Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jul 22 2022 08:48:34

RADIO SEIZED FOR INTERFERING WITH POLICE TRANSMISSIONS

PAUL/ANCHOR: In Texas, authorities cracked down after a hand-held radio 
caused emergency intereference with police transmissions. Mike Askins,
KE5CXP, brings us those details.

MIKE: Authorities in Graham, Texas, seized a handheld radio that they 
said had been transmitting illegally for months on emergency frequencies 
used by the Young County Sheriff's Office. According to local media 
reports, the transmissions on the dispatch channels often included the 
voices of a man, woman and some children yelling at one another and the 
sounds of a barking dog. A story in the Olney Enterprise newspaper said 
that the police were so hampered in using their own assigned frequencies 
that they often had to use cellphones instead to communicate.

Sheriff Travis Babcock contacted the Federal Communications Commission 
which provided him with an official statement to read on the emergency 
channel but that failed to bring the transmissions to a halt. The news 
report said that on July 8th two officers patroling in their car heard 
the unauthorized traffic and were able to track down the radio and its 
owner. The owner of the radio was not identified.

It was not clear what charges would be filed against the owners of the 
radio, which is now the property of the county sheriff's office. Charges 
could range from a misdemeanor for interfering with public duty to a 
federal offense for interfering with emergency communications.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mike Askins, KE5CXP.

(THE OLNEY ENTERPRISE, GRAHAM LEADER)

**

WISCONSIN EVENT CELEBRATES FLIGHT, HOSTS SPECIAL EVENT STATION

PAUL/ANCHOR: Aviation enthusiasts are getting ready to head to Wisconsin, 
or point their antennas in that direction, for a special event - and a 
special event station - celebrating flight. Randy Sly, W4XJ, brings us 
the details.

RANDY: More than 10,000 aircraft and a half-million flight enthusiasts 
will descend on Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from July 
25th to July 31st, turning it into the busiest airport in the world. It's 
time for AirVenture, sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association. 
Once again this year, it will not only involve being in the air but on 
the air…

The ARRL has supported AirVenture since 2018 with an exhibit encouraging 
pilots and aviation aficionados to discover radio communications and 
technology through amateur radio. Kids will get a chance to experience 
ham radio too: Volunteers at KidVenture will give youngsters an 
opportunity to build and take home a radio receiver capable of listening 
to air traffic and other nearby transmissions in the 65 - 140 MHz range.

If you aren't able to personally fly in or even drive in, you still have 
a chance to check in: A special event station, W9W, sponsored by the EAA 
Warbirds of America, will be operating on HF, VHF and UHF during 
AirVenture. More information about frequencies and operations of W9W can 
be found in the text version of this week's newscast at ARNewsline.org.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Randy Sly, W4XJ.

TEXT VERSION ONLY:

The special event station will be located on the Warbirds' grounds near
their headquarters, against the backdrop of the display of historic and
vintage ex-military aircraft. Look for W9W on 40 - 10 meters near 7.225,
14.250, 21.235, and 28.425 MHz. The station will also operate on the
2-meter and 440 MHz bands, simplex. A special event QSL card will be 
issued for contacts with W9W.

**

STATIONS SIGNING UP FOR LIGHTHOUSE AND LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND 

PAUL/ANCHOR: Most of us already know about beacons and the jobs they do 
for us as hams but what about the original beacons, the ones that have 
helped guide sailors by using beams of light? Amateur radio operators are 
again preparing to celebrate the world's lighthouses and lightships with 
an international weekend in August. Here's John Williams, VK4JJW, with 
the details.

JOHN: Though many of the world's lighthouses now operate by automation 
instead of the efforts of lighthouse keepers, there will be live 
operators at historic lighthouses around the world on the weekend of 
August 20th and 21st. They'll be operating radios instead of lighthouses 
but in doing so, they will honour them. 

This is the annual event known as the International Lighthouse and 
Lightship Weekend, which since 1993 has publicised the need to ensure 
these structures are not forgotten and are kept in good repair. What 
began as an event with 11 operations at lighthouses eventually grew to 
include 544 lighthouses and lightships across 56 countries in 2011. The 
48-hour activation begins at 0001UTC on August 20th, on all frequencies 
and in all modes. Radios will either be set up inside the lighthouses or 
directly nearby.The amateur radio event will be happening on the same 
weekend that the International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend is held by the 
Association of Lighthouse Keepers, whose members are committed to 
preserving lighthouse heritage.

Most importantly, it is not a contest. It is, in a way, a beacon in its 
own right, shining a light on these important treasures that have long 
served ships at sea for so long.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.

(ASSOCIATION OF LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS, ILLW)
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

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