Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2372 for Friday April 14th, 2023 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2372 with a release date of Friday April 14th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. US-made vacuum tubes prepare to make a comeback. NASA names a trio of hams for the next Artemis mission -- and meet a YL who is Poland's youngest SOTA operator. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2372 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** VACUUM TUBE-MAKING ON THE COMEBACK IN THE US DON/ANCHOR: American-made vacuum tubes are poised to make a comeback onto the market this summer. Kent Peterson KCØDGY tells us what's been going on. KENT: As the rising cost of vacuum tubes manufactured mostly in China and Russia increasingly cramps audiophiles, musicians and others seeking a particular audio quality, one factory in the US southeast is preparing to bring tube-manufacturing back home. With assembly line workers getting down to business inside his Western Electric plant in Rossville, Georgia, entrepreneur Charles Whitener expects to restore American-made vacuum tubes to the worldwide market in just a few months. According to reports on such websites as wired.com and audioexpress.com, Whitener's goal is to resume production of the single-ended triode tube known as the 300B, a design that dates back to 1938. His plant, known as the Rossville Works, is home to the Western Electric vacuum tube brand which Whitener bought in 1995 from AT&T. This summer he expects to introduce a reimagined version of the audio vacuum tube known as the 12AX7, a dual triode tube commonly found in amplifiers for guitars. According to Wired.com, it will be the first US-made tube in decades and it is expected to be followed by numerous other US-made models. The Wired.com report said: [quote] "If all goes to plan, the US could once again dominate vacuum tube manufacturing." [endquote] This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY. (WIRED, AUDIOXPRESS.COM, HACKADAY) ** THREE HAMS CHOSEN FOR ARTEMIS MOON MISSION DON/ANCHOR: The next NASA radio amateurs in space are preparing to be part of a four-person team flying near the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us who they are. ANDY: NASA and the Canadian Space Agency have announced the members of the Artemis II crew comprising NASA's first crewed mission to establish a presence near the moon next year. Three members of the four-person team are amateur radio operators: commander Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT, pilot Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU. The other mission specialist is Christina Hammock Koch. The mission is scheduled for November of 2024. The previous mission, Artemis I, was not crewed. This will be a flight test lasting about 10 days and will validate the life-support systems of the Orion spacecraft, along with other demonstrations. Unlike his fellow crew members, Hansen is making his first trip into space. He is a Canadian citizen and is the first Canadian to train astronaut candidates from both Canada and the US. This is Andy Morrison K9AWM. (NASA, AMSAT NEWS SERVICE) ** GET ON THE AIR FOR WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY DON/ANCHOR: It's the QSO Party to end all other QSO parties: World Amateur Radio Day, April 18th, the day amateurs participate in a global celebration of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union. Be listening on HF as the IARU and its member societies get on the air with special events through the 25th of April. There will be more than 50 special event stations around the world with callsigns ending in W A R D, for World Amateur Radio Day. They include TM98WARD, 9Y4WARD, OT23WARD and a host of others. Here in the States and over in the UK, the ROC-HAM Radio Network is contributing to the festivities by hosting a 12-hour birthday net. Listen for John W2JLD and Dave GW8SZL who will be marking the occasion on the VOIP/ECHOLINK *ROC-HAM* Conference node #531091, as well as various Allstar Nodes, the DMR TGIF Talk Group 2585 and Extended Freedom SIP Portal 2585. John will be on the air during that time too, operating on 10, 20 and 40 metres, using the callsign W2W. For more details, visit IARU.org. (IARU, QRZ.COM) ** RADIO WAVES LEAD TO DISCOVERY OF NEW EXOPLANET DON/ANCHOR: Radio waves have led astronomers to an exoplanet - a planet beyond our solar system - and it's likely the same size as Earth. Dave Parks WB8ODF gives us the details. DAVE: Repeating radio signals have led astronomers to a rocky exoplanet that is the same size as our own Earth and, like the Earth, it orbits a star -- one known as YZ Ceti. Further studies of the signal suggest that the planet may also have an atmosphere and a magnetic field. Writing in a recent issue of the journal, Nature Astronomy, the researchers have named the planet YZ Ceti b. The scientists say that the magnetic field's interactions with the star are the likely cause of the radio signals. The signals were picked up in New Mexico by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array of telescopes. The star and exoplanet are 12 light-years away from Earth. Of course, this is not the first finding of its kind. Last year, the James Webb Space Telescope discovered its first exoplanet which is also believed to be rocky and almost as big as the Earth. That planet, called LHS 475b, is 41 light years away. The research team, which announced the discovery this past January, is trying to learn more about the star it orbits and whether the planet has an atmosphere. That work is set to be done this summer. This is Dave Parks WB8ODF. (CNN, JENNY TUPPER, NASA) ** ISS ASTRONAUT TO SET NEW SPACE RECORD DON/ANCHOR: A new record is about to be set in space by an ISS astronaut. We hear more about him from Paul Braun WD9GCO. PAUL: NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP won't be a record-holder for much longer. He made news after logging the most days in space for a US astronaut -- 355 days -- aboard the International Space Station in 2022. Now, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is right behind him and gaining. He's been on the ISS since September 21, 2022 and his mission has grown beyond its original six months. He's now scheduled to leave aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft by September 27th, meaning his 371 days will eclipse the one set by Vande Hei. However, even with that accomplishment, he will still be leaving the world record intact. That was set by the late Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who logged an unprecedented 437 days aboard Russia's Mir space station in 1994 and 1995. The cosmonaut died last year at age 80. This is Paul Braun WD9GCO (SPACE.COM) ** GIVING AMATEUR RADIO A GOOD RIDE IN AUSTRALIA DON/ANCHOR: In Melbourne, Australia, one ham whose love for his bicycle rivals his love for his radio is giving them both a good ride. Here's more about him from Graham Kemp VK4BB. GRAHAM: As a bicycle enthusiast and ham, Stuart, VK3UAO, is accustomed to doing things his own way. As a machinist, he fabricates many of his own parts to be used with his radio equipment. As a ham, he carves out his own trail to destinations for portable operating. He is presently riding his bicycle from Melbourne to the Pilliga park-fest, pedaling his way on a journey of more than 1,000 km over the course of three weeks. He has his portable shack in his backpack The park fest will be held between April 29th and 30th and he hopes his route there will include as many park activations as possible. The park fest itself is a modest-sized gathering of hams with an enthusiasm for fellowship and the outdoors. So there is certain to be even more operating once he arrives. Meanwhile, if you're interested in his journey but would rather not try it out yourself on a bicycle of your own, you can ride along with Stuart. Visit his page on QRZ.com, which offers a link to his APRS tracking -- and be listening for him on the air. This is Graham Kemp VK4BB. (WIA, QRZ) ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W8WKY repeater in Doylestown, Ohio on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. local time, right before the weekly SARA net at 8 p.m. ** AUTISM AWARENESS EVENT GOES GLOBAL PAUL: Special events are becoming more and more popular in our hobby. Often they’re organized by a club or group that is tied to a specific event or place. But in the case of one ham, James Gallo KB2FMH, he simply found a cause that was important and created a global event to celebrate it. GALLO: I do a lot of special events, because I find them interesting. So we found Autism Awareness and I thought, “That’s an interesting subject. A lot of people in our hobby have a position somewhere on the autistic spectrum in some way or another and I know that from talking to people over the years. So we decided to make a special event for that. PAUL: Gallo started to plan the event, and then his girlfriend came up with a great idea: GALLO: And then as I’m putting it together, my girlfriend, who’s my muse in radio business, said, “Why don’t you invite other operators — you’ll get a bunch of operators from around the country.” And then I thought, “Well, it’s considered ‘World Autism Awareness Day’ so let me reach out to a few friends globally that I’ve met over the years and see if they’re interested.” And it started to grow. PAUL: And grow it did. The event was a big success, and drew in a large number of participants: GALLO: I think we had 80-something volunteers across 26 states and 24 countries. PAUL: Gallo is planning on running the event again next year, so keep an eye out for an announcement if you wish to participate or even just chase. It’s all for a good cause. This is Paul Braun WD9GCO. ** RSGB SEEKS TECHNICAL EDITOR FOR RADCOM MAGAZINE DON/ANCHOR: The Radio Society of Great Britain is looking to hire a new technical editor, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH. JEREMY: RadCom, the magazine of the Radio Society of Great Britain, is saying goodbye to Matthew Smith, MØVWS, who is leaving his role as technical editor. The team is looking for a new technical editor with a strong background in electronics and the technical side of amateur radio. The ideal candidate should also be capable of writing and editing articles and working with authors from whom articles have been commissioned. The technical editor will also read and edit copy from contributors and columnists and assist volunteers with the RSGB Technical Forum. This is a salaried staff position. For a full description of other responsibilities visit rsgb.org/careers. Although there is an opportunity to occasionally work from home, the technical editor will be based at RSGB's headquarters which is near Bedford. For queries or to submit a CV, contact the managing editor Edward O'Neill at edward.oneill@rsgb.org.uk. This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (RSGB) ** MARYLAND SCIENTIST HONORED FOR EMERGENCY PREP WORK DON/ANCHOR: A scientist and radio amateur in Howard County, Maryland, has been recognized for his many hours of helping others prepare for disaster. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us more about him. SEL: Congratulations to Dan Wilt, WB6FLL, who has been named Emergency Management Volunteer of the Year from officials in Howard County, Maryland. Dan leads the Howard County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service and is a member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association. Dan is a device physicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. According to a press release on the webpage of Johns Hopkins lab, Wilt spent more than 150 volunteer hours supporting RACES events and activities last year at public service events and during snowstorms and hurricanes. He has also assisted RACES in the creation of guides to help fellow operators during emergencies so communication can become easier for first responders. As a member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association, K3CUJ, he has coordinated exercises to help prepare his fellow club members for future incidents. During the awards ceremony, Mike Hinson, director of the county's Office of Emergency Management, praised Dan for [quote] "a willingness to help others learn and a desire to serve whenever and however possible." [endquote] This is Sel Embee KB3TZD. (JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, PATCH.COM) ** WORLD OF DX In the World of DX, get ready for the DXØNE DXpedition. This is a single-operator DXpedition to the Spratly Islands, IOTA Number AS-051. Gil, 4F2KWT will be on the air from the 30th of April until the 9th of May. He has set aside one of his two radios to use FT8 using multi stream MSHV. The pilot station is Nic, DU1NA. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, which is preferred, or via IZ8CCW. Local amateurs in Israel are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Israel Amateur Radio Club and the establishment of the State of Israel by using special prefixes 4X75 and 4Z75 from the 14th to the 30th of April. Awards are being given to hams who contact stations with those prefixes as well as with the standard 4X and 4Z stations until the end of the month. Be listening for the special event callsign DM23BUGA on the air until October 8th. This callsign honors the biennial horticulture show and festival taking place in Mannheim, Germany this year. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau. You may also QSL direct via DL2VFR. Listen for Jean, F8CHM, using the call TM1AI (TEE EM ONE AY EYE) from Aix (EX) Island, IOTA Number EU- 032, until the 16th of April. He is using CW and SSB on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. QSL via home call. (425 DX BULLETIN) ** NOMINATE OUR NEXT 'YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR' DON/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 are now open and close on May 31st. ** KICKER: ON TOP OF THE WORLD IN HER FIRST YEAR OF SOTA DON/ANCHOR: We end this week by asking: What parent doesn't hope that one day that their child will achieve success at new heights? Meet a mother and father who aren't only watching their daughter achieve that but are right up there with her. Jeremy Boot G4NJH brings us their story. JEREMY: The past year has been an exciting climb for Sophie, SN9ZJ. The 11-year-old received her amateur radio licence one year ago this month. It didn't take long for her to find her way to the higher elevations of Poland, calling QRZ for points in Summits on the Air and experiencing the thrill of other operators wanting her callsign in their log. Her father, Pawel, SN9PJ, calls her [quote] "my amazing daughter." [endquote] Considered Poland's youngest SOTA operator, she activated seven summits during her first year as a ham, with her father beside her on five of those trips and her mother Anna helping her log contacts during the other two. Anna, an avid hiker, had helped Sophie study for her licence and may eventually take the exam as well. Pawel said Sophie had her sights on those mountain tops the moment her licence arrived. The youngster draws great inspiration and love of the outdoors from her father, a mechanical engineer and her mother, an environmental engineer. In time, her parents would not be surprised if one day Sophie provided some inspiration herself. She has a younger sister, Elizabeth, and younger brother, Bart who one day, they hope, they may follow her to the mountain tops, operating their own radios. This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (SOTA REFLECTOR, PAWEL SN9PJ) ** DO YOU HAVE NEWS? DONANCHOR: 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 News Weekly; AMSAT News Service; ARRL; CQ Magazine; CNN.COM; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; 425 DX News; Jenny Tupper; Johns Hopkins University; Hackaday; NASA; Patch.com; Pawel, SN9PJ; QRZ.COM; Radio World; Radio Society of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de; SOTA Reflector; Space.com; Wired.com; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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.