PY2BIL > ARNR     04.04.25 13:00z 406 Lines 19045 Bytes #110 (0) @ WW
BID : 100839PY2BIL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2475 for Friday, April 4th, 20
Path: ED1ZAC<ED1ZAC<LU4ECL<LU9DCE<VE3TOK<VE3CGR<VE2PKT<PY2BIL<PY2BIL
Sent: 250404/0945 @:PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM Sally 7.2.061  $:100839PY2BIL
From: PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2475 for Friday, April 4th, 2025
  
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2475 with a release date of Friday, 
April 4th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Hams respond as a deadly earthquake rocks Thailand 
and Myanmar. In the US, Voice of America gets a reprieve -- and a Fram2 
spacecraft astronaut enjoys a QSO with her former school. All this and more 
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2475 comes your way right now.

** 
BILLBOARD CART

**
HAMS RESPOND AS DEADLY QUAKE ROCKS THAILAND, MYANMAR

NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with a developing story. A 7.7 magnitude 
earthquake struck near Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, and 
rocked the region on Friday the 28th of March. Hams in Thailand were among 
those who were called up to help with communications, particularly amid the 
wreckage in Bangkok. Jason Daniels VK2LAW has the latest.

JASON: As the death toll climbed in a number of countries, emergency 
communication took on paramount importance in the South Asian nations hit by 
the earthquake. Its strength was felt in Bangkok, Thailand, affecting that 
city's high-rise buildings. The search for survivors continued beneath the 
wreckage of one prominent tower that had been toppled while under 
construction in the city. Jakkree Hantongkom, HS1FVL, emergency 
communications director of IARU Region 3, told IARU Region 1's Greg Mossop, 
GØDUB, that members of the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand have been 
assisting the government with emergency communications in the city and in 
the surrounding area utilising VHF.

The death toll in the region itself was climbing well into the thousands as 
search and rescue efforts continued.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(ABC.AU NEWS, JAKKREE HANTONGKOM, HS1FVL; GREG MOSSOP, GØDUB)

**
COURT HALTS WHITE HOUSE ACTION AGAINST VOICE OF AMERICA

NEIL/ANCHOR: We also begin this week with another developing story. Its long 
run of disseminating news to overseas countries under restrictive regimes 
may not be all over after all for the Voice of America. VOA has succeeded in 
its court challenge to the US government's decision to dismantle the 
international news service. Workers at the VOA were among a number of 
international news services within the US Agency for Global Media who were 
told they were being taken off the air and put on administrative leave.

Responding to a lawsuit by a group of VOA employees, a Manhattan federal 
judge acted on March 28th to halt the order that originated from the White 
House. The US District Court judge called the agency's action "a classic 
case of arbitrary policymaking." Radio Free Asia, another international news 
organization, is also seeking court action to halt its shutdown.

Meanwhile, the news service Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was spared its 
own announced shutdown after a different US District Court judge ruled that 
the continued operation of these news services was in the public interest. 
Funding has since been restored through the end of the current federal 
fiscal year. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been on the air since the 
beginning of the Cold War.

(RADIO WORLD, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

**
SKYWARN YOUTH NET PREPARES NEXT GENERATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: Even as White House cuts to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration leave the agency's future operations in question, 
the next generation of amateurs has been training well to keep an eye on 
dangerous weather for the public. Randy Sly W4XJ has that story for us.

“This is NØA, November Zero Alpha calling CQ CQ. Special Event Station for 
severe weather awareness calling CQö 

RANDY: If you worked NØA during the last half of March, you were talking 
with a member of the SKYWARN Youth Net, which meets weekly to encourage 
severe weather monitoring by young hams across the United States. As most 
hams who are active during severe weather are beginning to age out, groups 
like this can help encourage a new generation of SKYWARN supporters.

The net was founded in 2016 by Jim Sellers, NØUAM, who is now a silent key, 
to encourage youth participation in reporting severe weather. Net manager 
Caleb Sfair, KEØFOE, got his license in 2015 at age 11 and joined the net 
two years later at the encouragement of his father, George, KJ6TQ. Caleb 
told ARNewsline about the beginnings of the SKYWARN Youth Net by Sellers. 

CALEB: “He was the Deputy Director of SkyWarn in Southwest Missouri. Simply 
put, he just wanted to have a simple check-in net that young hams would run 
to give them a chance to practice passing traffic and to try to encourage 
other youths to participate and then share and learn about basic weather 
information.ö

RANDY: The SKYWARN Youth Net uses a system of linked repeaters from various 
parts of the United States along with AllStarLink, Echolink, DMR and Yaesu 
Fusion. Meeting on Sunday evenings at 7:30pm Central time, the Net gives 
young hams an opportunity to share weather reports and learn more about 
participating in severe weather activations. Anyone, young or old, is 
invited to check in. For more information, you can visit skywarnyouth.net.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.


**
SUCCESSFUL AMATEUR CONTACTS FOR FRAM2 SPACECRAFT

NEIL/ANCHOR: The first spacecraft to orbit the earth via the North and South 
poles, the Fram2 has offered some unprecedented views of both poles - and 
some high-flying ham radio transmissions, just as promised. John Williams 
VK4JJW brings us up to date.

JOHN: Hours after the launch of the private Fram2 spacecraft from the US on 
March 31st, astronaut Rabea [ROBBIA] Rogge [RAGGA], LB9NJ/KD3AID, began the 
space team's scheduled transmissions of SSTV imagery, an exercise conducted 
as part of a high school and university competition for students. It was, 
however, a voice contact with the DKØTU amateur radio club at the Technical 
University of Berlin that was among the Fram2's earliest QSOs. The brief 
question-and-answer session from space took place at the university where 
the German-born astronaut had been a student herself once.

Much of the Fram2's ham radio activity was designed to be SSTV transmissions 
from space, carrying the four astronauts' views of the polar regions. They 
were transmitted in fragments, puzzle-style, challenging students around the 
world to piece them together to form a complete picture.

The Fram2 mission is named to honour the Norwegian-built ship, Fram, that 
carried researchers on polar explorations in the late 19th and early 20th 
centuries. This amateur contact -- and all transmissions that were to follow 
- engaged in another form of exploration. In anticipation of the 
decommissioning of the International Space Station by 2030, hams have been 
in search of other possible sources for radio contacts from space.

To hear the QSO between the astronaut and the students in Berlin, see the 
link in the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

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


(YOUTUBE, AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY)

**
SILENT KEY: LONGTIME PITTSBURGH-AREA DJ, RADIO HOST JIM QUINN, W3VEX

NEIL/ANCHOR: An amateur radio operator who gained a following in western 
Pennsylvania as a DJ and later the host of conservative talk radio, has 
become a Silent Key. We hear more about him Travis Lisk, N3ILS.

TRAVIS: Jim Quinn, W3VEX got his start on the professional side of radio at 
KQV-AM as a Top-40 DJ and later with the giant WTAE. In the years that 
followed,  his broadcast career delivered roles as a morning DJ on other 
music stations during the rise of FM TOP 40 radio. Moving later to WPGB-FM, 
Jim became cohost of a conservative radio talk show. He was a well-known 
voice on the air, particularly among Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania listeners.

Jim became a Silent Key on Sunday, March 30th. No cause of death was 
immediately given.

In all, he had more than four decades in commercial radio, from Pennsylvania 
to Cleveland to New York City and upstate Buffalo, New York. His amateur 
radio career lasted even longer, according to his page on QRZ.com. Jim was 
first licensed as a teenager while living in his native New Jersey. 

He was 82.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(RADIO INK, TRIB LIVE, FACEBOOK)

**
SILENT KEY: DAN CROUCH, KF7DC, MINGUS MOUNTAIN ROUNDTABLE MODERATOR

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams in Arizona are grieving the loss of one of their own, a 
well-regarded member of the Mingus Mountain Repeater Group. We hear more 
about him from Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

RALPH: It took very little time for Dan Crouch, KF7DC, to find a home with 
the Mingus Mountain Repeater Group in Arizona. Not long after he got his 
license in 2012, he found his way there and soon became part of the Mingus 
Mountain Round Table. He served as a moderator of the roundtable for many 
years..

Dan became a Silent Key during the weekend of March 15th.

He was a fulltime minister for more than 50 years, serving for 20 years at 
the Fountain of Life Community Church in Prescott Valley.

In announcing his death on Facebook, Patrick Brower, N7ATG, vice president 
of the Mingus Mountain Repeater Group, recalled the prayers and strength Dan 
was able to provide for others, especially when members of the ham radio 
community or their families experienced a loss.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(PATRICK BROWER, N7ATG)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio 
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W8WKY 
repeater in Doylestown, Ohio on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. local time, right 
before the weekly SARA net at 8 p.m.


**
NOMINATE NEXT YEAR'S YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

NEIL/ANCHOR: Each year, the Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial 
Young Ham of the Year Award receives nominations of promising young hams who 
truly impress our judges. It is time once again to give them an opportunity 
at the recognition they deserve. Consider nominating an amateur radio 
operator 18 years of age or younger here in the continental United States -- 
someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the spirit of ham radio. 
Do you know someone who might qualify to receive this year's honor? Find 
application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. 
Nominations are now open. We are accepting nominations through May 31st.

**
ANTARCTIC RESEARCH BEACON GOES SILENT AFTER 46 YEARS

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Antarctic beacon, VP8ADE, has gone silent after 46 years. 
Graham Kemp VK4BB gives us those details.

GRAHAM: There are no more signals from VP8ADE from Adelaide Island, the ice-
covered island off the Antarctic peninsula's west coast. The last day on the 
air for the 28-MHz low-power research beacon was the 21st of February. It 
was put into service in the summer of 1979 at the British Antarctic survey 
base of Rothera. Its tour of duty was originally supposed to have lasted 
only 3 years as one part of a research programme, according to Laurence 
Howell KL7L, who was the base radio operator at the time. The beacon's 
collection of critical data on global ionospheric propagation at the F2 
layer proved so invaluable that it continued operating for another four 
decades. The beacon shared a small wooden hut with a 1950-era aircraft 
navigation beacon and with research equipment used for ionospheric D-layer 
scintillation research used by students of ionospheric researcher Dr. Roy 
Piggott. VP8ADE was proposed by the Radio Society of Great Britain. It was 
coordinated with the British Antarctic Survey and the Falkland Island radio 
regulator.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(LAURENCE HOWELL, KL7L)

**
IOTA SEEKS VOLUNTEER TO SERVE AS CHECKPOINT FOR BRAZIL

NEIL/ANCHOR: There's a vacancy to be filled in the popular Islands on the 
Air program and hams who are knowledgeable about IOTA are being encouraged 
to apply for the volunteer position. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us more.

JEREMY: The Islands on the Air awards scheme is in need of an experienced 
amateur who can serve in the voluntary position of checkpoint for Brazil, a 
post filled since 2009 by Lucißno Sampaio de Souza, PT7WA.

However he has recently informed the board that he now needs to step down. 
The ham who fills this post must demonstrate knowledge of the IOTA programme 
and rules, have good English proficiency, and possess the ability to process 
online applications.

Interested applicants should send details of the skills they would bring to 
the task. Email Roger Balister, G3KMA, at the address that appears in the 
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

Applications are due no later than the 21st of April.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: g3kma@outlook.com  ]

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
NOMINATION DEADLINE NEARS FOR CQ AMATEUR RADIO HALL OF FAME

NEIL/ANCHOR: The names included in the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame 
represent the best of the best that ham radio has had to offer through the 
years. Originated by CQ magazine, the Hall of Fame is now overseen by 
Hamgallery which selects amateurs with impressive personal operating records 
as well as achievements that have enhanced the lives and experiences of 
their fellow amateur radio operators.

Inductees may be living or Silent Keys and they are chosen via nomination. 
The nominating window is drawing to a close. You have until the 15th of 
April to submit the names of your nominees to Tom Roscoe, K8CX using email 
address K8CX at ham gallery dot com. That’s k8cx at ham gallery - that’s one 
word - dot com (k8cx@hamgallery.com)

Notifications will be sent out by the 30th of April as to whether the 
nomination was accepted or not.

See the website hamgallery dot com (hamgallery.com) for more details.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, CQ AMATEUR RADIO HALL OF FAME)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, Flavio, IW2NEF, is operating holiday style as  8Q7EF 
from the Maldives, IOTA number AS-013, until the 10th of April. He is using 
digital modes and SSB on 40-6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Koji, JI1LET [Jay Eye One Ell EE Tee] and Takeshi, JA1UII [Jay Aye One You 
Eye Eye] will be on the air as JD1BOI [Jay Dee One Bee Oh Eye] and JD1BON 
[Jay Dee One Bee Oh En], respectively, from Chichijima [CHEE CHEE JEE MUH], 
IOTA number AS-031, and Ogasawara from the 8th through to the 17th of April. 
They will be using CW, SSB and FT8/FT4 on 160-6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL 
details.

The Amateur Radio Society of Moldova is using the callsign ER100IARU to 
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the IARU and can be heard on the air 
through to the 30th of April See QRZ.com for QSL details.
  
Jim, K6EI, and Scott, KK6IK, are on the air as FJ/K6EI and FJ/KK6IK from St. 
Barthelmy, IOTA number NA-146, until the 12th of April. They will be using 
CW, FT8 and FT4 on 80-6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Amateur Radio Newsline's own Ed Durrant DD5LP will be active as 5B/VK2JI/P 
from Cyprus, IOTA Number AS-004, holiday style, between April 6th and 20th. 
He plans to activate HEMA (Pron: Heee Ma), POTA and SOTA sites with even the 
chance of a BOTA (Beaches on the air) activation. Ed will be using 20 watts 
of power, SSB, on 40 through 10 metres but expects contacts into Europe, 
North America and Oceania. Watch each of the scheme's spotting pages to see 
when Ed is on. If you work Ed, let him know that you are an AR Newsline 
listener. 

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: COMMUNITY'S FONDNESS FOR TOWER IS A TALL ORDER

NEIL/ANCHOR: Community protests against unwanted towers are often in the 
news. In this week's final story, however, we visit a community in the state 
of Maine that has been very sorry indeed to say goodbye to one particular 
radio tower. Kent Peterson KCØDGY tells us why.

KENT: American science fiction writer Stephen King is author of, among many 
things, the "Dark Tower" series of books. Now another tower that used to be 
his - an AM radio tower more than 400 feet tall - has gone dark. It was 
formerly used by WZON 620 AM in Maine, one of three of the region's radio 
stations that used to be owned by the writer. The tower had stood since 1937 
when it was first used by WLBZ, the radio station's callsign in its earliest 
days.

Citing the financial struggles of three area radio stations he owned in 
Maine, King announced last year they were going to end their run. WKIT, 
known for its classic rock format, is still on the air, having been saved at 
the last minute after being bought by a media partnership known as the Rock 
Lobster Radio Group.

WZON-AM and WZLO-FM went silent on the 31st of December. However, recent 
local news reports say that both stations will return under new ownership: A 
company called Mix Maine Media was buying them from King along with an FM 
translator.

WZON's tower, however, still had to go. Local residents' affection for this 
longtime familiar sight drew them out to the scene of the demolition on 
Wednesday, March 26th. The prospect of the station's return, however, did 
cheer them -- and so when WZON played its final song last December before 
turning off its transmitter, its words rang true, but only for the tower.

The song was REM's "The End of the World As We Know It."

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(WABI, FACEBOOK, INSIDE RADIO, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

**
Have you sent in your amateur radio haiku to Newsline's haiku challenge yet? 
It's as easy as writing a QSL card. Set your thoughts down using traditional 
haiku format - a three-line verse with five syllables in the first line, 
seven in the second and five in the third. Submit your work on our website 
at arnewsline.org - each week's winner gets a shout-out on our website, 
where everyone can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to ABC.AU News; Amateur News Daily; Associated 
Press; David Behar, K7DB; Facebook; 425 DX Bulletin; Greg Mossop, GØDUB; 
Inside Radio; Jakkree Hantongkom, HS1FVL; Laurence Howell, KL7L; Patrick 
Brower, N7ATG; QRZ.com; Radio Amateur Society of Thailand; Radio Ink; Radio 
World; shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; TribLive; WABI; 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in 
Union Kentucky saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur 
Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025. All rights reserved.


73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 04-Apr-2025 09:45 E. South America Standard Time






Read previous mail | Read next mail