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PY2BIL > ARNR 08.03.24 14:12l 400 Lines 19075 Bytes #76 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2419 for Friday March 8th, 20
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2419 for Friday March 8th, 2024
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2419 with a release date of Friday
March 8th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Hams race against time to get medicine to an ailing
train passenger. A new look at recharging batteries, via infrared - and
Amateur Radio Newsline presents a special tribute to Silent Key Bob Heil
K9EID. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2419 comes
your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
HAMS RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK TO DELIVER MEDICINE TO RAIL PASSENGER
PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to India, where hams assisted in a
dramatic race against time - and a railroad schedule - to deliver medicine
to an ailing passenger on a train. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF brings us that story.
JIM: Two hams in India raced against the clock - and a fast-moving express
train - to provide medicine to an ailing passenger en route from Hyderabad
[hydra-BOD] this month. According to several reports in the local Indian
media, the 35-year-old man had fallen ill and was being accompanied back
home on the train by his brother when his condition worsened. His throat
pain became severe and he began to cough up blood. Another passenger who was
a doctor suggested a remedy that could help the man but the train was not
scheduled to stop until the next station. The ailing man's brother phoned
their father, a social worker, who put an alert out on social media via
WhatsApp. It was seen by Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, of the West Bengal
Radio Club, who went on the air with an emergency call on behalf of the
passenger. Sai Likhith, VU2TFN, a member of the Dolphin Amateur Radio
Repeater Club, heard the call and responded, receiving the information he
needed. He was able to locate the necessary remedy. He arrived at the
station just in time to hand over the medicine during the train's five-
minute stop.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(TELANGANA TODAY, THE TIMES OF INDIA)
**
WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER USES INFRARED
PAUL/ANCHOR: Need to charge your batteries? Have you ever thought about
transferring that power wirelessly? A company in Israel doing just that -
and Kent Peterson KCØDGY tells us about it.
KENT: Technology developed 10 years ago in Israel to permit wireless
transfer of power has begun showing up in some world markets. The over-the-
air system uses infrared sent from transmitters that transform electricity
into infrared beams which they then send to nearby devices that need their
batteries recharged. Line of sight is necessary for the transmission to be
successful and one transmitter's signal can cover about 130 square meters of
area. For it to work, each device needs to have receivers attached to
convert the infrared signals back into electricity.
The company, Wi-Charge, has trademarked this far-field wireless technology
under the name "AirCord." It is designed to replace the traditional need to
plug devices in using cords to recharge them. According to the company
website, the technology is already in use in some countries in the retail,
commercial and industrial sectors. Wi-Charge states that AirCord sends
narrow beams that focus only on the devices equipped with receivers and has
been certified as safe by the Food and Drug Administration and Underwriters
Laboratories in the US and by the International Electrotechnical Commission
in the UK.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(FORBES, THE JERUSALEM POST)
**
OVERSEAS HAMS GET EXPANDED PRIVILEGES UNDER AUSTRALIA'S NEW LICENSE SYSTEM
PAUL/ANCHOR: If you're planning to visit Australia anytime soon and want to
get on the air, John Williams VK4JJW has some encouraging news to share.
JOHN: Whether you are a US Technician class operator, a Foundation licence
holder in the UK or a ham with entry-level privileges in certain other
countries, the new class licence arrangements in Australia now permit you to
get on the air - up to a maximum of 365 consecutive days. Visitors from a
list of countries no longer need to make a separate application for a
licence; they need only append VK slash before their home callsign.
The Australian Media and Communications Authority has posted a list of
countries with currently recognised foreign licence equivalents who may
operate under Australian licence rules. Visit the ACMA page at the address
given in the text version of this newscast script at arnewsline.org
The ACMA makes it clear, however, that hams seeking to relocate to Australia
will still need to apply for a licence in VK and receive a new VK home call.
[DO NOT READ: https://www.acma.gov.au/overseas-amateurs-visiting-australia
]
This is John Williams VK4JJW.
(ACMA)
**
NEW LICENSE CLASS FOR ENTRY LEVEL OPS IN LUXEMBOURG
PAUL/ANCHOR: Luxembourg has introduced a new license class for entry level
ops. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what happens next.
JEREMY: A third class of amateur radio licence has been introduced by the
Luxembourg Institute of Regulation to provide entry level operators with
access to selected bands. Known as the BASE level certificate, it permits
operation on 2 metres, 70 cm and 10m. Operators may use a maximum power of
25 watts PEP and are limited to dipole-type antennas and quarter-wave
vertical ground plane antennas. They must have no more than two radiating
elements and a gain of less than 3 dBd.
The licence became available on the 26th of January and first exams are to
be offered this coming June. The regulator finalised the agreement in
consultation with the Radioamateurs du Luxembourg, whose education team had
submitted the proposal last year. BASE call signs will begin LX7.
The Radioamateurs du Luxembourg says on its Facebook page: [quote] "With
this new licence class, the start with amateur radio now becomes simplified.
After just a short introductory course by our experienced radio amateurs and
a brief exam at the regulatory authority, you can apply for a licence and
participate in amateur radio." [endquote] The Luxembourg amateur radio group
said it hoped operators would eventually sit for the exams for the higher-
level NOVICE and HAREC class. The BASE licence exam syllabus follows the
CEPT/ECC 89 report.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(RADIOAMATEURS DU LUXENBOURG)
**
DEADLINE FOR ARDC GRANTS IS APRIL 1ST
PAUL/ANCHOR: If you or your club or school have a project that helps further
the mission of amateur radio for everyone, now is the time to consider a
grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications. Stephen Kinford N8WB
explains what's available.
STEPHEN: April 1st is the deadline to apply for grants from Amateur Radio
Digital Communications for this year. The grants are distributed across
three categories that are consistent with ARDC's mission. The first type of
grant supports and grows ham radio by helping to fund emergency
communications initiatives, licensing instruction and repeater
infrastructure.
In another category, ARDC also supports education in the schools directly,
funding support and mentorship of STEAM programs that link to ham radio,
digital communications or wireless technology. Education grants also include
support of scholarships.
Finally, research and development projects, such as the M17 Open Protocol
Project and Tangerine SDR - two previous recipients - are given support to
ensure ham radio has access to state-of-the-art technology.
Any projects receiving an ARDC grant must be made available to the public
and in the case of software, must be open source. Visit the website ardc dot
net to read more about the grants and to find an application form.
This is Stephen Kinford N8WB.
(ARDC)
**
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN THEME IS IOTA'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY
PAUL/ANCHOR: Oceans separate us but because of one amateur radio programme,
oceans have also been uniting us. Sixty years ago, the first amateur radio
Islands on the Air operators began calling CQ from remote ocean islands
around the globe. That spirit of adventure is being celebrated this summer
at Europe's largest amateur radio event. Ham Radio Friedrichshafen (PRON:
FREED RICKS HAR VEN) has chosen IOTA's 60th anniversary as the theme for its
47th amateur radio event taking place June 28th to the 30th on Lake
Constance in southern Germany. In the words of the promoters, it is a
celebration of "60 years of Islands on the Air: technology meets adventure!"
(HAM RADIO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN)
**
DO YOU HAIKU?
Don't forget the Amateur Radio Newsline haiku challenge. If you're not too
busy tuning your antennas or chasing the latest DXpedition, pick up a pencil
and share your experience by sending an original haiku to us here at
Newsline. Use the entry form on our website, arnewsline.org and please
follow the rules for writing your three-line haiku -- sorry but we cannot
accept any entries that aren't written in traditional haiku form.
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline heard on bulletin stations around the world including D-STAR
Reflector 91 C at 7:30 p.m. Melbourne Australian time on Wednesdays, or 0830
UTC.
**
NASA RETIRES MARS HELICOPTER
PAUL/ANCHOR: NASA's Mars helicopter, known as Ingenuity, has officially been
retired. Images sent late last month to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory by
Perseverance, the Mars rover, showed that an upper rotor blade had broken
off, preventing additional takeoffs. After three years, however, the mission
is nonetheless being called a success. It had been deployed to Mars to
determine if controlled flight might be possible from the surface of the
planet - and it proved it was. Those experiments were to include only five
flights - not the 72 it had completed by the time it became disabled.
(NASA, FUNKAMATEUR MAGAZINE)
**
AUTISM AWARENESS EVENT NEEDS OPS WORLDWIDE
PAUL/ANCHOR: Do you want to be part of an on-air team that makes a
difference? Consider signing up to call CQ for World Autism Awareness.
Patrick Clark K8TAC, who will be one of those activating the W2A special
event callsign, has this report.
PATRICK: From April 1st through to the 7th, hams around the world will be on
the air to educate people about what it means when someone is diagnosed with
autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disability that affects all
nationalities.
The organizer, James Gallo KB2FMH, launched the week-long event last year
with tremendous success and is hoping this year's group of volunteer
operators will have an even greater impact. Those making contacts with the
special event stations are directed to the W2A page on QRZ.com where they
can learn more about autism.
To make the voice of awareness even stronger this year, organizers are
looking for additional operators. If you want to be part of this important
team, send an email to hamradioevents [at] gmail.com and in the subject
line, write "A A W 2024 - I Want To Help."
This is Patrick Clark K8TAC.
(AUTISM AWARENESS)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, listen for Iain, G4SGX, operating from Jamaica, IOTA
Number NA-097, with the callsign G4SGX/6Y through the 13th of March. He will
be using CW on 80 through 10 metres. He will also be participating in the
RSGB Commonwealth Contest on the 9th and 10th of March. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.
Jacek, SP5APW, is on the air as 9W2/SP5APW from Langkawi Island, IOTA
Number AS-058, West Malaysia through the 17th of March, using SSB and FT8 in
fox and hound mode. He will operate mainly on 6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.
The callsign TO5LA will be on the air from Mayotte, IOTA Number AF-027, by
operators Ros 4Z5LA, Ruben 4Z5FI and Slava 4Z5MU. Listen on various bands
where they will operate in various modes between the 28th of March and the
2nd of April. They will also participate in the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest. QSL
via 4Z5FI.
Be listening for Phill VK7ID who will be on Tasman Island on Saturday the
9th of March at noon local time - or 0100 UTC - logging contacts for SOTA,
POTA and for VK Flora & Fauna. He will be inside Tasman National Park, which
carries the designations of VKFF-0481 and, for Parks on the Air, VK-0535.
The island's SOTA designation is VK7/SC055. Listen for him running 20 watts
into a linked dipole. See QRZ.com for QSL information.
(OZSOTA GROUPS.IO, 425 DX BULLETIN)
**
A TRIBUTE: BOB HEIL K9EID
PAUL/ANCHOR: We devote the rest of this week's newscast to remembering an
innovator, a mentor, a friend - a fellow ham.
Bob Heil K9EID. Once in a while, a person comes into your life who inspires
you and changes the course of your life. I want to personally thank Bob for
being that person for me and for so many others. Among them was Academy
Award-winning audio engineer Tomlinson Holman, creator of Lucasfilm's THX
sound system. He told Newsline in an email that Bob gave him his early start
in the industry by having him work on some of his first live-sound consoles.
From there, he said, he grew his business.
Here is Don Wilbanks AE5DW with Amateur Radio Newsline's tribute to Bob.
DON: On February 28th at the age of 83, the worlds of amateur radio and
music lost a giant.
Robert G. Heil was born on October 5th 1940 in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew
up in nearby Marissa, Illinois. Bob was a gifted musician, performing on the
theater organ at local restaurant at age 14. He became the house organist
for the Wurlitzer theatre organ at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Learning
how to tune the thousands of pipes in the Wurlitzer taught Bob how to
listen, mentally picking apart the discrete tones and nuances that became
the backbone of his future endeavors. These included early satellite dishes
and home theaters.
His teens were when he became a ham radio operator, earning the call K9EID.
In his early 20s, Bob began designing and building theater organ
installations, and playing six nights a week. In 1966 he founded Ye Old
Music Shoppe in Marissa, later renamed Heil Sound. In 1970 one fateful phone
call led to Bob and Heil Sound creating an innovative sound system for The
Grateful Dead after the band’s sound engineer had been arrested in New
Orleans. Bob finished the tour, which led to a new career, creating the de
facto modern rock concert sound with such bands as The Who, James Gang, Jeff
Beck, ZZ Top and many more. It was with the James Gang that he met his
lifelong friend and fellow ham, Joe Walsh.
In 1973 Bob invented the Talk Box, a device what transfers the sound of a
guitar via a tube to the artist’s mouth, where the sound is shaped much like
it shapes the human voice. Joe Walsh was given the first one. Later, Peter
Frampton began using it. Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi and countless others
still use the Heil TalkBox.
In the 1980s as musical tastes began changing and many of the acts he toured
with came off the road, Bob gravitated back to ham radio. He was not happy
with the sound of the modern radios at that time, calling the sound “mushy
with no articulation." Heil sound entered the ham radio market, creating
lines of headsets and microphone elements. The famous HC series was born.
The worlds of pro audio and ham radio came together in 2006 when Joe Walsh
suggested that Heil Sound should develop concert microphones. A full line of
vocal, drum and instrument mics came from that idea. The PR35 and PR37 have
been the choice for top entertainers like Charlie Daniels, Carrie Underwood
and many more. The PR30 and PR40 studio mics are very popular in the
broadcasting and podcasting arena.
Podcaster Leo Laporte won a PR40 at a podcast convention. He was so
impressed with the microphone that he invited Bob to his studio in
California to be a guest on his show Triangulation. Triangulation episode 8
can still be seen and heard via twit.tv. Bob sat in to talk about his life
in audio. The online chat room was full of ham radio callsigns, leading
Laporte to insist that Bob do a ham radio program on Leo’s network, TWiT.
Ham Nation episode 1 debuted May 25, 2011 with Joe Walsh performing the
theme music and as the shows first guest. Ham Nation is still on the air,
now on the Ham Radio Crash Course YouTube channel.
Bob continued to host Ham Nation on the Twit network until the COVID
pandemic forced changes at TWiT, leading to the cancellation of several
programs due to a drastic drop in advertiser budgets. As Ham Nation
transitioned to YouTube, Bob transitioned to appearing as a guest at
hundreds of club meetings and presenting his audio demonstrations via Skype
and Zoom.
Sadly, Bob lost a yearlong battle with cancer on February 28th. He passed
surrounded by his family.
Many of his musician friends left their memories via social media.
Peter Frampton wrote: “I am so sorry to hear of the loss of my friend for so
many years, Bob Heil. A musician, inventor, ham radio expert, Heil Sound and
microphones. He gave me a very important present mid seventies. The Heil
Talkbox!! Can never thank Bob enough. Rest in power my friend.ö
Joe Walsh, who had visited Bob recently, said: “So waddya got that doesn't
work?" I can hear Bob Heil's voice in the back of my mind. An amazing
musician (especially behind the wheel of a pipe organ at your favorite old
movie house), a mad scientist, a ham radio aficionado and evangelist, a
tireless problem solver, a mentor to me and guide on my guitar journey, Bob
was our wizard in the Midwest. He was also my friend for more than 50 years.
"So waddya got that doesn't work?" Well, I don't think my phone is working
because you're not picking up... RIP, man. I love you and miss you already.
Sending love to Sarah and to the world of audioheads you leave behind.ö
My phone must be acting up as well, Joe.
Farewell, Bob Heil. See you a bit farther on up the band.
I’m Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to ACMA; ARDC; Autism Awareness; Amateur Radio
Daily; AMSAT; CQ magazine; David Behar K7DB; DXWorld; FCC; Forbes;
425DXNews; FunkAmateur Magazine; Jerusalem Post; NASA; OzSOTAGroups;
shortwaveradio.de; SpaceNews; Telengana Today; Times of India; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. As
always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright
2024. All rights reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 08-mar-2024 10:01 E. South America Standard Time
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