Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Feb 16 2018 11:25 am
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2103, for Friday, Feb. 16, 2018
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2103, with a release date of
Friday, February 16, 2018, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Theft and vandalism destroy a repeater in
the UK. A Hamvention team member becomes a Silent Key -- and
there's a new chance to get Bouvet Island in your log. All this,
and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2103, comes your way
right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
BOUVET ISLAND REDUX
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We open this week's report with an update of sorts
for DXers hoping to get Bouvet Island in their logbooks, despite
the recently scrapped Three Why Zero Eye DXpedition (3Y0I). Robert
Broomhead, VK3DN, has the good news.
ROBERT: The Bouvet Island DXpedition is on - well, sort of. A team
of eastern European amateurs, who had planned their activation in
late 2017, has put the trip back on the calendar. Southgate Amateur
News reported that Dominik, 3Z9DX, Stanislaw, SQ8X, Leszek, SP3DOI,
Branko, YU4DX, and Frans, J69DS, have put their trip back on the
agenda, with what they describe as [quote] "a matter of urgency."
[endquote] The team had cancelled its plans late last year, at the
request of the 3Y0Z DXpedition that had to be unexpectedly aborted
earlier this month after reaching its destination.
Although no dates for the trip have been made public, reports
indicate that the radio license has been renewed, and the Norwegian
Polar Institute has also issued a landing permit that is good
through February of 2019. The team has indicated they want the
expedition to occur during the Southern Hemisphere's sub-antarctic
summer.
So, if you're still looking to get Bouvet Island in your logbook,
you may get your chance after all. The team's plans will be to sail
from South Africa to the island, where they will set up a camp, and
radio on the glacier plateau.
Until you can listen for Three Why Zero Eye (3Y0I) on the bands,
watch for updates on their web page at bouvetoya dot org
(
https://bouvetoya.org) in Polish, or a Google translated version
is at tinyurl dot com forward slash Bouvet dash three Why Zero EYE
(tinyurl.com/Bouvet-3Y0I)
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead, VK3DN.
**
VANDALS DESTROY REPEATER IN UK
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: It's tough enough when equipment failure knocks a
repeater off the air, but in the UK, presumed criminal activity has
destroyed a popular SSTV repeater. Ed Durran, DD5LP, has those
details.
ED'S REPORT: Security had been high, but it apparently was not enough
to protect the MB7TV repeater, used by the Martello Tower Group for
SSTV. Following reports that the repeater had gone off the air, the
group's chairman, Tony, G0MBA, visited the site on Feb. 3, and
discovered vandalism and theft had destroyed it.
The cables had been cut, and the repeater itself was stolen - a laptop,
a Kenwood TM-D700E radio, SSTV interface, wi-fi interface, thermostatic
controlled heater, PSU, 20ft pole, aerial and coax, according to Keith,
G6NHU.
Keith told Amateur Radio Newsline that there are no suspects. He said
[quote] "nobody outside the group knew the exact location of the
repeater, as the information on the website said it was located
somewhere completely different. As far as we know, there are no bad
feelings between the group and other local hams, so the only conclusion
we can draw is that it's some chancers who have seen it on the wall,
and decided to break it open and steal the contents."
The group estimated the cost of the equipment lost as between �600 and
�700 -- or between eight hundred fifty and a thousand dollars in U.S.
currency. Keith said there is no other local alternative, until the
repeater is rebuilt, and put back on the air. The group has, meanwhile,
requested financial gifts towards the costs of the new build, via its
website, or through PayPal. For more information, contact repeaters at
martellotowergroup dot com (
[email protected]).
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.
**
SILENT KEY: HAMVENTION'S JERRY MILLER WD8QAI
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The ham radio community has suffered two big losses -
two Silent Keys. We hear first from Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, with this
report on the death of a key contributor to Dayton Hamvention.
DON: Jerry Miller, WD8QAI, one of Hamvention's core organizers, has
become a Silent Key. Jerry died on Sunday, Feb. 11, at his Centerville,
Ohio home.
Jerry was a valued member of Dayton Amateur Radio Association, most
especially on the board of directors, and in helping the club put
together the annual Dayton Hamvention. He also served as editor of
its newsletter, the RF Carrier, and was also considered the driving
force behind the group's new clubhouse, that became the W8BI ham shack.
Jerry had been licensed since the 1970s, and his name was widely known
among hams around the world. A retiree from Delco Products, Jerry
operated his own company, Windbluff Computer Services, in the Dayton
area.
Funeral services were to be held on Saturday, the 17th of February, at
the Tobias Funeral Home's Beavercreek Chapel, in Dayton.
Hamvention's Michael Kalter, W8CI, said of Jerry: [quote] "He will be
sorely missed by his family and hams all over the world." [endquote]
Jerry Miller was 77.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
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