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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2448 for Friday September 27th, 2024
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2448 with a release date of
Friday, September 27th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Goodbye to the GreenCube satellite. US
lawmakers prepare for another vote requiring AM radio in cars -- and a pioneering Australian amateur becomes a Silent Key. All this and more
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2448 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
GREENCUBE MISSION ENDS, RADIATION DAMAGE SUSPECTED

DON/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the demise of the GreenCube
satellite. It was loved and well-used by avid DXers and DXpeditioners
as well as those making more casual satellite contacts. Jeremy Boot
G4NJH tells us what happened.

JEREMY: The popular GreenCube satellite, IO-117, is no longer
functioning - the result of what is believed to be radiation damage
suffered in Medium Earth Orbit.

The satellite, which is owned by the Italian Space Agency, was
developed by S5LAB at Sapienza University of Rome. S5LAB attempted to
send commands to reactivate it earlier this month after it suffered a communication blackout, according to a report by AMSAT News Service.
The team is not optimistic that GreenCube can be restored to service.

S5LAB acknowledged that high radiation exposure can be an issue in
Medium Earth Orbit, adding that it was unclear whether GreenCube would
have a successor. The AMSAT report said that GreenCube is not the only
Medium Earth Orbit satellite that has been affected by radiation
levels. It was the first satellite in Medium Earth Orbit to carry an
amateur radio payload. S5LAB and AMSAT-Italia expect to hold a webinar
about GreenCube's mission, which it said exceeded all expectations the
team had for it when it was launched in July of 2022.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(AMSAT NEWS, AMSAT-UK)

**
US LAWMAKERS WAIT TO VOTE ON AM RADIO LEGISLATION

DON/ANCHOR: In Washington, DC, public-safety legislation awaits an
important vote: The proposed law would require all passenger cars sold
in the US to continue to make AM radio available. Kent Peterson KC0DGY
has that story.

KENT: The US House of Representatives is expected to consider a measure
that mandates AM radio in all new cars sold in the US, whether they are manufactured domestically or imported. The bill, known as the AM Radio
in Every Vehicle Act, moved to the full floor for lawmakers'
consideration following a 45-2 vote in the House Energy and Commerce
Committee. Observers say that a House vote could happen as early as the
next few weeks before the US elections take place in November -- or it
would be delayed.

The US Senate version of the bill has already been approved by that
chamber's Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. It still
awaits a full floor vote but has a majority of lawmakers supporting it
on both sides of the aisle.

The issue of AM radio's necessity in vehicles has escalated the debate
over public safety, as proponents such as the National Association of Broadcasters and federal emergency officials have advocated in favor
retaining AM radio for its public-safety role, especially when carrying
alerts in rural areas.

Some manufacturers of electric cars are looking to eliminate AM radio
from their vehicles, claiming that RF interference from their cars'
electronic systems compromises AM radio reception.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(RADIOWORLD.COM)

**
NEW ZEALAND YL GROUP ENDS FORMAL OPERATION

DON/ANCHOR: After a few years of struggling with membership issues, a
New Zealand group for YLs has dropped its formal operation. We hear the
details from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: New Zealand's Women Amateur Radio Operators group has ceased to
exist. After attempting to survive some troubled years, the
organisation's executive committee voted in 2020 to go into recess,
citing a lack of support from the membership.

According to the website of the New Zealand Association of Radio
Transmitters, the group's creation in 1962 arose from a need to address
special requirements of YLs at a time when very few female licensees
were on the air.

An announcement in YL Harmonics, the bimonthly newsletter of the YLRL,
confirms that the group will exist now only for social purposes and
will retain its callsign ZL6YL. Ngaire Jury, ZL2UJT, wrote in the
newsletter that a vote was taken to continue with social activities
without any fees. The new group has adopted the name, the NZ YL Group.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(YLRL HARMONICS)

**
SUNITA WILLIAMS, KD5PLB, TAKES OVER COMMAND OF ISS

DON/ANCHOR: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, has taken the helm
of the International Space Station as its new commander as she and
fellow crew member, Butch Wilmore, await their return to Earth in
February 2025. The pair's mission aboard the ISS was supposed to last
only eight days following their arrival via Boeing's Starliner, but complications with the spacecraft delayed their departure and Starliner returned to Earth crewless. By the time the duo returns home aboard a
SpaceX Dragon capsule, they will have been in space eight months. This
is Williams' second time as commander of the ISS.

(SPACE.COM)

**
SILENT KEY: IARU REGION 3 CO-ORGANIZER PETE WILLIAMS, FORMER VK3IZ

DON/ANCHOR: A notable pioneer who helped create the IARU Region 3
organization has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Graham
Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Having secured his amateur licence in the wake of World War II,
Pete Williams, the former VK3IZ, wasted no time in immersing himself in
service to the amateur radio community. By the late '60s and early
'70s, he was devoting his efforts to the Wireless Institute of
Australia. Casting his eye more broadly, he also joined with a small
team of other Australian amateurs to propose and establish Region 3 of
the International Amateur Radio Union. As a businessman, Pete and other
radio colleagues cofounded the Vicom company, importing Icom radios and
other ham radio products. A lifelong fan of radio restorations, Pete
paired that talent with his love of military communications technology, especially the legendary Collins R-390 receiver. He restored and resold
many of them over the years, along with the S-line and other models.
With his hearing and eyesight posing challenges later in life, Pete let
his licence lapse a few years ago. The callsign he had held for more
than 70 years was acquired by another amateur in 2023. Pete, who became
a Silent Key on Saturday September 14th, was 94. Roger Harrison VK2ZRH,
editor in chief of Amateur Radio magazine, told Newsline that a longer
article about Pete and his life will appear in the magazine's
nextissue.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB

(ROGER HARRISON, VK2ZRH)

**
NEED TO WORK WYOMING? COME AND GET IT

DON/ANCHOR: If you're hoping for an easy contact with Wyoming for any
number of awards, you'd better act fast. Patrick Clark K8TAC tells
uswhy.

PATRICK: In case you're one state shy of Worked All States, and in case
that one state happens to be Wyoming, look no farther than the W7Y
special event. The Shy-Wy Amateur Radio Club has organized this annual
event, which it calls "Come and Get Wyoming." Whether you're a DX
station or here in the US, if you need a Wyoming contact on a specific
band or in a certain mode, this is your chance. Hams throughout Wyoming
have been volunteering at least an hour of their time since the 21st of September to make sure as many contacts can be made before the event
ends on Monday the 30th of the month. QSL details and a little history
of the W7Y special event can be found on QRZ.com - while there's
stilltime!

This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.

(QRZ.COM)

**
HAMSCI RESEACHER REPORTS ON SPACE-WEATHER MONITOR TOOL

DON/ANCHOR: If you're an avid space-weather observer, this report from
Sel Embee KB3TZD is for you.

SEL: Scientists and amateur radio operators are proud to announce that
a member of the HamSCI scientific team has released a research paper
that delves into the development of a low-cost magnetometer system
permitting coordinated space-weather monitoring. The author of the
paper, Dr. Hyomin Kim, PhD, KD2MCR, is an assistant professor of
physics at the Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, a component of
New Jersey Institute of Technology's Institute for Space Weather
Sciences.

The paper is a key example of how HamSCI's work melds the world of
professional research with the activities of amateur radio operators. A magnetometer measures changes and anomalies in the magnetic atmosphere
of the earth.

For a link to the paper, see the text version of this week's Newsline
script at arnewsline.org.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000749 ]

This is Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.

(SCIENCE DIRECT)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the WM9W repeater in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesdays at midnight local
time during the Nightcrawler's net.

**

APRS FOUNDATION SEEKS SUPPORT THROUGH MEMBERSHIP

DON/ANCHOR: The APRS Foundation is encouraging hams to become members
and help keep the dream and hard work of a prominent Silent Key alive
and thriving. Neil Rapp WB9VPG tells us what membership is expected to accomplish.

NEIL: When Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, became a Silent Key in February of
2022, he left behind the legacy of the Automatic Packet Reporting
System, APRS, which the pioneering amateur had developed. The APRS
Foundation was formed later that same year to ensure that APRS would be preserved and advanced so it could continue its vital role enabling
real-time tracking over the amateur frequencies.

Hams are now able to support the APRS Foundation by becoming members.
The $20 membership helps with the foundation's operating costs and
assists in the continuation of Bob's work. The foundation also
encourages participation online in APRS@groups.io and the APRS special
interest group email reflector.

The foundation's president, Jeff Hochberg, W4JEW, writes on the
foundation website that continued engagement of amateurs will help APRS
out of what he describes as a "precarious position." Jeff writes
[quote] "While there are undoubtedly thousands of APRS users worldwide,
the number doesn't seem to grow as it used to." [endquote].

For more details about the foundation, visit aprsfoundation dot org (aprsfoundation.org)

This is Neil Rapp WB9VPG.

(AMATEUR RADIO WEEKLY, APRSFOUNDATION.ORG)

**
ORIENTEERING ENTHUSIASTS PREP FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

DON/ANCHOR: If you enjoy amateur radio direction-finding, Chelsea,
Michigan is the place to be for you in early October. Dave Parks WB8ODF
tells us why.

DAVE: Yes, there's a trophy at stake here - it's known as the Paul
Bunyan trophy - but this transmitter-hunting contest is not just for
fun. The 12th IARU Region 2 / 23rd ARRL USA Radio Orienteering
Championship engages skills that are useful in spectrum management,
search and rescue and animal tracking, among other applications. The
hosting group is the Southern Michigan Orienteering Club and ham radio
clubs throughout the southeastern part of the state.

From the 5th to the 13th of October, competitors will venture out into

the woods in search of hidden transmitters in the Chelsea, Michigan
area for an intense period of radio orienteering, also known as amateur
radio direction finding. A training camp will be held before the event,
led by top radio orienteers Charles Scharlau, NZ0I, and Nadia Scharlau,
KO4ADV. The training camp will take place on the 5th and 6th of October
and beginners are welcome.

The event director, Joseph Burkhead, KE8MKR, says on the competition's
website that no matter where you're at in your journey in radio and
navigation sports, there will be challenges for you.

For details visit the website radioorienteeringchamps dot us - that's radioorenteeringchamps - one word - dot us (radioorienteeringchamps.us

This is Dave Parks WB8ODF

(RADIO ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE)

**
VINTAGE RAILWAY TO SHOWCASE TELEGRAPHY IN NEW ZEALAND

DON/ANCHOR: In New Zealand, two telegraph offices are springing back
into action to demonstrate the best of a bygone era. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF
gives us those details.

JIM: Although the date may be the 26th of October 2024, it may just as
well be in the era of steam train travel as on that day ham radio
operators bring telegraph offices back to life on the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. It will be Labour Weekend but it will also be Morse Code Day
as visitors ride the steam train between Glenbrook and Waiuku and learn
how messages can travel efficiently too, ham radio style. Visitors at
Glenbrook will have an opportunity to have Neil ZL1NZ and Paul ZL1AJY
send a telegram to Waiuku before they get on board to travel to the
other station. Upon arrival at Waiuku, visitors may collect their
telegram and send a reply via operators Martin ZL1MDE and Peter ZL1PX.
The Franklin Amateur Radio Club is hoping to cultivate an appreciation
for what was once the main form of radio communication back when steam
trains ruled the rails.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(QUA, THE FRANKLIN AMATEUR RADIO CLUB NEWSLETTER)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for special event station GB2ZL in Scotland operating CW from the 1st to the 28th of October marking the centennial
of the first amateur radio contact between Great Britain and New
Zealand. The actual anniversary date is the 18th of October, 1924. QSL
via LoTW only. See QRZ.com for more details.

Dale, W4AUV and Bob, K4RLC will operate from St. Kitts, IOTA Number
NA-104, from the 1st to the 12th of October. Dale, operating as
V4/W4AUV, will be using mainly CW on 40m. Bob, using the callsign
V4/K4RLC, will be operating QRP CW on 20 metres from the island's three
POTA sites. QSL via LoTW.

Expect to hear Gunter, DK2WH on the air from Namibia as V51WH until
early November. Gunter is operating from a farm near Omaruru. Listen
for him on 160-10m, including 60m. He will also participate in the CQ
WorldWide RTTY and SSB contests as V55Y. See QRZ.com for more details.

Fred, DH5FS, is operating holiday style on various HF bands as E6FS
from Niue, IOTA Number OC-040, until the 30th of September. QSL via his
home call.

(425 DX BULLETIN, WIA)

**
KICKER: A HEALTHY DOSE OF EYEBALL QSOS HAS BENEFITS

DON/ANCHOR: Our final story takes a look at eyeball QSOs - those
in-person visits we love so much. True, there are no QSL cards but
there may be other benefits, as we hear from Randy Sly W4XJ.

RANDY: It's no secret that amateur radio can be good for your health.
The Radio Society of Great Britain and the UK's National Health Service
teamed up at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to launch Get on the
Air to Care, a program to decrease social isolation and improve mental well-being, as hams reached out to hams to check on one another.

Only a few years later, Grouper, a wellness advocacy company here in
the US, has partnered with the ARRL with a somewhat similar intent:
While the ARRL has always encouraged lots of QSOs, Grouper encourages
-indeed, Grouper actually rewards - lots of eyeball QSOs. Think of this
program as a way to "Care While You're Off the Air."

Originally founded as Element3 Health, the Boston company's recent
name-change to Grouper reflects its accelerated desire to help people
achieve so-called "social fitness" through in-person interaction.
Grouper says it is tackling the health crisis of social isolation and loneliness - formally declared to be an epidemic last year the US
Surgeon General. The ARRL-Grouper partnership, in this case, focuses on
older radio amateurs who are enrolled in Medicare, under either the
Medicare Advantage or one of the Medicare Supplement plans. Eligible
hams 65 and older who can prove they are active in in-person amateur
radio activities may have some of their dues and other activity costs
covered under the program.

The ARRL said in a press release that it hopes the new program will
[quote] "enhance the health of ARRL members by providing acess to
benefits that support staying active and engaged." [endquote] It also
shows that not all lasting connections made in amateur radio are
necessarily only ones that have been soldered.

This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

(ARRL, GROUPER, RSGB)

**
HAIKU FOR YOU

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; AMSAT News
Service; APRS Foundation; ARRL; Australian Communications and Media
Authority; David Behar K7DB; 425DXNews; Grouper; NZ Net Newsletter;
QRZ.com; Radio Orienteering Championship website; Radio Society of
Great Britain; Roger Harrison, VK2ZRH; shortwaveradio.de; YLRL
Harmonics; 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 2024. All rights reserved.

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