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Ärende: AR Newsline Report 2504 - 24 Oct 2025
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2504 for Friday, October 24th, 2025
  
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2504 with a release date of Friday,
October 24th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. HamTV makes its first ARISS contact in 7 years. Two
prominent Silent Keys hit the ham radio community hard -- and we catch up with
a DXpedition where almost everything seemed to go wrong. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2504 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART
**
HAMTV MAKES 1ST ARISS CONTACT IN 7 YEARS

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program has
reason to celebrate. With the help and hard work of technicians, engineers and
other team members, ARISS marked the first contact in seven years that made use
of HamTV - a QSO between the 1st Radford Semele Scout Group in the UK and NASA
astronaut Jonny Kim KJ5HKP on the 18th of October. The digital amateur TV
transmitter based in the Columbus module permits the audience to view live
video downlinks during their contacts with the astronauts.

As he called up to the space station to say the team and the European HamTV
ground stations were ready, Ciaran Morgan, MØXTD, ARISS operations lead for the
UK, dedicated the call to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF. Gaston was at the helm of the
HamTV technical team until he became a Silent Key in December 2024. He had been
a key player in getting the L/S band antennas installed on the Columbus module.
HamTV operated until 2018, when its failure brought it back to earth so repairs
could be made. The unit was returned to the ISS in 2024. This past July, it
resumed its transmissions and members of the British Amateur TV Club, who were
standing by for those first signals, happily reported good copy.

To see the HamTV contact between the ISS and the Scouts visit the YouTube
channel of SP5LOT at the link in the text version of this week's newscast.

[DO NOT READ:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-rFdr07bg  ]

(ARISS PAGE ON FACEBOOK)

**
SILENT KEY: NOTED DXER, COMMUNICATIONS SCHOLAR CHARLES HARPOLE K4VUD/HSØZCW

NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateur radio operators around the world are grieving the loss of
a scholar, a DXpeditioner and a friend to many. Graham Kemp VK4BB tells us
about him.

GRAHAM: Hams and non-hams around the world alike got to know Charlie Harpole
after the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Thailand and other regions in
Southeast Asia in December 2004. Charlie, whose numerous callsigns included
K4VUD, HSØZCW and VU3CHE, became a line of communication for major broadcast
networks and print media as the tragedy and rescue efforts unfolded.

Charlie was already well-known as a film and communications scholar and
professor in the United States.  An active DXpeditioner and ham radio advocate,
he was reported by the Daily DX as having become a Silent Key. His
contributions over the years included testing out the new 5 MHZ amateur band,
followed by a successful completion of the first two-way transatlantic contact
on that band via ham radio on July 4th, 2003. 

An article in the student newspaper of the University of Central Florida, where
Charlie had been a professor, recognised the vital role he played during the
1996 Liberian Civil War, contacting a missionary confined in a compound there
amid the fighting and relaying information he was requested to pass along by
the UN and the US State Department.

The world heard more from Charlie in December 2004. He had been filming and
providing support to the VU4 DXpedition on Andaman Island when the tsunami
disaster swept over South Asia. As DXpeditioners switched to handling health,
welfare and emergency communications messages, Charlie returned to Thailand,
where he and his wife were living, to provide radio support for recovery
efforts after the loss of conventional communication. He also provided realtime
information to many of the world's media organisations, including MSNBC and
CNN.

Charlie was 80.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(CENTRAL FLORIDA FUTURE, DAILY DX, BHARATHI VU2RBI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
AMATEUR RADIO, SAN ANGELO AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ARCHIVES)

**
SILENT KEY: AMATEUR RADIO HISTORIAN JOHN DILKS III, K2TQN

NEIL/ANCHOR: A ham who devoted his life to the celebration of amateur radio's
history and evolution has become a Silent Key. We hear more about him from Sel
Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: John Dilks III K2TQN so loved the old rigs, the crystal sets, the spark
transmitters and the keys that he assembled a collection of them -- ham radio
artifacts from amateur radio's earliest days -- and called it the John Dilks
Old Radio Museum. History was so much his passion and expertise that at one
point he was asked to consult and provide radios for the 2013 film, "Paranoia,"
featuring Harrison Ford, when it was shooting outside of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. 

John, who was first licensed in 1956 as KN2TQN, became a Silent Key on the 12th
of October.

Readers of QST magazine remember his monthly column, "Old Radio," which ran in
the ARRL publication from 2000 to 2014. Members of the Antique Wireless
Association recall him too as a respected member. According to his online
obituary, his love of history extended beyond the evolution of amateur radio.
He often gave presentations that touched on great moments in history, including
radio's role in the 1923 expedition to the North Pole -- and its role as well
aboard the ill-fated Titanic luxury liner. In his volunteer work with the World
Peace Camp in 1989, he devoted time to helping children earn their amateur
radio licenses.

John was 84.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(SOUTH JERSEY DX ASSOCIATION, ADAMS-PERFECT FUNERAL HOME, QUARTER CENTURY
WIRELESS ASSOCIATION)

**
CANADA ELIMINATES EXPIRATION DATES FOR BROADCAST RADIO LICENSES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Broadcast radio station licenses in Canada will no longer have an
expiration date, as we hear from John Williams VK4JJW.

JOHN: The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission will no
longer require broadcast radio stations to renew their licences, as part of a
rule it said it has adopted to help stations save money and shrink
administrative burdens. The commission said it was hoping the action would
amount to a boost for terrestrial broadcasting which, while facing challenges
recently, nonetheless remains a vital source of news, information and culture.

A report on the RadioWorld website said that the open-ended licences will
replace those that presently have a maximum term of 7 years. The commission
will phase in the new licensing framework as the stations apply for their
renewals.

In a statement, the CRTC assured broadcasters that station monitoring would
still be vigilant despite the switch to the open-ended licences. Compliance
reviews, which traditionally have occurred at the time of licence renewal, will
instead be conducted as needed.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(RADIOWORLD)

**
'PUMPKIN PATROL' IN ITS 4TH DECADE TO ENSURE DRIVER SAFETY

NEIL/ANCHOR: The Halloween tradition known as the Pumpkin Patrol may not be as
much fun as trick-or-treating, but in a number of northern New York State
counties it has become a lifesaver. Travis Lisk N3ILS tells us why.

TRAVIS: Halloween can be a time for mischief and that mischief can turn deadly,
as it almost did in 1976 when an object thrown from a bridge over the New York
State Thruway smashed the windshield of a truck below. The shattered glass
injured the driver, who was talking on his citizens band radio at the time. The
other CB radio operator heard that the trucker was in distress and decided
immediately that she and two friends would bring their radios to that overpass
and two others in their county and stand watch the next evening.

New York State police now conduct the Pumpkin Patrol in various counties
traversed by the Thruway and for more than four decades, ham radio operators
have been there too. This year the teams of volunteer radio operators will be
out on the nights of October 30th and 31st, keeping in constant touch with a
net control station that can call for emergency response if necessary.

They are, of course, hoping it will not be necessary.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(UPSTATEHAM.COM, FINGERLAKES1.COM)

**
ARDC PREPARES FOR NEW ROUND OF GRANT APPLICANTS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Digital Communications has a mission to support the
tinkerers, the dreamers and the builders who keep ham radio strong. They
recently issued a reminder that they are actively looking for applicants. Kevin
Trotman N5PRE tells us how your own workbench might be of interest to them.
 
KEVIN: Grants are available from Amateur Radio Digital Communications, which is
giving top priority to projects in one of several areas: supporting satellite
technology for ham analogue and digital communications; developing hands-on,
open-source and educational materials and projects for learners in schools and
clubs; and delving into open-source hardware and software systems that include
SDRs, new modulation techniques and CODEC technologies.

ARDC said that projects outside these areas would also be welcome to apply but
that these areas are closest to the core of the organization's goal of [quote]
"promoting the freedom to tinker, build, communicate, and openly share
information." [endquote]

Details can be found at the link in the text version of this week's newscast at
arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ:   https://www.ardc.net/apply/priority-areas-for-funding/ ]

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(ARDC)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the Midstate
Amateur Radio Club WA9RDF repeater in Greenwood Indiana on Sundays at 7 p.m.
local time.


**
YOUNG AMATEURS LEARN NEW MODES FOR EMCOMM

NEIL/ANCHOR: In various parts of the world, emergency communicators continue to
promote the use of the amateur service as well as other modes and methods to
the next generation. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us how hams in India are
continuing to make that transition.

JIM: In India, ham radio operators are focusing more on DMR - Digital Mobile
Radio - as an alternative to analogue VHF, UHF and HF. Fifty young hams were
recently given training in DMR programming and operating by the Indian Academy
of Communication and Disaster Management and the West Bengal Radio Club, led by
Jayanta VU2TFR and Soumya VU3FWK.

According to the club secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA, this was the first
hands-on training in DMR for radio operators who will be using DMR in the vast
remote delta region known as the Sunderbans. Dipak Chakraborty, VU2TLW, the
academy's vice principal, told the group afterward that DMR's potential in such
remote areas has prompted the academy to plan yet another workshop focusing
specifically on those challenged regions.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, members of the Ham Radio Emergency
Communications Group Inc., DX1HAM, devoted part of the 68th annual Jamboree on
the Air scouting activities on October 18th to teach Boy Scouts of the
Philippines the basics of operating two-way radios. The hams were preparing the
next generation to be familiar with the kind of radios used by licensed
emergency communicators when severe storms imperil public safety in their
western Pacific island archipelago.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA, THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

**
SCOTTISH MICROWAVE ENTHUSIASTS PREPARE FOR ROUNDTABLE

NEIL/ANCHOR: In Scotland, hams who operate on the microwave frequencies are
registering now for a day-long program in November where they can share ideas.
Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what's happening.

JEREMY: Microwave fans, whether they're newcomers or longtime enthusiasts, are
preparing to attend the 13th Scottish Microwave Round Table on the 1st of
November at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland, Fife.

The roundtable will have available microwave test facilities available and
attendees will be able to purchase components and other items. The GM4LBV
Trophy will be presented as part of an annual construction competition held in
memory of Scottish microwave enthusiast John Eaton. It bears the callsign of
John, who became a Silent Key in 2012.

For details about the event or registration information, see the link in the
text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: https://gmroundtable.org.uk/ ]

(SCOTTISH MICROWAVE ROUND TABLE)

**

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for the callsign Z66IPA which is on the air through
to the 3rd of November from Kosovo. It is being activated by S58MU and S5ØX on
160-10 metres. The pair will participate in the CQWW SSB contest on the 25th
and 26th of October as Z68MU and Z68WW. QSL to all calls via S58MU.

Listen for operators from Argentina's Yaguarete DX Group using the callsign
CP7DX from Bolivia from the 31st of October to the 10th of November. They will
operate SSB and FT8 on 160-6 metres, as well as via EME.

Kazu, MØCFW will be on the air as 3B9/MØCFW from Rodrigues Island, IOTA number
AF-017, from the 21st through to the 29th of October. He will participate in
the CQ WW DX SSB Contest using the callsign 3B9KW.

Gil, FM5FJ, will be using the callsign J79FJ from Dominica, IOTA Number NA-101,
from the 20th through to the 29th of October, using CW, SSB and perhaps some
FT8. He will also participate in the CQ WW DX SSB Contest with the J75A team.

Listen for members of the Tango Alfa Ham Radio Club, YM1KE, using the callsign
TC29TC through to the 29th of October. They are celebrating Republic Day in
Turkey, which is on the 29th. QSL via eQSL.

For QSL details of all stations please refer to qrz.com.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: ON DXPEDITION, A PILEUP OF THINGS GOING WRONG

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our last story this week is for all the dreamers and the do-ers
whose plans don't always work out. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB takes us to the South
Pacific for that story.

RALPH: Operating from the Manihiki Atoll in the North Cook Islands had been the
shared dream of five hams from the Western Washington DX Club. They weren't
just activating the 68th most wanted DXCC entity; they were dreaming of
pileups.

The pileups they got were the unwanted pileups of malfunctions which began not
long after they put the callsign E51MWA on the air on the 9th of October.
Twelve hours in, their solar plant experienced a voltage loss and they were
unable to start their backup generator. The team went QRT for several hours.
Back on the air during the next few days, they suffered the failure of a power
strip, they lost the use of one radio and then the high-power bandpass filters
for 17 and 12 metres failed to work. 

The final blow to their dream came on the 14th of October with a local power
outage. The team got their backup generator started but then the generator and
the power station's building both caught fire and were destroyed.

It was time to go home to Washington state for  Rob N7QT, Brian N9ADG, James
KC7EFP, Robin WA7CPA and Jack N7JP. The sixth operator, Violetta KN2P, a
21-year-old contester, was also scheduled to move on. She was headed to the
PJ2T youth-led operation in Curacao for the CQWW SSB contest.

The team's plan had been to be on the air at Manihiki until October 20th.
Instead they posted a message on their website on the 14th. [quote] "Without
power options the team has no choice but to go QRT." [endquote] Six days ahead
of schedule, it was over. As they packed, they added one more thing to their
cargo: big plans that they alluded to in a message on their website. They wrote
[quote] "As the team packs equipment for return shipment to the US, we are
already thinking of the next DXpedition." [endquote]

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(E51MWA WEBSITE)

**
If you haven't sent in your ham radio haiku yet, what's been stopping you?
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 Adams-Perfect Funeral Home; Amateur News Daily; Amateur Radio
Digital Communicatons; Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA; AMSAT News Service; Bharathi
VU2RBI; Central Florida Future; David Behar K7DB; the Daily DX; 425DX Bulletin;
E51MWA website; Facebook; FCC; National Institute of Amateur Radio; The
Philippine Star; QRZ.com; Quarter Century Wireless Association; Radio World;
San Angelo Amateur Radio Club archives; Scottish Microwave Round Table;
shortwaveradio.de; South Jersey DX Association; Wireless Institute of
Australia; 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.

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