Subj : Newsline Part 1
To : ALL USERS
From : DARYL STOUT
Date : Fri Feb 19 2016 12:11 pm
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1999, February 19, 2016
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1999, with a release date of Friday,
February 19, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Orlando Hamcation is over, but hams are still
talking about it. Hams in Minnesota activate a frozen lake - yes, a very
icy one. Ohio hams open state borders for Antenna Day. And a mock
earthquake shakes things up in Utah.
All this, and more, in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1999, coming your way,
right now.
(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)
**
JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's newscast with a look back at this month's
Orlando Hamcation, the second largest gathering of amateurs after Dayton
Hamvention. It wasn't just the 70th such Hamcation; it was also the 2016
ARRL National Convention. And it was so much more - as we hear now from
Amateur Radio Newsline's Gordon West, WB6NOA, who clearly had a great
time.
[GORDON'S REPORT]
**
JIM/ANCHOR: Of course, if you prefer some place a little bit cooler than
sunny Florida, consider the spot chosen by hams during the recent long
Presidents Day weekend. It was a frozen lake. In frozen Minnesota. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, breaks the ice with that hardy
bunch:
[KENT'S REPORT ON FROZEN LAKE ELMO]:
**
[ANCHOR/JIM:] Moving on to Ohio, there's something decidedly different
about this year's Antenna Day being held there - and organizers are hoping
for far-reaching results. Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
explains:
[STEPHEN KINFORD's REPORT]:
The Near Vertical Incidence Skywave Antenna Day in Ohio isn't necessarily
just an Ohio event anymore. ARRL's Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Stan
Broadway, N8BHL, wants the April 23 ARES event opened up to include
stations in neighboring states. He's also hoping to set up anchor stations
around Ohio so consistent signal reports can be offered to others
participating in the public safety prep exercise.
Broadway explained that Antenna Day is more of a research exercise than a
contest, Last year's event attracted a number of operators and EOCs,
working to establish which NVIS antennas were the best to use for
emergency communications. This year's event begins at 1500 UTC on April
23, allowing teams to contact one another, and compare the performance of
their antennas. At the conclusion of the event, participants will file
reports with call sign, location, operators, number of contacts, and all
antenna design and deployment details.
Broadway said [QUOTE] "We would really like to make this a regional event
in 2016, with stations in their state EOCs and around the Ohio border to
test their own capabilities." [ENDQUOTE]
NVIS antennas are growing in popularity for emergency regional
communication because of their close-up radiation patterns on HF.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB, in Wadsworth, Ohio.
**
SILENT KEY: CAPT. DAVID LEFAVOUR, W7GOX
The amateur community is mourning the death of David Lefavour, W7GOX, of
Los Lunas, New Mexico, who was a member of the Hurricane Watch Net for
more than 20 years, and who served as its net manager between 2006 and
2009. He had also served as a net controller for the Maritime Mobile
Service Network.
In 2013, he was given the status of receiving manager emeritus for the
Hurricane Watch Net. The Net manager, Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, credited him
for his effective leadership on the air. He said QUOTE "Dave was one of
the few I've met who had a very calming and reassuring voice during any
emergency situation." ENDQUOTE
The former Navy fighter pilot was 82 at the time he became a Silent key
on Feb. 8.
**
BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the 16 repeaters
of the Peak Radio Association serving Western Oregon's my513 Net.
**
JIM/ANCHOR: It's no secret that sometimes being a ham brings out the very
best in a person. We hear now about an amateur from Spain who's being
recognized for being the very best that he can be - as a ham and a
humanitarian. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH:
[JEREMY'S REPORT]:
In the eyes of the ARRL, Antonio Gonzalez, EA5RM, isn't just a noted DXer,
but a very notable humanitarian. So when it was time for the ARRL Programs
& Services Committee to recommend someone for the league's 2015
International Humanitarian Award, there was no question the panel would
put Senor Gonzalez's name in for consideration before the board of
directors. Senor Gonzalez was originally nominated by Paul Ewing, N6PSE,
president of the Intrepid-DX Group. Ewing wrote this about Senor Gonzalez:
QUOTE "He is a devoted family man and public servant in Spain. He is a
keen DXer, and he regularly organizes DXpeditions to remote and rare
places. Antonio pays for all of this travel from Spain to Bolivia."
ENDQUOTE
Senor Gonzalez, who has been a volunteer with Radio Amateurs Without
Borders, helping them build, test and maintain solar-powered HF amateur
radio equipment in the remotest spots in Bolivia since 2007. He has also
visited the Bolivian Amazon six times supporting the introduction of
medical assistance and sanitation facilities. The well-known Dxer has
served as chief pilot station for the VP8STI/VP8SGI DXpedition to South
Sandwich and South Georgia.
The award is considered a recognition of a radio amateur's effort to help
the welfare of others.
Upon learning he would receive the award, Gonzalez was quoted as simply
saying "What a surprise!"
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham, the UK.
(ARRL)
--- BgNet 1.0a12 - The Thunderbolt BBS wx1der.dyndns.org Little Rock, AR
