| |
PY2BIL > ARNR 21.08.26 11:33z 341 Lines 14999 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 53680_PY2BIL
Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2547 for Friday, August 21st
Path: HB9ON<DK0WUE<IW2OHX<GB7OSW<GB7BED<EI2GYB<PY2BIL
Sent: 260821/1118Z 53680@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM LinBPQ6.0.25
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2547 for Friday, August 21st, 2026
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2547 with a release date of Friday,
August 21st, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Parks on the Air begins a review of thousands
of sites in France. A grant gives a boost to the Youth DXpedition set
for Christmas Island -- and new hams in India get their first disaster-drill
experience. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number
2547 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
SWEEPING REVIEW PLANNED FOR FRENCH POTA DESIGNATIONS
JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report in France, where sweeping changes
are expected to affect a vast number of parks' continued eligibility.
Jeremy Boot G4NJH brings us up to date.
JEREMY: In a statement that has been stirring global controversy, the
POTA board has said that it has begun a review of thousands of French
ZNIEFF-recognised parks which, according to board members, may not be
qualified to continue under POTA's rules. The statement explained that
the board is looking at the "legal and administrative authority behind
the designation," which is the core argument behind the review. ZNIEFF,
which stands for Zone Naturelle 'Intérêt Écologique, Faunistique et Floristique,
is a national designation given to ecologically important sites featuring
biodiversity.
According to the statement, if a park loses its designation, activations
that have already taken place will remain credited for both hunters and
chasers. The POTA board said, however, it has no intention of continuing
to maintain former status for any parks that do not meet POTA's eligibility.
The statement said: [quote] "Historical operating credit can be preserved
without requiring an ineligible reference to remain active indefinitely."
[endquote]
POTA said that France is not being singled out, as some public statements
have suggested. Although different nations have different government
frameworks and manage their parks differently, other countries' parks
could likewise come under the same scrutiny. The board said that [quote]
"the challenge is making sure that growth occurs within a framework that
can be applied fairly and sustainably around the world." [endquote]
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(PARKS ON THE AIR)
**
RHODE ISLAND POTA ENTHUSIASTS PLAN 'ACTIVATION-A-THON'
JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in the US, Rhode Island may be the smallest state
but next month it will have the biggest ambitions - at least as far as
Parks on the Air is concerned. Sel Embee KB3TZD explains.
SEL: How do you activate all 61 POTA-designated parks in the state of
Rhode Island? You plan a POTA "activation-a-thon" - which is what Rhode
Island Parks on the Air is calling the three-day event next month. This
is a formal, organized challenge by the community-based group, which
has its own website and schedule of activations, encouraging all US and
DX stations to work as many of the parks as possible. The activity will
be focused on September 11th, 12th and 13th but some operators will be
on the air as early as the 10th.
Those watching the action will be able to monitor a realtime dashboard
of who is on the air and see what parks will be activated next.
Visit the website r i p o t a.org for details or, if you happen to be
in Rhode Island that weekend, be sure to register.
This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.
(RHODE ISLAND PARKS ON THE AIR, WIA)
**
ACTIVATOR LIST GROWS FOR CHURCHES AND CHAPELS EVENT
JIM/ANCHOR: At churches and chapels in the UK, the US and elsewhere,
a popular event returns next month blending the ecumenical spirit with
some electromagnetic strength. Dave Lee M9TLB has those details.
DAVE: Few things are more powerful than the combined presence of two
fellowships. Next week, many in the worldwide amateur radio community
are going to church. They are calling CQ on the second Saturday of September,
just as they first did in 2013. The popular event, Churches and Chapels
on the Air, has its roots with the Huddersfield South Methodist Radio
Club, G3LQK. It was there that the Rev. Arthur W. Shepherd, G3NGF, created
an organisation that later came to be known as the World Association
of Christian Amateurs and Listeners, an ecumenical group with the callsign
M1CRA.
So many years later, the tradition continues. Outside the same venue
in communities where congregants often bring their faith and their prayers,
hams will be setting up portable stations on the 12th of September, from
10 am to 4 pm local time.
Event organisers are encouraging amateurs radio operators to talk to
their vicars, ministers and church elders and request permission to activate
there for the day. In some years, churches have even permitted antennas
to be installed temporarily on their towers. Stations are encouraged
to register for the one-day event. An email address for registration
- and the event website - can be found in the text version of this week's
newscast at arnewsline.org
This is Dave Lee M9TLB.
[DO NOT READ: Register at jhwresdell@gmail.com
Visit website at: https://wacral.org/chota )
(CHURCHES AND CHAPELS ON THE AIR)
**
DXPEDITIONERS SHARE PREVIEW OF CAMBODIA 2027
JIM/ANCHOR: The XU7X DXPedition to Cambodia is still more than a year
away, but it is already foremost in the minds of those looking to make
contact with this coveted DX entity. DXpedition leaders revealed details
of their plans recently to the Sao Paulo chapter of Brazil's national
amateur radio society. We hear more from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: The action behind the scenes is already very intense for the
20 DXpeditioners from Brazil, Ecuador, Japan, the United States and Bosnia
& Herzegovina. They plan to activate Koh Rong Island, off the Cambodian
coast, operating all the major modes around the clock for 10 days in
November of 2027.
Providing a preview on the YouTube channel of the Sao Paulo chapter of
the Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão, the DXpedition's leadership
confirmed said that things are moving forward. They learned in June from
the Cambodian telecommunications regulator that their licence would be
granted soon. Although they have found the bureaucracy challenging, access
to the site itself is expected to be simple: They will navigate to the
island by water taxi. The team's HF antennas will benefit from being
near the salt water.
Expectations are high. Both Mario PY2DV and Alex, PY2WAS, said they expected
to surpass the QSO count of 50,000 from last year's Galapagos HD8G activation,
The interview, in Portuguese, can be found on the YouTube channel of
LABRE-SP.
(BILL, PY2BIL)
**
CHRISTMAS ISLAND YOUTH DXPEDITION GETS GRANT
JIM/ANCHOR: The VK9XY Youth DXpedition to Christmas Island in November
has gained support from the Northern California DX Foundation. The foundation
announced in early August that it was giving a grant for the 18-day activation,
which is being planned, led and operated by young operators. Eight of
the DXpeditioners will be on the island and another 30 or 40 will operate
remotely from around the world using two radio-in-a-box stations paid
for by the foundation.
The team expects to be calling CW around the 16th of November.
(NCDXF)
**
TIME RUNS OUT FOR SPACE STATION ANTENNA SWAP
JIM/ANCHOR: If you think swapping out an antenna here on Earth is a challenge,
try doing it while you're floating in space for several hours, as two
astronauts tried to do outside the International Space Station -- before
they ran out of time. Kevin Trotman N5PRE has that story.
KEVIN: Astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot KJ5LTN teamed up outside
the ISS for some lengthy and delicate antenna work early on Tuesday the
18th of August. Their spacewalk focused on swapping out a space-to-ground
antenna, a task that was covered live on NASA's website and the European
Space Agency's YouTube channel.
Like its predecessor, the new high-speed data and communications antenna
was to provide a vital connection between the ISS and NASA's Mission
Control Center in Houston. However, the pair ran out of time: Removing
the failed antenna took longer than expected. Fortunately, the ISS has
two of these antennas so communication can proceed normally even though
the replacement is not in place. Another spacewalk is on the schedule
for Tuesday, August 25th but it's not clear whether the new antenna will
be installed then.
This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.
(NASA.GOV, SPACEFLIGHT NOW)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the KØAMA repeater in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and the linked KDØNU
repeater in Aspen, on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Time.
**
DISASTER DRILL TRAINS INDIA'S NEWEST HAMS
JIM DAMRON/ANCHOR: Some of the newest amateur radio operators in one
part of India got the best training tool they could want: a scripted
emergency drill. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us how it went.
JIM MEACHEN: Some of the newest licensed hams in West Bengal, India,
got to put their privileges to the test recently during a disaster management
communication drill in Kolkata.
Although this was a mock disaster, the exercise placed the same demands
on the radio operators that they would face during a real crisis. They
had to quickly set up 10 temporary stations and establish communication
with one another.
Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club.
said that classes had been held before the drill so that the hams could
be confident in knowing every procedure necessary - from checking the
radios, cables and antennas, to measuring and ensuring an acceptable
SWR.
The August 9th drill was was attended by officers from the National Disaster
Response Force of the Indian government; the Disaster Management Officers
from the state of West Bengal; Civil Defence volunteers; and the local
municipality - all of whom, no doubt, may one day need the skills of
these new hams if disaster strikes.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)
**
AMSAT CANADA BEGINS MEMBERSHIP EFFORTS
JIM/ANCHOR: As it increases its presence and its plans in the amateur
radio satellite world, AMSAT-Canada is looking to grow a membership base
for support, as we hear from John Williams VK4JJW.
JOHN: AMSAT-Canada has begun offering memberships to help promote amateur
radio in space. The organisation recently celebrated the designation
of MARMOTSat, a university-built CubeSat, as Canada's first official
OSCAR designated satellite.
AMSAT-Canada hopes to continue its development and promotion of satellites
and amateur radio and is preparing for a major role in the futureGEO
project. The European Space Agency initiative is intended to provide
digital and multi-mode satellite coverage for amateur radio in Europe
and parts of North America.
Full membership and affiliate membership are both available on an annual
basis. For membership benefit details and other information, visit the
link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org
This is John Williams VK4JJW.
[DO NOT READ amsat-ca.org/membership ]
(AMSAT-CANADA)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, special event callsign 4A2MAX is on the air through
to the 31st of August in memory of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, SP3RN,
the priest who is regarded as the patron saint of amateur radio. He died
at Auschwitz on the 14th of August after offering to give up his life
so that a fellow prisoner would be spared. Listen on various HF bands
where hams will be calling CQ using different modes.
Gunter, DK2WH, will be on the air as V51WH or using the contest callsign
V55Y from Namibia from the 25th of August through to the 10th of October.
Gunter will be using SSB, FT8, RTTY, and some CW on 160-6 metres.
Listen for Alex, SQ9UM, using the callsign 3B8/SQ9UM from Mauritius,
IOTA Number AF-049, from the 21st through to the 27th of August. He will
be using FT8/FT4 and CW with some SSB on 40-10 metres.
Several special event stations in different federal territories and Malaysian
states are marking their National Day on the 31st of August and Malaysia
Day on the 16th of September. Be listening for their activations between
the 22nd of August and the 30th of September. Callsigns include 9M26MS
from Sabah and 9M26MQ from Sarawak in East Malaysia and 9M26MA, 9M26MB,
9M26MC and 9M26MD, among others, in West Malaysia.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: LIKE MOTHER, LIKE SON - OR NOT
JIM/ANCHOR: There's nothing like a little friendly competition in amateur
radio - especially when you're keeping it in the family, as we hear from
Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
RALPH: April 21, 2023 was a proud day for Margie Anderson and David Boynton
of Phoenix, Arizona. Mother and son received their ham radio licenses
that day after studying together and testing successfully together. Now
they were no longer just a family; they were an amateur radio team. Togetherness
prevailed once more a short time later as they studied and upgraded from
Technician Class to General.
Then, Margie, KK7MGK, and David, KK7MGJ, discovered DXing the same way
they discovered amateur radio - together. That's when things changed
- and the race was on. Her HF rig and a flagpole antenna was putting
her on the map of the world, news she shared with her son who, is working
hard to keep up with his mom's DX record."
While many mothers like to promise their sons and daughters the world,
it soon became apparent that David was going to have to work hard to
get his own piece of the planet.
For now, however, David can take comfort in one thing. Their FCC licenses
put him in front of mom in one respect. His callsign ends in "J." Mom's
ends in "K." So he will always be one letter ahead.
This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
(GREYLINE ANTENNA, FCC)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA; AMSAT-Canada;
AMSAT News; Bill, PY2BIL; Churches and Chapels on the Air; David Behar,
K7DB; 425 DX Bulletin; FCC; Greyline Antenna; NASA; Northern California
DX Foundation; Parks on the Air; Rhode Island Parks on the Air; QRZ.com;
Spaceflight Now; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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 Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston West Virginia
saying 73. As always, we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm)
is Copyright 2026. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material
even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
