Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Sep 13 2019 09:54 am
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2185, for Friday, September 13th, 2019
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2185, with a release date of
Friday, September 13th, 2019, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A YL celebrates a record-setting sail. A rare
grid activation - by satellite! - and radio is the safety net for a
200-mile mountain bike ride. All this and more, as Amateur Radio
Newsline Number 2185, comes your way right now.
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BILLBOARD CART
**
YL SETS RECORD, COMPLETING SOLO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD
JIM/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is a tale of personal triumph.
You may remember Newsline's interview last autumn with the YL
sailing solo around the world hoping to set a new record. Well,
she did it. Here's John Williams, VK4JJW, with her story.
JOHN: Jeanne {pronounced "JAN"} Socrates VE0JS {V E ZERO J S},
sailed jubilantly into Victoria, British Columbia, past the Ogden
Point breakwater, on Saturday, September 7th, ending her 339-day
journey, and beginning her new status as record-holder: Jeanne
{pronounced "Jan"}, who is 77, has become the oldest person to
sail solo around the world, nonstop and unassisted. During the
journey that began on October 3rd, 2018, the retired university
mathematics professor made hundreds of QSOs on HF, and blogged
about her daily challenges and activities. In November of last
year, she spoke to Newsline from her vessel, when it was north of
Ducie Island, and enroute to New Zealand and Australia, by way of
Cape Horn.
Sea swells, two cyclones, and equipment malfunctions, were formidable
but temporary obstacles, and she savoured her four months later than
planned arrival home - all the more because of them."
Jeanne {"Jan"}, who has been sailing since the age of 48, beat the
record previously held by Minoru Saito {pronounced:
"Min-Norr-Ooo Sight-O"}, a Japanese yachtsman, who was 71 when he
accomplished the challenging circumnavigation in 2005. Jeanne {"Jan"}
already captured the record in 2013, for being the oldest woman to
complete the voyage.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.
(THE TIMES COLONIST)
**
INDIA'S CRASHED LUNAR LANDER LOCATED
JIM/ANCHOR: India's space agency has located the lander from its failed
lunar mission. Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, has been following that story.
JASON: India's crashed Vikram (VICK-RUM) lunar lander, part of the
nation's failed Chandrayaan-2 {pronounced CHONDRA-YON} mission, was
located on the lunar surface, according to reports from the Indian
Space and Research Organisation, or ISRO. ISRO reported that it was
attempting to make contact with the lander, which had been photographed
via thermal image from the orbiter.
The mission had entered lunar orbit on August 20th, and its lander
separated on September 2nd, to prep for its eventual descent. The goal
was to make a soft landing, and deploy a robotic lunar rover, to search
for water near the south pole of the moon.
The space agency said, however, that communications were lost at the
last minute. Officials said the spacecraft had a normal descent until
about 2 km, or 1.2 miles, from the surface of the moon.
The mission was considered the agency's most complex to date. Officials
said the orbiter will continue to study the moon from a distance.
A successful landing would have made India the fourth nation to achieve
a lunar landing, after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and
China. India has said it hopes to send a trio of astronauts into space
by 2022.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.
(THE GUARDIAN)
**
AMATEUR DUO ACTIVATING RARE GRID VIA SATELLITE
JIM/ANCHOR: Ever wanted to work a rare and challenging grid - via
satellite, no less? Now you can! Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, has those details.
NEIL: One of the most challenging grids in which to make a satellite
contact, is going to be activated on the 22nd of September, by a team
of hams on a boat, anchored off San Clemente Island, near southern
California. This is grid DM Zero Two (DM02).
Alex, N7AGF, and Ron, AD0DX, expect to be operating on FM and Linear
satellites for about 10 hours, beginning at 1000 UTC, which is 3 in
the morning, local time. Ron wrote on QR Zed dot com that the duo will
be on the boat for 22 hours, and that the activation is, of course,
weather-dependent. They will be using the call sign En Six Oh slash Em Em
{N6O/mm.}
Ron wrote on QR Zed that "D M Zero Two is one of the more difficult
grids to make a satellite contact in, because the only land mass in
the grid is San Clemente Island, which is a restricted U.S. Naval
base." Ron said the last amateur to activate the grid was Mike, W8LID,
who accomplished it in June of 2017. He said the two hams were able to
benefit from some guidance Mike provided before they set out on their
journey. The pair write that it is costing them $2,500 for use of the
boat, and they have been accepting donations. Information is on the N6O
(En Six Oh) page on QR Zed dot com.
For Amat eur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.
