Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Apr 17 2020 08:24 am
BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the Denton County Amateur Radio Association repeater, W5NGU, in
Denton County, Texas, Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m.,
and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. central time.
**
NEW HAM ON BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
PAUL/ANCHOR: Welcome aboard to the newest amateur radio operator
in space: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, arrived on board
the International Space Station along with two Russian cosmonauts
on Thursday, April 9th. Having completed their four-orbit, six-hour
flight from Kazakhstan to the ISS, the three are settling in,
bringing the ISS population back up to six. Chris is to become the
commander for Expedition 63 later this month. He will be posting
updates of his time in space on his Instagram feed under the account
name astro underscore seal (astro_seal).
(AMSAT, NASA)
**
AUSTRALIAN CALL SIGN SUFFIX PROPOSAL UNDER REVIEW
PAUL/ANCHOR: Australian call sign suffixes are getting a second look,
as requested by the Wireless Institute of Australia. Jason Daniels,
VK2LAW, has that story.
JASON: The Australian Maritime College has been asked to review
proposed changes in radio call sign structure, that would enable
any amateur in Australia, to be allocated any available three-letter
suffix regardless of licence class.
The proposal is the result of a survey by the Wireless Institute of
Australia, with the maritime college, which manages call sign issuance,
reviewing it on behalf of the national regulator, the ACMA.
Around 60 percent of survey respondents expressed a preference for
removing the relationship between suffixes and licence class. If
enacted, the change would mean that hams upgrading their class could
still retain their call sign. This proposal is the latest review of
call sign procedures, and follows a March announcement that hams
moving from one state in Australia to another, need no longer apply
for new call signs to reflect their new QTH.
The ACMA and AMC are also reviewing an application from the Radio
Amateur Society of Australia, to permit hams to use the prefix "AX"
during the period of lockdown, resulting from the current pandemic.
This mirrors a recent announcement in New Zealand, that hams there
may use the "ZM" prefix instead of the standard "ZL."
For Amateur Radio NewLine, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.
(WIA)
**
WIA POLL SEEKS INPUT ON FOUNDATION LICENCE SYLLABUS
PAUL/ANCHOR: The Wireless Institute of Australia has just received
input from amateurs responding to a poll about the Foundation license
syllabus. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has those details.
GRAHAM: With the hope of making the Foundation licence even more
accessible, and attractive to newcomers, the WIA recently completed
a poll of holders of a VK call sign, asking about changes that could
be made to the syllabus. The poll contained recommendations from the
WIA's Syllabus Review Panel, which was formed last year. All
Australian amateurs were asked to weigh in on such changes, as the
introduction of new knowledge elements to the test -- which the
review team opposed -- and whether exams should utilise pre-defined
Australian Standard schematic symbols in cases where ISO/IEC Standard
symbols are not available. The review panel told the poll-takers it
recommended that change.
The WIA panel is also recommending that amateur radio be redefined as
a service instead of a hobby.
The WIA poll was conducted in response to an enquiry from the
Australian Communications and Media Authority, which created an
Amateur Radio Syllabus Review Panel last year. The results of the
survey will be forwarded to the Australian Communications and Media
Authority.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB.
(WIA)
**
SPACE STATION 'STORY TIME' TELLS A HAM RADIO TALE
PAUL/ANCHOR: Who hasn't ever said "read me a story?" Children and
adults love to hear tales read aloud - and now a program on the
International Space Station has a story of particular interest to
kids who love ham radio. Here's Heather Embee, KB3TZD.
HEATHER: A collaborative educational program known as Story Time
from Space, has a lot of youngsters feeling over the moon, quite
literally, because it lets kids watch videos of astronauts reading
children's books, while on the International Space Station. Now,
hams are also over the moon about it, too: the latest book to be
added to the list of stories available in the video'd reading
sessions is a book by Emily Calandrelli, KD8PKR. Emily is the
author of "Ada Lace, Take Me To Your Leader," the story of a YL,
and the many QSOs she has on a radio she'd repaired. Astronaut
Anne McClain reads the book in three video segments. There's an
extra treat thrown in for good measure, in the second segment:
kids get a tour of the radio station used for contacts using
Amateur Radio from the ISS. The final segment includes a video
of astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, who also talks about the
ARISS program.
To get a good read on this latest story from space, visit
storytimefromspace - that's "storytimefromspace" one word - dot com
(storytimefromspace.com)
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.
(ARISS, STORYTIME FROM SPACE)
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