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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2464 for Friday, January 17th
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2464 for Friday, January 17th 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2464 with a release date of Friday,
January 17th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A repeater system stays robust during California's
deadly wildfires. DXpeditioners pursue a "holy grail" island in India for
chasers -- and shortwave ingenuity saves a ham radio program's debut. All
this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2464 comes your way
right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
REPEATER SYSTEM STAYS ROBUST DURING CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to the US state of California where
deadly wildfires have been consuming much of the Los Angeles area and
beyond, destroying homes and causing electrical and cellular outages. Even
as SpaceX temporarily activated the test version of its satellite-to-
cellular service to help deliver emergency alerts and texts, hams were
relying on the region's robust and resilient PAPA System of repeaters, as we
hear from Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
RALPH: As wildfires whipped through the Los Angeles area, the analogue
repeaters of California's wide-reaching PAPA System had their nets and
routine traffic communications cancelled for a number of days. The repeaters
were placed on standby for news and emergency traffic only but by Tuesday,
January 14th, all but three returned to net-hosting and normal use. Three
repeaters remained off the main network to continue providing emergency
coverage in the greater Los Angeles area. The PAPA system's digital
repeaters, which utilize DMR, P25 and D-STAR, continued to host normal
traffic.
Cecil Casillas, WD6FZA, president of the PAPA System, told Newsline that as
of Tuesday 14th, none of the PAPA repeaters had suffered fire-related
damages. He said that flames closely threatened repeaters on Mount Wilson
and at Saddle Peak, which overlooks Malibu, but the fires stopped short of
affecting the buildings, antennas or other equipment. He said the Saddle
Peak repeater had been knocked out of service by an unrelated battery
failure but that the fires blocked access for anyone to bring up a
generator.
Meanwhile, SpaceX gave temporary access to its Starlink satellites to T-
Mobile customers, even without its direct-to-cell constellation being fully
completed. According to an article in PC Magazine, only T-Mobile customers
with supported phones would have access to texting but emergency alerts and
evacuation notices could be received by any cellular phone.
This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
(CECIL CASILLAS, WD6FZA; PC MAGAZINE)
**
TEAM OF 6 FROM INDIA TO ACTIVATE 'HOLY GRAIL' IOTA
NEIL/ANCHOR: This week we have word that a rare, largely inaccessible island
off the coast of India is about to be activated for only the second time -
and the first time in 23 years. Graham Kemp VK4BB has the details.
GRAHAM: Writing in the December 2002 issue of the old 73 Magazine, Sri,
VU2SBJ, called Sacrifice Rock - a harsh, unwelcoming island off the coast of
Kerala in southern India - "a plain solid rock in the middle of nowhere."
Eleven months earlier, this treacherous bit of terrain was activated for the
first time by Sri and his DXpedition team, who were challenged by its
difficult access and changeable weather. No hams have been there since.
That is, until now: IOTA Number AS-161, as it is also known, is about to
become base camp for Team AU2V, six amateurs who are among many to consider
it a holy grail. The DXpedition website calls it "a dream come true for
chasers."
Sara, VU2RS, told Newsline in an email that planning and preparation have
been intense in advance of the hoped-for visit in the second week of
February, when the three-month seasonal window for access closes. The team
will have two CW operators and four using SSB and digital modes and is still
working out logistics for its hours of operation. The team also continues
critical fundraising via PayPal to cover what is expected to be 00,000 in
expenses, covering generators, radios, antennas and, of course, the boat
that will make that challenging trip across the water to the team's
destination. If it is not possible to arrive safely by boat, the team will
need to use an airplane, which will add to the costs.
See the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org for the
team's website and PayPal address.
This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.
[WEBSITE: au2v.vu2rs.com PAYPAL ADDRESS: sarath@lven.in).
(DX-WORLD.NET, SARA, VU2RS)
**
SILENT KEY: TOP DXER, YHOTY SUPPORTER, DENNIS MOTSCHENBACHER, K7BV
NEIL/ANCHOR: The ham radio world has lost a top DXer, a friend and a
supporter of Newsline's Young Ham of the Year Award. We hear more about him
from Don Wilbanks AE5DW.
DON: We at Amateur Radio Newsline are mourning the passing of Dennis
Motschenbacher, K7BV. Dennis passed from this world on Thursday, January 9th
after a 14-year battle with cancer. He was 76.
Dennis was passionate about amateur radio. He was first licensed at age 13.
An avid DXer, he was equally at home on both sides of the pileup. His
amateur radio travels took him to 35 countries. He competed in the World
Radiosport Team Championships in Slovenia in 2000 and won countless awards
for his ham radio accomplishments. He served as a radioman for two years in
the US Navy in Vietnam on the USS Canberra. From 1976 to 2002, Dennis worked
in the fire suppression industry.
He was editor of the National Contest Journal from 1998 to 2002. After that,
he was sales and marketing manager for the ARRL. From 2006 to his retirement
in 2019, he was executive vice president of amateur radio sales at Yaesu
USA. Dennis was a fixture on stage at the Huntsville Hamfest for the
presentation of our Young Ham of the Year award.
Some years ago, Gigaparts did a live online TV presentation at the
Huntsville Hamfest and it was my honor as one of the hosts to spend about 20
minutes chatting with Dennis as my guest. You can find that on the Gigaparts
Youtube channel, or at the link in the printed edition of this week's
newscast. A devoted family man, we send our love to his wife, children and
grandchildren. Rest easy, my friend. I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
(https://youtu.be/3SthKRC2bpM?si=gKqDUZFDkj9Sshzd)
**
GET READY FOR WINTER FIELD DAY
NEIL/ANCHOR: Are you ready for Winter Field Day? If you're in the US or
Canada, get your plans in order now. Travis Lisk N3ILS tells us more.
TRAVIS: In North America, Winter Field Day will be held, as always, during
the last full weekend of January but there are some changes this year. This
emergency preparedness test of portable equipment under harsh-weather
conditions has been extended past its previous 24-hour period.
Clubs and individual amateurs are being encouraged to register their
stations for this event, which has grown since the first Winter Field Day
held in 2007. Operators are permitted to use HF, VHF and UHF bands for CW,
SSB and digital modes. The operating period is now 30 hours long and will
begin at 1600 UTC Saturday, January 25th and conclude at 2159 UTC the
following day. Both indoor and outdoor stations are permitted, as are mobile
stations whether they be moving or stationary.
For more details about the rules and to register your station, visit the
Winter Field Day website at winterfieldday dot org. That’s winterfieldday-
one word - dot org. (winterfieldday.org).
This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.
(WINTER FIELD DAY ASSOCIATION)
**
DMR RADIOS OPEN UP THE WORLD TO STUDENTS IN INDIA
NEIL/ANCHOR: Students in government residential schools in rural parts of
the Indian state of Karnataka can now reach out and touch the world with the
help of Digital Mobile Radio, or DMR. John Williams VK4JJW explains how the
radios got there.
JOHN: Twenty new DMR radio base stations are opening up the world to
students in rural schools run by the state of Karnataka’s Social Welfare
Department. The installation was done by the Indian Institute of Hams at the
request of the state. According to news reports in the Hindu and the
Bangalore Mirror, science teachers and a pair of eighth-grade students from
a number of the schools received online training for their amateur radio
licenses and then successfully sat the exam from the Ministry of
Communications.
The radios are designed to give the students access to scientists,
researchers and others in the amateur radio community who would normally be
inaccessible from within their remote rural communities. The radios are
available to be operated around the clock. Just as significantly, the radios
are available so the schools can serve as emergency communications centres
when disaster strikes and the remote regions are likely to be cut off from
many services.
The initiative is called Ham Yatra and spans the state, the ham institute’s
director, S. Satyapal [pron: Sat-YUH-poll] told local media. He said he
hoped the radios would open a window of curiosity for the students about
opportunities in the world of science.
This is John Williams VK4JJW.
(THE HINDU, BANGALORE MIRROR)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the NO6BS
repeater on Thursday evenings in Los Angeles County, California.
**
VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM POISED TO REOPEN
NEIL/ANCHOR: The National VOA Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester, Ohio
is QRV and is about to reopen. Stephen Kinford N8WB brings us the details.
STEPHEN: Six months of renovations have come to an end at the Voice of
America museum, which is reopening its doors to the public at noon on
Saturday the 25th of January. The work has created new exhibit space with
room for more displays that showcase radio history in the US. The building
formerly housed the Voice of America's Bethany relay station.
The museum will be open every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. local
time but can also accommodate group tours on any day of the week if
arrangements are made in advance.
The West Chester Amateur Radio Association, WC8VOA, has its headquarters in
the historic building and has had uninterrupted on-the-air activity even as
remodeling took place elsewhere in the interior. As visitors return, hams
will be on the air and, as always, ready to welcome them.
This is Stephen Kinford N8WB.
(VOA MUSEUM)
**
WEST BENGAL HAMS COMBINE PUBLIC SAFETY WITH DXPEDITION
NEIL/ANCHOR: In India, the second largest Hindu gathering - the Gangasagar
Mela - is presenting a variety of opportunities for DX and award scheme
participation. That's because hams on DXpedition there are also involved in
a public-safety mission at this massive religious pilgrimage. Jim Meachen
ZL2BHF tells us what's happening.
JIM: Where the Ganges River and the Bay of Bengal run together, the faithful
gather every year. Hams from the West Bengal Radio Club VU2WB have been on
Sagar Island since the 10th of January, operating AU2WBRC. They are there
to help keep people safe as they come to worship and they are helping
visitors who get lost in the crowd reunite with their families. The hams
have another mission too; making contact with radio operators around the
world. Those logging a QSO with any of the operators qualify for any number
of award schemes, including Islands on the Air, which identifies Sagar
Island as AS-153. The location also qualifies under the Beaches on the Air
as number 60572 and World Lighthouses on the Air schemes as lighthouse 2262.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(QRZ.COM, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)
**
ARMY SIGNAL REGIMENT HOSTS SPECIAL EVENT IN NETHERLANDS
NEIL/ANCHOR: Mark your calendars for January 23rd. You might just work
someone in the Royal Netherlands Army Signal Regiment during a one-day
special event with a very specific purpose: to get Marines in the
Netherlands more involved in amateur radio. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has the
details.
JEREMY: Special event station PA25MC has a military mission but one focused
on education and friendship. On the 23rd of January, the Royal Netherlands
Army Signal Regiment, PI4VBD, will be operating from various locations using
military radios - some of them historical. There will also be a variety of
operators. Some are experienced members of the army, others are soldiers in
training. Some may even be civilian personnel. They will be calling CQ on as
many HF bands as possible using SSB.
The signal regiment itself is a well-established group that knows well the
importance of amateur radio. Last year it marked its 150th anniversary.
For QSL information, see the QRZ.com page for PA25MC.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(AMATEUR NEWS DAILY, QRZ.COM)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, be listening for the callsign 5N9DTG being used by
members of the Rebel DX Group. They will be on the air from Nigeria for up
to three weeks, starting in the third week of January. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.
Team IG9/S51V will have several members on the air between the 19th and the
29th of January operating with the prefix IG9 followed by their home
callsigns, including S56DX, S51V, S57UN and several others. They will also
be participating in the CQ WW 160-Meter CW Contest as a Multi-Single entry
using the team callsign IG9/S51V, all from Lampedusa Island, IOTA number AF-
019. QSL via the operators’ home calls. See QRZ.com for additional details.
Listen for OF60AP being used by members of the Central Uusimaa [pronounced:
ooo SEE' muh] Radio Amateurs Association OH2AP in Finland. The club is
marking its 60th anniversary with this year-long special event. See QRZ.com
for certificate and QSL details.
Dwight, VE7BV, is using the callsign TG9BBV until the 28th of January from
Guatemala. He is operating CW, SSB and some FT8. Look for Dwight on 40
through 6m. See his personal QRZ.com page for QSL details.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: THE SHOW MUST (AND DID) GO ON
NEIL/ANCHOR: There’s a saying in theatre that even if you encounter
hardship, “the show must go on.ö Well, the theatre of radio is no exception
to that rule. In our final story this week, we learn how an important
amateur radio program weathered the storm - literally - to fulfill a
promised short-wave broadcast premiere. Here’s Jeremy Boot G4NJH with the
details.
JEREMY: Listeners had counted on hearing the first short-wave broadcast of
the D.A.R.C.'s amateur news programme from Woofferton, England – but no one
had counted on the severe storm that was bearing down on the west of
England. The damage rendered 7 of the station’s 35 antennas unusable leaving
the 9670 kHz broadcast imperiled as the start of the programme drew near.
The technical team scrambled and, on short notice, improvised: They "Crash-
Started" another transmitter and a different antenna so that they were able
to put the programme on the air, just as expected, on-time and on-frequency.
In an announcement to listeners on Sunday, 12th January, Radio D.A.R.C.’s
Rainer Englert, DF2NU, thanked the Woofferton team, saying [quote] “this
incident shows once again that technicians help each other and do everything
humanly possible.ö [endquote].
Although reception reports varied unexpectedly because of the different
equipment employed, over 1,000 listeners’ emails poured in, praising the
programme. Rainer proclaimed the premiere a success.
The Woofferton station had saved Radio D.A.R.C. for its listeners after the
closure of its previous short-wave broadcaster in Moosbrun, Austria, had
been obliged to close down.
Meanwhile, the station reports that the original antennas have since been
repaired and their original configuration restored. The show will indeed go
on.
(RADIO D.A.R.C.)
**
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 the Amateur Radio Daily; Bangalore Mirror;
Cecil Casillas, WD6FZA; David Behar K7DB; Facebook; 425DXNews; The Hindu
website; PC magazine; QRZ.com; Radio D. A. R. C.; RadioWorld.com; Sara,
VU2RS; shortwaveradio.de; National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting;
Winter Field Day Association; 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 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
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BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 17-jan-2025 07:50 E. South America Standard Time
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