Subj : Newsline Part 1
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jan 06 2017 01:26 pm

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2045, January 6, 2017

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2045, with a release date of Friday,
January 6, 2017, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The International Space Station finds help for its
VHF radio crisis. American Indians get on the air for their first-ever
Net -- and are you ready for Winter Field Day? All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2045, comes your way right now.
	
**

BILLBOARD CART

**

GENEROSITY'S IN ORBIT WITH THE ISS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: We open this week's report with an encouraging outlook
for the International Space Station, and its VHF radio crisis. Here's
Amateur Radio Newsline's Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

NEIL:  As we reported earlier on Amateur Radio Newsline, plans have been
under way to replace the VHF radio aboard the International Space Station,
which failed this past October. The Ericsson VHF handheld that has called
the Columbus module home for 17 years, came up with an error code as
astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, was preparing for a contact with a school
in Nebraska. She was able to complete the contact by using a radio in one
of the Russian modules in the station. As a result of this radio's
failure, hams all over the planet no longer have the capability of APRS
and digipeating on VHF through the space station. A UHF radio is operating,
but contacts are much more difficult due to Doppler shift.
  
JVC Kenwood graciously donated a TM-D710GA mobile, dual band radio.
Modifications have been made, and a special power supply prototype has
been built to facilitate using the radio in both US and Russian modules
of the space station. Production and certification are the next steps,
which costs an estimated $200,000.
 
So, now not only are the school contacts adversely affected, but every
ham who enjoys the digital communications bouncing off the station on VHF,
has lost that capability. This makes the urgency for donations to the
cause to be even more intense.

Some local clubs have stepped in to help, such as my home club, the
Bloomington Amateur Radio Club in Bloomington, Indiana. Rosalie White,
K1STO, the ARISS International Secretary-Treasurer, and also a member of
the club, explains:

ROSALIE: "The Bloomington Amateur Radio Club, voted to donate $100 to ARISS,
and a club officer quickly matched that with his own check, as did 2 other
club members - and my own mother!! Several members contributed other
amounts to equal $200. I told them they made me want to cry happy tears!"
 
NEIL: And on December 28, the Quarter Century Wireless Association made a
sizeable donation to the cause. Ken Oelke, VE6AFO, QCWA President, hopes
the funding will be a catalyst for individuals and other groups around the
globe to follow suit, and donate to the radio system cause. He said, "I
truly believe this is a great opportunity for the QCWA to shine in the
Amateur Radio Community, and to carry out QCWA's mandate as described in
its constitution." Rosalie tells us about another happy donor.
 
ROSALIE: Dana Harding, VA6DJH, said "I'm happy to help support ARISS's
new radio effort. The whole thing is so cool -- who else gets to sit in
their living room, and just decide to call up the space station...and
then have it answer?! With ARISS, I can reach out and touch the ISS!"

NEIL: Individuals and groups interested in helping to make the ARISS
hardware reach the ISS can go to the AMSAT Website, www.amsat.org, and
give a tax-deductible donation by clicking the ARISS Donate button.
Donors giving $100 or more are awarded with a beautiful ARISS Challenge
Coin. Those wishing to make a much more substantial contribution should
contact Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, at ka3hdo@verizon.net.

Reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG. 

**

HAMS ASSIST AT HINDU GATHERING

SKEETER/ANCHOR: In India, amateur radio operators are about to take on
a special role during a Hindu pilgrimmage, as we learn from Amateur
Radio Newsline's John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: As Hindu pilgrims gather, beginning January 13th, to take a holy
dip in the River Ganga in West Bengal, India, amateur radio operators
are being asked to stand by. The hams, members of the West Bengal Radio
Club, have been asked to be available to help locate anyone who goes
missing at the gathering, known as the Ganga Sagar Mela.

Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, secretary of the club, said the amateurs
will work with district police, local agencies, and non-governmental
organizations, and information will be shared among them through a
central website. Officials told the Indian Express newspaper that every
year, people go missing at the festival, which constitutes the world's
second-largest congregation of people. One official said hams were
brought in to assist with making key connections, using photographs of
anyone missing and being able to network over radio, to contact families.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.


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