Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Mar 17 2023 12:42 am
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2368, for Friday, March 17th, 2023
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2368, with a release date of Friday,
March 17th, 2023, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Severe weather strikes the US on both coasts. A
two-year DXpedition sets sail with two missions -- and when line-of-sight
communication can serve as a lifeline. All this and more, as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2368, comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
SEVERE WEATHER UNDERSCORES HAMS' OF VITAL ROLES
PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story brings us tales of extreme weather on both
coasts of the United States. These severe conditions have served as a
reminder of hams' vital roles during these challenging times. Randy Sly,
W4XJ, brings us up to date.
RANDY: With life-threatening floods, heavy rain and snow in California
and severe winter storms barreling through the Northeast, amateurs
involved in emergency communications in the United States were hard at
work recently providing support to emergency management officials and
other organizations such as the Red Cross.
While offering assistance to served agencies, these hams were also
bringing about an additional benefit: increasing confidence in the
amateur radio service. For example, in the San Joaquin Valley area of
California, the Tuolumne County Amateur Radio Emergency Services was
asked to assist in passing traffic via ham radio in the Emergency
Operations Center. Daniel Sohn, WL7COO, San Joaquin Valley Section
Emergency Coordinator, told AR Newsline that the group was invited to
assist as a "work in progress" training exercise to distribute
announcements on the air and solicit Situational Awareness as eyes and
ears of the EOC. He also reported that Amateur Radio Service volunteers
have been alerted for potential deployment by either the Sheriff's
Office or County OES Officers in other counties as well.
In addition, hams across the Northeast, if not working in SKYWARN nets,
were self-activating in order to provide reports of strong winds,
snowfall, and damage reports to the National Weather Service.
Remembering the health and safety of "Self and Family First," amateurs on
both coasts are proving their worth now, and for the future during severe
weather events.
This is Randy Sly, W4XJ.
(DANIEL SOHN, WL7COO, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE)
**
2-YEAR ADVENTURE TESTS OUT 'REMOTE' DXPEDITIONING
PAUL/ANCHOR: A two-year journey is well under way for two hams from the
US on board a catamaran crossing the South Pacific Ocean. They have two
missions to accomplish, and Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us what they are.
KEVIN: George Wallner, AA7JV, and Michael Snow, KN4EEI, left Costa Rica
in late February, setting sail and getting on the air as KH7Z/MM - the
callsign for the Dateline DX Association. They are on board George's
yacht, Magnet. Using their personal calls as well as the DX association
call, the two are active on HF as well as 6m. They will be on the
Marquesas islands through to the end of the month, then head to the
Tuamotu Archipelago, IOTA number OC-066, where they hope to be on the air
from late March to the 5th of April.
This is a two-year journey with two goals: The hams are activating grids
on their journey in the Pacific and they are testing out the possibility
of remote operations for DXpeditions. Their stops include various rare or
semi-rare DXCC entities as the opportunity allows They also have three
stations. Two of them are 100-watt remotely operated Radios in a Box, or
RIBS, that will be operating FT8. A Radio in a Box contains a transceiver
and amplifier, along with cooling and control systems, all inside a
waterproof case. Using their third station, the two are operating on HF
using CW and SSB.
This is the latest remote-operation test undertaken by George and Michael
on their travels. George writes on his page on QRZ: [quote] "The goal is
to develop the capability for future DXpedtions to have remote operators,
working from home or wherever."
This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.
(QRZ.COM)
**
MICROWAVE ENTHUSIASTS PREPARE FOR CONFERENCE
PAUL/ANCHOR: If you're interested in exploring the microwave part of the
spectrum, you're about to get your chance. Jack Parker, W8ISH, tells us
about an international conference devoted to just that.
JACK: In less than a month, microwave enthusiasts will be getting
together in Connecticut to share ideas, equipment design and operating
stories at the first Microwave Update Conference to be held since the
pandemic was declared in 2020. The international conference at the Hilton
Garden Inn at Bradley Airport in Windsor, Connecticut will include the
46th Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference. It will be held on April 14th
and 15th and will be hosted by the North East Weak Signal Group, a
regional group in Massachusetts devoted to operations on 50 MHz and
above.
Although speakers and activities will focus on operations on the
microwave bands, discussions are not limited to that part of the radio
spectrum. Talks will center on circuit design, the latest microwave
devices, software-defined radios, small-dish EME and microwave
propagation, among other topics.
At the Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference, speakers will discuss
antennas, propagation, roving, SDRs, digital modes and activity nights.
Additional activities are planned for this conference on April 13th and
16th.
For details, visit the website microwaveupdate - that's one word - dot
org. (microwaveupdate.org)
This is Jack Parker, W8ISH.
(MICROWAVEUPDATE.ORG)
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
