Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jun 16 2017 08:51 am
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2068, for Friday, June 16, 2017
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2068, with a release date of Friday,
June 16, 2017, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. South Africa's hams mobilize as deadly wildfires
knock out communications. An amateur radio club in Minnesota marks a
milestone. Morse Code is history for hams in Jamaica -- and the FCC gives
an ultimatum to manufacturers causing RF interference. All this and more,
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2068, comes your way right now.
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BILLBOARD CART
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HAMS MOBILIZE AMID SOUTH AFRICA'S WILDFIRES
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story comes to us from a fire-stricken region of
South Africa, where hams were recently called in to assist as flames
swept through a coastal resort community. For more on that, here's
Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB.
GRAHAM: In South Africa's Southern Cape area, the region exploded with
fierce wildfires, prompting the activation of area radio amateurs to
assist with communications after landlines and cellphones were disabled,
along with internet services. On the 8th of June, hams reported to the
Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network: Mossel Bay Mesh Network working
around the clock on the emergency network, as well as on HF and VHF/UHF.
Strong winds from a storm kicked the flames yet higher, sweeping through
an estimated 20 suburbs. Hams remained engaged until June 11th, when
conventional means of communications returned. The deadly fires claimed
at least four lives. Especially hard hit was the coastal resort community
of Knysna, where more than ten thousand were evacuated as humanitarian
support was summoned. Homes were also destroyed in nearby Pletternberg
Bay. The bush wildfires came as the region was struggling with a severe
drought. It was unclear what ignited the fires.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.
(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS, REUTERS, NEW YORK TIMES)
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HAMS ACTIVATED AFTER GUATEMALA QUAKE
NEIL/ANCHOR: As Amateur Radio Newsline went to production, news broke
that a magnitude 6.9 earthquake had struck Guatemala. Radio Amateurs
Club of Guatemala said an amateur radio net was monitoring 7.090 MHz,
and the net frequency on 146.88 MHz.
As of June 14, there were no reports on damage or victims. We will be
following the aftermath of this story into next week.
(ARRL)
**
AT FIRE DEPT., HAM RADIO TO THE RESCUE
NEIL/ANCHOR: Emergency response is so much a part of being a ham that
one community in Texas decided to help give that life-saving effort
greater communication access. Amateur Radio Newsline's Paul Braun,
WD9GCO, has those details.
PAUL: In Texas, the Gun Barrel City Fire Department is celebrating its
newest piece of life-saving equipment: a Hexbeam antenna and rotor,
giving the firefighting QTH access to the HF bands. The antenna was
installed with the help of the Cedar Creek Amateur Radio Club, and the
new HF station uses the club's call sign K5CCL.
The club station's new Hexbeam has access to 20 through 10 meters, with
a long wire for the lower bands.
The fire department has had basic radio service on site as part of its
emergency operations center, but adding a ham radio club station provides
what Cedar Creek club president Ed Busch, K8MKN, calls "another layer of
protection for area residents."
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
(THE MONITOR.NET, CEDAR CREEK AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)
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