Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Mar 25 2021 07:28 pm
FIRST-TIMERS SET SIGHTS ON ISLAND DXPEDITION
JIM/ANCHOR: There's a first for everything, and one group of ham radio
operators has decided it's time for them all to jump into the water (at
least figuratively) for their first DXpedition. Jack Parker, W8ISH, has
the details.
JACK: This is going to be a summer of firsts for the amateur radio team
descending on C6A IOTA NA-048 FL05, also known as Bimini Island in the
Bahamas. According to DJ, N4RRR, one of the organizers, it will be a first
DXpedition for everyone on the team, which includes some disabled military
veterans. DJ said that because the Caribbean Island is also a prime tourist
destination, some of the hams will be bringing their wives for vacation
activities. The hams have applied to use the call sign C6AHA. He said some
of their antennas will be positioned to enable Europe, the Pacific Islands
and Australia to get C6A in their logs.
DJ told Newsline: "We plan to light up C6A for everyone to get it in their
log books" adding that "we hope people will be nice and forgiving with us
and let us make the most of this trip, being first-timers receiving pile-
ups."
The trip is scheduled for July 14th through the 21st.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.
(DJ FINCH N4RRR)
**
EMERGENCY BATTERIES HELP HAMS IN CARIBBEAN 'RED ZONE'
JIM/ANCHOR: In the Caribbean, amateur radio stations in a hazardous region
near a volcano got a gift to help their vital operations. John Williams,
VK4JJW, gives us the full story.
JOHN: A gift of emergency batteries provided to amateur radio operators in
the highest hazard zone of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has put those
stations back on the air. The 12-volt batteries, provided through the
country's General Services office, have enabled hams to get on the air in
the nation's northernmost settlement of Fancy, and in Rose Hall, the
settlement with the highest altitude. The amateur stations are both in the
Red Zone, a highly hazardous region because of its proximity to a volcano.
Officials regularly monitor activity at the La Soufriere (soo-free-AIR)
volcano in the north, where an activity known as effusive eruption has been
noted in recent weeks.
The hams received the batteries at the request of the Rainbow Radio
League/Youlou Radio Movement amateur radio club. Its director Donald De
Riggs J88CD made the request on behalf of Elna Michael, J88NEK, of Fancy,
and Percy Lampkin, J88NEB, of Rose Hall.
According to a news report on the Searchlight VC website, the station in
Fancy now maintains contact with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Management Agency and the station in Rose Hall has been checking into
local and regional nets.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.
(SEARCHLIGHT VC, CDEMA)
**
NOVICE RIG ROUNDUP CELEBRATES 'YESTERYEAR'
JIM/ANCHOR: Hams who like getting on the air the old-fashioned way got that
chance recently in a special operating event, as we hear from Randy Sly,
W4XJ.
RANDY: If you were beginning in ham radio 50 or so years ago, your amateur
radio experience would begin with a Novice Class license, good for only a
year, and you would operate a crystal-controlled 75-watt CW transmitter.
Often, these rigs were homebrew, drifted in frequency, with chirps and key
clicks on the signal. By modern standards, this all sounds archaic, but
each year hams from around the country dust off their old radios, dig out
their straight keys and return to the good ol’ days of yesteryear.
This year, there were more than 292 such hams and they logged 4,300
contacts the old-fashioned way, most of them adhering to Novice
restrictions. They were part of the annual Novice Rig Roundup, co-chaired
by Dan Sands, N7SU, and Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT. The event, held annually
during the third week of February, was established in 2015 by Bry Carling,
AF4K, now a silent key. This year's event was a showcase for talking about
such now-obsolete radios as Heathkit DX-40’s, Drake, and Hallicrafters,
as well as homebrew rigs with exotic vacuum tubes like 807's and 6146's.
Novice Rig Roundup is more than just an annual event. For information and
to join in the fun, visit their webpage at novicerigroundup.org.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ
**
PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN NEWSLINE'S SURVEY
JIM/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Newsline would like some help from listeners.
We want to know whether you would like to continue hearing the World of
DX each week or if we should switch to a contest calendar instead. Please
visit our website where you'll find a survey asking you to tell us your
preference. The survey can be found on the right-hand side of the page at
arnewsline.org
--- SBBSecho 3.13-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (432:1/112)
