Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Nov 19 2020 23:38:42

REALTIME SPECIAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTS VIRTUAL SCI-FI CONVENTION

DON/ANCHOR: When COVID-19 turned a popular sci-fi convention into a 
virtual, socially distant event, some Chicago area hams got creative with 
some plans of their own. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, explains.

ANDY: In the Chicago suburbs, what started out as science fiction ended 
up as science fact. WindyCon, the well-attended annual science fiction 
convention had to be scrapped due to COVID-19 - but the event went 
forward anyway as a virtual convention known as Breezycon, on November 
13th through 15th. While sci-fi enthusiasts enjoyed panels, music and 
gaming during those three days, with socially distant chatter on the 
Discord app, hams from the DuPage Amateur Radio Club W9DUP showed their 
support as well. Taking their cue from Breezycon's change in plans - the 
move from in-person to virtual - special event station W9W got on the air 
too, just as scheduled -- and just as it had done in previous years for 
Windycon.

As things turned out, its operation was a virtual success: Using SSB, CW 
and FT-8, DuPage Amateur Radio Club hams operated their personal stations 
and paid tribute to sci-fi fans who were attending the big event from a 
safe distance.

Some might say this is truly the stuff of sci-fi. But for those radio 
operators among us who already lost this year's in-person opportunities 
at Hamvention, Friedrichshafen and the big Tokyo Ham Fair, this was 
simply ham radio, doing what it does best.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.

DON/ANCHOR: According to club vice president Daniel Gunderson, N9MUF, the 
four operators logged 149 contacts over the weekend -- 93 SSB, 49 FT8,
and 7 CW. Well-done.

(QRZ.COM, WINDYCON, DANIEL GUNDERSON N9MUF)

**

FLORA & FAUNA ACTIVATIONS SWEEP AUSTRALIA

DON/ANCHOR: Whether you're an activator or a chaser, you don't want to 
miss Australia's World Wide Flora & Fauna activation this month. Here's 
Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, to tell us more.

ROBERT: Hams in Australia are getting ready for their big World Wide 
Flora & Fauna activation weekend on the 28th and 29th of November. They 
are registering their call signs and locations with Paul, VK5PAS, the 
national coordinator. Paul is keeping track of amateurs who are involved 
so he can prepare a report at the conclusion of the event, and send out 
Activation Participation certificates. 

The many sites include Cape Blanche Conservation Park, Mornington 
Peninsula National Park, Murray Sunset National Park and Echo Sugarloaf 
State Reserve. There are more than 680 national parks throughout 
Australia so there's plenty to choose from.

By the way, if you're planning to chase the activators, they will be 
posting alerts to spot their operations on the website parksnpeaks.org

You can also consult the DX cluster at wwff dot co slash dx hyphen 
cluster (wwff.co/dx-cluster)

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead, VK3DN.

(WWFF AUSTRALIA)

**

ON-AIR TRIBUTE BEGINS TO INDIA'S PIONEER BOSE

DON/ANCHOR: How do you pay proper tribute to an early pioneer of wireless 
communication? You go on the air, of course -- and that's what is 
happening now in India, as we hear from John Williams, VK4JJW.

JOHN: He is honored by many in India - and well beyond - as the father of 
wireless communication. There is no question that Jagadish Chandra Bose, 
who was born on the 30th of November in 1858, left a sizable legacy to 
radio when he died in 1937. Every year for the past 15 years, Datta 
VU2DSI has gone on the air as a reminder to hams everywhere that we owe 
much to this progressive-thinking 19th century born man of science and 
his experiments, including communication in the microwave frequency range 
using a Galena crystal in his 60 GHz receiver.

This year, Datta will honor Bose by operating with the call sign AU2JCB,
between the 20th of November and the 15th of December. He will be joined 
by a number of other stations operating as well with JCB in the suffix.

For more details visit the QRZ.COM page for AU2JCB, and be listening.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(DATTA VU2DSI, QRZ.COM, BRITTANICA)

**

BREAK HERE: 

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, 
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W4HPL	
repeater of the Cookeville Repeater Association in Cookeville, Tennessee,
on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. Central Time.
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Win32
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (454:1/33)

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