IN AUSTRALIA, SPORADIC-E GOES THE DISTANCE
SKEETER: Two meters has been going the distance recently in Australia.
John Williams, VK4JJW, picks up that story for us.
JOHN: A remarkable opening recently on 144 MHz helped radio amateur
transmissions in Australia span 3,200 km, or not quite 2,000 miles on
the 15th of December. According to a report on the EI7GL blog, summer
Sporadic-E season takes the credit for the big opening in which WSPR
signals from John, VK2IJM, and David, VK2DVM, in Sydney, were copied in Western
Australia near Perth by Peter, VK6KXW. One-hop Sporadic-E is
typically limited to a distance of 2,300 kms, or 1,429 miles.
The blog post goes on to say that the amateurs believe this distance
was perhaps accomplished with two Sporadic-E hops. They noted that it
is rare for this to occur at 144 MHz and more commonly seen on the 6
metre band.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.
(EI7GL BLOG)
SKEETER: From that same EI7GL blog comes another bit of news -- this
time by way of meteor scatter. During this year's Geminid meteor
shower, a 144 MHz signal from Jon, OY9JD, in the Faroe Islands was
heard 3,075 kms - or 1,910 miles -- away in Bulgaria by Stamen,
(pronounced STAMMIN) LZ1KU. The blog notes that typically meteor
scatter contacts' maximum distance is about 2,300 kms, similar to that
of Sporadic-E. So the contact couldn't be attributed to one-hop meteor scatter.
According to the blog, it's now believed that Jon's signal may
have bounced off the International Space Station as it passed over
Europe.
**
EXTENSIONS GRANTED FOR GERMAN RADIO OPERATORS
SKEETER: German authorities have granted extensions to temporary
operations on various bands for radio amateurs - and they did it right
on deadline. Here's Ed Durrant, DD5LP, with the details.
ED: Just a little more than a week before a December 31st expiration
date, the German regulator BNetzA has extended the temporary use of a
number of bands for amateur radio operators and increased weekend top
band power levels, ensuring continued operations there through until
the end of 2021.
The IARU Region 1 website reports the weekend power increase to 750
watts output for class A and 100 watts for class E operators on the
1850-2000 kHz part of the German 160 metre band at which time contest
stations are allowed to use the band.
The regulator is also extending temporary use for 2320-2450 MHz (13cm),
5650-5850 MHz (5cm), 50-52 MHz (6m) and 70.150ù70.200 MHz (4m) bands.
Amateurs in Iceland have also received a renewed authorisation for the
use of 1850-1900 kHz in international contests in the new year. The
national group - Icelandic Radio Amateurs or IRA received the approval
on December the 4th from the Post and Telecom Administration (PTA). The
use is subject to the same requirements as use of the frequency range 1810ù1850
kHz.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.
(SOUTHGATE, IARU REGION 1)
**
AUSTRIAN HAMS GAIN ACCESS TO 60 AND 630 METRE BANDS
SKEETER: There's more room on the bands as well for amateurs in
Austria. Hams now have access to the 60 metre band from 5351.5 to
5366.5 kHz with a maximum EIRP of 15 watts and to 472 û 479 kHz at 1W
EIRP. This is consistent with other countries 60 metre access under the
ruling made at the ITU's World Radio Conference in 2015 and 630 metre
access from the ITU's WRC in 2012. Hams are secondary users on both 60
and 630 metres in countries where the bands are available.
(SOUTHGATE, SOTA REFLECTOR)
**
WHEN MORSE CODE GROWS ON TREES
SKEETER/ANCHOR: You may remember Newsline's story earlier this month
about London's Shard building sending Morse Code holiday messages from
its uppermost lights. In a similar way, a market town in Cheshire
England is using the lights on this season's Christmas tree to send the
dits and dahs of CW. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, to decode that tale.
JEREMY: This Christmas, the residents of Macclesfield are learning what
many military and ham radio operators have known all along: if you want
to ensure that a message gets out, send it in Morse Code. That's
particularly true this year with the town's Christmas tree. The tree
has traditionally been decorated with paper stars bearing handwritten
messages - but that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the
town council had a bright idea - an idea as bright as the lights on the
Macclesfield tree itself. The council commissioned a local art
collective to install holiday lights that would be able to flicker
messages sent in CW. People now send those messages by texting to a
dedicated phone number and they are converted into the flickering
language of illuminated dits and dahs.
The installation is being called Message in Lights, and it is designed
to encourage appreciation of the tree for everyone from a safe
distance. Who knows? It might also encourage appreciation of Morse
Code, too.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
(SOTA REFLECTOR)
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (57:57/10)
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