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PY2BIL > ARNR 28.08.26 13:50z 391 Lines 17117 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2548 for Friday, August 28th
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2548 for Friday, August 28th, 2026
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2548 with a release date of Friday,
August 28th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A special event recalls the terror attacks of
9/11. Interference plagues some South African repeaters.-- and a special
request from amateurs in Bangladesh. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2548 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
AMATEURS RECALL 9/11 TERROR ATTACKS ON 25th ANNIVERSARY
PAUL/ANCHOR: A quarter century has passed since the deadly terror attacks
from the sky that destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City, damaged
the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., and led to a disastrous plane
crash in a rural Pennsylvania field. As the nation and the world remember
Sept. 11, 2001, so, too, do amateur radio operators in a special event.
Randy Sly W4XJ gives us the details.
RANDY: The heroes will be celebrated while the victims will be mourned
and remembered as members of the Alabama Contest Group return with special
event station K4A and the message, "9/11, We Do Remember."
The group has organized this years event, as it has every year, since
those are memories meant to be shared as a community. From the 9th through
the 13th of September, volunteer operators will be calling CQ and will
be listening for stories and memories of that day, the heroism and the
heartbreak.
There will be a commemorative QSL card and a full-color certificate at
the end of the event. The Smoke Signals newsletter will also be publishing
many of the stories that operators hear during their contacts as K4A
operators.
Operators will be on all bands using SSB, CW, RTTY, and FT8.
If this date has a special meaning for you, consider joining the team
of activators. You can send an email to Bob WA1FCN at wa1fcn@charter.net
For other details, visit the K4A page on QRZ.com
This is Randy Sly W4XJ.
(ALABAMA CONTEST GROUP)
**
AST SPACEMOBILE'S TESTS ON 800 MHz END ON SEPT. 12
PAUL/ANCHOR: An FCC-approved test of direct-to-device satellite cell
service is set to end in early September, as we hear from Kent Peterson
KCØDGY.
KENT: The Federal Communications Commission has given a Texas satellite
communications company until the 12th of September to complete its trial
use of the 800 MHz spectrum for direct-to-device cellular broadband service.
AST SpaceMobile has been operating under a 30-day permit for delivery
to mobile phones in Lanham [LANNUM], Maryland and near its own Midland,
Texas headquarters. The direct-to-device trial is being run with consumers'
everyday phones.
The regulator granted the approval in April for AST to use frequencies
between 817MHz and 824MHz for uplink and between 862MHz and 869MHz for
downlink. AST SpaceMobile has strategic partnerships with cellular providers
Verizon and AT&T.
The Texas startup company is a rival of SpaceX, which operates the StarLink
satellite constellation, which is also involved in direct-to-device operations.
AST SpaceMobile stirred controversy earlier this year after the FCC granted
it limited use of part of the secondary amateur band between 430 and
440 MHz for emergency telemetry, tracking and control of its satellites.
The FCC has said in the past that interference with ham radio was “unlikely.”
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(LIGHT READING, FCC)
**
GRANT WILL FUND PENNSYLVANIA STUDENT CLUB'S EXPANSION
PAUL/ANCHOR: The coming school year is going to be a lot more interesting
for students in the Advanced Technologies Group, a student ham radio
club at one high school in Pennsylvania. Travis Lisk, N3ILS, tells us
more.
TRAVIS: This school project isn't one for the books. It's one for the
radios! As students prepare for the start of the academic year, plans
are moving forward to expand the amateur radio program at Harbor Creek
High School near the city of Erie. The student ham radio club, KC3SGV,
has received a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications to outfit
a new radio center that will be the gathering spot for the after-school
club. During the day, the center will serve as a laboratory for wireless
technology classes where students can experiment with digital modes,
test antennas and engage in ham radio contests. The station is designed
to operate on-site as well as remotely.
This is only the latest project for this active ham radio group. In December
of 2023, the students had a direct QSO with astronaut Andreas Mogensen
KG5GCZ aboard the International Space Station using antennas and radio
systems that they developed, built, and installed themselves.
Club members and leaders are hoping to spread the excitement about the
radio lab by documenting everything they do, while establishing this
new resource so other schools in the area can see how to set up or expand
their own amateur radio programs.
This is Travis Lisk, N3ILS.
(ARDC)
**
SOUTH AFRICAN REGULATOR TRACKS REPEATER INTERFERENCE.
PAUL/ANCHOR: Authorities believe they have made progress in shutting
down interference plaguing a repeater network in South Africa, as we
hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
JASON: An investigation by South Africa's communications regulator has
identified a business that authorities believe disrupted a number of
amateur radio repeaters throughout the province of Gauteng. According
to media reports, the illegal interference on the band between 430 MHz
and 440 MHz was determined to have come from commercial radio equipment.
The nation's regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South
Africa, said it has traced the interference to a business in the city
of Germiston in the East Rand region of Gauteng.
News reports said that the regulator received help from volunteers of
the South African Radio League's HAMNET Gauteng division. According to
various reports, the HAMNET operators began tracking the transmissions
in response to reports from amateurs trying to use the repeaters in the
East Rand.
The regulator has not released the name of the company publicly due to
legal proceedings under way.
This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
(WIA, CAXTON NETWORK NEWS)
**
COUNCIL DENIES SCOTTISH AMATEUR'S REQUEST FOR MAST
PAUL/ANCHOR: In a scene familiar to many hams in the US and elsewhere,
a local council in Scotland has rejected a homeowners application to
install a mast for his ham radio station, as we hear from Dave Lee M9TLB.
DAVE: Calling it "unacceptable" and "overbearing," local councillors
have denied a Kirkcaldy homeowner's proposal for a ham radio mast standing
11-meters, or 36 feet, tall.
Krzysztof Swierczynski MMØIMU had applied for authorisation several months
ago, telling the Council that he would only raise the mast to its full
height when he needed to use it. He said in a statement: [quote] “Amateur
radio is a nationally and internationally recognised technical hobby
which promotes engineering skills, experimentation and international
communication, and can provide valuable emergency communications when
required.” [endquote]
Councillors rejected the mast as unsuitable for a residential area, saying
its impact on neighbouring homes and rear gardens would be "overbearing"
and beyond the character of the area.
The ham defended his application, saying it supports lawful ham radio
activity. The website, Fife Today, quoted him as saying: [quote] "These
roles are acknowledged in the Scottish Governments national planning
guidance which supports reasonable development by licensed radio amateurs."
[endquote]
This is Dave Lee M9TLB.
(FIFE TODAY)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the ZSØMOT (Zed Ess Zero Em Oh Tee) repeater in Middelburg South Africa
on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. local time.
**
BANGLADESH RADIO SOCIETY ASKS HAMS TO SUPPORT TRANSPONDER REQUEST
PAUL/ANCHOR: As Bangladesh prepares for its second satellite, hams there
are hoping it will carry an amateur radio transponder. Graham Kemp VK4BB
tells how you can help.
GRAHAM: The Amateur Radio Society of Bangladesh hopes to add the voices
of satellite enthusiasts around the globe to their own call for an amateur
radio transponder aboard the nation's second satellite.
While the Bangladesh Satellite-2 is still in the planning stages, the
radio society has applied to the Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited
for the dedicated amateur radio payload. A petition is currently being
circulated, asking for others to stress the importance of getting it
approved. The transponder could be used for ham radio communication,
emergency and disaster communication and technical education and experimentation.
The satellite is intended to be an Earth observation satellite and it
would be the nation's second satellite to be launched. The radio society
believes that a petition, adding the voices of the international ham
radio community, would underscore the need for the transponder.
To see the petition, visit the link in the text version of this week's
newscast at arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: https://s21arsb.com/international-petiton-support
This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.
(AMSAT NEWS, AMSAT-UK)
**
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR ZERO RETRIES DIGITAL CONFERENCE
PAUL/ANCHOR: Registration has opened for the Zero Retries Digital Conference
in San Ramon, California, where
technology enthusiasts, experimenters, engineers and ham radio operators
will explore emerging technologies and digital communications. The conference
will be held on Friday the 16th of October at the Roundhouse Conference
Center. This is its second year.
For programming details or to register, visit the link in the text version
of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: https://www.zeroretries.org/p/conference ]
(ZERO RETRIES NEWSLETTER)
**
MARYLAND HAMS SUPPORT 6th ANNUAL HACKATHON FOR TEENS
PAUL/ANCHOR: Ham radio will have a strong presence at a Maryland Hackathon
for teenagers that is being hosted at a regional library. Sel Embee KB3TZD
has those details.
SEL: The sixth annual Hackathon for teenagers, hosted by the 780th Military
Intelligence Brigade in Maryland, will focus on science, technology,
engineering and mathematics - with amateur radio in the mix. The event
at the Odenton Regional Library on the 29th of September is a project
of the civilians and soldiers at Fort Meade, who will showcase Python
programming challenges, cybersecurity issues, reverse engineering and
logic games.
Members of the Maryland Mobileers Amateur Radio Club will be joining
the event to demonstrate different methods of wireless communication
to the teens. The ham club's commitment to nurturing youthful interest
in ham radio is evident on its website, which explains how the Maryland
Mobileers Youth Amateur Radio Club shares the radio experience with children
and teens, including through Parks on the Air activations.
This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.
(MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BRIGADE, MARYLAND MOBILEERS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)
**
RSGB'S "CODING WEEK" BLENDS RADIO WITH PROGRAMMING SKILLS
PAUL/ANCHOR: Programming has become an increasingly important part of
amateur radio and the Radio Society of Great Britain is bringing back
an event known as National Coding Week. Its goal is to help hams gain
knowledge and confidence. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what's involved.
JEREMY: The days between the 14th and 20th of September are being set
aside as National Coding Week. The Outreach Team of the Radio Society
of Great Britain is devoting the week to providing hams with activities
that will sharpen their digital skills and familiarise them with the
kind of programming needed in amateur radio. The emphasis is on problem-solving
- something basic to amateur radio. Worksheets are available on the RSGB
website that can help hams get started. There are two challenges involving
micro:bits, including one that can be used to send CW wirelessly or via
a telegraph wire. Another small project makes use of the language of
the Arduino with the Raspberry Pi Pico.
Follow the link that appears in the text version of this week's newscast
for more details.
[DO NOT READ: rsgb.org/main/coding-and-amateur-radio ]
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(RSGB)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, listen for Graham, MM8IJU and Eric, GM5RDX using
the callsign J38LD and J38DX, respectively, from Grenada, IOTA Number
NA-024, from the 1st through to the 12th of September. They will be
using SSB and FT8/FT4 on 80-6 metres.
Listen for the special callsign TF8ØIRA which is on the air through the
31st of December, marking the upcoming 80th anniversary since the founding
of Icelandic Radio Amateurs, the nation's IARU member society. The actual
date of the founding was the 14th of August 1947.
Another anniversary is being celebrated in Poland. A number of special
event callsigns will be used to call CQ to mark the 100th anniversary
of the Polish State Railways from the 1st through to the 30th of September.
The callsigns include 3Z1ØØPKP, HF1ØØPKP and several others with different
prefixes, all ending in 1ØØPKP.
Hanspeter, HB9BFM, is using the callsign V5/HB9BFM from a number of different
locations in Namibia where he will be on the air until the 20th of September.
Miguel, LX1MDA, is operating holiday-style as CT9/LX1MDA from the Madeira
Islands, IOTA number AF-014, until the 6th of September. Listen for
him on 40-10 metres where he will be operating SSB and FT8.
For QSL information and other details please see each station's page
on QRZ.com.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: MEET CARSTEN GLASBRENER, KQ4SJM, NEWSLINE'S YOUNG HAM OF THE
YEAR
PAUL/ANCHOR: Our final story celebrates Newsline's Young Ham of the Year
for 2026, and Don Wilbanks AE5DW was in Huntsville, Alabama to congratulate
him. Don?
DON: The third weekend in August is the culminaton of a lot of what Amateur
Radio Newsline does besides produce a weekly newscast. It's the Huntsville
Hamfest and our Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year award presentation.
Bill was a huge believer in promoting youth in amateur radio and created
the award back in 1986, 40 years ago now, to promote and celebrate the
amazing things youth are doing in and with the hobby. Our 2026 recipient,
Carsten Glasbrener KQ4SJM is a perfect reflection of that. Licensed at
age 11, now 14 and a General, Carsten has over 100 satellite contacts
and is an AMSAT ambassador, thanks in large part to his father, Drew
Glasbrenner KO4MA, AMSAT-NA president.
Here are Carsten's remarks:
"Thank you. Ever since a young age I've always been around radios with
my dad, couldn't have done it without him. I also want to thank Mark
Hammond N8MH for nominating me for the award. Really grateful for everything."
Next up is John Kruk N9UPC of Yaesu USA:
"When I started with Yaesu back in 2017 Dennis Motschenbacher K7BV, who
is now a Silent Key, said one of the most important things about the
Huntsville Hamfest was ham radio youth on there, and each year we did
this award and Yaesu USA is always proud to be part of it. This year
and each year we do we try to find out what would be a good donation
to, or a prize I should say for the winner of it and by default, your
dad helped us pick this one out. We are more than happy to give him an
FTM-510D mobile radio, which has the ability to work satellites. We thought
how fitting to do that. On behalf of Yaesu USA, congratulations and here's
your gift."
In addition to the radio, Heil Ham Radio presented Carsten a BM-17 dual
sided headset, the proper Yaesu adapter for the headset and a foot switch.
We could not do this without our friends at Yaesu USA and Heil Ham Radio.
Now we rest until March 2027 when the nominating period opens for next
year. Until then, congratulations to Carsten, you're now part of the
Newsline family, and we could not be more proud.
I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to the Alabama Contest Group Amateur Radio Daily, Amateur
Radio Digital Communications; AMSAT News; AMSAT-UK; Caxton Network News;
David Behar, K7DB; 425 DX Bulletin; FCC; Fife Today; LightReading.com;
Maryland Mobileers Amateur Radio Club; Military Intelligence Brigade;
QRZ.com; Wireless Institute of Australia; Zero Retries newsletter; 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 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
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