Subj : Newsline Part 3 To : ALL USERS From : DARYL STOUT Date : Fri Feb 12 2016 10:16 am SK: VIRGIN ISLANDS WEATHER NET FOUNDER In 1994, George B. Cline, KP2G, of St John, Virgin Islands, began an effort to provide critical weather details and updates for the greater Virgin Islands community via amateur radio. The Virgin Islands Weather Net was born. Cline had a longtime interest in the weather, and often responded during hurricane disasters as a member of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. The New York native died on Jan. 11 at the age of 79. He had been a member of the St. John Amateur Radio Club and had served as a radio dispatcher for St. John Rescue. His many efforts also included leading a team that placed repeaters on St. John Island, and throughout the Caribbean for emergency radio communications. (ARRL) ** GET READY FOR WORLD RADIO DAY Informally, the theme for this year's World Radio Day on Feb. 13 might be "radio to the rescue." But formally, this international event is called "Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster." Indeed, the need for communications certainly keeps hams busy. Created by the UN's Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, known as UNESCO, the event recognizes that the immediate access to radio frequencies is essential in saving lives, and should be protected so they are available in times of emergency. World Radio Day began in 1946. A number of amateur radio clubs will be marking the occasion in their own way. In the UK, the Phoenix Amateur Radio Club will be on the air on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14, helping honor British Scientists, a commemoration that is part of the official World Radio Day program. UNESCO has asked that groups in all countries mark the day by planning activities in partnership with regional, national and international broadcasters, non-governmental organizations, national authorities, the media and the public. So while it isn't a real holiday, it is certainly reason to celebrate. (UNESCO) ** THE WORLD OF DX Michael, DF8AN, will be active from Iceland from Feb. 26 to March 1 as TF/DF8AN. QSL via his home call sign. Gildas, F6HMQ, and Michel, F6GWV, will be active again from Guadeloupe Island, beginning Feb. 26 to March 14 as TO66R, FG/F6HMQ and FG/F6GWV. Send QSL cards via F6HMQ In a special event marking the visit of Pope Francis to Mexico, members of the Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores (FMRE) are using the special callsign 6D0F through Feb. 18. Send QSL cards via XE1LM. Masato, JA0RQV, will be active as 6Y5/JA0RQV mainly from the Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, starting Feb. 21 through April 17. Activity will be mostly on the weekend and spare time. He will work 160-10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via M0OXO (ORQS) or LoTW. (OHIO PENN DX BULLETIN, DXCOFFEE) ** KICKER: THE RADIO VOICE OF A CENTURY Fred Crockford, who lives in the Borough of Brentwood, recently told his local newspaper in the UK, "I have been retired longer than some people have been at work." In fact, Fred, G6YUY, has also likely been on the air longer than many people have been on the planet. The retired trolley bus driver first went on the amateur bands in the 1920s, when radio operations were governed, he said, by the post office. Now he's not just a licensed ham, but a centenarian ham, having just celebrated his 100th birthday. He said radio has made every one of his many days an adventure. And, he told the newspaper the fun is in the surprise discovery of who is available to talk from anywhere in the world. He said: "We talk to whoever happens to be out there on that particular spot, and at that particular moment." A 70-foot-long-horizontal aerial carries his voice everywhere - even to Australia. Fred told the newspaper he still sets aside about two hours every evening to reach out, via radio, to the world. And whether he lands in the United States, New Zealand or Australia, the thrill of DXing is no less a thrill to him at 100 than it was when he was a young man. It seems that, at 100 years of age, his most treasured birthday gift of all has been the gift of time. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham, the UK (THE BRENTWOOD GAZETTE) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Alan Labs; the ARRL; The Brazil Times; The Brentwood Gazette; the BBC; CNN; CQ Magazine; the CW TV Network; David Wolfe, KG1H; DXCoffee; Hap Holly and the Rain Report; the India Times; the Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin; the Punxsutawney Area Amateur Radio Club; QRZ.COM; the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society; Southgate Amateur Radio News; TVLine,com; TWiT TV; UNESCO; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our email address is newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. For now, with Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT, at the news desk in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, in Topeka, Kansas, saying 73, and as always, we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. --- BgNet 1.0a12 - The Thunderbolt BBS wx1der.dyndns.org Little Rock, AR .