Amateur Radio in the News

Amateur radio in the news: VOA museum a historical marvel,

January 23, 2022 By Dan KB6NU 1 Comment

Voice heard ’round the world: Voice of America museum near Cincinnati a historical marvel

The 250 kW Collins transmitter is one of the things you’ll see when you visit the VOA Museum.

WEST CHESTER, Ohio — Imagine, if you will, a voice so strong that it shakes the very foundations of global tyranny.

In the early days of World War II, a group of Americans, including President Franklin Roosevelt, actor and director John Houseman and Cincinnati entrepreneur Powell Crosley Jr. imagined such a voice, one that could counter Nazi propaganda in Hitler’s own backyard.

They named it The Voice of America.

…read more

I got to visit this museum the last time I went to the Dayton Hamvention. If you ever get to Dayton, make sure this is on your list of things to do…Dan

From the Austin (MN) Daily Herald….

Ask a Trooper: Ham radio license allows for scanner

Question: I have a friend who drives around with a scanner in his vehicle. He says because he has a ham radio license it’s legal, is that true?

Answer: Your friend is correct. Peace officers, the State Patrol, and people with an amateur radio license issued by the Federal Communications Commission are allowed to have a scanner in their vehicle. Emergency response personnel are also allowed to use scanners if they’re employed or authorized by the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision to provide fire suppression, police protection, emergency medical services, or emergency activities relating to health and safety and in compliance with the requirements of the state statute.

People not authorized to use a scanner could be found guilty of a misdemeanor. Second and subsequent offenses are gross misdemeanors.

People using such devices while committing or attempting to commit a felony could be convicted of a felony.

You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention, and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths. If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848 or reach at, [email protected]).

From the Georgetown (CA) Gazette…

Radio to the rescue

As the most recent series of storms showed, power and communications infrastructure can be vulnerable, resulting in extended outages. Many El Dorado County (CA) residents not only lost power during these storms but also vital phone and internet services failed and residents could not reach 911. In areas where heavy snow fell residents were cut off or trapped at home and did not know how or where to obtain vital help or supplies. Even the 24/7 emergency telephone outside the Georgetown Fire Department’s Volcanoville fire station went dead due to downed power and telephone lines.

Since 2019 the El Dorado County Amateur Radio Club has implemented neighborhood radio watch programs throughout El Dorado County.

…read more

Amateur radio in the news: Quietest place in America, PSU students to launch satellite, Hams to the rescue in India

October 21, 2021 By Dan KB6NU 1 Comment

The Quietest Place in America

There’s an area in West Virginia that regulates the use of cell phones, wireless internet, and other devices that use electromagnetic waves, and it’s considered the quietest place in the United States. The reason why the town of Green Bank has a National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) put into place by the federal government is because it is home to an observatory.

The Green Bank Observatory (GBO), formerly known as the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), was built in 1957 and features eight telescopes, including the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope—the largest fully steerable radio telescope on Earth. This gigantic telescope is 300 feet in diameter and weighs nearly 17 million pounds.

The Federal Communications Commission created the NRQZ in 1958 to block potentially detrimental interference at the NRAO, as well as at the U.S. Naval facilities in nearby Sugar Grove. This zone covers 13,000 square miles in Virginia and West Virginia.

PSU Students Prep Oregon’s First Satellite for Space Flight

After months and months of research, testing and development, the Portland State Aerospace Society (PSAS) is preparing to hand off Oregon’s first satellite destined for the stars.

Later this month, the interdisciplinary student group will deliver the satellite known as OreSat0 to Seattle’s Spaceflight Inc. who will integrate OreSat0 into its Sherpa(R) Orbital Transfer Vehicle. The propulsive vehicle will carry and deploy many small satellites to orbit after hitching a ride to space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, scheduled to launch no earlier than January 2022.

OreSat0 is the first in a series of three satellites designed by the Portland State Aerospace Society and is just about the size of a tissue box. The satellite includes solar panels, batteries, a color camera and an amateur radio system.

Ham radios to the rescue in rain-hit Thrissur district

Ham radio enthusiasts have set up their unique work stations to ensure a steady stream of communication in case nature’s fury wreaked havoc on conventional systems of contact

Even as the incessant rain and resultant flooding disrupted lives across the central regions of the State, ham radio enthusiasts have quietly swung into action in Thrissur district, setting up their unique work stations to ensure a steady stream of communication in case nature’s fury wreaked havoc on conventional systems of contact.

The district administration has sought the service of ham radio operators to coordinate disaster relief operations in case the communication system gets cut off due to any rain-related incident.

Amateur radio in the news: Clubs celebrate 80th anniversaries, MI sisters get their tickets

October 6, 2021 By Dan KB6NU Leave a Comment

In November 1941, the Muskegon Area Amateur Radio Council was established. 80 years later, the membership continues to grow and fill the ham radio airwaves.

Amateur radio group marks 80 years of community service during disasters

PITTSBURGH >> After eight decades of providing emergency backup communications during some of the region’s worst disasters, members of the Steel City Amateur Radio Club hit the airwaves to sing their own praises.

The club of about 60 members hosted a special event each day at its clubhouse in Collier. Members spent the week taking turns sending messages to other amateur radio operators around the world, sharing the news of their 80-year anniversary and their volunteer work.

Midland sisters earn amateur radio licenses

Two years ago, Kanushi Desai, always an inquisitive youngster, decided to join the Jefferson Middle School Electronics Club. The then sixth grader took an immediate liking to the activity.

“Kanushi was so young, she had no idea of any of these things,” said Pranali Desai, Kanushi’s mother. “Even when she was little, she was always exploring, always doing something.”

The first thing she built in the club was a flashlight, and the megawatt smile that lit up Kanushi’s face following this success is something her mother won’t soon forget.

“The happiness on her face when she saw all these elements come together told me, as a parent, that we should continue to support this new interest,” said Pranali Desai. “She started learning more and more and soon got her older sister, Jashvi, interested. She started learning from Kanushi.”

Today the pair of sisters are proud owners of amateur radio licenses after passing both the FCC Technician Class and General Class Amateur Radio exams.

Amateur radio in the news: TV edition

August 24, 2021 By Dan KB6NU 3 Comments

This report is troubling for many reasons. I hope that the ARRL is aware of this, and is looking into it…..Dan

Woman fights to have ham radio operations banned after potential interference with insulin pump

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A Marion County woman is taking on her neighborhood association, in a matter she said puts her health at risk.

Michelle Smith, a Type 1 Diabetic, and a consultant determined that her neighbor’s ham radio hobby might have interfered with the doses of insulin being pushed out from her pump.

The 55+ community where she lives hired that consultant and told the neighbor to shut down his amateur radio station.

…see the TV news reort

Ham Radio Operators Helping Family Members Locate Caldor Fire Evacuees

In El Dorado County, ham radio operators are using there skills and communications gear to assist deputies in the search for Caldor Fire evacuees.

..see the TV news report

East Greenbush Amateur Radio Association meet up to celebrate radio operators

EAST GREENBUSH (WRGB) — A bunch of hams gathered in East Greenbush today to celebrate their hobby — and by that, I mean amateur radio operators.

Saturday was the East Greenbush Amateur Radio Association meet up, bringing in people from all over the greater capital region.

The operators, or “hams” say it’s a great way to mingle and buy and sell radio equipment and supplies.

…see the TV news report

Amateur radio in the news: Connecting with strangers,

May 23, 2021 By Dan KB6NU Leave a Comment

Connecting with strangers over ham radio cleared my family’s static: Going analog boosted my marriage’s reception during a year of pandemic isolation.

On a rainy October night during the pandemic, my husband, David, searches for a faint voice in the distance. He doesn’t know who’s calling, but he knows he wants to speak to them. David adjusts the tuning knob on the decades-old transceiver ever so slightly, as if cracking a safe. Outside, a homemade antenna bobs in the wind. On his computer, pulsating lines tell him the voice is one of hundreds calling out on this busy night. The voice gets clearer: “CQ,” the magic letters he’s been awaiting — the amateur radio operators’ invitation for a response — followed by a call sign. David jumps on his mic, repeating the stranger’s call sign and adds: “This is KB1TOY, Kilo-Bravo-1-Tango-Oscar-Yankee. You’re light but I can hear you!”

ASU student-built spacecraft to interact with the public

The Club was joined by three other civic-minded organizations all wishing to honor those who served to protect our freedoms.

According to cemetery board and HARA member John Willis, KE8JEM, the project was completed in a record less than one hour. HARA members will return to the cemetery after June 14’s Flag Day to assist removing the flags.

Amateur radio in the news: Military HF radio making a comeback, ham radio on the ISS, Hill County hams get space for club station

May 6, 2021 By Dan KB6NU Leave a Comment

We don’t have the HF spectrum all to ourselves just yet…..Dan

HF radios make a comeback and enable global command and control

Dead spots of communications on the modern battlefield are a nightmare for the warfighter, whether on the ground or in the air. In a global scenario, communications need to be reliable, survivable, and resilient. In many cases, the modernization of the communication relies heavily on satellite communications, and high frequency (HF) radios, which have been used since the 1930s, have taken the back seat. But HF radios are making a comeback with new, modernized HF filling a growing need by eliminating dead zones.

Earthlings and astronauts chat away, via ham radio

The International Space Station cost more than $100 billion. A ham radio set can be had for a few hundred bucks.

Perhaps that explains, in part, the appeal of having one of humankind’s greatest scientific inventions communicate with Earth via technology that’s more than 100 years old. But perhaps there’s a simpler explanation for why astronauts and ham radio operators have been talking, and talking, for years.

NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock was just a few weeks into his six-month mission at the space station when feelings of isolation began to set in.

Wheelock would be separated from loved ones, save for communication via an internet phone, email or social media. At times, the stress and tension of serving as the station’s commander could be intense.

One night, as he looked out a window at the Earth below, he remembered the space station’s ham radio. He figured he’d turn it on—see if anyone was listening.

County okays new animal services fees

Kerr County (TX) Commissioners approved new “surrender fees” to be charged at Kerr County Animal Services at their regular court meeting Monday, April 26; and agreed to provide a radio station and storage area and a meeting space for the Hill Country Amateur Radio Club.

…

Clay Lambert, an officer with the Hill Country Amateur Radio Club, got the court’s permission for the radio club members to use Kerr County facilities, both a room for their monthly meetings and a site for storage of equipment.

Amateur radio in the news: Ham helps locate missing hiker, club honors father-son connection

April 22, 2021 By Dan KB6NU Leave a Comment

How a Newbury Park man helped locate missing hiker in San Gabriels using satellite images

Ben Kuo scanned through satellite photos of the San Gabriel Mountains on Tuesday trying to match the terrain to a grainy image released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities had asked for the public’s help in their search for a lost hiker, who was reported missing Monday. The Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook and Twitter, attaching a photo the hiker had sent to a friend. The photo showed his legs dangled off a cliff high above patches of green brush.

Kuo thought he could figure out where the photo was taken, or at least get pretty close.

The ham radio operator, who teaches courses in wilderness first aid and radio communications at CSU Channel Islands, had searched through satellite images before. Most of the time, however, he was tracking the spread of wildfires.

Ham radio club honors father-son connection

Amateur radio has been a longtime passion for Altoona resident Byron Sell.

His father, also named Byron, was an amateur radio enthusiast as well, and they bonded by communicating with others across the globe before the elder Sell died in 2012.

To commemorate the passion that the Sell family has displayed in amateur radio, the officers of the Horseshoe Amateur Radio Club presented young Sell on Thursday with the very card that started a lifelong passion for his father.

He was given his father’s first QSL card, which was sent out 80 years to the day.

These San Bernardino County ham radio operators are making friends around the world

When it comes to local ham radio operators, Jeff Richardson gets the job done. This man has connections.

He works for the San Bernardino County Fire Department Office of Emergency Services, and has mastered the art of wires and cable, and radio frequencies.

Believing that emergency communication is a top priority in a disaster, Richardson serves as special projects coordinator for the Disaster Communications Preparedness Program of the San Bernardino County Fire Office of Emergency Services.

How do you deal with inaccurate articles about amateur radio?

April 19, 2021 By Dan KB6NU 2 Comments

I’ve never liked the old saw, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” When a piece is just plain wrong, it can certainly do more harm than good. To give you an example, look at this message to the ARRL PR mailing list:

So the following article came to my attention:

Why CB Radio Is Still Popular In Some Circles

Note that the station added a statement two days later. Please read it, but don’t start writing to the station.

I ask you:

What would you do if you saw this article in your local area? How would you as a PIO or PIC handle it?

What can be done to prevent such articles?

I replied:

Whenever I see these articles, I contact the reporter and try to set them straight on the differences between the various radio services. As to what can be done to prevent these articles from being published in the first place, I think that the PR committee could be a little more proactive:

Include a page on the ARRL website linked from the Reporter/Media Information page describing all the personal radio services, the differences between them, and the role of the Amateur Radio Service in particular.
Write a press release notifying reporters that page is now available and distribute it as widely as possible.
Include the name and phone number of an actual person on the Reporter/Media Information page and on other press releases. (I’ll note that the Press Releases page is way out of date. It lists two press releases, both from 2016!)

Having said all that, I’ll ask you. How do you deal with inaccurate articles about amateur radio?

Amateur radio in the news: Youth edition

April 16, 2021 By Dan KB6NU 2 Comments

Beam Intermediate club teaches students how to use amateur radio

A new club at W.B. Intermediate School in Cherryville connects its members to people across the globe using technology that is more than 100 years old.

Mark Reep, a longtime counselor at the school, picked up an interest in amateur radio back in 2006 when he earned his radio operator license. He recalls getting his license because he enjoyed communicating with people in far-away countries and learning about their cultures.

Now, he is sharing that interest with students.

CVCS student gets FCC license

It was something that he thought would be fun. Eleven-year-old Keller Ford is now a licensed amateur radio operator. He earned his Technician Class FCC License after passing a test involving FCC rules and regulations and the basic operation of radios.

A short ceremony was held at Cottonwood Valley Charter School where ham enthusiast Jon Spargo presented Keller with a hand-held BaoFeng radio.

W5AC continues A&M’s amateur radio tradition

Texas A&M’s amateur radio club, W5AC, was founded in 1912 and has the oldest active call sign in the fifth district. Courtesy of Theresa Williams, W5AC

As the first public institution of higher education in Texas, Texas A&M is a pioneer in many ways.

A&M’s amateur radio club, called W5AC, is an example of this.

The club was involved with the 1921 play-by-play broadcast of an A&M-University of Texas football game — the first of its kind by an amateur radio station. However, a commercial station in Pittsburgh beat it out to be the first in the nation.

But the club’s history runs deeper than that.

Founded in 1912 in Bolton Hall, W5AC is the oldest college radio club that is currently operating under its original call sign, though there is some debate surrounding that fact.

Harvard claims its radio club, W1AF, was founded in 1909, but W5AC historian David Gent, Class of 1975, said there are issues with that claim.

“They did not have a station, they didn’t operate, they didn’t have a call sign in 1909,” Gent said. “What they did is they had some of their students that were interested in what was called wireless telegraphy and they met and talked about it, and they said that was the beginning of their club.”

Amateur radio in the news: Chattanooga hams check on one another, hams hit the heights, hams help out in Malaysia.

March 14, 2021 By Dan KB6NU 1 Comment

Chattanooga hams check on one another during pandemic

After two recent deaths, Chattanooga-area ham radio operators decided to close ranks. Many of the amateur radio hobbyists live alone, so a system of nightly radio checks has been put in place to signal if anyone needs help. At their core, that’s what “hams” do, they take care of one another, members of the so-called Lone Ranger Net said.

…read more

Hams hit the heights (Outside magazine)

On a gray Friday afternoon last spring, Steve Galchutt sat high atop Chief Mountain, an 11,700-foot peak along Colorado’s Front Range. An epic panorama of pristine alpine landscape stretched in almost every direction, with Pikes Peak standing off to the south and Mount Evan towering just to the west.

It was an arresting view, and the perfect backdrop for a summit selfie. But instead of reaching for his smartphone, Galchutt was absorbed by another device: a portable transceiver. Sitting on a small patch of rock and snow, his head bent down and cocked to one side, he listened as it sent out a steady stream of staticky beeps: dah-dah-di-dah dah di-di-di-dit. “This is Scotty in Philadelphia,” Galchutt said, translating the Morse code. Then, tapping at two silver paddles attached to the side of the radio, he sent his own message, first with some details about his location, then his call sign, WG0AT.

…read more

Hams help out in Malaysia

The voice from the incoming signal was scratchy at best as the battery in the caller’s walkie-talkie was about to die. But amateur radio hobbyist Zanirul Akhmal Zanirun, then a volunteer at the National Emergency Communication Centre set up in Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur during the 2014 to 2015 floods, heard the message that was coming in from Pahang loud and clear.

“The floodwaters are rising. We are trapped in our house. Get help quick, ” said the caller. There was no time to waste, recalled Zanirul. He and the team immediately conveyed the message to the communication centre in Pahang, who in turn alerted the rescue team at the stricken location. To his relief, an update later revealed that the caller had made it to an evacuation centre safely.

Standing (from left to right) : Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitter’s Society (MARTS) honorary Secretary, Zanirul Akhmal Zanirun with Kuala Lumpur DX (denotes two way radio contact with other amateurs in distant countries) Team president Mohd Faiz Shaari and ham enthusiasts who are also MARTS members Lucius Solomon @ Baharuddin and Hamdan Abu, (sitting left to right) Weerut Srhidhara and Reuben Chirng Chern Han at the MARTS emergency communication centre in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

…read more

Amateur Radio in the News

Connecting with strangers over ham radio cleared my family’s static: Going analog boosted my marriage’s reception during a year of pandemic isolation.

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