Text 16246, 370 rader
Skriven 2025-08-23 07:50:31 av Rug Rat (1:135/250)
Ärende: AR Newsline 2495 22 Aug 2025
====================================
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2495 for Friday, August 22nd, 2025
  
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2495 with a release date of Friday, August
 22nd, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. AST SpaceMobile announces plans for satellite launches
soon. An upcoming DXpedition to South Georgia Island will include young hams --
and public radio stations in the US are excluded from grants to upgrade the
emergency-alert system. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2495 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**
AST SPACEMOBILE EYES CELLULAR SATELLITE LAUNCH WINDOW

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Texas, where the cellular service
provider that is seeking use of ham frequencies to assist its future satellites
has announced it is starting to plan its launches. Kent Peterson KC?DGY brings
us up to date.

KENT: AST SpaceMobile, which has asked the FCC for permission to use amateur
radio frequencies for a planned constellation of satellites providing
cellular-based broadband service, has announced it expects to have launched
between 45 and 60 satellites by next year.

In its second-quarter earnings report this month, the Texas company said that
it plans satellite deployments every one to two months into 2026 and expects to
begin providing service in the United States by the end of this year. In the
first quarter of next year, the company hopes to begin rolling out service as
well in Canada, the UK and Japan.

In two separate deals pending, the company is planning to acquire use of
portions of the S-band and L-band spectrum for global delivery of its services.
 
AST SpaceMobile, which is considered a rival to SpaceX, was recently approved
to use the amateur radio band on an experimental basis for a low-earth orbit
satellite - a prototype known as FM1. It was assigned the callsign WP2XRX,
which is valid through the 1st of July, 2027. The company plans to use the 70
cm amateur frequencies to conduct telemetry, tracking, and telecommand between
ground stations and its satellites.

This is Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

(CNBC, LIGHT READING.COM)

**
NASA TOLD TO END GREENHOUSE-GAS TRACKING SATELLITE MISSION 

NEIL/ANCHOR: NASA has begun developing a plan to terminate the missions of two
high-tech satellites that are monitoring carbon dioxide buildup on the Earth.
We have the latest from Travis Lisk N3ILS.

TRAVIS: In the US, the White House has told NASA employees to end two widely
used, state-of-the art satellite missions that keep a watchful eye on
greenhouse gases heating up the Earth. The satellites, known as Orbiting Carbon
Observatories, are the federal government's only ones of their kind and are
relied upon by farmers, scientists and the nation's oil and gas companies to
keep track of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

In a post on NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory website dated the 15th of August,
the agency said the 10-year-old mission is viewed as [quote] : the gold
standard for carbon dioxide measurements from space and has quietly become a
powerful driver of technological, ecological and even economic progress."
[endquote]

Recent media reports about the directive have said no reason has been given for
the terminations, which would destroy one of the satellites and its sensitive
instruments because the spacecraft would burn up on re-entry to the Earth's
atmosphere. The other satellite is attached to the International Space Station.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(AMSAT, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO)

**
EMERGENCY-ALERT GRANTS TO EXCLUDE PUBLIC RADIO

NEIL/ANCHOR: Here in the US, some of the nation's public radio stations have
learned that they will not be involved in the government's new
emergency-warning system. Randy Sly W4XJ tells us more about what happened.

RANDY: An updated emergency-alert system to be rolled out in the United States
will exclude funding for it at public radio stations. The Corporation for
Public Broadcasting, which faces closure at the end of next month after its own
defunding, has told member stations that applied to its warning-system grant
program that there is no money for them.

In an August 18th email, the corporation's CEO Kathy Merritt wrote: [quote]
"CPB is deeply disappointed that critical equipment intended to protect the
American public in times of emergencies will go unpurchased.[endquote] She
said, however, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting had no choice.

The nation's emergency-alert system, which delivers public-safety traffic when
severe weather or other threats are imminent, has been under review by the
Federal Communications Commission. 

This is Randy Sly W4XJ.

(CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, FCC)

**
YOUTH INVOLVEMENT A CORE PART OF SOUTH GEORGIA DXPEDITION

NEIL/ANCHOR: A rare DX activation in the sub-Antarctic region is going to
involve young amateurs in core roles, as we hear from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

JASON: The planned DXpedition for South Georgia Island in March of 2027 isn't
just about activating one of the rarest and more challenging sites for portable
amateur radio. A central focus for the team will be its role in mentoring the
young radio amateurs who will be accompanying the more experienced operators to
the sub-Antarctic island. The team, using the callsign VP?SG, is giving these
youngsters top priority.

Project team leader Rune, LA7THA, told Newsline in an email that one or two
licensed young operators are expected to be part of the operations on the
island. He said: [quote] "They will be involved in every phase of the
expedition - from setup and daily operations to teardown - working alongside
veteran DXpeditioners in challenging real-world conditions." [endquote] He said
the team is working closely with NCDXF on this initiative, which is in sync
with so many amateur radio youth engagement activities around the world.

Meanwhile, there is much work to be done regarding this environmentally
sensitive DX entity with its mountainous landscape and volatile weather
patterns. The shore camp will have five operating positions but details still
remain unclear on any additional stations that are capable of being operated
remotely. Rune said that final team composition and operating plans also need
to be fine-tuned.

The DXpedition fulfills the mission of the Norway-based Amateur Radio
DXpeditions, which devotes itself to giving hams around the world a chance to
contact remote parts of the globe.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

(ARDXPEDITIONS; RUNE, LA7THA)

**
HAMCATION PLANNERS SEEK AWARD NOMINEES

NEIL/ANCHOR: With the Huntsville Hamfest barely one week behind us, organizers
of next year's HamCation in Orlando, Florida, are asking attendees to think
ahead to the event. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us why.

JACK: Nominations are now open for awards to be presented at HamCation early
next year - and one of the three honors will be making its debut: The Amateur
Radio Hero of the Year. This honor was created to recognize the radio operator
whose selfless and extraordinary actions provided exemplary public service in
times of crisis, whether during a natural disaster or in some other critical or
emergency scenario.

Nominations are also being accepted on the HamCation website for the two other
annual awards: Gordon West Ambassador of the Year and Carole Perry Educator of
the Year.

Think of the amateurs you know and admire anywhere in the world and what they
have brought to the community. Then visit hamcation dot com slash award
[hamcation.com/award] to get them in the running. HamCation, which is taking
place on the 13th through to the 15th of February, is the convention of the
ARRL's southeastern division.

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(HAMCATION)

**

CANADIAN STUDENT SATELLITE PROJECT MOVES AHEAD

NEIL/ANCHOR: University students in Canada have passed a milestone that leads
to the manufacture of a series of nine CubeSats with support from the Canadian
Space Agency. Sel Embee KB3TZD brings us that update.

SEL: The Canadian Space Agency's CubeSats Initiative for STEM, a project known
as CUBICS, is moving ahead toward the manufacturing phase after its design
passed final review recently.
 
Professors and their students are involved in the design, build and launch of
satellites as part of CUBICS at nine universities. Ultimately the nine 3U
CubeSats are to be deployed next year by Exolaunch, a German launch-services
company based in Berlin. The satellites will conduct a number of experiments
relevant to amateur radio and utilise the ham spectrum for their command and
control. They will also conduct research on wildlife migration, monitor oceanic
and atmospheric changes and study radiation-mitigating technologies that can be
used in space.The payload will include digipeaters as well as digital and CW
telemetry beacons.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD

(CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY, SATNEWS)

**
BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline heard
on bulletin stations around the world including D-STAR Reflector 91C on
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. local time in Melbourne, Australia.

**
INDIAN OFFICIALS ACT AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED HANDHELDS

NEIL/ANCHOR: In India, officials are taking aim against the sale and marketing
of hand-held radios that they say violate consumer and telecommunications
regulations. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF explains.

JIM M: Authorities in India have announced a crackdown on the listing and sale
of  hand-held transceivers from China that they say break laws governing
consumer protection and the unauthorised use of radio frequencies.

Stories in various Indian media outlets identify some of the 13 e-commerce
sellers in question as Facebook, Amazon, Flipkart and IndiaMART, among others.

The nation?s consumer affairs commissioner Pralhad Joshi said that the
violations of the Indian Telegraph Act, the Wireless Telegraphy Act and rules
governing the use of low and very low power short-range RF devices were being
broken. Acting as an advocate for radio users, the West Bengal Radio Club?s
secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA, told the Statesman website that users of
these radio sets could interfere with police and other agencies? communications
and gather sensitive information relating to national security.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(STATESMAN, AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)

**
RSGB AWARD INVITES WORLD TO WORK THE UK

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you enjoy working hams the UK and you?re up for a bit of a
challenge, this next story from Jeremy Boot G4NJH might be just what you?re
looking for.

JEREMY: The newest award series available from the Radio Society of Great
Britain is open to anyone anywhere in the world - but the real winners are most
likely to be hams throughout the UK and its Crown Dependencies. That?s because
these awards encourage people to make contact with them.

Available at many different levels of achievement, the new ?Worked All UK and
Crown Dependency Prefixes Award?  recognises contacts among UK amateurs
themselves as well as those from around the world with UK amateurs. There are
awards for collecting prefixes in Scotland, in the Crown Dependencies and even
the entire UK. The top award is called - just as its name suggests -  the
Worked United Kingdom Prefixes Supreme Award. Details of how to achieve this
award or any of its subsets () can be found on the RSGB website - and at the
link that appears in the text version of this week?s newscast script at
arnewsline.org

You will also learn ways to share your story about chasing some of these new
awards - because after a QSO, almost everyone likes to hear a good story too.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ:  rsgb.org/awards  ]

(RSGB)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for CW2??DI, the special event callsign for members
of Radio Club Uruguay. Operators are marking the bicentennial of Uruguayan
declaration of independence and will be on the air until the 18th of September.
The anniversary date itself is the 25th of August 1825. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.

The Dutch Marine Radio Amateur Club is using the special event callsign
PA4?MARAC until the end of the year to celebrate its 40th anniversary. See
QRZ.com for QSL and other details.

Kasimir DL2SBY is celebrating 50 years in amateur radio by operating from the
Seychelles as S79/DL2SBY. Listen for him from the 28th of September through to
the 12th of October. He will be on the HF bands and will be operating on 6m
using a five-element Yagi. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

The Dutch Radio Club is operating "The Dutch Lighthouse Hunt" from the 1st
through to the 30th of September. There are several callsigns that will be in
use, including PA?1LH,  PD??LH and PD?1LH. For a full list of callsigns and QSL
details, see the QRZ.com page for PA?1LH.

If you're looking to log a contact with Playa Blanca Island, IOTA Number
SA-084, be listening later this year for Renato, PY8WW. He will be operating
there from the 12th to the 16th of November and is still awaiting the callsign
he will be using. The island is part of the Utr¡a National Natural Park, an
environmentally sensitive area that prohibits the use of fossil fuels. Renato
expects his activation to rely entirely on an EcoFlow power bank system and
solar panels. He will be providing updated information about his activation
when it becomes available.

(DX WORLD, 425 DX BULLETIN)

**

KICKER: FOR THIS EXPLORER, 15 WAS THE AGE OF DISCOVERY

NEIL/ANCHOR: A teenager chasing DX might not be a big deal these days - but 100
years ago this month, an Iowa 15-year-old logged a contact that would
eventually shape the future of radio communications and its technology. Jim
Davis W2JKD has our final story this week.

JIM: High up in attic room in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, young Arthur Collins often
got a view of the world from the other end of his 20-meter radio signal. On the
3rd of August, 1925, those high-frequency transmissions brought the frozen
landscape of Greenland into sharp focus for him: Arthur made contact via CW
with the Arctic Expedition undertaken on behalf of the US Navy by explorer
Donald MacMillan. Their exchange of CW messages ultimately traveled so much
farther, in a way, because the shortwave signals from Arthur's 1,000-watt
homebrew transmitter accomplished what the Navy's longwave transmissions,
lacking the ability for skip, could not. Media attention followed, of course,
and the teenager's smarts with radio technology soon became well-known.

Like MacMillan, Arthur Collins himself was an explorer and his new paths across
- and above - the world were shaped with increasingly shorter radio waves. The
young inventor became a pioneer, pushing that early technology in inventive
ways. He was barely a decade away from becoming a businessman and seeing the
rise of Collins Radio, Rockwell Collins and Collins Aerospace.

The Collins Aerospace Museum in Cedar Rapids has been celebrating him all month
on the 100th anniversary of that MacMillan contact, displaying artifacts,
documents and photographs that capture his decades of discovery that began when
he was a young explorer. The museum features a replica of the attic space that
was his laboratory and radio shack where it all began. The replica room was
created by Arthur A. Collins Legacy Association with help from students at the
Cedar Rapids Metro High School. Like young Arthur Collins, no doubt many of
these teenagers are already on course to make some cutting-edge discoveries of
their own.

This is Jim Davis, W2JKD.

(COLLINS AEROSPACE MUSEUM, THE GAZETTE)

**

It's now even easier to send in your ham radio haikus to us here at Newsline!
Visit our website at arnewsline.org and as you compose your ode to your
favorite online activity, we will help you use the correct number of syllables
to make an authentic haiku. Submit your work and then sit back and wait to hear
whether you are the winner of this week's challenge. The winner gets a
shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur News Daily; Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA;  AMSAT News
Service; ARDxpeditions; Canadian Space Agency; CNBC; Collins Aerospace Museum;
Corporation for Public Broadcasting; David Behar K7DB; DXNews; 425DX Bulletin;
FCC; The Gazette; HamCation; LightReading.com; Radio Society of Great Britain;
Rune, LA7THA; SatNews; shortwaveradio.de; Statesman; Wireless Institute of
Australia; YouTube; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio
Newsline.  We remind our listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline is an
all-volunteer non-profit organization that incurs expenses for its continued
operation. If you wish to support us, please visit our website at
arnewsline.org and know that we appreciate you all. We also remind our
listeners that if you like our newscast, please leave us a 5-star rating
wherever you subscribe to us. 

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our
news team worldwide, I'm Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Union Kentucky saying 73. As
always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright
2025. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even when
retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.

** AR Newsline also availabe in .mp3 format on The Rat's Den Amiga BBS.

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
Blog and Forums  - www.catracing.org
IMAGE BBS! 3.0   - bbs.catracing.org 6400
C-Net Amiga BBS  - bbs.catracing.org 6840
--- CNet/5
 * Origin: The Rat's Den BBS (1:135/250)