Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Nov 03 2017 05:48 pm JORDAN'S FIRST CUBESAT GETS FINAL TOUCHES PAUL/ANCHOR: In Jordan, student scientists and ham radio operators will share a historic "first." Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us about this ambitious project. JIM'S REPORT: Jordan's King Hussein, call sign JY1, was one of the world's most notable radio amateurs, whose list of on-air contacts included Columbia shuttle astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, the first ham in space. So it's perhaps a fitting tribute that the late monarch's call sign is about to go back on the air - literally - it will be launched into space. Jordan is preparing to send up the Cubesat JY1-SAT, its first miniature satellite. The satellite is the creation of a team of 19 engineering students, working at various universities in Jordan, under the supervision of the Crown Prince Foundation. The satellite will be launched in early 2018, and is designed to communicate with earth stations, as well as broadcast various images of interest to tourists. During a visit to the Nanotechnology Institute recently to help oversee the finishing touches on JY1-SAT, Crown Prince Hussein was able to record an audio message that will be carried by the tiny Cubesat and broadcast once it is in space. King Hussein became a Silent Key in 1999, but amateurs can now look forward to a contact, that is also a tribute. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF. ** HAM RADIO BECOMES 'VANDERKLOOF DAM RADIO' PAUL/ANCHOR: Throughout November, the resort region surrounding the Vanderkloof Dam in South Africa, is going to be busier than usual - with amateur radio activity. John Williams, VK4JJW, has the details. JOHN'S REPORT: Get ready to celebrate the Vanderkloof Dam in the Northern Cape of South Africa. The dam is marking its 40th anniversary with the help of the Bo-Karoo Amateur Radio Club. The club will be on the air as Special Event station, ZS40VDK, from November 1st until the 30th. The dam, which was commissioned in 1977, was originally known as the PK Le Roux Dam, and is fed by South Africa's largest river, the Orange River. It's the second-largest dam in the country, and boasts the highest wall among dams in the nation - 108 meters, or more than 350 feet high. There is, of course, an off-the-air celebration too - a big party at the Sandgat Resort, just outside the town of Vanderkloof, on Saturday, the 18th of November. But there will be no QSL cards for that. Meanwhile, if plans hold for the month of November, the special event honoring the dam can count on a nice big flood - of HF contacts, that is. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW. (SARL) ** SPAIN GIVES HAMS 60 METER ALLOCATION PAUL/ANCHOR: Good news for hams in Spain. The new National Frequency Allocation Chart shows that amateur radio operators have been given the new global 60 meter allocation on a secondary basis. The frequencies are 5351.5 - 5366.5 MHz. Hams in Spain are also getting additional 50 KHz of space on the 70 MHz band. The operating frequencies now are 70.150-70.250 MHz. The state's official newsletter carried the news on Friday, October 27. (SOUTHGATE) ** HIGHEST AWARDS FOR 2 FROM CW OPERATORS CLUB PAUL/ANCHOR: The CW Operators Club, an advocate for the continued use of Code by amateurs worldwide, has just presented honors to two recipients who carry on the tradition. We hear more from Stephen Kinford, N8WB. STEPHEN'S REPORT: The CW Operators Club is an international group that believes it's all about the Code. With that in mind, the group has announced that this year's recipients of its CW Ops Awards for Advancing the Art of CW, are the Boy Scouts of America, and Roger Cooke, G3LDI. The Scouts are being recognized for the various programs the organization has run throughout the years, encouraging youngsters to develop an interest in Morse Code. Roger Cooke, author of the book "Morse Code for Radio Amateurs" is being recognized as the GB2CW coordinator for the Radio Society of Great Britain, and for his commitment to teaching Morse Code to other amateurs. His book is in its 12th edition. The award is one of several given by the CW Operators Club, which promotes the use of Morse Code in ragchewing, contesting, and DXing. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB. (SOUTHGATE) --- þ Synchronet þ The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org .