Subj : Newsline Part 2
To : ALL USERS
From : DARYL STOUT
Date : Thu Dec 10 2015 08:34 pm
SKYWARN: WEATHER OR NOT
[JIM/ANCHOR]:
No matter the weather, the sun is always shining on SKYWARN Recognition
Day which, this year, was Saturday, Dec. 5. At National Weather Service
locations around the country, volunteer radio operators connected with
other amateurs for 24 hours, reaffirming their commitment to keep the
lines of communication open when severe weather strikes. Forecaster Mary
Keiser (KI-ZER), KE5TXH, of the National Weather Service in Birmingham,
Alabama, told Amateur Radio Newsline's Hap Holly, KC9RP, about how this
special day underscores the important role hams play:
[HAP'S REPORT]
[JIM/ANCHOR]: That was Mary Keiser (KI-ZER) of the National Weather
Service talking to Hap Holly, KC9RP.
**
PLUTO: BIG EVENT FOR A DWARF PLANET
The Northern Arizona DX Association has come to think of Pluto as
"the little planet that could." Or, in this case, the downgraded planet
that still can. The radio amateurs are marking 2015 as the Year of Pluto
and are operating Special Event Station W7P through December 13. The
station will operate out of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, the very
observatory from which astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930.
Although Pluto has since undergone a celestial demotion to "dwarf planet,"
theres nothing small about the DX Association's commemoration. The
astronomers nephew, Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, will be a special guest radio
operator -- and a number of others will be on the air from the interior of
the actual telescope dome where Pluto's discovery was made. QSLs and a
certificate will be available. For more information, visit the NADXA
website, www.nadxa.com. And, on the outside chance anyone snags a QSO
from coming from Pluto itself, that would be the ultimate DX.
**
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS: LARRY PRICE, W4RA
The Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame has named Larry Price, W4RA, as
its inaugural honorary member. Price, president emeritus of the ARRL, and
the International Amateur Radio Union, has been an active leader in the
amateur community for more than three decades. He was president of the
ARRL from 1984 to 1992, and president of the IARU from 1999 to 2009. He
is a Life Member of the ARRL, and also belongs to the ARRL Maxim Society.
Last year, he was named Amateur of the Year at the Dayton Hamvention.
The Canadian Hall of Fame Board of Trustees said his nomination by the
Radio Amateurs of Canada comes after many years of support to that
organization and amateur radio in Canada in general.
He will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame early next year.
(ARRL)
**
NEW ZEALAND JOINS SOTA
Amateur radio has achieved a new summit in New Zealand -- or several new
summits - literally. The nation's hams are now able to participate in
this worldwide activity, following the mapping and checking of summits
for the North Island. South Island summits will follow next.
Warren Harris, ZL2AJ, the association manager for SOTA New Zealand, has
encouraged all hams to climb to the heights, even if they're not
necessarily mountaineers. In urging the amateur community to get on board
with this worldwide activity, he said recently: QUOTE "I am keen to
encourage SOTA activity. I am available to give some branches a talk, and
to provide advice and encouragement to fellow hams." ENDQUOTE
There is also a Yahoo Group that supports interested hams in New Zealand.
He asks that hams wanting more information, write him directly at
[email protected]
And then, climb on up.
**
THE WORLD OF DX
Joel, N5JR, will be working from Haiti as HH2/N5JR until Dec. 14. He will
focus primarily on the WARC bands, but he can also be found on all HF
bands, 160m to 6m. Send QSL cards to his home address.
William, K2HVN, will be active from St. Barthelemy in the Caribbean from
Dec. 12 through Dec. 17, using the call sign FJ/K2HVN. He will be working
40m through 10m, in both CW and SSB. Send QSL cards to his home call sign.
In France, a special event station connected to the United Nations Climate
Change Conference is operating as F8DVD. The station will be on the air
until Dec. 13 and a special QSL card will be available.
Ravi,M-ZERO-XUU/VU3HPF, will be working from Kasane and Gaborone from Dec.
22 through Dec. 30, working the bands primarily in the mornings or
evenings, holiday style. He will operate on CW and SSB across 40, 30, 20
and 17 meters. QSLs can be sent to his home call sign, M0XUU.
(IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTER SOCIETY, DX COFFEE)
**
KICKER: CHRISTMAS IS IN THE AIR
We end this week's newscast with more on-air adventures of Santa Claus,
whose Yule Log has been looking more and more like an amateur radio log
these days. It seems 2015 has presented more than a sack full of
opportunities to QSO with the big guy, thanks to amateurs with spirit,
imagination and a little creativity.
For the first time this year, the Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio
Association, using the call sign NI6BB, is providing a round-the-clock
connection to Santa's Shack in the North Pole, on December 16 and 17.
Organizers, who will be spending the night aboard the battleship museum,
say that Santa's own XYL, Mrs. Claus, may also put in an appearance on
the HF bands.
In New Jersey, the Santa's Workshop Special Event station, W2S, is on
the air through Dec. 23, with support from the South Jersey DX
Association and the Old Barney Amateur Radio Club. Never mind Christmas
cards -- this Santa is sending personalized QSL cards and Chuck, W2CCW,
is serving as Santa's QSL QS-ELF.
And, although the Barrow Amateur Radio Club in Bethlehem, Georgia,
already concluded their special holiday event earlier this month, Old
Father 9 Christmas, OF9X, has just begun the long journey through the
Land of Santa again, starting at the Arctic Circle, for the benefit of
the Finnish Red Cross disaster relief fund. That journey doesn't end
until Dec. 28. So that's not QRN you're hearing through your headphones --
it's jingle bells. Turn on your rigs: It's beginning to sound a lot like
Christmas.
--- BgNet 1.0a12 - The Thunderbolt BBS wx1der.dyndns.org Little Rock, AR
