Subj : Newsline Part 1 To : ALL USERS From : DARYL STOUT Date : Fri Feb 12 2016 10:16 am Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1998, February 12, 2016 Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1998, with a release date of Friday, February 12, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Tragedy strikes Taiwan - and hams are ready! The ARRL renews its long relationship with the American Red Cross. A hospital in Brazil, Indiana, prepares to go on the air. And World Radio Day is coming: what are YOUR plans? All this, and more, in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1998, coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here and Intro) ** AMATEUR RADIO RESPONDS TO TAIWAN EARTHQUAKE SKEETER: This week's newscast opens with yet another reminder of the life-saving work that radio amateurs can do by stepping in to assist in natural disasters. We hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, on the latest following the deadly earthquake in Taiwan. GRAHAM: Sitting on what is known as the "Pacific Rim of Fire," another earthquake - this one, with a magnitude of 6.4 - has rocked the island of Taiwan on Saturday, Feb. 6. It set off the collapse of several buildings, a signal went out from the Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League, asking that several voice frequencies be kept clear. The Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting Society reported that they heard it - as a weak transmission - but it was nonetheless heard. Locally, hams were responding to the arduous rescue that would follow, amid the rubble, in the southwest coastal city of Tainan. Frequencies in Taiwan were to be kept clear on 7.060 MHz with backup 7.050 MHz and 3.560 MHz. Short range frequencies were being used as well on VHF and UHF. And then came the aftershocks, and tremors were felt even in the capital city of Taipei, on the other side of the island from the stricken city. Ultimately more than 350 people were rescued in the aftermath, but more than 500 were reported injured, according to the state-owned Central News Agency in Taiwan. Numerous individuals remained trapped inside buildings and rescuers searched for them in the ruins, often by hand. The death toll, by midweek, had risen to nearly 20, and the developers of one residential building in the city, were facing charges of professional negligence, for alleged shoddy construction. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp. VK4BB, on the East Coast of Australia, part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. (CNN, SOUTHGATE, BBC) ** ARRL RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH RED CROSS SKEETER: Because emergency preparedness is vital every place disaster strikes, the ARRL and the American Red Cross have a working relationship here in the U.S. It's a relationship they recently reaffirmed, as Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Damron, N8TMW, reports: JIM: The ARRL and the American Red Cross have signed a new memorandum of understanding that spells out their relationship when disaster strikes, and when radio operators are called up for emergency response. The document succeeds the agreement the two organizations signed in 2010, and renews their cooperative relationship. According to the memorandum, ARES personnal are to be deployed in keeping with a pre-arranged plan in order to keep communications open during emergencies. The document also encourages both organizations to communicate with state and local agencies, and to share information regarding disasters and disaster operations. The ARRL commits to a role encouraging ARES units to work with Red Cross chapters to create plans for disaster relief and emergency response. And, likewise, the Red Cross field units are being encouraged to communicate in planning with ARRL's field units. The new document also makes it clear that for ARES volunteers to assist the Red Cross, they do not need to undergo a prior background check, even if they are not registered Red Cross volunteers. However, hams who are registered Red Cross volunteers must abide by the background check. The document was signed on Jan. 22 and is place for another five years. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW, in Charleston, West Virginia. (ARRL) ** A MONUMENTAL ACTIVATION IN A PARK Washington State amateur Clark Johnson, K7LRK, plans to be at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument on Wednesday, Feb. 17. In fact, you will find him in the parkland's picnic area. But you will also find him on the amateur bands, running 10 watts out of an 18-ounce portable rig. Because Johnson isn't there for a picnic. He's there to activate the site as part of the ARRL's year-long National Parks on the Air event. There's one other way to communicate with Johnson, however: Non-hams and hopeful hams can observe him, and learn more about amateur radio. He will be there with the Center for Amateur Radio Learning, and the Arizona Science Center, and they'll be doing public education and outreach during the event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time. Come to think of it, that might just make for a nice picnic, after all. (NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE) ** A RUNNING NEED FOR HAMS It's not too early to think "marathon." OK, so the Boston Marathon is still several months away, but marathon preparation is going on now - and hams in the Boston area are needed to help with communication for a runners' event, a 13.1-mile race called the Marathon Park Prep. It will be held on Saturday, March 19, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The race follows a Figure 8 course through the Town of Ashland, Massachusetts, about 25 miles west of Boston. Runners consider it good training for the big event in the fall. For more information, email David Wolfe, KG1H, at dkwolfe@comcast.net (DAVID WOLFE, KG1H) ** CAROLINA ON THEIR MINDS The weekend of Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 has been renamed The Carolina Weekend, with the north and the south getting into the act. The South Carolina QSO Party kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 27, followed by the North Carolina QSO Party the next day. The North Carolina Party will feature a new bonus station, W1VOA, The Voice of America, as well as two new bonus counties, Swain and Warren. There's a free barbecue dinner riding on it, as well, with log entries to be put in a random drawing for a dinner featuring the famous flavors of both states. Let's get this party started. In fact, let's get them both started. (ARRL, RALEIGH AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY) --- BgNet 1.0a12 - The Thunderbolt BBS wx1der.dyndns.org Little Rock, AR .