Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Thu Apr 28 2022 22:36:53 HAMS PREP FOR ARMED FORCES DAY CROSS-BAND EXERCISE DON/ANCHOR: May is a busy month in the United States on the amateur radio calendar. There's Hamvention opening on the 20th of May - and just a week before, on May 14th, there's the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band exercise. Jack Parker, W8ISH, has the details. JACK: Ham radio and government radio operators will be sharing messages and testing their operating efficiency starting at 1300 UTC on May 14th in an exercise hosted by the US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System, or MARS. They'll be taking part in the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band exercise, an interoperability event with a history that goes back more than 50 years. Hams will be listening for stations on US military frequencies and transmitting on nearby amateur frequencies. Participating hams will be able to confirm their contacts with a QSL card. Hams copying messages from US Army and US Navy stations can request a QSL card online using the form at the website that appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org FOR PRINT ONLY: https://www.usarmymars.org/events ] Hams seeking a QSL card from US Air Force stations whose messages they have copied should send a request by mail to the Armed Forces Day Celebration, Chief, Air Force MARS, 203 West Losey Street, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225. According to the Department of Defense website, the numerous military stations transmitting messages will include Travis Air Force Base in California, the Newport Naval Radio Station Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, the US Coast Guard Base in Alameda, California, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the Barrow Army Reserve Center in Kentucky. Although Armed Forces Day is May 21st, the test is being run a week earlier to accommodate Hamvention. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH. (US DEPT OF DEFENSE) ** MAINE AMATEURS RECEIVE TRAINING TO ASSIST DISASTER RESPONDERS DON/ANCHOR: A group of amateurs in the state of Maine feels a little more ready for the next big emergency to come along. They've just completed some important training. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us more. KEVIN: Members of the Aroostook [pronounced: uh-ROO-stick] County Amateur Radio Emergency Services just got another tool to add to their amateur radio kit: Training to function as CERT, the acronym for Citizen Emergency Response Team. Brian Goff, KC1NHJ, the community outreach planner for the county's emergency management agency, told WAGM-TV that the CERT members provide support to search and rescue personnel as well as those administering first aid. He said even if the hams are not directly involved in providing the actual hands-on assistance, their use of radios is invaluable in getting the word out especially if cell towers may not be working. Their training took place on a Saturday in the middle of April. The CERT members' first big test will come in just a matter of weeks when they will test their new skills by participating in an emergency drill. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE. (WAGM-TV) ** FCC FILING SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN ON FIRST DAY OF NEW FEE DON/ANCHOR: On the day the FCC's new ham radio license application fees took effect, a system outage halted the agency's electronic batch filing system and files could not be processed. The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent out a notice to league members making them aware of the shutdown that occurred on Tuesday, April 19th. The FCC had asked that no further files be submitted for exam sessions or license applications until the issue could be resolved. The system was back on line, however, a few days later. The Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent a notice to league members on Saturday, April 23rd saying that processing was restored and business could proceed as usual. The FCC was expected to begin reducing the backlog even as new files arrived. The FCC has previously said that the new $35 charge was necessary to cover staff costs associated with the application process, even though the review system is largely automated. (ARRL, FCC) ** INDIAN ENGINEERING SCHOOL HOSTS 2-DAY INTRO TO AMATEUR RADIO DON/ANCHOR: One of India's pre-eminent engineering universities was the scene of a workshop on amateur radio basics. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, gives us that report. GRAHAM: More than three dozen engineering and science students and their instructors were introduced to amateur radio and all its elements during a workshop held April 5th and 6th in Gujarat, India. Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, regional coordinator of AMSAT-India, gave the presentation at PDEU, one of the Indian state's top engineering schools. In addition to gaining familiarity with various types of amateur radio equipment and the modes of communication, the students watched practical demonstrations, including Slow Scan TV, PSK-31 and Morse Code and learned to operate an HT. They also heard the stories behind many of the QSL cards on display throughout the two-day programme. Some careful planning ahead allowed the students to experience amateur radio contacts using the AO-91 Cubesat and had prearranged QSOs with Lucky, VU2LBW, and Kaustav, VU2UUU. Rajesh wrote that both four-hour days had a packed schedule and he hoped the students had gained insights into amateur radio's popularity and possibilities. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. (SOUTHGATE) --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33) .