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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2352 for Friday November 25th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2352 with a release date of Friday November 25th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Ham radio reunites a family after a 23-year
absence. Imagine a micro-sized battery with a lifespan of almost two
decades -- and when is a QSL card also a thank-you card? All this and
more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2352 comes your way
rightnow.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
HAMS REUNITE LOST FATHER WITH SONS AFTER 23 YEARS

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week with the tale of a poignant reunion
between an octogenarian in India and the grieving family who had
presumed he had died after a deadly cyclone that claimed thousands of
lives 23 years ago. That reunion happened with the help of amateur
radio. Graham Kemp VK4BB has that remarkable story.

GRAHAM: After a super cyclone flattened the coast of Odisha in India in
1999, Kritichandra (Kritty-Chondra) Baral (Bah-RAHL) lost his family
and his memory - the latter possibly from some kind of trauma.
Meanwhile, never learning for certain the fate of their patriarch, his
sons presumed their father was one of the thousands who lost their
lives in that natural disaster. The man survived, however, and lived as
a vagrant on the streets of a city in Andhra Pradesh, existing for
years on handouts and people's generosity. Ten years ago, he was taken
in by a group known as the Missionaries of Charity after one of his
benefactors discovered his health had deteriorated and asked that he be accepted into their care.

The charity's ongoing efforts to locate his family failed until Nov.
19, when they contacted the West Bengal Radio Club, which has extensive experience in assisting with reunions of missing persons and their
families. The hams had helped the charity before and the group was
hopeful that the radio amateurs would succeed where the charity had
not. Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, the club's secretary, said after some
time the amateur radio club was able to locate the man's sons. He told
various Indian news media outlets that two of the sons: [quote] "were dumbstruck when they saw their father's photograph and then started
weeping. They are a well-to-do family and said their father went
missing after the cyclone and was presumed dead." [endquote]

In videos shared with Newsline by Ambarish Nag Biswas, the family can
be seen with their father at the Missionaries of Charity residence.
They are overcome by emotion, hugging one another for the first time in
more than two decades.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA; GULF NEWS)

**
BIG PROMISE FROM ULTRA-TINY BATTERY

PAUL/ANCHOR: Battery technology continues to change and the latest
evolution announced recently is a super-small rechargeable
"micro-battery" with a high tolerance for variations in temperature
-and a lifespan of between one and two decades. Kent Peterson KC0DGY
tells us about this new development and what scientists are saying
about it.

KENT: A company in France believes it has come up with the latest
solution to provide battery power for micro-power devices. The company,
ITEN, has developed an ultra-small rechargeable lithium battery. At
first glance, the surface-mount solid-state battery might easily be
mistaken for an SMD chip as its housing is only slightly larger than
the battery's own dimensions of 3.2 by 2.5 mm. They are, of course, not
chips: These batteries have a capacity of between 0.1 mAh and 0.5 mAh.
They were found capable of tolerating temperatures between minus 40
degrees Celsius, or minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, all the way to 85
degrees Celsius, or 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

Their ability to deliver peak currents make them especially useful for
powering RF transmissions such as Bluetooth, Sigfox and LTE, to deliver
packets of data via sensors. The website, CNX software, also sees the
batteries as being useful for sensor data loggers, beacons and backup
power supplies for microcontrollers.

The solid-state technology is considered another plus contributing
toward a usable lifespan of between 10 and 20 years. The company has
said the batteries are also fast-charging.

The website, Hackaday, poses the following challenge: [quote] "We'd be particularly interested to learn about their temperature sensitivity
when it comes to soldering, as we've taken to heart the warnings about soldering to more traditional lithium cells." [endquote] The website
noted that there are apparently some evaluation kits available directly
from the company in France.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(ITEN.COM, HACKADAY, CNX-SOFTWARE)

**
TRANSATLANTIC QSOS RELIVE RADIO HISTORY IN DECEMBER

PAUL/ANCHOR: The entire month of December is being devoted to reliving
radio history: the Radio Society of Great Britain will mark the
centenary of the Transatlantic Tests, which firmly established that
amateur radio communication could cross the ocean. Jeremy Boot G4NJH
gives us those details.

JEREMY: The Radio Society of Great Britain has activated historic call
signs to mark a series of historic moments 100 years ago: the
successful one-way transatlantic radio communication showed the HF
bands to be well-suited for amateurs' signals crossing an ocean. The
first amateur transmission from Europe using the callsign (G)5WS was
heard in North America on the 24th December 1922.

The RSGB is inviting society members to participate in the month long celebration by activating a station - and is encouraging the rest of
the world to listen. The contacts this time will be via two-way
communication with awards available for operators logging QSOs with
stations using the historic callsigns.

In England these are G5WS, G5AT, G6XX, G6ZZ and G3DR. The station in
Scotland will be GM5WS; Wales will be using GW5WS and Northern Ireland,
GI5WS. In the English Channel, operators from the Crown Dependency of
Guernsey will be using GU5WS and those from Jersey will use GJ5WS.
Operators from the Isle of Man, another Crown Dependency in the Irish
Sea, will be using GD5WS.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**
NEBRASKA EMERGENCY OPERATORS HONORED BY STATE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams in Dodge County, Nebraska, are feeling a lot of pride
right now. Their track record of community service and commitment
during disasters or even drills for disasters has just been honored by
the state, as we hear from Andy Morrison K9AWM.

ANDY: Dodge County Amateur Radio Emergency Services, which has been a
key player giving assistance in real and simulated disasters in
Nebraska, was among the 11 honorees celebrated recently by the state
for its vital work in the community. Susanne Shore, wife of Gov. Pete
Ricketts, made the presentation during a luncheon for the 2022
ServeNebraska Step Forward Awards. This is considered the state's most prestigious honor given to volunteers.

Leader Steve Narans,WB0VNF, received the award on behalf of the ARES
group, which has been part of disaster drills with the Nebraska
National Guard as well as the Fremont fire and police departments. In
2019, the ARES group was key to a successful response when Fremont and surrounding areas suffered major floods. The ARES group is now in the
process of renovating a county communications trailer and fitting it
out for use by first responders.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM. (FREMONT TRIBUNE)


**
SANTA HF NET IS COMING TO TOWN

PAUL/ANCHOR: Even if you no longer believe in Santa, you still believe
in amateur radio, right? So listen up: the Santa Net is coming to town
on 80 meters and Jim Damron N8TMW says to put it on your list.

JIM: More than one thousand children are expected to have their moment
on the air this year as the 3916 Nets kicks off its 17th year of the
Santa Net. When this beloved holiday tradition began 17 years ago, only
a handful of youngsters checked in with the assistance of licensed
amateur radio operators. If you've been a very good ham this year, you
can help a young person be a third-party operator and get that
important contact on 3.916 MHz. The net begins on Friday November 25th
at 7:15 p.m. Central Time, or 0115 UTC. Santa will be on the air every
night on the same frequency and at that same time until Christmas Eve,
December 24th.

Just as Santa himself might say, this is a team effort. Organizer Pete
Thomson, KE5GGY, said that radio operators who belong to the 3916 Net
work as relays to ensure everyone gets heard. This is, understandably,
the favorite time of year on 3.916MHz for these operators.

You can even check in before the net at cqsanta dot com (cqsanta.com)
Everyone is ho-ho-hoping for good propagation.

This is Jim Damron N8TMW.

(QRZ.COM)

**
CATCH UP WITH SANTA ON REPEATERS, ECHOLINK

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you are unable to reach Santa on HF, he's still
reachable by repeater and on EchoLink. Santa will be taking calls from
November 27th to December 9th thanks to the teamwork of the Longmont
Amateur Radio Club and the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club.

Linked UHF and VHF repeaters in Colorado will be on the air with Santa,
who will also be reachable on Echolink node 8305 via the Longmont club
repeater W0ENO-R.

For Santa's operating hours and for the repeaters' offsets and PL
tones, visit the club website w0eno dot org. (W zERO E N O dot org)

(LONGMONT AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the N2JDW repeater in New York City on Monday nights at 8 local time,
just before the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service Net.

**

SKYWARN PROGRAM GOING STRONG IN SEVERE WEATHER

PAUL/ANCHOR: As many of us know, weather patterns seem to be changing everywhere. One thing that doesn't change is hams' dedication to
preparedness in the face of disaster. Randy Sly, W4XJ, spoke to one
such group.

RANDY: With the recent late season hurricanes and early season snow
storms here in some parts of the United States, everybody's talking
about the weather these days. For the National Weather Service, one of
their key resources for determining ground truth reports during severe
weather is the SKYWARN program, which is strongly supported by the
amateur radio community.

While hams have always played a key role in the program since its
inception in 1965, one group has taken their mission way beyond
SKYWARN. The Southwest District Skywarn Team Of Western Pennsylvania
offers general weather classes, training for relay and net control
stations, SKYWARN reporting procedures, daily rain gauge reporting with CoCoRaHS, and other training along with bi-monthly meetings on Zoom.
They also have worked at developing relationships with adjacent NWS
forecast offices to provide better interconnectivity and communications
during activations.

Eddie Misiewicz (Mi-shÃ(c)-vitz - short e) KB3YRU, President of the
group, told AR Newsline that they want to provide "all things weather"
for those who are interested even if they don't have a license. He also
hopes that their Zoom meetings might also be a gathering place for
other SKYWARN leaders and volunteers in order to share information and
ideas. To learn more about the Southwest District SKYWARN team and
meeting times, you may contact Eddie at KB3YRU@arrl.net.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

**
FOR OLDER HAMS, A DIFFERENT KIND OF DXPEDITION

PAUL/ANCHOR: The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu (VAN-Wah-TWO)
isn't exactly roughing it: there's a power grid, commercial air
service, homes to rent and a population of more than 40,000 people. For
a group of adventurous amateurs with the average age of 70, that makes
it a great spot for a DXpedition. Kevin Trotman N5PRE tells us what
they've got planned.

KEVIN: Van Herridge, N4VGE, is a born traveler and though he calls
South Carolina home, he is always looking for adventure beyond his QTH.
Now he and a group of older amateurs will follow that roving spirit to
Vanuatu in the South Pacific. The group has planned a two-week
DXpedition in December of 2024 and it will include participation in
that year's ARRL 10-meter contest.

The men are bringing all their necessary equipment and they're also
bringing their wives because this DX has hotels, restaurants, beaches
and other attractions to make it a family holiday too.

DXers already know that Vanuatu ranks 100th on the DXCC list of 340
countries. For this team, however, it ranks number one as a good spot
to aim for more than 50,000 QSOs using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. They're
looking for four more radio operators and inviting them to bring their
spouses to make it a great team. Van asks that interested DXpeditioners
contact him at vanherridge@gmail.com. That's herridge, spelled h e r r
i d g e.

Meanwhile, the team is also working on developing a website and seeking sponsors.

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(VAN HERRIDGE, N4VGE)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, you still have time to contact Peter, LA7QIA, who
is operating from Svalbard as JW7QIA from November 25th to the 29th.
He'll be taking part in the CQWW CW contest as a single operator. QSL
to his home call via LoTW.

Sigfrido, IW9FMD, is on the air as 5W0RS from Samoa as time permits
between work assignments. Be listening on 20M SSB. QSL via IT9VYO.

You have until December 3rd to contact the team on Nosy Be, IOTA
AF-057, Madagascar. Team members including Ron PA3EWP, who is operating
as 5R8WP and will be in the CQWW CW contest. His teammates are Guenter
DL2AWG, operating as 5R8WG; Erno DK2AMM operating as 5R8MM; Gerben
PG5M, operating as 5R8CG and Johannes PA5X, operating as 5R8PA. The
team is running two stations at the same time using CW, SSB, RTTY and
FT8 in fox/hound mode.

If possible, logs will be uploaded to Club Log on a daily basis. See
QRZ.com for QSL information.

Be listening for Take (TAH-KAY), JS6RRR operating from Miyako-jima,
IOTA number AS-079, until December 17th. Take will be on 80-6m, using
SSB, CW, FM, RTTY and JT65. He will participate in the CQWW CW contest
as JS6RRR. QSL information is on QRZ.com.

Ferdy, HB9DSP, will be active from Zanzibar using the call sign 5H3FM
from November 25th to December 13th. You will find him mostly on 20, 15
and 10 metres using SSB and FT8. QSL to his home call.

(DX-WORLD.NET)

**
KICKER: A RADIO, A RESCUE AND A QSL CARD

PAUL/ANCHOR: Sometimes a QSL card can confirm so much more than just a successful radio contact. Just ask one ham in Wyoming who recently got
such a card with a special message. Here's Ralph Squilllace KK6ITB with
that story.

RALPH: Nicholas Cashoili N0ASL recently sent a QSL card to Jim Shirey
N7FC. The men had a QSO on Halloween night on the same frequency where
members of the Buffalo Amateur Radio Klub customarily check in and keep up-to-date on matters related to the club. The voice coming from Jim's
HT, however, wasn't from a fellow club member: It was that of a
motorist in distress. That motorist was Nicholas. According to a report
on the Buffalo Bulletin website, Nicholas told Jim that he needed help:
He'd been driving through a canyon in Johnson County in north central
Wyoming, when his car slid off the road. His car was disabled and there
was no cell service available in the area. Using his radio, Jim
gathered what information he could get from Nicholas and then called
911. The story in the Buffalo Bulletin said that the fire and sheriff's departments were sent to assist at the scene.

Jim however didn't learn of the happy ending until he received that QSL
card from Nicholas this month. Only after its arrival from Nicholas'
Nebraska QTH did Jim discover some of the details of what turned out to
be a successful rescue. Nicholas was safe and had not been injured. The
day it arrived, his QSL card did double duty -- as a thank-you card.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB. (BUFFALO BULLETIN)
**

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to the ARRL; Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA;
the Buffalo Bulletin; CNX Software; CQ magazine; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; Facebook; Fremont Tribune; Gulf News; Hackaday; Longmont
Amateur Radio Club; QRZ.com; the RSGB; shortwaveradio.de; the 3916
Nets; Van Herridge, N4VGE; 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 2022. All rights reserved.

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