Path: ...!weretis.net!feeder9.news.weretis.net!panix!.POSTED.panix6.panix.com!rri.panix.com!robomod!not-for-mail From: newsline@arnewsline.org (Amateur Radio Newsline) Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.moderated,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.amateur.policy,rec.radio.info Subject: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2459 for Friday December 13th, 2024 Followup-To: rec.radio.amateur.moderated,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.amateur.policy Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2024 08:00:11 EST Organization: Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Approved: RRAM Approval Key , RRI Admin Message-ID: <4Y8qDx3J3cz1ZSy@panix2.panix.com> Injection-Info: reader2.panix.com; posting-host="panix6.panix.com:166.84.1.6"; logging-data="22665"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@panix.com" X-RRI-Policy: http://www.panix.com/~rram/usenet/rri/index.html X-RRI-Info-1: Send submissions to rec-radio-info@panix.com X-RRI-Info-2: Send technical complaints to rec-radio-info-request@panix.com X-RRI-Info-3: Send complaints about policy to rec-radio-info-request@panix.com X-Comment-1: The moderators do not necessarily agree or disagree with this article. X-Comment-2: Moderators do not verify the accuracy of posted information. X-Comment-3: Acceptance does not convey approval of any external references. X-Robomod: STUMP, ichudov@algebra.com (Igor Chudov), C++/Perl/Unix Consulting X-Moderation-1: Hassle-Free commercial hosting of moderation sites available X-Moderation-2: See http://www.algebra.com/~ichudov/stump X-Auth: PGPMoose V2.0 PGP rec.radio.amateur.moderated iJwEAQECAAYFAmdcL9sACgkQSO8RITXCfvtO3AP/coy3sGNoQbulfdp/cMS6VUyy QMWckT6zhv8/Il2U03If6jjtcSt9uSJtzmkzwoZbWd8h7U+fHINozAtBqLLZ00rq 6nKMNm2ltpOHjps2xvLWbQVv9wOV1Z+ScDB9itz+EZvyKTYBd9AV/cDu/rUFMrHd DA+H2OtbpTLwpVHJGRk= =fNiZ Bytes: 19006 Lines: 384 Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2459 for Friday December 13th, 2024 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2459 with a release date of Friday, December 13th, 2024 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. The ISS deploys a ham radio satellite made of wood. The Geminids are here so prepare to work some meteor scatter --and there are dozens of new hams in town at an ARRL model school in NYC. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2459 comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** ISS LAUNCHES JAPAN'S WOODEN HAM RADIO SATELLITE NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Japan, where officials at JAXA, the Japanese space agency, cheered on December 9th as they watched the International Space Station's deployment of LignoSat, an amateur radio CubeSat made largely of wood. The satellite, which arrived at the ISS a month ago, has been a high-profile experiment in avoiding space junk by using biodegradable components -- in this case, magnolia wood. The long-awaited joint launch by NASA and JAXA makes yet another satellite available for amateur radio. The satellite has a CW beacon on 435.82 MHz, plus or minus Doppler. To view the launch, visit the YouTube link for the JAXA channel in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvUthxds36A&t=2326s] ** GEMINIDS SHOWER: METEORS' FINAL HURRAH OF 2024 NEIL/ANCHOR: The meteors are putting on a show at the moment - and maybe even giving a little boost to your last chances of DX via meteor scatter for this year. Here's the update from Kent Peterson KC0DGY. KENT: The final major meteor shower of the year - the Geminids - hits its peak on the 14th and 15th of December but will remain active until Dec. 24th, Christmas Eve. It's a prolific shower that could be obscured by the full moon in some regions during those key peak moments -- but radio offers some solace. If you can't see the showers, you can tune into them on FM radio, according to FM DXer Nick Langan, writing on the RadioWorld.com website. Nick writes that a sensitive FM radio tuned to an open frequency might be able to receive a somewhat rewarding message from high above, as a series of audible bursts known as "pings." He also recommends a directional Yagi FM band antenna, if you have one. Of course, those hams among us who enjoy meteor scatter will likely be turning to radio too -- namely, 2 metres and 6 metres. They'll no doubt be chasing those ionized trails left behind in search of some memorableDX. This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY. (RADIOWORLD.COM, SPACE.COM) ** GET READY FOR THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EVENT NEIL/ANCHOR: Pipers will be piping, drummers will be drumming, ladies will be dancing, lords will be leaping and hams around the United States will be calling QRZ starting at 0000 UTC on December 14th and ending Christmas Day. The sixth year of operation for the popular 12 Days of Christmas special event is getting under way on the HF bands. In addition to all those ladies, lords and drummers - and a whole bunch of French hens, geese, swans and turtle doves - you will also find two bonus stations, VC9XMAS1 and VC9XMAS2, joining the action this year from Canada. Everyone will be using either CW or SSB. There will be no QSL cards. Work all 12 stations and Santa will let you download a certificate saying CLEAN SWEEP after January 31st. If you also work either - or both - of the bonus stations, your certificate will say CLEAN SWEEP PLUS. Best of all, even if you work only a handful of stations, or just one, you can still download a certificate confirming your contact. Visit the QRZ.com page for K2RYD for more details -- and put this special event on your holiday wish list. ** CINCINNATI EVENT CELEBRATES THE WARMTH OF AM MODE NEIL/ANCHOR: In the midst of a cold winter here in the United States, what audio could impart more warmth than the sound of AM? Here's Stephen Kinford N8WB with a suggestion on how to stay warm on the day after Christmas here in the US. STEPHEN: You'll receive a warm welcome when you check into the annual AM Night of the Greater Cincinnati Amateur Radio Association on December 26th Pre-net check-ins begin at 6 p.m. Eastern Time and the net continues well into the night. Set your rig to AM mode and tune to 1.936 MHz. A number of the check-ins are expected to be from ops who have converted some broadcast rigs but you can also expect to hear military radios and some from the golden age of AM broadcast radio. Of course if you have a contemporary rig and it offers you AM mode, join in! AM Night will also apear on NetLogger to help keep track of check-ins. This is Stephen Kinford N8WB. (QRZ.COM) ** BBC RADIO DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS POWER OF CW NEIL/ANCHOR: As we reported back in October, a Romanian teenager won a starring role at an International High Speed Telegraphy World Championship in Tunisia after setting a new world record for receiving callsigns sent using Morse Code. Now Ianis [YONNIS] Scutaru, YO8YNS, is one of the many stars in a new BBC Radio documentary about the power Morse Code has as a communications protocol. The documentary, "Ready to Transmit," is hosted by Stephen Coates and was released on the 8th of December. In addition to visiting the recent championship, the 28-minute program highlights the role Morse plays in helping a disabled woman communicate with her family and talks to a war veteran who still remembers her code skills after more than 80 years. Code is also seen as a source of joy as the documentary quotes Ianis as saying it brought him "unbelievable happiness" upon receiving his hard-earned award. To hear the documentary, visit the link in the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct7hsy ] (BBC) ** SILENT KEY: GASTON BERTELS, ON4WF, "ELDER STATESMAN" OF ARISS NEIL/ANCHOR: A leader, an advocate and a creative influence on the team behind Amateur Radio on the International Space Station has become a Silent Key. We hear about him and his work from Jeremy Boot G4NJH. JEREMY: It was not so long ago that Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, received the title of "Elder Statesman" from the ARISS International Team. The honour was bestowed as a tribute to his ideas, contributions and efforts that led to the creation of an effective team behind the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station programme. Sharing his expertise in licensing and third-party traffic, Gaston became a respected and well-recognised figure in Europe and elsewhere. He died from cancer on the 3rd of December. His long association with the pairing of human spaceflight and amateur radio had its roots in a Space Shuttle mission of 1992 that resulted in a student radio contact with Belgium's first astronaut, Dirk Frimout, ON1AFD. Many other developments and innovations ensued in his work over the years which established his influence with the European Space Agency. Announcing his death, ARISS acknowledged the affable manner and enthusiasm he brought to his work: [quote] "His personality radiated an inviting aura to all. He has been a friend, a leader, and an inspiration to all of us." [endquote] Gaston Bertels was 97. This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (AMSAT NEWS SERVICE) ** SILENT KEY: NZ NET's GERARD VAN ANTWERPEN, ZL2GVA, CW AWARD-WINNER ========== REMAINDER OF ARTICLE TRUNCATED ==========