Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2365 for Friday February 24th, 2023 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2365 with a release date of Friday February 24th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. A national emergency brings hams to the scene in New Zealand. Amateur radio puts the spotlight on autism awareness -- and a repeater system gets an upgrade in Southern Maryland. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2365 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** NEW ZEALAND HAMS FACE CYCLONE CHALLENGE JIM/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to New Zealand, which is trying to recover after Cyclone Gabrielle touched off a national state of emergency. On the North Island at least 11 people were killed and thousands were reported missing. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF brings us up to date. JIM: Radio operators with Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, or AREC, were put to the test after Cyclone Gabrielle swept through the North Island, bringing floods and damage to infrastructure. AREC volunteer members and other licensed hams had braced themselves in advance of the storm's landfall on Sunday the 12th of February. Don Robertson, ZL2TYR/ZK6EX, the CEO of AREC, told Newsline that in Auckland, AREC began providing radio support across the region for field teams and maintained VHF contact with the region's 14 civil defence centres plus local community response groups. Volunteers logged contacts, handled logistics, phone calls, communications and used their PC skills as needed until AREC was stood down at midday on Thursday the 16th of February. Meanwhile in hard-hit Hawkes Bay, amid rising rivers and power outages, only three AREC members were able to respond, each working 12-hour shifts. Don told Newsline: [quote] "There are many more stories of the heroic efforts by AREC members and licensed amateur radio operators and the details will come out in due course." [endquote] He said that many recovery efforts have got underway and are expected to continue for years. As Newsline went to production search and rescue workers were also arriving from Australia. This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF. (DON ROBERTSON, ZL2TYR/ZK6EX, REUTERS, CNN) ** BBC FOCUSES ON HAMS' ROLES IN TURKEY/SYRIAN EARTHQUAKE JIM/ANCHOR: Hours after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the already-stricken region of Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 20th, mainstream media turned its attention to the critical role that amateur radio is playing there. Jeremy Boot G4NJH picks up the story from here. JEREMY: With communications taken down in much of the region of Turkey and northern Syria, amateur radio repeaters on VHF and UHF frequencies kept communications open for rescue work and other aid. That dramatic story was told on the BBC programme, "Digital Planet," on Tuesday, February 21st, by Aziz Şasa, TA1E, president of the Turkish Amateur Radio Association. The retired engineer was interviewed by show host, Gareth Mitchell, an amateur radio operator himself, with the call sign M7GJM. Aziz said that following the disaster, VHF and UHF repeaters throughout the region were the only means of communication for seven days, as rescuers and agencies shared frequencies and information. He said that the longer-distance capabilities of HF were not as essential because most of the issues being handled were local and could be handled via shorter-range frequencies. Asked what the greatest contribution of the hams has been so far, Aziz said simply: [quote] "We helped in saving lives. I believe that's quite a nice thing for us." [endquote] This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (BBC, GREG MOSSOP, GØDUB) ** OPERATORS NEEDED GLOBALLY FOR AUTISM AWARENESS EVENT JIM/ANCHOR: A call has gone out worldwide for hams to get on the air to bring greater attention to the needs of individuals who have autism. We have more details from Paul Braun WD9GCO. PAUL: Amateurs throughout the world whose lives have been touched by autism are going to be getting on the air to help raise awareness of autism spectrum disorder during World Autism Awareness Week. Between March 25th and April 2nd, operators will be looking to log stations using any mode of their choice with the goal of directing successful contacts to the event's page on QRZ.com. This is all about education. Amateurs in the United States will be using the call W2A. Hams in other countries may want to secure local special event calls but they will be able to use their home call instead if a special call is not available. All participating hams will be calling "CQ Special Event, Autism Awareness Week." The organizer James, KB2FMH, will also be setting up a Discord chat group channel to help operators coordinate their bands and modes to make the most of propagation and traffic. Operators outside the United States should also let James know what callsign they will be using. Hams have already expressed interest from around the world but more operators are still needed. This is Paul Braun WD9GO. ** WASHINGTON STATE CAMPING TRIP ADDS A SOTA DAY JIM/ANCHOR: Organizers of the 18th annual Salmoncon in Washington state have changes in their plans this year and they're shouting those changes from the summits - for good reason - as we hear from Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. RALPH: The Salmoncon gathering in Washington state is sharing its celebration of QRP operators this year with SOTA operators by adding some Pacific Northwest summits to their annual campout. Hams will start to gather on Friday, July 7th and activation of the peaks will begin early on Saturday, July 8th. Through Sunday, low-power operators in the Pacific Northwest will enjoy the fellowship of QRP and activities such as transmitter hunts. They will also activate the Salmoncon special event callsign K7S. This year, organizers are hoping to get as many activations as possible on Saturday at noon local time from peaks with the SOTA designation W7W. Salmoncom is promoting summit-to-summit and chaser contacts on 60, 40 and 30m HF bands along with 2m simplex. There will be a special emphasis on peaks in the W7W/KG and W7W/CW areas. Visit the Salmoncon website for more details. [FOR PRINT, DO NOT READ: https://www.pnwqrp.org/salmoncon ] This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. (SOTA REFLECTOR, SALMONCON.COM) ** AMSAT NORTH AMERICA NEEDS ENGINEERS JIM/ANCHOR: Engineers with an interest in satellites and satellite operation may want to consider helping out AMSAT North America as volunteers. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us what they're looking for. ANDY: If you're a satellite enthusiast with an engineering background and want to become more involved in AMSAT North America, you may want to consider one of these volunteer opportunities. AMSAT's FOX-PLUS team needs a volunteer electrical engineer with RF experience and a working knowledge of analog and digital communications protocols. The right candidate will be involved in designing and building the RF communications subsystems for low-earth-orbit 1U-3U CubSats. This position will help provide digitally synthesized audio for FM modulated VHF/UHF/SHF voice and telemetry channels. AMSAT's FOX and GOLF CubeSat teams also need mechanical engineers to join its all-volunteer team of a dozen or so electrical, mechanical, software and systems engineers. The team is developing a series of low-earth-orbit and highly elliptical orbit 1U-3U CubeSats for AMSAT's engineering and educational goals. Candidates should be US citizens or permanent residents of the US. Volunteers can expect to spend about five hours a week on the project they're assigned to and will attend a weekly meeting online to provide updates. Resumes can be sent to volunteer@amsat.org. This is Andy Morrison K9AWM. (AMSAT NEWS SERVICE) ** NOMINATE YOUNG AMATEURS FOR NEWSLINE AWARD JIM/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that young hams who live in the continental United States have an opportunity to make news, if they aren't already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or younger -- someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio. Find application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations open on the 1st of May and close on May 31st. ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N5OZG repeater of the Crescent City Amateur Radio Group in Metairie, Louisiana following the net on Sundays at 8 p.m. ** SOUTHERN MARYLAND UPGRADES REPEATER SYSTEM JIM/ANCHOR: Residents in southern Maryland can be reassured that emergency communications just got a little easier, thanks to the efforts of local hams. Here's Sel Embee KB3TZD with those details. SEL: A newly installed radio repeater system has given Calvert County, Maryland, and the surrounding region an upgrade in the emergency-communications system. Licensed as K3CAL, the system was a project of the Calvert Amateur Radio Association and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, or RACES. The RACES officer for Calvert County, William Hackett Sr., N3XMZ, told the website BayNet.com that the new system was a huge improvement over its predecessor. It will provide enhanced coverage for handheld radios throughout Calvert County, into the Chesapeake Bay region and parts of Patuxent River. The system includes UHF capability on 444.950 MHz from a tower in the southern end of the county and a VHF system on 146.985 MHz from a tower in the northern part of the county. The two sites are also capable of being linked. Brian Kress, KB3WFV, vice president of the Calvert Amateur Radio Association, called it [quote] "a win for Calvert County citizens as another layer of protection from a communication blackout." [endquote] This is Sel Embee KB3TZD. (BAYNET.COM) ** HAMS SHINE DURING AMERICAN LIGHTHOUSE WEEKEND JIM/ANCHOR: If the lights were shining a little brighter over lighthouses in Latin America and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, it was likely because of the American Lighthouses weekend on the air from February 17th through to the 19th. Graham Kemp VK4BB brings the illuminating details. GRAHAM: Perhaps no one will remember this year's American Lighthouses weekend better than hams with the Amateur Radio Alliance of Puerto Rico, KP4ARA. Operators accomplished a first-time double activation from two lighthouses on the island - the Punta Borinquen lighthouses, one historic and one relatively new. Working several bands and using digital modes, the lighthouse hams Emilio, WP4KEY, and Wanda, KP4NYC, logged QSOs with a total of 42 DXCC entities, including Asiatic Russia, Venezuela, the Philippines, England, Switzerland and Japan. The weekend was marked by another dramatic first: participation by radio operators at the Esperanza Base in Antarctica. According to the organizing committee of Argentina, the Radio Club Grupo DX Bahia Blanca of Argentina, this established a new record for the total number of DXCC entities and countries involved in the event. The general coordinator of the event was Carlos Almirón, LU7DSY, who said in a public statement how pleased he was with the enthusiasm and collaboration that helped create pride and new accomplishments during this 15th year of the February lighthouse festival. This is Graham Kemp VK4BB. (EMILIO ORTIZ JR., WP4KEY) ** AUSTRALIAN HAM HONORED FOR FALCONSAT-3 FINAL SIGNALS JIM/ANCHOR: A ham in Australia has been honored for having copied the final signals of an important-but-aging satellite as it was dying. We hear that story from Jason Daniels VK2LAW. JASON: Congratulations to Mark Jessop, VK5QI, of South Australia for being the recipient of the FS3 Award from the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society. The nonprofit amateur group created the honour to recognise the last formal reported signals from the FalconSat-3 micro-satellite. The 50kg satellite, launched in 2007 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, went into decay in January. The amateur radio society sent the Australian satellite enthusiast his certificate along with some stamps commemorating MO-112, the Mauritian Infra-Red Satellite, which was that nation's first satellite. FalconSat-3 was developed by cadets and faculty at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado but control of the satellite was transferred to amateur radio operators in April of 2017. A notice in AMSAT News Service thanked Mark Hammond N8MH for his years of work as a command station for FalconSat-3. This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW. (AMSAT NEWS SERVICE) ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX, listen for Dave, YC5YC/7, and Arli, YC7UDD/p operating on Teluk Harapan Beach on Maratua Island, IOTA number OC-166, from the 25th through to the 27th of February. They will operate SSB, FT8 and RTTY on HF. They will upload logs to LoTW and Club Log. There will be 10 other operators with YB7, YC7 and YD7 calls operating near them doing a Beaches on the Air operation. Eight special callsigns are being activated to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the 1980 referendum for autonomy and representing the provinces of Andalusia. They are on the air through the 28th of February. The callsigns are AN43AL (Almeria), AN43CA (Cadiz), AN43CO (Cordoba), AN43GR (Granada), AN43HU (Huelva), AN43JA (Jaen), AN43MA (Malaga), AN43SE (Sevilla). Be listening as well on the 28th of February for AN43AND, which is Andalusia Day. QSL via LoTW and eQSL. Be listening for David, F4FKT, active as FT4YM from Dumont d'Urville Station, IOTA number AN-Ø17 from Ile des Petrels. He is on the air until the 27th of February. He will also operate as FT4YM/mm from the icebreaker "L'Astrolabe" from the 28th of February to the 5th of March. QSL via F5PFP. (425 DX BULLETIN) ** KICKER: FISHING FOR QSOs ON A FROZEN LAKE JIM/ANCHOR: For our final story, we visit with a group of hams in Minnesota on a wintertime fishing expedition. Kent Peterson KCØDGY tells us what they caught while at the lake. Here's a hint: It wasn't fish. KENT: In Minnesota, it's considered a winter tradition for some people to go out on the frozen lakes for fishing. One group that took to the frozen waters in the Twin Cities region of the state were hoping for a very different kind of catch: They set up their equipment on White Bear Lake at Mahtomedi Beach in the hopes of reeling in some QSOs while operating portable. This was the February 11th "Hams on the Ice" event where antennas took the place of fishing rods and the waves being plumbed were radio waves. The four-hour event drew 20 or so amateurs. Some brought portable heaters. Others simply were warmed by the idea of working some DX -- and many did. This was the amateurs' winter equivalent of a monthly group gathering known as Hams in the Park held during warmer months. According to a video on the YouTube channel of Matthew, KØLWC, the hams were also there to provide an opportunity for some of the regions' youngest licensees: With a little help, some of the newer hams got their first contacts on HF radio. With mic fright being a big concern for a lot of newcomers, you might even say they broke the ice. This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY. (QRZ.COM, MINNESOTA HAM RADIO, YOUTUBE) ** PAUL/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; Baynet.com; the BBC; CNN; CQ magazine; David Behar K7DB; Don Robertson, ZL2TYR/ZK6EX; DX-World.net; Emilio Ortez Jr., WP4KEY; FCC; 425 DX News; Greg Mossop, GØDUB; QRZ.com; Reuters; Minnesota Ham Radio; SOTA Reflector; shortwaveradio.de; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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. 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