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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2444 for Friday August 30th, 2024 Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2444 with a release date of Friday, August
30th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The ARRL discloses its $1-million payout to
hackers. YOTA camp wraps up in the Czech Republic -- and come along on
the first-time activation of a POTA site that's.....underwater. All
this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2444 comes your
way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
ARRL DISCLOSES IT MADE $1-MILLION PAYMENT TO HACKERS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Newington, Connecticut where the
ARRL now acknowledges that it resolved last spring's cyberhacking
incident by paying a hefty ransom. Kent Peterson KC0DGY brings us more
details.

KENT: The ARRL has disclosed that it agreed to a $1-million ransom
payment to the hackers who disrupted its computers and servers on May
15th, stealing data and taking many of its services down. Writing on
its webpage the league described the attack as [quote] "an act of
organized crime," characterizing the initial demand payout as
"exorbitant," in exchange for access to decryption tools. The ARRL said
that the final amount was agreed upon only after extensive negotiation
and that the sum - and the price tag for restoring the systems - is
being covered by insurance.

The ARRL said that although the hackers did not get any sensitive
information from its members, it confirmed in July that the ransomware
did access personal data of an estimated 150 employees who have since
been provided with free identity-protection services.

In July, the ARRL board created its Information Technology Advisory
Committee. Members are being drawn from IT industry professionals as
well as those on the league staff and board who have experience in
thefield.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(ARRL)

**
YOTA CAMP BLOG RECOUNTS CZECH REPUBLIC ADVENTURE

PAUL/ANCHOR: As the summer wraps up in the Northern Hemisphere, so too
does the Youngsters on the Air camp that took place in the Czech
Republic. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has that story.

JEREMY; Campers finished their week of immersion in amateur radio and friendship at the Youngsters on the Air camp on Friday the 23rd of
August. Now all that's left is to remember the experience and to share
it. Rhys Williams, M0WGY/AJ6XD, who represented the Radio Society of
Great Britain at the camp, wrote a daily blog that recounts such daily activities as kit-building, balloon launching and operation of the
special callsign OL24YOTA. If you weren't one of the campers, you can
read the blog and experience that memorable week vicariously in words
and pictures.

Visit the link in the text version of this week's Newsline script. The
camp was organised by the Czech Radio Club and the Youth Working Group
of IARU Region 1.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/yota/yota-summer-camps/yota-czechia-2024 /updates-from-yota-czechia-2024/ ]

(RSGB)

**
HAMS REUNITE MAN, "DEAD" FOR A DECADE, WITH FAMILY

PAUL/ANCHOR: In India, a missing man's family believed they'd never see
him again until - one decade later - hams helped bring him home. We
have those details from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: The headlines in local Indian media called the man "dead for a
decade" but the former mathematics teacher, said to affected by mental
illness, has been returned home to his father and other family members
with the help of a network of amateur radio operators.

Reports in The Times of India and the Deccan Herald said that area
residents near the border of India and Bangladesh noticed a man
standing by a large patch of wet soil, writing and solving mathematical problems there with a large stick. They told the newspapers that he
seemed otherwise disoriented, which stirred their concern. The police
were contacted and, wanting to expand the search for family beyond the immediate area, authorities reached out to the West Bengal Radio Club,
which is known for its success in missing-persons cases because of its connections among radio operators in India. Ambarish Nag Biswas,
VU2JFA, the secretary of the radio club, told Newsline in a text
message that he and club member Parimal Roy, VU3ZIM, were able to
circulate photos of the man to clubs in the region. Ultimately,
authorities were contacted by the man's father.

According to the newspaper accounts, the man, who is now in his 40s,
apparently developed mental problems more than a decade ago and
disappeared, leaving his family to believe they would not see him
aliveagain.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(TIMES OF INDIA, DECCAN HERALD, AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)

**
SILENT KEY: PATRICIA NELSON, KE0QXD, TRAINER, VOLUNTEER, RADIO HOST

PAUL/ANCHOR: During a moment of silence at the most recent board
meeting of the ARRL, attendees paused to remember several Silent Keys
from this year. One of them left her mark nationally as a tireless
volunteer and radio enthusiast. We hear about her from Kent Peterson
KC0DGY.

KENT: This past winter, Amateur Radio Digital Communications announced
that Pat Nelson, KE0QXD, had recently joined their Conduct Review
Committee. Familiar with her tireless spirit, they were looking forward
to working with her. That partnership never happened. Pat died suddenly
a few days later on January 29th. The contributions she could have made
would have been the latest in an amateur radio tenure marked by
creativity and a capacity for giving and volunteering. In Minneapolis
and St. Paul, Pat had a long association with KFAI radio, a community
broadcast station as a host and volunteer. A certified specialist in
IT, she also assisted with programming and ran a company, NelsonWorks
LLC, which provided computer training and support.

When she joined the station, she became friends with Mike Stapp KE0WW,
a longtime ham who introduced her to amateur radio. For Pat, that
marked yet another beginning: She became licensed in 2018 and her
commitment grew over the years. In 2022 she produced and hosted a
special program on KFAI in honor of International Women's Day, focusing
on women active in amateur radio. Pat also became a Volunteer Examiner
at the Aurora Amateur Radio Group and served on its VE advisory board.
She was a lifetime member of the OMIK Amateur Radio Association, an international group founded in 1952 by Black radio amateurs and she had previously served the association as secretary.

In January 2023, Pat became the first guest speaker at the National
Radio Astronomy Observatory's Ham Radio Project in Virginia, led by
Jesse Alexander WB2IFS. Supported by the ARDC, the project familiarizes students with amateur radio and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Pat was 68.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(JESSE ALEXANDER, WB2IFS; ARRL, ARDC)

**
ARES TO ADOPT INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM INTO TRAINING

PAUL/ANCHOR: Things have changed since the early years when ham radio
operators stepped up to offer their communication skills during
emergencies. The ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service, which began in
1935, is in the midst of bringing some of its protocol up to date, as
we hear from Randy Sly W4XJ.

RANDY: The Amateur Radio Emergency Service, or ARES, is being brought
into alignment with many of the agencies it serves by adopting the
National Incident Management System's Incident Command system. This is
an initiative of the ARRL to update the training of ARES members to
better meet the needs of its partners.

A statement by the ARRL reads, "This is a first step towards our
long-term goal of being recognized by our served partner agencies as
the "gold standard" of volunteer communications support based upon ARES members' unique expertise and capabilities.

The training has several levels and specialization areas to provide
amateurs with a consistent track to advance their skills as well as
their understanding of emergency communications practices. The Incident
Command system is used throughout government, nongovernmental
organizations and the private sector to manage efficient deployment of assistance and cooperation at incidents such as severe weather or
natural disasters.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

(ARRL)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the WW8GM repeater of the General Motors Amateur Radio Club in Detroit, Michigan on Saturdays at 9 p.m. local time.

**
SPOTLIGHT ON MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY COMMUNICATOR

PAUL/ANCHOR: At a recent meeting of council members in one Mississippi municipality, a seasoned emergency communicator was honored with a few
moments in the spotlight We hear about him from Don Wilbanks AE5DW.

DON: Tom Kelly, AB6Z, of the Pearl River Emergency Amateur Radio League
in Mississippi, was recognized at the top of the Picayune city council
agenda for his contribution to emergency services in the county. The
retired Homeland Security professional, who has more than four decades
in law enforcement, deploys communication assistance when it is needed
by the fire and police chiefs.

Tom described the league's plans and goals and explained the kind of
training involved for league members, who learn to dispatch and manage
radio operators, deliver messages via radio and read radar screens. Tom
said the league is hoping to assist even more members in qualifying for
their amateur radio licenses.

In Picayune Mississippi, this is Don Wilbanks AE5DW.

(THE PICAYUNE ITEM)

**
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM PROVIDES A SPECTRUM OF EXPERIENCE

PAUL/ANCHOR: You may not think of the electromagnetic spectrum as a
museum exhibit, but one amateur radio club in Indiana put it on display
- and showed it in action - at the Terre Haute Children's Museum
recently. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us how it happened.

ANDY: Laurel Tincher, program manager of the Terre Haute Children's
Museum, called QRZ, in a manner of speaking and the Wabash Valley
Amateur Radio Association answered that call. She invited the club to
present a day of ham-related activities to showcase the kinds of things
amateur radio can do. According to club president Kevin Berlen, K9HX,
100 or so visitors on Saturday the 24th of August got that opportunity.
They participated in a radio-related scavenger hunt and enjoyed
activities that taught them a little more about Morse Code. As the hams
made QSOs on SSB using a remote-controlled HF station, the youngsters
got a better understanding of what HF propagation can do.

The visitors didn't just take away a better understanding of amateur
radio - one lucky youngster won the random drawing for a small STEM
robotics kit. According to Kevin, quite a few of them expressed an
interest in working toward getting their license.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(KEVIN BERLEN, K9HX)

**

TRANSISTOR PROMISES FASTER, MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT OPERATION

PAUL/ANCHOR: A new type of transistor is in the works inside a US
campus laboratory. It is resilient and super-fast but, for now, it is
still a work in progress, as we hear from Sel Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: A new transistor in development inside a Massachusetts laboratory
is said to be extremely tough and resilient and offer super-fast
switching, while meeting - or even exceeding - industry standards.

Researchers at MIT first announced the transistor's development in 2021
when they published the results of their study which explored the use
of an ultra-thin ferroelectric material made from boron nitride. At
that time the report was carried in the journal, Science, researchers
wrote only of the possibilities.

Now it is a reality. Working inside the laboratory, the scientists
created that faster, more energy-efficient transistor and they claim
that even after 100 billion switches, there are no signs of
degradation. Researchers told Popular Mechanics magazine that, for
electronic devices such as computers, this eliminates the need for
selective storage on a chip. Scientists also say that boron nitride has
another advantage: it remains stable over long periods of time because
its polarization can be reversed when there is an electric field.

The next reality - actually manufacturing it - could be a lot tougher. Scientists acknowledged that despite the great gains in this
development, they still don't have a way to mass produce it.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(POPULAR MECHANICS, MIT NEWS)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, there are two opportunities to get the South Cook
Islands in your log. Listen for Bob, ZL1RS, calling QRZ as E51EME from Rarotonga, IOTA Number OC-013, from the 23rd of August through to the
15th of September. His operation is mainly 6-metre FT8 using
ionospheric propagation. He will also operate 6-metre EME using the
Q65-60A mode from WSJT-X. See QRZ.com for QSL details. You can also
listen for Tom, N2WLG who will be on the air with the callsign E51WLG
from Rarotonga, IOTA Number OC-013 from the 1st through to the 8th of September. He will operate CW and digital modes on 40-10 metres. See
QRZ.com for QSL details

Listen for Giuseppe, IK5WWA, calling QRZ as IM0C [EYE EMM ZERO SEE]
from San Pietro Island, IOTA Number EU-165 from the 1st through to the
15th of September 40-2 metres. QSL via his home call.

Harald DF2WO will be back in Burkina Faso operating holiday style as
XT2AW starting September 8th for about 14 days. Listen on 10-80 metres
SSB and FT4. He will also be using the QO100 satellite. See QRZ.com for
QSL details.

Listen for the callsign TM40IPC from the 28th through to the 8th of
September during the Paris Paralympic Games. The callsign is being
operated by members of the RadioPole Associatif REF-40, F4KLM. QSL via
F6DZU and LoTW.

(425 DX NEWS)

**
KICKER: NEW POTA SITE REALLY FLOATS THEIR BOAT

PAUL/ANCHOR: Late last year, Parks on the Air, or POTA, added more
parks in the US. In Indiana, this meant that suddenly a yellow dot
appeared on the map just off of the shore of Porter Beach in the
Indiana Dunes State Park. While initially this looked like a mistake,
it turned out to be the JD Marshall Nature Preserve, US-10256, the site
of a Great Lakes cargo ship which sunk in 1911. The park is completely underwater -- accessible only by boat.

Nothing excites a POTA activator more than seeing a zero in the "number
of activations" field on the website. That's when Eric Kurtz, KE9AEB,
chief of the Ogden Dunes Volunteer Fire Department, started calling his friends.

Kurtz told Newsline: [quote] "I ended up creating a POTA account and
realized that the JD Marshall was the only park in the State Of Indiana
that had never been activated. Being a lakefront community, and being
involved with the volunteer fire department, we're fortunate that some
of our members are boat owners and some of our members are amateur
radio licensees and I put those pieces together so we could activate
the JD Marshall." [endquote]

So assistant Fire Chief Dave Zak, a marina and boat owner, took six
hams and their gear out onto Lake Michigan on Saturday, August 24th and
moored above the wreck. I was one of those hams. The hams got right to
it and in the space of a little under three hours, had logged 118
contacts including France. Active calls included K9ODF, the fire
department club call, as well as the personal calls N9ITB and WD9GCO.

Chris Lattimer, N9MMR, member of the fire department and founding
member of the club, called it an amazing opportunity to be out on Lake
Michigan operating an HF station from a boat. His son Tavas, KD9NSC, communications officer for the fire department, assembled the gear,
tested everything beforehand and handled contact logging.

Two others on board were Tommy Stecic, KE2CCX and Jack Albert, N9ITB,
an experienced activator and my POTA buddy.

The group was awarded credit for the first activation of the park.

And their very first contact? Well, it was a ham from New York with the
call KD2GUT.

That's right. Our own Caryn Eve Murray.

Congratulations to all involved for an activation that went beyond expectations. Amateur radio is a varied hobby and as we often say
"whatever floats your boat" is fine.

**
DO YOU HAIKU?

Don't forget the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. If you're not
too busy tuning your antennas or chasing the latest DXpedition, pick up
a pencil and share your experience by sending an original haiku to us
here at Newsline. Use the entry form on our website, arnewsline.org and
please follow the rules for writing your three-line haiku -- sorry but
we cannot accept any entries that aren't written in traditional haiku
form. Share with fellow listeners the poetry that is inspired by your
ham radio experience!

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Weekly; Amateur Radio
Digital Communications; Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA; ARRL; CQ Magazine;
David Behar K7DB; Deccan Herald; 425DXNews; Jesse Alexander WB2IFS;
Kevin Berlen, K9HX; Picayune Item; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great
Britain; shortwaveradio.de; Times of India; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana
saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio
Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

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