<*>[Attachment(s) from James KB7TBT included below]

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2044, December 30 2016

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2044 with a release date of Friday,
December 30, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST.  Hams respond to the typhoon the Philippines. Radio
Australia begins its shortwave shutdown -- and we talk to possibly the oldest
continuously operating phone net. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report 2044 comes your way right now.
	
**
BILLBOARD CART

**
HAMS RESPOND TO SUPER TYPHOON IN PHILIPPINES

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with an update on amateur
involvement in the deadly Super Typhoon Nock-Ten, a deadly Category 4 storm
that raged through the Philippines at Christmas, killing at least six and
stranding thousands. The Philippines Amateur Radio Association activated its
Ham Emergency Radio Operations Network at the approach of the storm, which
caused mudslides, flooding and power interruption in five provinces.

The hams kept communications open using both HF and VHF radios as the storm
made landfall repeatedly. Authorities tuned into the emergency net where
amateurs sent them damage reports. Our thoughts are with them all as the
nation begins the recovery process.

(ARRL)

**
RADIO AUSTRALIA ENDING SHORTWAVE BROADCASTS

NEIL: It's the end of an era in shortwave for one Australian broadcaster.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us more.

GRAHAM: There's only one month left in the lifetime of shortwave broadcaster
Radio Australia's transmissions in the Pacific. The broadcasts, which are in
the 31, 25, 19 and 16 meter bands, are expected to cease on Jan. 31, 2017.

The Australian Broadcast Corporation said in a news release that the decision
was consistent with the broadcaster's desire to expand its digital content
offerings and phase out technology that is no longer current. Other Radio
Australia programming will continue to be available via satellite and
streaming services.

The broadcaster's decision to drop shortwave was recently challenged by
Senator Claire Moore of Queensland, a member of the Australian Labor party.
Moore, who is Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific,
is concerned that this decision will have a negative impact on Australia. She
recently expressed particular concern about what the absence of Radio
Australia would mean during cyclones if other nations' broadcasts do not step
in to fill the void. There were also reports that the public was being
encouraged to press for a reversal through a petition on Change.org urging
the Australian government to cancel the decision.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(ABC.NET.AU)

**
NO WALK IN THE PARK

NEIL/ANCHOR: One Arizona ham radio club is staging a demonstration in two
local parks, as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Mike Askins KE5CXP.

MIKE: The Queen Creek Amateur Radio Club is hoping for maximum participation
by radio amateurs and maximum engagement with visitors during its public park
event on January 7th in Mesa, Arizona.

The club is calling it "Radio Under Sun Shade," and also "Radio In The Park,"
and there are two locations where club members will be operating at portable
stations:

Dennis, KF7RYX, will be at the ballfield pavilion behind the Queen Creek West
Stake Center near Hawes Road and Ocotillo Road. Doug, WB7TUJ, will be in
Emerald Park in Mesa.

According to the club, this isn't just a demonstration but an open invitation
to anyone interested in trying out ham radio - and even getting on the air.
Hams will be on 2 meters simplex as well as  40 meters, trying to make as
many contacts as possible using solar and other off-the-grid power.

Visitors are welcome to join them from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

**
SILENT KEY: ALAN HEATHER  G0PQA

NEIL/ANCHOR: As the old year ends, another notable veteran ham has become a
Silent Key, as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY:  Alan Heather G0PQA, a longtime radio amateur whose radio contacts
included King Hussein of Jordan JY1 and Helen Sharman GB1MIR, the UK's first
astronaut, has died.

Alan was the author of a biography of Oliver Heaviside, the mathematician and
electrical engineer whose work included discovery of a layer of ionized gas
above the ground that reflects radio waves, allowing signals to travel past
the horizion. The layer is known as the Kennelly-Heaviside Layer. The
scientist died in 1925, before Alan was born but he was considered a distant
cousin whose career influenced Alan's own life later.

Alan's local work in commercial radio as well as on citizens' band was to
later earn him the nickname "Radio Man." The former newspaper reporter,
historian and broadcaster was 88.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS, THE TORQUAY HERALD EXPRESS)

**
SILENT KEY: CANADA'S WILLIAM JAMES 'BILL' GILLIS VE1WG

NEIL/ANCHOR: We also note the passing of William James 'Bill' Gillis, VE1WG,
the former president of Radio Amateurs of Canada. Bill died on Monday, Dec.
26. He had been president of the RAC from 2002 to 2003 and was director of
the Maritimes Region. He was also a two-term president of the Moncton Area
Amateur Radio Club and a member of the Montreal Amateur Radio Club and the
Oakville Radio Club. Bill was 87.

(ARRL)
**

HAMS KEEP PACE IN PARADISE

NEIL/ANCHOR: What's better than running a marathon in paradise? Doing it with
amateur radio support, as Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Damron N8TMW tells us.

JIM: The 44th running of the Honolulu Marathon had the power of radio to keep
them on the move. The Honolulu Marathon on December 11th wasn't just a feat
of endurance for the more than 30,000 runners. The hams who provided
communications and safety for the race's 44th running also went the distance
in their own way. According to the ARRL Pacific Section, radio operators went
on the air as early as 4 a.m. and some stayed on the air for as many as 18
hours for this, the fourth largest marathon in the U.S.

With Net Control operated by Ralph Toyama NH6PY, 35 hams operated on both 2
meters and 70 centimeters. Some were also on the air using 800 MHz digital
radios - nonamateur radios but nonetheless crucial in providing those links
to aid stations, medical teams, transportation vehicles and police.

Hams were also at the finish line, feeling just as victorious as if they'd
run the race themselves which, in a way, they did.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW

(ARRL PACIFIC SECTION)

**
NO QTH TO CALL THEIR OWN

NEIL/ANCHOR: As 2016 was winding to a close, we revisited the Massachusetts
amateur radio club that is facing homelessness in the new year. Here's
Newsline's Paul Braun WD9GCO

PAUL: Earlier this year we spoke with Sumner Weisman, W1VIV, about the
Framingham, Massachusetts amateur radio club and their urgent search for a
new home. The city building that they had been located in for 38 years had a
boiler failure, and the city had determined that it was too expensive to fix.
Unfortunately, as of this week, the club still hasn't found a new home. I
spoke again with Weisman about where the situation stands:

WEISMAN: We have a "mentor," I guess you could call her an Elmer in ham radio
terms, who's a Town Meeting member - she's an attorney - and she came to us
and said, "Help me help you." And she advised us to get a hundred signatures
on a petition and go to the Town Meeting, which we did, and the Town Meeting
gave us $500 towards a new home which we're appreciative of, but it really
doesn't get us a new home.   She's been working with us, and I went to the
Board of Selectment meeting with her advice and asked them for some time in
one of their upcoming meetings and they gave us fifteen minutes to explain
what our dilemma is. They were very sympathetic - they gave us twenty,
twenty-five minutes and they didn't watch the clock. We had a good
discussion. I had asked that as many club members as possible show up to show
that we're serious and they were quite impressed - we had twenty to
twenty-five of our members
there and they commented on that. Generally, I think they were quite
sympathetic. We need a point of contact and we asked who that should be, and
they said, "Contact the Town Manager after the first of the year" which I
fully intend to do.

PAUL: They have gotten some support from the city:

WEISMAN: What we're looking for - I told them if we had a broom closet we
could set up a radio station - but we're really looking for something larger,
perhaps twelve by twenty or twenty by thirty, something like that would be
ideal because that would allow us to have enough room to hold VE tests and
also to give lessons there to people who want to upgrade.

PAUL: Weisman also explained why they are looking for rent-free,
city-sponsored space:

WEISMAN: Our big fundraising event is a swap meet or flea market in April and
what we do with that money is that it helps support the club, but we like to
take about half of it and use it for college scholarships for kids.   We give
three or four college scholarships a year. The college scholarship chairman
of our club has told me that we've given away over $20K already.

PAUL: According to Weisman, If you are in that area, the best thing you can
do to help is to attend club meetings to show support, and also show up to
council meetings so that they understand the amount of interest. More
information can be found on their website at www.w1fy.org.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO

**
BREAK HERE:  Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the KB3LSM
repeater in Evans City, Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh.
**

VIRGINIA FONE NET, AN 'OM' AMONG NETS

NEIL/ANCHOR: As we talk about time marching on in the new year, how about a
look back at an AM PHONE net that got its start in the 1930s?

JIM OWEN: We think that it's the oldest continuously operating phone net in
the United States maybe in the world. no one operated during the war so we
were off the air then, but when amateurs could operate, we've been
continuously on there.

KENT:  That's  Jim Owen K4CGY of the Virginia Fone Net.  Jim started checking
into the net in 1960 but became a regular net control in about 1964

JIM: I probably hold the record for the most net controls, I'm up to 2162 now.

KENT: According to research by Phil Sager WB4FDT there were two nets formed
in January 1934 both called Virginia phone net  Jim describes what phone
operation might have been like in the 1930s.

JIM: It was experimental I know from talking to some of the old guys. they
came up with  just about any scheme they could to modulate their CW
transmitters.  They didn't have money for modulation transformers so they
used screen grid modulation and a few even used antenna modulation where you
put a carbon microphone in the antenna lead. That's way before my time, but
they worked They got them on the air and eventually new things improved and
especially after the war there was a lot of gear available.

KENT: Jim says the net has run nearly continuously

JIM: The only times we've ever skipped is when one of the emergency nets took
over the frequency.

KENT: The net has slowed down a bit

JIM: As most phone nets go these days, there's not a whole lot of traffic
from the public. 30-40 years ago someone wanted to get a message to grandma
on the west coast they would come to us because they didn't want to spend the
money to a phone call. Now they just text. Its morphed into a net for old
friends and new friends. Whatever you'd talk about on ham radio .

KENT: Jim recalled hearing about the very early days of the net

JIM: One of the members, W4BAD Doc Tamer was on spark in 1916. Doc passed in
the mid 1970s.  He gave a lot of information on how they were operating back
then and what he was running.  These old timers were good to talk to. Now I
guess I'm one of the old timers, hey that's the way it goes people come and
go and nets are the same way. Fortunately we've managed to make it all these
years and we hope to go a while longer.

KENT: The words of Jim Owen K4CGY talking about what might be the worlds
oldest phone net, the Virginia Fone Net.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY

**
THAT'S THE SPIRIT! LOOK OUT FOR INTREPID DX AWARDS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams prepare to honor the notable DXers of 2016 while preparing
for a major international DX convention in 2017 in Visalia, California.
Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee KB3TZD.

HEATHER: If you're a DXer and know a fellow DXer who's got a spirit that's
fearless, generous, bold, innovative and dedicated - and that's just for
starters! - you may want to nominate them for the 2016 Intrepid Spirit Award.
The honor is conferred annually in recognition of an individual or a group
who possesses these qualities.

Winners will join the ranks of noted DXers such as Zorro Miyazawa JH1AJT, the
2015 honoree and
Dmitri Zhikharev RA9USU who was chosen in 2014.

For more details, see the website at www.intrepid-dx.com

While we're on the subject of DX, don't forget the 68th annual International
DX Convention being held in California April 21st through 23rd. Registration
is now open for the gathering, which is sponsored by the Northern California
DX Club. Planning is still under way and convention events are still taking
shape but already there are DX and technical seminars on the schedule as well
as basic and advanced level training on contesting.

Get updated details at www.dxconvention.com

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Heather Embee KB3TZD

(NORTHERN CALIF. DX CLUB, INTREPID DX GROUP)

**

SCOUT MERIT BADGE FINDS NEW DIRECTION

NEIL/ANCHOR: There are some big changes in the Radio Merit Badge program for
Boy Scouts, as we learn from Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Stearns NE4RD.

This week in Radio Scouting we have updates to the Radio Merit Badge program
to announce.

A big new addition to the Radio Merit Badge is a new option of Amateur Radio
Direction Finding.  This combines orienteering and foxhunting and opens a new
interactive component to this program.  Cellular telephone topics have been
added and different types of radio modulation have been included.  Key
requirement changes were dropping open, closed, and short circuits as well as
schematic symbols and components as these are covered in the Electricity and
Electronics merit badges.

Other revisions include: minor edits and reordering of requirements in the
Amateur Radio option; Radio Broadcasting option now includes Internet
streaming, regulations, and power levels; Medium Wave and Shortwave Listening
option includes both types of listening as well as listening via streaming
services on your smartphone.

These updates will take effect in 2017, and those scouts working on the
previous set of requirements generally can finish them up the same year.

For this and more information on K2BSA and  Radio Scouting, please visit
www.k2bsa.net.

For Amateur Radio Newsline and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association, this is
Bill Stearns, NE4RD
**

WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, you can hear DXpeditioner Mek SP7VC in the Azores until
January 3rd. He will operate on all bands from 10m to 160m using the callsign
CU2/SP7VC. Activity will be mainly on SSB. Send QSLs to his home call sign
and via Logbook of The World.

Listen for Neven LZ1COM in the Maldive Islands through the 5th of January,
operating as 8Q7ND on the HF bands. Send QSLs to his home call sign.

Between January 1st and 7th, an IOTA expedition will operate from Al Safliyah
Island near Qatar using the callsign A70X. (A Seven Zero X). Expect large
pileups: The island has not been activated since 1995. QSL manager is M0OXO.

**

KICKER: A NET GAIN FOR THE SANTA NET

NEIL/ANCHOR: And finally, with Christmas 2016 behind us, we reflect on
Santa's popularity. It's big, because he has his own 80-meter Net. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jim Damron N8TMW has more:

JIM: Christmas is over and the results are in: Santa is apparently more
popular than ever on ham radio. The 3916 Nets, which run the annual Santa
Net, connecting youngsters to the voice of Santa on ham radio, reports that
426 stations and 656 children spoke to the big elf this year. According to
Pete Thomson KE5GGY the stations were from all over the U.S. and into Canada.
Best of all, the number represents an increase of 54 percent over the
check-ins in 2015. No doubt this gives the Santa Net operators, and even
folks at the North Pole, a lot of ho-ho-hope for Christmas next year.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW.

**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; CNN; Hap
Holly and the Rain Report; Intrepid DX Club; Irish Radio Transmitter Society;
Northern California DX Club; Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; the Santa Net of the 3916
Tailgaiters and Freewheelers; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted Randall's QSO
Radio Show; The Torquay Herald Express; WTWW Shortwave; and you our
listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Please send emails to
our address at newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline's only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, at the news desk in New York, and our
news team worldwide, I'm Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Bloomington, Indiana saying 73
and as always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.


***

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