Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2552 for Friday, September 25th, 2026 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2552 with a release date of Friday, September 25th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. A summit activator assists in a hiker's rescue in Hawaii. Croatia to host awards for World Radiosport Team Champions -- and Cuban amateurs celebrate a radio pioneer. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2552 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** SUMMIT ACTIVATOR ASSISTS IN RESCUE OF HIKER IN HAWAII PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast with a dramatic rescue on the Diamond Head Summit Trail. It unfolded with the help of a POTA/SOTA activator at the Hawaii landmark. John Williams VK4JJW has that story. JOHN: Michael Miller, KH6ML, had just logged his 11th QSO while doing a POTA/SOTA activation on September 16th on Hawaii's Diamond Head when he got his 12th contact unexpectedly -- right there on the summit: a visitor approached, asking him to help a woman who'd just collapsed inside the summit's observation bunker after hiking the trail. Michael called 911 and then, heading down to the bunker where cell service was uncertain, used his HT to ask hams listening on local repeaters to stand by in case they were needed. The hiker in distress was a woman in her seventies from Japan, a tourist visiting Hawaii with her husband and their adult daughter. As the Honolulu Fire Department personnel made their way there, Michael passed information from the family on to the emergency dispatchers. The fire personnel sent the department's helicopter as it would have been difficult for rescuers to navigate the steep terrain while carrying the woman. With the woman transported for medical assistance, Michael accompanied her daughter safely back down the trail to meet up with her family. He later learned from them that the woman was cared for and doing well. While there are no emergency-preparedness drills that follow this real-life scenario atop a summit, Michael said he was ready. His many off-the-grid and off-the-road venues where POTA and SOTA takes him gave him options to make important connections. His responses also drew on his training as part of Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service for the City and County of Honolulu, which he serves as deputy coordinator. He is also a member of the Emergency Amateur Radio Club in Honolulu. As he says in his YouTube video about the experience, [quote] "It wasn't the day that I had planned but it was still a wonderful day to make contacts and my best contact all day was helping somebody in need." [endquote] To hear Michael's account of the rescue and view the YouTube video, follow the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GO4as2CSvc] This is John Williams VK4JJW. (YOUTUBE; AMATEUR NEWS DAILY) ** WRTC AWARDS CEREMONY TO BE HELD IN CROATIA PAUL/ANCHOR: The Istra Contest Conference in Croatia has a special awards ceremony on its calendar. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us more. JEREMY: Winners of the World Radiosport Team Championship for 2026 will be honoured in Croatia at the fifth annual Istra Contest Conference which convenes in October. The awards are being presented following a rescoring of the original results announced in July at the conclusion of the competition in the UK. It was determined that the original results had been obtained through fraudulent practices and were accordingly overturned and the scoring revised. Awards are to be presented to the top three winning teams - MB5O, MB4G and MB1T - placed first, placed first, second and third respectively. The ceremony is set for the 3rd of October; the conference itself running from the 1st to the 4th of the month with a full lineup of topics relevant to contesting. This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (WRTC, ISTRA CONTEST CONFERENCE) ** US GOVERNMENT SETS DATE FOR TEST OF EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM PAUL/ANCHOR: As US lawmakers in Washington, D.C. await their definitive vote on whether to mandate AM radios in every new vehicle sold in the US, broadcasters and other communication services are preparing for a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. Kent Peterson KCØDGY has the details. KENT: Analog radio and TV stations, digital broadcast systems and cable TV systems are among those scheduled to participate in a test of the nation's Emergency Alert System on the 17th of November. Advance notice was given to all participants by the Federal Communications Commission, as required. The test will go out in English and Spanish. The test is designed as an opportunity for all of those participating to review their emergency operations protocol, verify that all equipment is up-to-date and functioning and to manually synchronize their relevant equipment to the official time set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Announcement of the test comes as the US Senate prepares to vote on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which if signed into law by the president would ensure that AM radio be made available in all vehicles on US roads, providing news, emergency information and alerts. This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY. (FCC, RADIO INK) ** SILENT KEY: DISASTER-RESPONSE VETERAN TOM DELANEY W8WTD PAUL/ANCHOR: A veteran in emergency communications and a former ARRL Great Lakes Division vice director has become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Neil Rapp WB9VPG. NEIL: Tom Delaney, W8WTD, was well-acquainted with disaster communication and what was needed to keep vital traffic moving. He was a past president of the Queen City Emergency Net, which serves the Cincinnati, Ohio, Chapter of the American Red Cross. He also edited the emergency net's newsletter, the Listening Post, and served as trustee for one of the net's repeaters. Tom, who had served for six years as a vice director of the ARRL's Great Lakes Division, became a Silent Key on the 16th of September. His association with the American Red Cross extended to his work with its Cincinnati Area Chapter, where he volunteered as chairman of the communications committee for disaster services. Tom played a vital role during the Ohio River flood in March of 1997, when he spent three weeks coordinating communication with the Queen City hams as well as local and regional groups. Communication efforts also relied on his disaster-relief response skills during the 1990 tornado in Harrison, Ohio, the 1999 tornado in Blue Ash, Ohio and tornadoes that struck Ohio and Kentucky in 2012. He was also a member of the OH-KY-IN Amateur Radio Society and the Champaign Logan Amateur Radio Club. Tom was 84. This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG. (QUEEN CITY EMERGENCY NET) ** SILENT KEY: QRP KIT LEADER DOUG HENDRICKS, KI6DS PAUL/ANCHOR: A creator of QRP kits who advised and inspired many others in the ham community has become a Silent Key. We learn about his good works from Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. RALPH: Hendricks QRP kits are well-known among operators devoted to building and operating low-power radios - and the name and callsign of Doug Hendricks, KI6DS, is like a familiar old friend. Doug, who cofounded the NorCal QRP Club in 1993 with Jim Cates, WA6GER, raised the profile of QRP with his enthusiasm and with the tens of thousands of kits sold over the years. A former school teacher, he eventually opened his own popular business, Hendricks QRP Kits. Doug became a Silent Key on the 18th of September. Writing on QRPer.com, Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL, recalled how Doug made the world of QRP more accessible. He wrote: [quote] "I knew Doug for nearly two decades, and he had an absolute passion for QRP and for making the world of amateur radio affordable and educational through kits." [endquote] He added: [quote] "There are few in QRP who haven't benefitted from what he gave us." [endquote] He is listed in the QRP Hall of Fame. Doug was 78. This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. (OZARKCON.COM, QRPer.COM) ** AMATEUR RADIO TEAMS UP WITH SCOUTS FOR GLOBAL JAMBOREE PAUL/ANCHOR: It's time to think about ways that you as a radio amateur can connect youngsters in Scouting with the ham radio experience. If you or your club haven't already found ways to participate in the annual Jamboree on the Air/Jamboree on the Internet this year, there's still time. This global event provides a supportive environment of learning and discovery and amateur radio has been central to its success. According to the Scouting America website, nearly 2 million Scouts take part in more than 170 countries. This is Scouting Worldwide's largest event. This year's event is being held on the 16th through to the 18th of October. For details on how to get involved, visit one of the two websites listed in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org. DO NOT READ: https://www.scouting.org/international/jota-joti/jota/ https://www.jotajoti.info/ (JAMBOREE ON THE AIR) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including shortwaveradio.de, broadcasting via shortwave from Germany into the UK, Ireland and western Europe. Newsline is played at various times throughout the week on 3975 and 6160 kHz as part of the "CQ Serenade" show. ** HAMS ENSURE SAFETY AS HINDU FESTIVAL CONCLUDES IN MUMBAI PAUL/ANCHOR: Ham radio operators in India will be doing their part in Mumbai to keep a religious ritual safe for Hindu devotees on the final day of a 10-day festival. Jason Daniels VK2LAW has the details. JASON: Daylong processions through the streets, followed by the immersion of statues of Lord Ganesh in a body a water, mark the tradition of Anant Chaturdashi, which falls this year on the 25th of September. This marks the final day of the 10-day festival paying homage to Lord Ganesh, when Hindus gather at major waterfront sites to immerse the religious figure's likenesses. In Mumbai, the Mumbai Amateur Radio Institute VU2BPA is joining a number of agencies, including local police, to ensure that everything goes smoothly as thousands of Hindus make their way through the city to the water. The institute's secretary, Jayesh Banatwala, VU2IVV, told the Deccan Herald: that having ham radio support for police and other agencies' networks greatly reduces the chances that something will go wrong. According to the group's website, the communication support to local authorities like the municipal corporation, traffic police, and fire brigade often mean that some of the ham radio operators are sent out on boats with lifeguards. This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW. (DECCAN HERALD, HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION) ** ON THIS NET, ETIQUETTE IS NO TRIVIAL MATTER PAUL/ANCHOR: It's time to brush up on your on-the-air etiquette - and dust off your manners - because a new net is being launched to focus on both. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us about this new group. JACK: The Sunflower GAPT Net offers a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Launched by the Sunflower Linked System, the net intends to live up to the initials in its title, for Good Amateur Practice and Trivia - GAPT. Net control station is Daryl Stout, NK5LA. Participants in the weekly net discuss a variety of subjects, especially the proper way for hams to conduct themselves courteously on the air. The conversation is designed to enlighten and inform - but also entertain - so the talk will always touch on amateur radio trivia at some point, just for fun. The Sunflower Network is based in the "sunflower state" of Kansas, but the linked system makes it accessible to hams everywhere on DMR, the TGIF Network, P25, M17, AllStar, D-Star, Echolink, Fusion and Hams Over IP. See the link in the text version of this week's newscast to learn more about joining the net. [DO NOT READ: bit.ly/sunflowernet ] This is Jack Parker W8ISH. (SUNFLOWER LINKED SYSTEMS) ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX, hams are on the air through to the end of September as OC1ØØISL to mark the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of the Peruvian Navy's base on San Lorenzo Island, IOTA Number SA-052. Hams will be active from the island itself only on the 25th, 26th and 27th of September. They are otherwise calling QRZ from the mainland on various bands using various modes. Listen for John, VK1AX, who is active through to late November from Deal Island, IOTA Number OC-195. He is operating holiday style using SSB and FT8. Ludovic, F1TEQ, is on the air until the 26th of September as FR/F1TEQ from Reunion Island, IOTA Number AF-016. After that, he will be operating from Mayotte, IOTA Number AF-027, as FH/F1TEQ through to the 30th of September. Listen for him on 20, 15 and 10 metres using SSB. The Polish Amateur Radio Group in the UK is using the callsign MXØSQC to mark their 10th anniversary. They are on the air from the 28th of September through to the 4th of October. Listen for them on 160-10 metres where they will be using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8/FT4. For QSL or additional operating information about any of these stations, see QRZ.com. (425 DX BULLETIN) ** KICKER: SENDING SIGNALS TO HONOR A CUBAN PIONEER IN CUBA, A RADIO PIONEER'S PRESENCE SENDS A STRONG SIGNAL PAUL/ANCHOR: The weeks of celebration of the life of a radio pioneer in Cuba are nearing their conclusion. Members of one club have been marking the accomplishments of a man remembered fondly in both broadcast and amateur radio, as we hear from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. JIM: Born in Spain 135 years ago, Manuel "Manolin" Alvarez Alvarez grew up in Cuba where he and his family settled in Caibarién -- the same coastal city where members of the Radio Club de Caibarién have been calling CQ since early September to bring attention to his legacy. Special event station T46W is on the air through to the 29th on HF using CW, SSB, FM, FT4, FT8 and RTTY. Manolin was both a broadcaster and a telegrapher. He held the amateur radio callsign CO6MA for 70 years as an active ham He was also skilled at building electronics, constructing his first receiver in 1919. Only a year later, he became one of the earliest operators to transmit radio signals from Cuba. He helped get the region's first radio station, known as 6 EV, on the air in January 1923. The radios he'd built allowed many listeners to enjoy radio programming he transmitted, hosting music as well as live sports commentary. His long tenure in radio eventually led his involvement in 1985 in starting CMHS Radio Caibarien. Manolin died one year later at the age of 93. That radio station remains on the air, three decades later. This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. (QRZ.COM, RADIO CAIBARIEN) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, David Behar, K7DB; Deccan Herald; eHam.net; FCC; 425 DX Bulletin; Hindu American Foundation; Istra Contest Conference; Ozarkcon.com; QRPer.com; QRZ.com; Queen City Emergency Net; Radio Caibarien; Radio Ink; Sunflower Linked System; Wireless Institute of Australia; World Radiosport Team Championship; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. 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