Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Thu May 20 2021 19:27:56 BATTERY DEVELOPED IN AUSTRALIA PROMISES IMPROVED ENERGY DON/ANCHOR: If you're a portable operator always on the lookout for changing battery technology, this new development from Australia might make you stop and think. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, tells us about it. GRAHAM: A manufacturer in Brisbane, Australia is claiming to have created an aluminum-ion battery with a charging speed as much as 60 times faster than that of top-quality lithium-ion cells. The company, Graphene Manufacturing Group, also says the newly developed aluminum-ion coin cell is capable of holding three times the energy of other aluminum-based cells. The batteries are said to last three times longer than the lithium-ion variety. This development relies on nanotechnology developed at the University of Queensland, according to a recent article in Forbes magazine. The battery was created by inserting aluminum atoms into perforations made in graphene planes. The company claims that because the batteries lack an upper Ampere limit that would otherwise cause spontaneous overheating, the batteries are also safer. The stable base materials also facilitate their recycling later. The company hopes to bring these cells to market by the end of 2021 or early 2022. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. (FORBES) ** BRIDGING THE GAP: HAM CAM INTERNATIONAL DON/ANCHOR: With eyeball QSOs becoming less likely during the past pandemic year, hams have relied on different ways to get together when they're not on the air. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, tells us about an international group that employs a unique hybrid of voice and video that taps into the internet. DAVE: The friendships that amateur radio operators form over the air have taken on a new dimension for the 240 or so hams in 45 nations who belong to Ham Cam International. These licensed amateurs contact each other using streaming video over internet protocol, or SVOIP, using a streaming video system known as Jitsi. Murray Green, K3BEQ, one of the core members, told Newsline: [quote] "These dedicated amateurs have the best of two worlds. They not only communicate with each other by voice but have the added benefit of video and that makes a big difference in bonding with each other." [endquote] By adding video, the hams can visit one another's shacks, tour parts of one another's countries and have more personalized discussions about their other ham activities such as DXing, contesting, digital communications and satellites. He said that this has given an especially big advantage to hams who live in neighborhoods with antenna restrictions, or have financial issues that preclude them from setting up a home station capable of DX. It's a cultural exchange featuring amateurs from the US, Africa, Isle of Man, Kuwait, Australia, Europe, Israel, and elsewhere having round table discussions on a daily basis. Membership is free to licensed amateurs. Additional details can be found at hamcaminternational dot com (hamcaminternational.com) For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Dave Parks, WB8ODF. ** ARISS SELECTS 9 US GROUPS FOR 2022 CONTACTS DON/ANCHOR: A Michigan library; a Long Island, New York Boy Scout district; and an Ohio high school are among the nine organizations chosen by Amateur Radio on the International Space Station to begin the planning process for students to make contacts with crew members on the ISS between January and June of next year. The successful applicants are: Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio; Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell, Virginia; Lewis Center for Educational Research in Apple Valley, California; Matinecock (Muh-TINNA-COCK) District of the Suffolk County New York Boy Scouts in Medford, New York; McBride High School in Long Beach, California; Old St. Mary's School in Chicago; Salem-South Lyon District Library in South Lyon, Michigan; Sussex County Charter School for Technology in Sparta, New Jersey and the Space Hardware Club in Huntsville, Alabama. Their selection means each group must now present an equipment plan to ARISS' technical team describing how they will successfully host the contact. ARISS will then select the final organizations for the contacts and place them on the schedule. (ARISS) ** ISS RADIO OPERATING IN CROSS-BAND REPEATER MODE DON/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the Interoperable Radio System aboard the International Space Station is active in cross-band repeater mode through mid-June, according to the ARISS website. The radio will be turned off on the 2nd of June during the Russians' EVA. The cross-band repeater operates on an uplink of 145.990, with a 67 Hz tone, and a downlink of 437.800 Mhz. In mid-June, the radio will change to the Automatic Packet Reporting System mode. ARISS spokesman Dave Jordan AA4KN told Newsline that since the interoperable radio system is considered an experiment, modes in use are subject to change. (ARISS) --- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33) .