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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2469 for Friday, February 21st, 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2469 with a release date of
Friday, February 21st, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The UK regulator considers spectrum sharing on
the 6 GHz band. Argentina gets ready to host that nation's first
international gathering of YLs -- and hams await production on a film
about the Silent Key Art Bell, who was once the King of Late Night
Radio in the US. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2469 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
UK REGULATOR EYES SPECTRUM SHARING ON 6 GHZ BAND

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a story about spectrum-sparing.
The concept is nothing new for radio amateurs, but now in the UK, the
regulator is proposing that, for the first time, spectrum-sharing
should be done between two different technologies. We have the details
from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: With traffic increasing in the UK for the usage of both Wi-Fi
and mobile services, Ofcom is exploring ways for both technologies to
share the upper part of the 6 GHz band - frequencies between 6.425 and
7.125 GHz. The regulator is hoping that its implementation will benefit
mobile networks, especially in crowded areas, and at the same time
provide support for advanced Wi-Fi services. The proposed sharing would
require both services to explore ways of integrating shared usage,
perhaps by developing a sensing capability in which one could detect
the other's presence on a frequency.

In a statement, Ofcom said the change would provide a basis for the
future, eventually supporting virtual and augmented reality as well as
AI. Meanwhile, Ofcom said that it hopes to see the lower part of the 6
GHz band, frequencies between 5.925 and 6.425, used for higher-power
Wi-Fi outdoors whose frequencies are at present only allocated for
low-power indoor use.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(OFCOM)

**
DOGS PULL SLEDS AND MICHIGAN HAMS PULL LONG SHIFTS ON AIR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Winter racing fans in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
finally got what they waited two years for: enough snow in the region
for the return of a sled-dog race that is a qualifier to the
world-famous Iditarod. Hams weren't pulling sleds but they were on the
scene anyway, pulling down some big responsibilities to ensure
participant safety. Here's Dave Parks WB8ODF with that story.

DAVE: It's called the UP200 and its 228-mile snow-covered path through near-wilderness, creek crossings and challenging terrain in northern
Michigan brings out sled dogs, racing fans and amateur radio operators. Significant snowfall this year also put two smaller, concurrent races
back in action: the Midnight Run and the Jack Pine.

The races between the 13th and 17th of February challenged the
four-footed athletes, the sledders' navigational skills and some 30
radio amateurs responsible for keeping everyone as safe and as on-track
as they could. Radio communication was coordinated by Tom Perry,
KE8TPT, and many of the hams were from the Hiawatha Amateur Radio
Association.

Tom told local media outlets that the success of the system drew
heavily on having a robust linked repeater system in the region. This
allowed everyone to hear all the other radio operators. With cell phone
access not being an option, that kept everyone - including the hams -in
the race. The Iditarod, a major sporting event in Alaska, will be held
next month in Anchorage.

This is Dave Parks WB8ODF.

(WZMQ TV)

**
ARGENTINE RADIO CLUB HOSTING ITS FIRST YL MEET-UP

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: It's a first for YLs in Argentina: the national radio
society is hosting an international meet-up of YLs. Graham Kemp VK4BB
tells us about it.

GRAHAM: The Argentine Radio Club is hosting its first international
gathering of female radio amateurs and has extended the registration
deadline until the 25th of February. The meeting is taking place from
March 6th through to the 8th at the Scout camp in Mar del Plata and is
being held in recognition of International Women's Day on Saturday,
March 8th.

Marina, LU1VYL, who is on the national society's board of directors,
told Newsline that the talks and workshops will cover a variety of
topics, including a discussion of why national radio societies play
such a vital role in defending amateurs' use of the spectrum in each
country. Radio Club YL Chile, CE4YLC, will share the story of how their
club evolved and grew. A number of DXpeditioners have presentations
planned so they can share their adventures.

Workshops will include an introduction to DX, practical ways to study
CW and construction of double bazooka dipoles and CW oscillators.

There's good news for those who want to get on the air: Marina said
there will be a station at the camp site.

Spots are limited and Marina said that after the closing date, no more participants can be accommodated. See the link in the text version of
this week's newscast to complete a registration form.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

[DO NOT READ: https://forms.gle/rTSxsVHeU2xCiDtA7 ]

(YL BEAM NEWSLETTER; MARINA LU1VYL)

**
SILENT KEY: SOUND ENGINEER, POTA ENTHUSIAST IAN KUHN, KI9W

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The music world and the amateur radio family have been
sharing grief over the death of a beloved member of both communities.
We learn more about him from Paul Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: Ian Kuhn, KI9W, lived and thrived in the world of sound: The
sound of amateur radio, which filled his life with friends and outdoor adventures, and the musical sounds of American rock. Ian was an
integral part of the Dave Matthews Band Γ-" the musicians who relied on
his talents as a sound engineer and stage manager to bring polish to
their performances Γ-" and they made him part of their family.

Ian, who had pancreatic cancer, died on the 10th of February at his
home in Illinois. His death was announced by the band on its website
and by his amateur radio friends on Facebook.

Though Ian found joy in using his professional talents to give DMB and
other music groups their concert-ready sound, he was just as immersed
in amateur radio and the people he met on and off the air. Ian was an
active member and supporter of the 100 Watts and a Wire community that
grew out of a podcast begun in 2015 by Christian Cudnik, K0STH.
Christian told Newsline that the two became very close friends.
Christian recalled when he and Ian called CQ from the famous Arch in Christian's home city of St. Louis, Missouri -- twice. Ian would often
remark how lucky he was that he could tour with the band and find a way
to operate portable from POTA parks near many of the concert venues.

Christian told Newsline: [quote] "He was a dear friend and I'll always
miss him." [endquote]

Ian was 53.

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

(DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, CHRISTIAN CUDNIK, K0STH, FACEBOOK)

**
YOUTUBE TRIBUTE HONORS BELOVED NEW ZEALAND CW OP

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: When a friend becomes a Silent Key, some hams offer up
a final call during their net if that operator was a regular check-in.
When a ham has checked into many others' lives as a friend and a
mentor, however, sometimes the tribute calls for a long-lasting video.
Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us about one such video.

JIM: The YouTube tribute by Nick ZL2NEB to his friend Gerard ZL2GVA, is
a video QSL card of sorts, the final courtesy for a contact that
changed his life and brought him into the amateur radio community.

Gerard, who was originally licenced in 1992 as PE1ONB, opened the door
to ham radio for Nick and became his Elmer and later, fellow operator,
on his POTA adventures.

Gerard, who was an enthusiastic CW operator and a net control operator
for the NZ Net, died of cancer at age 59 in November of 2024. On the
1st of February, a celebration of his life was held in New Zealand.
Nick's video, posted on YouTube a day later, is an appreciation on a
personal level, a reflection on what friendship can mean, especially in
a tight-knit community of radio operators. Nick urges hams to continue
being communicators and always say what needs to be said - on and off
the air.

Upon viewing the video, amateurs around the world responded, touched by
the words and images. One commentator wrote: [quote] "When we Tx we
send radio waves out into space that travel on forever. May his voice
always be out there and remembered." [endquote]

To see the short video, follow the link in the text version of this
week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmSyumllrjE ]

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(NZ NET)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the K2ADA 2-meter repeater in Ocala Florida on Friday and Saturday
nights at 7 local time.

**
NEW LOOK AT MEASURING RF POLLUTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateurs in South Africa will be taking a new look at
RF pollution next month at a technical symposium hosted by the South
African Radio League. Jason Daniels VK2LAW brings us that story.

JASON: In Germany, the national amateur radio society, the D A R C, has
been keeping a watchful ear on radio interference, tracking the
increase in noise generated over the years by residential and
commercial electronics. The effort, known as Electrical Noise Area
Measurement System, or ENAMS, focuses on frequencies between 66 kHz and
31 MHz and collects its information from more than 50 monitoring points
around the country. Each of the ENAMS units is capable of storing as
much as 5 years of collected data on a local disk drive without having
the need for an Internet connection.

One of the senior engineers with ENAMS will be presenting a look at the initiative at the Centenary Technical symposium of the South African
Radio League when it takes place on the 22nd of March.

The league has had an increasing focus on RF pollution. SARL said that
the presentation by Andreas Lock, DG8AL, underscores that pollution of
the RF spectrum is second only to concerns about climate change.

(WIA, SARL)

**
FREE ADMISSION FOR YOUTH AT INT'L DX CONVENTION

SKEETER/ANCHOR: If you love DXing and are under the age of 18, you're
in luck at this spring's International DX Convention in California.
Ralph Squillace KK6ITB explains.

RALPH: The doors to the International DX Convention in Visalia,
California are opening extra wide at the Visalia Conference Center,
where young visitors up to the age of 18 are being given entrance for
free. Youngsters will get access at no cost to the convention's forums
and programs as well as the exhibit hall. The 76th annual convention is sponsored by the Northern California DX Club and will be held from
April 11th through to the 13th. The free registration does not include
meals, the bus tour or any raffle tickets.

The deadline for anyone to pre-register online is April 3rd. Paying
guests who are planning to attend but do not register in advance can
expect a 10 percent increase in admission fee.

More details can be found at dxconvention dot com (dxconvention.com)

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(DXCONVENTION.COM)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, members of the Radio Club Jean [pron: Jhonn] Bart,
F6KMB, will be using the special callsign TM6C between the 24th of
February and the 9th of March. This activation is in recognition of the traditional Dunkirk Carnival. QSL via F6KMB. The Liga Dominicana de
Radio Amateurs, HI8LD, will be using the callsign HI2LD from Isla
Saona, IOTA Number NA-122, on the 27th of February at around 1300 UTC.
They will be using SSB on 40, 20, and 10 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.

On Rodrigues Island, IOTA Number AF-017, listen for a four-person team
of operators from the Czech Republic using the callsign 3B9DJ. They
will be on the air from the 24th of March through to the 5th of April.
See QRZ.com for QSL details.

A team of operators from Poland are active from Nilaveli, Sri Lanka,
IOTA Number AS-003, until the 1st of March. They are using the callsign
4S7SPG using CW, SSB, FT8 and RTTY on 80 through 10 metres. See QRZ.com
for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: BIOGRAPHICAL FILM TO END A SILENT KEY'S RADIO SILENCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We end this week's report with word that a noted actor
has reportedly been signed to play a well-known and much-loved
late-night radio host - who was also an active ham before he became a
Silent Key. What's in store? Ralph Squillace KK6ITB tells us.

RALPH: You might say that Radio Silence is what followed the death of
Art Bell, the original host of a popular late-night paranormal radio
talk show and a lifelong amateur radio operator. He held the callsigns
W6OBB in the US and 4F1AB, in the Philippines.

Radio Silence, in this case, is the American TV film and production
company that is working on a biopic about the high-profile talk-show
host, who died in 2018. The starring role has reportedly been given to
two-time Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti, who is known for roles in
"Cinderella Man" and "American Splendor," among numerous other films.

Both the actor and the man he will portray enjoyed playing to a devoted audience. Art Bell's five-hour syndicated call-in radio show, "Coast to
Coast AM," attracted an estimated 10 million listeners. They tuned in
regularly to hear stories of encounters with UFOs, visitors from other
planets or eerie experiences in the realm of the paranormal.

According to a number of entertainment media outlets, Universal, Warner
Bros. and Amazon are among the entertainment companies vying for the
rights to the film.

It remains unclear who will ultimately end up having that coveted close encounter.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(DEADLINE, AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY, YAHOO ENTERTAINMENT)

**
Have you sent in your amateur radio haiku to Newsline's haiku challenge
yet? It's as easy as writing a QSL card. Set your thoughts down using traditional haiku format - a three-line verse with five syllables in
the first line, seven in the second and five in the third. Submit your
work on our website at arnewsline.org - each week's winner gets a
shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the Amateur Radio Daily; Christian
Cudnik, K0STH; David Behar K7DB; Dave Matthews Band website; Deadline; DXConvention.com; IARU Region 1; Marina, LU1VYL; NZNET newsletter;
Ofcom; shortwaveradio.de; South African Radio League; Wireless
Institute of Australia; WZMQ-TV; Yahoo Entertainment; YL Beam; 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
Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As always we thank
you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025. All
rights reserved.

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