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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2404 for Friday November 24th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2404 with a release date of Friday November 24th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Radiowaves may be used to help diagnose climate
issues. A launch of the first pink satellite in space -- and can you
turn a can of ham into an antenna? All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2404 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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USING RADIOWAVES TO DIAGNOSE CLIMATE ISSUES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week asks the question: Can radiowaves
help diagnose climate issues? A team of researchers says "yes," and
Kent Peterson KC0DGY tells us what else they're saying.

KENT: The atmosphere has a message for us and it's possible that we may
be able to receive it thanks to the 6G networks of the future. This next-generation form of telecommunications is already being eyed for
cellular deployment -- but its range from 100 GHz into the terahertz frequencies positions it for another - unintended -- use.

According to an article in the IEEE Spectrum, waves utilized by 6G are
easily absorbed by gases in the atmosphere. As such, scientists may be
able to use the radiowaves to discern what kind of atmospheric gases
are present - especially the kind that imperil the well-being of the
planet and those of who live on it. The Spectrum article quoted from a
research paper in the journal, IEEE Network, in which Boston researcher
Josep Jornet suggests that because different molecules absorb
electromagnetic radiation differently, scientists can employ 6G
transmissions in much the same was spectroscopy is used: to identify
which molecules are present and what their concentration is. Jornet, in
fact, calls it "over0the-air spectroscopy."

Although 6G networks are not yet ready for prime time, the study's
authors believe a dual-purpose 6G network of the future could have
immense benefits.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(IEEE SPECTRUM)

**
PINK SATELLITE INSPIRED BY BUSINESSMAN'S DAUGHTER

NEIL/ANCHOR: A new satellite inspired by a Slovakian businessman's
daughter is a family-friendly CubeSat with an educational mission --and
it's the first pink satellite to be sent into orbit. Jeremy Boot G4NJH introduces us.

JEREMY: Slovakian businessman Boris Procik is not just the father of a
little girl named Veronika - he is also the father of a pink
nanosatellite with the same name. The amateur radio satellite was
launched recently as part of a SpaceX mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket
after a successful build by Spacemanic, a spinoff of the Slovak
Organisation for Space Activities.

Those involved in the mission have declared the 1U CubeSat to be the
first family-inspired satellite and certainly the first one that was
built in the colour pink. Its features include a CW beacon and a
digipeater. The download frequency is 436.680 MHz

Amateur Radio Club OM3KSI is operating the satellite and assisting with
its various goals, which include getting grammar and high school
students involved in receiving its transmissions which will include
special messages in CW and AX.25 packet radio. The Prague Observatory
and Planetarium, PLANETUM, will also share the educational uses of the
little satellite.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(AMSAT NEWS SERVICE, SPACEMANIC)

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SILENT KEY: CHICAGO BROADCASTER, OUTDOORSMAN ORRIN BRAND, K9KEJ

NEIL/ANCHOR: A Chicago-area broadcast veteran and an active radio
amateur has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Andy
MorrisonK9AWM.

ANDY: Orrin Brand, K9KEJ, didn't just use radio as a licensed amateur. Listeners in the Chicago area knew him as Mike Jackson, an outspoken outdoorsman who hosted a radio program and wrote a column for more than
two decades for the Daily Herald. He also spent a half-century working
in radio and TV. According to his page on QRZ.com, his love of radio
began with ham radio in the 1950s when he was growing up in Chicago.

As a radio professional, he hosted a conservative-leaning radio talk
show that was broadcast on WCGO-AM and live-streamed on the station's
web page as well as his own personal Mike Jackson webpage. An
accomplished fisherman, he was inducted into the Fresh Water Fishing
Hall of Fame in 2011 as a "Legendary Communicator."

Orrin Brand died on Wednesday, November 15th, at the age of 79.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(HAP HOLLY, KC9RP; QRZ.com; CHICAGO SUN-TIMES)

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UNIVERSITY'S NEW HAM RADIO TOWER PREPS STATION FOR ECLIPSE

NEIL/ANCHOR: There's nothing like planning ahead, and on one
Pennsylvania university campus the ham radio club has planned well for
the next solar eclipse, as we hear from Sel Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: The amateur radio station at the University of Scranton has a new
shack that will feature a panoramic look of the Pennsylvania city whose
name the school carries but the best, most crowd-pleasing view will
come not from looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows, but rather
the new 40-foot tower and HF multi-band antenna installed there earlier
this month on the campus. Amateur station W3USR will be ready to get on
the air and, even more importantly, will be working to provide a unique
view of its own in April when the sun enters a total eclipse over North America. Campus hams will be participating in the work of HamSCI, the
citizen science research organization that has been assisting NASA's
studies of how solar eclipses, such as the annular eclipse in October,
affect the ionosphere and radio propagation.

The installation was funded with the help of private donations and an
Amateur Radio Digital Communications grant earlier this year of almost
$200,000 provided to physics and electrical engineering professor
Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, the creator of HamSCI.

Of course, the collegiate amateurs will be keeping a close eye on
terrestrial goings-on as well: The station also has VHF/UHF, satellite
and microwave capability and can be part of the local emergency
response network as well. Nathaniel, the club's advisor, has already
helped many of the students receive the necessary emergency response
training with the Luzerne County Emergency Communication Agency.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(ROYAL NEWS)

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HAM RADIO WORKBENCH GOES ON THE AIR FOR 200TH SHOW

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Ham Radio Workbench podcast is fast approaching its
200th show and it's going to celebrate on December 3rd with a big
HRWBOTA (pronounced: her-wuh-bow-tuh). No, I didn't just mispronounce
another really large word; that's what the organizers are calling the
event - it's short for Ham Radio Workbenches on the air. The hosts are
marking the occasion with a four-hour activation on HF, DMR and AllStar
that allows listeners to make contacts with each of the presenters and
to score points. Be listening between 1800UTC and 2200UTC. No one's
looking to make this difficult: If you work at least two hosts, you get
a certificate of participation. There are bigger certificates too. See
details on the website h r w b o t a dot com

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HAMS BRING MISSING FATHER TO FAMILY AFTER 24 YEARS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Imagine being missing from your family for 24 years. An
alert amateur radio operator in India was able to end one man's long
absence from home by simply keeping his eyes open, asking questions and
- yes - using his radio. We hear the details from Jim Meachan ZL2BHF.

JIM: It was not an amateur radio contact but a visit to a tea vendor at
a bus station that led hams in West Bengal to bring a former military
engineer and his family together after the man went missing 24 years
ago. The family had last seen him when he was 44 years old and his son
was 15. According to news reports, the father disappeared while enroute
home to Uttar Pradesh from a military camp in Assam where he had been
posted with the military's engineering services department.

According to a report on The Statesman website, the family was so
certain he had died that in 2006 that they held a funeral ritual for
him. His son, Rajkumar, told local news media that in spite of that, he
and his two sisters never gave up hope that they would see their father
again. The man's wife, however, died a year and a half ago as the
search for him continued.

The secretary of the West Bengal club, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA,
told the Statesman that he'd spotted a man repeatedly during his
frequent visits to a tea vendor at a bus station during the past few
months. He began inquiring about the elderly man, who apparently had
only limited information about his family and their whereabouts. The
ham shared with his own club what little information he could gather
about the man's connections to Uttar Pradesh. West Bengal hams
contacted hams in Uttar Pradesh and they located the man's remaining
family members. As Newsline went to production, the hams were working
with local authorities to have the man return home.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(THE STATESMAN, THE TIMES OF INDIA)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including
D-STAR Reflector 91 C at 7:30 p.m. Melbourne Australian time on
Wednesdays, or 0830 UTC.

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A CHANCE FOR A QSO WITH KRENKEL MEDAL WINNERS

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you'd like to have a QSO with a prominent award-winner
- or a whole bunch of them - now is the time to fire up your rig, as we
hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: The name E.T. Krenkel - Ernest Teodorovich Krenkel - is well
known for his wide range of contributions to amateur radio, including
his notable Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. The HF spectrum was his
well-used tool for communication, experimentation and inspiration.
There are 213 recipients of the E.T. Krenkel Medal, which was created
to recognise individuals, organisations and other entities whose
involvement in amateur radio exemplifies the polish and devotion of
Krenkel, who became a Silent Key in 1971.

This year, on the 120th anniversary of his birth, the Krenkel Medal
Committee has introduced a certificate that amateur radio stations and shortwave listeners can earn by making contact with - or giving a
reception report for - as many of the medal recipients as possible
worldwide. Each confirmed contact is worth 10 points and a minimum of
120 points is required.

A bonus of 50 points will be awarded for any shortwave or amateur radio
contact with RK3F, the radio station of the Central Museum of Amateur
Radio in Moscow Points will be doubled for any contact or shortwave
reception with medal recipients on Krenkel's birthday, December 24th,
the official Day of Remembrance for Krenkel.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(BOB JOSUWEIT WA3PZO; KRENKEL MEDAL COMMITTEE)

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INDIANA AMATEUR RECEIVES ARRL TECHNICAL SERVICES AWARD

NEIL/ANCHOR: Congratulations to Jeff DeLucenay, KB9QG, vice president
of the Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association, who was awarded
the ARRL Technical Services Award. The award recognizes his ongoing
work with the repair and maintenance of the radios and equipment at the
club, where he keeps the antennas tuned and, when needed, rebuilt. He
also customizes equipment for the club's needs when necessary. In
addition, Jeff is responsible for training new hams and assisting
others with upgrading their licenses.

He was given the award by the ARRL's central division director Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

(THE DE KALB COUNTY STAR)

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AMATEURS CELEBRATE GROWING ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE DISABLED

NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams throughout IARU Region 1 are setting aside a day to
celebrate radio's growing accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us how to get involved.

JEREMY: The United Nations has declared the 3rd of December to be the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Organisers in Region1
of the International Amateur Radio Union have been busy coordinating
events for member societies. This is a day to recognise and celebrate
the accessibility that amateur radio provides to everyone, either
through special equipment designed to be used by hams with various disabilities, or recognising nets organised by disabled amateurs.
Activities on this day celebrate the inclusion that radio offers
despite many individuals' personal challenges.

The Region 1 coordinator, Riri OD5RI, told Newsline in an email that
many member societies will be participating by getting on the air with
special callsigns. There will also be other on-air events to raise
awareness of the ongoing need for ham radio to be an inclusive
community. Individual operators and members societies will be honoured
for their participation.

Riri said the activities support the global programme's sustainable
development goals which include the removal of inequality.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RIRI AZRAK, OD5RI)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Yuri, VE3DZ, operating as 5B4AQW until
the 28th of November. He will participate in the CQ WW DX CW Contest
on November 25th and 26th as P3D. QSL via his home call.

Listen for Dima, RA9USU, using the callsign 7O73T
(Seven-OH-Seven-Three-Tee) on Socotra Island, IOTA Number AF-028, until
the 28th of November. He is operating mainly CW with some FT8
and will participate in the CQ WW CW Contest. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.

The Radio-club de Lyon, F8KLY, will be on the air as TM1AB from the
25th of November to the 9th of December. The club is marking the
100-year anniversary of the first transatlantic amateur two-way
contact between Leon Deloy, F8AB, and Fred Schnell, 1MO, on the 28th of November in 1923. For details see QRZ.com

Keith, GM4YXI, and Chris, GM3WOJ, are in the Shetland Islands, IOTA
Number EU-012. They will participate in the CQ WW DX CW contest as
GS7V. Before and after the contest, listen for them operating as GS2MP.
See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425DX BULLETIN)

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KICKER: A LITTLE ANTENNA WITH A LOT OF CAN-DO

NEIL/ANCHOR: For our final story we ask: what can you do with a can of
ham? Well, you can make a sandwich, for one thing - or you can make a
contact on a local repeater. John Williams VK4JJW explains.

JOHN: Viewers of his YouTube channel, Ham Radio Rookie, now know that
Ben Eadie VE6SFX has become a man with a can and a plan. The can once
contained ham -- and the plan for the can was grand: Ben first ate the
ham, washed the can and got to his plan. He turned it into an antenna.

That's right, an antenna. It was Ben's latest experiment on his
channel's new feature called "Will it ham?" The 7-minute video shows
him attaching a PVC pipe, adding a few 3D printed pieces to the
assembly and putting a jumper on it to turn it into a slot antenna.
After finding a likely feed point, he checks it with a NanoVNA and
declares it beautifully resonant on 70cm and ready for a radio check on
a local repeater with the help of a friend. He tells his friend "I am
talking to you via a can of ham" and the good signal report that comes
back is clearly no baloney. His friend asks: Would the antenna be as
resonant if the ham were still inside? Ah, that's a question Ben could
surely sink his teeth into.

Meanwhile, he tells YouTube viewers that he is in search of other
possible projects that are too absurd for anyone else to do. What's in
his future? Perhaps he'll turn a tin of tuna.........into a tuner.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(YOUTUBE, HACKADAY)

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DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

If you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think Newsline would
be interested in, send it on! 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. Meanwhile, if you're
feeling even a little bit poetic, visit our website to learn more about
the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. Use the entry form on our
website and please follow the rules for writing your three-line haiku
-- and be sure to check out our previous winners!

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily; AMSAT News Service;
ARRL; Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO; the Chicago Sun-Times; CQ Magazine; David
Behar K7DB; the DeKalb County Star; FCC; 425DXNews; Hackaday; Hap
Holly, KC9RP; the IEEE Statesman; Krenkel Medal Committee; QRZ.com;
Riri Azrak, OD5RI; the Royal News; shortwaveradio.de; Spacemanic; the Statesman; the Times of India; 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
2023. All rights reserved.

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