Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jun 10 2022 14:09:39

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2328 for Friday June 10th, 2022

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2328 with a release date of Friday,
June 10th, 2022 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A big leap for parachute mobile. The BBC visits 
Marconi's original test site -- and when is a QSL card more than that? All 
this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2328, comes your 
way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART 

**

HAM CHARGED WITH INTERFERENCE FACES RECORD FINE

JIM/ANCHOR: We begin this week with breaking news. An Idaho amateur
radio operator is facing a record fine of its kind from the Federal 
Communications Commission for what the agency said was deliberate 
interference with aircraft battling a 1,000-acre wildfire.

The agency's notice of apparent liability, issued June 8th, called the 
proposed $34,000 fine the largest known for this charge of endangering 
public safety. The "Johnson Fire" raged last year near Elk River on 
national forest land where the US Forest Service and the Idaho Department 
of Lands were trying to contain it.

According to Radio World Magazine, Jason Frawley, WA7CQ, told the FCC he 
was attempting to help the firefighters. The FCC's statement, however, 
claims that the eight unauthorized transmissions were received on 
government frequencies from someone who identified himself as "Comm Tech." 
The FCC said Frawley holds eight microwave licenses, one business radio 
license, and is the owner of a company called Leader Communications. 

According to the FCC, Frawley has said he was attempting to help by 
providing additional details to guide firefighters. The FCC said that
the communication, however, still constituted interference and awaits 
Frawley's response before taking further action.

(RADIO WORLD MAGAZINE)

**

PARACHUTE MOBILE OPERATOR TAKES BIG LEAP FOR NEWCOMERS

JIM/ANCHOR: Now, here's an imaginative leap. Literally. It isn't always 
easy for new ops to take that big leap into HF operations as a Technician 
class operator in the US. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, tells us about one ham in 
Indiana, who took that leap with them.

ANDY: Carlos Felix, KD9OLN, has spent 12 years as a skydiver in Indiana 
and three of those years as a skydiving ham on the air. He started jumping 
from a plane holding an HT making 2m activations and progressed later to a 
small mobile rig with more power. This year, however, Carlos landed - or 
rather he leaped - into operating parachute mobile on 10m, specifically on 
28.419MHz. He said his first attempt last month didn't work out because of 
a damaged feedline. Carlos more than made up for it on Friday, June 3rd, 
by jumping twice from 13,000 feet, calling CQ parachute mobile. Among 
those answering his call was someone taking a big leap of their own while 
keeping both feet on the ground: a Technician class operator making a 
first-time contact on HF. Carlos said that's the whole point. He chose the 
10m band to give Technicians a taste of HF and encourage them to go 
forward to the next level. Many of his other HF jumps have used 
frequencies on 20m where Technicians have no privileges.

He said he couldn't do it without the support of the TOADS and Ham Radio 
Clubhouse Discord groups, who help coordinate and hold the frequency for 
him. It also helps that Carlos is a skydiving instructor and is qualified 
to teach tandem and accelerated free-fall. Mainly, though, he is just a 
ham taking a leap of faith, so that others will too.

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

(CARLOS FELIX, KD9OLN)

JIM/ANCHOR: Carlos later told Newsline he logged a total of nine QSOs 
during the June 3rd jump. The farthest distance was in southeast Georgia, 
a contact with KN4MMA. Well done!

**

BBC HIGHLIGHTS PORTABLE OPERATION WHERE MARCONI TEST OCCURRED

JIM/ANCHOR: Television viewers in the UK got a chance to experience the 
portable side of amateur radio thanks to a BBC program visiting the island 
where Marconi's first test occurred over water. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has 
those details.

JEREMY: On Flat Holm, an island in the UK's Bristol Channel, a BBC camera 
team found an amateur radio operator busy with an afternoon of contacts. 
The choice of location is not insignificant: The island is the first site 
where Marconi conducted tests of wireless communication over bodies of 
water.

Significant too was that the presenters of the popular BBC One TV show 
"Countryfile," covering Island life, should show a particular interest. 
The cameras watched as Ben Lloyd GW4BML made contact with other Summits on 
the Air operators activating hills elsewhere in England, Scotland and 
Wales. Ben's contacts, however, may have had a wider reach than just 
across the amateur bands.

This was a proud moment for SOTA to be in mainstream media: Ham radio held 
the spotlight in a popular national TV programme broadcast on Sunday 5th 
June, the episode is available for on-demand viewing for the next 11 
months on the BBC's iPlayer website.

Unfortunately, while Mr. Marconi's later tests succeeded in crossing the 
ocean, this programme cannot. Programmes on the BBC iPlayer are only 
capable of being seen by viewers in the UK.

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

(ESSEX HAM, ARN CORRESPONDENT)
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