Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1982 for Friday, Oct. 23, 2015 Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1982 with a release date of Friday, Oct. 23 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Hams respond to typhoon disaster victims’ needs in the Philippines. A new documentary showcases the life and times of radio wizard Arthur Collins. Ofcom proposes revoking hundreds of unvalidated amateur licenses. And the International Amateur Radio Union declares young hams a top priority. All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline report 1982 coming your way right now. [Billboard Cart Here and Intro] ** HAMS MOBILIZE IN STORM-STRUCK PHILIPPINES Typhoon Koppu slammed the northern Philippines the weekend of Oct. 18 and by the time it was downgraded to a tropical storm last Monday, it had already left its deadly imprint. Torrential downpours and landslides led to dozens of deaths and tens of thousands of evacuations. But disaster response from radio amateurs was just as rapid, and the National Telecommunications Commission worked with the Philippine Amateur Radio Association to meet the challenge. Hams mobilized to keep tabs on all affected areas and relay information as needed. The Philippine amateurs’ Ham Emergency Radio Operator network focused special attention on the eastern side of Luzon, the main island battered by the Category 4 storm. Koppu is being called the second most powerful storm to hit the island nation this year. (SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS, ARRL, and BBC NEWS) ** IARU: KEEPING AMATEUR RADIO YOUNG AND GROWING By the time the International Amateur Radio Union’s Region 3 conference wrapped up on Oct. 16, directors had clearly agreed that the single most effective way of keeping amateur radio vibrant is by engaging the next generation. Directors throughout the region noted that programs such as Youngsters On the Air, in Region 1, and ARRL Kids Day, in Region 2, are already successfully energizing young licensees. In a report presented to the conference, Region 3 directors also had praise for Australia’s recent introduction of its Foundation License, an entry-level ticket, that has begun opening the airwaves to youth on the air in that nation. In her report to the Region 3 Conference, Region’s 1 Youth Working Group Chairwoman Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, said the first Youngsters On the Air summer program has already inspired more radio activity for young people on the national and local level. Leenders recommended that organizers consider a second YOTA summer event. Of course, Region 3’s directors also recognized other ways to keep amateur radio on the upswing, such as reaching out to attendees at Do-It-Yourself Maker Fairs, and encouraging radio amateurs whose tickets have lapsed to consider becoming relicensed. But in the end, directors looked to youth as radio’s brightest, most shining future, sharing that conclusion in a report that reads, in part, QUOTE“An underlying theme for all of us is where will the next generation of radio amateurs come from, so that what we enjoy today can continue to provide benefits to the community.”ENDQUOTE (ARRL) ** CELEBRATING ARTHUR COLLINS [ANCHOR]: Amateur radio’s storied past, however, would not be complete without an acknowledgement of Oklahoma native Arthur Collins, W-ZERO-C-X-X (W0CXX). The founder of Collins Radio Company was known as an amateur radio wizard. He was the creator of innovative equipment and radios that would eventually make history, including the radio that landed on the moon with Neil Armstrong and carried the astronaut’s voice back to Earth. Collins’ legacy is being celebrated in a just-released documentary. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Mike Askins, K-E-5-C-X-P, (KE5CXP), talked to one of the film’s creators: [MIKE’S REPORT] ** DEADLINE FOR ARISS CONTACTS IS NOV. 1 ARISS – the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program – has a message for schools everywhere: Your homework is due in two weeks. November 1 is the deadline by which formal and informal proposals can be submitted by educational organizations, schools and related groups who are looking to host an amateur radio contact with a member of the Space Station crew in 2016. Because crew schedules and, of course, orbits determine the exact dates, ARISS can only say that the QSOs would be scheduled sometime between July 1 and December 31 of next year. Applicants need to show how they will integrate the Space Station contact into a larger, more comprehensive education plan and, at the same time, draw participation of a large number of students and other people. For more information, visit www.arrl.org or the ARISS website. (ARRL, ARISS) ** UK HAM LICENSES, GOING, GOING, GONE [ANCHOR:] Speaking of deadlines, if you’re a licensed radio amateur in the UK – and want to stay that way – check the date you were supposed to revalidate your license. You may be in for a surprise. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has the story: [JEREMY]: In the UK, procrastination may have cost you your amateur radio license. Ofcom is preparing to revoke 10,000 unvalidated licenses, the first in a series of such cancellations the agency has planned. The first licenses to be acted on are those that missed their due date for revalidation between September 2012 and January 2013. Ofcom will be contacting license-holders using the last known postal address on record with the office to make them aware of the pending action. According to its website, the office is required to tell the radio amateur why the license is being revoked and give the license-holder time to respond before Ofcom makes its final decision. There is a Nov. 17 deadline for amateurs to comment on these proposed cancellations. Amateurs wishing to retain a valid license are being urged by the agency to contact their office in London as soon as possible. Details can be found at the website http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/ Although a lifetime license was introduced in December 2006, all licenses issued prior to that time required renewals. Ofcom reports that almost half of all amateur radio licenses - 47% to be exact -- were left unvalidated at the end of 2013. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH reporting from Nottingham in the UK. *** BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Mid State Amateur Radio Club repeater station, WA9RDF, in Johnson County, Indiana, which broadcasts our report on Sundays at 7 pm. ** ** HAMS ARE BIG WHEELS AT BICYCLE FEST [ANCHOR]: Hams who ordinarily might be more preoccupied with the solar cycle – or even cycles per second – kept their eyes fixed earlier this month on more terrestrial cycles – in this case, more than 1,000 two-wheelers – during the 41st annual Mount Dora Bicycle Festival in Florida’s Lake Country. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Heather Embee, KB3TZD, tells us more about this 3-day benefit event: [HEATHER]: Following the riders is a 25-year tradition for the Florida hams who provide critical communication to keep cyclists safe during the Mount Dora Bicycle Festival. Cyclists follow 12 separate routes of varying lengths, but all have the same purpose - to raise money for the local food pantry. While the cyclists followed their routes this year, once again the Lake Amateur Radio Association and Lake County, Florida ARES followed the cyclists. With 1,325 cyclists from around the country riding this year, the hams were kept busy. The longest route was 100 miles and the shortest just 12. Many featured Lake County's trademark challenging hills. Even early morning fog and Florida humidity did not get in the way of the riders. Nor did anything get in the way of the hams who kept close watch at rest stops and in radio-equipped motor vehicles. The vehicles transported cyclists whose bicycles had broken down and, in one case, a rider who suffered a broken collarbone. Plans are already in the works for the 2016 Mount Dora Bicycle Festival, which will run from Oct. 7 through Oct. 9. Yes, the hams will be ready too. I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania. (ARRL) ** UN CELEBRATING 70 It’s not exactly a QSO Party, but it IS a celebration of international proportions: the Union Nations amateur radio club station, 4U1UN, will mark the UN’s 70th anniversary by operating on the weekend of Oct. 24 and 25 with the call sign 4U70UN. The club’s station will set up in a garden area on the ground level of the UN’s Manhattan headquarters and operate during daylight hours only. Operators plan to be on as many bands, in as many modes, as possible. Satellite operation will also be included. DXers, take note: 4U1UN is considered a separate DXCC entity. Visit www.qrz.com for QSL card details. Please do not send QSL cards to the UN. (ARRL, AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, QRZ.COM) ** PLUGGING THE HOLES IN CALIFORNIA’S SAFETY NET Hams in the Laguna Woods, California area now have a wireless network to use for data transmissions in extreme emergencies. Three new antennas just went up in the region, creating the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network, also known as “hamnet.” Dave Southworth, KS6RFI, secretary of the Laguna Woods club, describes it as QUOTE“very similar to the Internet in that you can send email and everything else. But you can’t go out and send it to mom and pop out in Wisconsin.” It’s a mesh network, with each antenna performing the same role a router might perform for the Internet. And it provides speeds for data transmission that outpaces even the voice of a radio operator. Yes, it’s THAT fast – and it should be. It’s the area’s safety net for communications. Southworth adds, QUOTE“it’s an alternate communication path. If there was a big earthquake where the earth shifted and cut Internet cables, then we’d use our radios and hamnet capabilities to communicate between other hamnet meshes.” It could even transmit pictures of areas needing emergency services, giving first-responders an idea of what’s needed. And it’s one of many such projects throughout California’s Orange County. With this hamnet, the region’s safety net has just widened a little bit more. (THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER) ** A ‘FIRST’ FOR NEPAL Ham radio is involved in yet another safety project -- this one in Nepal, which has just received its first 2 meter repeater with a newly installed IRLP node. The repeater and node were created by the Bay-Net amateur radio club in California working with Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. They are expected to be particularly useful following the recent earthquake that struck Nepal. The earthquake last April killed more than 9,000, and injured more than 23,000, by some estimates. The Bay-Net Club, WW6BAY, is a club most active in establishing repeater systems for use by the Red Cross and other public service organizations. The club credited Kent Johnson, W7AOR, and Keith Goobie, VA3YC, for their special assistance. (www.bay-net.org) ** INDIA: ELECTION HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF In the Indian state of Kerala (KERR’-a-lah), this year’s election is going to look a lot like the one in 2010. But it’s because of the hams involved, not the candidates. In a remote, heavily forested area known as Edamalakkudy (edda-mala-KUDDY), administrators have brought in radio operators to create a communications network of VHF radios that will connect the local polling places with the district election office, miles away. Election officials say this is the only method that works – not even mobile phone connections can be made in the region. Thirty hams from around Kerala will monitor the polling process, hitting the repeaters that will then transmit the results to the district. The region has voting population of 1,407, of which 925 are women. (THE HINDU Newspaper) ** THE WORLD OF DX Tack, J-E-ONE-C-K-A (JE1CKA), will be active as 4W/JE1CKA from Timor Leste through Oct. 28, working 160-10 meters using mainly CW. He may be on SSB during the CQ WorldWide DX SBB contest, however, on Oct. 24 and 25. QSL via his home call sign. Masa, J-A-ZERO-R-Q-V (JA0RQV) is operating from Neiaf, Vava’u Island from Tonga as A35JP/P through Nov. 2. He is working on 40 through 6 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via his home callsign, by the Bureau, direct, Logbook of the World or ClubLog. Find John/ZS5J and YL Beth/2W0VOW in Mozambique on a DXpedition through Nov. 3. Their call sign is C91B. Beth is operating primarily SSB and John is operating CW. Activity is on all HF bands from 160 through 6 meters. Visit QRZ.com for more details. And finally a special event: To commemorate Guglielmo Marconi’s 120th anniversary of his first wireless message, members of the ARI Lecce continue operating under the special callsign IY7LE until Dec. 31. They will also use IY7LE/P from different locations for the different Italian diplomas. Details on awards and diplomas can be found on www.arilecce.it under "Contest and Diplomas.” QSL via the Bureau, direct or LoTW. (OHIO PENN DX NEWS) ** KICKER: SCOUTING FOR ANSWERS In the state of Michigan, the football rivalry between the Michigan State Spartans and the University of Michigan Wolverines is legendary. So when the teams both took the field on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, not too many people gave thought to the fact that there was a third rival in this Big Game, waiting on the sidelines: The Boy Scouts were having their 2015 Jamboree on the Air, and hams at the local club station, WA2HOM, at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, awaiting the arrival of the Scouts. And waiting. And yes, waiting. Writer Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, a club member and ham radio blogger, recalls, one day later, in his blog: QUOTE“Yesterday, I prepared to entertain some Boy Scouts for the 2015 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) at WA2HOM, our club station at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. The museum folks had notified the local Scout groups, and they thought they were going to get a big turnout. Instead, no one showed up. I was there from 10:00 am until 1:30 pm, and not a single Scout showed up.”ENDQUOTE At the stadium, however, the teams showed up for the afternoon game. So did the fans. And everyone played hard. Romanchik, being a realist, knew that even decent band conditions – for a change – were no match for optimum football conditions and a rivalry that dates to the 19th century. The largest event in Scouting didn’t stand a chance against the largest event in Michigan college football. Talk about dealing with serious radio interference. The final score, by the way, was Michigan State, 27; U of Michigan, 23. And sadly, Scouts, Zero. (KB6NU’s Ham Radio Blog, Oct. 18 2015, DETROIT FREE PRESS) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE With thanks to Alan Labs, the ARRL, AMSAT News Service; CQ Magazine; Detroit Free Press, DX Coffee; the FCC; The KB6NU Ham Radio Blog; Jim Linton, VK3PC; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the Hindu newspaper; Irish Radio Transmitters Society; the Orange County Register; the Ohio-Penn DX Newsletter; QRZ.COM; Southgate Amateur Radio News, TWiT TV; the 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. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita, CA 91350. 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 New Orleans, saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.