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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2362 for Friday February 3rd, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2362 with a release date of Friday February 3rd, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A ham club honors a combat casualty from the
Vietnam War. Artificial intelligence gets on the air -- and it's time
at last to chase the Bouvet Island DXpedition! All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2362 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

**
GET READY TO WORK BOUVET ISLAND 3Y0J

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Bouvet Island. DX chasers - your
ship has come in. That would be the sailing yacht known as the Marama,
which inspite of windy, rainy conditions, stood by while a Zodiac made
a difficult but successful landing on Bouvet Island with the 3Y0J team.
As Newsline went to production, the team was setting up. Now it's time
to start listening for signals from the second most wanted DXCC entity.
In addition to the main 3Y0J station, you may want to listen for
limited operation of four additional callsigns - 3Y7GIA, 3Y7THA,
3Y/LB5GI and 3Y/LB1Q. For updates, see QR-Zed dot com and DX-world.net.

(DX-WORLD.NET, 3Y0J WEBSITE)

**

FCC DEBUTS MAP, DATABASE OF PIRACY ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: In the United States, the Federal Communications
Commission has finally put a piracy enforcement resource online that
the agency says is late because of delays in funding. Kent Peterson
KC0DGY brings us that story.

KENT: A database and map displaying pirate radio enforcement actions
taken by the FCC has gone live as part of an overall response to the
Pirate Act passed by Congress.

The database shows the agency's actions over the past three years
following the act's passage and includes consent decrees, landlord
notice letters and the $10,000 forfeiture associated with pirate
operations. The FCC said that it was delayed until now in implementing
the Pirate Act because of funding delays and challeges posed by the
pandemic. The funding covers the cost of other actions, including
enforcement sweeps and in-person investigations. To comply with that
mandate, the agency needs to hire additional field agents and buy a
half-dozen mobile direction-finding vehicles . Although the FCC has
already posted openings for five agents and a field counsel, its
purchase of six mobile-direction-finding vehicles has been delayed,
because much of the funding remains delayed.

Implementation of the Pirate Act was expected to cost $11-million,
according to the Congressional Budget Office. Funds were not provided
until last March and only $5-million was available to the FCC at the
time. The Pirate Act mandates enforcement sweeps in the top five
markets. The act also strengthened the agency's enforcement abillity, permitting it to take action against those landlords and managers who
permit pirate operations on their properties.

For a link to the map and database, see the text version of this
newscast at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://opendata.fcc.gov/stories/s/wgq8-eb5c ]

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(RADIO WORLD, FCC)

**
AMERICAN LEGION RADIO CLUB HONORS COMBAT CASUALTY

PAUL/ANCHOR: A ham radio club in one South Carolina town is honoring a
Vietnam War combat casualty by ensuring his name is never forgotten. We
hear those details from Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

KEVIN: In the combat jungles of Vietnam, he was a link to the outside
world for his fellow Marine infantrymen. William Hunter Kilburn of
Aiken, South Carolina, was a radio telephone operator carrying a radio
and an antenna for vital communications. In May of 1970 another Marine
tripped a wire attached to a Viet Cong booby trap and the Aiken High
School graduate, who had been walking behind him, was killed.

His hometown remembers him well but even more than that the American
Legion Radio Club, W4RTO, has chosen to honor him. The ham club,
established at the post less than a year ago, now carries the Marine's
name. There is a plaque at the post's headquarters identifying the site
as the home of Private First Class William H. Kilburn Post 26 American
Legion Radio Club. On January 24th, the club members also approved
William Kilburn as an honorary member. The military had earlier awarded
him a medal posthumously for combat valor. Now he serves as an
inspiration in his home community where club members help youngsters
study to get their radio license and where many members are looking for
ways to deepen their own commitment to service in their own way.

From Aiken, South Carolina, this is Kevin Trotman N5PRE

(NEWSBREAK AIKEN)

**
NEWCOMERS GET SPOTLIGHT FOR RSGB CONSTRUCTION CONTEST

PAUL/ANCHOR: A construction and software contest in the UK is opening
its door a little wider to give special attention to new and young
radio amateurs. We have those details from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: New Foundation licence holders and young amateurs under the age
of 24 are being given special recognition in the Construction
Competition organised by the Radio Society of Great Britain.
Competitors have until the 1st of March to submit their entries in four categories: beginners, construction excellence, innovation and
software. This competition is being held over the internet and the
judging is taking place online. The RSGB states on its website that the challenges posed are in recognition of the vital role construction
plays in amateur radio.

Details on how to enter can be found on the website that appears in the
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

Cash prizes will be awarded in each category and the overall winner
will be presented with the bonus of the Pat Hawker G3VA Trophy. The
trophy is named in honour of Pat, who became a Silent Key in 2013 at
the age of 90. Pat had been the author of the "Technical Topics" column
in the RSGB's RadComm magazine.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: rsgb.org/main/construction-competition/ ]

**
FCC HELPS UNDERWRITE EXAM COST FOR YOUNG KENTUCKY AMATEURS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Young amateurs are a priority for one club in Kentucky
which is helping young candidates make use of a relatively new
financial benefit from the FCC. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us what
thismeans.

JACK: One amateur radio club in Kentucky is making full use of an FCC
measure that helps cover costs for amateur radio candidates under the
age of 18. The Paducah Amateur Radio Association is encouraging local youngsters between 8 and 13 to join the club's program, which it calls "Pre-teen Talkers." The goal is to help them take the FCC licensing
exam and get on the air. Last April, the FCC and the American Radio
Relay League announced a negotiated agreement permitting Volunteer
Examiners at amateur radio club to waive the $35 license fee for
applicants under the age of 18 and to reduce the $15 ham radio testing
fee to $5.

Club secretary Michael Durr, KN4TIP, told local TV station WPSD that
those who pass the entry level Technician Exam will become eligible for
a free handheld radio to be given to them by the club.

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(WPSD LOCAL 6, ARRL)

**
SILENT KEY: MUSICIAN, EDUCATOR RODNEY MOAG, W5NDS

PAUL/ANCHOR: In the Texas amateur radio community and beyond, hams are
grieving the loss of an influential colleague of many talents:
professor emeritus of linguistics, country-and-bluegrass radio host,
recording artist and performer and, not least of all, active radio
amateur. Rodney Moag, W5NDS, was a ragchewer and a popular presence on
10 meters and elsewhere. He became a Silent Key on Thursday, January
19th at his home in Austin, Texas.

Born with juvenile glaucoma, he became blind at the age of 7. He was
first licensed in 1951 as W2KUV when he was a 14 year old student at
the New York State School for the Blind. Rod operated almost
exclusively on AM and CW for more than 10 years before expanding into
other modes. According to his bio on the Quarter Century Wireless
Association webpage, he was the only active ham in his high school ham
club and continued being active even in college. He remained an active
ham throughout most of his 86 years.

His talent in music and his academic work in linguistics took him to
many places around the world, either touring as a musician or studying languages. In the late 1970s, while teaching at the University of the
South Pacific in Fiji, he operated as 3D2RM.

He was a former vice-president of the Austin Amateur Radio Club, a
longtime member of the Texas VHF FM Society and a life member of ARRL
and the QCWA.

(QCWA, QRZ.COM, AUSTIN CHRONICLE)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the K3ALG repeater in Palmerton, Pennsylvania on Sundays at 4:30 p.m.
local time.

**
FREE MAGAZINE FOR IRISH HAMS MARKS ITS 2ND YEAR

PAUL/ANCHOR: Two years after its launch as a free resource for Irish
amateurs, an online magazine is still going strong. Jeremy Boot G4NJH
tells us about it.

JEREMY: The only free monthly amateur radio e-magazine in Ireland is
preparing to mark its second year of publication. The Connacht Regional
News Magazine is seen as the voice of ham radio experimenters,
innovators and homebrew-builders. It has gained a following in Europe,
the United States and a number of Pacific nations. The latest edition
features a worldwide news roundup as well as articles about various
antennas, the 5 MHz band and awards from the National Radio Society of
Ireland.

A number of clubs have also written updates on their activities, from fundraising walks to annual general meetings.

The editor, Steve Wright, EI5DD, told Newsline that the goal from the
start has been to promote radio activities by various clubs and
societies from both sides of the border in Ireland. The independent
publication also reports on the Irish Radio Transmitter Society and the
NRSI, the two national societies in Ireland.

Steve told Newsline that the magazine is distributed free and is easy
to access from the QRZ.com page of EI0CL or EI5DD. It also appears on
the Galway VHF Group Blog and on the magazine's own Facebook page.

Best of all, over the last two years, the magazine has grown from a
six-page publication in its earliest days to a full 30-page offering.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(STEVE WRIGHT, EI5DD)

**
HAMS PLAN SYMPOSIUM FOR OPERATING IN MARITIME CANADA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Get ready for a special symposium that focuses on the
needs of amateurs in maritime Canada. Andy Morrison K9AWM helps us take
a look at what's in store.

ANDY: Planning is getting underway for organizers of this year's
Symposium for Maritime Amateur Radio Technology, which is being hosted
by the WestCumb Amateur Radio Club in Nova Scotia on May 6th. Ham clubs throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and
elsewhere play an active role in this annual event, which features a
series of one-hour classes throughout the day and a variety of social gatherings.

This is the sixth annual event and its focus is on the technical and
procedural aspects of ham radio as it relates to operating in the
maritime region. John VE1CWJ, will present a class on amateur radio use
of satellites; Gordon, VE9GC, will discuss remote station operation;
and Bill, VE1YY, Glenn, VE9GJ, and Jason, VE1PYE, will talk about
making successful contacts on the 630m band. There will also be classes
on the use of the WINLINK radio messaging system and WSPR, or Weak
Signal Propagation Reporter.

Additional details about the event, known as SMART23, can be found on
the website that appears in this week's text version of the newscast at arnewsline.org

[FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: westcumb.ca/smart23 ]

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(JOHN VE1CWJ)

**
VANUATU DXPEDITION SHIFTS DATE TO OCTOBER 2024

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you want to work a DXpedition that isn't quite so
remote as Bouvet Island, this story from John Williams VK4JJW might
interest you.

JOHN: DX chasers who have their calendars marked for the Vanuatu
DXpedition in December 2024 need to turn their calendar pages back by
two months. The eight-member team has announced they will instead be
heading to the South Pacific island for their two-week activation in
October of 2024. The operators are hoping to capitalize on the
springtime propagation in the Southern Hemisphere and plan to
participate in the CQ WW DX Phone Contest.

The activation site will be on the island of Efate, which is the most
populated in the nation's archipelago. Efate boasts a robust tourism
industry. Spouses and partners will be accompanying the team members,
whose average age is 70. The operators have said they expect to log
more than 40,000 QSOs.

Vanuatu is 1,500 miles from Sydney, Australia and 3,000 miles from
Honolulu, Hawaii.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(DX-WORLD.NET)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, be listening for Willy, ON4AVT operating as
6W7/ON4AVT from Warang, Senegal from the 6th of February to the 31st of
March. He is expected to be on 80 through 10 metres using mainly FT8
with some SSB and CW. He will also be making contacts via the QO-100
satellite. QSL via Club Log's OQRS or his home call.

Listen for the call sign JD1YCC from Chichijima, Japan, IOTA number
AS-031. A group of Japanese operators will be active there from the 7th
to the 13th of February. They will operate EME on 2m, 70cm and 23cm.
QSL via LoTW, or direct to JH3AZC.

Listen for Gene, W8NET, using the call sign N8V from St. Croix, US
Virgin Islands, IOTA number NA-106, from the 6th to the 10th of
February. Gene will be using SSB and FT8 on 80, 40, 20, 17 and 10
metres. He will also be activating three Parks on the Air locations.
QSL via LoTW, Club Log's OQRS, eQSL, or direct to W8NET.

Peter, G4HSO is active holiday style as S79/G4HSO from the Seychelles
until the 21st of February, concentrating on CW and VarAC. QSL via
LoTW, no paper QSLs.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BUT REAL RAGCHEW

PAUL/ANCHOR: For our final story, we take a look at ChatGPT, the
intensely popular chatbot launched late last year by Open AI. It has
quite literally become the talk of more than quite a few towns, if not
the world. Now, it seems, it is also the talk of amateur radio. Ralph
Squillace KK6ITB explains.

RALPH: An enterprising ham in Manitoba, Canada, has found a way to use
a voice recognition engine and a text-to-speech engine to give ChatGPT
its own voice -- via a transmission that occurs over D-STAR.

William Franzin, VE4VR, has been a ham since the 1990s, long before the
age of today's modern digital modes, but he has almost always tinkered
with voice repeater controllers. He told Newsline that those early
projects really didn't take off for him. It was only after Amazon
released its Alexa voice assistant that the project gained real
traction. Five years ago he successfully integrated voice-assistant
products with popular ham radio platforms. His recent addition of
ChatGPT simply meant including it as one more platform.

An article on the Hackaday website describes the process: A DSTAR
digital voice transmission is received and transcoded to regular
digital audio. A voice recognition engine delivers the question for
ChatGPT's AI. The AI's output then enters a text-to-speech engine which delivers the question's reply over D-STAR. William has registered the
VE4AVS callsign just for these applications. He stressed that all of
this is still in the experimental phase.

However, he posed one question that might prove too tough even for
ChatGPT itself to tackle: Could the AI answer enough questions to
qualify for a license and an upgrade on its own?

We're listening for that answer.

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.


(WILLIAM FRANZIN, VE4VR, HACKADAY)

**
NEWCAST CLOSE - DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

PAUL/ANCHOR: Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think
Newsline would be interested in? We are not talking about advertising
your club's upcoming hamfest or field day participation, but something
that is out of the ordinary. If so, send us a brief overview via the
contact page at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to
cover it, we'll get back to you for more details.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Weekly; Amateur Radio
Digital Communications; the ARRL; Austin Chronicle; CQ magazine; David
Behar K7DB; Eddie Misiewicz, KB3YRU; FCC; 425 DX News; Hackaday; John
VE1CWJ; the Quarter Century Wireless Association; Radio World; shortwaveradio.de; Steve Wright, EI5DD; William Franzin, VE4VR;
Wireless Institute of Australia; WPSD Local 6; 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 2023. All rights reserved.

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