Subj : Newsline Part 2
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jan 20 2017 07:03 pm
THE 60 METER COMMUNITY GROWS
JIM/ANCHOR: More countries are joining the roster of nations enjoying 60
meter privileges, as we learn from Amateur Radio Newsline's John Williams,
VK4JJW.
JOHN: The world community of amateurs transmitting on 60 meters just
expanded again by two more nations. Slovenia's telecommunications regulator
has approved use of the band in that nation, beginning with a temporary
three-month license. That license extends from January 11th through April
11th, and covers 5351.5 kHz to 5366.5 kHz, with a 15w EIRP. Meanwhile,
Niger's telecommunications regulator has approved the use of 60 meters
there, just in time for the upcoming 5U5R DXpedition to Niger in March.
Their operation, which will cover CW and SSB, is expected to be around
5360 kHz. Slovenia and Niger join Kazakhstan, which also recently gained
access to the band. The United States has no widespread 60 meter privileges,
beyond five frequency channels on Upper Sideband, with each channel having
a bandwidth of 2.8 kHz.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.
(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS)
**
ESSEX RAYNET ANSWERS FLOOD OF REQUESTS
JIM/ANCHOR: Ham radio response was strong and swift, when severe weather
struck in the county of Essex in the UK recently. We hear more from Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
JEREMY: The radio amateurs of Essex RAYNET have a lot to be proud of, even
as rain, winds and flooding bore down on the UK county recently. Hams were
placed on standby on Thursday, Jan. 12, as weather intensified. By the
early morning hours of Friday, Jan. 13, as high tides approached, area
evacuations had begun, and the hams were put into action. Essex RAYNET
established a control station at the district emergency response center
of Tendring District Council, and made use of cross-band repeaters. The
repeaters aided with local coverage, and functioned on a county-wide level
for members en-route to give assistance. Essex RAYNET also deployed a team
to the emergency rest center at the Tendring Education Center, and another
to the Frobisher School to assist with the evacuation.
At one point, the hams along with other volunteers and council officials
had been active for 24 hours, as evacuations continued through the evening
of Friday, Jan. 13. By Saturday morning, however, risks had greatly
diminished, and residents were able to return home, and the RAYNET hams
were stood down. They headed home, some having logged more than 40 hours
of service.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
WW7SEA, the Columbia Center Repeater in Seattle, Washington at 444.550
MHz on Mondays at 9 pm local time.
**
NOVICE RIG ROUNDUP NOT JUST FOR OLDTIMERS
JIM/ANCHOR: If you're feeling nostalgic for the good old days - even if
you're too young to remember them - this next story, from Amateur Radio
Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, is for you:
KENT: Let me take you back to a thrilling time of yesteryear, when chirpy
rigs and sloppy code could be regularly heard coming from novice CW
stations.
BRI: Back in the old days of the novice license, you would hear these guys
running these rigs quite often there would be a little bit of chirp on the
signal, or it might drift around and would sound quite different from
today's store-bought rigs.
KENT: That's Bri Carling, AF4K, who is organizing the Novice Rig Roundup.
He says it will be 9 days of fun operating with old-fashioned radio
equipment from the 40s, 50s and 60s, including Drake, Hallicrafters,
Hammerland, Heath, homebrew, and QRP rigs.
BRI: We're going to be recapturing some of that nostalgic feeling when
they operated these old rigs. A lot of people still have them, and can put
them on the air, and have fun with them.
KENT: And there are a few calls to really listen for:
BRI: There are a few guys who still have their original novice call sign --
in which case those folks will be attracting a lot of attention.
KENT: Just call CQ NRR. That's what you'll be hearing all up and down
40, 80, 15 and 10 meters, usually operating in the higher end of the CW
sub-bands.
BRI: They'll be exchanging the usual information: RST, power level. It's a
little more casual than your typical contest.
KENT Hey, maybe some sloppy code?
BRI: Ha Ha, you will hear some sloppy code, but you will hear some good
code too. We run the gamut from people who might be getting back into CW,
or those just learning CW, to folks who are experienced A1 operators.
KENT: So dust off that old CW novice rig, and get on the air starting at
zero hundred hours UTC on February 18th through 2359 hours UTC on February
26, for 9 full days of the Novice Rig Roundup.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.
JIM/ANCHOR: The roundup ends with a random prize drawing among hams who
record 10 or more confirmed QSOs, using the NRR Logging program. The
prize? Winner's choice of a Camelback Straight Key, or a Bug from Vizkey.
