From Newsgroup: rec.radio.amateur.misc

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2513 for Friday, December 26th, 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2513 with a release date of
Friday, December 26th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Success for a DMR project in India. Say goodbye
to IRCs -- and a glitch in an atomic clock shows there's no time like
the present. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2513 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

**

SUCCESS WITH STUDENT DMR PROJECT IN INDIA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to India. Exactly one year ago,
ham radio stations were established in 20 residential schools in
disadvantaged areas of one southwestern state. A year later, teachers
and their students have become a small, thriving amateur radio
community thanks to these small digital mobile radios, or DMR. John
Williams VK4JJW has that update.

JOHN: The challenge of teaching science and communication to
disadvantaged students in the Indian state of Karnataka got a big boost
one year ago when the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions
Society turned 20 of its schools into ham shacks. Some of the
teachers became hams and, in turn, guided their young students in
grades 6 through 12 along the way. Forty students became hams and were
soon using the DMR hand-held radios, participating in the daily net and connecting to the world.

More broadly, with the installation of DMR base stations by the Indian Institute of Hams, the schools themselves became communication hubs
that could be used when natural disasters knocked out conventional
means of contact in their remote rural communities.

The past year has been one of challenge and innovation for Shirin,
VU3DBO, one of the 20 teachers in the school system who received her
ham radio certificate from the Ministry of Communication. The science
teacher wove the radio curriculum into the classes where she also
taught about energy, technology, the environment and space.

Shirin told Newsline in an email that the hands-on STEM learning, the
expanded communication skills and the exposure to team work has sparked
the students' curiosity and built confidence over the past year. She
said amateur radio was [quote] "a wonderful hobby, fun in a hands-on
way." [endquote]

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(SHIRIN, VU3DBO)

**
UNIVERSAL POSTAL CONGRESS ENDS USE OF IRCS in 2026

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Say goodbye to IRCs, the coupons that are still in use
in parts of the world by hams requesting QSL cards. Next year at this
time they'll be gone, as we hear from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Although International Reply Coupons, or IRCs, are still being
used by some DX-chasing hams in their requests for QSL cards, that
option is set to end by this time next year. Countries belonging to the Universal Postal Union have voted to discontinue their use effective 31 December 2026. The vote was taken in September at the 28th Universal
Postal Congress held in Dubai. There are a number of IRCs already in circulation that bear the expiration date of 31 December 2025 and they
are expected to be honoured for another year.

In an era marked by a migration toward confirmations on digital
platforms and in digital QSOs, the move brings an already disappearing
amateur radio practice to its conclusion. A statement from the
Universal Postal Union said the sunset of the IRC, first put into
practice in 1907, was [quote] "a natural progression within the broader transformation of international postal services in alignment with the
digital practices and modern outlook of their customers." [Endquote]

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB. (425 DX BULLETIN)

**
BOUVET DXPEDITIONER IS HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY FEATURED SPEAKER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Don't forget the regional amateur radio educational
event taking place on Long Island, New York: Ham Radio University which
- appropriately enough - is taking place on a university campus. Long
Island University-Post campus will be once again hosting the all-day
program on Saturday the 10th of January. Now in its 27th year, Ham
Radio University draws amateurs from around the region and also serves
as the Long Island Section Convention for the ARRL.

This year's featured speaker will be Adrian KO8SCA, who has been
preparing for a return trip to Bouvet Island as co-leader of a
24-member team. The day's offerings will include 23 forums and, of
course, a discussion about POTA, Morse Code and STEM education.

The date is coming up fast. Admission is free but a $10 donation is
suggested. Visit hamradiouniversity dot org for more details (hamradiouniversity.org)

(HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY)

**
SILENT KEY: JIM SHAFFER, KE5AL, ADVOCATE FOR BLIND HAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: An advocate for hams who are blind and for the Handiham
program that serves amateur radio operators with disabilities has
become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Travis Lisk N3ILS.

TRAVIS: The amateur radio software developed by Jim Shaffer, KE5AL,
gave hams who are blind the ability to control and monitor their HF
rigs without needing a sighted person's assistance, providing the
freedom of independent operating in their shacks. The retired IBM
software engineer knew that operating challenge all too well: he was
blind since birth.

Jim became a Silent Key on the 2nd of December. According to his online obituary, the Texas resident died of complications from Parkinson's
disease.

Jim's well-known applications, JJRadio and JJ Flex Radio, attracted
attention for their promise of accessibility when used with many
different radio models. His development of the free programs brought
him to the attention of host Hap Holly/KC9RP, host of the RAIN Report,
which featured an interview with Jim. Hap, who became a Silent Key
earlier this year, had also been blind since birth -- and like Jim,
also supported the Handiham progam, which trains and serves the
community of hams with disabilities.

Non-hams in Central Texas also knew Jim well for his other deep
involvement: He was a versatile musician and popular fiddler in a
number of music groups, including the Piney Grove Ramblers.

Jim was 72.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(AUSTIN NATURAL FUNERALS, HANDIHAM GROUPS.IO LIST, THE RAIN REPORT
ARCHIVE)

**
SILENT KEY: JIM HEATH, W6LG, NOTED YOUTUBE ELMER

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The host of a popular YouTube Channel that made him the
Elmer to nearly 53,000 subscribers and viewers has become a Silent Key.
We hear about him from Paul Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: In many of the videos on his channel, Jim Heath W6LG, introduces
himself as "your YouTube Elmer for ham radio basics." In his easygoing, personable style, Jim explained, in plain and basic language, the
mysteries of SWR, grounding, antennas and dummy loads. A popular
presence on YouTube, Jim brought viewers directly into his radio room
via a YouTube studio inside his shack.

Jim, who had endured years of hospitalizations following a leukemia
diagnosis, became a Silent Key on December 22nd at his California home.
He had been a ham since getting his license in 1964 with the callsign
WN6JZC. He had held his well-known vanity callsign, W6LG, since 2004.
He also grew to love chasing DX and counted among his collection the
QSL cards of King Hussein of Jordan JY1 and Father Marshall D. Moran
9N1MM, the first ham radio operator in Nepal.

Jim had also been the owner of High Sierra, which made one of the first screwdriver antennas for mobile HF use.

Over much of his adult life, Jim faced numerous health challenges -- a disabling fall from a roof in 1998 while working as a building
inspector; and a series of health crises later, including pulmonary
embolisms, congestive heart failure and severe osteoporosis. Then came
the news he had leukemia.

In his final months he appeared on Ham Smarter, the YouTube channel of
Vince D'Eon VE6LK, and the two became friends. Vince described Jim as
[quote] "a good friend to many and an Elmer to all." Announcing Jim's
death, Vince urged hams to continue visiting the W6LG channel so they
can [quote] "learn from the best." [endquote]

Jim was in his mid-70's.

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: To hear a QSO Today interview with Jim in 2020, visit qsotoday.com

(QRZ.COM, QSO TODAY, HAM SMARTER)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the WB0QXW Repeater System in Saint Louis, Missouri on 145.210 Mhz
Mondays after the World Friendship Net beginning at 7 pm Central time.

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MINNESOTA HAM TEAM KEEPS HOLIDAY FEST SAFE AND BRIGHT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The sudden assembly of thousands of people in one
small, rural 16-block-long Minnesota town in early December spurred
swift and careful action from first-responders and amateur radio
operators - but this was no community in crisis; it was a celebration.
Kent Peterson KC0DGY explains.

KENT: The small town of Arlington, Minnesota is always happy to welcome newcomers, particularly at its annual holiday festival, Arli-Dazzle. No
doubt there were first-timers among those attending in the estimated
crowd size of 10,000 who arrived on December 5th and 6th, feeling the
holiday spirit.

Perhaps more importantly, the newcomers included 10 ham radio operators
- six of them newly licensed Technicians, with handy-talkies in hand
-as part of the team of more than 34 hams who volunteered to ensure
that everyone enjoyed this holiday tradition.

Don Burgess, KC0QNA, the emergency radio coordinator for Sibley County,
told Newsline in an email: [quote] "This town event is one that a lot
of my radio team really looks forward to doing each year regardless of
temps or weather conditions. The Local Police Chief looks to us as
his reserve officers in many aspects, and we never let him or the
community down." [endquote]

He said the hams traveled from as far away as Minneapolis and St. Paul
- the so-called "Twin Cities" an hour away - to make sure things went
smoothly, from setting up barricades for the 5K runners to setting up
light generators for the parade route. The Sibley Emergency Radio Team
Club, with Don as safety and logistics coordinator, have provided that reassuring presence for the past 16 years.

The team is no stranger to community service at dozens of public events
- even in nearby towns such as Gaylord. This festival is one that's
special, said Don. [Quote] "It really takes on the mom and pop old days
family Christmas vibes for sure." [Endquote] The team is happy to lend
mom and pop a hand.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(DON BURGESS, KC0QNA)

**
RAY SOIFER W2RS/SK HONORED AGAIN IN AMSAT CW EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The new year brings an opportunity to honor the memory
of a satellite enthusiast who left the lasting legacy of a popular CW
event. We have those details from Randy Sly W4XJ.

RANDY: Ray Soifer, W2RS, loved CW and he also loved satellites. Before
becoming a Silent Key in March of 2022, Ray gave a gift to both the CW
and satellite communities: AMSAT's CW Activity Day, formerly known as
AMSAT Straight Key Night.

The annual event has since been renamed the W2RS Memorial AMSAT CW
Activity Day and, as always, the on-air action is taking place on
January 1st, the same day that the ARRL holds Straight Key Night.
Participants use any amateur radio multi-mode satellite to make QSOs
using CW on that day between 0000 and 2359 UTC. Although the use of a
straight key or a bug is not required, it is strongly encouraged. So
are photos and video clips, which operators are invited to share on
various social media platforms with amsat as the tag. As for logs,
they're not necessary either, but AMSAT would like operators to submit
reports to the AMSAT-BB.

One word of caution: operators are urged to use the minimum power
necessary to complete their contacts. Constant carrier modes such as CW
are capable of disrupting transponders.

This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

(AMSAT NEWS)

**
WORLD OF DX

In this holiday season there is still plenty to celebrate in the World
of DX. Listen for the Israel Amateur Radio Club callsigns 4X25X, 4X25M,
4X25A and 4X25S on the air from the 25th through to the 31st of
December using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via 4X6ZM, through the bureau or
direct.

Throughout the new year 2026 the special callsign DB100FT will be on
the air to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Berlin Radio Tower,
which has played a major role in Germany's radio broadcast history.

Ken, JO1VRK is on the air from Saipan IOTA Number OC-086, from the 29th
of December through to the 3rd of January. Listen on 40-10 metres where
Ken will be using CW and digital modes. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Two special callsigns are celebrating Bulgaria's admission into the
Eurozone and the nation's adoption of the euro as currency. Listen for LZ2025ZONE and LZ2026EURO starting on the 1st of January. QSL via
LZ2VP. An additional callsign, LZ1EURO, will be active from the 1st
through to the 6th of January. QSL via LZ3SCO.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT ... MAYBE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With the old year ending, and a new year starting up,
it might seem to some of us that time is out of sorts. Well, it
actually WAS out of sorts here in the US - in Boulder, Colorado, home
of the F-4 atomic clock that delivers the official time with precision,
right down to the microseconds. Kent Peterson KC0DGY explains.

KENT: A storm-related power cut by the electric utility serving the
Boulder campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
caused a drift in time of 4 millionths of a second in the official
time-keeper, the F-4 atomic clock. Those moments are immeasurable and
of little importance to most of us - except for those who rely on
precision in data centers, global positioning systems, aerospace, telecommunications and the Network Time Protocol service, the timing
resource for computer systems.

In the wake of the storm, Jeff Sherman, the physicist who maintains the
atomic clocks, reported in a mailing-list post on Google groups that
[quote]: "The atomic ensemble time scale at our Boulder campus has
failed due to a prolonged utility power outage." [endquote]

By some reports, then, in late December, time literally stood still
--however briefly -- until the switch was made to a backup generator.
That cost the F-4 atomic clock its accuracy.

Anticipating the storm with winds of hurricane strength, the NIST had previously advised users to connect to redundant systems at other
campuses such as WWV/Fort Collins Colorado, or Gaithersburg, Maryland
which would remain unaffected.

As for the F-4 atomic clock in Boulder, the time discrepancy was
resolved with the clock's recalibration after power was back on by
Sunday, December 21st. It was, of course, just a matter of time.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(CBS NEWS, DENVER POST, NIST GOOGLEGROUPS)

**
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; ARISS;
Austin Natural Funerals; CBS News; David Behar, K7DB; Denver Post; Don
Burgess, KC0QNA; Facebook; Federal Register; 425DX Bulletin; Handiham groups.io; NIST Googlegroups; the RAIN Report Archive;
shortwaveradio.de; 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 Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio
saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. We wish all our
listeners the very best for the year ahead in 2026. 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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