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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2359 for Friday January 13th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2359 with a release date of Friday
January 13th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. An Indonesian ham satellite scores a first for
the nation. The FCC studies spectrum space for drones -- and hams in
Australia prepare to pay higher fees. All this and more as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2359 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
INDONESIAN SATELLITE IS NATION'S FIRST BY STUDENTS

DON/ANCHOR: An achievement by Indonesian students is being celebrated
as a "first" for that nation. Jason Daniels VK2LAW has those details.

JASON: Congratulations to the students of Surya University in Indonesia following the deployment of their first satellite from the
International Space Station. Known as SS-1, for Surya Satellite 1, the
CubeSat was sent into space on its own successfully on Friday, January
6th. SS-1 is also Indonesia's first student-built satellite. The
university undergraduates undertook the project with the support of the
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, which recognised it in a
design competition in 2018. That achievement awarded it the chance to
be deployed from the ISS.

The CubeSat's mission is to test communication between an Automatic
Package Reporting System payload and the ground using the amateur radio frequency 145.825 MHz. The university students were inspired to
undertake the project after seeing a presentation on amateur radio by
the Indonesian Radio Amateurs Organization, known as ORARI.

This is Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.

(AMSAT News Service)

**
FCC EYES 5GHz BAND FOR AERIAL VEHICLES

DON/ANCHOR: In the US, the FCC is taking yet another look at spectrum allocation, this time in the 5GHz band. Kent Peterson KC0DGY tells us
what they have in mind.

KENT: A portion of the 5GHz spectrum could become available to unmanned
aerial vehicles, such as drones, under a proposal being considered by
the US Federal Communications Commission.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement saying that an
assessment of spectrum resources dedicated to remote-piloted aircraft
was long overdue. The FCC is studying the range between 5.03GHz and
5.091GHz - frequencies that are below the range typically used in the
US and other countries for other low-power, unlicensed wireless devices
using frequencies that start at 5.15GHz. In the US, the FCC limits the
maximum channel width used by unlicensed devices to prevent
interference with users on the licensed portion of the spectrum. The frequencies being looked at by the FCC are not within the amateur band
between 5.65 and 5.85 GHz.

The agency is seeking input on the proposal, which takes on added
importance as the commercial use of drones continues to surge in the
United States. The chairwoman said that the FCC also acknowledges that
unmanned aircraft are also vital to first responders and in
disaster-recovery and wildfire situations. She said the proposal was
developed with input from the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(THE REGISTER, FCC)

**
LEND YOUR VOICE TO THE AM RALLY

DON/ANCHOR: It's time to get on the air and celebrate the first voice
mode used by amateur radio. Here's Andy Morrison K9AWM to tell us how.

ANDY: Anyone who uses Amplitude Modulation on the bands knows the warm
sound it brings to casual conversation and the historical importance of
keeping alive the first amateur voice mode. The AM Rally, an annual
celebration of this mode, is returning to HF and 6 meters from February
3rd through to the 6th. It's not necessary to have a boat anchor for
full carrier amplitude modulation. Modern radios, including
software-defined rigs, as well as military radios, modified broadcast
radios and home brew models are capable of helping operators take part
in this event.

Information about logging your contacts and noting your rig and your
output power class, can be found on the website amrally dot com
(amrally.com). There are suggestions on how to prepare as well as a
guide to where and when you can find the most active AM action going
on, from 6 to 160 meters. AM cannot be used on 60 meters in the United
States, however.

As organizer Clark, N1BCG, says: [quote] "It's a great opportunity for newcomers to try the first phone mode and for experienced ops to be AM Ambassadors." [endquote]

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

**
AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS FACING HIGHER FEES

DON/ANCHOR: A fee increase is about to have an impact on amateur radio operators Down Under. Graham Kemp VK4BB explains what's happening.

GRAHAM: Hams in Australia will begin paying higher fees for amateur
radio services from the Australian Maritime College starting on Monday, February 6th. The Australian Communications and Media Authority
approved a fee increase of 5 percent to cover callsign services and
amateur qualification procedures. The fees have been implemented in
keeping with the government's Cost Recovery Guidelines, which permit authorities to charge nongovernment entities for part or all of the
costs involved in certain government activities, such as regulation or services. The Australian Maritime College manages amateur radio exam
services for the ACMA at the proficiency levels of Foundation, Standard
and Advanced licence classes.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(WIA)

**
TECH CLASS OPERATORS WELCOME IN WINTERHEAT EVENT

DON/ANCHOR: An event known as Winterheat started on January 1st and is
going on all month here in the US. If you have a Technician class
license, you're especially welcome to join in, as we hear from Jack
Parker W8ISH.

JACK: The very word itself - Winterheat - would suggest a name that
contradicts itself. Instead Winterheat has grown to stand for an event
that presents increasing opportunities for all amateur radio operators
in the United States, most especially those with a Technician class
license.

Now in its fourth year, the month-long Winterheat challenges amateurs
to become active in the FM simplex band segments on VHF and UHF. The
activity also attracts operators on simplex DMR, D-STAR and Fusion. One
of the organizers, John Fulton, K9AI, told Newsline that Winterheat
started modestly in Illinois in 2019 but has since spread to other
midwestern states and outward toward both coasts. John said that last
year's event drew amateurs' participation in 38 states for a total of
134,000 contacts.

Winterheat makes its web-based logging and reporting system available
to registered operators and those operators can also view real time
statistics and propagation.

Licensed hams who are interested in being a part of Winterheat can
register to participate by signing up at www.hamactive.com.

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(JOHN FULTON, K9AI)

**
SILENT KEY: CONTEST HALL OF FAMER FRED LAUN, K3ZO

DON/ANCHOR: A well-known contester and leader in the amateur radio
community has become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Kevin
Trotman, N5PRE.

KEVIN: Known worldwide for personal contributions to groups advancing
amateur radio, Fred Laun, K3ZO, was also an accomplished contester who
was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 1993. Fred, a resident
of Temple Hills, Maryland, became a Silent Key on January 3rd, after
falling ill in mid-December. According to various reports, at the time
of his death he had been diagnosed with an infection and COVID.

A member of the ARRL's Maxim Society and a Life Member of the league,
Fred had been a director of the Yasme Foundation, which helps fund
projects advancing amateur radio. His lifelong commitment to ham radio
began in 1952, when he got his first license and was assigned WN9SZR as
his call. A retired foreign service officer, Fred was a member of the
First Class CW Operators' Club and the A1 Operator Club. He was also
president of the National Capitol DX Association and the Potomac Valley
Radio Club.

RAST, the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand, penned a tribute on its
website to Fred, who also held the callsign HS0ZAR. Fred had been a
longtime advisor to RAST. He became one of the young organization's
earliest supporters after its creation in the late 1960s when his work
as a United States Foreign Service Officer assigned him to a post in
Thailand.

Tributes poured in on other websites too. Writing on the Reflector of
the Potomac Valley Radio Club, Ken K4ZW, said: "There was just
something about tuning the bands during a contest and hearing K3ZO. You
knew everything was right with the ham radio world." [endquote]

Fred was 85.

(K8CX HAM GALLERY, ARRL)

**
SILENT KEY: CUBAN JOURNALIST, BROADCASTER ARNIE ANTIC, CO2KK

DON/ANCHOR: A noted Cuban journalist and amateur radio operator has
also become a Silent Key. Arnaldo Coro Antich, CO2KK, died on January
8th. According to the Shortwave Listening Post, his death was the
result of complications of various chronic illnesses. Hams around the
world also knew him as Arnie Coro.

Arnie was active in amateur radio since the age of 12 when he joined an organization that was then known as the Radio Club de Cuba. He pursued
a career in journalism and carved out a strong reputation in both radio
and in print media. Even at his current age of 80, he remained an
active part of the team at Radio Habana Cuba with an English-language
program known as DXers Unlimited, which had a worldwide amateur radio listenership. In addition to teaching journalism at two institutes in
Cuba, he was active in the Cuban Radio Amateurs Federation, which was
formed in 1966.

Committed to emergency response work, he was the emergency coordinator
for Area C of Region 2 of the International Amateur Radio Union. Arnie
was 80.

(SHORTWAVE LISTENING POST)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the AH6LE repeater in Beavercreek and Wilsonville Oregon on Sundays at
6 p.m. local time.

**
ARDC HOLDING COMMUNITY MEETING ON JAN. 21

DON: Amateur Radio Digital Communications invites everyone to its next community meeting, which is being held on the Zoom platform on
Saturday, January 21st. Attendees will meet the new advisory committee
members, learn about grants given in 2022 and hear about the recently
concluded 44Net Assessment. To attend, you must register. See the link
in the text version of this week's Newsline script for the
registrationlink.

[DO NOT READ: www.ampr.org/community-meeting-registration/ ]

(ARDC)

**
INTERNATIONAL ATTENDANCE AT HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY

DON/ANCHOR: The popular annual event known as Ham Radio University
returned this year as an online event and attracted international
attendance. Paul Braun WD9GCO has the wrap-up on that.

PAUL: Saturday, January 7th, was a back-to-school day for more than
1,000 radio amateurs who signed up for a seat in the virtual classrooms
of Ham Radio University. The day of education and fellowship marked the
third time this event has been held online since the first one was held
on Long Island, New York 23 years ago. The fact that it was held in a
virtual space meant it could open its doors to visitors beyond the New
York metropolitan area and welcome amateurs from Bulgaria, Germany,
Lebanon, Greece, Thailand and Korea as well as many other nations.

Organizers said that in all, 1,662 hams registered and of those, 1,082
attended the free event, taking advantage of the various forums, which
included Software Defined Radios, Parks on the Air, grounding in the
ham shack and the role of Raspberry Pi Computers in amateur radio.

Did you miss a forum or perhaps you weren't available to attend at all?
This year's presentations were recorded and will soon be available for
viewing on Ham Radio University's YouTube Channel. Meanwhile, the hard
work has already begun on next year's event, which organizers hope will
be available as a combination of virtual and in-person classes.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.

(DIANE ORTIZ, K2DO, TOM CARRUBBA KA2D)


**
POTA REPORTS A ROBUST YEAR FOR 2022 ACTIVATORS

DON/ANCHOR: Parks on the Air administrators have spent the past few
days tallying up activator totals for 2022. Matt Heere, N3NWV, is here
to share the final numbers.

MATT: Howdy POTA Folks I'm Matt, N3NWV and this is the December 2022
monthly POTA update which is our 2022 year-end wrap-up so instead of
December statistics let's talk about how 2022 stacked up against 2021.
In terms of total activations there were 141,477. That's 195 percent
increase over the previous year. Seven thousand one hundred
eighty-seven activators participated in these activations, which is 171
percent increase over 2021.

In total, 14818 parks were activated, a 134 percent increase over 2021.
These parks are spread out across 72 DXCC entities, a 147 percent
increase over 2021.

And drum roll please; we logged over 6.26 million QSOs in 2022. That's
a 220 percent increase, more than double what we logged in 2021.

And as you might expect with the maturity of the POTA program a lot of
the growth is happening outside of the United States. In IARU Region 1
we had 5,940 activations. That's a 418 percent increase over 2021.
Fantastic numbers for Region 2 outside of the Continental US as well.
Eleven thousand six hundred thirty activations represents a 267 percent increase over 2021.

Last, but by no means least, Region 3's 8,780 QSOs represents a 283
percent increase over 2021.

(POTA)

**
KING'S CORONATION INSPIRES OPERATOR AWARD IN BRITAIN

DON/ANCHOR: Amateur radio operators in the UK have become very involved
in planning for the coronation of the next king. Jeremy Boot G4NJH
tells us about one award group that has launched an event that
continues right through to the end of the year.

JEREMY: The Coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey in May
has inspired the Worked All Britain awards group to create a year-long
event honoring the new monarch of the United Kingdom and her
Commonwealth realms. The King Charles III Coronation Award is open to
any amateur radio operator who is able to log contacts within the
various geographical squares inside the UK throughout 2023. Hams may
operate on all licenced frequencies and modes, to qualify. According
to the group's website, the initial certificate will be awarded for 10
points. There are endorsements for each 10 after that. Finally, each
multiple of 100 points earns the operator a new certificate and a
trophy.

Details about the scoring methods are available on the website at the
address that appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: http://wab.intermip.net/Coronation%20Award.php ]

(WORKED ALL BRITAIN)

**
ACTIVATORS PLAN SUMMIT CAMPING TRIPS

DON/ANCHOR: In some parts of North America, where winter has taken
hold, many people are making plans to go into the mountains for a
weekend of hiking or skiing. Then there are the hams who activate
summits and look at those same mountains as places they'll activate
this spring and summer. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us what they've got
planned.

SEL: We may only be in January, but two clubs in the northeastern
United States are already deep in the planning stages of campouts that
combine eyeball QSOs with summit activations. The Northeast SOTA Club
has scheduled its first campout for this spring. Hams will be meeting
up in Woodstock, New York, which is nestled in the Catskill Mountain
region. The campout will take place between May 19th and May 22nd;
amateurs will be able to use one of the 45 campsites available at the
Woodland Valley Campground. There is also an option to bring an RV. The
club is advising early reservations for those planning to attend.
Contact AJ at the email address found in the text version of this
week's newscast.

Meanwhile, east of the Catskills, campers are looking forward to
returning to the White Mountains of New Hampshire for the sixth annual
W1 SOTA campout. These SOTA enthusiasts will be gathering from June 1st
to June 5th. One of the organizers, Bob, A-C-one-Zed, writes on the
SOTA Reflector: [quote] "Join in for the entire four-night campout or
for as many nights as you can or just stop by for a while!" [endquote]
Email Bob for details or to let him know your plans. His email address
can be found in the text version of this week's newscast.

This is Sell Embee KB3TZD.

[DO NOT READ: [email protected]] [DO NOT READ: [email protected] ]

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(SOTA REFLECTOR)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX be listening for AT18BSG, a special event station
that will be on the air until the 15th of January in India. The station
is marking the 18th National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides. According to the event's page on QRZ.com, thousands of scouts, guides
and adult leaders will be active. QSL via VU2NRO.

Whether or not you are a soccer fan, be listening for special callsign
7U7C being used by operators who belong to the Great Desert Djelfa
Radio Amateur Club 7X2VFK. The club is on the air marking the seventh
African Nations Championship taking place in Algeria from the 13th of
January until the 4th of February. This biennial football tournament is organized by the Confederation of African Football. See QRZ.com for
details.

In central Africa, Roland F8EN is operating as TR8CR from Gabon until
March 15, 2023. He is on the air using CW on 30 to 10 meters. QSL
viaF6AJA.

Many special event stations are on the air announcing the upcoming
World Radiosport Team Championship to be held in Italy. Here are two in particular to listen for as they operate in Indonesia and New Zealand.
Listen for 8B0RARI and ZL6WRTC on various HF bands where operators will
be using CW and SSB. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(DX WORLD, 425 DX BULLETIN, QRZ.COM)

**
KICKER: A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

DON/ANCHOR: For our final story we ask: how does a radio operator
pursue 3 SOTA summits, 6 island activations and 2 lake activations in
the space of seven days? Answer: he goes with the flow - in this case,
the flow of a river in New Zealand. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF takes us on
thatride.

JIM: It was a seven-day journey along the length of the Clutha River in
New Zealand and Matt ZL4NVW was more than up to the challenge. He had
his packraft, his kayak, his radio and his gameplan. Writing on the
SOTA reflector later, Matt shared the details of how he collected peaks
and some summit-to-summit contacts along the way. He battled band
conditions as well as scrub from the wild landscape. Entering the river
south of Alberttown with his gear safely packed and waterproofed, he
braced for the river equivalent of a solar storm: rapids, whirlpools
and boils. The trip afterward was marked by alternating moments of
extreme peace and temperamental waters -- though he suffered a wrist
injury at one point.

He advised readers to file his story [quote] "under the lengths someone
will go to activate a 1-point summit." [endquote] That would be one of
the stops he made to climb Tyrwhitt Peak on Mou Waho island in Otago,
the summit designated ZL3/OT-493. Perhaps just a single point earned
here, but the total adventure points for this trip were off the charts.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(SOTA REFLECTOR)

**
NEWCAST CLOSE - DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

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; the ARRL; ARDC; CQ magazine; David Behar K7DB; Diane Ortiz,
K2DO; the K8CX Ham Gallery; FCC; the 425 DX News; John Fulton, K9AI;
Parks on the Air; the Register; Shortwave Listening Post;
shortwaveradio.de; the SOTA Reflector; Tom Carrubba, KA2D; Wireless
Institute of Australia; Worked All Britain; 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.

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