Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Nov 24 2017 04:54 pm IN SWAZILAND, PROMISE THEM THE MOON PAUL/ANCHOR: There's big excitement in one African nation, where a team of radio operators has been aiming at the moon. We learn more from Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF. JIM MEACHEN: Now this is a big first for Swaziland. A group of amateurs operating in this southern African nation has conducted its first successful EME, or Earth-Moon-Earth communications. In early November, a temporary station set up in a rural area by John Sygo, ZS6JON, Chris Ploeger, and Lins Berben, PA3CMC, operated as Z21EME, managing contacts with about 500 stations in 50 different countries over the course of four days. Some of the hams who ended up in their log were in the U.S. and New Zealand. They bounced their signals off a moon approximately 350,000 kilomaters, or more than 217 thousand miles, from earth - a signal that did not return to earth until nearly 3 seconds later. According to their QRZ page, their operations were on 2m, 6m, 70cm, and 23cm. The hams told the Times of Swaziland, this was the first successful EME operation from that nation. They had promised their contacts the moon - and the moon delivered. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF. (THE TIMES OF SWAZILAND, QRZ) ** YASMA FOUNDATION HONORS HAMS AT GENEVA CEREMONY PAUL/ANCHOR: A number of hams received high honors from the Yasme Foundation recently for their service to amateur radio. Stephen Kinford, N8WB, tells us who won what. STEPHEN'S REPORT: The former president of the International Amateur Radio Club 4U1ITU, was honored with the Diamond Award of the International Amateur Radio Union during a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 9th. Attila Matas, HB9IAJ, was selected for the award, based on his years of support for amateur radio, and amateur satellite radio. The Yasme Foundation has presented a number of its Excellence Awards to hams for their service. Dale Hughes, VK1DSH, received the honor in appreciation for his work at the World Radiocommunication Conference in November of 2015. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, and Magda Moses, KM4EGE, were honored for creating the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation - or HAMSCI - the group that sponsored the Solar Eclipse QSO Party. The Dayton Amateur Radio Association received an award for organizing Hamvention. Paul Verhage, KD4STH, and Bill Brown, WB8ELK, were given an award for their leadership, and continued technical innovation in Amateur Radio high-altitude ballooning -- and the WSJT Development Team was honored by Yasme for producing digital weak-signal mode software. The awards have been given since 2008 by the nonprofit foundation. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB. (WIA, ARRL) ** CANADIAN RADIO OPERATOR'S A HALL-OF-FAMER PAUL/ANCHOR: Another high honor went recently to an amateur in the Canadian province of Alberta. He's now in the hall of fame, as we hear from Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN. GERI: Roland Peddle, VE6RL, of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada has been appointed to the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. According to the Hall of Fame's bio of Roland, what began as a shortwave-listening hobby as a child, led to early licensing in 1952 as VO1D. That call was later changed to VO1BD. The retired high school science teacher had been president of the amateur radio club in his native Newfoundland, and editor of its newsletter. He was also emergency coordinator of the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps, editor of the Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs newsletter, and became assistant Atlantic director for the CRRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada when it was formed in 1993. Following numerous awards, he was named an honorary life member of the Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs in 1996. Roland has book coming out in 2018: "Marconi to the Mobile Age: A History of Amateur Radio in Newfoundland and Labrador." His formal induction will take place shortly. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Geri Goodrich, KF5KRN. (SOUTHGATE) ** RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA TAPS NEW LEADERSHIP PAUL/ANCHOR: The new year will bring new board members and officers to the Radio Club of America. All will serve two-year terms, beginning the 1st of January. A number of these new leaders are amateur radio operators. The new officers are Barney Scholl, K3LA, to be vice president and counsel; Margaret Lyons, Secretary, and Ron Jakubowski, K2RJ, Treasurer. New Directors are Ernie Blair, WA4BPS; Karen Clark; Michael Clarson, WV2ZOW; Paul Gilbert, KE5ZW; Ray Novak, N9JA; Carole Perry, WB2MGP, and Elaine Walsh. Congratulations to everyone. --- þ Synchronet þ The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org .