Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Dec 11 2020 08:30:47

BREAK HERE: 

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio 
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the 
VK8MA repeater in Australia's Northern Territory on Sundays at 7 p.m. 
local time.

**

AMSAT IRELAND SEEKING MEMBERS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With a new callsign and an ambitious agenda, AMSAT 
Ireland has launched itself. Here's more from Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: After years of planning and waiting, AMSAT Ireland has 
announced that its organisation is complete and it has become active 
with a callsign of EI2SAT. AMSAT Ireland is now seeking ham radio 
operators and other enthusiasts to become members. The organisation is 
part of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, or AMSAT, which was 
created in the United States in 1969 to support ham radio's 
involvement in space research and communication.

The emergence of AMSAT Ireland comes as Ireland prepares for the 
launch of its first satellite, EIRSAT-1, the Educational Irish 
Research Satellite 1. It is being designed by a team of students in 
University College Dublin and academic staff is designing the 2U 
CubeSat as part of the European Space Agency's Fly Your Satellite 
programme.

Interested hams are asked to visit the website at www amsat dot ie 
(www.amsat.ie)

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

(SOUTHGATE)

**

CALIFORNIA CLUB NURTURES NEW, RETURNING AMATEURS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Because all hams need mentors, including those 
returning to the hobby after many years, one club in California has 
devoted itself to the task. Paul Braun, WD9GCO, tells us about them.

PAUL: One of the hot topics in any discussion today about the future 
of amateur radio is always, "How do we get more people interested?"
Another is, "Once we get them licensed, how do we keep them 
interested?"

One club in California was formed specifically to find some answers to 
those questions. Called GOTA Hams, they're a fairly new organization 
but they are very active and growing.

I spoke with Vice President Mark Arlotti, KM6AHY, about what the 
club’s goals were: 

ARLOTTI: GOTA Hams Amateur Radio Club is an active club. We wanted to 
put together a group that would be able to put new hams on the air and 
even get other hams that maybe had their callsign a while back active 
again. 

PAUL: Arlotti spoke about club activities. One thing is a regular 
“Radio in The Park” event to raise public awareness. Their other 
activities are more challenging: 

ARLOTTI: We also like to do field ops which is kind of like "Radio in 
the Park" but a little more distance. Like we'll go out to the desert 
or up to the mountains - we'll do a camping trip and set up a mobile 
station totally with batteries and solar panels. Next month in January 
we plan on going out to Quartzfest in Arizona.

PAUL: The club also has a very active net on a local repeater:

ARLOTTI: On a nightly basis, we do a ham net at 8PM on the WA6FZH 
repeater here in Southern California, and we do a roundtable where we 
answer questions and we talk about other things besides ham radio just 
to keep people together. We always ask for first-time callers, you 
know, and it’s a good opportunity for them to feel free to get on the 
air and talk and practice their skills. 

PAUL: The club's website is at gotahams dot com - that's G O T A hams 
dot com. 

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, be listening for members of the ARI Club of 
Grosseto, IQ5GR, on the air as IO5CNPP, until the 20th of December. 
They are activating in remembrance of the Heroes of the 1986 Chernobyl 
Nuclear Power Plant disaster. QSL direct to the address on Q R Zed 
..com or by the Bureau to IZ5RHU. A "Heroes of Chernobyl Diploma" is 
available. For more details, see Q R Zed .com.

Listen for a group of Senegalese operators on the air as 6V1A from 
Goree Island between December the 18th and 20th. They will be on CW 
and SSB on all HF bands. QSL using LoTW. If you want a direct QSL 
card, you can cover the costs via PayPal at 6 v 1 a dot a r a s at 
gmail dot com. (6v1a.aras@gmail.com)

In Bolivia, Antonio, EA5RM, will be active as CP1XRM, between January 
9th and 26th, working as a Solidaridad Medica and Radio-amateurs 
Without Frontiers NGO volunteer. He will be on the air on SSB and in 
the digital modes during his spare time. QSL via LoTW.

(OHIO PENN DX)
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Win32
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (618:250/33)

.