Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2005, April 1, 2016 Amateur Radio Newsline report number 2005 with a release date of Friday, April 1, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Radio amateurs reach out in supportfriendship to terrorist-hit Brussels. Hams share their memories of a childhood radio colleague, the late comic actor Garry Shandling. Georgia prepares for its 55th annual QSO Party. And oh yes, it's April 1, and that means our special correspondent, Pierre Pullinmyleg, is back with some big news. That is, if you can believe it. All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2006 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here and Intro) ** BRUSSELS BOMBING JIM: We open this week's newscast with two stories in the aftermath of the deadly blasts in Brussels on March 22. In the first report, from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, we hear how one radio amateur's life was touched - almost too closely - by the tragic events. JEREMY: Longtime contester and DXpeditioner Olivier, ON4EI, has faced a number of challenges during his more than 20 years on the air, but perhaps the greatest challenge in the Belgian ham's life came during his moments off the air in Ireland on Tuesday, the 22nd of March. That day, his wife phoned him in Ireland from the family's home city of Brussels to say she and the couple's 8-year-old twins had been just a short distance away from the deadly bombs detonated a short time earlier at the Brussels Airport. The family ran to safety just in time as the second blast went off. Olivier's wife and daughters were not injured but he left Ireland for Brussels the next day to bring his family back to Ireland with him on Friday, the 25 of March, for the Easter holiday. Olivier then announced on his QRZ page that he would still proceed with his plans to operate as EI1A during the WPX contest that weekend - the 26 and 27 of March - writing that his decision [QUOTE] "represents the resistance and a beacon signal of liberty in memory of Brussels bombings victims on 22 March 2016." [ENDQUOTE] For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham, the UK. JIM: The Brussels bombings also spurred a heartfelt note of sympathy, from one longtime ally to another: Belgium and Australia have been closes since their soldiers fought together during World War I. Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us more. GRAHAM: A message from Fred Swainston, vice president of the Wireless Institute of Australia, has assured colleagues in Belgium that the WIA stands in sympathy with the nation, a longtime ally, and most especially with the Royal Belgian Amateur Radio Union. The letter says, in part [QUOTE] "We are saddened to hear the news of the terrorist attacks in your country. This short note is to say that our thoughts and prayers are with you, the Belgian people and those who have been lost or injured by these despicable acts." [ENDQUOTE] The Belgian radio union was an active participant in the WIA's recent ANZAC 100 program marking the centenary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The two nations' enduring, close relationship will again be marked on ANZAC Day, Monday the 25 of April, in Belgium at the Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood, just south of Zonnebeke. Cemetery markers represent some 2,108 Commonwealth servicemen, who are either buried or commemorated there, from the first World War. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. (SOUTHGATE, BELGIUM EMBASSY IN AUSTRALIA) ** A TRIBUTE TO GARRY SHANDLING, WA7BKG/KQ6KA JIM: Late last month, the entertainment world lost a major talent with the death of Garry Shandling. But the news also hit hard for many in the amateur world, especially those who knew Shandling as a young ham. We hear from two of them: First from a New Yorker with whom he developed a long-lasting, long-distance friendship. He spoke with Amateur Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY. KENT:The news of the sudden passing of actor and comedian Garry Shandling, had a very special significance to one person in the ham community, Alan Davis K2WS ALAN: It started in the fall of 1965, I was a fairly active ham radio operator. it was just serendipity. We got to be friends. I have my old log books in front of me, we'd talk weekly. KENT: Shandling's call back then? ALAN: WA7BKG KENT: That's right, Gary Shandling was a ham radio operator who had regular QSOs with Davis over 40 years ago. They developed a long distance ham radio friendship ALAN: At one point Garry said why don't you come out to the house? And I told him that I have a disability and he said, "no problem, we'll take care of you." KENT: Davis said Shandling was a jokester right from the start. ALAN: I know he had a sense of humor, Garry had his dad print up this award, the Dipple Award, dated February 1966, "for his oustanding display of ignorance beyond the capability of any other radio amateur for causing undue interference on the amateur radio spectrum. Keep up the bad work." And on the lower left hand side was Garry Shandling's signature, "Chief of Dipple Registration." He wouldn't send these things out. It was just a joke. We all knew that. But it was hilarious. KENT: Four years later Davis once again paid Shandling a visit. ALAN: And at that time he told me he was doing gigs in Las Vegas .. I didn't get it. KENT: But Shandling did go on to a successful career as a comedian, actor and writer, winning five Emmy awards. ALAN: He could joke around, but on the inside he as a great guy. I'm getting a little emotional. That's Alan Davis K2WS recalling his old ham radio friend Garry Shandling WA7BKG and later KQ6KA who passed away after suffering an apparent heart attack on March 24th. Shandling was 66. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY. JIM DAMRON: Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Massara, N2EST, spoke with one longtime friend of the Shandling family in his Arizona hometown where his young friends knew him as a good pal and a jokester. JIM MASSARA'S REPORT: Garry Shandling grew up in Tucson, Arizona. As a teenager, that's where he earned his first ham-radio license in 1964 -- first as a Novice, WN7BKG, and later as WA7BKG when he upgraded to General. An old family friend who asked not to be identified tells Newsline that Shandling was part of a group of teens who all got their tickets at the same time. Once licensed, they would hang out together, sometimes at Garry's shack, which his parents had built for him in the family carport. There, they'd get on the air and make contacts, mostly on 40 and 20 meters. Shandling and the other teenagers also hung out at a local ham-radio club, where they were most definitely noticed. "We would go to the local club in Tucson, sit in the back, and make fun of the old hams," according to the family friend. It got them kicked out of meetings more than once. Shandling, no doubt, was practicing for a future career. A few years later, Shandling enrolled at the University of Arizona, where he first majored in electrical engineering but later completed his degree in marketing. That led to post-grad studies in creative writing and later a move to Los Angeles, where the rest, as they say, is history. Although many of those teenaged hams are still hams and still friends, over the years Shandling fell out of touch with most of them, and eventually he let his license lapse. But Shandling's old family friend says a mutual acquaintance was very close to getting Garry to take the Tech test and get back on the air. The only problem? As a celebrity, Shandling was a very private person, and he was always concerned that his distinctive nasal voice would be immediately recognized on the air. Reporting from Atlanta for Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Massara, N2EST. ** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including W9EAR, the EARS Wide Area Repeater Network, in Vincennes (Vinn SENNS) Indiana, on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ** ONE HAM'S DESIGNS ON NATIONAL PARKS National Parks on the Air is a big deal event for the Department of the Interior, but also for Quentin Gardner, WQ7G, of River Heights, Utah. He's been busy designing special QSL cards for each activation in his plans, beginning with the Pony Express Trail, TR15, southwest of Salt Lake City. Listen for him on the air on Tuesday, April 5 at 2000 UTC until Wednesday, April 6, 0200 UTC. He also plans to activate the Golden Spike National Historic Site, NS31, in May, marking the 147th anniversary of the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad.Yes, there's a custom-designed card for that too - so listen for him from 2000 UTC on Tuesday, May 10 through 0200 UTC on Wednesday, May 11. His other intended sites include Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, the Fossil Butte National Monument, the California National Historic Trail and the Craters of the Moon National Monument. You might say these national parks aren't just in his plans - they're in the cards. (QRZ.COM) FOOLS RUSH IN - OR MAYBE NOT - IN PECULIAR, MISSOURI JIM: In Missouri, the Southside Amateur Radio Club has been making it clear that their special event station on April 1 is anything but a prank. Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, explains. SKEETER: It's Peculiar.....And that's exactly what it's supposed to be. The QTH, in fact, is Peculiar, Missouri and the operators are hams from the Southside Amateur Radio Club. Now, these amateurs are no fools; they're marking April 1 by going on the air from Peculiar's Fire Protection District Station on South Main Street, starting Friday, April 1 at 1900 CDT right through 1700 CDT on Saturday April 2. Work one of them successfully and you'll get a custom QSL card celebrating yet another April Fool's ham radio event. To hear them, start listening on 80 meters, around 3920 kHz, on 40 meters, around 7220 kHz, on 20 meters around 14220 kHz and on 17 meters around 18120 kHz. They'll also be on 15 meters around 21320 and 10 meters around 28420 kHz - all plus or minus 20 kHz. Listen carefully - or your attempt at an April 1 QSO might just end up being a fool's errand. And that's no joke. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH in Topeka, Kansas. (SOUTHSIDE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ** RADIO'S OLD TIMERS: LIVE LONG AND PROPAGATE Ham radio helps you live longer, right? Well, Laurie, G2BUP and Fred, G6YUY are two amateurs in the UK who won't dispute that notion. They're the very newest among the newscomers to join the Radio Amateur Old Timers Association's 40 meter net, and their appearances on the band on Thursday, March 24 marked a special occasion: Both had turned 100 years old in recent weeks. The RAOTA, of course, is not taking any chances on missing this opportunity talk up the participation of these most senior junior members. The association wrote on its website, "although there is no direct evidence of casuality, perhaps being part of RAOTA increases your life expectancy. Why risk it? Join now!"The club is open to anyone who has been actively involved in Amateur Radio for more than 25 years, whether licensed or not. (WWW.RAOTA.ORG) ** SK: ELMER "BUD" FROHARDT JR., AN ELMER'S ELMER Bud Frohardt Jr., W9DY, wasn't just called an inspiration - he was called an Elmer. In fact, his name was Elmer, and the Madison, Wisconsin ham is widely believed to have been the very Elmer people had in mind when they affectionately referred to the beloved mentors who are the guiding spirits for new licensees. Frohardt, who was a veteran DXer as well as a champion of young licensees, became a Silent Key on March 22. His renown as the ultimate Elmer Among Elmers has its origins in 1971 when the late Rod Newkirk, W9BRD, invoked his name in a column in QST Magazine about such mentors. It seemed fitting. A life member of the ARRL, Elmer "Bud" Frohardt Jr. was 93. (ARRL) ** GEORGIA QSO PARTY PLANNING Fifty-five years after their first Georgia QSO Party, the Southeastern DX Club and the South East Contest Club, are prepping for another which, this year, will happen on Saturday, April 9 through Sunday, April 10. Organizers are expecting all or nearly all of the state's 159 counties to be on the air and ready for contacts. As before, individual awards and certificates will be awarded, along with two club awards: engraved gavels. Computer logging is required and logs should be submitted in Cabrillo format. For more details, visit the website, georgiaqsoparty.org (Chaz Cone, W4GKF) ** WORLD OF DX These are the last days for DXers to catch Makoto, JA7FGI, who is active until April 4 as XW7FG from Vientiane in Laos. Makoto is working on 80-6 meters using SSB, RTTY and PSK31, with a focus on the higher bands. QSL via JA7FGI, by the Bureau or eQSL. Mike, VO1OK, will be active as V31OK from Belize City between April 24 and 27 and from Ambergris Caye Island between April 28 and May 3. Mike will be on 40/20/10 meters using SSB. QSL via his home callsign using LoTW or eQSL. Led by Yuris, YL2GM, their team leader, operators will be working as EP2A from the Gilan Province in Iran between April 16 and April 25. They can be heard on 160-6 meters -- but not 60 meters -- and will be using CW, SSB and RTTY. They will have four stations on the air. QSL via YL2GM or by ClubLog's OQRS, either direct or Bureau. (OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN) ** KICKER: PIERRE PULLINMYLEG'S SPECIAL APRIL 1 REPORT [ANCHOR/JIM]: The centennial of the nation's parks has opened up new operating challenges to amateurs from coast to coast - and beyond. Honoring the annual tradition of providing an April 1 report each year for Amateur Radio Newsline, our roving correspondent Pierre Pullinmyleg, returns to share this account on his very unpredecented way of working in one of the nation's foremost national parks - Wyoming's Yellowstone. [PIERRE] Zere is nothing like making ham radio history when you are marking 100 years of America's national parks. And never has zere been a ham radio mode such as what I am working now. I, Pierre Pullinmyleg, am the creator of such a special event mode. It is not PSK or JT-65. Ziss is Geyser Mode. My antenna izz actually zee historic geyser herself, Old Faithful. Zee spouting water, oh she has become my vertical antenna. And that is, shall we say, so very magnifique. [Mmmmmmwwwwwwwah!] Because of zee minerals in ziss water, she transmits my 100-watt signal and zere is very little loss. Well no - zere is actually water loss - lots of splishy splashy so I must wear zee protective plastic trenchcoat during QSOs. And zee park rangers, they think I am maybe Inspector Jacques Clousseau. Ridiculous! Now I have been able to tune ziss geyser to 15, 20 and 40 meters but I am having no luck with contacts. I suspect malicious interference. In fact, reports from zee tourists here say zere is another ham's National Parks station and he is operating above something called a supervolcano here in Yellowstone. Mon Dieu! He is using ziss volcanic hotspot to power his linear amplifier. Sacre bleu! Ziss lid, he is jamming my signal! I wanted to make history and now instead I must make zee complaint. I must call zee FCC. Mais, non, I must call zee park rangers!!!! Zut alors! I am Pierre Pullinmyleg at the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone, for Amateur Radio Newsline. 73 and a bientot. ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to ABC.NET Australia; Alan Labs; the ARRL; the Belgian Embassy in Australia; Chaz Cone, W4GKF; CQ Magazine; DX.NET; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; Irish Radio Transmitter Society; the Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; QSL.NET; QRZ.COM., Radio Amateur Old Timers Association; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Southside Amateur Radio Club; TWiT TV; Wireless Institute of Australia; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our email address is 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 Jim Damron, N8TMW, in Charleston, West Virginia, saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.