Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Thu Apr 15 2021 22:39:28 Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2268 for Friday, April 16, 2021 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2268 with a release date of Friday, April 16, 2021, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Volcanic eruptions stir hams on St. Vincent to activate. The FCC sets deadlines for RF exposure assessments -- and receiving the QSL of a lifetime. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2268 comes your way right now. *** BILLBOARD CART ** ISLAND HAMS ON ALERT AMID VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week comes from the Caribbean. Just weeks after receiving an emergency supply of batteries to assist with communications during a volcanic disaster, hams in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are now facing that exact scenario. Randy Sly, W4XJ, has that story. RANDY: St. Vincent islanders knew the eruptions were coming. The La Soufriere volcano had been dormant for 42 years on the Caribbean island until Friday, April 9th. As the volcanic unrest began and the pace of evacuations quickened, local hams maintained daily contact with regional disaster agencies. Carlos Alberto Santamaria, CO2JC, the IARU's Region 2 Emergency Coordinator, told Newsline in an email that hams throughout the region have been on the air around the clock, mainly using HF frequencies on 80 and 40 meters. Hams are also in contact with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. Winston Jeffery, J88AZ, is maintaining an Echolink gateway on 2 meters while another VHF repeater is being used for domestic communications. As Newsline reported just a few weeks ago, hams living in the Red Zone were given emergency batteries at the request of Donald De Riggs, J88CD, director of the Rainbow Radio League/Youlou Radio Movement amateur radio club. Ash is also blanketing the nearby island of Barbados. According to a report on CNBC, the West Indies Seismic Center said eruptions could continue for weeks or months. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ. (CNBC, Carlos Alberto Santamaria CO2JC, The Daily DX) ** FCC REQUIRES RF EXPOSURE EVALUATIONS STARTING MAY 3 STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Starting May 3rd, hams and many other radio users in the US are being required to evaluate human exposure to RF at their stations. The April 2nd public notice from the FCC does not change any RF exposure limits but sets a deadline for such evaluations at stations that are new or have added or modified their existing antennas or power. Amateurs will need to determine if their existing stations retain the same exemptions they had under the old rules. Hams who have already performed these evaluations needn't repeat them, unless changes have been made to their stations. The FCC has set a two-year period in which to conduct the exposure assessment. A free downloadable booklet about RF exposure, and other details about RF safety are available at the ARRL website.. Details about the FCC's policy on human RF exposure are available at the agency's website. See the printed version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org for links to both web pages. FOR PRINT ONLY, DO NOT READ: http://www.arrl.org/rf-exposure https://www.fcc.gov/general/fcc-policy-human-exposure (ARRL, FCC) ** TENNESSEE REPEATER SYSTEM AIDS STRICKEN HIKER STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A linked repeater system in Tennessee provided a communications lifeline for a woman hiking in a national park. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, brings us that story. KEVIN: A woman in distress while hiking with a group inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was brought to safety late on Sunday night, April 11th, with the help of communications over the W4KEV repeater system in Tennessee. With no cellular service available in the park, hiker Timothy Luttrell, KA9EBJ, used his HT to hit the repeater in Gatlinburg which was linked to one in Knoxville, which was being monitored by David Manuel, W5DJR. Timothy told David that a woman in the hiking party had suffered exhaustion and possibly dehydration and needed assistance. David notified Emergency Medical Service as well as a medic who was part of the park search team to help assess her condition via a series of questions. Meanwhile, phone calls were placed to the hiker's family. With questions relayed over the repeater, the medic determined the woman was stable enough to accompany the other hikers as they continued slowly down the trail, maintaining contact when possible. Arrangements were made for the hikers to meet with search and rescue officers in a parking area - and ultimately for the woman's safe pickup by her family. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE. (KEVIN DUPLANTIS W4KEV) --- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (454:1/33) .