Subj : Newsline Part 1
To : ALL
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu May 19 2016 11:11 pm
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2012, May 20, 2016
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 2012, with a release date of Friday,
May 20, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. One of SATERN's founders becomes a Silent Key.
A veteran ham's Dayton Dreams. National Parks on the Air from down
under ... the bridge! And a sad goodbye to a tireless promoter of amateur
radio.
All this and more, in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2012, coming your way
right now.
(Billboard Cart Here and Intro)
**
SATERN COFOUNDER BECOMES SILENT KEY
JIM/ANCHOR: We open this week's report with news that hams throughout the
Salvation Army's international emergency response network known as SATERN,
are grieving the loss of one of SATERN's founding fathers, Maj. Patrick E.
McPherson, WW9E. Here's Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
PAUL: Maj. Patrick E. McPherson, WW9E, who cofounded the disaster response
and relief arm of the Salvation Army, has become a Silent Key. SATERN, or
the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network, began in 1988 as a
project McPherson undertook with three other radio amateurs. It has long
since grown to be an international emergency communication and assistance
organization, and an official program of the Salvation Army.
In fact, barely two months after its creation, SATERN already secured a
prominent place on the disaster-assistance map by facilitating
communications between Jamaica and the United States during 1988's
Hurricane Gilbert.
McPherson had been SATERN's director for more than 23 years, leaving the
post only 5 years ago. He died on May 14 in St. Joseph, Michigan. His
legacy continues, however: The SATERN Net meets weekdays on 14.265 MHz
at 1500 UTC. McPherson is also slated for a posthumous honor: He will
be given the Salvation Army Certificate in Recognition of Exceptional
Service - a national-level award he was scheduled to have been presented
with later this year.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
JIM/ANCHOR: SATERN has grown to have a global presence in North America,
Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere. McPherson's reach has not only
touched the world, but influenced his own family. We should note that
his wife, Carmella, is also a ham, with the call sign KB9YSQ, as is his
brother Larry, call sign KA0QEO. Maj. Patrick E. McPherson was 70 years
old.
(SATERN, ARRL)
**
NPOTA: A BRIDGE TO GOOD CONTACTS
JIM/ANCHOR: Our next story follows up on a recent special event station
operating as part of the year-long National Parks on the Air celebration.
This one was set up in West Virginia, and I'm happy to say I was a part
of it. But I did take time out to file this report for Amateur Radio
Newsline.
JIM'S REPORT: The National Parks on the Air Special Event Station under
the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia on Saturday,
May 15, was a great success. Ten hams were part of this unique event,
using the West Virginia DX Association call W8AH. I was privileged to
be one of the operators, and took time out to talk to event organizer
Randy Damron, N8XEA.
RANDY: (N8XEA Sound Bite) "Well, today we're known as amateur radio
trolls, because we are indeed under the bridge! It has been a great day
for us. It all started with an idea back in December. I happened to
catch the ARRL website about promoting the partnership with the National
Park Service 100th anniversary, and they were encouraging amateur radio
operators to pick their favorite national park. In West Virginia, we have
two - one up in the panhandle and, of course, the New River Gorge
National River". And over the New River Gorge National River is the New
River Gorge Bridge that is 3036 feet long, and the middle of the arch
is 876 feet off the river. It's a very unique structure. We're very proud
of it here in the state. It's also featured on our state quarter. It
seemed to make sense not just to be under the bridge for our station -
but the unique thing about our station today is that we're suspending
two end-fed antennas under the catwalk of the bridge. That makes us
pretty unique. We're running 20 meters, 40 meters - we're also running
VHF on two meters, and we've had some six meter contacts as well.
JIM: Randy says over 300 contacts were made during the six-hour event --
a successful day, in spite of the wind, rain and cold!
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW, reporting.
(WEST VIRGINIA DX ASSOCIATION)
**
40M CONTEST BEATEN BY THE BAND
JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, hams in the UK had high expectations for the
recent 40 meter Counties Contest. But the forces of nature had other
plans. We hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
JEREMY: Amateurs in Ireland had been hopeful for good scores in the 40
meter Counties Contest held on 8 May by the Irish Radio Transmitters
Society. But a geomagnetic storm that hit earlier that morning changed
everything. During the three-hour period of contesting, hams struggled,
especially the ones operating EI and GI stations. And the valuable
contest multipliers suffered as they worked for contacts with one
another.
There were better results with signals from overseas stations however -
and those contacts did improve toward the final hour. But organizers
report that, in the week following the contest, submission of contact
logs was sparse. The IRTS urges all hams who participated to submit
their logs by the deadline of Sunday 22 May. Yes, even logs with
limited results.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham, the UK.
(IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTERS SOCIETY)
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