From Newsgroup: rec.radio.amateur.misc

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2511 for Friday, December 12th, 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2511 with a release date of
Friday, December 12th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Vermont discontinues the RACES emergency
response program. The FCC grants a new 60M band for amateurs -- and we
visit an "antenna racing" event in New Zealand that's all in good
sport. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2511
comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART


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VERMONT ENDS AMATEUR RADIO RACES SERVICE

PAUL/ANCHOR: In our top story this week, the Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service, or RACES program, has ended in Vermont. Kent
Peterson KC0DGY has the details.

KENT: Vermont state officials have ended the RACES program, calling the
action taken November 1st [quote] "a move toward streamlining and
modernizing our communications systems and volunteer programs to
improve coordination and efficiency." [endquote]

Vermont RACES volunteers learned of the decision in a letter to them
from Brett La Rose of the state's emergency management office. Hams
were instead encouraged to join the state's Medical Reserve Corps
program, which is part of the Vermont Department of Health. A number of
Medical Reserve Units across the US have a communications component
that engages hams in passing emergency radio traffic on behalf of
hospitals and other healthcare institutions.

In a letter shared on Facebook by the Green Mountain Wireless Society
and other Vermont ham clubs, La Rose wrote that the decision does not
reflect on the quality of volunteers but was a move toward greater
efficiency.

He added: [quote] "Your contributions to our state have been
invaluable." [endquote]

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(VERMONT PUBLIC SAFETY, GREEN MOUNTAIN WIRELESS SOCIETY)

**
FCC GRANTS HAMS NON-CHANNELIZED USE ON 60M

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams in the US are getting expanded, non-channelized use
of parts of the 60m band under a recent decision by the Federal
Communications Commission. The new access applies to General and Extra
Class license-holders who, until now, were granted use on a secondary
basis of four discrete channels: 5332, 5348, 5373, and 5405 kHz. In a
decision released on December 9th, the FCC reaffirmed the continued
amateur use of these existing four channels at 100 watts of power,
saying there have been no interference issues with federal operations.

The FCC said, that in-line with the international WRC15 allocation,
contiguous use between 5351.5 and 5366.5 kHz with a limited emission
bandwidth of 2.8 kHz and power of no more than 15 watts EIRP is being
granted.

To see the FCC decision and other announcements, see the link in the
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-final-rules-implementing-wrc-15


(FCC)

**

JORDANIAN AMATEURS APPROVED FOR NEW CLUB STATION

PAUL/ANCHOR: There's a new club station - and a new callsign - on the
air in Jordan. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us about it.

JEREMY: The Royal Jordanian Radio Amateur Society has established a new
club station with the callsign JY6SC - one of many stations to be
established at schools, universities and within Jordan's Armed Forces,
to promote amateur radio. It recently received permission to set up the
station from the Jordanian Special Communications Commission, the
governmental agency that oversees the nation's communications network.

The Royal Jordanian Radio Amateur Society was created in 1971 by the
celebrated radio amateur King Hussein, JY1. The amateur group enjoys
the involvement of the royal family, including Prince Hussein, JY2A,
who in 2018 supported the society's launch of the nation's first
amateur satellite. The student-built CubeSat bears the callsign JY1SAT,
in memory of King Hussein, who became a Silent Key in 1999.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(ROYAL JORDANIAN RADIO AMATEUR SOCIETY, 425 DX BULLETIN)

**
APPLICATION PERIOD OPENS FOR YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP

PAUL/ANCHOR: It's almost winter here in the Northern Hemisphere but the application period has already opened for the Americas' Youth on the
Air summer camp to be held next June. This next session of camp has an
extra special theme - and Sel Embee KB3TZD is here to tell us about it.

SEL: The application period has begun for young amateurs living in
North Central or South America who want to attend r-yYouth on the Air'
summer camp next June. To be eligible, hams must be between the ages of
15 and 25, and have a current amateur radio license.

The camp will be held in Huntsville, Alabama, with a focus on STEM
activities that relate to space travel and space exploration. Here on
Earth, the camp will take place from the 14th through the 19th of June.

For details, or to find an online application, visit youthontheair dot
org (youthontheair.org). That's youth-on-the-air, all one word,
dot-org.

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

(YOUTH ON THE AIR)

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BELGIAN EVENT MARKS BATTLE OF THE BULGE ANNIVERSARY

PAUL/ANCHOR: History has marked the Battle of the Bulge as the turning
point in World War II. Amateur radio is marking it too - as a special
event noting its 81st anniversary this year. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has
those details.

JEREMY: The Battle of the Bulge was Adolf Hitler's final major
offensive on the Western Front. His attempt to repel the Allies from German-held territory did not succeed. On the 22nd December 1944, the
Germans delivered an ultimatum to surrender to the Allies in Bastogne,
Belgium -- and the single-word response from US Gen. Anthony McAuliffe
became one for the history books.

His reply was "NUTS!"

That word forms the suffix of the special event station callsign being
used by members of the Brussels Radio Club BXE. Station OR81NUTS will
be on the air from the Bastogne Barracks using CW and SSB on the HF
bands until the 31st of December.

For details, visit the station's QRZ.com page.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM, ARMY.MIL, 425 DX BULLETIN)

**

SILENT KEY: QSL.NET/QTH.NET FOUNDER ALAN L. WALLER, K3TKJ

PAUL/ANCHOR: The founder of the QSL.net and QTH.net websites -- a ham well-known for his technical expertise -- has become a Silent Key. We
hear more about him from Travis Lisk N3ILS.

TRAVIS: When Alan Waller, K3TKJ, created the QSL.net and QTH.net
websites in 1996, he succeeded in expanding the universe of online
information for his fellow amateurs. Al, who got his license in 1962,
made a name for himself over the years as a top contester, as someone well-versed in technical matters and as a big fan of DXing on 6 metres.

Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, he became a Silent Key on the 30th
of November.

In 2002, Al's contributions to amateur radio earned him the Dayton
Hamvention Technical Excellence Award. In 2008, he retired from running
his two websites, entrusting them to Scott KA9FOX so the resources
could remain available.

A statement on the QSL.net home page recalled his lifetime of work,
adding that [quote] "Al's pioneering spirit and technical achievements
will be fondly remembered by friends and colleagues alike." [endquote]

Al was 80.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOME, QSL.NET WEBSITE)

**

UK SMARTPHONES OK'D FOR "DIRECT TO DEVICE" SATELLITE SERVICE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Mobile phone companies in the UK wishing to provide direct-to-device services from satellites are being told to request a
license change from Ofcom. The regulator has approved the rollout of
satellites for delivery of phone calls, texts and Internet in areas of
the UK lacking mobile coverage.This shift brings the UK in line with a
number of other countries, including the US, where direct-to-device was
also approved by the Federal Communications Commission. In the UK, the
earliest adopters are the mobile network operator O2, working with
Starlink, and Vodafone, working with AST. Smartphone users themselves
will not be required to apply for a license.

(OFCOM)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the W9BCC repeater in Wausau Wisconsin on Sundays at 9 p.m. during the
Rib Mountain Repeater Association's Sunday Night Swapnet.

**

HISTORIC STATION TO SEND CHRISTMAS EVE MESSAGE IN CW

PAUL/ANCHOR: The World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station in Sweden is no
stranger to celebrations - certainly not this year, as it marks its
100th year as a treasured communicator. Before its Jubilee year
activities conclude on the 31st of December, the radio station will
once again engage in one of its most popular traditions, its Christmas
Eve message, a longwave transmission in CW. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells
usmore.

GRAHAM: One hundred Christmas Eves will have come and gone when the
callsign SAQ transmits the Christmas Eve message from the Grimeton
Radio Station in Sweden on the morning of December 24th. The operator
will again be using the much-loved transmitter, which utilises an alternating-current generator developed by the pioneering Swedish
engineer Ernst Alexanderson.

The Christmas Eve morning transmission will be sent on 17.2 kHz about a half-hour after the transmitter has been started up. It is a festive
occasion on the radio station site itself but for those who cannot be
there personally, the message can be heard on the air, of course, and
seen on the YouTube channel of the Alexander SAQ Grimeton Friendship Association.

It is a Christmas gift to the world, as the association notes on its
channel, pointing out that this is the [quote] "only remaining electromechanical radio transmitter." [endquote]" Indeed, its continued operation is a holiday gift worth celebrating.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.


(YOUTUBE, GRIMETON RADIO STATION WEBSITE)

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DUTCH RADIO GROUP PUTS SIX "SANTA" STATIONS ON AIR

PAUL/ANCHOR: Who's working harder than Santa himself? Probably the
Dutch Radio Group, whose operators have been on the air since the 10th
of December and will be calling CQ with six special callsigns through
to the 2nd of January. Listen for PD25HOLLY, PD25HOHOHO, PD25REDNOSE, PD25SANTA, PD25XMAS and PD26HNWY. There is a special award for anyone
who works all six stations. If you want to see who is on the air right
now and on what frequency - if you want to see what chasers they have
already worked, visit the QRZ.com page for any of the callsigns listed.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
HAMCATION ANNOUNCES 3 TO RECEIVE HONORS

PAUL/ANCHOR: When hams gather in Orlando, Florida in two months for
HamCation, they will be celebrating the achievement of three notable
amateurs. Kevin Trotman N5PRE tells us about them.

KEVIN: Newsline congratulates three award recipients to be honored at
HamCation 2026 in February in Orlando, Florida. Kansas amateur Tony
Milluzzi, KD8RTT, has been named the 2026 Gordon West Ham Ambassador of
the Year for his support of the Collegiate Amateur Radio Program. The
Carole Perry Educator of the Year award is being given to Nathaniel
Frissel, W2NAF for his ongoing work with the HamSCI citizen science
education program which he founded and continues to grow. The recipient
of the new Amateur Radio Hero Award, is a name well-known to Newsline
and our listeners: Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA. The West Bengal, India,
amateur has been chosen for [quote] "his outstanding support of local
and national emergency operations and law enforcement during
life-threatening events where lives were saved by his actions."
[endquote] He and his club are two-time winners of the former Amateur
Radio Newsline International Newsmaker Award.

Congratulations to everyone. Hamcation will take place on the 13th
through to the 15th of February.

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(HAMCATION)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, special event stations 4X8NER and 4Z8NER will be celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, from the 14th
through to the 22nd of December, as members of the Israel Association
of Radio Communication call CQ on the HF bands. A certificate will be available.

Earl, WA3DX will be active as 9Y9DX from Arouca, Trinidad, IOTA number
SA-011, from the 17th through to the 29th of December, operating mostly
FT8 and FT4. Listen for Earl on 40 through 10 metres.

Andre, ON7YK is using the callsign C5YK from The Gambia until the 25th
of January 2026. Andre is using SSB, FT8, FT4, RTTY and PSK on the HF
bands. He is also operating on 20 through 10 metres using CW.

Listen for the callsign CN25JIM until the 21st of December, but
especially on the 13th of December. The callsign is being activated
from the Middle Atlas mountain range in the Moroccan Sahara to mark International Mountain Day, which is observed on the 11th of December.


For all these stations listed, please see QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

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AN "ANTENNA RACING" EVENT THAT'S ALL IN GOOD SPORT

PAUL/ANCHOR: We end this week with a sports story. Recently, as elite
drivers of motorsport were causing the world's hearts to race alongside
them on the Formula 1 track in Abu Dhabi, a quiet field in New Zealand
erupted with the nail-biting action of the 2025 Antenna Racing World Championship. Of course, only this small part of the immediate world
was participating. Just ask John Williams VK4JJW, who has this report.

JOHN: The quartet of contenders were locked in what one on-site
moderator called [quote] "a battle of pure technical fury."[endquote]
Their telescoping masts, their coax and their antenna analysers were
ready for action. Introducing this world-class portable
antenna-building competition was Amateur Radio Newsline's own Jim
Meachen ZL2BHF, a commentator on the sidelines along with event
organiser, Nick ZL2NEB.

There were more than a few tense moments in this Kaikoura park -- and
there was no room for cheating: Speed of deployment and low SWR were everything. This event showcased what Jim called [quote] "high-octane engineering athletics." [endquote] It was all up to Malcolm, ZL4MWB,
Nick, ZL2NEB, Graeme, ZL1BDS and Stewart, ZL2STR, each taking turns,
one by one, to show that their antennas could resonate with the best of
them. Nick, who had jokingly suggested creating the competition, was
pleased to see POTA/SOTA activators embrace this chance to rev their
engines. Like Formula 1 cars, competitors had to stay on track. So who
won the coveted 40m dipole that had been donated by Greg ZL1GUD from
the HamShack? Tune in to find out, sports fans: We're providing the
YouTube link to the recorded action in the text version of this
newscast at arnewsline.org

Nick, meanwhile, believes that it might be time for these antenna
athletes to go for the gold. He told Newsline in an email: [quote] "I
think that we really have a good chance of it being included in an
upcoming Olympics at some point." [endquote]

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtUNJS8X2ts ]

(YOUTUBE, NICK, ZL2NEB)

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HAIKU AND CLOSE

If you haven't sent in your ham radio haiku yet, what's been stopping
you? Visit our website at arnewsline.org and as you compose your ode to
your favorite online activity, we will help you use the correct number
of syllables to make an authentic haiku. Submit your work and then sit
back and wait to hear whether you are the winner of this week's
challenge. The winner gets a shout-out on our website, where everyone
can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur News Daily; AMSAT News Service; ARRL; Army.mil;
David Behar, K7DB; Facebook; FCC; 425DX Bulletin; Green Mountain
Wireless Society; Grimeton Radio Station; HamCation; Holloway Funeral
Home; Josh Cohen, KB1NIJ, Nick, ZL2NEB; National World War II Museum;
QRZ.com; Royal Jordanian Amateur Radio Society; shortwaveradio.de;
Vermont Public Safety; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana
saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio
Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025. Amateur Radio Newsline retains
ownership of its material even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights
are reserved.




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