Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Sun Jun 07 2020 12:22 pm
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2223, for Friday, June 5, 2020
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2223, with a release date of
Friday, June 5, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A historic space launch includes a radio amateur.
New York hams give more than 24 thousand thank-yous -- and Irish amateurs
issue a worldwide challenge. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report Number 2223, comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
BREAKING NEWS: HUNTSVILLE HAMFEST CANCELLED
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week with breaking news. The Huntsville
Hamfest, originally scheduled for August 22nd and 23rd in Alabama, has
been cancelled, with organizers citing concerns over large public
gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chairman Mark Brown, N4BCD,
issued a statement on Thursday, June 4th, saying: "With deep sadness the
Board has voted to cancel Huntsville Hamfest 2020. We make this decision
for the safety of our visitors, vendors, and volunteers. We will be back
and hope to see you back at 'The World's Friendliest Hamfest' on August
21 and 22, 2021."
Details about refunds are posted on the hamfest's Facebook page.
**
HISTORIC SPACE LAUNCH FROM U.S. SOIL
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our next story takes us to Florida's Kennedy Space Center,
as U.S. astronauts lifted off for the first time from the launchpad there
in nearly a decade. One of them is a ham. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, has that
report.
ANDY: A new chapter in history turned for the world on Saturday, May 30th,
when two NASA astronauts returned to space from American soil. For the
ham radio community, it was a particular point of pride that one of the
astronauts was Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, who joined fellow crew member Doug
Hurley in the launch toward low-Earth orbit in what was the first
commercially built and operated spacecraft. The Dragon crew capsule
produced by Elon Musk's SpaceX company is designed to deliver people
instead of just cargo to the International Space Station.
The two astronauts are now part of the Expedition 63 crew aboard the ISS,
which has as its commander another ham radio operator: NASA astronaut
Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.
(NASA, TWITTER)
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With the extra two crew members on-board for the next few
weeks, perhaps Chris and Bob will get more time to get on 2 metres, and
work some hams on Earth. Or perhaps they can convince Doug to sit for his
ham exam? That would surely be taking remote-testing capabilities to a
new height. Doug, are you listening?
**
STUDENTS COMPETE IN CROSS-CONTINENT SPACE RACE
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, there's been another race into space -- and
this one involves students with some balloons outfitted with transmitters.
Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, picks up the story from here.
RALPH: There are four new transmitters sending signals to chase, and they
might just be in the sky over your QTH right now if you live in the
United States. Students in the Space Station Explorer program of ARISS
launched mid-altitude ham radio balloons on Monday morning, June 1st
simultaneously. This is a cross-continent race - west to east - involving
students of two California educators: Ted Tagami, KK6UUQ, and Joanne
Michaelis, KM6BWB. A third balloon was launched by Liam Kennedy, KN6EQU,
of the ISS Above program. A fourth balloon was launched from Pasco,
Washington by the Rivers Edge High School, and Yakima Valley Technical
Skills Center.
The winning balloon will be the one to cross into the Eastern Time zone
first. In the meantime, the students and anyone else can track the
balloons' altitude, temperature, and of course, location via Automatic
Packet Reporting System, which is being fed to the aprs dot fi (aprs.fi)
website.
You can join them in tracking the balloons by following the call signs
KK6UUQ-8, KM6BWB-9, KN6EQU-2, and K7HAK-11 on the map. Newsline has
included the link to the launch and balloon tracking details in the
printed version of this week's script.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.
