Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Nov 19 2021 09:17:20 END OF AN ERA FOR HAM-OWNED BUSINESS IN NEW ZEALAND DON/ANCHOR: A business begun as a partnership nearly 3/4 of a century ago by a pair of amateur radio friends in New Zealand has new owners. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, brings us up to date. JIM: Seventy-four years after two amateur radio operators opened their retail doors as the New Zealand electronics business known as Jackson & Wills, the company has been sold. Jackson & Wills, which is located in Invercargill, bears the names of Douglas Jackson, ZL4GM, and Maurice Wills, ZL4GY, who became friends through amateur radio after World War II. In recent years, the company was run by the second generation: Maurice's son, Lindsay. Lindsay, who worked at Jackson & Wills for 34 years, noted that the inventory gradually shifted from analogue to digital equipment, reflecting the changes in technology. The buyer, Ashley Communications, has been in busines since the 1930s and was among the first to sell the original Tait mobile radios. According to a story on the Southland Times website, the Jackson & Wills staff will remain on the job after the sale closes. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF. (WIA, Southland Times newspaper) ** GRANT HELPS IRISH RADIO GROUP UPGRADE STORM-HIT STATION DON/ANCHOR: A prominent amateur radio group in Ireland can finally do some necessary repairs. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, tells us why. JEREMY: The weather has taken its toll on the station equipment where EI0MAR is operated by the Howth Martello Radio Group. The coastal location has left such antennas as a commercial Cobwebb and an HF vertical victimised by weather extremes. The group is going shopping for a new antenna and now they also have a grant of 800 euros, the equivalent of about $900 in US currency, to help with this and other needs, such as an up-to-date PC and a new rig. The Irish Radio Transmitters Society website announced that the grant is from its PAR, or Promoting Amateur Radio, fund. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH. (IRTS) ** WYOMING AMATEURS HELP COUNTY TEST EMCOMM TRAILER DON/ANCHOR: In Wyoming, radio operators have just completed a test that will help their county respond better to emergencies. Christian Cudnik K0STH, tells us more. CHRISTIAN: A large trailer could be seen parked in the lot at the Sheridan Community Land Trust's trailhead on November 13th, but its presence had nothing to do with any hiker using that Wyoming trail. Sheridan County Emergency Management had parked the vehicle, its new EmComm trailer, to conduct communications testing with the assistance of volunteers from the Cloud Peak Amateur Radio and Electronics Group, WY7SHR. The test was particularly vital to fire and law enforcement departments as well as EMS. Ryan Curry, WY7RDC, Cloud Peak's president, told Newsline that the county asked the hams to participate so they would become familiar with operations in the trailer, which they'd helped build. The hams' involvement was also needed because of their ability to set up cross- patch communications if the dispatch center, or primary frequencies, fail. It was a long day with an important mission. Ryan said the test was a first for the club, which deployed three amateurs to operate mobile and kept one at a base station monitoring the club's repeater as a backup. Following the fire warden's maps, the hams used county HTs to determine the limits of communication coverage at various locations, pinpointing any dead spots. The club is looking for more amateurs to participate in their EmComm activities. Please visit their website at cloudpeakradio dot org. (cloudpeakradio.org) For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH. (RYAN CURRY, WY7RDC) ** TWO-DAY CELEBRATION OF INDIAN AMATEURS' 100 YEARS DON/ANCHOR: When they couldn't hold their national hamfest as planned, hams in India decided to celebrate ham history — and you can participate too! Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us about it. GRAHAM: Although COVID-19 precautions spurred organisers to postpone Hamfest India until 2022, the Hamfest India 2021 organising Committee went ahead with plans to offer a national celebration online, marking 100 years of amateur radio in India. The commemoration of amateur radio's centenary in India was hosted by the Mysore Hams on the 13th and 14th of November, using the Zoom platform. The committee included Shankar Prasad, VU2SPK, and Madhukar, VU2MUD. The two-day programme was livestreamed on YouTube and a recording is available for viewing on the HamfestIndia 2021 channel there. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. (YOUTUBE) --- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7) .