Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Thu Nov 26 2020 22:02:05 IOWA STUDENTS TRACK BALLOON'S GLOBAL TREK PAUL/ANCHOR: Youngsters in Iowa got a lesson in world travel and amateur radio recently, thanks to an adventurous balloon they launched as a science project. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, has that story. RALPH: A group of science students in Pella, Iowa feel like they've been around the world - and in a way, they have. It took 13 days, 2 hours and 8 minutes for the 150 fifth-graders from the Jefferson Intermediate School to complete the journey on November 18th that involved crossings over the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The students stayed home, of course, but their hearts and minds traveled with a helium-filled scientific balloon they'd launched with support from the Pella Amateur Radio Club. It was launched carrying a SkyTracker with APRS that had been designed and built by Bill Brown, WB8ELK. The Near Space balloon transmitted on 2 metres as it carried the callsign WB0URW-8 around the world as the students kept tabs on it on their computers and smartphones. Jim Emmert, WB0URW, said that with financing from local foundations, the Pella club has been working with students at the school for a while now, presenting various lessons in the fields of earth science and amateur radio technology. The balloon - the latest such venture - was a success. Not one to rest on its helium-filled laurels, the balloon returned home, according to Jim, only to embark on its second such journey. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB. (JIM EMMERT WB0URW) ** ISS PREPS FOR SLOW-SCAN TV TRANSMISSION PAUL/ANCHOR: Get ready for some Slow-Scan TV. The International Space Station is scheduled to have an SSTV transmission on Tuesday, December 1st starting at 12:30 UTC until 18:25 UTC. There will be a second transmission on Wednesday, December 2nd from 11:50 UTC until 18:25 UTC. Listen for SSTV signals to be downlinked at 145.800 MHz +/- Doppler shift. The mode of transmission is expected to be PD 120. You will be able to post your images in the online ARISS SSTV gallery. For updates on this event, follow the Twitter account with the handle at-symbol ARISS underscore status (@ARISS_status). (AMSAT) ** AM ENTHUSIASTS IN EUROPE SET DATE FOR QSO PARTY PAUL/ANCHOR: Organizers of this next event in Europe aren't calling it a contest but a celebration. It's all about AM, as Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains. JEREMY: The coming winter just become a little warmer in Europe. The Facebook group known as AM Amateur Radio Europe is putting the final touches to plans for its Winter 2021 AM QSO Party. It will run from Friday the 22nd of January at 1800 UTC until Sunday the 24th of January at 1759 UTC. Organisers stress that although points and certificates will be awarded, this is not a contest; it is designed to encourage conversation between amateurs using the original ham radio voice mode. Points are awarded for each QSO, and each new DXCC worked, and there are power categories that accommodate each level of the UK licence. For details, visit the AM Amateur Radio Europe group's Facebook page. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH. (FACEBOOK) ** SOTA ACTIVATION, WYONG FIELD DAY ON AUSTRALIA'S HAM CALENDAR PAUL/ANCHOR: It looks like 2021 is almost here - and with it, two big events in Australia. Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, has those details. ROBERT: There's good reason hams in Australia can't wait to put 2020 behind them: Plans are already in the works for a SOTA summit activating event in the Mount Hotham Ski region. This would be the fifth such event and organisers are looking for expressions of interest from SOTA members. The event would take place between the 5th and the 8th of February 2021. No event was held this year because of the bush fires in the North East and Gippsland. Brian, VK3BCM, asks that interested SOTA activators email him at bcmcdermott at tpg dot com dot au (bcmcdermott@tpg.com.au) It will be a big month as the Wyong Field Day is happening on Sunday the 28th of February. The 62nd annual event in New South Wales is the Southern Hemisphere's largest amateur radio event. Radio enthusiasts from around Australia and from overseas are expected to be there. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead, VK3DN. (SOTA REFLECTOR, CENTRAL COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB) --- SBBSecho 3.11-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (618:250/33) .