Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jul 03 2020 08:43 am
SILENT KEY: FORMER NEWSLINE ANCHOR DON CARLSON KQ6FM
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We here at Newsline were saddened to learn of the passing
of one of our former anchors and correspondents. We have more about this
Silent Key from Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
DON: Don Carlson, KQ6FM, became a Silent Key on Friday, June 21st, from
complications to pancreatic cancer. In addition to his work as a familiar
voice in the earlier years of Amateur Radio Newsline, Don had a long
professional career as a voice talent and radio broadcaster. As the owner
of his own company, The Voice Shop, he produced a variety of commercial
spots, as well as those for the ARRL on amateur radio. He was active in
the ARRL, serving on its National Public Relations Committee, where he
helped with the creation of the public information officers' Swiss Army
Knife Guide, and its training program. He was also devoted to ARES and
Emergency Service, and had served on the board of directors for the annual
convention as well as convention emcee. He held a variety of posts with
the ARRL, including Public Information Coordinator. In 2010, he was named
Ham of the Year in ARRL's Pacific Division.
Newsline is proud to have had him on our team.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
**
MOVING DAY FOR HAM EXHIBIT AT NASA FACILITY
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A ham station that doubled as an educational exhibit at
a NASA facility, is looking for a new home. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells
us more.
KEVIN: Amateur Radio Station KE4ZXW is leaving its longtime home at the
Virginia Air and Space Center, in Hampton, Virginia. Operated by the
VASC Amateur Radio Group, with the support of other area amateur radio
clubs, the station served as a real-life educational exhibit, giving
school groups, and other visitors demonstrations of VHF, UHF, HF, VHF,
and satellite communications, using CW, Voice, and Digital modes. The
station was also capable of communications with the International Space
Station.
That ended on June 30th, the station's last day at the center, which is
the official visitor center for the Langley, Virginia facility of NASA.
The center's executive director and CEO, Robert Griesmer, said the
station would be seeking a new home. It had been off the air since
March 13, at the request of the center, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.
(QRZ)
**
CHINESE LAUNCH COMPLETES NETWORK OF NAVIGATION SATELLITES
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If your radio activities include making use of global
navigation satellites, you might be interested to learn that China has
just completed its own network, seen as one more option in a mix that
includes Europe's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS, and the United States' GPS.
Jason Daniels, VK2LAW, has that story.
JASON: It's called BeiDou (Bay DOO), and the final satellite to complete
this Chinese geolocation system was launched aboard a rocket on Tuesday,
June 23, in the southwestern Sichuan province. Observers consider the
satellite network's completion a significant step toward elevating that
nation's status in the lucrative geolocation services market.
Astronomer Jonathan McDowell at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics told AFP news service, that he believed China would now
achieve independence from the systems in Europe and the U.S. The system's
name translates from the Chinese into "plough" or "Big Dipper," as in the
constellation.
BeiDou has been operational since 2012, but was limited to the Asia-Pacific
region. Its services have been in use worldwide for the past two years. The
network contains 30 satellites.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW.
(YAHOO NEWS)
**
ADVOCATE SPEAKS OUT FOR INDIAN SATELLITE USE
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In India, authorities are being asked to widen the
permissions for amateur satellite use, as we hear from Jim Meachen,
ZED L 2 BHF
JIM: Although India has a robust amateur radio satellite programme, with
many hams building, launching, and using these noncommercial satellites,
not all classes of licence in India can take advantage of this experience.
One Indian amateur, Rohit Bokade, VU3OIR, is petitioning to change that,
and is asking for Indian authorities to permit satellite use for all
grades of licence. Call signs such as his, with a VU3 prefix, are for
the Restricted grade of licence, and are denied satellite communications,
as well as contact with the International Space Station.
The petition, seen on the change dot org (Change.org) website,
acknowledges the rapid growth in amateur satellites launched in the
last decade, and praises their educational value. The petition states
that the change being requested would permit easier satellite access
for students, permitting more of them to get involved in space technology,
either as communicators or designers.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
