News
YOTA Month: Encourage Youngsters on the Air:
by AB7RG 2024-11-27Call sign GB24YOTA will be active for the duration of the month, hosted by a range of groups, clubs and individuals. Marlborough Scout Group will be the first team of youngsters to operate. They will be on the air before midday on Sunday 1 December, and then again after 6pm on the same day.
How Amateur Radio is Connecting Astronauts in Space with Kids on Earth:
by AB7RG 2024-11-25Consider this: It is now four decades ago that astronaut Owen Garriott, callsign W5LFL, pioneered amateur radio communication from space. He was a crewmember on the space shuttle program's STS-9 mission. During that space shuttle flight in 1983, Garriott became the first-ever person in space to communicate with amateur radio operators on the ground. He was also the first person to be heard directly from space by members of the public using simple radio receivers and scanners. That event transformed astronaut communications from space forever, allowing amateur radio operators and the public to communicate with people in space. But don't change that dial! Much more is coming in terms of amateur radio and the International Space Station.
IOWA's NEPM Military-Amateur Cross-Band Activation Pearl Harbor Remembrance
by AB7RG 2024-11-23The Battleship IOWA Amateur Radio Association (BIARA) and the IOWA's Innovation, Engineering and Technology Team (IET) will activate the ship's original NEPM Navy call sign on December 7 and 8, 2024. Hours of operation both days are expected to be from 0700 PST (1500 UTC) to 1700 PST (0100 UTC).
Cedar Rapids History Center Features Exhibit on Collins Radio Company:
by AB7RG 2024-11-23An exhibit now running at the History Center in Cedar Rapids tells the story of a local communications company that reached around the world and into space. Center curator Tara Templeman says they got a chance to tell the story of the Collins Radio Company as part of their STEM education efforts. "They designed some virtual reality training on their products that pilots can use to help them navigate in low visibility. And so we were able to bring that headset into a display to show people how Collins got from Art Collins being a kid playing with ham radios in his parents attic to what Collins is today," she says. Collins created the company in 1931 and provided radio equipment for some historic efforts in American history. "Arctic expeditions and sending people into space when you wanted to make sure that people would be heard and that contact would be continuous, you went with Collins," Templeman says. The work on the arctic expedition led to interest from the military and more work during World War Two. Collins later focused on aviation and then the company helped with the effort to land on the moon.
Mysteries in Orbit: Space's Oldest Working Hardware Still Keeps Its Secrets
by AB7RG 2024-11-26The oldest functional off-Earth space hardware? Well, that is a great question for those into pub quizzes, aka bar trivia. 1977's Voyagers hold some impressive records beside those golden discs, just not that one. Any guesses? Its full name is AMSAT-OSCAR 7, known to its friends as Oscar 7, and it is remarkable for many reasons – not least of which are two great mysteries that may never be resolved. For a tiny box built on a budget that shames shoestrings for their conspicuous wealth, it pioneered some amazing technologies, got amazingly lucky more than once, and repaired itself after two decades of being dead (perhaps).
The BEARS of Manchester are Radio Ready for the Road Race:
by AB7RG 2024-11-24MANCHESTER, Conn. -- How does the Manchester Road Race keep up the pace? Part of it is in the hands of the BEARS -- a group of Ham Radio operators who lend their time and talents to help keep the Road Race running. BEARS is an acronym for "Better Emergency Amateur Radio Service" and, this year, there will be 55 BEARs spread across the Manchester Road Race course providing both leading runners information and to help with any issues or emergencies that might occur.
Ham Radio Workshop Engages People of All Backgrounds:
by AB7RG 2024-11-23Paul and Tana Dean first got interested in amateur radio, also known as "ham: radio, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bellevue residents said they were concerned about safety and being able to communicate during emergency situations, so they decided to get a radio. Ham radio operators are restricted to use certain frequencies and are not allowed to do any business. It is simply for private recreation or emergency communications. This form of communication was developed in the early 1900s, with the word "ham" mocking operators who weren't skilled in Morse code. They were referred to as "ham-fisted," according to the National Association for Amateur Radio.
IARU Creates a New Youth Award:
by AB7RG 2024-11-22The International Amateur Radio Union has created a new award for youth excellence. The new award should be given "In recognition to an individual under 25 years old for an outstanding contribution to Amateur Radio." This Award wants to encourage excellence from all YOTA programs and individuals from around the world, recognizing the importance of young people and their contributions to the Amateur Radio Service. The award will be granted at the sole discretion of the International Amateur Radio Union - Administrative Council (IARU-AC) based on the methodology used to select the recipient of the award.
