Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2372 for Friday April 14th, 2023

[Amateur Radio Newsline]

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2372 for Friday April 14th, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2372 with a release date of Friday
April 14th, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. US-made vacuum tubes prepare to make a
comeback. NASA names a trio of hams for the next Artemis mission -- and
meet a YL who is Poland's youngest SOTA operator. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2372 comes your way right now.

**
BILLBOARD CART
**
VACUUM TUBE-MAKING ON THE COMEBACK IN THE US

DON/ANCHOR: American-made vacuum tubes are poised to make a comeback
onto the market this summer. Kent Peterson KC0DGY tells us what's been
going on.

KENT: As the rising cost of vacuum tubes manufactured mostly in China
and Russia increasingly cramps audiophiles, musicians and others
seeking a particular audio quality, one factory in the US southeast is
preparing to bring tube-manufacturing back home.

With assembly line workers getting down to business inside his Western
Electric plant in Rossville, Georgia, entrepreneur Charles Whitener
expects to restore American-made vacuum tubes to the worldwide market
in just a few months. According to reports on such websites as
wired.com and audioexpress.com, Whitener's goal is to resume production
of the single-ended triode tube known as the 300B, a design that dates
back to 1938. His plant, known as the Rossville Works, is home to the
Western Electric vacuum tube brand which Whitener bought in 1995
fromAT&T.

This summer he expects to introduce a reimagined version of the audio
vacuum tube known as the 12AX7, a dual triode tube commonly found in
amplifiers for guitars. According to Wired.com, it will be the first
US-made tube in decades and it is expected to be followed by numerous
other US-made models. The Wired.com report said: [quote] "If all goes
to plan, the US could once again dominate vacuum tube manufacturing."
[endquote]

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(WIRED, AUDIOXPRESS.COM, HACKADAY)

**
THREE HAMS CHOSEN FOR ARTEMIS MOON MISSION

DON/ANCHOR: The next NASA radio amateurs in space are preparing to be
part of a four-person team flying near the moon for the first time in
more than 50 years. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us who they are.

ANDY: NASA and the Canadian Space Agency have announced the members of
the Artemis II crew comprising NASA's first crewed mission to establish
a presence near the moon next year. Three members of the four-person
team are amateur radio operators: commander Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT, pilot
Victor Glover, KI5BKC, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU.
The other mission specialist is Christina Hammock Koch. The mission is
scheduled for November of 2024. The previous mission, Artemis I, was
not crewed.

This will be a flight test lasting about 10 days and will validate the
life-support systems of the Orion spacecraft, along with other
demonstrations.

Unlike his fellow crew members, Hansen is making his first trip into
space. He is a Canadian citizen and is the first Canadian to train
astronaut candidates from both Canada and the US.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(NASA, AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)

**

GET ON THE AIR FOR WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY

DON/ANCHOR: It's the QSO Party to end all other QSO parties: World
Amateur Radio Day, April 18th, the day amateurs participate in a global
celebration of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union.
Be listening on HF as the IARU and its member societies get on the air
with special events through the 25th of April. There will be more than
50 special event stations around the world with callsigns ending in W A
R D, for World Amateur Radio Day. They include TM98WARD, 9Y4WARD,
OT23WARD and a host of others.

Here in the States and over in the UK, the ROC-HAM Radio Network is
contributing to the festivities by hosting a 12-hour birthday net.
Listen for John W2JLD and Dave GW8SZL who will be marking the occasion
on the VOIP/ECHOLINK *ROC-HAM* Conference node #531091, as well as
various Allstar Nodes, the DMR TGIF Talk Group 2585 and Extended
Freedom SIP Portal 2585. John will be on the air during that time too,
operating on 10, 20 and 40 metres, using the callsign W2W.

For more details, visit IARU.org.

(IARU, QRZ.COM)

**
RADIO WAVES LEAD TO DISCOVERY OF NEW EXOPLANET

DON/ANCHOR: Radio waves have led astronomers to an exoplanet - a planet
beyond our solar system - and it's likely the same size as Earth. Dave
Parks WB8ODF gives us the details.

DAVE: Repeating radio signals have led astronomers to a rocky exoplanet
that is the same size as our own Earth and, like the Earth, it orbits a
star -- one known as YZ Ceti. Further studies of the signal suggest
that the planet may also have an atmosphere and a magnetic field.
Writing in a recent issue of the journal, Nature Astronomy, the
researchers have named the planet YZ Ceti b. The scientists say that
the magnetic field's interactions with the star are the likely cause of
the radio signals.

The signals were picked up in New Mexico by the Karl G. Jansky Very
Large Array of telescopes. The star and exoplanet are 12 light-years
away from Earth.

Of course, this is not the first finding of its kind. Last year, the
James Webb Space Telescope discovered its first exoplanet which is also
believed to be rocky and almost as big as the Earth. That planet,
called LHS 475b, is 41 light years away. The research team, which
announced the discovery this past January, is trying to learn more
about the star it orbits and whether the planet has an atmosphere. That
work is set to be done this summer.

This is Dave Parks WB8ODF.

(CNN, JENNY TUPPER, NASA)

**
ISS ASTRONAUT TO SET NEW SPACE RECORD

DON/ANCHOR: A new record is about to be set in space by an ISS
astronaut. We hear more about him from Paul Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP won't be a record-holder for
much longer. He made news after logging the most days in space for a US
astronaut -- 355 days -- aboard the International Space Station in
2022. Now, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is right behind him and gaining.
He's been on the ISS since September 21, 2022 and his mission has grown
beyond its original six months. He's now scheduled to leave aboard a
Russian Soyuz spacecraft by September 27th, meaning his 371 days will
eclipse the one set by Vande Hei. However, even with that
accomplishment, he will still be leaving the world record intact. That
was set by the late Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who logged an
unprecedented 437 days aboard Russia's Mir space station in 1994 and
1995. The cosmonaut died last year at age 80.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO

(SPACE.COM)

**
GIVING AMATEUR RADIO A GOOD RIDE IN AUSTRALIA

DON/ANCHOR: In Melbourne, Australia, one ham whose love for his bicycle
rivals his love for his radio is giving them both a good ride. Here's
more about him from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: As a bicycle enthusiast and ham, Stuart, VK3UAO, is accustomed
to doing things his own way. As a machinist, he fabricates many of his
own parts to be used with his radio equipment. As a ham, he carves out
his own trail to destinations for portable operating. He is presently
riding his bicycle from Melbourne to the Pilliga park-fest, pedaling
his way on a journey of more than 1,000 km over the course of three
weeks. He has his portable shack in his backpack

The park fest will be held between April 29th and 30th and he hopes his
route there will include as many park activations as possible.

The park fest itself is a modest-sized gathering of hams with an
enthusiasm for fellowship and the outdoors. So there is certain to be
even more operating once he arrives.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in his journey but would rather not try
it out yourself on a bicycle of your own, you can ride along with
Stuart. Visit his page on QRZ.com, which offers a link to his APRS
tracking -- and be listening for him on the air.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(WIA, QRZ)

**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the W8WKY repeater in Doylestown, Ohio on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. local
time, right before the weekly SARA net at 8 p.m.

**
AUTISM AWARENESS EVENT GOES GLOBAL

PAUL: Special events are becoming more and more popular in our hobby.
Often they're organized by a club or group that is tied to a specific
event or place. But in the case of one ham, James Gallo KB2FMH, he
simply found a cause that was important and created a global event to
celebrate it.

GALLO: I do a lot of special events, because I find them interesting.
So we found Autism Awareness and I thought, "That's an interesting
subject. A lot of people in our hobby have a position somewhere on the
autistic spectrum in some way or another and I know that from talking
to people over the years. So we decided to make a special event
forthat.

PAUL: Gallo started to plan the event, and then his girlfriend came up
with a great idea:

GALLO: And then as I'm putting it together, my girlfriend, who's my
muse in radio business, said, "Why don't you invite other operators â-"
you'll get a bunch of operators from around the country." And then I
thought, "Well, it's considered â-˜World Autism Awareness Day' so let
me reach out to a few friends globally that I've met over the years and
see if they're interested." And it started togrow.

PAUL: And grow it did. The event was a big success, and drew in a large
number of participants:

GALLO: I think we had 80-something volunteers across 26 states and 24
countries.

PAUL: Gallo is planning on running the event again next year, so keep
an eye out for an announcement if you wish to participate or even just
chase. It's all for a good cause.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO.

**
RSGB SEEKS TECHNICAL EDITOR FOR RADCOM MAGAZINE

DON/ANCHOR: The Radio Society of Great Britain is looking to hire a new
technical editor, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: RadCom, the magazine of the Radio Society of Great Britain, is
saying goodbye to Matthew Smith, M0VWS, who is leaving his role as
technical editor. The team is looking for a new technical editor with a
strong background in electronics and the technical side of amateur
radio. The ideal candidate should also be capable of writing and
editing articles and working with authors from whom articles have been
commissioned. The technical editor will also read and edit copy from
contributors and columnists and assist volunteers with the RSGB
Technical Forum. This is a salaried staff position.

For a full description of other responsibilities visit
rsgb.org/careers.

Although there is an opportunity to occasionally work from home, the
technical editor will be based at RSGB's headquarters which is near
Bedford. For queries or to submit a CV, contact the managing editor
Edward O'Neill at edward...@rsgb.org.uk.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

MARYLAND SCIENTIST HONORED FOR EMERGENCY PREP WORK

DON/ANCHOR: A scientist and radio amateur in Howard County, Maryland,
has been recognized for his many hours of helping others prepare for
disaster. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us more about him.

SEL: Congratulations to Dan Wilt, WB6FLL, who has been named Emergency
Management Volunteer of the Year from officials in Howard County,
Maryland. Dan leads the Howard County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service and is a member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association.

Dan is a device physicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics
Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. According to a press release on the
webpage of Johns Hopkins lab, Wilt spent more than 150 volunteer hours
supporting RACES events and activities last year at public service
events and during snowstorms and hurricanes. He has also assisted RACES
in the creation of guides to help fellow operators during emergencies
so communication can become easier for first responders. As a member of
the Columbia Amateur Radio Association, K3CUJ, he has coordinated
exercises to help prepare his fellow club members for future incidents.

During the awards ceremony, Mike Hinson, director of the county's
Office of Emergency Management, praised Dan for [quote] "a willingness
to help others learn and a desire to serve whenever and however
possible." [endquote]

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, PATCH.COM)
**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, get ready for the DX0NE DXpedition. This is a
single-operator DXpedition to the Spratly Islands, IOTA Number AS-051.
Gil, 4F2KWT will be on the air from the 30th of April until the 9th of
May. He has set aside one of his two radios to use FT8 using multi
stream MSHV. The pilot station is Nic, DU1NA. QSL via Club Log's OQRS,
which is preferred, or via IZ8CCW.

Local amateurs in Israel are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the
founding of the Israel Amateur Radio Club and the establishment of the
State of Israel by using special prefixes 4X75 and 4Z75 from the 14th
to the 30th of April. Awards are being given to hams who contact
stations with those prefixes as well as with the standard 4X and 4Z
stations until the end of the month.

Be listening for the special event callsign DM23BUGA on the air until
October 8th. This callsign honors the biennial horticulture show and
festival taking place in Mannheim, Germany this year. All QSOs will be
confirmed automatically via the bureau. You may also QSL direct via
DL2VFR.

Listen for Jean, F8CHM, using the call TM1AI (TEE EM ONE AY EYE) from
Aix (EX) Island, IOTA Number EU- 032, until the 16th of April. He is
using CW and SSB on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. QSL via home call.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
NOMINATE OUR NEXT 'YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR'

DON/ANCHOR: We remind our listeners that young hams who live in the
continental United States have an opportunity to make news, if they
aren't already doing so, by being a recipient of this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award.
Consider nominating an amateur radio operator 18 years of age or
younger -- someone who has talent, promise and a commitment to the
spirit of ham radio. Find application forms on our website
arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. Nominations are now open and
close on May 31st.

**
KICKER: ON TOP OF THE WORLD IN HER FIRST YEAR OF SOTA

DON/ANCHOR: We end this week by asking: What parent doesn't hope that
one day that their child will achieve success at new heights? Meet a
mother and father who aren't only watching their daughter achieve that
but are right up there with her. Jeremy Boot G4NJH brings us
theirstory.

JEREMY: The past year has been an exciting climb for Sophie, SN9ZJ. The
11-year-old received her amateur radio licence one year ago this month.
It didn't take long for her to find her way to the higher elevations of
Poland, calling QRZ for points in Summits on the Air and experiencing
the thrill of other operators wanting her callsign in their log. Her
father, Pawel, SN9PJ, calls her [quote] "my amazing daughter."
[endquote]

Considered Poland's youngest SOTA operator, she activated seven summits
during her first year as a ham, with her father beside her on five of
those trips and her mother Anna helping her log contacts during the
other two. Anna, an avid hiker, had helped Sophie study for her licence
and may eventually take the exam as well.

Pawel said Sophie had her sights on those mountain tops the moment her
licence arrived. The youngster draws great inspiration and love of the
outdoors from her father, a mechanical engineer and her mother, an
environmental engineer.

In time, her parents would not be surprised if one day Sophie provided
some inspiration herself. She has a younger sister, Elizabeth, and
younger brother, Bart who one day, they hope, they may follow her to
the mountain tops, operating their own radios.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(SOTA REFLECTOR, PAWEL SN9PJ)

**
DO YOU HAVE NEWS?

DONANCHOR: Do you have a piece of Amateur Radio News that you think
Newsline would be interested in? We are not talking about advertising
your club's upcoming hamfest or field day participation, but something
that is out of the ordinary. If so, send us a brief overview via the
contact page at arnewsline.org. If it's newsworthy and we would like to
cover it, we'll get back to you for more details.

NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur News Weekly; AMSAT News Service;
ARRL; CQ Magazine; CNN.COM; David Behar K7DB; DX-World.net; 425 DX
News; Jenny Tupper; Johns Hopkins University; Hackaday; NASA;
Patch.com; Pawel, SN9PJ; QRZ.COM; Radio World; Radio Society of Great
Britain; shortwaveradio.de; SOTA Reflector; Space.com; Wired.com;
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 Don Wilbanks AE5DW in Picayune, Mississippi saying 73.
As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.