Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Mar 19 2021 00:15:12

STARLINK FLEET ADDS 60 NEW SATELLITES

NEIL/ANCHOR: High up above the Earth, the Starlink fleet of satellites is 
growing, and Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us about the newest additions.

JIM: Sixty additional internet satellites were added to the Starlink fleet 
after a March 11th launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The 
satellites, however, weren't the only things of interest on board. A number 
of radio enthusiasts have been reporting on reddit.com, Hackaday and 
similar websites that they were able to receive the Falcon 9 spacecraft's 
telemetry downlink on 2232.5 MHz. Some of the innovators reported that they 
were able to demodulate the signal, convert it into binary data and then 
plain text. Two hackers in particular were reported to have received the 
transmissions using a repurposed satellite dish and an open source SDR 
peripheral known as a HackRF.

Of course, while they were all listening and decoding, most of the rest of 
us were simply waiting to learn that in the skies just 180 miles south of 
New Zealand, 60 newcomers now raised the total of the Starlink fleet to 
total to 1,265 satellites.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(HACKADAY)

**

CONTACT THE 'LAST MAN STANDING' SPECIAL EVENT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Just a reminder: Don't forget to get on the air between March 
24th and March 30th as the amateur radio community says "thanks" and 
"goodbye" to American TV's popular "Last Man Standing" show which put 
amateur radio back in prime time with main character Mike Baxter, KA0XTT. 

The show is ending its 9-year run. Be listening for special event station 
KA6LMS as operators coast-to-coast in the U.S. and in Canada call QRZ. If 
you're near your radio anywhere in the world be listening on SSB, CW, FT8, 
DSTAR, DMR, YSF, Satellite, Echolink, AllStar and more. For details visit 
the website g s b a r c dot o r g slash l m s (gsbarc.org/lms)

**

BREAK HERE: 

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, 
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the K6SIS repeater 
in Siskiyou County, California on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. local time.

**

RADIO PROVIDES TRAFFIC REPORTS FOR COVID VACCINATIONS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Do you remember last week's report about a Washington, D.C., 
Traffic Information Station that was broadcasting a highway advisory that 
was 8 years old? We are happy to report this week that a similar low-power 
AM radio station in another U.S. city was used to broadcast an especially 
timely message, directing people to a drive-through clinic to get their 
COVID-19 vaccine. The message went out on 1630 AM in Denver, Colorado, 
transmitting prerecorded information in English and Spanish. It helped 
thousands of older Colorado residents arrive for their appointments at 
Coors Field, where 10,000 doses were given out.

(RADIO WORLD)

**

UK AMATEURS QUICK TO WELCOME 'SLOW CW'

NEIL/ANCHOR: A group of hams in the UK believes that slow CW provides the 
fast track to improving skills in code. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains.

JEREMY: Their numbers are not quite 500 strong but these CW enthusiasts are 
hoping to attract new members and change all that: They are radio amateurs 
living primarily in the UK — and when they send CW, they send it slowly. 
The group is known on Facebook as "SLOW CW UK" but despite its base of 
operations in the UK, anyone from anywhere in the world is welcome to join.

The hams meet most evenings on or near 3.555 MHz between 1930 and 2030 UTC 
and can often be heard calling "CW SLOW," sending at about 10 words per 
minute. Their goal isn't just to have a QSO but to improve sending and 
communications skills.

Visit the Facebook page "SLOW CW UK" for more details.

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

(FACEBOOK)
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