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Ärende: ARNewsline Report 2527 03A APR 2026
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2527 for Friday, April 3rd, 2026
 
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2527 with a release date of Friday, April
3rd, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST.  Hams head toward the moon. The Azores gets its first
10-meter repeater -- and Newsline's April Fool's correspondent, Pierre
Pullinmyleg, is back with some big news - or not. All this and more as Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2527 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS ON MOON MISSION ABOARD ARTEMIS 2

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us into space - specifically, looking
toward the moon. Delayed weeks ago due to technical issues, NASA's Artemis 2
mission lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on the 1st of April,
carrying a crew of four astronauts - three of whom have amateur radio licenses.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT; Victor Glover, KI5BKC, Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU,
and Christina Koch, now embark on a test flight that will pave the way for an
eventual return of a human presence on the moon. 

Meanwhile, four amateur radio operators here on Earth are among the group of 34
volunteers chosen by NASA to track transmissions from the Orion spacecraft
during its 10-day journey.

(NASA, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

**
FCC CHARGES AMATEUR WITH EMERGENCY-SERVICE INTERFERENCE

SKEETER/ANCHOR: An amateur radio operator is being called the source of radio
interference that affected emergency service frequencies in one part of
Pennsylvania last year, according to the Federal Communications Commission.
Kent Peterson KCØDGY picks up the story from here.

KENT: The FCC's Enforcement Bureau has charged a ham radio operator in
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania with interfering with UHF frequencies used by
9-1-1 emergency services.

The FCC identified the ham as David Knudtson, KD3ASC. According to the agency,
the Pittsburgh amateur was transmitting on 470.4375 MHz from a handheld
transceiver last July, prompting a complaint from the county's Emergency
Services that there was interference on its dispatch channel. Using
direction-finding, the bureau's enforcement agents tracked the signal to
Knudtson's home where, they said, he showed them a Baofeng BTech UV-Pro HT -
which he surrendered to them. 

The handheld radio is capable of transmitting on VHF and UHF amateur radio
bands as well as private land mobile radio bands. The FCC said that the radio
had been programmed to monitor the EMS channel and that the "audio relay was
enabled, permitting traffic from one channel to be retransmitted on another.

The FCC notice is dated March 25th. Knudtson must respond to the Enforcement
Bureau within 10 days of that date.

This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.

(RADIOWORLD, FCC)

**
SSTV FROM ISS MARKING MAJOR MOMENTS IN SPACE

SKEETER: The next set of images to be transmitted from the International Space
Station via SSTV will mark a number of high-profile moments in space. Watch for
them this month. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us what a few of them are.

JACK: The 65th anniversary of the first human space flight by cosmonaut Yuri
Gagarin, the 45th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle flight and the 100th
anniversary of the world's first liquid-propelled rocket launch by Robert
Goddard. These are three of several space achievements being commemorated by
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station through its selection of
images to be transmitted as part of SSTV Series 31. The SSTV Mode will be Robot
36 and there will be two minutes between transmissions. Transmissions will
begin on the 10th of April and continue through to the 14th of April. The
frequency will be 437.55, plus or minus Doppler shift. 

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(ARISS, AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)

**
AZORES AMATEURS HOSTING THEIR FIRST 10M REPEATER

SKEETER/ANCHOR: The Azores Amateur Radio Association CU2ARA is marking an
important anniversary this year with the installation of its first 10-metre
repeater. The group says its presence in the North Atlantic holds great promise
for contacts between hams in Europe and North America. Dave Lee M7TLB tells us
more.

DAVE: On São Miguel Island, the largest island in the Azores off the coast of
Portugal, a new 10-metre FM repeater stands ready for QSOs. This is the first
10-metre repeater for the association, which is marking the 50th year since its
founding. 

The 50-watt repeater transmits on 29.630 MHz, with a -100 kHz shift, giving it
a receive frequency of 29.530 MHz. It has a CTCSS tone of 88.5 Hz.

Bruno, CS8ABG, told Newsline that challenges in installation prompted the group
to install the receiver and transmitter separately. The transmitter is located
in the center of the island and the receiver is about 20 km away on the western
side. Both are at an altitude of 900 metres.The sites are connected using 5 GHz
Wi-Fi links.

The site holds promise for other connections too, according to Bruno. There is
a Raspberry Pi system with a private AllStarLink connection that may someday
provide a link to the group's VHF repeaters that are part of the Azores
AllStarLink network.

Bruno told Newsline that the east-west radiation pattern of the dipoles favour
propagation between Europe and North America so DXers, of course, are very
welcome.

This is Dave Lee M7TLB.

(BRUNO, CS8ABG; PAULO, CU2CO)

**
IRELAND'S SOLE 10M REPEATER IN SERVICE AGAIN

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Another 10-metre repeater - this one in Ireland - is getting a
huge welcome back from amateurs. It is back on the air and is expected to be
very busy, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The repeater in Carndonagh, County Conegal - EIØIPG - is no longer
silent. Storms had taken the nation's only 10-metre repeater out of service
until recently. According to a report by the Irish Radio Transmitters Society,
the repeater, which is maintained by the Carndonagh Amateur Radio Club, is
receiving an especially hearty welcome among experimenters because an increase
in solar activity promises a greater likelihood of trans-Atlantic and
continental FM communication.

Its frequencies are 29.580 MHz input and 29.680 MHz output, with a 67 Hz CTCSS
tone.
The repeater also offers access via Echolink Node 29007.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(WIA, IRTS)

**
VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM TO EXTEND HOURS FOR HAMVENTION

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Although the liveliest daytime action will likely be at the
Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio, in May, that Hamvention epicenter
isn't the only big draw for visiting amateurs that weekend. Sel Embee KB3TZD
tells us about another Hamvention weekend tradition.

SEL: The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting is welcoming
Hamvention guests by offering extended hours from Thursday May 14th through to
Sunday May 17th. The museum and the West Chester Amateur Radio Association,
which is headquartered there, will be sharing a wide variety of exhibits that
include a disc jockey's setup from a vintage radio station, vintage ham and
shortwave equipment and the Voice of America's first transmitter, dating from
1942. The club's ham radio station, WC8VOA, will be sharing access to its shack
- so come with your license and be prepared to get on the air. Admission is $10
at the door. For each day's extended hours and for directions on how to find
the museum from Xenia, visit the website voamuseum.org or wc8voa.org

The independent, nonprofit museum in West Chester, Ohio, is not affiliated with
the US government's Voice of America service.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD. 

(VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the CQØUARS
and CQØEARS repeaters in Aveiro Portugal on Saturdays and Sundays at noon local
time.

**
NEW ENTRY LEVEL LICENSES FOR NORWEGIAN AMATEURS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: New regulations in Norway include the creation of an
entry-level license. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has the details.

JEREMY: The Norwegian Communications Authority has approved an entry-level
licence for amateurs in that country as one of several changes taking effect.
The entry-level, or "limited" 10-watt licence covers the 80, 40, 20, 17, 15,
10, 6 and 2-metre bands as well as the 70-centimetre band. Other changes
include the removal of limitations to hams wishing to operate stations
remotely, especially in Norway's overseas territories. The changes also affect
the 23cm band, which will now follow IARU recommendations more directly.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**
'QUEENS OF THE MOUNTAINS' ACTIVITY BACK FOR 3RD YEAR

SKEETER/ANCHOR: This has already been a big year for YLs to scale to new
heights. First, there was the WWA-YL Award that united women radio operators
calling CQ from around the world in March. Next up is the third annual Queens
of the Mountains, a special Summits on the Air Weekend event. There is some
added incentive this year for chasers, as we hear from Travis Lisk N3ILS.

TRAVIS: Activators in the third annual Queens of the Mountains YL SOTA special
event will be competing for the same certificates as before - but this year,
chasers are getting a new chance for recognition. The new award is designed for
chasers who contact at least three YL activators in different countries or
different US states.

This is the second year the activity has drawn global participation, so once
again, YL to YL DX QSOs will be recognized with a WWW-World Wide Women's
certificate.

The organizers, Amy AG7GP, and Paula, K9IR [KAY NINE EYE ARR], announced the
event's return on the SOTA Reflector and have set the event to start at 0000
UTC on June 13th and end at 2359 UTC on June 14th.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(SOTA REFLECTOR)

**

NOMINATE OUR NEXT YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

SKEETER/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that we are accepting nominations for
Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Young Ham of the Year
award for 2026. If you know a talented, involved and active licensed radio
operator who is 18 years of age of younger and is a resident of the continental
United States, please submit his or her name for consideration. You'll find a
nomination form under the awards tab of our website, arnewsline-dot-org. Send
in documentation supporting your nominee and get it to us by the May 31st
deadline. This year's winner will be joining a very distinguished group of
young amateurs who have continued to make a difference in the world of ham
radio - and their communities.

WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, you have until the 10th of April to work Bernard, DL2GAC,
using the callsign H44MS from Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands, IOTA
Number OC-047. He has been spotted doing FT8 and SSB.

Special callsigns DAØANT, DM5ØANT and DP5ØANT are on the air celebrating a
half-century of German research in Antarctica until the 30th of April. Listen
as well for DM5ØGFS, marking the 50th anniversary of the now-decommissioned,
ex-GDR Georg Forster Station and DP2ØØGVN for the 200-year anniversary of the
birth of Georg von Neumayer (NOY MY YERR), after whom West Germany's Antarctic
research stations have been named.

Listen for Take [TAH-KAY], JG8NQJ/JD1 operating until the middle of May from
the weather station on
Minami Torishima, IOTA Number OC-073. He is using mostly CW with some FT8.

Jacek, SP5APW will be active as 3D2JK from Lakeba Island, IOTA Number OC-095
from the 17th through to the 22nd of April. He will be using FT8 and SSB on
20-10 metres, He will also be on 6 metres using mainly FT8.

(425DXNEWS, WIA)

**
KICKER: A SYMPHONY OF SIGNALS IN TIME FOR APRIL FOOL'S DAY

SKEETER/ANCHOR: April 1st has come and gone but Newsline's own Pierre
Pullinmyleg, is here once again. He's the only member of our team of
correspondents who works one day a year: on April Fool's Day. Pierre, you're no
fool - what news do you have for us this year?

PIERRE: Responding to pressure from a dozen American symphony orchestras and a
group of internationally celebrated virtuosos, the FCC is setting aside part of
the 20 metre band to let licensed amateur radio operators play their violins,
flutes, bassoons and other instruments -- or to sing opera. In fact,
opera-singing hams in search of DX contacts will be encouraged call Q-R-Zed by
singing compositions by Mozart, Verdi or Strauss.

To prepare for these repurposed frequencies, the FCC will now require music
recitals to be part of the VE sessions. After completing the written part of
the test, each candidate must present a 10-minute performance on the instrument
of their choice - or they may sing. Starting in June, all FCC
license-preparation classes will include six months of music lessons. Knowing
your harmonics is, after all, so very important, mes amis.

Ah, but NO drummers are welcome on this new part of 20-metres. Percussion
instruments will be sent to the CW portion!!!

Already there has been protest from some amateur radio clubs around the US who
are asking why violinists and opera singers are being allowed on 20 metres but
no rock 'n rollers, no banjo players and not even a single hip-hop artist. The
FCC has taken up the question and is reportedly considering  part of the 2
metre band next.....or perhaps 7200.

This is Pierre Pullinmyleg with a song in my heart -- and on the radio too.

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, AMSAT News; ARISS; Bruno CS8ABG; David
Behar, K7DB; FCC; 425DX News; Paulo, CU2CO; QRZ.com Forums; Radio World; Radio
Society of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de; Space News; SOTA Reflector; Voice
of America Museum; 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 Skeeter Nash N5ASH in Jonesboro Arkansas 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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