Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Oct 15 2020 22:52:24

HAMS PREP TO COMMUNICATE WITH HAWAIIAN RESEARCH SATELLITE

PAUL/ANCHOR: Elsewhere in the sky, and a bit higher up, there are plans 
for hams to be part of a satellite mission that began as a project in 
Hawaii. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, explains.

NEIL: The Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory has plans to collaborate with 
amateur radio operators to communicate with its Neutron-1 satellite to 
send and receive messages after the satellite is released in November from 
the International Space Station. Neutron-1 is carrying an FM repeater with 
a downlink on 435.300 MHz and an uplink on 145.840 MHz. It is expected to 
be in space for about one year.

The satellite will be controlled through a ground station at a local 
community college. The space flight lab will control the Neutron-1 via the 
GlobalStar network.

The Neutron-1 was launched aboard an NG-14 rocket from Virginia on Friday 
October 2nd as part of a resupply mission to the ISS. It is a project 
involving students, volunteers, faculty and staff at the University of 
Hawaii. Its mission is to measure neutrons in space and radiation coming 
from the sun.

The satellite is the space flight lab's second completed spacecraft. In 
2016, the failure of a suborbital rocket after launch caused the loss of 
the first iteration of the Neutron-1 payload.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(AMSAT)

**

CLASSES BEGIN (VIRTUALLY) AT ARES ACADEMY

PAUL/ANCHOR: School is in session for the New England ARES Academy in the 
U.S. but not the way it was originally planned. Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
explains.

HEATHER: The Northeast HamXposition/ARRL New England Division Convention 
was supposed to be hosting classes for the first New England ARES Academy 
but the current pandemic called everything off. Well, almost. Academy 
classes have still been going forward but now they are virtual. The 
coursework is being offered instead on the Zoom platform. The courses 
accommodate beginners with five Basic Track classes and work with more 
advanced amateurs in additional sessions and workshops. One-hour classes 
are being held on weeknights, and two-hour workshops take place on 
Saturday mornings.

The courses provide additional guidance in the ARRL's ARES training 
standards. The newly created New England ARES Academy grew out of the 
successful New Hampshire-ARES Academy program, which held classes for 
eight years at the New Hampshire State Fire Academy.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD.

(SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION)

**

BELGIUM HALTS HAM RADIO EXAMS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Not everything can be done remotely, however, Amateur radio 
candidates in Belgium may have to wait a little longer to take their 
tests. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has the details.

JEREMY: While many organisations around the world have gone online to 
administer amateur radio exams safely to candidates during the COVID-19 
pandemic, Belgium has announced all testing must be halted.

The communications regulator BIPT said its decision was made out of 
concern for the health and safety of BIPT staff and licence candidates. As 
a result, testing has been suspended temporarily.

Belgium's national amateur radio society said that the BIPT will contact 
the interested parties when examinations can return to normal. Candidates 
who have already registered and paid for the test will be able to re-
register without incurring extra costs and will receive priority for 
testing.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(SOUTHGATE)
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