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PY2BIL > ARNR 04.09.26 15:11l 438 Lines 19147 Bytes #50 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2549 for Friday, September 4th
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2549 for Friday, September 4th, 2026
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2549 with a release date of Friday,
September 4th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Judges uncover fraud at the recent World Radiosport
Team Championship. Rock-penetrating radio aids a cave rescue in Canada
-- and wildfires damage a key repeater in Nevada. All this and more as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2549 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
JUDGES OVERTURN WRTC-UK SCORES, CITING FRAUDULENT SCHEMES
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to the UK where, in an unprecedented
move for the World Radiosport Team Championship, the judges of the prestigious
event have overturned this year's results. The judges said that they
discovered that fraudulent means, including use of pirate stations, were
used to boost some scores - including those of the winning team. Dave
Lee M9TLB has that story.
DAVE: Acting on what it called "extraordinary information" from members
of the public after the awards ceremony for WRTC 2026 in July, organizers
have thrown out some of the competition's scores which they believe were
achieved as the result of an elaborate fraudulent strategy. The strategy
made use of bogus multiplier stations and introduced frequency hand-offs
and release of team identity - all prohibited practices.
Most prominent were the declared victories of the top team MB2M, and
team MB2A, which the committee said were achieved in violation of competition
rules. The organizers said that the scheme included the use of pirate
stations posing as multiplier-producing stations which favored contact
with those two stations. Other teams were disqualified after the probe
also unearthed the frequency hand-offs and release of team identity.
Organizers said they were making the announcement on September 1st "with
sadness and disappointment." They added that [quote]: "WRTC has strived
to be a competition where the outcome is based on the competitorsâ€Ö performance,
and is not a function of offsite helpers assisting their competitor friends."
[endquote]
Furthermore, reviewing logs for the WRTC-2023 held in Italy, the WRTC
organizers detected the same fraud scheme and raised the possibility
that the Bologna event would be rescored too.
Releasing the organizers' announcement, Mark Haynes, MØDXR, the chairman
of WRTC-UK, said "the integrity of WRTC is of prime priority and in order
to path its future in a positive light, it is our conclusion that these
steps are absolutely necessary." [endquote]
This is Dave Lee M9TLB.
(WRTC)
**
CAVE RESCUE SUCCEEDS USING RADIO THAT PENETRATES ROCK
NEIL/ANCHOR: Sometimes when it's radio to the rescue, it's not always
the kind of radio we're used to finding in a typical shack, as we hear
from Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
KENT: Low-frequency radio waves with the ability to penetrate rock are
being credited in the dramatic rescue of an explorer who was trapped
for nine hours in a cave in Alberta, Canada in August.
The solution uses QDX-M radios from QRP Labs.
Volunteers with the Alberta/British Columbia Cave Rescue, part of Search
and Rescue Alberta, have been working with these digital radios for their
light weight since 2003.
According to a press release from the rescue group, the volunteers who
built the kit radios are caving enthusiasts with electrical engineering
and amateur radio backgrounds. The release said that the radio waves
are capable of carrying messages through more than 500 meters of solid
rock.
Christian Stenner, Alberta coordinator for the rescue team, said the
radio system works underground and does not need line-of-sight to the
sky as cell phones and GPS do. The system was deployed in the August
15th rescue for the first time, enabling team members who entered the
cave on Grotto Mountain to communicate via text messages to their colleagues.
They gave progress reports and made requests for any supplies they needed.
The trapped person, who was not identified in any media reports, had
become stuck in a tight point inside what is known as the Rat's Nest
Cave. That section of the limestone cave is vertical and pitches downward.
It was midnight when the man was freed. Paramedics in the cave aided
him through his exhaustion, risk of hypothermia and the compression of
the body during the rescue process.
The rescue agency issued a statement afterward, praising the technology
and the team.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
NEIL/ANCHOR: For a closer look at how the cave rescue happened, see the
link that appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrsuT64SFB4 ]
(WIA, CBC. CA: CALGARY HERALD, CTV NEWS)
**
SUCCESS IN EARTH-MOON COMMUNICATION BY LASER
NEIL/ANCHOR: In China, researchers are praising what they consider a
milestone in two-way communications with deep space - via laser. Graham
Kemp VK4BB tells us how it came about.
GRAHAM: Chinese researchers have announced the successful completion
of two-way communications between the moon and the Earth using laser.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences believes this could signal the beginning
of a so-called "information highway" for high-speed data transmission
that can eventually serve missions to the moon.
The distance covered was 400,000 km or more than 248,000 miles. The move
from near-Earth orbit testing to deep space was a milestone for researchers
in the academy's Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization.
The scientists had previously used only in-orbit tests.
The greater bandwidth, faster speed and increased security offered by
laser communication have all been viewed as great benefits but they were
offset by such obstacles as the need for precise beam alignment, weakness
of the signal and speed of transmission.
To get improved results researchers developed high-speed superconducting
single-photon detection technology to assist with copying the signals;
they also made use of high-bandwidth signal processing technology, reporting
transmission rates of 1.25 Mbps uplink and 100 Mbps downlink.
This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.
(XINHUA NEWS AGENCY)
**
SILENT KEY: DXPEDITIONER, CONTESTER DIEGO THOBIE, F4HAU
NEIL/ANCHOR: An accident has taken the life of an active DXpeditioner
and contester in France. We hear about him from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: Diego Thobie, F4HAU, loved to operate portable from the islands
and added to the team spirit of many of those DXpeditions over the years.
Diego, a member of the Radio Club de Provins F6KOP, was killed in a motorcycle
accident on the 23rd of August. According to a social media post from
his friend Patrick F2DX, he was killed in a head-on collision with a
truck on a small rural road and died on the scene. His 13-year-old son
is reported to have survived but was taken for hospital treatment..
In social media posts, Diego's friends and fellow amateurs recalled him
as an adventurer and a proud member of many DXpedition teams, including
last year's FP5KE trip to St. Pierre & Miquelon.
A licensed amateur since 2012, he had also been part of the teams in
such major DXpeditions as 9L5A to Sierra Leone in 2024, XW4DX to Laos
in 2023, 3B7A to St. Brandon in 2018 and FT4JA to Juan de Nova in 2016.
Diego was 48.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(425 DX NEWS, FACEBOOK)
**
WILDFIRE DAMAGES CRITICAL REPEATER IN NEVADA
NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams in Nevada area are assessing the damage to an important
repeater after a wildfire hit, knocking it off the air. Kent Peterson
KCØDGY brings us up to date.
KENT: Amateur radio repeater KA7ZAU became a victim of a raging wildfire
that consumed much of the region near Reno, Nevada last month. The 2-metre
repeater provides important connections for hams checking into the weekly
Weather Net for SKYWARN and it is a link between amateur radio and the
Red Cross.
Hams were still evaluating the repeater recently when they updated Newsline
through email. Greg Krantz, NT7Q, a director of the Sierra Nevada Amateur
Radio Society, said that the building itself suffered no damage but it
appeared that the radiant heat burned the feedline leading to the antennas.
The hams were still needing to inspect the equipment to see if anything
there was damaged.
He told Newsline that the plan was to make repairs and get the site back
on the air by Labor Day weekend if the local utility, Nevada Energy,
restores power to the building.
The repeater's owner, Arlan Duwayne Robinson KA7ZAU, said that the Hawk
Fire had knocked a number of repeaters off the air when the blaze began,
affecting both amateur and commercial communications across the region
for VHF and UHF analog, P25 digital, the Fusion system and 900 MHz systems.
He said that the 2-metre and 220-MHz repeater that serves Reno, Sparks
and the surrounding area have been on the air for 16 years and operate
to support ARES, SKYWARN and numerous events. Arlan is also the Washoe
County emergency coordinator for ARES.
He said: [quote] "It will take time to replace damaged equipment and
install new feedlines. The work will help restore coverage, improve reliability,
and return systems to full operational status as quickly as possible."
[endquote]
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
(ARLAN DUWAYNE ROBINSON, KA7ZAU; GREG KRANTZ, NT7Q)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
WA5AIR, the Texas Link System which carries Newsline on seven repeaters
on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. local time.
**
ARISS-USA INVITES SCHOOLS TO APPLY FOR ASTRONAUT CONTACTS IN 2027
NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station is once
again hoping to give students a window into space. ARISS-USA is already
planning its schedule of contacts for the first six months of 2027 and
is looking for educational institutions in the US to host a QSO between
their students and a member of the crew. The window for educators to
submit their proposals opened in July and will close on the 30th of September.
The schools or other educational organizations, are expected to incorporate
the radio contact into a educational plan that exposes the students to
radio science, satellite communication, wireless technology and, of course,
space travel.
The 10-minute QSOs are voice-only contacts and provide students with
a chance to ask questions directly to the astronauts or cosmonauts.
For additional details about requirements for submitting a formal proposal,
visit the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org
[DO NOT READ: https://ariss-usa.org/us-educators-talk-to-an-astronaut-on-the-space-station-from-your-school/
]
(ARISS-USA)
**
TOKELAU ZK3ZL DXPEDITION POSTPONED UNTIL 2027
NEIL/ANCHOR: If you have been waiting for the DXpedition to Tokelau in
November, you're going to be waiting a bit longer. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF
shares the team's latest announcement.
JIM: Only weeks after announcing that they were bringing a team of operators
to Tokelau for a DXpedition in November, organizers have announced the
trip to the New Zealand island territory has been postponed for a year.
The ZK3ZL DXpedition would have been the first to Tokelau since the ZK3A
activation in 2019. Organizers said that the cancelled plans were the
result of "an administrative error" that caused the operators to lose
their bookings for the return trip by ferry. The team issued a statement
saying: [quote] "With no other reasonably priced transportation alternative,
the project must be rescheduled." [endquote]
The Perseverance DX Group and the Western Washington DX Club will coordinate
their new plans with the administration on the island. Donors can request
refunds of their contributions or they will be held in escrow.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
COUNTY TO DONATE SURPLUS TOWER TO ALABAMA HAM CLUB
NEIL/ANCHOR: An Alabama ham club is getting a gift from the county that's
a tall order - in fact, it's so tall that it's a tower, as we hear from
Jack Parker W8ISH.
JACK: The Jackson County Amateur Radio Club in Alabama will soon have
a new tower to help it continue to fulfill its mission of public service.
County commissioners have approved a proposal by county emergency management
agency director Joshua Whitcomb to donate the surplus tower to the ham
club. He told the commission that it wasn't worthwhile for the county
to take on $30,000 worth of repairs that the tower needs. The tower has
already been taken down and the club would need to transport it to their
headquarters.
The tower is being viewed as a useful addition to the club's network
to support the county's emergency backup communications. County attorney
John Porter told the commission that he approved the donation because
the tower would be used for emergency notification and public safety..
The club's website notes that a big part of the mission of Jackson County
ARES is to coordinate during disasters with the emergency management
agency and other public service agencies.
This is Jack Parker W8ISH.
(JACKSON COUNTY SENTINEL, JACKSON COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)
**
FOR 11-YEAR-OLD CW OP, A MILESTONE MEMBERSHIP NUMBER
NEIL/ANCHOR: What's in a number? Ask a young radio operator from upstate
New York. Daniel Garcia W2DIY tells us about her.
DANIEL: Congratulations to Maggie Flowers, KE2AIZ, who has been declared
member number 10,000 in the Long Island CW Club. The 11-year-old New
York amateur, who is a fifth generation ham, received her license at
age 7 and quickly developed a fascination for CW, which she pursued.
She has since become an avid CW contester and a mentor to other youngsters.
She says on her page on QRZ.com: "CW is my first language."
Her recognition, published in the LICW Club's most recent newsletter,
comes after the club decided that conferring this milestone member number
should represent the future. The newsletter announcement states: [quote]
Member number 10,000 represents not only Maggie and what she has already
accomplished, but also the future of Morse code and the importance of
passing this wonderful tradition from one generation to the next." [endquote]
This is Daniel Garcia W2DIY.
(QRZ.COM; RON PANETTA, WB2WGH, LICW)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the world of DX, listen for special event station W2T which will be
on the air on Friday, September 11th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time
to mark the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks in the United States.
The NorthEast Wireless Radio Club NW2C will be operating from Fort Totten
in the borough of Queens. Listen for them calling CQ on the HF bands
using SSB, CW and FT8.
Luca, IK5AEQ, is using the callsign IA5/IK5AEQ from Giannutri Island,
IOTA Number EU-028, from the 9th through to the 14th of September. He
will be using SSB, the FT modes and RTTY on 40-6 meters.
Jacek, SP5EAQ, will be calling CQ as 5W0AF from Apia, Samoa, IOTA Number
OC-097, from the 21st of September through to the 12th of October. He
will operate SSB on 80-10m.
Operators using the callsign CS5AIRA/M will be on the air on the 12th
of September from 10 am to 5 pm local time, activating at the Aveiro
base of Infantry Regiment No. 10, in Portugal. A.I.R.A is an Aveiro,
Portugal, based association supporting ham radio operators.
Antonio, who is in Uganda doing humanitarian work, will be active in
his spare time as 5X3M through to the end of December of 2027. Antonio
is operating on SSB and can be heard on various HF bands.
Special-event operators from the D A R C are using two special event
callsigns for different events from the 1st through to the 30th of September.
Listen for DB26YLBB, marking the F I B A Women's Basketball World Cup,
which is being hosted in Berlin from September 4th through the 13th.
Listen also for DMØCRACY, commemorating the International Day of Democracy,
which the United Nations declared to be the 15th of December.
For information about any of these stations, or QSL instructions, see
QRZ.com
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: HAMS HIT THE ROAD FOR 200 MILES OF SAFE CYCLING
NEIL/ANCHOR: For our final story, we travel to the western US, where
ham radio operators in four US states are preparing to support the longest
bicycle race in North America to be sanctioned by the organization, USA
Cycling. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB tells us what's involved.
RALPH: The numbers are daunting: an estimated 1,700 cyclists; a distance
of more than 200 miles; three mountain passes along a course that, at
some points, approach 9,800 feet.
None of this can be done on the 12th of September without the more than
100 amateur radio operators who have helped to support this event since
1991. The race is known as the LoToJa.Classic, a shorthand for Logan,
Utah to Jackson, Wyoming, which is the beginning and endpoint of a course
with limited cellular coverage and plenty of risks along the way.
The ham radio safety net is being coordinated by the Bridgerland Amateur
Radio Club. One of the organizers, Kevin Reeve, N7RXE, said in a press
release that hams are deployed in various ways throughout the course
to keep the support continuous. That requires 35 radio-equipped vehicles
along the course, some of them roving while others follow the packs of
cyclists. They often spend as many as 14 hours on the road.
The course itself is covered by 10 ham repeaters in addition to two portable
mountaintop repeaters and one portable canyon repeater. Whether there
is a mechanical breakdown, a medical incident or a lost rider, the goal
is to keep track of - and assist - everyone as necessary.
According to the race director, Brent Chambers, the ham volunteers are
essential to the event because their communication goes on, uninterrupted.
They are perhaps just as important as the bicycles and the road beneath
their wheels.
This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
(KEVIN REEVE, N7RXE; TYLER GRIFFITHS, N7UWX)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, AMSAT News; ARISS-USA; Calgary Herald;
the CBC; CTV News; David Behar, K7DB; 425 DX Bulletin; Jackson County
Amateur Radio Club; Jackson County Sentinel; Kevin Reeve, N7RXE; LICW
Club; QRZ.com; Ron Panetta, WB2WGH; Tyler Griffiths, N7UWX; Wireless
Institute of Australia; World Radiosport Team Championship; Xinhua News
Agency; 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Union Kentucky saying
73. As always, we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm)
is Copyright 2026. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material
even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
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