http://www.eham.net/ eHam.net Newsfeed http://www.eham.net/articles/27698 http://www.eham.net/articles/27698 Nearly 700 students, elders and community leaders crowded into Inuksuk High School Feb. 8 to watch a once-in-a-lifetime live communication event with the International Space Station. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, a volunteer group, organized the event, as part of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration educational program. The organization has visited schools across Nunavut and Nunavik to communicate with the space station and inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. "Amateur radio, especially on the space side, still has a great future," said Steve McFarlane, a volunteer with the group. "NASA and all the other space agencies want to put this technology on Mars, on the moon." McFarlane figures kids will talk to the first installation on Mars, using radio technology. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:04:14 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27697 http://www.eham.net/articles/27697 A group of amateur radio "ham" operators wants to establish a world record for distance by attempting to fly an unmanned, helium-filled balloon from Katy to Nanjing, China. The South Texas Balloon Launch Team will release the balloon at 3 p.m. Saturday near the oil rice grain silos at the western end of No Label Brewery, 5373 First St. "It's an experiment to see how far we can go," said A.C. Spraggins, one of the coordinators of the event. "This is our 28th launch in 21 years, and before we were going for altitude. This time, we're going for distance. We want it to go to China, where the balloon was made." Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:03:34 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27696 http://www.eham.net/articles/27696 The FCC responded to a request from ReconRobotics regarding the limit on sales of the Recon Scout, a surveillance robot using the 430-448 MHz segment of the 420-450 MHz band. Ham radio operators will recognize this as the 70 cm amateur radio band, which is also shared with the U.S. government for numerous purposes, including radar defense. The 432 MHz region of the band is used by hams for weak signal communications, including such exotic practices as bouncing signals off the moon for communications with other hams at great distances. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:02:56 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27694 http://www.eham.net/articles/27694 You are invited to share the magic of HF broadcasting and Amateur Radio to a world wide listening Audience. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:57:50 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27691 http://www.eham.net/articles/27691 HRD Software, LLC announces the release of Ham Radio Deluxe 5.1. This version incorporates fixes and some new features for DXers. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:59:15 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27690 http://www.eham.net/articles/27690 This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by NC1L, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, DXNL, The Weekly DX, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:19:45 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27689 http://www.eham.net/articles/27689 This Week in Radiosport: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:19:07 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27688 http://www.eham.net/articles/27688 On November 18, the FCC released a Report and Order, defining new rules for the 60 meter (5 MHz) band. These rules are in response to a Petition for Rulemaking filed by the ARRL more than five years ago and a June 2010 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. In the February 3 edition of the Federal Register, the FCC announced that these new rules will go into effect on March 5, 2012. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:18:56 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27687 http://www.eham.net/articles/27687 On the afternoon of February 7, Committee 4 of the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) approved Option 1 to satisfy Agenda Item 1.23, with minor editorial amendments to the text received from Working Group 4C. Option 1 calls for a worldwide secondary allocation to the Amateur Service at 472-479 kHz, with a power limit of 1 W EIRP, with a provision for administrations to permit up to 5 W EIRP for stations located more than 800 km from certain countries that wish to protect their aeronautical radionavigation service (non-directional beacons) from any possible interference. Option 2 was NOC (no change to the current rules). Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:18:23 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27686 http://www.eham.net/articles/27686 The procedures used by the International Telecommunication Union before and during a World Radiocommunication Conference seem complicated. They are somewhat complicated, but they are understandable with a bit of background. Each Agenda Item that will be decided at a WRC has been studied for at least three or four years leading up to a WRC. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:19:31 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27685 http://www.eham.net/articles/27685 At the February 3 Plenary Session of the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12), delegates heard the first reading and approved a worldwide exclusive allocation to Maritime Mobile of 495-505 kHz. There will need to be a second reading to finalize the allocation. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:14:10 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27684 http://www.eham.net/articles/27684 On February 3, delegates and attendees at the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference had the pleasure of listening Joe Taylor, K1JT, share his vision of the future of radiocommunication. Taylor -- an ARRL Member -- won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1993 for the discovery of a binary pulsar, a discovery which has opened up new possibilities for the study of gravitation. After the speech, International Telecommunication Union Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Touré, HB9EHT, presented Taylor with the ITU Gold Medal in recognition of Taylor's outstanding contribution to the research in the field of radiocommunication. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:17:52 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27683 http://www.eham.net/articles/27683 CW DXing and contesting take center stage the weekend of February 18-19, as the 2012 ARRL International DX CW Contest takes to the airwaves. "After years of lackluster conditions on 15 and 10 meters, 2011 finally saw the propagation gods giving us a break," said ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:16:40 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27682 http://www.eham.net/articles/27682 Join W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, on a virtual tour of W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, the Amateur Radio station at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Carcia will lead this tour via a live webcast on Sunday, February 12 at 5 PM EST (2200 UTC). Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:15:21 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27681 http://www.eham.net/articles/27681 It's that time of year again -- time to start gearing up for ARRL Field Day, June 23-24, 2012! ARRL's flagship operating event -- always held the fourth full weekend in June -- brings together new and experienced hams for 24 hours of operating fun. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:15:39 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27680 http://www.eham.net/articles/27680 If you've ever wanted a way to show the world how exciting Amateur Radio can be, here's your chance: The ARRL is sponsoring its Second Annual Video Contest! Here's a chance to put that video camera to use: Shoot a ham radio-related video and send it our way. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:16:02 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27679 http://www.eham.net/articles/27679 Richard "Dick" Kirby, W0LCT/HB9BOA, passed away on January 26. He was 89. In 1974, Kirby -- an ARRL Life Member -- was elected Director of the International Telecommunication Union's International Radio Consultative Committee; he served as Director until his retirement in 1995. In 1992, under Kirby's tenure as Director, the Committee became the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:13:47 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27678 http://www.eham.net/articles/27678 NASA astronaut Janice Voss, KC5BTK, of Houston, Texas, passed away on February 7 from cancer. She was 55. One of only six women who have flown in space five times, Voss' career was highlighted by her work and dedication to scientific payloads and exploration. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:13:24 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27677 http://www.eham.net/articles/27677 Armond Noble, N6WR -- the founder of WorldRadio magazine and its publisher for 37 years -- passed away February 1 in Sacramento, California after a short illness. He was 77. WorldRadio was published monthly in printed form from July 1971 until the end of 2008, when Noble sold the magazine to Hicksville, New York-based CQ Communications Inc. With its February 2009 edition, the publication was renamed WorldRadio Online and became the first online-only major Amateur Radio publication. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:12:55 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27676 http://www.eham.net/articles/27676 Effects continue across the central Philippines after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck triggering landslides with dozens of people killed and many trapped in toppled homes. Chief Operating Officer for IARU society PARA, Eddie Valdez DU1EV said ham radio operators are now active in communications assistance. Eddie DU1EV said those near the epicentre of the earthquake in the DU7 and DU6 call areas are active. They have chosen to use the VHF band for communications. Their services included message handling with phone communications cut, widespread power outages, bridges and other infrastructure damaged. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:20:50 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27675 http://www.eham.net/articles/27675 HEMPHILL, Texas (KTRE) - Army Curtis describes a Saturday morning in February nearly a decade ago, when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over East Texas. "The noise was incredible and it literally shook the house like we were in an earthquake," said Army Curtis, Secretary/Treasurer Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club. "It was very emotional, it got very personal very quickly," said museum board member, Marsha Cooper. Nine years later members of the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club gather at the Patricia Huffman Smith Museum, to honor the volunteers who served as the only means of communication in a time of tragedy. "In a matter of a few hours you couldn't use a cell phone. We're completely independent; everyone has their own equipment we were still able to communicate," said Curtis. With over 2 thousand volunteers, officials needed order to recover debris from the fallen shuttle. "Everybody had the same feeling that we had to get those and return them back to their families you know, It was very important to us to find them as quickly as possible," said Cooper. DPS officers from all over the state came to East Texas but once they got there, their radio systems lost service. They had to depend on the volunteer radio amateurs. "We literally put an amateur in each of the DPS cars to provide communication for them," said Curtis. For two weeks the use of ham radio helped recover fallen crew members as well large pieces of debris from the ship. Today their service isn't forgotten. A special events station was set up inside the shuttle museum to contact amateur stations worldwide in remembrance of heroes. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:24:55 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27674 http://www.eham.net/articles/27674 Mr. Richard "Dick" Laurence Barber, 75, of Rockingham died Friday, February 3, 2012 at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. He was born December 6, 1936 in Willimantic, CT and was formerly a resident of Spruce Pine NC. Mr. Barber was preceded in death by Mother; Margaret Tracey Felton and husband Bernie Felton and Father; Laurence Herbert Barber and wife Gladys Barber. He was active in the community and enjoyed volunteering his time to help others. While in Spruce Pine, He was an active member at St Luciens Catholic Church and was a member of the Church Council. He served on the Mitchell County Economic Development Commission and a member of the Blue Ridge Hospital System Board of Directors. In Rockingham, He was an active member of St. James Catholic Church and was on the parish council. He was also Vice President of the Richmond County Amateur Radio Club. When he was not involved in community work, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, target shooting, woodworking, computers and Amateur Radio(W1GFM). He loved demonstrating amateur radio for the local Spruce Pine school children and on one occasion provided them an opportunity to speak with the astronauts aboard the space shuttle earning him "coolest Dad in the school" status. He was also a pilot for close to 40 years and loved to take people up for their first plane ride. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:24:44 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27673 http://www.eham.net/articles/27673 "A detailed order squelches amateur radio operators' third attempt to derail a lifesaving technology." Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:08:29 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27668 http://www.eham.net/articles/27668 We visit the Capital City Hamfest in Jackson, MS and talk with Tom Samacicio KB4HQA of HQARadio.com, Don Wilbanks AE5DW of Amateur Radio Newsline, and Ward Silver N0AX of the ARRL. Peter drops in on the Melbourne Mini Maker Faire for some fun. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:06:04 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27666 http://www.eham.net/articles/27666 BROWNWOOD, Texas -- The Brownwood Amateur Radio Club hosted the annual Skywarn weather spotting course on Saturday. The free course teaches people in the community about the weather and what to look for in case of an emergency. More than 10,000 severe storms occur during a typical year across the United States. Many of the weather reports are received by volunteer Skywarn spotters. Volunteers come from various backgrounds including fire fighters, law enforcement and HAM radio operators. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:01:25 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27665 http://www.eham.net/articles/27665 Attention amateur radio operators, it is easy to forget where amateur radio is and what we are here for. First let me give you a story. A man sat in his car out of gas during freezing weather, on January the 29th of this year. He was a Ham operator and he had called several times for assistance. No answer came. For those of you who know a little about sub-freezing weather, you can go into hypothermia in less than an hour inside a car and it takes 20 minutes outside. This man never got any help from the radio but his son, knowing he was stranded, walked 5 miles to where he was with a small can of gas that held about a gallon-and- a-half. They made it home safely, no thanks to Amateur radio assistance. You wonder why I didn't help that man inside that car ... well that man was me. You see, at home I monitor the local repeater, but now I have lost my faith in Ham radio. People you need to listen up, if were not going to monitor local repeaters of call channels on a 24-hour basis, than Ham radio is not worth saving. Is this the message you want to send to those who are after our frequency? Amateur radio is for the recognition of emergency communication first, and a privilege to use it as a hobby second -not anything other than that. Start monitoring those frequencies, and set up a schedule for volunteers on a 24-hour basis. If we are to live up to our name, then we need to listen to those calls of emergency, with your local clubs. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:01:07 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27664 http://www.eham.net/articles/27664 SHERMAN, TX -- This week's 12 Who Care nominee is a Texoma man who works behind the scenes coordinating volunteers during emergencies. Even though he's retired, he refuses to take it easy, and still spends most of his time helping others. Bob Sholl was just a child when the Great Depression hit, but he watched it's effects ripple throughout the community in the years that followed. "Family had to take care of family and families had to take care of friends and neighbors took care of neighbors and that was the environment I was raised in," Sholl said. And it's the way he's lived his life ever since. "It's just been instilled in us all of our lives," Sholl said. "If you have a talent and you have the opportunity to help others, you go ahead and you do it." Sholl is an Air Force veteran. He's been an amateur radio operator since 1952. He's a member of the Grayson County Amateur Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Services Group. He Joined the Texoma Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol in 1970 and eventually won the Gil Robb Wilson Award. He was a minister for several decades. The list goes on and on. Sholl retired from the Federal Aviation Administration, but those who know him say he works harder as a retiree than many people do in their careers. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:03:58 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27662 http://www.eham.net/articles/27662 As an Eagle Scout and current leader of Cub Scout Pack 283, Brent Read fully knows the Boy Scouts of America's motto, "Be Prepared." On Jan. 21, Read of Fort Collins, and his brother-in-law, Chris Haynie, set out to celebrate Read's 35th birthday with a backcountry ski trip near the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead by Cameron Pass. However, the snow proved to be a tough trek, and the two skiers, fully exhausted, were forced to abandon the trip back to their vehicle and instead prepared for a night in the snowy terrain. "The first thing we did was throw a bunch of snow into a big mound, letting it set up so it'd be stable for hollowing out a cave," Read said. "Then, when we had that ready, we built a fire." Read also carried a ham radio, an item he feels contributed to the rescue since he was able to establish communication on the Search and Rescue channels. As amateur radio enthusiasts, Read and his wife, Jana, set aside a frequency to use in case they ever had to contact each other. Although Read couldn't hear his wife on the other end of the radio as they were setting up camp, he could hear static, and that was just as good. "I listened to the frequency I had arranged with her to talk on," Read said. "I heard static on the one frequency and knew there wasn't going to be static from anyone else, so I knew she was in the area looking for us." Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:06:41 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27655 http://www.eham.net/articles/27655 A RADIO fundraiser has highlighted the work of the RNLI in Wick and collected hundreds of pounds for the charity. Caithness Amateur Radio Society (CARS) and around 40 other radio clubs around the UK installed antennas, transmitting and receiving equipment in their local lifeboat stations. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:02:13 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27654 http://www.eham.net/articles/27654 Walter R. Creuz, 96, of Chatham passed away on Jan. 31, 2012 after a short illness. A funeral service will be held at Wm. A. Bradley and Son Funeral Home, 345 Main St, Chatham on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Hollywood Memorial Park. Relatives and friends are invited to visit on Friday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. For further information or to send a condolence, go to bradleyfuneralhomes.com. Born and raised in Newark, Walter had lived in Chatham since 1948. He had served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and studied Engineering at Newark College of Engineering. After a 36-year career in designing residential and industrial heating equipment, for which he was granted several patents, he retired in 1982. Aside from being an avid Yankee fan, Walter's passion in life was Amateur Radio. He built his first receiver at the age of 16, became licensed, and was issued the call signal W2CIY, which still holds today. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:02:04 +0000 http://www.eham.net/articles/27653 http://www.eham.net/articles/27653 Want to get all turn-of-last-century on your Twitter friends? The Tworse Key is Arduino-powered and while it may not be the most effective way to tweet, it does allow you to do it in old time style. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:01:49 +0000