Subj : Newsline Part 1 To : ALL USERS From : DARYL STOUT Date : Fri Mar 18 2016 11:54 am Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2003, March 18, 2016 Amateur Radio Newsline report number 2003, with a release date of Friday, March 18, 2016 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Hams step in to help during the Louisiana floods. In Maine, a historic radio-equipped schooner sails back into history. Hams in New Zealand and Australia prepare to go retro for ANZAC Day. And a capital city in South India may be getting its first repeater. All this, and more, in Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2003, coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here and Intro) ** TIME TO NOMINATE 2016'S BILL PASTERNAK YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR Before we begin this week's report, we'd like to let you know that Amateur Radio Newsline is now accepting nominees for its 2016 Bill Pasternak Young Ham of the Year Award. We confer this annual honor on the best of the best: a young licensed radio amateur who has used ham radio for public service, benefitting his or her community, or who has impacted technological development affecting communications in some way. Nominees must reside in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico, and be no older than 19. Our judging committee will consider candidates who have made outstanding overall contributions - most especially in their public service work, but also for experimentation in technology, science, or electronic communication. The committee's decision is final. For details on nomination requirements, and to download an application form, visit our website, www.arnewsline.org, and click on the tab for "Y-H-O-T-Y." Completed forms and supporting documentation should be sent to: The Young Ham of the Year Award, in care of Amateur Radio Newsline Inc., Editorial Office, P.O. Box 451, Huntington Station, New York 11746. The award is named in memory of the late Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, co-founder of Amateur Radio Newsline who, not surprisingly, was once an outstanding young ham himself, long before awards were given, growing up in Brooklyn, New York. Again, the website address is www.arnewsline.org, and click on the tab for Y-H-O-T-Y. Electronic filing will also be accepted. Send files in .PDF or ..JPG format via email to newsline@arnewsline.org. Deadline for submissions is June 30, 2016. And now, here's the latest for this week from our Amateur Radio Newsline team: ** HAMS RESPOND TO LOUSIANA FLOODS Already having been called up by two emergency activations in February, hams were ready to go to work once more in Louisiana after flooding overtook the area as a result of record-setting rains in early March. A tornado watch on March 8 led to a SKYWARN activation, as volunteers undertook weather-spotting and reporting over linked repeaters. Their reports not only covered Louisiana but parts of Arkansas and Texas. Then, an ARES team in southeastern Louisiana also became active for nearly 2 days in response to heavy rain and flooding. ARES Region 9 DEC Bob Priez, WB5FBS, told the ARRL that by March 11, numerous waterways, streams, and major rivers, had advanced beyond the flood stage. But, he said, hams were able to successfully transmit and receive weather bulletins on local repeaters, and fixed stations made use of packet radio on VHF as well as email to communicate with the National Weather Service. In all, the highest rainfall reported to the National Weather Service was just shy of 27 inches. (ARRL) ** STORM PREP, FROM A DISTANCE STEPHEN: The Lousiana flooding is just one example of hams in action. In Florida, the National Hurricane Conference has offered a special seminar to help hams be at their best when weather is at its worst. Even if some hams can't be at the conference in Orlando, they can still participate. We hear more from Amateur Radio Newsline's Neil Rapp, WB9VPG. NEIL: The forecast for this year's National Hurricane Conference is anything but stormy - at least not for amateur radio operators. For those hams who can't be there in person at Florida's Hilton Orlando hotel, the next best thing is to attend the free sessions on Tuesday, March 22, via livestream. The session opens at 1:30 p.m. with National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb, followed by a talk on hurricane meteorology by Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR, of the Canadian Hurricane Centre, and Julie Ripoll, WD4R, who is assistant coordinator at WX4NHC, the National Hurricane Center's amateur radio station. The ARRL's assistant Emergency Preparedness Manager, Ken Bailey, K1FUG, will present a beginner's course in hurricane preparedness for hams. But, because even the best-prepared amateurs can't always be ready to also travel, the sessions are being recorded, and will be uploaded to YouTube for viewing later. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG. (2016 NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE, ARRL) --- BgNet 1.0a12 - The Thunderbolt BBS wx1der.dyndns.org Little Rock, AR .