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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2459 for Friday December 13th, 2024
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2459 with a release date of
Friday, December 13th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The ISS deploys a ham radio satellite made of
wood. The Geminids are here so prepare to work some meteor scatter
--and there are dozens of new hams in town at an ARRL model school in
NYC. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2459
comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
ISS LAUNCHES JAPAN'S WOODEN HAM RADIO SATELLITE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Japan, where officials at JAXA,
the Japanese space agency, cheered on December 9th as they watched the International Space Station's deployment of LignoSat, an amateur radio
CubeSat made largely of wood. The satellite, which arrived at the ISS a
month ago, has been a high-profile experiment in avoiding space junk by
using biodegradable components -- in this case, magnolia wood. The
long-awaited joint launch by NASA and JAXA makes yet another satellite available for amateur radio. The satellite has a CW beacon on 435.82
MHz, plus or minus Doppler.

To view the launch, visit the YouTube link for the JAXA channel in the
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvUthxds36A&t=2326s]

**
GEMINIDS SHOWER: METEORS' FINAL HURRAH OF 2024

NEIL/ANCHOR: The meteors are putting on a show at the moment - and
maybe even giving a little boost to your last chances of DX via meteor
scatter for this year. Here's the update from Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

KENT: The final major meteor shower of the year - the Geminids - hits
its peak on the 14th and 15th of December but will remain active until
Dec. 24th, Christmas Eve. It's a prolific shower that could be obscured
by the full moon in some regions during those key peak moments -- but
radio offers some solace.

If you can't see the showers, you can tune into them on FM radio,
according to FM DXer Nick Langan, writing on the RadioWorld.com
website. Nick writes that a sensitive FM radio tuned to an open
frequency might be able to receive a somewhat rewarding message from
high above, as a series of audible bursts known as "pings." He also
recommends a directional Yagi FM band antenna, if you have one.

Of course, those hams among us who enjoy meteor scatter will likely be
turning to radio too -- namely, 2 metres and 6 metres. They'll no doubt
be chasing those ionized trails left behind in search of some
memorableDX.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(RADIOWORLD.COM, SPACE.COM)

**
GET READY FOR THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EVENT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Pipers will be piping, drummers will be drumming, ladies
will be dancing, lords will be leaping and hams around the United
States will be calling QRZ starting at 0000 UTC on December 14th and
ending Christmas Day. The sixth year of operation for the popular 12
Days of Christmas special event is getting under way on the HF bands.
In addition to all those ladies, lords and drummers - and a whole bunch
of French hens, geese, swans and turtle doves - you will also find two
bonus stations, VC9XMAS1 and VC9XMAS2, joining the action this year
from Canada.

Everyone will be using either CW or SSB. There will be no QSL cards.

Work all 12 stations and Santa will let you download a certificate
saying CLEAN SWEEP after January 31st. If you also work either - or
both - of the bonus stations, your certificate will say CLEAN SWEEP
PLUS. Best of all, even if you work only a handful of stations, or just
one, you can still download a certificate confirming your contact.

Visit the QRZ.com page for K2RYD for more details -- and put this
special event on your holiday wish list.

**
CINCINNATI EVENT CELEBRATES THE WARMTH OF AM MODE

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the midst of a cold winter here in the United States,
what audio could impart more warmth than the sound of AM? Here's
Stephen Kinford N8WB with a suggestion on how to stay warm on the day
after Christmas here in the US.

STEPHEN: You'll receive a warm welcome when you check into the annual
AM Night of the Greater Cincinnati Amateur Radio Association on
December 26th Pre-net check-ins begin at 6 p.m. Eastern Time and the
net continues well into the night. Set your rig to AM mode and tune to
1.936 MHz. A number of the check-ins are expected to be from ops who
have converted some broadcast rigs but you can also expect to hear
military radios and some from the golden age of AM broadcast radio. Of
course if you have a contemporary rig and it offers you AM mode, join
in! AM Night will also apear on NetLogger to help keep track of
check-ins.

This is Stephen Kinford N8WB.

(QRZ.COM)


**
BBC RADIO DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS POWER OF CW

NEIL/ANCHOR: As we reported back in October, a Romanian teenager won a
starring role at an International High Speed Telegraphy World
Championship in Tunisia after setting a new world record for receiving callsigns sent using Morse Code. Now Ianis [YONNIS] Scutaru, YO8YNS, is
one of the many stars in a new BBC Radio documentary about the power
Morse Code has as a communications protocol.

The documentary, "Ready to Transmit," is hosted by Stephen Coates and
was released on the 8th of December. In addition to visiting the recent championship, the 28-minute program highlights the role Morse plays in
helping a disabled woman communicate with her family and talks to a war
veteran who still remembers her code skills after more than 80 years.

Code is also seen as a source of joy as the documentary quotes Ianis as
saying it brought him "unbelievable happiness" upon receiving his
hard-earned award.

To hear the documentary, visit the link in the text version of this
week's script at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct7hsy ]

(BBC)

**
SILENT KEY: GASTON BERTELS, ON4WF, "ELDER STATESMAN" OF ARISS

NEIL/ANCHOR: A leader, an advocate and a creative influence on the team
behind Amateur Radio on the International Space Station has become a
Silent Key. We hear about him and his work from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: It was not so long ago that Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, received the
title of "Elder Statesman" from the ARISS International Team. The
honour was bestowed as a tribute to his ideas, contributions and
efforts that led to the creation of an effective team behind the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station programme. Sharing his expertise in licensing and third-party traffic, Gaston became a
respected and well-recognised figure in Europe and elsewhere. He died
from cancer on the 3rd of December.

His long association with the pairing of human spaceflight and amateur
radio had its roots in a Space Shuttle mission of 1992 that resulted in
a student radio contact with Belgium's first astronaut, Dirk Frimout,
ON1AFD. Many other developments and innovations ensued in his work over
the years which established his influence with the European Space
Agency.

Announcing his death, ARISS acknowledged the affable manner and
enthusiasm he brought to his work: [quote] "His personality radiated an inviting aura to all. He has been a friend, a leader, and an
inspiration to all of us." [endquote]

Gaston Bertels was 97.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)

**
SILENT KEY: NZ NET's GERARD VAN ANTWERPEN, ZL2GVA, CW AWARD-WINNER

NEIL/ANCHOR: A proficient CW operator who was a fixture - and an
award-winner - in a variety of high-profile events in New Zealand has
become a Silent Key. We learn more about him from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Gerard van Antwerpen, ZL2GVA, was as enthusiastic a CW operator
and QRPer as one could hope to find. He used his talents regularly on
the NZ Net, where he began his now-familiar role as net control
operator in February of 2021. Over the years he achieved prominence for
sending code as a winner of the NZ Sprints, NZ Straight Key Night, the
Sangster Shield and the Memorial Contest.

Gerard became a Silent Key on the 19th of November, two years after
being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Gerard's amateur radio life began in the Dutch province of Zeeland,
where he was born. He received the callsign PE1ONB in 1992 and after
passing the qualifying exam for CW at 12 wpm, gained privileges on HF
with the callsign PA3GMJ. After relocating to New Zealand in 1997, he
would often be found in his spare time building Morse paddles in his
workplace, Cuddon Limited, where he was a quality assurance and design
manager.

An active member of the New Zealand Amateu Radio Transmitters society,
he was a committee member of Branch 22 and a steadfast operator there
for Field Day. When the time came to install a reverse beacon network
receiver at the club, he served as coordinator for the project.

On November 5th of this year - just a few days before he died - he
participated in the NZ Net for the final time.

Gerard was 59.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(NZNET)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including multi-mode retransmissions on the ANZEL Automated News Broadcast System
in Australia and New Zealand on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Australia Eastern
Standard Time.

**
DOZENS OF STUDENTS AT NYC MODEL SCHOOL PASS LICENSE EXAM

NEIL/ANCHOR: Graduation day came early for a group of students at
Staten Island Technical High School, an ARRL Education Model School
that grew out of the league's Teachers Institute on Wireless
Technology. One hundred and fifty-nine students took and passed their
FCC licensing exams - 18 of them upgrading to General and Amateur
Extra. The program is overseen at the school by teacher Everton
Henriques KD2ZZT, who attended the Teachers Institute in 2023. The
students received congratulations from the league's Education and
Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA and ARRL Hudson Division
Director Ed Wilson N2XDD. The New York City model school was featured
in a story on Amateur Radio Newsline this past February.

(ED WILSON, N2XDD)

**
STATIONS CALL ATTENTION TO AMATEURS WITH DISABILITIES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateur radio takes pride in its accessibility to radio
operators with disabilities. This month, a number of member societies
in Region 1 of the International Amateur Radio Union are celebrating
the open door that ham radio presents to the disabled community by
calling QRZ with special-event callsigns.

JEREMY: Special event stations in Croatia and in Switzerland are
honouring the resolution passed in 1992 by the United Nations General
Assembly, proclaiming the 3rd of December to be the International Day
of Disabled Persons. This is a day devoted to awareness of what those
with disabilities face around the world on the political, economic,
cultural and social fronts.

The Croatian stations are on the air until the end of the year,
activating call signs 9A24PDRA, 9A24PD and 9A24D. In Switzerland, hams
have been using the call sign HB9IPDA.

IARU Region 1 itself recognises its responsibilities as well through
its Information Programme for Disabled Radio Amateurs. That programme circulates useful information connecting disabled hams and would-be
hams with resources to promote greater access and enjoyment of
amateurradio.

Riri, OD5RI, the coordinator of the programme for IARU Region 1,
encourages participation, stating on the organisation's webpage:
[quote] "Let's work together to ensure that amateur radio continues to
be a hobby and a service that welcomes all, regardless of physical
challenges." [Endquote]

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(IARU REGION 1, QRZ.COM)

**
HUNDREDS GATHER IN KOLKATA FOR HAMFEST INDIA

NEIL/ANCHOR: The world turns its attention to Kolkata as Hamfest India
24 opens its doors to hundreds from the international amateur radio
community. We have more details from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: Delegates representing the amateur radio community from Nepal,
Oman, Germany, Dubai, the US - and more than 16 states from around
India - will converge in Kolkata on the 14th and 15th of December for
Hamfest India 24. The national amateur radio convention will take place
at the Sister Nivedita University and will be hosted by OSCAR India.
OSCAR India is an organisation with an educational mission and its name
stands for Open Source Classes for Amateur Radio.

Participants are expected to include representatives from the Nagaland
State Disaster Management Authority, the National Disaster Response
Force, the India Meteorological Department and the National Disaster
Management Authority.

Last year's event, which reported an attendance of more than 1,000 hams
from around the globe, was held in the state of Gujarat. The hamfest
showcases technical advancements in ham radio and provides
opportunities for networking and mentorship.

Organisers are particularly pleased to have the hamfest return to the
state of Bengal this year: It was home to the nation's first licensed
radio amateur, Amarendra Chandra Gooptu, 2JK, in 1921.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(TELEGRAPH INDIA, YOUTUBE)


**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Hannes, OE1SGU/OE3SGU using the callsign
DU1OE from Luzon Island, IOTA Number OC-042, in the Philippines until
the 27th of December. Listen for him on 40-6 metres using all modes.
See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Joe, OZ0J, will be using the callsign TO0J from French Guiana from the
20th through the 31st of December. He will operate FT8, CW and
SSB on 80-6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL information.

Reiner, DL2AAZ will be on the air as 8Q7RL from the Maldives, IOTA
Number AS-013, through the 17th of December, using SSB and FT8 on 40-10
metres. Also listen for David, HB9ILL, operating at 8Q7IL, through the
18th of December. He is running 10 watts on 40, 20 and 10 metres SSB.
QSL details for both ops are on QRZ.com.

Polish amateurs have activations planned to celebrate Christmas and the
New Year. Listen for HF0CLAUS and SP0CLAUS on the air now through
January 6th. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: YOU'D BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THE SANTA WATCH NET

NEIL/ANCHOR: We end this week's report with a special message from
someone we only hear from at this time of year. This may be radio but
that doesn't mean this fellow isn't watching each and every one of us
closely anyway to see if we've been naughty or nice - in fact, here he
is now to tell us what his plans are for Christmas Eve. Here's a hint:
It includes radio.

DON: HO! HO HO! HELLO AGAIN BOYS AND GIRLS! IT'S TIME AGAIN; TIME
FOR THE SANTA WATCH NET!

That's right, Santa will be making his rounds and for the 14th year in
a row, my little helpers at the Do-Drop-In will be keeping their highly caffeinated eyes peeled on the radar. Join us on the Santa Watch Net
starting at 1800 hours Eastern Time.

HO HO, as always not-so-little elf Dave, N3NTV will be keeping track of
old Santa's QTH.

And you know I have a radio in my sleigh and I just love chatting with
the good children all over the world! So be listening for N1S - that's
Number One Santa. Ho Ho Ho!

Gather up the little ones and get them checked in. Third-party traffic
is always on the Nice List.

Once again, it's the Santa Watch Net, Christmas Eve, 1800 hours Eastern
on the Do-Drop-In Echolink Conference Server, Node Number 355800.

Ho Ho! Merry Christmas and 73 from me, Number One Santa, and all my
little helpers at the Do-Drop-In.

**
HAIKU AND CLOSE:

What? You haven't sent in your amateur radio haiku yet for Newsline's
haiku challenge? Go QRT for just a few minutes - and 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.
Share your ham radio experience, poetically, and then submit your work
on our website at arnewsline.org

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; AMSAT News Service;
BBC; David Behar K7DB; Ed Wilson, N2XDD; FCC; 425DXNews; IARU Region 1;
JAXA; NZNet; QRZ Forums; RadioWorld; shortwaveradio.de; Space.com;
Telegraph India; YouTube; 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Union, Kentucky saying 73. As always
we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright
2024. All rights reserved.

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