XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.info

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2472 for Friday, March 14, 2025 Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2472 with a release date of Friday, March
14, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The official US climate agency faces an
uncertain future. Ham radio becomes a tool to handle rampaging wildlife
-- and a triumph for navigation systems on the moon. All this and more
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2472 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART

**
QUESTIONS LOOM AFTER CUTS AT US WEATHER AGENCY

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin with a developing story here in the US. With the
Atlantic hurricane season on the horizon, ongoing job cuts at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, are throwing
the agency's future into question among forecasters, scientists,
SKYWARN spotters and other hams responding to weather disasters around
the nation. Randy Sly W4XJ brings us up to date.

RANDY: Published reports about the downsizing of a number of US federal agencies indicate that NOAA, the government's climate and weather
agency, is bracing for another 1,000 job cuts on top of its recent loss
of an estimated 1,300 staffers. The National Weather Service, which is
part of NOAA, announced earlier this month that it was temporarily
halting launches of some of its weather balloons because of staffing
shortages. Data gathered by the weather balloons have been, among other
things, an important source of data used by hams and others who
regularly track the solar cycle.

Sources told the Washington Post that the government may not renew the
leases for NOAA's weather and climate center in Maryland and for its
radar operations center in Oklahoma.

According to a report in the New York Times, additional cuts will mean
a reduction in NOAA's staffing by 20 percent. The Washington Post said
that the National Weather Service now has fewer than 4,000 on staff,
the smallest roster in recent history.

A number of amateur radio nets, including the Hurricane Watch Net and
the Maritime Mobile Service Net, interact with the National Weather
Service during storms and other emergencies, passing traffic and
transmitting critical bulletins. It was unclear what impact these
staffing cuts will ultimately have on amateur radio's role in safety communications during times of crisis.

This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

(WASHINGTON POST, ABC NEWS, NY TIMES)

**
RADIO EYED AS ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATION AGAINST WILDLIFE RAMPAGE

JIM/ANCHOR: Amateur radio emergency response varies from location to
location but the need for effective communication remains the same
everywhere - whether a region is dealing with a wildfire, a cyclone
or something else. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us about a response team in
India that recently started up to deal with rampaging wildlife.

JIM: A handful of villages on the edge of the Buxa Tiger Reserve now
have additional assurance that they will be better informed about
dangers posed by wildlife on the move. The North Bengal Amateur Radio
Society has assisted a group of youths from five villages near the
tiger reserve so, as licensed hams, they can watch out for potential
deadly encounters between humans and animals.

The young amateurs began this effort after the last monsoon in which
two young villagers were attacked and killed by elephants in a remote
village of Chepani, according to a report on the website of the Indian publication, the Telegram. The young team received guidance from Swarup
Saha, VU3KOX, secretary of the North Bengal ham society. Mobile
connectivity is unreliable in remote areas of the region and villagers
were often unable to warn one another about dangers to their homes,
their crops and their lives.

Three months after the small team of hams was formed, radios have been
set up in each small village near the tiger reserve. Villagers told the Telegram they were much more confident now that they will be better
able to protect themselves and their homes.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(THE TELEGRAM)

**
HAM RADIO BECOMES TOOL FOR FARMERS, FISHERMEN IN INDIA

JIM/ANCHOR: Farmers and fishermen in India are also learning how ham
radio can assist them, as we hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: In West Bengal, India, hams responding to natural disasters in
the coastal region of that state have long witnessed the struggle of
farmers and fishermen in the aftermath of each of these cyclones and
other disturbances. While the radio operators' response has
traditionally been to initially step in and assist with emergency communications, the West Bengal Radio Club knew its members had to do
something more - and could.

At a one-day seminar this month at Neotia University in cooperation
with agriculture and communications department officials, three
speakers from the club gave insights and instruction to those who work
the land and the sea. They learned how they might use radio to better
prepare in protecting their livelihoods in this difficult climate.

Club secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA told Newsline that after
conducting the awareness program and instruction, the hams will assist
with the installation of community radios, with the support of
government officials. More than 350 students from eight states and 17
districts attended the one-day seminar and workshop.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)

**
NEWSLINE'S NEIL RAPP, WB9VPG, AND 3 OTHERS ARE HAMVENTION HONOREES

JIM/ANCHOR: In bringing you this next story, Newsline indulges in a bit
of personal pride. The Hamvention Awards committee has chosen our own
Neil Rapp WB9VPG, as Amateur of the Year. You may know him as a
Newsline anchor and correspondent -- and as creator and host of the
former HamTalk Live! webcast - but the ham world first heard from Neil
at the age of 5 when he became one of the youngest licensed hams ever
in 1976.

A visiting professor of chemistry at Xavier University and a former
high school chemistry teacher, Neil has a long commitment of bringing
ham radio to kids - first as a school ham club sponsor and as cofounder
and camp director of Youth On The Air Americas. Neil is a contributing
editor at the National Contest Journal and a member of the ARISS USA
Education Committee

We are so proud of you, Neil!

Neil will share the stage in May during the Hamvention Awards in Xenia,
Ohio, with three other recipients: One of them, Dr. Kristina Collins,
KD8OXT, is chief operations scientist for the HamSCI Personal Space
Weather Station Network. She is being given the Technical Achievement
Award. Julio Ripoll, WD4R, is being given the Special Achievement
Award. Julio is co-founder of amateur radio operations at the National Hurricane Center and is assistant coordinator. He has managed emergency communications during Caribbean hurricanes and the Haiti earthquake of
2010. The Club of the Year award recipient is the RV Radio Network,
which has more than 450 members who combine amateur radio with the joy
of travel in recreational vehicles, hosting educational forums, rallies
and seminars along their journeys.

(MICHAEL KALTER, W8CI)

**
STATION IN AUSTRIA ADDS RADIO DARC PROGRAM

JIM/ANCHOR: A station in Austria has been the latest shortwave
broadcaster to air a program by Germany's national amateur radio
society, as we learn from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: If you've been listening to Radio D A R C's shortwave
programmes broadcast on the 31-metre band from Woofferton, England or
from Ingolstadt, Germany on Radio Channel 292 - a ham-owned AM
broadcast station - you now have another option. The programme produced
by Germany's national amateur radio society is now being carried on a
test basis by the "Museums Radio Plattenkiste" transmitter in Bad
Ischl, Austria run by OE5TPM. During the month of March you can listen
from 1900 to 2000 CET on Saturdays on 1476 kHz. The D A R C welcomes
reception reports for the 1 kW station, and these should be emailed
directly to radio at D A R C dot de.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(D A R C)

**
FCC RULE OPENS UP 6 GHz BAND TO MORE UNLICENSED VLP DEVICES

JIM/ANCHOR: In the US, the entire 6 GHz band will be opened up to a
greater operation of unlicensed VLP, or very low power, devices under
an FCC final rule that takes effect on May 5th.The band, which
comprises frequencies between 5.925.7 and 7.125 GHz, is used by mobile
service, fixed service and fixed satellite service across four
sub-bands. VLPs, which include wearable devices, augmented-reality
devices and health-care monitors, typically have an integrated antenna
and cover short distances.

This latest action by the commission, published in the Federal Register
on March 6th, provides greater spectrum for various portable devices
operating with the same power levels and operational requirements of
other VLP devices.

(FEDERAL REGISTER)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including
the KD2SL repeater in Syracuse, New York on Mondays at 8 p.m. after the Fireside Chat Net.

**
NAVIGATION SYSTEM TRACKS LANDER ON LUNAR SURFACE

JIM/ANCHOR: Navigation systems based on Earth have achieved something
that has scientists literally over the moon with pride, as we hear from
Paul Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: When an Earth-based navigation system successfully tracked a
lander on the surface of the moon on March 3rd, the interaction was
hailed as a triumph. It was a "first" for the Lunar GNSS Receiver
Experiment, known as LuGRE, a joint project of NASA and the Italian
Space Agency. This unprecedented ability to have Earth-based navigation
track movements on the moon bodes well for high-altitude explorations
such as NASA's planned Artemis missions. Observers view it as a gateway
to even more advanced navigation systems which could be applicable to
missions headed for Mars.

The contacts between LuGRE and the two navigation systems - GPS and
Galileo - achieved success some 225,000 miles from Earth, determining
position, velocity, and time autonomously.

This is a first for the Italian Space Agency and a nod to the work of
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, who was a consultant on the LuGRE moon lander
package. Frank, the executive director of ARISS, had experimented more
than 20 years ago with using the satellite AO-40 to measure the signal
strength of the GPS satellite constellation at high altitudes. That
experiment was credited with helping improve GPS and its applications
-- and experts note that it ultimately led to the ability for such
navigation at even higher-earth orbits.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.

***
NOMINATE THE NEXT "YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR"

JIM/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that young hams who live in the
continental United States have an opportunity to make news, if they
aren't already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award.
Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or
younger -- someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the
spirit of ham radio. Newsline was proud last year to honor Grace Papay,
K8LG, of Holland, Michigan, with this special award. Do you know
someone who might qualify to receive this year's honor? Find
application forms on our website arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations are now open. We are accepting nominations through May
31st.

**
HAMS UNITE TO MARK 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF ERIE CANAL

JIM/ANCHOR: New York State's Erie Canal was completed 200 years ago,
providing a waterway connection between the East Coast and the Midwest
by linking New York's Hudson River with Lake Erie. Now the Erie Canal
is getting ready to be a source of connection for amateur radio
operators who will be on the air in September at various points
including the 524 miles known as the Erie Canalway National Heritage
Corridor. If you'd like to be one of them, this report from Andy
Morrison K9AWM should be helpful

ANDY: September can't come soon enough for the Warren County Radio
Club W2WCR, whose members are planning a club picnic and POTA
activation to mark the bicentennial of the Erie Canal. The club's
president Bernie N1NDN told Matt K2EAG and Mike N2MAK that the POTA
event the two have organized from the 16th through to the 25th of
September provides a perfect opportunity for everyone to try operating
a portable station while celebrating the historic canal.

While most of the portable stations are likely to be at various points
along the route known as the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor,
not all the activations are likely to be on dry land. Matt said that
the Radio Association of Western New York W2PE hopes to operate aboard
the museum ship USS Little Rock CLG4 in Buffalo while, at the opposite
end of the canal in Albany, hams are hoping to activate another museum
ship, the USS Slater WW2DEM. Matt and Mike are looking for as many
individual hams and clubs as possible to sign up.

Meanwhile, there's plenty of room along the corridor, which has the
POTA designation of US-6532. The radio event is timed to coincide with
the World Canal Conference that kicks off on the 21st of September in
Buffalo.

If you'd like to help honor the canal's history, contact Matt at
the email address in the text version of this week's newscast script
at arnewsline.org - or look for him on the Facebook page of Upstate New
York Parks on the Air.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.


[EMAIL ADDRESS, DO NOT READ: K2EAG@arrl.net ]

(MATT K2EAG)


**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, Pierre, VE3KTB, is using the callsign VY0ERC from
the Eureka Amateur Radio Club station on Ellesmere Island, IOTA Number
NA-008 until the 2nd of April. He is operating CW, SSB and FT8 on
various bands. For QSL details, see QRZ.com.

The D A R C's special event callsign DA25WARD is active until the
27th of April in recognition of World Amateur Radio Day. Hams around
the world celebrate April 18th, 1925, the day of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Members of the EI DX Group are using the callsign 6Y7EI from Jamaica,
IOTA Number NA-097, through to the 24th of March. Listen for them on
160-6 metres where they will be operating using all modes. QSL via
M0OXO [EM ZERO Oh EXX Oh].

Adrian, HJ4ADR, is operating holiday style from the 20th through to the
26th of March using the callsign HJ4ADR/0. He is operating from
Providencia Island, IOTA Number NA-049, using low power. He will be on
40 and 10 metres using SSB and FT8. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: HELLO, MOON TO EARTH? ANYBODY HOME?

JIM/ANCHOR: Finally, if you've ever waited for a phone call that just
never came, you might appreciate our final story this week --
especially if your caller happened to be on the moon. Kent Peterson
KC0DGY explains.

KENT: That much-awaited wireless call from the Moon to the Earth will
just have to be put on hold - for now. Nokia's 4G LTE network was
expected to be put through its paces from the south pole of the lunar
surface following the March 6th landing of the Athena Lander, built by
the private Houston, Texas-based company, Intuitive Machines.

Athena arrived with Nokia's Network in a Box, or NIB, on board. Like
its predecessor lander - also built by Intuitive Machines - the lander
tipped over upon arrival and, with its solar panels blocked from
receiving the necessary recharge from the sun, the mission was quickly
declared over.

Undaunted, Nokia pointed out that the company did successfully deliver
the moon's first cellular network and powered it up for 25 minutes to
transmit data and receive commands from the Earth. Hopes were high,
though, that there would be more to report. After all, this mission was supposed to help facilitate communications in 2027 aboard Artemis III.
That mission is to be NASA's first human spaceflight to the moon since
1972 and astronauts are expected to be wearing spacesuits that have
integrated 4G LTE capabilities courtesy of Nokia and Axiom Space.

Of course that's still two years away so....until then, hold all calls,
please.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(WIRED.COM)

**
You don't need to be a literary giant of the amateur radio world to
send your amateur radio haiku to Newsline's haiku challenge. You just
need to be inspired. Set your ham radio poetry down using traditional
haiku format - a three-line verse with five syllables in the first
line, seven in the second and five in the third. Submit your work on
our website at arnewsline.org - each week's winner gets a shout-out on
our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.< NEWSCAST
CLOSE: With thanks to ABC; Amateur News Daily; Ambarish Nag Biswas,
VU2JFA; David Behar K7DB; the D A R C; Federal Register; Hackaday; Matt
Brown, K2EAG; Michael Kalter, W8CI; New York Times; NASA.gov; QRZ.com;
Radio World; shortwaveradio.de; The Telegram; Washington Post;
Wired.com; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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 Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston West
Virginia saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025. All rights reserved.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)