Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Apr 26 2019 02:48 am
AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS FACE ADDITIONAL FEE HIKES
NEIL/ANCHOR: After responsibility for amateur radio exams was transferred
to the Tasmania-based Australian Maritime College, exam price hikes sent
shockwaves through the ham community. Now the national regulator, the
Australian Communications and Media Authority, reports that there are
price increases as well for license renewals, but these will not be as
extreme. John Williams, VK4JJW, has more.
JOHN: The ACMA has announced new fees that will apply to holders of
amateur radio licenses, which must be renewed annually in Australia.
They are considered in line with cost-of-living increases. A new licence
issuance fee, previously $76, will now be $80. A licence variation fee,
formerly $49, is going up to $51. The licence renewal fee, formerly $52,
is being raised to $55. It will now cost $29 to issue a Repeater or
Beacon Station Frequency Assignment Certificate, and variation of a
Repeater or Beacon Station is now also $29.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.
**
FLYING BEERS CELEBRATE STINKO DE MAYO
NEIL/ANCHOR: The Flying Beers International Amateur Radio Club is marking
its first spring trunk swap with Special Event Station K8FBI, on May 5th
in Ferndale, Michigan. They'll be operating on 40 meters during the swap,
which takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time. Bob Perye, W8SDF,
told Newsline the group is calling this their "Stinko De Mayo" celebration
- at least unofficially - because of unfortunate aromas that filled the
indoor hall the last time the club had a swap in February. Bob said the
local event will also feature chips and salsa and Mexican beer, but the
operators are also hoping for good propagation for HF contacts. Local hams
can talk in on the 442.600, and 442.075 MHz repeaters.
**
SILENT KEY: GLEN CLARK
NEIL/ANCHOR: The amateur radio operator, who was also the broadcast
engineer behind the noted Texar Audio Prism modulation controller, has
become a Silent Key. Glen Clark, W3JL, formerly of Sharpsville,
Pennsylvania, died on the 19th of April in a New Castle, Pennsylvania
hospice from liver cancer. Glen made his mark in commercial radio with
the development of the Texar Audio Prism, enabling broadcast stations
to more easily deliver a strong signature sound. He was also adept in
the realm of directional antennas. After developing the Audio Prism in
1988, he sold his company, and created Glen Clark & Associates, focusing
on computer software to design AM directional antenna arrays.
Glen Clark was 67.
(RADIOWORLD.COM, SHARON HERALD)
**
IN SRI LANKA, A HAM RADIO EXPERIENCE WITHOUT THE RADIO
NEIL/ANCHOR: An officer of Sri Lanka's national radio society has made
a special radio listening tool available to hams and non hams alike.
Here's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, with details.
JIM M: In Sri Lanka, amateur radio operators - or those who want to be
hams - are getting a full experience of listening to the bands without
the need to purchase expensive equipment, or for that matter, any
equipment at all.
Victor, 4S7VK, the national radio society's secretary, set up access to
the internet-based Kiwi SDR on a listen-only basis a number of months ago,
and has been encouraging shortwave listeners and members of the radio
society to try it out. The free Kiwi SDR access is one of nearly 200
around the world. Victor explained to Newsline that all a listener needs
is an internet connection and a browser - even one on a smartphone. Just
search for Kiwi SDR, or sdr dot hu (sdr.hu) He noted that the Firefox
and Chrome browsers are compatible, but Explorer is not.
Victor, who is a frequency coordinator in the broadcast industry, said
the service allows listening to other types of broadcast beyond ham radio,
and covers frequencies between 1 Khz to 30 MHz, and modes such as CW, SSB,
and digital.
Kiwi SDR receivers operate worldwide.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
(RADIO SOCIETY OF SRI LANKA)
**
NEPAL LAUNCHES ITS FIRST AMATEUR RADIO PAYLOAD
NEIL/ANCHOR: There's a new CubeSat in space, and it's a source of great
pride for the nation of Nepal. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, tells us more.
JASON: The community of satellites orbiting the Earth continues to grow,
and the latest newcomers to space include a "first" for the nation of
Nepal. According to the Kathmandu Post newspaper, that country's first
satellite, the NepaliSat-1, was launched on the 17th of April, with an
amateur radio payload on 435.375 MHz. The CubeSat's destination is the
International Space Station. It was developed by two amateur radio
operators.
In addition to its amateur radio role, the NepaliSat-1 will be gathering
information about the Earth's magnetic field, and its home country's
topography. It was launched from NASA's Virginia Air and Space Center,
in the company of similar satellites from Japan and Sri Lanka. Abhas
Maskey, KG5WNC, and Hari Ram Shreshtha, Kay Eye Five See Oh Oh (KI5COO),
developed the CubeSat, which carries the Nepali flag, and the logo of the
Nepal Academy of Science and Technology.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.
