Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jan 17 2020 06:23 pm
HAMS KEEP WATCHFUL EYE AT INDIA'S GANGA SAGAR MELA
NEIL/ANCHOR: A major gathering of worshippers in India once again has
amateur radio operators looking out for everyone. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF,
has that report.
JIM: In West Bengal, India, the annual Hindu pilgrimage known as the
Ganga Sagar Mela, is a time for prayer and spiritual renewal. This year,
as in previous years, as hundreds of thousands of worshippers converged
at Ganga Sagar Island, they could again rely on amateur radio operators
to help keep them safe in the massive crowd, where devotees have been
known to wander off, and lose their way back to friends and family.
Using the special call sign 8T2G, the West Bengal Radio Club VU2WB, was
operating on site with support from the National Institute of Amateur
Radio, VU2NRO, and the Indian Institute of Hams, VU2IIH. Activities at
the cultural and spiritual festival include a dip in the water, where
the river Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
NEIL/ANCHOR: According to a news report on Tuesday, January 14th, the
West Bengal hams successfully tracked down a teenager, who was in the
process of being kidnapped by three youths. The girl, who was released
when the trio ran off, had been reported missing earlier by her
grandparents.
**
WALMART GRANT ASSISTS NEW MEXICO HAM CLUB PROJECT
NEIL/ANCHOR: In New Mexico, a grant is helping one ham club realize its
goal of linked repeaters. Stephen Kinford, N8WB, has those details.
STEPHEN: The Valencia County Amateur Radio Association, KC5OUR, will soon
be able to link its three repeaters in New Mexico, to one another, with
the help of a $1,900 grant from Walmart. A check has been presented to
the club from the company, which gives such gifts annually to assist
community service projects undertaken by nonprofit organizations. Linked
repeaters will prove especially useful for the county's first responders
during emergencies, and for major public events. According to the Walmart
website, cash grants awarded each year range from $250 to $5,000. The ham
radio club's grant was among the more than $42 million in local grants
awarded in the 2019 fiscal year.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.
(THE NEWS BULLETIN)
**
YOTA STATIONS IN THE AMERICAS COUNT NEARLY 12,500 QSOs
NEIL/ANCHOR: December YOTA Month is always a hit with young operators
around the world, but this past December, gave hams in the Americas
something more to celebrate: Young operators in the Americas logged
nearly 12,500 QSOs during the global event, according to a report from
organizers, including coordinator Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO. There were
18 operators in North and South America using SSB, CW, digital modes,
and satellites. Globally, there were 48 special callsigns active,
logging nearly 129,000 contacts. Newsline takes particular pride in
Bryant, who was our Young Ham of the Year for 2018.
The youth activations in the Americas are a prelude to an unprecented
experience this summer: the first youth-oriented radio camp taking
place in the Western Hemisphere - in Ohio - this coming June.
**
AURORA BOREALIS A BRIGHT SPOT FOR EYEBALL QSOS
NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams disheartened by the sunspot shortage might want to
think of the aurora borealis as a bright spot - for reasons that may
surprise you. Jim Damron, N8TMW, explains.
JIM: So you're hoping for a QSO with a ham in Alaska? Depending upon
where you live, you might require a K index of 3 or lower, a sign
that solar storms won't mess up propagation. Of course, if what you're
hoping for is an eyeball QSO with someone there, you might have wanted
to consider a K index of 8 or even 9, the maximum. It not only brings
an aurora borealis in all its glory, it saved travelers money with one
airline if they booked a trip to Fairbanks or Anchorage, timing the
visit with the highest predicted indexes. The very highest ones provided
discounts of as much as 35 percent on tickets bought through January
17th for travel until February 12th. The marketing gimmick by Alaska
Airlines celebrates the solar storms, something we hams tend to curse
if we're on HF. The campaign's slogan? "The more intense the lights,
the more you save on flights." Most of us, however, are waiting for an
alternate slogan: "Forget that big vacation, we're needing propagation."
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW.
