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PY2BIL > ARNR 30.08.24 13:06l 386 Lines 18065 Bytes #251 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2444 for Friday August 30th, 2
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2444 for Friday August 30th, 2024
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2444 with a release date of Friday,
August 30th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. The ARRL discloses its 0-million payout to hackers.
YOTA camp wraps up in the Czech Republic -- and come along on the first-time
activation of a POTA site that's.....underwater. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2444 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
ARRL DISCLOSES IT MADE 0-MILLION PAYMENT TO HACKERS
PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Newington, Connecticut where the ARRL
now acknowledges that it resolved last spring's cyberhacking incident by
paying a hefty ransom. Kent Peterson KCØDGY brings us more details.
KENT: The ARRL has disclosed that it agreed to a 0-million ransom payment
to the hackers who disrupted its computers and servers on May 15th, stealing
data and taking many of its services down. Writing on its webpage the league
described the attack as [quote] "an act of organized crime," characterizing
the initial demand payout as "exorbitant," in exchange for access to
decryption tools. The ARRL said that the final amount was agreed upon only
after extensive negotiation and that the sum - and the price tag for
restoring the systems - is being covered by insurance.
The ARRL said that although the hackers did not get any sensitive
information from its members, it confirmed in July that the ransomware did
access personal data of an estimated 150 employees who have since been
provided with free identity-protection services.
In July, the ARRL board created its Information Technology Advisory
Committee. Members are being drawn from IT industry professionals as well as
those on the league staff and board who have experience in the field.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(ARRL)
**
YOTA CAMP BLOG RECOUNTS CZECH REPUBLIC ADVENTURE
PAUL/ANCHOR: As the summer wraps up in the Northern Hemisphere, so too does
the Youngsters on the Air camp that took place in the Czech Republic. Jeremy
Boot G4NJH has that story.
JEREMY; Campers finished their week of immersion in amateur radio and
friendship at the Youngsters on the Air camp on Friday the 23rd of August.
Now all that's left is to remember the experience and to share it. Rhys
Williams, MØWGY/AJ6XD, who represented the Radio Society of Great Britain at
the camp, wrote a daily blog that recounts such daily activities as kit-
building, balloon launching and operation of the special callsign OL24YOTA.
If you weren't one of the campers, you can read the blog and experience that
memorable week vicariously in words and pictures.
Visit the link in the text version of this week's Newsline script. The camp
was organised by the Czech Radio Club and the Youth Working Group of IARU
Region 1.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
[DO NOT READ: https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/yota/yota-summer-camps/yota-
czechia-2024/updates-from-yota-czechia-2024/ ]
(RSGB)
**
HAMS REUNITE MAN, "DEAD" FOR A DECADE, WITH FAMILY
PAUL/ANCHOR: In India, a missing man's family believed they'd never see him
again until - one decade later - hams helped bring him home. We have those
details from Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
JASON: The headlines in local Indian media called the man "dead for a
decade" but the former mathematics teacher, said to affected by mental
illness, has been returned home to his father and other family members with
the help of a network of amateur radio operators.
Reports in The Times of India and the Deccan Herald said that area residents
near the border of India and Bangladesh noticed a man standing by a large
patch of wet soil, writing and solving mathematical problems there with a
large stick. They told the newspapers that he seemed otherwise disoriented,
which stirred their concern. The police were contacted and, wanting to
expand the search for family beyond the immediate area, authorities reached
out to the West Bengal Radio Club, which is known for its success in
missing-persons cases because of its connections among radio operators in
India. Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, the secretary of the radio club, told
Newsline in a text message that he and club member Parimal Roy, VU3ZIM, were
able to circulate photos of the man to clubs in the region. Ultimately,
authorities were contacted by the man's father.
According to the newspaper accounts, the man, who is now in his 40s,
apparently developed mental problems more than a decade ago and disappeared,
leaving his family to believe they would not see him alive again.
This is Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
(TIMES OF INDIA, DECCAN HERALD, AMBARISH NAG BISWAS, VU2JFA)
**
SILENT KEY: PATRICIA NELSON, KEØQXD, TRAINER, VOLUNTEER, RADIO HOST
PAUL/ANCHOR: During a moment of silence at the most recent board meeting of
the ARRL, attendees paused to remember several Silent Keys from this year.
One of them left her mark nationally as a tireless volunteer and radio
enthusiast. We hear about her from Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
KENT: This past winter, Amateur Radio Digital Communications announced that
Pat Nelson, KEØQXD, had recently joined their Conduct Review Committee.
Familiar with her tireless spirit, they were looking forward to working with
her. That partnership never happened. Pat died suddenly a few days later on
January 29th. The contributions she could have made would have been the
latest in an amateur radio tenure marked by creativity and a capacity for
giving and volunteering. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, Pat had a long
association with KFAI radio, a community broadcast station as a host and
volunteer. A certified specialist in IT, she also assisted with programming
and ran a company, NelsonWorks LLC, which provided computer training and
support.
When she joined the station, she became friends with Mike Stapp KEØWW, a
longtime ham who introduced her to amateur radio. For Pat, that marked yet
another beginning: She became licensed in 2018 and her commitment grew over
the years. In 2022 she produced and hosted a special program on KFAI in
honor of International Women's Day, focusing on women active in amateur
radio. Pat also became a Volunteer Examiner at the Aurora Amateur Radio
Group and served on its VE advisory board. She was a lifetime member of the
OMIK Amateur Radio Association, an international group founded in 1952 by
Black radio amateurs and she had previously served the association as
secretary.
In January 2023, Pat became the first guest speaker at the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory's Ham Radio Project in Virginia, led by Jesse
Alexander WB2IFS. Supported by the ARDC, the project familiarizes students
with amateur radio and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Pat was 68.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(JESSE ALEXANDER, WB2IFS; ARRL, ARDC)
**
ARES TO ADOPT INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM INTO TRAINING
PAUL/ANCHOR: Things have changed since the early years when ham radio
operators stepped up to offer their communication skills during emergencies.
The ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service, which began in 1935, is in the
midst of bringing some of its protocol up to date, as we hear from Randy Sly
W4XJ.
RANDY: The Amateur Radio Emergency Service, or ARES, is being brought into
alignment with many of the agencies it serves by adopting the National
Incident Management System's Incident Command system. This is an initiative
of the ARRL to update the training of ARES members to better meet the needs
of its partners.
A statement by the ARRL reads, “This is a first step towards our long-term
goal of being recognized by our served partner agencies as the “gold
standardö of volunteer communications support based upon ARES members’
unique expertise and capabilities.
The training has several levels and specialization areas to provide amateurs
with a consistent track to advance their skills as well as their
understanding of emergency communications practices. The Incident Command
system is used throughout government, nongovernmental organizations and the
private sector to manage efficient deployment of assistance and cooperation
at incidents such as severe weather or natural disasters.
This is Randy Sly, W4XJ
(ARRL)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the WW8GM
repeater of the General Motors Amateur Radio Club in Detroit, Michigan on
Saturdays at 9 p.m. local time.
**
SPOTLIGHT ON MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY COMMUNICATOR
PAUL/ANCHOR: At a recent meeting of council members in one Mississippi
municipality, a seasoned emergency communicator was honored with a few
moments in the spotlight We hear about him from Don Wilbanks AE5DW.
DON: Tom Kelly, AB6Z, of the Pearl River Emergency Amateur Radio League in
Mississippi, was recognized at the top of the Picayune city council agenda
for his contribution to emergency services in the county. The retired
Homeland Security professional, who has more than four decades in law
enforcement, deploys communication assistance when it is needed by the fire
and police chiefs.
Tom described the league's plans and goals and explained the kind of
training involved for league members, who learn to dispatch and manage radio
operators, deliver messages via radio and read radar screens. Tom said the
league is hoping to assist even more members in qualifying for their amateur
radio licenses.
In Picayune Mississippi, this is Don Wilbanks AE5DW.
(THE PICAYUNE ITEM)
**
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM PROVIDES A SPECTRUM OF EXPERIENCE
PAUL/ANCHOR: You may not think of the electromagnetic spectrum as a museum
exhibit, but one amateur radio club in Indiana put it on display - and
showed it in action - at the Terre Haute Children's Museum recently. Andy
Morrison K9AWM tells us how it happened.
ANDY: Laurel Tincher, program manager of the Terre Haute Children's Museum,
called QRZ, in a manner of speaking and the Wabash Valley Amateur Radio
Association answered that call. She invited the club to present a day of
ham-related activities to showcase the kinds of things amateur radio can do.
According to club president Kevin Berlen, K9HX, 100 or so visitors on
Saturday the 24th of August got that opportunity. They participated in a
radio-related scavenger hunt and enjoyed activities that taught them a
little more about Morse Code. As the hams made QSOs on SSB using a remote-
controlled HF station, the youngsters got a better understanding of what HF
propagation can do.
The visitors didn't just take away a better understanding of amateur radio -
one lucky youngster won the random drawing for a small STEM robotics kit.
According to Kevin, quite a few of them expressed an interest in working
toward getting their license.
This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.
(KEVIN BERLEN, K9HX)
**
TRANSISTOR PROMISES FASTER, MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT OPERATION
PAUL/ANCHOR: A new type of transistor is in the works inside a US campus
laboratory. It is resilient and super-fast but, for now, it is still a work
in progress, as we hear from Sel Embee KB3TZD.
SEL: A new transistor in development inside a Massachusetts laboratory is
said to be extremely tough and resilient and offer super-fast switching,
while meeting - or even exceeding - industry standards.
Researchers at MIT first announced the transistor's development in 2021 when
they published the results of their study which explored the use of an
ultra-thin ferroelectric material made from boron nitride. At that time the
report was carried in the journal, Science, researchers wrote only of the
possibilities.
Now it is a reality. Working inside the laboratory, the scientists created
that faster, more energy-efficient transistor and they claim that even after
100 billion switches, there are no signs of degradation. Researchers told
Popular Mechanics magazine that, for electronic devices such as computers,
this eliminates the need for selective storage on a chip. Scientists also
say that boron nitride has another advantage: it remains stable over long
periods of time because its polarization can be reversed when there is an
electric field.
The next reality - actually manufacturing it - could be a lot tougher.
Scientists acknowledged that despite the great gains in this development,
they still don't have a way to mass produce it.
This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.
(POPULAR MECHANICS, MIT NEWS)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, there are two opportunities to get the South Cook
Islands in your log. Listen for Bob, ZL1RS, calling QRZ as E51EME from
Rarotonga, IOTA Number OC-013, from the 23rd of August through to the 15th
of September. His operation is mainly 6-metre FT8 using ionospheric
propagation. He will also operate 6-metre EME using the Q65-60A mode from
WSJT-X. See QRZ.com for QSL details. You can also listen for Tom, N2WLG who
will be on the air with the callsign E51WLG from Rarotonga, IOTA Number OC-
013 from the 1st through to the 8th of September. He will operate CW and
digital modes on 40-10 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL details
Listen for Giuseppe, IK5WWA, calling QRZ as IMØC [EYE EMM ZERO SEE] from
San Pietro Island, IOTA Number EU-165 from the 1st through to the 15th of
September 40-2 metres. QSL via his home call.
Harald DF2WO will be back in Burkina Faso operating holiday style as XT2AW
starting September 8th for about 14 days. Listen on 10-80 metres SSB and
FT4. He will also be using the QO100 satellite. See QRZ.com for QSL details.
Listen for the callsign TM4ØIPC from the 28th through to the 8th of
September during the Paris Paralympic Games. The callsign is being operated
by members of the RadioPole Associatif REF-40, F4KLM. QSL via F6DZU and
LoTW.
(425 DX NEWS)
**
KICKER: NEW POTA SITE REALLY FLOATS THEIR BOAT
PAUL/ANCHOR: Late last year, Parks on the Air, or POTA, added more parks in
the US. In Indiana, this meant that suddenly a yellow dot appeared on the
map just off of the shore of Porter Beach in the Indiana Dunes State Park.
While initially this looked like a mistake, it turned out to be the JD
Marshall Nature Preserve, US-10256, the site of a Great Lakes cargo ship
which sunk in 1911. The park is completely underwater -- accessible only by
boat.
Nothing excites a POTA activator more than seeing a zero in the “number of
activationsö field on the website. That’s when Eric Kurtz, KE9AEB, chief of
the Ogden Dunes Volunteer Fire Department, started calling his friends.
Kurtz told Newsline: [quote] “I ended up creating a POTA account and
realized that the JD Marshall was the only park in the State Of Indiana that
had never been activated. Being a lakefront community, and being involved
with the volunteer fire department, we’re fortunate that some of our members
are boat owners and some of our members are amateur radio licensees and I
put those pieces together so we could activate the JD Marshall.ö [endquote]
So assistant Fire Chief Dave Zak, a marina and boat owner, took six hams and
their gear out onto Lake Michigan on Saturday, August 24th and moored above
the wreck. I was one of those hams. The hams got right to it and in the
space of a little under three hours, had logged 118 contacts including
France. Active calls included K9ODF, the fire department club call, as well
as the personal calls N9ITB and WD9GCO.
Chris Lattimer, N9MMR, member of the fire department and founding member of
the club, called it an amazing opportunity to be out on Lake Michigan
operating an HF station from a boat. His son Tavas, KD9NSC, communications
officer for the fire department, assembled the gear, tested everything
beforehand and handled contact logging.
Two others on board were Tommy Stecic, KE2CCX and Jack Albert, N9ITB, an
experienced activator and my POTA buddy.
The group was awarded credit for the first activation of the park.
And their very first contact? Well, it was a ham from New York with the call
KD2GUT.
That’s right. Our own Caryn Eve Murray.
Congratulations to all involved for an activation that went beyond
expectations. Amateur radio is a varied hobby and as we often say "whatever
floats your boat" is fine.
**
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. Share with
fellow listeners the poetry that is inspired by your ham radio experience!
NEWSCAST CLOSE: With thanks to Amateur Radio Weekly; Amateur Radio Digital
Communications; Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA; ARRL; CQ Magazine; David Behar
K7DB; Deccan Herald; 425DXNews; Jesse Alexander WB2IFS; Kevin Berlen, K9HX;
Picayune Item; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de;
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
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BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 30-ago-2024 09:02 E. South America Standard Time
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