Subj : Newsline Part 1 To : ALL USERS From : DARYL STOUT Date : Thu Dec 31 2015 08:53 pm Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1992, January 1, 2016 Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1992, with a release date of Friday, January 1, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. New Jersey radio amateurs mark the 70th anniversary of a historic "moon bounce" transmission. In Wisconsin, a hospital frees up space on its tower to accommodate a local ham club's new repeater. A British family reactivates a beloved old call sign. And, as the holidays wind down, a few special events gear up. All this and more, in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1992 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here and Intro) ** THE SPIRIT OF 2016: THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION We begin the first newscast of 2016 with our wishes for a Happy New Year, and with some ways to get yourself in shape for the busy year ahead on the air. In fact, think of the first few days of 2016 as a good workout for all those radio-intensive months to come. During the first days of the new year, you can even give your microphone a break. The ARRL's annual Straight Key night launches the contest calendar on New Year's Day - Friday, January 1. It's not really competitive, and there are no points - except for the most important point of all, which is to have fun. The Straight Key event segues immediately into the RTTY roundup. This Roundup isn't limited solely to RTTY, however. If you're a fan of PSK31, ASCII, AMTOR and Packet (attended), jump in! The Roundup runs from 1800 UTC Saturday, January 2 through 2359 UTC Sunday, January 3, with operation on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. Both paper and Cabrillo logs are accepted, but all are due by February 2. Contact the ARRL Contest Branch for more information. That email is contest@arrl.org. By the way, if you want an alternative to the ARRL Straight Key Event, try AMSAT's own event, which is dedicated to the memory of Ben Stevenson, W2BXA, who became a Silent Key in 2011. The only requirement in this non-competitive event is that you operate CW through any amateur satellite using a manual key on New Year's Day, January 1. Stevenson, a top DXer in the ham radio community, was the founder of the North Jersey DX Association. (ARRL, AMSAT) ** A DAY FOR KIDS Before you start thinking that the weekend's radio events are just for adults only, guess again: The younger set gets in on the action Sunday, January 3, during ARRL's Kids Day. Hams are being encouraged to open their shacks to younger family members, the local Scout troop, neighborhood youngsters - anyone, really - who has a youthful curiosity about what it's like to hit that Push-To-Talk button or tap a code key. Visit the ARRL website to see operating recommendations and, of course, what the event exchange will be. A word of caution: Be sure you know your favorite color before you get on the air. That information is a vital part of the exchange! This event will be repeated in June - but why wait? The year is young and so are all those potential hams waiting out there. (ARRL) ** NEW YEAR, NEW DX And finally, ending this roundup of New Years-related happenings, we report that a group of DXers in Ireland have called a planning meeting on Saturday, January 2 to organize an EI DX Group. The amateurs are hoping to discuss better ways to chase DXCC but also make even bigger plans - to get out there and do some serious DXpeditioning themselves!! The group will meet at noon local time in the Maldron Hotel in Portlaoise. For more information, Irish radio amateurs are encouraged to contact Dave EI9FBB, or Pat EI9HX. (IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTERS SOCIETY) ** HAMS USING HOSPITAL ANTENNA In Wisconsin, a bit of hospital equipment has just become ham equipment, too. Recognizing the important role amateur radio signals can play in local disasters, Ministry Eagle River Memorial Hospital has given space on its tower to a local club repeater. The Vilas County Amateur Radio Club, KD9DXK, has activated its repeater, making it ready for service in emergencies, or to assist with community events. Mark Dascalos, a spokesman for the hospital, told local National Public Radio member station WXPR recently that bringing the ham radio club onto the tower was a decision that made good sense. Dascalos said: QUOTE "...here in the Northwoods, we have difficulty with cell signals, and probably equal-wise with radio signals....It was an opportunity to use our tall antenna at the hospital to install a repeater." ENDQUOTE Club members will make use of the expanded signal to provide communication support for community events as well as community disasters. The tower space is being provided free to the club. (WXPR.ORG) ** POW! TO THE MOON, ALICE! [DON/ANCHOR:] Anyone who appreciates what older radio equipment can still do, will appreciate the importance of a commemorative moonbounce event taking place this month in New Jersey. Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, tells us the plan. [HEATHER'S REPORT] Seventy years ago, a team from the U.S. Army, operating at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey's "Project Diana" site, successfully copied radio signals that had been bounced from the moon using an Army tracking dish. That site is now part of the InfoAge Science History Museum where, on January 10, the EME, or "earth-moon-earth" bounce, will be recreated, marking the date when the historic transmission both left its mark, and its signal, in 1946. In fact, the radio amateurs intend to use that same dish, which has long since been demilitarized and refurbished. The TLM-18 received those first historic signals during its time of active service on that site as a ground station for the TIROS 1 and 2 weather satellites, and for Project Vanguard. The commemorative transmission will occur on 23 centimeters from the station of the Ocean Monmouth Amateur Radio Club, N2MO, sent by members of that club as well as hams from Princeton University, and the science museum. The dish's primary role, as used by Daniel Marlow, K2QM, is to help observe radio pulsars, as well as radiation from the Milky Way. Marlow teaches physics at Princeton University, and serves on the board of InfoAge. The TLM-18 is being made available for the amateurs' moonbounce on a secondary basis. Nevertheless, promising this group the moon - and then delivering - is going to be just as historic an event as it had been back in 1946. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania. (ARRL, INFOAGE MUSEUM) --- BgNet 1.0a12 - The Thunderbolt BBS wx1der.dyndns.org Little Rock, AR .