Subj : Newsline Part 1
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Dec 16 2016 11:51 am
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2042, December 16, 2016
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2042, with a release date of Friday,
December 16 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. The FCC's chairman announces he'll resign. An
earthquake rocks Indonesia, and hams step in. European radio operators
put the spotlight on PSK31 -- and amateur radio helps Christmas kick off
in Tennessee. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2042,
comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
BREAKING NEWS: FCC CHAIRMAN TOM WHEELER STEPPING DOWN
PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with breaking news. As Amateur
Radio Newsline went to production, word came from Washington that the
top regulator of communications in the U.S. would resign his post. FCC
Chairman Tom Wheeler, an Obama appointee who championed the net neutrality
policy, said his last day would be Jan. 20, the day Donald Trump takes the
oath of office. The long-term impact on the agency and its regulations is
the subject of speculation: Wheeler's departure leaves a tilted balance
with fewer Democratic than Republican commissioners. A spokesman for
Democrat Mignon Clyburn said on Thursday, Dec. 15, that her plan is to
serve until mid-2017 when her term expires. Liberal Commissioner Jessica
Rosenworcel's term has ended, and she is expected to leave the FCC by
Dec. 31.
As president, Trump will appoint Wheeler's successor.
Amateur Radio Newsline will be following these developments as the new
administration prepares to take office.
(THE WASHINGTON POST)
**
HAMS PROVIDE INDONESIAN EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE
PAUL/ANCHOR: We look now at Indonesia, where a powerful quake and
aftershocks rocked one region. Hams were ready, and they responded.
Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB, with that story.
GRAHAM'S REPORT: A powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake, that killed more
than 100 in Indonesia, and injured hundreds more, drew the response of
amateur radio operators following the December 7 quake. As the search
went on for survivors amid the rubble, the hams from the Indonesian
Amateur Radio Organization stepped in to support emergency communications.
One of the amateurs, Zainal Abidin, YC6FZ, was injured following the
collapse of his home. He was taken for hospital treatment by a fellow
ham, Ismul Huda, YB6AG. The communications team was led by Abdullah Ali,
YB6AA. They passed emergency traffic on 40 meters and 2 meters FM as
search-and-rescue went on and hundreds were escorted to shelters.
Still more work remained to be done: Seventy-four aftershocks had been
recorded as late as Sunday morning, December 11th, when two of them
measured 3.5 and 5.3 in magnitude.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.
(ABC NEWS, IARU REGION 3, ANTARA NEWS)
**
HAMS' CHALLENGE DURING GATLINBURG FIRES
PAUL: The recent wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee were a testament to
what can be accomplished, when all emergency personnel in a region
coordinate and work together.
This includes the amateur radio community, both ARES and RACES. Jim
Snyder, AJ4NO was ready when the call came:
JIM: I got first notified on Monday night by the Red Cross, asking if we
could deploy an amateur radio asset to help in the shelter. So, we sent
an operator up to that, and he was there sixteen hours, which is quite a
long period of time...
PAUL:
Gatlinburg is in Sevier County, and usually works with RACES. However,
in this case, they also called in surrounding area ARES groups to help.
However, they needed the hams less for communications, and more for other
duties:
JIM: The call to me came from Lance Coleman, the EMA director of Blunt
County. He was organizing the damage assessment for Sevier County. Their
EMA director was in Gatlinburg to help with the response, so they used
the amateur radio relationships to find people who'd been trained in
damage assessment, and get them to turn out to help.
PAUL: As we go to air, FEMA officials have so far estimated that the area
suffered $500 Million dollars' worth of damage, and the cost of fighting
the fires has topped $5 million dollars. If you would like to help or
contribute, please contact the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce.
That was Jim Snyder, AJ4NO, in Tennessee, recalling radio's emergency
response during the treacherous Gatlinburg wildfires.
