This Week in Amateur Radio News for Friday 22 September 2017

[TWIAR via rec.radio.info Admin]

TWIAR News Feed

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W1AW Suspending Transmissions This Evening, Will Pass Health-and-Welfare
Traffic from Puerto Rico

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:35 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2wbq2oT

As part of the ongoing communications efforts in the wake of Hurricane
Maria, Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station W1AW has suspended its regular
bulletin and code practice transmissions for the evening of Friday,
September 22, to assist in handling outbound health-and-welfare traffic
from Puerto Rico.

Radio amateurs are reminded to keep the SATERN frequency of 14.265 MHz
clear at this time, to facilitate communications necessary for the
Hurricane Maria response.

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via the ARRL: Caribbean Emergency Weather Net Requests Clear Frequency

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2yqHRSq

The Caribbean Emergency Weather Net (CEWN) has been providing
round-the-clock coverage during the passage of Hurricane Maria and in the
storm’s immediate wake on 7.188 and 3.815 MHz and is requesting a clear
frequency. The CEWN is continuing to handle health-and-welfare traffic in
and out of Dominica and is accepting inquiries via e-mail. (Indicate your
name location as well as that of the party sought).

Jeff Austin, 9Y4J, has reported that no emergency operations center has
been established, airports remain closed, and damage assessment of the
seaports is under way, which would determine how soon relief supplies and
significant human resources can access the island.

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Caribbean Emergency Weather Network Handling High Volume of Post-Storm
Traffic

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2xY6dGn

The Caribbean Emergency Weather Network (CEWN) on 7.188 and 3.815 MHz
continues actively handling emergency and priority traffic in the wake of
Hurricane Maria — especially for Dominica and Puerto Rico but for any
storm-affected area in the Caribbean where storm damage was severe. A
YouTube live stream is available, compliments of ARRL Santa Barbara Section
Technical Advisor Ben Kuo, AI6YR — who has no official connection with
CEWN. Kuo said the net is handling “real life-and-death traffic in
Dominica,” including a situation involving someone with a broken leg and
trapped in a house.

“Truly I think that the regional agencies were not ready for a calamity of
this magnitude,” said Kumar Persaud, J85K, one of the CEWN net controllers.
“The CEWN operators have ended up filling the communications gap for the
agencies, without any prior briefing.”

The net is dealing with a tremendous volume of traffic for Dominica and
Puerto Rico, he told ARRL, with a handful of stations handling emergency
and priority communications for a million or more people. The CEWN said
that at this time, its operators are unable to deal with health-and-welfare
traffic. The CEWN is handling health-and-welfare inquiries via e-mail.
Requesters should indicate your name and location and the name and location
of the person(s) they’re trying to locate, plus an e-mail address or
telephone number for a response.

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MCM Electronics Shutters Two Plants, Announces Merger with Newark element 14

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2fluLBi

MCM Electronics, in business for 40 years, will close two plants and its
corporate headquarters in Ohio and lay off more than 90 workers, the Dayton
Daily News reported earlier this summer. The company, which carries an
electronics inventory of more than 300,000 items, including 3-D printers,
tools, wire, cable, and other items, has been a Dayton Hamvention® vendor.

The layoffs will begin at month’s end and continue through the end of the
year.

On its Facebook page, MCM has announced that it is partnering with Newark
element 14, and that MCM products will become available via the Newark
website, which is not yet available.

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via the ARRL: Colombian Radio Amateurs Asked to Assist in Reconnecting
Family Members in Caribbean

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2wFUkVg

The Colombia Amateur Radio League (LCRA) is asking the Amateur Radio
community there to activate the national emergency network to support those
seeking information about relatives in the Caribbean islands affected by
the recent hurricanes.

To start, the frequencies 7.117 MHz for SSB and 7.085 MHz for digital modes
as well as EchoLink COL_LCRA conference and the national VHF repeater
system have been designated to coordinate the restoration of family
contacts. Currently, the Amateur Radio League of Cali’s HK5VD is in
operation for this purpose under the guidance of Juan Manuel Yanguas,
HK5AKN, the Emergency Coordinator of LCRA, an International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) member society.

Contact the Colombian Amateur Radio League (HK3LR) for more information.

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Rockwell Collins to be Sold to United Technologies

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2jKHQFL

United Technologies has announced plans to acquire avionics maker Rockwell
Collins in a $30-billion deal set to be consummated in 2018. United
Technologies said it wants to further enhance its role in aviation for both
its military and commercial customers in the area of new aircraft
connectivity systems.

Collins Radio and later Rockwell Collins for many years manufactured
top-tier Amateur Radio equipment. Art Collins, W0CXX, founded Collins Radio
Company in 1933. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based firm initially built
shortwave and AM broadcasting gear as well as the military and scientific
communities, and Collins provided the radio equipment to keep in touch with
Admiral Richard Byrd’s South Pole Expedition in 1933.

During World War II, Collins became the principal supplier of military
radio and navigation equipment, and Collins later produced Amateur Radio
equipment and provided communication gear for early NASA missions.

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Hurricane Watch Net, VoIP Hurricane Net, WX4NHC Stand Down from Maria
Activations

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2xTZz3O

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) stood down on September 20 after 60 hours of
activation for Hurricane Maria as did the VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC at
the National Hurricane Center. The International Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) SSB Net will be in extended monitoring
mode through Friday.

“The latest storm track is very good news for the Bahamas and the Dominican
Republic,” the Assistant HWN Manager Mike Webb, KC0YHM, said on Wednesday.
“We will watch the storm as it progresses...just in case.” The net wrapped
up its activation by gathering damage reports and offering
health-and-welfare guidance.

The VoIP Hurricane Net stood down as of Wednesday night after activating on
September 19 as Hurricane Maria affected Puerto Rico and the US Virgin
Islands. The VoIP Hurricane Net also was active on Monday, September 18,
gathering numerous reports of severe and catastrophic damage from the
island nation of Dominica. A recorded summary of reports received and a
complete list of reports received from all media available to the net are
available.

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Amateur Radio Emergency Net Active in Wake of Earthquake in Central Mexico

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2ynJnVt

The FMRE National Emergency Net (Red Nacional de Emergencia or RNE)
activated Tuesday on 7.060 MHz following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the
central Mexico state of Puebla at 1814 UTC. The epicenter was some 75 miles
southeast of Mexico City, which also felt the temblor and suffered damage.

FMRE President Al Tomez, XE2O, said participation from Mexican radio
amateurs has been excellent, and two mobile communication units have been
deployed, one south of Mexico City, where communication problems have been
reported, and the other in communities surrounding the city, where
communication problems exist. A FMRE representative has been stationed in
the emergency operations center in Mexico City too.

Most of the traffic, Tomez said, has involved missing persons. The FMRE
National Emergency Net also may use 3.690 MHz and 14.120 MHz as well as
IRLP reflector 9200 channel 08, and EchoLink.

Tomez said communication problems persist because of the heavy volume of
calls and message traffic over the cell telephone networks. Around 300
people have been killed and 30 buildings collapsed, he said.

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Radio Amateur on St. Lucia Relays Reports of Hurricane Devastation on
Dominica

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2wHMBpp

In the immediate aftermath of then-Category 5 Hurricane Maria's passage
over Dominica on Monday, Frans van Santbrink, J69DS, on St. Lucia checked
into the VoIP Hurricane Net to relay damage reports he'd gathered via
repeater conversations with other hams there. The New York Times also
reported and posted audio that Amateur Radio was a primary source to gather
initial damage reports from the storm-ravaged Caribbean Island nation of
some 70,000 residents. US-based Julian Antoine, J73JA, solicited reports
via a VoIP connection with the J73MAN repeater on Dominica.

“All power lines are down, our telephone lines are down, Internet lines,
everything is down,” came a reply to Antoine’s inquiry. “Roads are blocked
with debris. No confirmed information on fatalities or injuries.”

What seems to be a subsequent responder reported, “Lots of flooding, water
coming into windows and doors,” while another indicated that while he was
“nice and dry now,” he had lost his roof and was at a shelter. “From what
I’ve seen so far, it’s pretty bad,” another report stated. The same
responder said he could see some landslides too, along with broken trees
and utility poles. “It’s just damage all over,” concluded the report,
apparently from J73CC.

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W1AW Supporting Partners in Hurricane Response; Bulletins and Visitor
Operations Currently Suspended

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2hdMgnH

The Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW, has suspended its regular
bulletin transmissions beginning September 19, 2017 in order to help
support its partners for both HF and long-haul communications response for
Hurricane Maria. W1AW will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch, SATERN, and
Caribbean Emergency Weather nets; checking Winlink2000 e-mail; checking
into the VoIP Weather Net, and providing interoperability support by
keeping various frequencies open for hurricane traffic. The station will be
manned 24 hours a day during this communications emergency. All W1AW
visitor operations are suspended for the time being.

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ARISS Invites Proposals to Host Amateur Radio Contacts with Space Station
Crew

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2wEFoSc

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is
seeking proposals from US schools, museums, science centers, and community
youth organizations to host Amateur Radio contacts in 2018 with a crew
member aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The deadline to submit
proposals is November 15. Contacts would be scheduled between July 1 and
December 31, 2018.

Each year, ARISS provides tens of thousands of students with opportunities
to learn about space technologies and space communication via Amateur
Radio. The program provides learning opportunities by connecting students
to astronauts aboard the ISS through a partnership that includes NASA,
ARRL, AMSAT, and worldwide space agencies. The program’s goal is to inspire
students worldwide to pursue interests and careers in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through Amateur Radio.

“Educators have overwhelmingly reported that student participation in the
ARISS program inspires an interest in STEM subjects and careers,” ARISS
said in announcing the proposal window. “Ninety-two percent of educators
who have participated in the program have indicated that ARISS provided
ideas for encouraging student exploration, discussion, and participation,
while 78% said that ARISS was effective in stimulating student interest in
STEM.”

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HamSCI Presents Initial Eclipse Results at ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications
Conference

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2wveAsn

At the 36th annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC),
held September 15–17 this year in St. Louis, HamSCI members presented
preliminary evidence that the August 21 solar eclipse had a significant
effect on HF propagation. The DCC is geared toward technically minded
Amateur Radio operators who specialize in building and designing hardware
and software to support digital communication and radio.

In their presentation, “HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse,” HamSCI
members Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF; Bill Engelke, AB4EJ; Josh Katz, KD2JAO;
Spencer Gunning, K2AEM, and Josh Vega, WB2JSV showed initial results of the
Solar Eclipse QSO Party and other HamSCI eclipse experiments. Their
presentation demonstrated that the number of 14-MHz Reverse Beacon Network
(RBN) spots decreased, while the number of 1.8- MHz and 3.5-MHz spots
increased during the eclipse totality. The HamSCI researchers say this
suggests a decrease in both maximum usable frequency and D-layer absorption
during the eclipse.

John Ackermann, N8UR, described his work in making wideband recordings
during the eclipse in his presentation, “How to Fill a Terabyte Disk: Using
Software Defined Radios in the HamSCI Solar Eclipse Experiment.”

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IARU Administrative Council Considers New Radio Spectrum Pollution Threat

Posted: 22 Sep 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2x90HQf

The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU) believes high-power wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric
vehicles has significant potential for interference with radio
communication. That assessment came as the AC met on September 15 and 16 in
Landshut, Germany, immediately prior to the IARU Region 1 Conference, to
review its priorities and positions with regard to the 2019 World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19). Conference Agenda Item 9.1.6 would
call for studies in advance of WRC-23 to assess the impact of WPT for
electric vehicles on radiocommunication services and to study suitable
harmonized frequency ranges to minimize its impact. The AC determined that
addressing the threat requires an increased commitment of resources by
potentially affected radiocommunication services, including Amateur Radio.

The WPT issue came up earlier this month at the meeting of CEPT WRC Project
Team D, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, the week of September 11. At that
gathering, IARU addressed the impact of spurious emissions from proposed
high-power WPT systems for electric vehicles. IARU has expressed concern
that current spurious emissions limits are not fit for this purpose in
residential environments, and the potential impact on both Amateur Radio
and broadcast reception is severe.