BRIGHT TIME FOR LIGHTHOUSE ON PEI
DON/ANCHOR: Coming off its 150th anniversary festivities, Canada has
something else to celebrate - a very special lighthouse on Prince Edward Island.
And who better to mark the occasion than amateur radio operators? Here's Amateur
Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD.
HEATHER: Built in 1845, the Point Prim lighthouse was the first lighthouse
on Prince Edward Island -- and there's no doubt that the things it has
seen in the last 172 years would give it a lot to say.
Soon, it will be doing just that, talking to the world: The Prince Edward Island
Amateur Radio Group will be activating the lighthouse on Saturday,
July 15, as part of the lighthouse's open house, marking its acquisition
last year by the Point Prime Lighthouse Society.
Radio operators will be calling CQ on all the HF bands, right through the
late afternoon hours of Sunday, July 16. Modes will include SSB and
PSK-31.
Hams who collect lighthouse QSOs will be happy to know that Point Prim
has been assigned the code CAN-809 by the Amateur Radio Lighthouse
Society, which keeps track of 15,000 lighthouses worldwide. Islands on
the Air also declares PEI as NA-029 in their list of islands around the
world.
Point Prim stands out among Canadian lighthouses as a brick structure,
with a distinctive round shape. It is, in fact, the only round brick
lighthouse on Prince Edward Island. It is also one of seven lighthouses
on the Island to be named on the National Heritage List. Now, the
lighthouse is about to distinguish itself with a reception featuring
music, guest speakers, a barbecue, free tours, and amateur radio. That
should establish it as quite a beacon.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.
(GEORGE DEWAR VY2GF)
**
LIGHTHOUSE-LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND REGISTRATION GROWS
DON/ANCHOR: Speaking of lighthouses, it's almost time for amateur radio
to celebrate the world's community of lighthouses and lightships, and the number
of participating locations keeps growing. For that story, we
welcome Amateur Radio Newsline's Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, who is joining us
on the air with his first report.
KEVIN'S REPORT: Don't expect any certificates or prizes or other perks
for contacts you may log next month during the International Lighthouse
and Lightship Weekend. The 20-year-old event is not a sprint, a contest,
or even an emergency drill. It's a celebration of these time-honored
navigational aides.
This year, the lighthouse activations will take place on the weekend of
Aug. 19th and 20th. Lighthouse registrations were already at 240 and
counting, as of the first week in July -- with Germany and Australia in
the lead. Many other nations will be participating as usual, including
South Africa, the U.S., Canada, Scotland and Wales.
There are also some new countries where hams can count on hearing "CQ" -
including Serbia, where you can listen for Alex, YU1CA, operating near
the banks of the Danube River, at the Tamis River West Lighthouse.
What it comes down to, is an event that's part fellowship, part public
relations. The activations are designed to be visible to visitors who
can stop by and see the hams in action. In a way that's keeping in the
true lighthouse spirit - shining a little light, so to speak, on the
amateur radio community.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.
(SOUTHGATE)
**
HAM CLUB IN UK FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL
DON/ANCHOR: One amateur radio group in a rural part of the UK has been
struggling to find creative ways to stay alive. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has that story.
JEREMY'S REPORT: The club in the small town of Workington, Cumbria,
announced on its website that all meetings at the Helena Thompson Museum
have been cancelled until September, but the September meeting will
indeed be held - to talk about the club's future. The club website noted
that a real action plan is needed in order to survive, and build
membership, or the club may ultimately face shutdown.
Alex Hill, G7KSE, told Amateur Radio Newsline in an email, that the club
has enjoyed a strong record over the years in training new hams, and had
great success with DXpeditions, special events and contesting. He noted,
however, that the membership has been aging, and the club is now
challenged about ways to attract an infusion of new amateurs to the club,
which is in the Western Lake District.
Alex said one option being explored is outreach to the Maker movement,
and code clubs as a way of boosting membership. As the club itself noted
on a web page about its future: [QUOTE] "At this stage, no idea is a bad
one." [ENDQUOTE]
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
(WORKINGTON and DISTRICT AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, ALEX HILL G7KSE)
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