Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Mon Sep 04 2017 09:53 am
ECLIPSE COUNT: HERE COMES THE SUN
JIM/ANCHOR: So how did radio amateurs do during the big solar eclipse last
month? We have a report from Jack Parker, W8ISH, courtesy of Amateur News
Weekly.
JACK'S REPORT: The 2017 Solar Eclipse QSO Party is history now. Although
the final numbers are not yet in, according to SEQP, the special event
QSO party planners, preliminary reports estimate that over 670 thousand
spots were detected by the reverse beacon network, and over 542 thousand
spots were reported by the PSK Automatic propagation reporter.
<short audio clip of QSO>
All of this data is being compiled by the event coordinator Nathaniel
Frissell, W2NAF, of HamSci. Frisell is an associate research professor
at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Frissell and others are
investigating whether the sudden absence of sunlight during the eclipse
had any effect on ham radio propagation. Reporting for Amateur News Weekly,
this is Jack Parker, W8ISH.
JIM/ANCHOR: Thank you, Jack. For more news of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
area, visit the website amateurnewsweekly.com
**
SOURIS SPEAKS TO THE WORLD
JIM/ANCHOR: In Canada, one group of amateurs is about to let one of its
most historic lighthouses shine. We hear more from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
JEREMY: International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend may be over, but
for some amateurs, the weekend of September 15th through September 17th,
may be considered Souris Lightouse Weekend. Members of the Maritime
Lighthouse Amateur Radio Group will be activating the historic Prince
Edward Island lighthouse, which is considered a rare catch for hams, who
are collectors of lighthouse contacts. Souris Lighthouse carries the
designation of CAN-464 from the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, which
lists a total of more than 15 thousand lighthouses around the world.
The hams will also be welcoming visits by members of the public, who will
be able to get on the air under supervision of licensed amateurs. The
Souris lighthouse was built in 1880, and the wooden tower is a symbol of
the town of Souris.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
**
REMEMBERING A LIFE DEDICATED TO RADIO
JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, another lighthouse is shining bright as a memorial
to a ham who played a big role in his Louisiana community. We hear more
from Stephen Kinford, N8WB.
STEPHEN: In the Town of Berwick in Louisiana, the recent International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend took on an added importance for the
Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Services, and other area hams. At a
pavilion not far from the Berwick Southwest Reef Lighthouse, officials
dedicated the new Ray Rasberry Memorial Radio Tower, and Flagpole in a
formal ceremony. The flagpole was donated by the Silent Key's family. The
tower is to be used by amateur radio operators - as it did during the
lighthouse weekend.
Ray Rasberry, WB5LKR, who had been a member of the St. Mary Parish Amateur
Radio club, a volunteer firefighter and fire chief, became a Silent Key in
2008.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.
(KQKI NEWS, ST. MARY NOW)
**
SISTERS' ACHIEVEMENTS FLY HIGH AGAIN
JIM/ANCHOR: Two Seattle sisters, inspired by their ham radio dad, have
accomplished another launch of their radio-equipped weather balloon. The
results were, well, a little different this time, as we hear from Mike
Askins, KE5CXP.
MIKE: You may remember Winston Yeung, KI7CSK, proud father of daughters
Rebecca and Kimberly. The girls' successful weather balloon launch project
landed them at the White House in 2015 for the National Science Fair.
Well, the Seattle siblings were at it again during the recent solar
eclipse. Eclipse day found them in Wyoming, to once again launch their
balloon -- this time into the eclipse shadow. They had hoped to gather
camera images from the stratosphere just as the moon's passage over the
sun created that celebrated moment of total darkness. They were also
conducting a solar panel experiment.
The mission, however, was only partially successful. The girls told
Geekwire that the on-board cameras had shut down - due partially to the
cold temperatures encountered at such altitudes. Their on-board solar
panel experiment also hit an obstacle. They had hoped to determine how
an eclipse would affect power generation -- but that study was killed by
a loose wire.
The balloon reached an altitude of 96,371 feet and eventually the payload
landed 30 miles away in Nebraska, parachuting safely to its mission's
conclusion.
The balloon's next stop is an exhibit in Seattle's Museum of History and
Industry. After three trips into the stratosphere, the girls have decided
to keep their project a little closer to terra firma.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP.
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