Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Thu May 12 2022 19:18:24 Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2324 for Friday May 13th, 2022 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2324 with a release date of Friday, May 13th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Illegal use of amateur radio suspected in Japan. Brazil gets pro-active on solar panel RFI -- and pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart is honored on both sides of the Atlantic. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2324, comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART HERE ** REPORT: HAM RADIO USED ILLEGALLY ON TOUR BOAT THAT SANK NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week takes us to Japan where a report about a fatal tour boat accident says the operator may have made use of amateur radio illegally. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, takes up the story from here. JIM: A Japanese tour boat that sank last month, killing 11 of the 26 people on board, was making use of amateur radio illegally as one of its main communications methods, according to a report in one of Japan's main daily newspapers. Japan's Radio Act forbids the use of amateur radio for profit-making purposes but according to a report on the Mainichi Shimbun news site, the Yazu I tour boat relied often on ham radio to communicate with the office, other tour operators and other ships. The boat sank on April 23 off the Shiretoko Peninsula of Hokkaido in the northern Japanese waters. The news account said that it was believed that the captain of the boat was unable to get a signal on his mobile phone and the onboard satellite phone was broken. The news report said that another cellphone was used to summon help but did not identify who it belonged to. The report did not say what kind of distress led to the boat's sinking, nor did it say whether anyone also used amateur radio that day to summon help. Anyone found guilty of violation of the Radio Act faces a possibility of as much as one year in prison or a fine of 1 million yen, the equivalent of $7,700 in US currency. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF. (MAINICHI SHIMBUN, WASHINGTON POST) ** BRAZIL PASSES REGULATION LIMITING SOLAR PANEL RFI NEIL/ANCHOR: Brazilian lawmakers have passed a tough new law limiting RF interference from solar panels. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, brings us the details. JEREMY: Brazil took an important step in the containment of solar panel RFI by adopting new regulations and requirements that took effect on the 2nd of May. The ordinance governs the generation, conditioning and storing of electricity in photovoltaic systems. The move by Brazil's National Institute of Metrology and Quality was hailed by amateur radio operators, including members of the Spectrum Management and Defense Group of The Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão or LABRE, the Brazilian national amateur group. The Brazilian organisation provided guidance and feedback to the national institute with the help of the electromagnetic compatibility coordinator of the IARU and the ARRL. A statement in English translation on the LABRE website praises the new regulation which exceeds the language of its 2011 version by providing this kind of RFI protection for the first time. In translation into English, LABRE praised the measure, calling it [quote] "an effective advance in the protection of radiocommunications in Brazil against interference generated by photovoltaic systems." [endquote] For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH. (SOUTHGATE, LABRE) ** SILENT KEY: AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY CREATOR PHIL THOMAS, W8RMJ NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Newsline has lost a friend, a supporter and a colleague: Phil Thomas, W8RMJ, has become a Silent Key. Jack Parker, W8ISH, tells us about him. JACK: Members of the Germantown Amateur Radio Society in Ohio learned of the death of Phil Thomas, W8RMJ, in an email from the club's president, Phyllis Moyer, KE8CPM. According to the note, Phil became a Silent Key on Thursday night, May 5th. Phil was known more widely in the Ohio- Kentucky-Indiana area as the creator of Amateur News Weekly, a regional news report bringing local hams updates about amateur radio activities. Although he had put production of the newscast on hold recently because of health issues, he had hoped to restart the reports when his condition improved. Listeners to Amateur Radio Newsline were also familiar with Phil's voice: He was an occasional contributor to our weekly global newscast. Phil was first licensed in 1980 and later took the callsign of his late father, Clem. Phil and wife, Rilda, N8LJB, were licensed at the same time. Phil was a cofounder of the Germantown Amateur Radio Society and had been active in the MidCars Amateur Radio Service. The MidCars website lists him as one of the net's regular service control operators. At the time of his death he had been looking forward to attending Hamvention later this month. Phil was 70 years old. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH. --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33) .