Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Dec 11 2020 08:30:28 Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2250 for Friday, December 11, 2020 Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2250, with a release date of Friday, December 11, 2020, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a QST. Australian hams are denied access to 60 metres; Northern Lights in the northern U.S. -- and a talk with Newsline's International Newsmaker of the Year. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2250, comes your way right now. ** BILLBOARD CART ** SOLAR FLARE BRINGS VISIBLE AURORA TO NORTHERN U.S. STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In our top story this week, the Northern Lights put on a big sky show for the northern portion of the United States following a coronal mass ejection's collision with the Earth's magnetosphere. Starting on Wednesday, December 9th, northern U.S. residents had their eyes on the skies for the aurora borealis from Washington state and Oregon all the way east to Maine. The Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the light show was set off after a solar flare erupted from a sunspot on Monday, December 7th. Though the conditions may have created a thing of beauty in the sky, amateurs may not have felt the same way dealing with intermittent conditions on the HF bands. (USA TODAY, FORBES, NOAA SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER) ** FACTORY FIRE EXPECTED TO AFFECT AUDIO SUPPLY CHAIN STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Japan, fire damage to a major semiconductor factory is expected to disrupt the availability of audio components worldwide. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, gives us those details. GRAHAM: An inferno that raged recently at a major audio-semiconductor factory in Japan is expected to have a stifling effect on the supply chain for both professional audio and upscale consumer audio components, including amateur radio equipment. The three-day blaze consumed the AKM factory over an 82-hour period in late October. By the time firefighters got it under control, the building was so damaged that operations had to be shut. AKM is known for its DACs and ADCs - the digital-to-analog converter chips and analog-to-digital converter chips - used in the music and film industries, and in radios. SemiMedia, a news source for the semiconductor industry, reported that production of the chips is not likely to resume for at least six months, prompting companies reliant on AKM to anticipate being caught short. In November, however, AKM issued a statement saying it plans to work with cooperating manufacturers, and will prepare to outsource its production of the chips. A report in SemiMedia noted that despite this: [quote] "Industry insiders said that the shortage will be difficult to solve in the short term, which will become the biggest chip supply difficulty encountered by the audio industry over the years." [endquote] For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. (STRATA-GEE.COM, SEMIMEDIA) ** AUSTRALIAN HAMS DENIED 60M ACCESS STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Australian amateurs have been denied use of the 60- metre band. Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, brings us that report. ROBERT: On the heels of a similar move by regulators in New Zealand, Australia's communications regulator has decided not to permit secondary access to the 60-metre band for the nation's hams. The December 7th announcement comes in spite of positive results to the survey done by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, favouring secondary-use status. The decision affects access to the 5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz band. The ACMA supported its decision in a statement saying: [quote] "Public and non-public submissions from the Department of Defence showed that expanding the use of the 5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz band to potentially several thousand amateur operators could impact important radiocommunications operations. The ACMA recognises the high level of interest shown by the amateur community in adding this band, and understands there will be disappointment." [endquote] The ACMA called its decision appropriate and consistent with the Radiocommunications Act of 1992. It added [quote]: "In particular, this includes supporting defence and national interest objectives." [endquote] For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Broomhead, VK3DN. (ACMA) --- SBBSecho 3.11-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (618:250/33) .