[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1631 - November 14, 2008

Sun Nov 16 10:49:26 EST 2008

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1631 - November 14, 2008

I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, for a moment stepping out of my role as 
Newsline's producer.

For many years, one of the leaders in the repeater coordination 
community was Karl Pagel, N6BVU.  Sadly, I must report that Karl is 
these days confined to a nursing home in failing health.  

Due to lung problems, he finds it hard to speak for any length of time.  
What Karl needs is a laptop computer with a wireless card so that he 
can get back to being active by communicating with his fingers rather 
than his voice.  If you have a laptop that you are no longer using, 
please e-mail us here at Newsline and we will happily arrange for it to 
get to Karl.  Just e-mail us at newsline at arnewsline.org.

One final thought.  Karl Pagel literally devoted most of his adult life 
to serving the ham radio community.  He's truly one of the good guys 
and his repeater directories for the south-western United States were 
the most accurate ever produced.  And he did all of this as a 
volunteer.  So if you have an older working wireless laptop that's 
sitting in the closet, we have someone who can put it to good use.  

And less we forget, get-well wishes to Karl Pagel, N6BVU, can be sent 
to him at our e-mail address.  We will print them out and see that he 
gets them.

I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.  Here's the newscast.

**

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1631 with a release date of  
Friday, November 14th, 2008 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   

The following is a Q-S-T.  The sinking economy hits ham radio and 
forces cancellation of a major ham radio show down-under, I-B-M says 
its going into the rural B-P-L business, a buyout in the ham radio 
publishing industry and the long awaited St. Brandon Island DXpedition 
will take place this month.  Find out the details on Amateur Radio 
Newsline report number 1631 coming your way right now.

**

HAM HAPPENINGS: THE GLOBAL RECESSION HITS HAM RADIO

The world wide recession has hit ham radio.  This with word that one of 
Australia's major ham radio gatherings has been cancelled for 2009 
because of it.  Bruce Lees, VK3FFF, reports:

--

One of Australia's largest ham radio events has been put on hold.  
Amateur Radio Victoria has decided to postpone the Center Victoria 
RadioFest, which was to be held in February at the Kyneton racecourse, 
due in part to the
current economic uncertainty in Australia. 

Its President Jim Linton VK3PC says postponing this major annual event 
until 2010 will be a disappointment to many, but it is the result of a 
number of factors outside the control of the state-wide organization. 
Among these are growing concerns within the general community about job 
security and lower returns from savings and investments including 
superannuation. 

A downturn already exists in some retail sectors, and a sharp fall in 
the exchange rate value of the Aussie dollar will further increase the 
price of amateur radio equipment.

On a positive note, Jim Linton VK3PC advises that planning will now 
focus on the return of the Center Victoria RadioFest in 2010 as part of 
the Wireless Institute of Australia centenary celebrations. 

I'm Bruce Lees VK3FFF. 

--

To what extent the recession will affect other ham radio shows around 
the world is at this time unknown.  (WIA News)

**

THE BPL FIGHT:  IBM SAYS ITS BOPL WILL SERVE RURAL AMERICA

According to news reports, IBM says it wants to bring high speed 
Internet to rural areas of the nation using Broadband over Powerline 
technology.  The company has penned a $9.6 million contract with 
International Broadband Electric Communications to deliver high-speed 
broadband connectivity to millions of people who both companies claim 
might otherwise not be able to get it. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that IBM and International Broadband 
Electric Communications are working with over a dozen electric 
cooperatives in seven states.  IBM will provide the data technology 
while International Broadband Electric Communications will actually 
manage the networks.

For years the supporters of BPL have hoped that it would allow power 
companies to become the third alternative in the broadband market, 
competing against cable operators and telephone companies. But 
technical limitations and interference issues with radio systems 
including those used by  ham radio operators have stood in the way of 
mass adoption.

Weather or not this latest attempt to deploy BPL will meet with any 
measure of success is questionable.  Even  though IBM and International 
Broadband Electric Communications focusing on rural and underserved 
markets, it seems like they still have an uphill battle in overcoming 
interference issues.  Only a few months ago the deployment of BPL was 
handed what industry observers considered to be a  proverbial death 
blow.  This, after s federal appeals court sided in part with the ARRL 
and the amateur radio community in its challenge to FCC rules designed 
to speed the service's rollout. The judges in the case sent the rules 
back to the FCC with instructions to clarify is reasoning for its rules 
and to publicize its studies more fully.

Also, deploying any new infrastructure whether it's wired or wireless 
won't be cheap.  Even with the powerlines already in place, some 
reports say that it could take years before rural Americans e get high-
speed Internet.  And other technologies, such as 4G wireless may offer 
lower cost and higher speeds with fewer technical issues than BPL.  
Also, an article in the latest I-triple-E Communications Magazine 
reports on a research effort by NATO that shows that BPL would cause 
interference to military communications systems.  

The bottom line:  What affect a successful rural rollout of BPL by  IBM 
and International Broadband Electric Communications might have on ham 
radio communications will not be known until the first system is in 
trial operation.  

(ARNewsline from the VHF Reflector, K0SQ, K2GW, KB6NUand various other 
published news reports.  See http://kb6nu.com/more-evidence-that-bpl-
causes-interference/ for the implications to military communications. )

**

RADIO POLITICS:  CHANGES LIKELY AT THE FCC

Look for some changes at the FCC early next year.  Don Carlson, KQ6FM, 
has the details:

--

Now that the election is over and the Democrats control both Congress 
and the White House, look for some major changes at the FCC.  This, not 
only because there will be a new chairman and at least one new 
commissioner will be Democrats.  But also in the way issues will be 
explored and acted upon by a soon to be Democratic controlled 
telecommunications agency.  

While there will be little to impact on ham radio, at least for the 
present, broadcasters and telecommunications giants may have some cause 
for concern. For example, the commission's broadcast localism 
proposals, if adopted, might be more stringent under a Democratic 
controlled FCC.   Those proposals could include requiring the main 
studio to be in the city of license and returning to the days of 24 
hour a day, 7 day a week staffing.  This is something that many radio 
networks have gotten away from by adopting central-casting from one 
location and satellite or fiber optic based delivery to the cities 
served.  

Also the license term for broadcasters could wind up being shorter.  
Radio World on-line reports that Ernest Sanchez, a principal of The 
Sanchez Law Firm says that president-elect Barack Obama has told 
confidantes he believes eight years is too long a term for a 
broadcaster to hold a license. That may signal more public interest 
sensitivity from whomever new administration selects as the next FCC 
chairman.

All this said, its for the moment a lets wait and see what the new 
administration brings.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Don Carlson, KQ6FM, in Reno.

--

Whatever the changes are, you can be pretty certain that the FCC's 
overall policies will likely be more liberal leaning in the years to 
come.  (RW, others)

**

THE COST OF US HAM EXAMS:  ARRL VS W5YI ON RAISING TESTING FEES

The cost of taking a ham radio exam through the nations largest 
Volunteer Examination Coordinator is going up, but the nations second 
biggest V-E-C says not so fast.  

On November 6th, The ARRL VEC announced that as of January 1, 2009, the 
fee to take an ARRL Volunteer Examiner administered Amateur Radio 
license exam will increase by $1, from $14 to $15. 
Meantime, the nations other big VEC says that it will not be raising 
its exam rate.  

Larry Pollock , NB5X, is the President of the W5YI-VEC.  He says that 
the his organization will hold the line on the $14 exam fee level  
charged applicants to take amateur examinations.  That it will  not 
will increase license examination fees for 2009. 

It should be noted that each VEC across the country establishes it own 
fee schedule for providing examination services.  As a result, there 
are almost as many different rates charged for examinations as there 
are VEC's.   Depending on the VEC, the cost runs anywhere from the high 
of $15 to one that charges no fee at all to administer an exam.   (ARRL 
Release, W5YI VEC Release)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAM RADIO WAS READY FOR PALOMA

Ham radio was activated when a Hurricane Paloma threatened the Cayman 
Islands and Cuba over the weekend of November 8th and 9th.  Various 
hurricane watch nets and the ham station at the National Hurricane 
Center in Miami were on alert.  The nets forwarded severe incoming 
weather reports to the center's WX4NHC amateur radio station and also 
using VoIP circuits.

At its peak, Paloma became a category 4 storm with peak winds in excess 
of 130 miles per hour before downgrading to a tropical storm.  The 
National Weather Service says it will likely dissipate completely as it 
reaches the colder waters of the Atlantic on its trek North.  (Various 
sources)

**

BREAKING DX NEWS:  DELAYED ST. BRANDONS OPERATION TO TAKE PLACE THIS 
MONTH

Some good news for DX'ers.  Rachid Cadersa, 3B8FQ, reports that his 
trip to activate St. Brandon Island is on once again.  

His operation from the remote outpost had been planned for late 
October.  It  was delayed due to the unavailability of a sea going 
vessel for transportation. The next boat scheduled to leave for St. 
Brandon is November 15th. Rachid says that he and the meteorological 
station maintenance team are hoping to be aboard. 

If everything works out as planned, Rachid will be active as 3B7FQ much 
longer than during his short stay on Agalega Island as 3B6FQ this past 
April.  As was the case this past spring, he will be on a work 
assignment and will be active on CW and SSB as time is available.  

We will have more DX related news later on in this weeks Amateur Radio 
Newsline report.  (OPDX)  

**

HAM RADIO BUSINESS:  CQ BUYS WORLDRADIO AND TAKES IT ON-LINE

A big change is coming to the ham radio publishing scene.  This as one 
popular magazine absorbs another.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the 
Newsroom with the details:

--

Two magazines that this writer knows quite well are kind of being 
joined at the hip.  At least, so as to speak.  This with word that 
Hicksville, New York-based CQ Communications, Inc. has acquired 
Sacramento, California based WorldRadio magazine.

Since its inception in July of 1971, WorldRadio has been the only ham 
radio magazine published West of the Continental Divide.  Its a monthly 
publication  with a primary focus on the human side of ham radio.  And 
as many of you know, for about the past 10 years this reporter has been 
the editor of its VHF and F-M column.  

So why has Worldradio been sold?  My longtime friend and Worldradio 
publisher Armond Noble, N6WR, says that at the age of 74 its simply 
time for him to retire.  And why sell to CQ?  In a press release N6WR 
said simply that he wanted to be sure that WorldRadio found a good 
home, and that its readers would continue to be served by what he 
termed as an independent voice in amateur radio.  

CQ Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, echoed Armond Noble's words.  Ross says 
that for nearly four decades WorldRadio has filled an important niche 
in the hobby.  Ross says that he welcomes all of WorldRadio's readers 
to the CQ family,  and looks forward to meeting their needs for many 
years to come.

At this time WorldRadio to continue to be published, but only online 
magazine with Editor Nancy Kott, WZ8C, continuing in that position.  
Current WorldRadio subscribers will also have their subscriptions 
transferred to CQ magazine.  Readers will be notified of details as 
plans are finalized. 

CQ, a general-interest ham radio magazine best known for its support of 
DX'ing and contesting, has been in print since January, 1945.  And 
along with Vertex-Standard Corporation, it is also one of the two 
primary corporate underwriters of the Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham 
of the Year Award.

In the newsroom, I'm Bill Pasterak, WA6ITF.

--

We at Amateur Radio Newsline thank retiring Worldradio publisher Armond 
Noble, N6WR, and his wife Helen for their years of service to the 
world-wide ham radio community.   (ARNewsline from joint CQ / 
WorldRadio News Release)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  LOCAL POLICE AND FCC TEAM UP ON UNLICENSED FLORIDA 
STATION BUST

Turning to enforcement news, a Lakeland, Florida man is accused of 
illegally operating a radio station out of a motel.  This, after Polk 
County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 53 year-old Frankie Grover for 
broadcasting without an FCC license.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce 
Tennant, K6PZW, has the details:

--

The investigation into Frankie Grover's  unlicensed broadcasts began 
when a Lakeland Florida detective spotted a flyer advertising a party 
sponsored by "Blazin' 87.9 Da Biz."  With assistance of the FCC the 
Lakeland detectives were able to locate where the radio 87.9 FM signal  
was broadcasting from.  And, believe it or not, that turned out to be a 
motel on a main steet in that city. 

The FCC quickly confirmed that no license existed for the radio station 
on that frequency or at that location. So, for the next two months, 
detectives say they watched and listened to Frankie Grover and his 
Blazin' 87.  They say Grover was also running live webcam and internet 
audio of 87.9 FM simultaneously with radio broadcasts, so it was not 
all that difficult to keep tabs on him.  

On November 7th, detectives made their move.  They arrested Grover 
after serving search warrants at the motel.  Investigators say Grover 
paid $450 a  month for each of the three rooms that they allege served 
as the studio and office for the station.  At the time of the raid 
police also seized all of Grover's  broadcast equipment and radio gear.

Detectives say Grover claimed he had been in the radio business for 30 
years and was former owner of radio station WHNR AM in Winter Haven.  
He was booked into the Polk County Jail and released the same day after 
posting a $1,000 bond.  Operating an unlicensed broadcast station or 
making an unauthorized transmission on radio frequency is a 3rd degree 
felony under Florida state law.  

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los 
Angeles.

--

Grover could also face some severe punitive action from the FCC. 
(KB5TJI, Radio Ink.com, Winter Haven News Chief, others)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC FINES BROADCASTER $18000 OVER PAPERWORK

Word that broadcaster Sun Valley Radio has lost a three-year-old appeal 
to the FCC and will be fined a total of $18,000.  This, in two cases 
involving improperly maintained public files.  Jim Damron, N8TMW, 
reports:

--

The matter goes back to 2005.  That's when Sun Valley admitted in 
renewal filing for KBLQ FM in Logan, Utah, and KKEX FM  in Preston, 
Idaho that it had discovered the stations were missing Quarterly Issues 
and Programs lists for several earlier quarters.  Sun Valley said that 
it recreated the missing lists and placed them into the public files.

But the FCC staff ruled that Sun Valley was apparently liable for a 
fine for the missing lists .  The agency proposed fines of $9,000 for 
KBLQ FM and another $9000 for the same type of violations at KKEX FM.  

Sun Valley appealed.  In its reply the broadcaster argued among other 
things that the fines were higher than those given to other stations in 
similar situations.  It also noted that its other co-owned stations 
were in compliance and that no one had been harmed because no member of 
the public had tried to see the files.  It also noted that its 
voluntary disclosure if the error earned it a reduction.

The FCC now has rejected the appeal.  It says that its rules are to be 
obeyed and that Sun Valley had not proved mitigating circumstances as 
to why the fine should be reduced or cancelled.  

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW.

--

Sun Valley Radio can either pay the fine or take the matter into the 
federal courts on appeal.  (FCC)

**

RADIO BUSINESS:  NEW QRZ CALLSIGN CD-ROM RELEASED

Turning to the ham radio business scene, the 32nd edition of the QRZ 
Ham Radio CD-ROM Callsign Database is now available.  In addition to 
the popular QRZ database of callsigns, the also contains over 310,000 
e-mail addresses, the latest FCC callsigns issued as of April 2008, 
over 10,000 Digital QSL Card images and much more. This latest edition 
also includes a new, faster installation program and a return to the 
previous disc layout for maximum logbook compatibility.  More is on-
line at www (dot) qrz (dot) com.  (QRZ)

**

HAM RADIO IN THE WEB: CALLBOOK FOR IPHONE AND IPOD TOUCH

And with the popularity of the Apple's mobile devices a ham radio 
application for these devices could not be far away.  Now from 
Dog Park Software Ltd. comes version 1.0 of CallBook for I Phone and 
iPod Touch.

CallBook is an Amateur Radio application that allows you to look up 
call signs via the free WM7D server, the QRZ Online subscription 
service or the HamCall subscription serve using your Apple portable 
device. Results can be e-mailed and the QTH can be instantly viewed in 
the Maps application.  More information is on-line at 
dogparksoftware.com  (E-mail)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  ARRL FREQUENCY MEASURING TEST ON NOVEMBER 13 

The ARRL has announced that its 2008 Frequency Measuring Test will take 
place Wednesday evening, November 12 at 9:45 PM EST. That works out to 
be Thursday morning, November 13 at 02:45 UTC.

The Frequency Measuring Test will start with a general QST call from 
W1AW at exactly 02:45 UTC, transmitted simultaneously on 3597.5 and 
7095 kHz.  The test will replace the W1AW phone bulletin scheduled at 
this time. Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that those 
planning to participate listen to W1AW's transmissions prior to the 
event to determine which band--or bands--will be best for measurement 
purposes.

West Coast participants have their own signal to check again this year, 
courtesy of WA6ZTY. (ARRL)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: AA4RC EXPLAINS HAM RADIO TO 10000 SCOUTS

A word of congratulations to Robin Cutshaw AA4RC who recently got on 
the air to demonstrate amateur radio and amateur satellites to 10,000 
scouts.  The scouts were camped out at Alabama's Talladega Speedway as 
part of an outing.   Robin also lead the team hosting the 2008 AMSAT 
Space Symposium in Atlanta.  He's to be congratulated on doing both 
jobs well done.  (ANS)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  DX VIDEO RELEASED

The Magnolia DX Association's K5MDX East Ship Island DXpedition video 
is now on-line. The video documents the first ever activation from East 
Ship which was officially activated during the period of October 16th to 
the 19th.  We can't show you the pictures on a radio newscast, but 
here's a sample of the narration track.  Take a listen:

--

Audio from narration track. Hear it in the MP3 version of this newscast 
at www.arnewsline.org

--

East Ship Island is located off the coast of Mississippi south of 
Biloxi and is counted as part of the Mississippi Islands Group under 
the Islands on the Air awards program.  

The DX operation ended barely a month ago and in what may be a record 
for video, the show was put together by N-Zero-I-R-S Productions in 
anout three weeks. Its well worth the 10 minutes it runs to watch.  You 
will find it on the YouTube dot com video website at 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFPbR1y0U7I  (QRZ.COM)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE - THE ARISS CONTACT DOWN UNDER

An ham radio in space contact between the  St. Thomas' Primary School 
in Brisbane, Australia and the International Space Station took place 
on Tuesday, November 4th.  That's when students at the school had a 
chance to talk with astronaut and ham radio operator Mike Fincke, 
KE5AIT.  Robert Broomhead, VK3KRB, is in Glen Waverly with the the 
story and the sound:

--

Think an international phone call is expensive?  Try ringing someone in 
space.  

Using an antenna attached to a crane, 15 students from a small Brisbane 
school have spoken with a US astronaut live from NASA's International 
Space Station  The children, from St Thomas' Catholic Primary School at 
Camp Hill on Brisbane's southside, had just 10 minutes to talk with the 
real-life space traveler and mission commander of the United States Air 
Force, Colonel Edward Michael 'Mike' Fincke, when the ISS orbited over 
Brisbane.

Way up north of the state, WIA News Man Felix VK4FUQ fired up his IC 
706 on 145.8 FM and there was the ISS coming through loud and clear! 

--

Contact Audio here.  Hear it in the MP3 version of this newscast at 
www.arnewsline.org

--

The entire local community at Camp Hill got on board for the event,.  
Parents and students turned out to listen in the hall and to watch a 
simulcast outside. St Thomas' principal David Cashman said the school 
was thrilled to receive confirmation from NASA last year that the 
school had been accepted to take part
in the program. 

Im Robert Broomhead, VK3KRB.

--

The St. Thomas' Primary School is very progressive in teaching space 
sciences.  Not only does it have its own very active radio club. It 
also  teaches such topics as space, science and technology are a part 
of the curriculum.  Students from age 4 to 12 have participate in 
related activities such as building models of space stations, using a 
telescope to explore the night sky, building crystal radios and 
creating an ARISS Web site for the school.  A school that is a true 
portal to the future in the here and now.  (WIA News)

**

RADIO FROM SPACE:  PHOENIX MARS LANDER GOES SILENT

Radio signals to Earth from the Phoenix Mars Lander have ceased and 
NASA has officially brought the mission to a close. 

The $428 million exploration of the red planet was originally scheduled 
to last only three months.   NASA was able to give it two extensions 
before the harsh Martian environment finally claimed it.  

During its operational lifetime the Phoenix helped collect data on the 
northern arctic Martian plains.  Among its findings was that some 
Martian soil is alkaline, and that ice may have melted on the Martian 
surface in the past.

The last communication from Phoenix was received on Sunday, November 
9th.  (NASA)

**

RADIO ON-ORBIT:  HUBBLE SPACE SCOPE REPAIRED BY RADIO

The Hubble Space Telescope is back in business after a month of 
problems.  But NASA now says that readying replacement equipment and 
parts to keep the on-orbit observatory running will force NASA to delay 
its final servicing mission beyond February.

In late October the pace agency released an image taken by the 
telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera. It was Hubble's first picture 
radioed back to Earth since a computer problem shut down science 
operations in September.  The photo showed a pair of gravitationally 
locked galaxies, located more than 400 million light years away in the 
constellation Cetus.   (NASA)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  DXCC HONOR ROLL LISTINGS DUE

A DXCC 'End of Year' reminder from Bill Moore, NC1L.  Moore is the  
ARRL DXCC Manager and he says that that the end of the DXCC calendar 
year is rapidly approaching.  In order to appear in the printed 'Annual 
and Honor Roll' listings your submission must be postmarked on or by 
Wednesday, December 31, 2008.

The DXCC Honor Roll list is scheduled for publication in August 2009 
QST. For the 2008 calendar year the minimum requirement to appear in 
the Honor Roll list is 329 current entities. The Top of the Honor Roll 
total is 338 for this period. Remember, deleted entities do not count 
towards the Honor Roll.  Moore says to direct comments or questions to 
dxcc (at) arrl (dot) org.  (ARRL)

**

ON THE AIR:  RADIO ST. HELENA ON THE AIR

While a bit short in notification time, Radio St Helena Day is set for 
Saturday, November 15th.  The event  will be broadcast on 11092.5kHz USB 
with transmissions to Europe between 2100 and 2230 UTC.  The QSL 
address is: Radio St Helena, PO Box 93, Jamestown, St. Helena, STHL 
1ZZ, South Atlantic Ocean.  (GB2RS)

**

ON THE AIR:  COMMEMORATING THE SINKING OF THE TIRPITZ

Special Event station GB617SQN will be on the air until November 27th.  
This,to commemorate the 64th Anniversary of the sinking of the World 
War 2 German battleship Tirpitz.. 

The Tirpitz was the largest battleship ever built in Europe, with 
dimensions slightly exceeding those of her sister ship the Bismarck. 
The raid on November 12th 1944 that sunk the Tirpiz was conducted by 
Lancaster bombers from the Roy Air Force 617th squadron.

The commemorative station marking the anniversary of her sinking will 
be on all bands and various modes. QSL information for GB617SQN will be 
given during the event.  (Modern DX)

**

RADIOSPORTS:  2008 CQ WORLD WIDE CONTEST CW

Turning to radiosports news, the 2008 C Q World Wide DX CW Contest is 
slated to begin at 0000 U-T-C on November 29th.  The contests runs for 
24 hours ending at 0000 U-T-C on November 30th.  

This on the air event has long been considered to be one of the premier 
global contesting activities.  Many consider it to be a particular test 
of skill and endurance for the international contesting community.  A 
complete set of contest Rules and other operating information is on 
line at www dot cqww dot com.  (CQ)

**

DX

In D-X, word that four French hams plan to be active from the Kingdom 
of Bhutan. This through November 25 as part of that nations 100th 
anniversary.  They will use the special call A-5100-A and will be 
activated from three different locations in the south of Bhutan. QSL 
via F9DK.

JA7GAX will be operating November 15th to the  to 20th from the Daito 
Islands. QSL his operation direct or via the bureau.

DJ4SO will be on the air portable V5 from Namibia until December 4th.  
His activity will be mostly on CW, RTTY and PSK 31 on 160 through 10 
meters. QSL direct or via the bureau.  

G3YBY will be on from Brunei as V8FKT from through November 21st.  He 
works mainly SSB and RTTY on 40 through 10 meters running 100 watts 
into verticals.  QSL via G3YBY, through the bureau or via Logbook to 
the World.  

Lastly, listen out for DL3PS operating portable 4X through December 5th.  
Franz is on a business trip in Israel and will try to hit the airwaves 
as using  SSB, CW and some digital modes on 10 throgh 80 meters during 
his spare time.  QSL direct or via bureau to HB9EHQ.

(Above from various DX news sources.)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  HAM RADIO HONORS LAST LIVING WW1 VET

And finally this week, ham radio paused on Tuesday, November 11th to 
honor the last living veteran of World War 1 and all others who have 
served in the United States armed forces over the years.  Amateur Radio 
Newsline's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, reflects on Veterans Day, 2008:

--

Courtesy of NBC 25 in Hagerstown, Maryland, that's Frank himself, 
making a brief contact with the help of a member of the group operating 
the special event. 

And, here's more of what was going out over the air. 

--

(audio) 

--

The group set up on Buckles' Charles Town farm for the one-day event. 
They made contact with more than 200 operators on that day from as far 
west as Montana and as far asouth as the Carribbean. 

Buckles, during his interview with NBC 25, spoke of his unique 
accomplishment. 

--

(audio) 

--

Buckles was 17 when all sides signed the Armistice that ended World War 
I, dubbed the war to end all wars. 

Pat Fowler, presidnet of the EPARC, says he was especially ratified by 
the response of those who made contact with the special event station. 

He said many vets as well as non-vets passed along a special salute to 
Frank for his service. 

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V in 
Philadelphia.

--

And to Frank Woodruff  Buckles, we wish him many more years of 
happiness and good health as he continues as the last standard bearer 
of the veterans for World War 1. 

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ 
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, 
the RSGB, the Southgate News and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all 
from the Amateur Radio Newsline.  Our e-mail address is 
newsline at arnewsline.org.  More information is available at Amateur 
Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.  
You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, P.O. 
Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. 

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don 
Wilbanks, AE5DW, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.  