Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Sep 02 2021 19:49:55

AMATEUR RADIO TEAM EYES NASA'S GATEWAY PROJECT

JIM/ANCHOR:  If you're old enough to remember when amateur radio first 
went on the air on the International Space Station almost 21 years ago, 
you can probably appreciate the slow and careful effort that's being made 
now with respect to NASA's Gateway project, the multi-purpose station 
being designed for eventual lunar orbit. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, tells us 
about ham radio's interest in the project.

NEIL: The amateur radio exploration team (AREx), an international team of 
ham radio organizations, is crossing its collective fingers that one day 
ham radio will be welcome aboard the NASA's Gateway project in much the 
same way ham radio eventually ended up on the ISS.

Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, a co-leader of the team, said AREx is "cautiously 
optimistic" that at some point one of the modules to be launched later 
for the Gateway may provide some optimal conditions for a ham shack, 
including access to reliable power from the sun and a good field of view 
of the earth to enable radio contacts. Even with those conditions met, 
however, NASA would still have to commit to a ham radio presence on 
board. Frank said: [quote] "We are being patient and working with NASA as 
to what is the best approach...We are just staying engaged." [endquote]

The Gateway's first modules are already earmarked to launch together 
commercially. Those are the HALO, the astronauts' pressurized living 
quarters, and the Power Propulsion Element. Frank said that modules to be 
launched after these first two may provide even richer fields of view of 
the earth. Meanwhile, unlike the development of the ARISS program on 
board the ISS two decades ago, he said, progress is expected to be 
intermittent.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

(NASA, FUNK TELEGRAMM MAGAZINE, FRANK BAUER KA3HDO)

**

FATHER-DAUGHTER CYCLISTS CONCLUDE RADIO EXPEDITION

JIM/ANCHOR: After a successful bicycle tour and fundraiser, a bicycling 
father-daughter team is back home in England. Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us 
how their adventure went.

ED: The father-daughter cycling ham radio team of Kevin Richardson, 
G0PEK, and Lauren Richardson, 2E0HLR, have come to their journey's end. 
Their Megacycle Expedition finished as planned on August 25th in northern 
Scotland. Starting at Land's End, it was a 28-day trek of more than 
1,700-kilometres and was a fundraiser for the Royal National Lifeboat 
Institution. They also raised contacts along the way via amateur radio, 
using their home call signs while on VHF and UHF during the day and using 
MX0KRO, the callsign of the Kent Active Radio Amateurs group, when 
camping.

Hams and non-hams alike followed them on Twitter and their Megacycle 
Expedition Facebook page where they got to see the two adventurers reach 
their finish line in northern Scotland. There, the duo even participated 
in International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend operating on HF from 
the lighthouse at Cape Wrath.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

(FACEBOOK)

**

BONAIRE AMATEURS FORM NEW AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

JIM/ANCHOR: What does it take to form a new amateur radio club? Sometimes 
it's just a handful of willing radio operators who share the same island 
in the southern Caribbean ocean. John Williams, VK4JJW, takes us there.

JOHN: The newest ham radio club on the world map is wasting no time 
getting things done. The Bonaire Amateur Radio Club PJ4BAR celebrated its 
recent birth by hosting a field day on Sorobon Beach from August 27th 
through to the 29th. For now, the fledgling club's membership boasts all 
nine active radio amateurs who call Bonaire their home fulltime, with 
additional membership among those amateurs who have addresses on the 
island but live elsewhere much of the time. Still, the club does enjoy 
fellowship on and off the air and its weekly meetings often last until 
late into the night. So if you should hear the club callsign on the air, 
be sure to work the station -- and don't forget to send those QSL cards 
to M Zero U R X [M0URX].

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

(OHIO PENN DX) 

**

BREAK HERE: 

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, 
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the AH6LE repeater 
in Beavercreek, and Wilsonville, Oregon, on Sundays, at 6 p.m. local 
time.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

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