Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jun 15 2018 08:46 am
A SPORTING WAY TO SCORE AT THE WRTC
JIM/ANCHOR: The radio athletes are ready for the big World Radiosport
Team Championship, taking place July 12 through 16. So how is everyone
going to know the score? Ed Durrant, DD5LP, explains.
ED: How's the competition going? Who is ahead? Where is a particular
team? Answers to these questions interest competitors and spectators
alike, in every sport - including radio sports. It's about speed, not
only in the operators at the WRTC stations, but also with results
reporting. On-line presentation of the current scores requires a lot
of technical effort behind the scenes! Ben B�ttner, DL6RAI, who leads
the responsible IT team at WRTC 2018, says: "We want to make sure that
from all the competition locations, the on-going results in minute
intervals are available on a scoreboard similar to a Football league
table, and at the same on the Internet published on www.wrtc2018.de.
"In order for this to work, special attention is attached to unwanted
RF radiation, thermal stability, and redundant power, when we build
the Score Collection Computers."
The SCCs, which are built on a RaspberryPi base, collect the information
required for the presentation of the results, from the relevant logbook
software at each site, and transfer this data via the mobile phone
network, to a central server. From the results gathered there, the
current position table is created, and made visible on the Internet for
everyone.
The idea of a current scores table is not new. The scoreboards were
already available in 2002 "on-line", but only current on an hourly
basis. At that time, the referees sent messages via SMS, which were then
published to the Internet. At the time, it was extraordinary and a
novelty. At WRTC 2014 in Boston, Bob Raymond, WA1Z, and Dave Pascoe,
KM3T, developed the SCC concept. When used in 2014, however, it became
clear that not all locations could be reliably reached via the local
mobile phone network.
"You can watch the top people driving each other during the contest.
This scoreboard is also interesting, and useful, for normal radio ops,
as often there are competitors with similar station capabilities to
the normal Op. This is fun, and transforms the contest into a new kind
of direct head-to-head competition," comments Michael H�ding, DL6MHW.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.
**
HAM NAMED MINISTER FOR SCIENCE IN SPAIN
JIM/ANCHOR: It's not unusual for government officials to also be
licensed as hams. Think of King Hussein of Jordan, JY1. Think of U.S.
Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA. Well, now Spain has an influential
amateur as one of its own in government. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH,
with those details.
JEREMY: Spain's new Socialist government not only has a record number
of women -- 11 -- in its 17 cabinet posts, but it has one amateur
radio operator as well: Pedro Duque, 55, KC5RGG / ED4ISS is the new
minister of science. Pedro was among those sworn in recently by Spain's
King Felipe VI.
The former astronaut has been well-grounded since his last space mission
in 2003 on board the International Space Station, where he spent a week,
and completed two ARISS contacts with schools in Spain. His first trip
into space came in 1998, as part of NASA's STS-95 mission from Cape
Canaveral in Florida. It was a nine-day mission aboard the shuttle
Discovery, and he was a mission specialist.
The new science minister is an aeronautical engineer, who will now concern
himself with more earthly matters.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
(SOUTHGATE, BBC)
**
A LIFE-SAVING PACT IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
JIM/ANCHOR: Atlantic hurricane season has begun, and preparedness is on
everyone's minds in that region. The Dominican Republic is taking no
chances - it's reaffirming its partnership with hams. Here's Andy
Morrison, K9AWM, with more.
ANDY MORRISON: In the Dominican Republic, which has seen its share of
weather disasters, Radio Club Dominicano has signed an agreement with
Dominican Civilian Defense. The May 30 pact cements the relationship
between the two, ensuring enhanced cooperation during emergencies.
The two will work together with Dominican Civil Defense, relying on the
radio club for emergency communications during disaster response. The
club notes that the agreement comes just as the Atlantic hurricane season
gets underway. The Dominican Republic was among the places devastated
last year during Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.
**
BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K7EFZ repeater
in Firth, Idaho, on Friday evenings at 9:30 local time, during the weekly
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