Subj : Newsline Part 1
To : ALL USERS
From : DARYL STOUT
Date : Thu Nov 26 2015 08:07 am
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1987 November 27, 2015
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1987, with a release date of
Friday, November 27, 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. The FCC announces even more changes for its online
visitors. A New Jersey grand jury indicts a 25-year-old suspect in the
killing of an elderly ham. A nationwide club unites youthful radio amateurs
in the UK. And, right after Thanksgiving, watch for Santa Claus, coming to
a band near you. All this and more, in Amateur Radio Newsline report 1987,
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)
**
[ANCHOR/DON:] We begin this week's newscast with an announcement from an
optimistic Federal Communications Commission as it emerges from
embarrassing and inconvenient glitches in its Electronic Batch Filing
System. Now that things are getting back to normal there, the FCC is
launching its overhauled agency website. Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter
Nash, N5ASH, has the details:
MORE CHANGES ONLINE AT THE FCC
[SKEETER'S REPORT]: As the FCC, and hams around the country, recuperate
from the on-again, off-again outage that left the FCC with a backlog of
license applications and exam sessions, the agency has announced yet more
change coming online: A newly revamped website that is making its debut
on Dec. 10, through a four-hour transition that will begin at 0100 UTC.
The agency said, in a public notice released Tuesday, Nov. 24, that the
changes were based on information gathered from user feedback over time
and the new website should provide QUOTE "better functionality, an
improved design and better searchability and navigability." ENDQUOTE
The Commission's IT Department had run the site in a beta-test version
earlier this year to collect input from visitors before the official
launch. The new site is also optimized for use on tablets, smartphones
and other mobile devices and offers different browsing options.
The FCC says: Worry, not, because while the current agency website will
no longer be available after Dec. 10, files and webpages on
transition.fcc.gov will still be accessible until they too are migrated
to the new site. The Commission has already upgraded its consumer help
center and other interactive areas - and says it has been working toward
fine-tuning those areas as well.
So, stay tuned.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, in Topeka, Kansas.
(ARRL)
**
INDICTMENT IN HAM'S KILLING
Out of New Jersey comes an update on the tragic killing of an elderly
amateur radio operator earlier this year. A grand jury in Essex County
has indicted the suspect, 25-year-old Ray Cooley, of Nutley, New Jersey
on charges of murder, robbery and other offenses related to the death of
William Fitzsimmons this past spring.
Fitzsimmons, who was 85 years old and lived alone, was found badly beaten
and bloodied outside his Belleville, New Jersey house the day after a May
16 home invasion and assault. He died of his injuries about two weeks
later in a Newark hospital. Police arrested Cooley, then upgraded the
charges after Fitzsimmons' death. Cooley was indicted on Nov. 13.
Fitzsimmons, whose call sign was N2LMU, was a retired captain with the
Army National Guard, and a member of the Roseland Amateur Radio Club, the
Military Auxiliary Radio System and the American Legion. Published news
reports said that, because he was by himself, he would often leave one of
his doors open to enable neighbors to check on him.
Cooley's arraignment is set for Dec. 14.
(NORTHJERSEY.COM)
**
PET PROJECT FOR "HAMSTERS"
[ANCHOR/DON]: They call themselves the Young Hamsters, but this busy,
friendly group of radio amateurs in Great Britain has nothing to do with
pet rodents. Instead, this growing collective has a pet project: to
provide a resource that caters specifically to hams under the age of 30
throughout the UK. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has more:
[JEREMY]: Although they believe conventional radio clubs to be fine for
most amateurs, Mark, M-ZERO-NCG, and Adam, M-M-ZERO-KFX wanted something
more for the radio operator under the age of 30. That's how Young Hamsters
was born. They believed that, just as the popular Youngsters on the Air
program attracts youthful hams worldwide and in Europe, something specific
to the UK could be a great success.
In a recent email to Amateur Radio Newsline, Mark described the group's
mission: He said "We have a focus on operating on the air - be it by
promoting contesting and DXpeditions or just by being active on the bands!"
Because members are scattered across the UK, the group makes use of
Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp accounts to allow everyone to express their
opinion on issues and to build community. The sites are also a resource for
announcing the Young Hamsters' plans. Mark added "Not only do we hope to
promote contesting and DXpeditioning, we actually hope to run DXpeditions
and work together in contests to build a name for ourselves as the future
of our hobby!"
Mark also wrote that the club fulfills some of the social needs that
younger operators have: "We decided to set up Young Hamsters instead of
incorporating into an existing club as we feel the people best placed to
showcase our hobby and retain the interest of young people in our hobby
are young people themselves. It can seem quite lonely at times, especially
in the UK, with so few young radio amateurs, and by bringing as many of us
together, we can share our common interests and really help to further our
hobby via innovative ideas and social networking."
Membership is free. And the club call sign is M-ZERO-YHC. Be listening!
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, reporting from
Nottingham in the UK.
[ANCHOR/DON]: You can find the Young Hamsters on Twitter with the handle
younghamsters - one word - or on Facebook at
facebook.com/groups/younghamsters. Or email the organizers at
[email protected]
**
DECEMBER IS YOTA MONTH
According to the calendar, we're heading into December, but to European
amateur radio operators in their early 20s -- or even younger - the next
31 days that lie ahead are really known as YOTA Month. December is being
set aside for the program, Youngsters on the Air, a large group of
youthful hams from Region 1 of the International Amateur Radio Union who
support one another's projects and engage in QSOs with one another, and
around the world.
Throughout December, YOTA members will be active on the bands, using
Y-O-T-A as the suffix in their call sign. Young South African hams
participating will be using the call sign, Z-S-9-YOTA. And in the UK, the
special call sign, G15YOTA will be on the air for 22 days during December,
many from school amateur radio clubs and some from the RAF Air Cadets.
Proponents of the event remind amateurs around the world that in many
cases, a YOTA operator might be having his or her first experience on
radio when giving a call, so try to make that QSO happen! And make it
friendly.
(YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR, THE SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE, RADIO SOCIETY
OF GREAT BRITAIN)
**
SUMMER PLANS
Speaking of Youngsters on the Air, a good many of them are already
looking toward the summer, when YOTA 2016 gathers in the Austrian Alps
as guests of the Austrian Amateur Radio Society, OeVSV. The Austrian
group is marking its 90th anniversary.
Applications are now being accepted for the event, and the deadline is
coming up fast - it's December 31. The program, which is set for July
16 through 23, will accept 75 youngsters. Email any questions to
[email protected]
**
BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including WB5ITT, the
Triangle Repeater Association, in Beaumont/Port Arthur and Orange, Texas
on Monday nights.
--- BgNet 1.0a12 - The Thunderbolt BBS wx1der.dyndns.org Little Rock, AR
