From Newsgroup: rec.radio.amateur.misc

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2496 for Friday, August 29th, 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2496 with a release date of
Friday, August 29th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A prototype satellite for broadband faces
launch delays. The Route 66 Special Event gets an eye in the sky -- and
remote operators are needed for the Andaman Island DXpedition. All this
and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2496 comes your way
right now.

**
AST SPACEMOBILE SATELLITE FACES LAUNCH DELAYS

DON/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Texas, where the company behind a prototype broadband satellite has announced delays in the project's
launch. Kent Peterson KC0DGY has more details.

KENT: The US mobile broadband provider that hopes to use amateur radio frequencies to support its planned satellite-based network has rolled
back the date for the launch of its prototype satellite. This is the
second delay by AST SpaceMobile, which had originally hoped to launch
the satellite, known as FM1, in August and first postponed it to
October or November. India's space agency, ISRO, confirmed the delay in
a press conference with local Indian media, adding that FM1 would
likely not launch until the first quarter of 2026. FM1, which has a phased-array antenna, is designed to function as a cell tower
fromspace.

The announcement comes barely a week after the company said it expects
to launch between 45 and 60 satellites by next year.

No reason was given for the postponement, which was reported on the
PCMag website. AST SpaceMobile is building its network in partnership
with Verizon and AT&T and is considered a rival to Starlink services
which are partnered with T-Mobile.

Texas-based AST SpaceMobile has asked the FCC to authorize its
network's use of amateur radio frequencies between 430 and 440 MHz - a
request that has drawn challenges from the amateur radio community. In
July, the FCC assigned FM1 the callsign WP2XRX, which expires on July
1st, 2027. Its license authorizes experimental operation for mobile
satellite services only on 37.5 to 42 GHz, and 2.235 GHz and 2.245 GHz.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(PCMAG)

**

MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE NETWORK AIDS SAILING VESSEL

DON/ANCHOR: Ham radio helped turn the tide this month for a stranded
sailing vessel off the California coast. Kevin Trotman N5PRE has
thatstory.

KEVIN: Sailing off the coast of San Francisco on August 3rd, the
captain and crew of four aboard the vessel, Windchaser, found that
their boat had become dead in the water, adrift after its propeller got entangled with a rope. Without cell service available, the captain.
Dennis Dickerson, KI6KQJ, reached out to the Maritime Mobile Service
Network on 20m, contacting net control John McGowan, K2JBX. After
hearing that all aboard were safe, John said he would check in with
Dennis the next day because the crew hoped to paddle ashore for repairs
then. That scheduled check-in proved significant: Park rangers at the
hoped-for landing site, Point Reyes Marine Reserve, were initially
hesitant to grant access to the boat because the reserve is so
environmentally sensitive. According to net manager Jeff Savasta,
KB4JKL, John was able to help secure special permission for the boat to
land for repairs - but by the time that critical permission was
granted, propagation had changed.

The boat could not be reached immediately, however, when conditions
changed, Jeff, on the next shift, was able to deliver the good news
--and the boat was on its way.

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(JEFF SAVASTA, KB4JKL)

**
AERONAUTICAL ROVER JOINS ROUTE 66 ON THE AIR

DON/ANCHOR: This year, the team of operators behind the annual Route 66
On the Air special event are going above and beyond - REALLY above and
REALLY beyond. Andy Morrison K9AWM explains how.

ANDY: Look up in the sky! It's not a bird.....no, it's a plane and it's
piloted by Bill Hartsell, N3WSH. Bill will be using the callsign W6Y as
the first-time aeronautical rover for this year's Route 66 On the Air
special event. When hams get on the air on September 6th, he'll be in
the air, operating as this year's first-time bonus station through
September 9th.

Bill, a retired US Air Force pilot from Oklahoma, will be flying about
7,000 feet high above the traffic on the nation's Mother Road, making
the trip from Chicago to Santa Monica and making QSOs with licensed
hams on the ground who are near his route, which he will travel both
eastbound and westbound during the event.

He will be calling QRZ on 146.490 MHz simplex. If you get him, it's a
bonus. Either way, you can still get a Clean Sweep chasing the other
stations.

The 26th annual special event, organized by the Citrus Belt Amateur
Radio Club, will remain active for a few more days after Bill's
activations, coming in for a landing itself on the 14th.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

[DO NOT READ: https://globe.adsbexchange.com/ ]

(NORVAL KENNEDY, N3OUN; ROUTE 66 ON THE AIR WEBSITE)

**
SILENT KEY; ODINN THOR, TF2MSN, ICELANDIC DXER

DON/ANCHOR: A notable DXer from Iceland has become a Silent Key, as we
hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: DXers who looked forward to hearing a friendly, familiar voice
from Iceland were saddened this month to learn that the contact they
were hoping to log had become a Silent Key. The death of Odinn Thor
TF2MSN on the 19th of August in Reykjavik was reported by the Icelandic
Amateur Radio Association, sharing the news provided by his family.

First licensed in 2011, Odinn began as an enthusiastic operator on SSB,
later embracing such digital modes as FT4 and FT8.

According to J||nas Bjarnason, TF3JB, president of Icelandic Radio
Amateurs, Odinn had been in poor health for the past 30 years or so,
following an accident on a fishing boat. Jonas told Newsline by email
that "ham radio was his life" almost 24 hours a day. In addition to
being active locally on 2 metres, he was an enthusiastic participant in numerous events held by Icelandic Radio Amateurs, including Field Day.

Odinn was 62.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(JONAS BJARNASON, TF3JB; DX-WORLD-NET)

**
SILENT KEY: LOU DIETRICH, DXER, PAST CHAIRMAN OF INDEXA

DON/ANCHOR: Another noted DXer and leader in the radio community has
become a Silent Key, as Stephen Kinford N8WB, tells us.

STEPHEN: Lou Dietrich, N2TU, gave priority to building community across
the globe through radio - and he was a prominent advocate of that in
his former role as chairman of the board of directors of the
International DX Association.

Lou became a Silent Key on the 15th of August.

He had been a DXpeditioner as well as a DXer, knowing that the thrill
of the chase is only half of the challenge. He was part of the K1N
activation of Navassa Island in 2015 and a team co-leader for the K5P
Palmyra DXpedition in 2016. He was also part of the Sable Island CY0S DXpedition in 2023 and the St. Paul Island DXpedition CY9C in 2024.

Lou was originally licensed as WV2RNW as a teenager in high school in
the 1960s and after his license lapsed, became relicensed in 1981.

His obituary on the ARRL website noted that he had been part of the
league's DX Advisory Committee. His awards from the league include
Ten-Band DXCC and the DXCC Top of the Honor Roll. He belonged to the
Carolina DX Association

Lou was 78.

This is Stephen Kinford N8WB.

(425 DX BULLETIN, ARRL)

**
HURRICANE WATCH NET MARKS 60 YEARS OF SERVICE

DON/ANCHOR: No one celebrates hurricane season, of course, but there IS something to celebrate at this time of the year at the US National
Hurricane Center. Randy Sly W4XJ explains.

RANDY: On the weekend of August 30th, the Hurricane Watch Net
celebrates 60 years of service to the U.S. National Hurricane Center
and communities impacted by the storms.

The HWN began in 1965 when amateur radio operator Jerry Murphy, K8YUW,
heard calls from hams in the Bahamas asking for information about
Hurricane Betsy. Seeing the need for an organized net, Murphy began coordinating and relaying reports from hams in the Bahamas, Florida and
across the affected region. The current net manager, Bobby Graves,
stated [quote] "when information is scarce and lives are at stake,
amateur radio can be a lifeline."

Today, nearly 60 volunteers across the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Honduras, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and Aruba relay real-time weather
data and storm damage reports directly to NHC's amateur station,
WX4NHC. Since its founding, the Net has supported 156 landfalling
hurricanes, including 60 major hurricanes and 12 Category 5 storms.

A special operating event commemorating the anniversary was held in
early June, since the actual date fell during the peak hurricane
season.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

(HURRICANE WATCH NET)

**
BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the
W0CRA repeater system in Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs on
Sundays at 9 a.m. local time.

**
HAMS HELP SONOMA SPRINGS RESIDENTS WITH GMRS

DON/ANCHOR: In one California county, radios are becoming more and more
of a safety net, as we learn from Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. RALPH: In
Sonoma County, California, floods, wildfires and earthquakes are among
the best reasons for becoming a radio operator. With that in mind the
county's Department of Emergency Management has entered the second year
of a three-year program that includes helping more Sonoma Springs area residents to get licensed and get on the air. The initiative has been
funded through a $70,000 federal grant.

Emergency management officials are now preparing for training sessions
in October that will prepare area residents for an exam leading toward
a license to use handheld radios, especially at times when cellular
telephone networks fail. The radios are part of General Mobile Radio
Services, or GMRS, a licensed service operating between 462 MHz and 467
MHz. The county is coordinating with amateur radio operators in the
North Bay Communications Cooperative and its Auxiliary Communications
System. The goal is to coordinate frequencies so that the GMRS users
can work seamlessly within the broader emergency communications system.

The focus is on residents in the community of Sonoma Springs, which is classified as an evacuation zone when there are wildlfires, but
participants who live outside the area are also welcome to enroll.

The county's program can supply as many as 175 of the radios to
participants who successfully complete the program. The grant also
covers fees for the license exam.

Emergency management specialist Nancy Brown told the Sonoma News that
radio is seen as the ultimate and most resilient backup plan. She said:
[quote] "No matter what happens, you have something that will work."
[endquote]

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(SONOMA NEWS)

**
ANDAMAN ISLAND DXPEDITION RECRUITING YOUNG REMOTE OPS

DON/ANCHOR: Next Year's Andaman Island DXpedition is looking for remote operators - and giving special priority to young operators. Jim Meachen
ZL2BHF has that story.

JIM: The team planning the Andaman Island DXpedition in 2026 has an
ambitious agenda: the goal is to log at least 100,000 QSOs while the
team is on the air from the Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal.

Contacts from around the world are expected to keep the on-site crew of
18 busy but organisers plan to add to the team by bringing remote
operators, especially young licensed amateurs, on board.

The remote team lead, Gerry, W1VE, is a veteran of remote operations
for the VP6A, E51D and other DXPeditions, and is hoping to replicate
those successes with the Andaman Island DXpedition. Hams who
participate in the remote operation will be required to have an Indian
visa and an amateur radio license from India even though they will not
be physically present. Operators are to be selected by the 1st of
April, 2026.

It promises to be a busy time once the activation gets under way on
Oct. 19, 2026. The operators expect to participate in the 2026 CQ WW
SSB Contest representing India They will also be activating three POTA
sites between the 27th and the 29th of October. The entity is also IOTA
AS-001.

Gerry asks that interested amateurs contact him directly via email at
gerry at remote dot radio. That's "Gerry" spelled "G E R R Y" at remote
dot radio (gerry@remote.radio).

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(DX-WORLD)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Maxim OH7O [OH H SEVEN OH] operating as
XW4YY from Laos from the 29th of August through to the 11th of
September. Maxim will be on most of the HF bands, starting with 40m,
using SSB and FT8. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Adrian, M1LCR, will be on the air holiday style as SV8/M1LCR/p from
Paxos Island, IOTA Number EU-052, from the 2nd through to the 13th of September. Listen for him on 80-6m using SSB and RTTY, with his main
activity to take place during the IARU Region 1 Field Day. See QRZ.com
for QSL details.

The 12th Borneo Amateur Radio Festival will be celebrated by members of
the Amateur Radio Club Sarawak using the callsign 9M8BARF from the 1st
through to the 15th of September. The festival is being held in
Sarawak, East Malaysia. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Harald, DF2WO will be active again as 9X2AW from Rwanda from the 1st
through to the 27th of September. Harald operates CW, SSB and FT8/FT4
using various bands, including 6 metres. He will also be using the
QO-100 satellite. See QRZcom for QSL details.

(DX-WORLD, 425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: A RADIO HOMECOMING, ONE CENTURY LATER

DON/ANCHOR: Our final story takes us to Australia, where - for a few
hours - one radio operator is returning ham radio to the former home of
the first lady of radio in the state of Victoria. Graham Kemp VK4BB
takes us there.

GRAHAM: Elizabeth Hutchings, VK3HM, had the distinction of being the
first YL licensed as an amateur radio operator in the state of
Victoria, Australia. Radio apparently was in the family's genes -- in
the 1920s, her son Alan held the callsign VK3HL and her daughter,
Marjorie, was licensed as VK3HQ.

Some 100 years later on the Callawadda land where the famliy's old
radio shack still stands, Geoff Smart, VK3GCM, is putting amateur radio
back into action. He chose this property, known as Bryn Avon, as his
QTH for the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association's annual
competition. Geoff knew Bryn Avon from commercial consultancy work he
had done but he only learned of its connection to ham radio after
reading an article by ALARA historian Jennifer Wardrop VK3WQ.

It's been a busy year of celebration for ALARA, which was founded in
1975. The association's contest, held every year during the last full
weekend in August, is one of the many ways the group has been marking
the occasion. The rules of the international contest stipulate that YLs
may work anyone they please but men can only work YLs.

As Newsline went to production, Geoff was making plans to be active
from the farm on 40 metres. Whether operating from the home of a
notable YL from Victoria gives him a winning edge in a YL association
contest remains to be seen. Win or lose, no doubt this would meet with
the approval of one radio pioneer from Victoria.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(GEOFF SMART, VK3GCM; ALARA)

**

It's now even easier to send in your ham radio haikus to us here at
Newsline! 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 ALARA; Amateur News Daily; AMSAT News Service; ARRL;
David Behar K7DB; DXNews; 425DX Bulletin; FCC; Geoff Smart, VK3GCM;
Hurricane Watch Net; Jeff Savasta, KB4JKL; Jonas Bjarnason, TF3JB;
Norval Kennedy, N3OUN; PCMag website; shortwaveradio.de; Sonoma News;
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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune,
Mississippi 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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