Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2556 for Friday, October 23rd, 2026 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2556 with a release date of Friday, October 23rd, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. A deadly helicopter crash into a ham radio tower in Florida. Australia's lunar rover makes its debut -- and hams haunt a number of Halloween events. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2556 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** PILOT DIES IN FATAL CRASH INTO FLORIDA HAM TOWER STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin our newscast this week with the fatal crash of a helicopter into a ham radio tower in Florida. We hear more from Kent Peterson KCØDGY. KENT: A veteran helicopter pilot was the only one aboard when, authorities said, his helicopter struck a 150-foot-tall tower in back of a ham radio operator's home in Myakka City, Florida. The 63-year-old pilot had just completed a route of spraying for mosquito control shortly before 9 p.m. when he was killed in the Oct. 15th accident in Manatee County, A spokesman for the county sheriff's office told local media that firefighters pulled the pilot from the wreckage as it burned. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The guyed tower - the tallest of three on the property - collapsed. The Wireless Estimator, a website for the wireless infrastructure industry, identified the property owner as Daniel Street, K1TO, who is also the owner of an antenna installation company, A1 Tower Service. The website noted that towers standing under 200 feet are not required by the Federal Aviation Administration to be lit or to be registered with the FCC's Antenna Structure Registration System. The Wireless Estimator said that according to the public record, the towers were in compliance with those rules. The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the incident and typically issues a preliminary report within about 30 days after a crash. This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY. (WIRELESS ESTIMATOR, WFLA, MYSUNCOAST.COM, WUSF) ** PRIVATELY DEVELOPED CUBESAT TRANSMITS AI EXPERIMENTS STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The October 1st launch of a 2U CubeSat on a rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California has distinguished itself in a number of ways, as we hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW. JASON: Guan Hao Chan, KO6IKZ, is being celebrated by many in the CubeSat community following the launch of KENSAT, a sun-synchronous satellite he designed and built as a private individual, creating such support systems as the ground station software. The radio amateur, who is from Malaysia, has taken an uncommon route, not relying on any government or big corporate funding. The CubeSat's payload includes what is being called an unusual artificial-intelligence experiment in space: Using a neural network, KENSAT conducts machine learning, downlinking the results via UHF to amateur ground stations. According to the KENSAT website, the satellite is using a language model known as Gemma 3 which [quote] "thinks in space and beams the answer back to anyone listening." [endquote] The IARU coordinated a downlink of 437.080 for the CubeSat, which is using the same US callsign: KO6IKZ. The downlink uses GFSK modulation with AX.25/G3RUH framing. Chan said he hoped KENSAT would inspire other experimenters to attempt independent CubeSat development. He also said he hoped hams would be listening for the UHF transmissions as KENSAT makes its way in low-earth orbit. This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW. (AMSAT NEWS, KENSAT.COM) ** HOA LOBBYISTS GIVE TOP PRIORITY TO HALTING ANTENNA BILL STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the US, lawmakers have not yet scheduled a vote on a measure that would protect amateur radio antennas from the restrictions or bans imposed by private homeowners associations, but a powerful nationwide lobbying group representing those associations is strengthening its opposition to the measure. The Community Associations Institute met recently in Washington, DC, and announced it was giving top priority to fighting the passage of the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, which has support of both parties. Last year, ARRL launched a nationwide grassroots campaign in support of the legislation. (AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, ARRL) ** 'PAYMENT LABYRINTH' CALLED OBSTACLE TO LICENSE RENEWALS STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you're needing to renew your FCC license soon - or have tried but been unsuccessful in paying the $35 fee - you're not alone. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us about a study of FCC data that turned up hundreds of failed amateur radio renewals - and lost callsigns. ANDY: Rob Rosenberger, K4HST, calls it the FCC's "payment labyrinth" -- and he believes it is responsible for the failed attempts by 1 in 18 hams to complete their payment of the $35 license-renewal fee. He came to his conclusions after analyzing the FCC's downloadable, publicly accessible two-year archive starting in 2024. In the US, the $35 fee applies to new license grants as well as renewals, vanity call signs and any modifications, such as upgrades. Rob, who is a retired systems analyst, said that his study shows that some hams have actually had repeated failures to make their payments - some as many as seven times. He said, however, [quote] "nine out of ten folks who stumbled into the labyrinth decided not to map it out a second time." [endquote] In the period he analyzed, he said, 3,901 hams successfully renewed their callsign each month -- but another 783 simply did not bother trying again and were lost to attrition.. Rob said the numbers point out the need for clubs and others, such as the ARRL, to focus on the hams who fail the payment process in the ULS system before they lose their callsign after the FCC's two-year grace period. He said the solution begins at the local level - and ham radio clubs can reduce the failure-to-pay rate through outreach to those who may need assistance. His study has enabled him to produce free downloadable PDFs that list all operators, sorted by city and state, who are within three months of losing their callsign. The URL for the download is listed in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: https://w4zbb.org/resources/ ] This is Andy Morrison K9AWM. ** AUSTRALIAN MOON ROVER MAKES DEBUT STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Australia's moon rover is a work in progress and it made its debut recently in Queensland. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us what's next for this important space explorer. GRAHAM: The Australian Space Agency says "G'Day Moon." Australia's first lunar rover -- that would be the Roo-ver -- met the public recently during World Space Week at the Queensland University of Technology’s Lunar Testbed and Space Lab. Plans are to land the semi-autonomous vehicle at the lunar South Pole in 2030. The trip will take place under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Roo-ver will make its journey aboard an Intuitive Machines lander and then conduct studies relevant to eventual human exploration under the Artemis programme. It is being designed and created by an industry consortium comprising universities, researchers, major companies and startups. This is Graham Kemp VK4BB (AUSTRALIAN SPACE AGENCY; AMSAT NEWS SERVICE) ** SKCC SEEKS DESIGNS FOR STRAIGHT KEY MONTH 2027 QSL CARD STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Straight Key Century Club is preparing to turn 21 on the second day of January 2027. The club has plans once again for its annual Straight Key Month, as we hear from Randy Sly W4XJ. RANDY: Twenty-one is a significant age of maturity for many of us and the Straight Key Century Club is no exception. This year's celebration will include yet another Straight Key Month event, which takes place from the anniversary date on the 2nd through to the end of January. The club has begun asking members to consider submitting designs they'd like to see on the activity's QSL card which, as always, features the callsign K3Y. Once designs are submitted, members will get to vote on their top choice starting in the middle of December. The winner will become the design for the official card; 12 of the most popular will become part of the club's calendar for 2027. Club members can visit the link that appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org to get more details. [DO NOT READ: https://skccgroup.com/k3y/k3y-qsl-vote.php ] This is Randy Sly W4XJ. (STRAIGHT KEY CENTURY CLUB) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Gronk Radio Network's WA6TTL repeater in Simi Valley, California, on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. local time. ** LISTEN FOR NATIONAL ANIMAL SHELTER APPRECIATION WEEK STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you've ever welcomed a rescued pet into your family or been an animal rescuer yourself, you'll want to share your experiences with fellow hams starting November 1st as the Dog Day Amateur Radio Club marks National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week 2026. Operators will be calling CQ with the callsign KØDOG using CW and SSB through to the 7th of November. The commemorative week was created by the Humane Society of the United States in 1996. Visit KØDOG's page on QRZ.com to see ways you can help your local rescue efforts. (KØDOG) ** RSGB LAUNCHES NEWSLETTER FOR YOUNG HAMS STEPHEN/ANCHOR: When they aren't on the air making contacts, young amateurs in Great Britain have a new way to stay in touch, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH. JEREMY: Whether they're sharing the past season's experience at a camp in the Austrian Alps or discussing their first check-ins to a net on DMR, young amateurs throughout Great Britain are staying connected on or off the air through a newsletter launched by the Radio Society of Great Britain. The monthly publication is the work of the RSGB's Youth Committee, serving hams who are 25 years or younger. The first few editions are being posted on the RSGB website but later editions will be sent directly to RSGB's youth members only. The newsletter also features a preview of events on the calendar. For details about submitting stories contact Leon Shaw, MØVUF at the address that appears in the text version of this week's newscast. You'll also find a link that lets you read the first edition of the newsletter. This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. [DO NOT READ: Leon's email is youth.chair@rsgb.org.uk Newsletter link is rsgb.org/youth-newsletter ] (RSGB) ** SSTV EVENT ABOARD ISS FEATURES ARISS HARDWARE STEPHEN/ANCHOR: So what's on TV lately? Well, we're talking about Slow Scan TV and Travis Lisk N3ILS is here to let us know who - or what - has the starring role. TRAVIS: Slow Scan TV Series 34 aboard the International Space Station is once again all about ham radio operators capturing images. This latest SSTV activity on the ISS is running from October 22nd through to October 25th using Robot 36 Mode, which completes the transmission of a single image in 36 seconds. The frequency is 437.500 MHz, plus or minus Doppler shift. Various images of ARISS hardware will be transmitted and hams receiving them are encouraged to submit them to the ARISS gallery and receive an event certificate. Images can be uploaded via the website link that appears in the text version in this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/submit.php ] This is Travis Lisk N3ILS. (ARISS) ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX, the S9R DXpedition is on the air through to the 31st of October from São Tomé and Príncipe, IOTA Number AF-023. The team is using CW, SSB and the digital modes on the HF bands. Greg, N9GB will operate holiday-style from Grenada from the 31st of October through to the 6th of November. He will be using CW, SSB and FT8 on 40 through 6 metres, and operating mostly during the evening hours, local time. John, AE5X, is operating on CW from Albania as ZA/AE5X through to the 30th of October - perhaps longer. He is giving priority to POTA locations and is on the air holiday style. Listen for the callsign FK/KD6XU from New Caledonia, IOTA Number OC-032, where Barry KD6XU expects to be until the middle of November. His activation, using CW, is expected to include some POTA locations. Get ready for the VK9XY DXpedition to Christmas Island, IOTA Number OC-002, which will be on the air from the 16th of November through to the 4th of December. Youngsters on the Air and the Pacific Islands DXPedition Group have organized the activation which is being run entirely by young amateurs. Hams will be calling QRZ from the island and remotely, using NexGenRiB2 (pron: Next Gen R Eye Bee) stations nearby. For QSL information or other details, visit each callsign's page on QRZ.com (DXWORLD.NET) ** HALLOWEEN EVENTS GIVE HAMS A GHOST OF A CHANCE STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our final story is a real horror show. Oh, don't worry, we mean that in a good way. With a number of Halloween events happening on the air, you can expect the bands to be quite undead. Be not afraid: Ralph Squillace KK6ITB has scared up the details from the DX of....the Great Beyond. RALPH: Hams are celebrating the Halloween season with different events that are very much in the spirit. In fact, if you believe in ghosts, listen for Wyoming Ghost Towns on the Air starting on October 31st through to November 10th. Stations will be using 1x1 callsigns W7A through W7W, and will be operating at a number of these old haunts. In Pennsylvania, members of the Triple A Amateur Radio Association will breathe new life into the Evans City Cemetery by calling CQ as K2V starting on the 26th of October and continuing through Halloween night. This is a celebration of the film, "Night of the Living Dead," and this is the cemetery in the opening scenes of the original film. The club's other Halloween station, K2Q, will operate on the 30th and 31st of October near a bridge that also appears in the film. Meanwhile, since the original Frankenstein monster was famously wireless - and very much a homebrew build from used parts - it seems only fitting that the Mid-Missouri Amateur Radio Club will be on the air from a community known as Frankenstein. Listen for the callsign WØO from the 20th of October through to the 1st of November. Finally, there's the Zombie Shuffle which, true to its name, is full of slow-moving and low-power CW operators. They'll be calling "CQ Boo" on October 30th from 1500 to midnight, in each operator's local time zone. Any key is welcome except, of course, a skeleton key. This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. (QRZ.COM, ZIANET.COM) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE With thanks to AMSAT News; ARRL, Amateur Radio Daily, ARISS; Australian Space Agency; David Behar, K7DB; DXWorld; FCC; 425 DX Bulletin; KenSat.com; KØDOG; MySunCoast.com; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great Britain; Rob Rosenberger, K4HST; Straight Key Century Club; WFLA; Wireless Estimator; Wireless Institute of Australia; WUSF; YouTube; Zero Retries newsletter; Zianet; 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 Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As always, we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2026. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.