of the spectrum. The frequencies being looked at by the FCC are not within the amateur band between 5.65 and 5.85 GHz. The agency is seeking input on the proposal, which takes on added importance as the commercial use of drones continues to surge in the United States. The chairwoman said that the FCC also acknowledges that unmanned aircraft are also vital to first responders and in disaster-recovery and wildfire situations. She said the proposal was developed with input from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY. (THE REGISTER, FCC) ** LEND YOUR VOICE TO THE AM RALLY DON/ANCHOR: It's time to get on the air and celebrate the first voice mode used by amateur radio. Here's Andy Morrison K9AWM to tell us how. ANDY: Anyone who uses Amplitude Modulation on the bands knows the warm sound it brings to casual conversation and the historical importance of keeping alive the first amateur voice mode. The AM Rally, an annual celebration of this mode, is returning to HF and 6 meters from February 3rd through to the 6th. It's not necessary to have a boat anchor for full carrier amplitude modulation. Modern radios, including software-defined rigs, as well as military radios, modified broadcast radios and home brew models are capable of helping operators take part in this event. Information about logging your contacts and noting your rig and your output power class, can be found on the website amrally dot com (amrally.com). There are suggestions on how to prepare as well as a guide to where and when you can find the most active AM action going on, from 6 to 160 meters. AM cannot be used on 60 meters in the United States, however. As organizer Clark, N1BCG, says: [quote] "It's a great opportunity for newcomers to try the first phone mode and for experienced ops to be AM Ambassadors." [endquote] This is Andy Morrison K9AWM. ** AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS FACING HIGHER FEES DON/ANCHOR: A fee increase is about to have an impact on amateur radio operators Down Under. Graham Kemp VK4BB explains what's happening. GRAHAM: Hams in Australia will begin paying higher fees for amateur radio services from the Australian Maritime College starting on Monday, February 6th. The Australian Communications and Media Authority approved a fee increase of 5 percent to cover callsign services and amateur qualification procedures. The fees have been implemented in keeping with the government's Cost Recovery Guidelines, which permit authorities to charge nongovernment entities for part or all of the costs involved in certain government activities, such as regulation or services. The Australian Maritime College manages amateur radio exam services for the ACMA at the proficiency levels of Foundation, Standard and Advanced licence classes. This is Graham Kemp VK4BB. (WIA) ** TECH CLASS OPERATORS WELCOME IN WINTERHEAT EVENT DON/ANCHOR: An event known as Winterheat started on January 1st and is going on all month here in the US. If you have a Technician class license, you're especially welcome to join in, as we hear from Jack Parker W8ISH. JACK: The very word itself - Winterheat - would suggest a name that contradicts itself. Instead Winterheat has grown to stand for an event that presents increasing opportunities for all amateur radio operators in the United States, most especially those with a Technician class license. Now in its fourth year, the month-long Winterheat challenges amateurs to become active in the FM simplex band segments on VHF and UHF. The activity also attracts operators on simplex DMR, D-STAR and Fusion. One of the organizers, John Fulton, K9AI, told Newsline that Winterheat started modestly in Illinois in 2019 but has since spread to other midwestern states and outward toward both coasts. John said that last year's event drew amateurs' participation in 38 states for a total of 134,000 contacts. Winterheat makes its web-based logging and reporting system available to registered operators and those operators can also view real time statistics and propagation. Licensed hams who are interested in being a part of Winterheat can register to participate by signing up at www.hamactive.com. This is Jack Parker W8ISH. (JOHN FULTON, K9AI) ** SILENT KEY: CONTEST HALL OF FAMER FRED LAUN, K3ZO DON/ANCHOR: A well-known contester and leader in the amateur radio community has become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Kevin Trotman, N5PRE. KEVIN: Known worldwide for personal contributions to groups advancing amateur radio, Fred Laun, K3ZO, was also an accomplished contester who was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 1993. Fred, a resident of Temple Hills, Maryland, became a Silent Key on January 3rd, after falling ill in mid-December. According to various reports, at the time of his death he had been diagnosed with an infection and COVID. A member of the ARRL's Maxim Society and a Life Member of the league, Fred had been a director of the Yasme Foundation, which helps fund projects advancing amateur radio. His lifelong commitment to ham radio began in 1952, when he got his first license and was assigned WN9SZR as his call. A retired foreign service officer, Fred was a member of the First Class CW Operators' Club and the A1 Operator Club. He was also president of the National Capitol DX Association and the Potomac Valley Radio Club. RAST, the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand, penned a tribute on its website to Fred, who also held the callsign HSØZAR. Fred had been a longtime advisor to RAST. He became one of the young organization's earliest supporters after its creation in the late 1960s when his work as a United States Foreign Service Officer assigned him to a post in Thailand. Tributes poured in on other websites too. Writing on the Reflector of the Potomac Valley Radio Club, Ken K4ZW, said: "There was just something about tuning the bands during a contest and hearing K3ZO. You knew everything was right with the ham radio world." [endquote] Fred was 85. (K8CX HAM GALLERY, ARRL) ** SILENT KEY: CUBAN JOURNALIST, BROADCASTER ARNIE ANTIC, CO2KK DON/ANCHOR: A noted Cuban journalist and amateur radio operator has also become a Silent Key. Arnaldo Coro Antich, CO2KK, died on January 8th. According to the Shortwave Listening Post, his death was the result of complications of various chronic illnesses. Hams around the world also knew him as Arnie Coro. Arnie was active in amateur radio since the age of 12 when he joined an organization that was then known as the Radio Club de Cuba. He pursued a career in journalism and carved out a strong reputation in both radio and in print media. Even at his current age of 80, he remained an active part of the team at Radio Habana Cuba with an English-language program known as DXers Unlimited, which had a worldwide amateur radio listenership. In addition to teaching journalism at two institutes in Cuba, he was active in the Cuban Radio Amateurs Federation, which was formed in 1966. Committed to emergency response work, he was the emergency coordinator for Area C of Region 2 of the International Amateur Radio Union. Arnie was 80. (SHORTWAVE LISTENING POST) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the AH6LE repeater in Beavercreek and Wilsonville Oregon on Sundays at 6 p.m. local time. ** ARDC HOLDING COMMUNITY MEETING ON JAN. 21 DON: Amateur Radio Digital Communications invites everyone to its next community meeting, which is being held on the Zoom platform on Saturday, January 21st. Attendees will meet the new advisory committee members, learn about grants given in 2022 and hear about the recently concluded 44Net Assessment. To attend, you must register. See the link in the text version of this week's Newsline script for the registration link. [DO NOT READ: www.ampr.org/community-meeting-registration/ ] (ARDC) ** INTERNATIONAL ATTENDANCE AT HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY DON/ANCHOR: The popular annual event known as Ham Radio University returned this year as an online event and attracted international attendance. Paul Braun WD9GCO has the wrap-up on that. PAUL: Saturday, January 7th, was a back-to-school day for more than 1,000 radio amateurs who signed up for a seat in the virtual classrooms of Ham Radio University. The day of education and fellowship marked the third time this event has been held online since the first one was held on Long Island, New York 23 years ago. The fact that it was held in a virtual space meant it could open its doors to visitors beyond the New York metropolitan area and welcome amateurs from Bulgaria, Germany, Lebanon, Greece, Thailand and Korea as well as many other nations. Organizers said that in all, 1,662 hams registered and of those, 1,082 attended the free event, taking advantage of the various forums, which included Software Defined Radios, Parks on the Air, grounding in the ham shack and the role of Raspberry Pi Computers in amateur radio. Did you miss a forum or perhaps you weren't available to attend at all? This year's presentations were recorded and will soon be available for viewing on Ham Radio University's YouTube Channel. Meanwhile, the hard work has already begun on next year's event, which organizers hope will be available as a combination of virtual and in-person classes. This is Paul Braun WD9GCO. (DIANE ORTIZ, K2DO, TOM CARRUBBA KA2D) ** POTA REPORTS A ROBUST YEAR FOR 2022 ACTIVATORS DON/ANCHOR: Parks on the Air administrators have spent the past few days tallying up activator totals for 2022. Matt Heere, N3NWV, is here to share the final numbers. MATT: Howdy POTA Folks I'm Matt, N3NWV and this is the December 2022 monthly POTA update which is our 2022 year-end wrap-up so instead of December statistics let's talk about how 2022 stacked up against 2021. In terms of total activations there were 141,477. That's 195 percent increase over the previous year. Seven thousand one hundred eighty-seven activators participated in these activations, which is 171 percent increase over 2021. In total, 14818 parks were activated, a 134 percent increase over 2021. These parks are spread out across 72 DXCC entities, a 147 percent increase over 2021. And drum roll please; we logged over 6.26 million QSOs in 2022. That's a 220 percent increase, more than double what we logged in 2021. And as you might expect with the maturity of the POTA program a lot of the growth is happening outside of the United States. In IARU Region 1 we had 5,940 activations. That's a 418 percent increase over 2021. Fantastic numbers for Region 2 outside of the Continental US as well. Eleven thousand six hundred thirty activations represents a 267 percent increase over 2021. Last, but by no means least, Region 3's 8,780 QSOs represents a 283 percent increase over 2021. (POTA) ** KING'S CORONATION INSPIRES OPERATOR AWARD IN BRITAIN DON/ANCHOR: Amateur radio operators in the UK have become very involved in planning for the coronation of the next king. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us about one award group that has launched an event that continues right through to the end of the year. JEREMY: The Coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey in May has inspired the Worked All Britain awards group to create a year-long event honoring the new monarch of the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth realms. The King Charles III Coronation Award is open to any amateur radio operator who is able to log contacts within the various geographical squares inside the UK throughout 2023. Hams may operate on all licenced frequencies and modes, to qualify. According to the group's website, the initial certificate will be awarded for 10 points. There are endorsements for each 10 after that. Finally, each multiple of 100 points earns the operator a new certificate and a trophy. Details about the scoring methods are available on the website at the address that appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. [DO NOT READ: http://wab.intermip.net/Coronation%20Award.php ] (WORKED ALL BRITAIN) ** ACTIVATORS PLAN SUMMIT CAMPING TRIPS DON/ANCHOR: In some parts of North America, where winter has taken hold, many people are making plans to go into the mountains for a weekend of hiking or skiing. Then there are the hams who activate summits and look at those same mountains as places they'll activate this spring and summer. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us what they've got planned. SEL: We may only be in January, but two clubs in the northeastern United States are already deep in the planning stages of campouts that combine eyeball QSOs with summit activations. The Northeast SOTA Club has scheduled its first campout for this spring. Hams will be meeting up in Woodstock, New York, which is nestled in the Catskill Mountain region. The campout will take place between May 19th and May 22nd; amateurs will be able to use one of the 45 campsites available at the Woodland Valley Campground. There is also an option to bring an RV. The club is advising early reservations for those planning to attend. Contact AJ at the email address found in the text version of this week's newscast. Meanwhile, east of the Catskills, campers are looking forward to returning to the White Mountains of New Hampshire for the sixth annual W1 SOTA campout. These SOTA enthusiasts will be gathering from June 1st to June 5th. One of the organizers, Bob, A-C-one-Zed, writes on the SOTA Reflector: [quote] "Join in for the entire four-night campout or for as many nights as you can or just stop by for a while!" [endquote] Email Bob for details or to let him know your plans. His email address can be found in the text version of this week's newscast. This is Sell Embee KB3TZD. [DO NOT READ: aj2i@outlook.com] [DO NOT READ: bobac1z.nh@gmail.com ] This is Sel Embee KB3TZD. (SOTA REFLECTOR) ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX be listening for AT18BSG, a special event station that will be on the air until the 15th of January in India. The station is marking the 18th National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides. According to the event's page on QRZ.com, thousands of scouts, guides and adult leaders will be active. QSL via VU2NRO. Whether or not you are a soccer fan, be listening for special callsign 7U7C being used by operators who belong to the Great Desert Djelfa Radio Amateur Club 7X2VFK. The club is on the air marking the seventh African Nations Championship taking place in Algeria from the 13th of January until the 4th of February. This biennial football tournament is organized by the Confederation of African Football. See QRZ.com for details. In central Africa, Roland F8EN is operating as TR8CR from Gabon until March 15, 2023. He is on the air using CW on 30 to 10 meters. QSL via F6AJA. Many special event stations are on the air announcing the upcoming World Radiosport Team Championship to be held in Italy. Here are two in particular to listen for as they operate in Indonesia and New Zealand. Listen for 8BØRARI and ZL6WRTC on various HF bands where operators will be using CW and SSB. See QRZ.com for QSL details. (DX WORLD, 425 DX BULLETIN, QRZ.COM) ** KICKER: A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT DON/ANCHOR: For our final story we ask: how does a radio operator pursue 3 SOTA summits, 6 island activations and 2 lake activations in the space of seven days? Answer: he goes with the flow - in this case, the flow of a river in New Zealand. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF takes us on that ride. JIM: It was a seven-day journey along the length of the Clutha River in New Zealand and Matt ZL4NVW was more than up to the challenge. He had his packraft, his kayak, his radio and his gameplan. Writing on the SOTA reflector later, Matt shared the details of how he collected peaks and some summit-to-summit contacts along the way. He battled band conditions as well as scrub from the wild landscape. Entering the river south of Alberttown with his gear safely packed and waterproofed, he braced for the river equivalent of a solar storm: rapids, whirlpools and boils. The trip afterward was marked by alternating moments of extreme peace and temperamental waters -- though he suffered a wrist injury at one point. He advised readers to file his story [quote] "under the lengths someone will go to activate a 1-point summit." [endquote] That would be one of the stops he made to climb Tyrwhitt Peak on Mou Waho island in Otago, the summit designated ZL3/OT-493. Perhaps just a single point earned here, but the total adventure points for this trip were off the charts. This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. (SOTA REFLECTOR) ** NEWCAST CLOSE - DO YOU HAVE NEWS? ANCHOR: Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would be interested in? We are not talking about advertising your club's upcoming hamfest or field day participation, but something that is out of the ordinary. If so, send us a brief overview via the contact page at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to cover it, we'll get back to you for more details. NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Weekly; AMSAT News Service; the ARRL; ARDC; CQ magazine; David Behar K7DB; Diane Ortiz, K2DO; the K8CX Ham Gallery; FCC; the 425 DX News; John Fulton, K9AI; Parks on the Air; the Register; Shortwave Listening Post; shortwaveradio.de; the SOTA Reflector; Tom Carrubba, KA2D; Wireless Institute of Australia; Worked All Britain; 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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune Mississippi saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.