Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Feb 11 2022 05:30:38 Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2311, for Friday, February 11th, 2022 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2311, with a release date of Friday, February 11th, 2022, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. A peak moment for a SOTA activator in Argentina. A preeminent microphone company changes hands -- and an APRS pioneer becomes a Silent Key. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2311, comes your way right now. ** ONE HAM'S HF RADIO 'FIRST' ON HIGHEST PEAK IN THE AMERICAS JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with the story of a ham who has just achieved a peak experience atop another peak - this one in South America. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us about him. ED: An Argentine amateur radio operator has accomplished the first HF activation of the highest peak in the Summits On the Air programme, fulfilling a long-standing goal. On January 10th, Diego Lizarraga, LU9MZO, operated from Aconcagua (Pron:a.kon.ta.gwa), which at nearly 7,000 metres high and is also the highest peak in the Americas. This is the first time any amateur radio operator has made contacts from Aconcagua using one of the HF bands (the previous and first activation in 2019 was executed using 2 metres FM). According to reports, he spent an hour and a half on the air using 40 metres and found time as well to work some stations on VHF and UHF. His total for the day was 64 contacts, with 15 of them on HF. He was heard as far away as Buenos Aires, San Luis (Pron:San Luise), Mendoza provinces in Argentina as well as into Chile. His dream of operating from there on HF had been a few years in the planning and the timing worked out well for him. As he descended from the peak to a base camp some 4300 metres below, snow had already begun to fall. On January 12th, he returned to the entry of Aconcagua Park where he was cheered on by friends and relatives. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP. (SOTA, THE YL BEAM) ** PROMINENT US MIC COMPANY HEIL SOUND IS SOLD JIM/ANCHOR: In the United States, Heil Sound, which has been run by Bob Heil, K9EID, and his wife, Sarah, for decades, has been sold. The Heils announced the purchase of the well-known professional microphone company by Ash Levitt and Steve Warford. Ash, the company's president and CEO, and Steve, director of operations, are veterans of the business, having worked with Bob since they were teenagers. Bob will remain with the company as founder and CEO emeritus, continuing to do product design for the amateur radio market. Heil Sound has been in business since 1966. (HEIL SOUND) ** INDIA'S NEWEST HAMS PREP FOR DISASTER JIM/ANCHOR: In India, a group of newly licensed hams is about to prep for the worst with a mock disaster drill. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has those details. GRAHAM: Civil defense volunteer Dipak Giri is awaiting his new call sign and a new assignment. He was recently among the more than two dozen volunteers who successfully completed the three-month amateur radio training course online with the Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster Management in West Bengal. Rinku Nag Biswas, VU2JFB. secretary of the academy, is proud of all the graduates, who like Dipak, now face their next challenge: a mock disaster drill that will be held in March by the local government to test their capabilities in handling real-life crises. In a real disaster, such as a tornado, earthquake or cyclone, they would be the first responders in an area near the Sundarbon Forest which has no internet or mobile phone service. According to Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, many of the academy's students received their field training during January's Ganga Sagar Mela, a religious pilgrimage that draws thousands to West Bengal from across India. Ambarish Nag Biswas is secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club whose hams have traditionally provided emergency communication during this massive gathering. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. (WEST BENGAL RADIO CLUB) --- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7) .