Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2100 for Friday, January 26, 2018

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2100 with a release date of Friday, 
January 26 2018 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams in Germany get the green light to stay on 6 
meters. Kosovo becomes the newest DXCC entity -- and citizen scientists 
get an invitation to a ham radio conference in New Jersey. All this and 
more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2100 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**

GERMANY KEEPS 6 METERS - AND KOSOVO'S A NEW DXCC

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast with a look at some 
change and growth that continues in our hobby. In our first report, hams 
in one country get the hoped-for green light to continue using 6 meters 
-- and in our second report, the world of radio gains a whole new entity 
for DXCC. We start with this report from Ed Durrant DD5LP in Germany.

ED'S REPORT: While some amateur bands are permanently allocated to 
amateur radio enthusiasts in Germany, others are bands where amateurs 
are "geduldet" (put up with). These  authorizations are for set periods 
of time and if not renewed, amateurs can no longer use the band. One 
case in point is 6 meters and in the December 2017 issue of memos from 
BNetZa (the government regulator) the authorization for amateur use of 6 
meters has been extended.

Another change in the memos is the authorization for Class E (Novice) 
licensees now to be able to use the 13 and 6 centimeter bands at a 
maximum of 5 watts PEP until the end of 2018. At the other end of the 
scale, Top Band (160 meters) has had the
permitted power that can be used between 1850 and 1890KHz in the band 
increased from 75 to 100 watts PEP. Contests are also now allowed on 
weekends but only in the frequency range of 1890 to 2000 KHz.

As yet, there is no news as to whether German hams may get access to the 
4 meter band for further tests during the sporadic-E season later in the 
year  - we wait in hope.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Ed Durrant DD5LP.

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Add to that some good news for DXers. There's one more 
good reason now to call "CQ DX." A new DXCC entity has been added to the 
radio map: Inclusion of the Republic of Kosovo (Z6) raises the number of 
DXCC locations to 340. The change is effective as of the 21st of 
January. The ARRL Board of Directors made the announcement after 
approving a motion to amend the DXCC rules to include entities that have 
a separate IARU member society and are included on the U.S. State 
Department Independent States in the World list at their meeting held 
January 19th and 20th. Kosovo, formerly part of  Yugoslavia, was 
admitted to the International Amateur Radio Union in 2015. The Kosovo 
Amateur Radio Association is known by the initials SHRAK.

(ARRL)

**
RADIO ATHLETES GETTING FIT FOR WRTC 2018

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: This year brings big things to Jessen/Wittenberg 
(YESSEN/Wittenberg), Germany, as some of the world's top contesters 
converge for the contest-of-all-contests. Neil Rapp WB9VPG spoke to a 
ham and published author who has sized up the challenge ahead.

NEIL: In our continuing coverage leading up to the World Radiosport Team 
Championship 2018 in July, one thing stands out. Preparing for the 
competition and being selected takes an amazing amount of effort. Jim 
George, N3BB, author of the book (and soon to be released Audible book) 
“Contact Sport,” shares his perspective on the competitors’ endurance 
from WRTC 2014 in Boston.

JIM: All in all, to qualify for this contest and to do it really well is 
an amazing personal commitment. It almost takes 4 years from your 
life......three of the four to qualify, and then one to get ready to get 
ready and then to do it and then to recover from it. So, it’s quite an 
adventure.

NEIL: There are also the challenges in the moment of the contest itself 
- and they can be formidable, from equipment not working to bands, such 
as 10 meters, opening at an inconvenient time.

JIM: A lot of things have to go right. The gear had to work, you had to 
catch the openings, you had to stay awake, you had to have considerable 
personal endurance… Wow. All in all, that's the pinnacle.

NEIL: Yes, there are some physical considerations too. Hams are, after 
all, only human.

JIM: Believe me, to keep concentration for 24 hours with the thing 
running at, you know, 200 contacts an hour for the most part, is really 
tough for both operators. In New England, very few teams even went to 
the bathroom. This is a straight through thing. It was complicated, or 
assisted, by the fact that the weather was very hot. So people were 
drinking a lot, but they were sweating a lot. And, many teams didn’t go 
take a nature break whatsoever.

NEIL: For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, in 
Bloomington, Indiana.

**

AIKEN TO GROW IN SOUTH CAROLINA

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: In Aiken, South Carolina, things just keep getting 
better for one middle school ham club. As the FCC roster of licensees 
keeps growing, so does the club's membership, as we hear from Kevin 
Trotman N5PRE.

KEVIN: On January 6th and 7th, there were 4 new additions to the world 
of Radio Amateurs in Aiken, South Carolina. The Aiken Scofield Middle 
School Technology and Amateur Radio Club, N4SMS is proud to report that 
their membership now includes 4 new Tech Class license holders.

They each received a new Baofeng UV-5R radio to announce their newly 
acquired callsigns on a weekly net on Thursday, January 18. Checking in 
were Andrew (KN4IVA), Anna (KN4IVD), Lance (KN4IWB) and Piper (KN4IWC).  
Thanks go to the sponsoring club, the North Augusta-Belvedere Amateur 
Radio Club (K4NAB) for doing what they've done for the past 7 years by 
Elmering Scofield Middle School students and providing equipment such as 
their new Baofeng HT's and other club equipment to keep their interest 
going.

The Scofield Middle School club is no stranger to Newsline. They were 
recently mentioned by placing 1st overall in the nation in the School 
Club Roundup in all school categories from elementary to university 
level last October, and that was for the second year in a row. Our 
congratulations goes out to the Aiken Scofield Middle School Club and 
our thanks go to the North Augusta-Belvedere Amateur Radio Club for 
keeping Amateur Radio growing and ensuring our future will be better 
than ever.

For Amateur Radio Newsline in Aiken, South Carolina, I'm Kevin Trotman, 
N5PRE.

**
HAMS TAKING ST. PATRICK'S DAY GLOBAL

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Happy St. Patrick's Day! well....OK, not yet. But hams 
really should be thinking about the holiday now - and Jeremy Boot G4NJH 
tells us why.

JEREMY: St. Patrick's Day is coming to Bangalore, India with amateur 
radio station VU3YPP. It's also going to be happening in a big way in 
Italy with station IZ4OSH. You'll find GB1SPD and GB9SPD celebrating on 
the air from Northern Ireland as well as many from the "Emerald Isle." 
After all the whole idea is to bring good spirits -- even a bit of the 
Irish Blarney -- to the bands for 48 hours with station activations 
across the time zones around the globe.

Organizers are encouraging everyone anywhere in the world to go green 
and get on the air between 12 noon UTC on the 16th of March to 12 noon 
on the 18th of March.

There are a number of awards being given out both for mobile and fixed 
stations and organizers are encouraging stations to register as early as 
possible to become an official St. Patrick's Day station. You can do 
that by visiting the website is spelled out as S T Patrickaward dot webs 
dot com (stpatrickaward.webs.com)

From Ireland to the rest of the world, it will be a time to wish a 
top-of-the-morning....from the top of the bands.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH

**
BREAK HERE

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio 
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W6JW 
repeater of the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club in Santa Clarita, 
California on Mondays at 8 p.m.

**

IN SEARCH OF AFRICAN OPERATORS ON HF

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: If you are listening to this newscast from the African 
continent, this next report from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF is for you.

JIM MEACHEN: It's not hard to find HF amateurs in Swaziland, Zimbabwe, 
Botswana and Lesotho. Nor is it a challenge to tune around the HF dial 
and find Namibia, Angola, Mozambique or Zambia. What hams in South 
Africa are hoping, however, is that there are hams out there who are 
using VHF - or want to try. The South African radio league would like to 
find amateurs who want to explore single-hop or double-hop Sporadic-E 
communications with South Africa and learn more about how Sporadic-E 
behaves in middle Africa. SARL is also hoping there will be some 
insights too into Tropical Tropo propagation. Whether you get on the air 
using VHF or opt to put up a VHF beacon, your input and your 
participation is welcome. Interested African amateurs can email A R 
today at sarl dot org dot za (artoday@sarl.org.za) for more details.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF

(SARL)

**
K2BSA GETS ON THE AIR AND HAS BIG PLANS

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: The radio scouts of K2BSA never rest. Bill Stearns 
NE4RD tells us what they'll be up to in the week ahead.

BILL'S REPORT: This week in Radio Scouting we have one activation from 
Scout Camps on the Air, the BSA National Radio Scouting Committee 
reviews action items for this and we're in the first month of your 
planning for Jamboree on the Air.

Dudley Allen, KD0NMD, will be activating KN0BSA at the Mid-America 
Council Goldenrod Winter Camporee at Camp Cedars near Fremont, NE from 
January 26th through the 28th. Members of the Mid-America Council Radio 
Scouting Group will provide a Ham radio demonstration station and 
participate in the annual Winter Field Day. They will use common scout 
frequencies across all bands that are open.

The BSA National Radio Scouting Committee had their first meeting of the 
year on January 12th and there was a lot of good discussion surrounding 
comments and feedback received during the 2017 JOTA event.  Some of the 
critical items that are being looked at are more guides and videos on 
using HF and digital voice modes, improving handouts and brochures about 
the event and radio scouting and continuing improvements to the content 
and training materials for the Radio Merit Badge program.

January is an important month for planning your Jamboree on the Air 
event because this is the month that you get it into the calendar. JOTA 
is the weekend of October 19th through the 21st. While there was some 
success in pop-up JOTA events across the US, there were greater numbers 
and responses from those that planned in advance.

For more information on radio scouting, please visit our website at 
www.k2bsa.net.

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

(K2BSA)

**
NEW JERSEY TO WELCOME HAMS AND CITIZEN SCIENTISTS

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: If you're a ham who's also a citizen scientist - and 
you especially follow the weather or an eclipse - you'll want to hear 
this report from Stephen Kinford N8WB.

STEPHEN: Registration has opened for a two-day amateur radio event in 
New Jersey that will focus on last year's solar eclipse as well as ways 
to design personal weather stations. The 2018 HamSCI workshop will take 
place on the 23rd and 24th of February at the New Jersey Institute of 
Technology in Newark. Nathan Frissell W2NAF, an assistant research 
professor at the school, said presentations by hams will feature reports 
on ionospheric observations made during last year's historic total 
eclipse of the sun. Hams will also explore ways radio operators and 
scientists in space weather can collaborate.

Registration for attendees on Friday is $100 and includes breakfast, 
lunch and a ticket to the evening banquer. On Saturday, registration is 
$25 and includes breakfast and lunch.

Organizers are looking for presenters as well as attendees. If you have 
an interest in sharing some of your own research or experience along 
these lines - especially related to the eclipse - contact Nathan no 
later than February 15.

For more information send an email to: h a m s c i dot org 
(hamsci@hamsci.org).

Reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB.

(HAMSCI.ORG)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, be listening for Charles, W0DLE, operating in Saigon 
as 3W9DLE between February and April. You can hear him on 20 meters 
using CW, SSB and FT8 and in the ARRL International CW DX Contest, which 
is taking place on the 17th and 18th of February. Charles will also 
participate in the Russian DX CW Contest which is on March 17th and 
18th. Send QSLs via W-ZERO-DLE.

Hermann, HB9CRV, is using the call sign CU8FN from Flores Island in the 
Azores until February 16th. Listen for him on 160-10 meters using mainly 
FT8. He will be joined by Antonio, CU8AS, operating as CR2W in the CQWW 
160 Meter CW Contest which ends January 28th. Send QSLs via LoTW, or via 
HB9CRV, direct or by the Bureau.

In the Bahamas, Tim, AF1G, is operating as C6ATH from Andros Island 
until further notice since he has a home there. You can listen for Tim 
mainly on weekends and holidays and during the week you may hear him in 
the evenings. QSL via LoTW or direct.

In Nicaragua, operators Jim WB2REM and Mark WY1G will be using the call 
sign H7DX starting the 26th of February until the 6th of March. Listen 
on various HF bands where they will be using CW, SSB, and FT8. QSL via 
WY1G, direct or ClubLog's OQRS.


**

KICKER: HAM RADIO HELPS THE HOMELESS

CHRISTIAN/ANCHOR: Our final story is a tribute to the difference ham 
radio operators can make. In earthquakes, in hurricanes, in wildfires - 
and even in the dead of an unseasonably cold winter - the presence of 
ham radio is a beacon of hope and fellowship. Jim Damron N8TMW has this 
report from Florida.

JIM's REPORT: January has been a bitter cold month in much of 
east-central Florida but perhaps nowhere was it more brutal than on the 
streets where the homeless lay down to sleep. Freezing temperatures had 
the city of Titusville in its clutches in the early part of the month as 
the North Brevard Amateur Radio Club K4NBR set out to find those who 
huddled against the elements. After alerting local law-enforcement 
agencies, club members used their radios and their own cars, fanning out 
on a 12-hour mission find those in need of a warm bed and a roof over 
their heads. Club members such as Ricky DeLuco, K4JTT; Robert Ortiz, 
KJ4VEH; William Klosowski, K4SVT, and Michael Ellixon, KE4MWZ  brought 
them them to warmth and safety  inside the Disabled American Veteran 
Center in Titusville. Club members covered 120 miles and on their first 
night alone, bringing in five homeless individuals. More people in need, 
who had been located by city police, were also transported to shelters - 
including one who needed medical attention at a local hospital.

The club's website states its mission as being dedicated to emergency 
communication for its communities. In this case, the word "community" 
extended well beyond those who have a place to call their own and the 
work proved even more lifesaving.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Damron N8TMW.

(NORTH BREVARD AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; CQ Magazine; Hap 
Holly and the Rain Report; HAMSCI.ORG; the IARU; the Irish Radio 
Transmitters Society; K2BSA; North Brevard Amateur Radio Club; Ohio-Penn 
DX Bulletin; QRZ; South African Radio League; Southgate Amateur Radio 
News; Ted Randall's QSO Radio Show; Wireless Institute of Australia; 
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 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 Christian Cudnik K0STH in St. Louis 
Missouri saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.


***

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