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Ärende: AR Newsline Report 2524 - 13 Mar 2026
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2524 for Friday, March 13th, 2026
 
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2524 with a release date of Friday, March
13th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. DXpeditioners face new restrictions on a South Pacific
island. The World Radiosport Team Championship prohibits symbols identifying
home nations -- and a 2-metre simplex challenge for everyone! All this and more
as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2524 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**
RESTRICTIONS TO IMPACT KANTON ISLAND DXPEDITIONS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: While most every DX chaser's eyes have been on Bouvet Island in
the South Atlantic lately, another DXpedition planned for later this month has
taken on new importance for activators in the South Pacific. New restrictions
will be in force soon that are expected to limit access there. Here's Graham
Kemp VK4BB with an update.

GRAHAM: The Rebel DX Groups plan to operate as T31TTT this month from Kanton
Island in central Kiribati could well be the last for amateur radio for a long
time, according to a report from organisers on the website DX-World.

Dom, 3D2USU, said that the nations fishery and environmental officials have put
in place a full array of costs affecting visitors. He said that these new
permit fees and other requirements will impose a great financial burden on
teams. DXpeditioners will need to provide accommodation, food and
transportation for four government officials who will need to be present on any
future visits to Kanton.

He says that in simple terms future Kanton Island DXpeditions will cost about
200,000 US dollars which makes T31 prohibitive.

The obstacles are not unlike some of the restrictions the same group of
operators face for its hoped-for trip to Conway Reef 3D2/C. Since Rebel DXs
2024 operation there in May 2024 as 3D2CCC, Fijis Ministry of Fisheries has
begun moving toward declaring it a restricted-access zone. The group announced
in January that, with those plans in mind, the hams are accelerating their
plans for an activation there.

Meanwhile, the DXpeditioners are hoping to get to Kanton Island and be on the
air sometime  around March 25th.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(DX-WORLD)

**
WRTC NOT PERMITTING NATIONAL FLAGS, SYMBOLS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Symbols of national pride - and national identity - are not
being permitted at this year's World Radiosport Team Championship. Dave Lee
M7TLB brings us up to date.

DAVE: Spectators and participants can expect to see plenty of things at the
World Radiosport Team Championship event in the UK this coming July. There will
be antennas, rigs, cables, microphones and keys -- and plenty of spectators to
cheer on the hams using them.

What will not be evident anywhere are any emblems, flags or other symbols of
national identity.  The Organising Committee of WRTC 2026 has reaffirmed the
approach that was used during the WRTC event held in 2023 in Bologna, Italy.
That means that, as before, this year's teams will avoid national symbols of
any kind. This is especially significant because it is consistent with the
competition's qualification process which identifies all participants by
qualification area and not by their DXCC.

Like the Olympics, the WRTC is held every four years with different host
countries each time. They have included Brazil, Finland, Germany, Russia,
Slovenia and, in the US, San Francisco, Boston and Seattle.

This is Dave Lee M7TLB.

(WRTC)

**
AUSTRALIAN HAMS CHALLENGE HIGHER FEES ON STATE LANDS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams in the Australian state of New South Wales are worried
that they will no longer be able to afford their vital repeater sites. Faced
with fee hikes on state-owned land, known as Crown Land, they say they simply
arent budgeted for the extra expense. Jason Daniels VK2LAW picks up the story
from here.

JASON: Amateurs in New South Wales are troubled by what they believe are
prohibitive fee hikes recently put in place for access to Crown Land.  

Calling the situation unsustainable for amateur repeaters and other equipment
installed there, the president of the Goulburn & Southern Highlands Amateur
Radio Society has written a letter to ham clubs around the state, urging
members to contact their members of Parliament.

In his open letter to the clubs, Pete Chatwin, VK2PET, the radio societys
president, noted that new or continued access to elevated Crown Land sites for
repeaters and towers could cost clubs as much as AU$20,000 per annum. Pete said
that hams need to substantiate their own clubs financial hardship by forwarding
examples to Steph Cooke, member for Cootamundra and Shadow Minister for Crown
Lands.

Pete wrote: [quote] It is important that we provide genuine, practical examples
of how these costs are affecting clubs across NSW. [Endquote] He said that
groups in rural areas as well as those providing emergency communications and
training, rely on robust functioning networks that include these sites.

This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.

**
FEDERAL COURT RULES AGAINST VOA LEADERSHIP

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Actions taken in the past year by the head of the US Agency for
Global Media - which oversees the Voice of America -- have been ruled unlawful
by a federal judge. Kent Peterson KCØDGY tells us what happened.

KENT: A federal court has ruled that Kari Lake's oversight of the agency
responsible for Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other shortwave news
broadcast networks, was in the position illegally. Her appointment to the post,
which she gave up last November, was made last July without the customary
confirmation by the US Senate. Lake told the website Politico that the
government intends to appeal the decision which she "strongly disagrees" with.
Her brief tenure was marked by firings of staff and dismissals of contractors,
withholding of funds to Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia and a contract
with the far-right news provider, One America Network..

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(POLITICO, TV TECHNOLOGY)

**
HAMVENTION ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Hamvention Award winners have been announced -- and Kevin
Trotman N5PRE is here to tell us who they are.

KEVIN: Four influential US amateurs and a well-known club based in New York
State have been chosen to receive this year's Hamvention Awards.

The Technical Achievement Award is being given to Robert Famiglio K3RF, whose
six decades as a ham radio operator are followed by more than four decades of
providing volunteer legal counsel and regulatory literacy to his fellow
amateurs on a variety of issues. In addition to being a lawyer, Bob has used
his ham and electrical-engineering background to provide technical expertise.
He has previously been involved in leadership roles in the Radio Club of
America and, formerly, the ARRL.

Dr. Jose Otis Vicens NP4G has been named Amateur of the Year. An orthodontist,
he has also been involved in DXpeditions at various locations globally,
including Bouvet Island. His most recent DXpedition took him to Desecheo Island
where he operated as part of the KP5/NP3VI team. Otis' leadership role in
emergency communication provided vital coordination during the 2017 Puerto Rico
hurricanes as well as followup.

Special Achievement Award has been given to Martha Fell N3QBE and Joe Fell
W3GMS for their longtime mentorship of students of all ages and interests
through a program they have organized and a weekly technical net that welcomes
newcomers as well as professional engineers.

Hamvention is also recognizing the Long Island CW Club as Club of the Year.
Under the club's umbrella, structured online classes provide all levels of CW
training - led by members - for diverse groups of students around the world.

Congratulations everyone!

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(JAMES GIFFORD, N8KET)

**

BREAK HERE; Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the VK8MA
repeater in Australia's Northern Territory on 7 p.m. local time.

**
CAMBODIAN STUDENTS EXPLORE SATELLITE COMMUNICATION 

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: University students in Cambodia got a chance recently to focus
on space communication by being part of satellite contacts and a QSO from Phnom
Penh with the ISS. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us about their accomplishments.

JIM: The logbook of callsign XU7AMO - the Radio Club of the National
Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia - once again has made contact with space. A
satellite training session between the 26th of February and the 3rd of March
gave 300 students a hands-on learning experience, building and utilising
antenna systems, gaining an understanding of ground stations and learning to
track low-earth orbit satellites. An international team joined the session to
support the different activities. They included ham radio satellite technician
Mikio JA3GEP and marine electronics and telecommunications systems expert Paulo
F5VMJ.

The students focused on low-earth orbit satellites and had a contact with the
International Space Station. This was a follow-up to last year's session when
XU7AMO operated for the first time using the QO-100 satellite. Making their
first contact with Antarctica, they had a question-and-answer session with
DOØGVN at Neumayer III, the German research base. That QSO had been made
possible after the Cambodian Telecommunications Regulatory Commission
authorised the station's use of the higher frequencies needed for the
transmission.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(PHNOM PENH POST, AMSAT NEWS, PAULO F5VMJ)

**
NEW INDIANA LAW PROTECTS HAM RADIO ANTENNAS, TOWERS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR:  While hams around the US remain optimistic over the hoped-for
passage of a national law that would prevent homeowners association from
restricting residents amateur radio equipment, Indianas governor has signed a
new law to provide such protection for hams throughout the state. Andy Morrison
K9AWM has that update.

ANDY: Starting on the 1st of July, amateur radio antennas, towers and feedlines
cannot be restricted by homeowners associations in residential communities in
Indiana. A new law signed by Gov. Mike Braun will afford hams such protection
on any property they rent, lease or own within the associations purview.

This is not a green light for all amateurs, however. According to the measures
language on the Indiana General Assembly  website House Bil number 1152 will
only apply to homeowners associations that are formed or create documents
containing such restrictions after June 30th, 2026.

Meanwhile, at the federal level, the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act,
which would create protection nationwide, remains stalled in Washington, D.C.
According to the website GovTrack.us, the bill was introduced into committee on
the 6th of February where it must be considered and voted on before it can move
along to either of the two main houses of Congress.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY)

**
HURDY GURDY MUSEUM STATION BACK ON THE AIR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A new antenna installation has put the beloved Hurdy Gurdy
Museum station in Ireland back on the air, as Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us.

JEREMY: The sun was shining above the Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio in
Howth as Tony EI5EM and Reg Shannon, a short-wave listener, started some
serious antenna work on the roof of the museum's Martello Tower.

They were installing a vertical HF antenna donated by Mike Keane, EI4-DF - a
gift that has put County Dublin museum's ham radio station, EIØMAR back on the
air - just in time for Aprils International Marconi Day. The museum lost the
use of the station after its previous antenna had been destroyed by storms.
Although marked by periods of rain, installation day finally took place under
clear skies, according to a report on the Irish Radio Transmitters website.

The tower has a celebrated role in radio history, not only because in 1902
American innovator Lee de Forest conducted experiments in wireless telegraphy,
but also because it housed a Marconi receiving station that conducted
ship-to-shore telegraphy experiments with HMS Monarch.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(IRTS, WIA)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, listen for Masa, JA0RQV/JD1 and  Rio, JR2GYA/JD1 operating
holiday style from Chichijima [CHEE CHEE JEEMAH] IOTA Number AS-031, Ogasawara
from the 13th through to the 16th of March. They are using FT8, FT4, CW, and
SSB on 80-6 metres.

Kaare, LA8EKA, is on the air as JW8EKA from Longyearbyen, IOTA Number EU-026,
Svalbard from the 13th through to the 15th of March. He customarily operates
using SSB, RTTY, PSK31 and FT8. Listen for him on 20-10 metres.

Paula, OK2YL and Vlad, OK2WX are using the callsigns  V31YL and V31WX,
respectively, from  IOTA group NA-073,  Belize through to the 22nd of March.
They are operating holiday style using CW, SSB, and FT8 on various HF bands.

Listen for Aki, JK1JXZ, operating as YJ1JXZ from Port Vila, IOTA Number OC-035,
Vanuatu [VAH-NOO-AHH-TOO] from the 15th of March through to the 3rd of April on
80-6 metres,

As always, QSL and other information is available on QRZ.com for these
stations.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: TAKE THE "FIVE TWO" SIMPLEX CHALLENGE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the space of 52 days, one ham isn't hoping to change the
world - or even change amateur radio - but he is hoping to focus some attention
on the simple joys of operating 2m FM simplex. He's posing a challenge to
everyone - and Daniel Garcia W2DIY brings this week's newscast to its
conclusion by telling us all about it.

DANIEL: If you grab your HT, tune to 146.52 MHz and call out for a contact, you
are already rising to the challenge being posed by Mike N2MAK. Mike launched a
project called the Five Two Simplex Challenge at the beginning of March and it
runs through to the end of April. He is hoping to focus attention on 2m FM
simplex for 52 days,

Mike told Newsline in an email [quote]: "I often hear from other hams that
there isn't much 2m simplex activity and they wish there was more." [endquote]

Now, he hopes, there is: He chose this commonly monitored frequency because, he
said, plenty of people listen but few people call out. He doesn't expect 52
days of nonstop activity but, as a portable operator himself, he is hopeful
that there are many others like him.

He intends for this to be a learning experience: Operators may get a better
idea of what their stations can do and perhaps consider upgrades or changes.
Depending on where they  live, they may even get to experience tropospheric
ducting at this time of the year.

Mike said one of his most memorable contacts was on 2m simplex right right
after a POTA activation. He told Newsline: "It was a brand new Technician who
had been licensed for less than 2 weeks and it was his first ever simplex
contact! You don't forget contacts like that, no matter which side of the radio
you are on. Surprises like that are what can make 2m simplex contacts so
special and fun." [endquote] 

To see Mike's YouTube video about the event, see the link in the text version
of this week's script at arnewsline.org

This is Daniel Garcia W2DIY.

[DO  NOT READ:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mivzwoRrnNY&t=148s  ]

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, AMSAT News Service; David Behar, K7DB;
DX-World.net;  425DX Bulletin; Indiana General Assembly: the IRTS; James
Gifford, N8KET; Mike N2MAK; Paulo F5VMJ; Pete Chatwin, VK2PET; Phnom Penh Post;
QRZ.com Forums; Radio Society of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de; SWLing Post;
Wireless Institute of Australia; WRTC; 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 Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As
always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright
2026. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even when
retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.

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