Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2062 for Friday, May 5, 2017
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2062, with a release date of Friday,
May 5 2017 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. There's a tragedy in India - and hams respond.
Morse Code's ruled unnecessary in Taiwan -- and in Ohio, the Voice of
America Museum opens its doors for Hamvention. All this and more, as
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2062, comes your way right now.
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BILLBOARD CART
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HAMS AID RESCUE ON THE RIVER
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the report of a sudden -- and
tragic -- collapse of a jetty on a riverfront in India bustling with
commuters. Local hams rushed to the scene to assist with the rescue
efforts, as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline' Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
JEREMY's REPORT: Hams in West Bengal responded to a dramatic rescue
effort on a riverfront outside Kolkata, India after an aging wooden
jetty in disrepair collapsed, sending at least four people to their
death, and injuring more than a dozen. The jetty, which was in
disrepair, was crowded with more than 150 commuters, including school
children, at the time of its collapse in the Hooghly River, about 22
miles north of Kolkata on April 26. The commuters were waiting for
boats to ferry them to jetties on the opposite bank.
As local fishermen took their boats out into the water to pull victims
from the water, and others dived in, members of the West Bengal Radio
Club arrived on the scene with their 2-meter handheld transceivers,
and using EchoLink, contacted the club station VU2MQT 15 kilometers
away to assist in the rescue effort. Rinku Nag Biswas, VU2JFB, was at
the club station, and able to relay information. The EchoLink station
utilized the KM6EOM repeater of the Wanderers Amateur Radio Club in
Los Angeles, California after contacting its custodian Greg, KI6GIG.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
(HINDUSTAN TIMES, SOUTHGATE)
**
WHAT, NO MORE MORSE?
NEIL/ANCHOR: Morse Code has become history once again. It's no longer a
requirement for amateurs seeking their license in Taiwan. Here's more
from Amateur Radio Newsline's John Williams, VK4JJW.
JOHN'S REPORT: Following the lead taken by so many other nations,
Taiwan's National Communications Commission is preparing to do away
with the Morse Code requirement for amateur licensees in that nation.
The change, which is contained in a recent amendment, has already been approved,
but won't take effect immediately, because the amendment must
first be presented for public view for two months.
The NCC's frequency and resources department deputy director Chen
Chun-mu told the Taipei Times, that in addition to dropping the code
requirement, the amendment also extends the lifetime of an amateur
license from five years to 10, and allows hams with expiring licenses
to begin the renewal process as many as five months before the
expiration date. Presently, hams in Taiwan can only do this one month
before expiration.
Commission data reflects that 42,900 licenses have been issued by the
NCC for qualified operators between 2012 and 2016.
Morse Code became an optional part of global amateur radio after the
World Radiocommunication Conference of 2003, when the International
Telecommunications Union gave nations the right to decide individually
whether Code proficiency would remain part of their licensing
qualifications.
In the U.S., the FCC did away with the Morse Code requirement for the Technician
class entry level license in 1991, and a change that took
effect in 2007 eliminated the FCC code requirement from licenses
altogether. Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, and the UK,
also number among the many nations no longer requiring Morse.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.
(THE TAIPEI TIMES, RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN)
**
MALTA, UAE GET ON 60 METERS
NEIL/ANCHOR: Been on 60 meters lately? Well listen up, you might hear
some newcomers, as Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells
us.
JIM'S REPORT: It's getting a little bit busier on the air these days
between 5351.5 kHz and 5366.5 kHz, as hams in Malta and the United Arab Emirates
get the green light to get on the band. The Malta Communications Authority's new
national plan, gives amateurs there access to the 60
meter band on a secondary basis. The maximum power permitted is 15w EIRP.
Likewise, hams in the UAE are permitted to a maximum power of 15w EIRP.
Malta and the UAE join a number of nations that have been enjoying
privileges on 60 meters, including hams in the U.S., who were given
access by the FCC in 2012 for the band's use on a channelized basis.
Eight channels have also been available for hams in Israel since 2013
for General and Extra class licensees. The Cayman Islands, the Dominican
Republic and Greenland are among those nations also having access using
channelized operation.
Since the agreement at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015,
many countries who are new to the band are adopting the 15KHz band
rather than channels along with the 15 watts effective isotropic
radiated power limit.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
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* Origin: Temple of Doom BBS - tod.eothnet.com (57:57/1)
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