Ham Radio News
…because we don’t live in a vacuum
Successful Emergency
Communications Exercise Carried
Out on QO-100 Satellite
On February 26, 22 stations representing 14 countries within
IARU Region 1 took part in a short-notice exercise using the
geostationary satellite QO-100.
This was the first of a number of smaller exercises, tests, and
meetings to be held by IARU Region 1 throughout the year,
building on the earlier Global Simulated Emergency Tests to
cover as many aspects of emergency communications as
possible. The intention is to bring emergency communicators
together more frequently to demonstrate how the Amateur
Radio Service can work together as a global community and
develop a common understanding of each others' capabilities.
The exercise was deemed a success, with a number of formal
messages passed among stations and some lessons learned
from the inevitable challenges of equipment failure, language
barriers and co-ordination of an exercise with a coverage area
from South Africa to the United Kingdom. Once all the exercise
feedback is received, another test on QO-100 is planned for
October 2022.
"QO-100 brings another asset to the emergency
communications toolbox in Region 1, and its presence is much
appreciated," IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications
Coordinator Greg Mossop, G0DUB, commented. -- Thanks to
IARU via Greg Mossop, G0DUB
"We Will Have Hamvention,"
General Chairman Pledges
In case you missed the earlier announcement, Dayton
Hamvention® 2022 is on, Hamvention General Chairman Rick
Allnutt, WS8G, said this week. He said many Hamvention
volunteers attended the recent Orlando HamCation in Florida
and were encouraged to see so many friends at the show.
"The aisles were full of people, the vendors appeared pleased
with the brisk business, and the Hamvention booth was
bombarded with well-wishers and folks with one question on
their mind -- 'Are you going to have Hamvention this year?'"
Allnutt said it's been a pleasure to assure everyone that
Hamvention 2022 is a go.
Many Hamvention tickets were sold at the pre-show price and
are also available on the Hamvention website. Hamvention, an
ARRL-sanctioned event, will be held May 20 - 22, at the Greene
County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio.
Allnutt noted that he and Michael Kalter, W8CI, were interviewed
in a DX Engineering YouTube video on February 22 and unveiled
the official logo for Hamvention 2022. This year's theme,
"reunion," celebrates the return to a world of hams getting
together after missing two Hamventions, and commemorates
the history of Dayton Hamvention, which stretches back 70 years
to 1952.
"Ticket sales are very brisk," Kalter said. "The community is very
excited about things, there have been improvements made at
the Expo Center, and they're totally on our side working with us."
He said both he and Allnutt were at Orlando Hamcation, which
he called "very successful," and a good omen for Hamvention's
success in 2022. "We don't consider it a competition [among
shows]," Kalter said. "We're all working together to make
amateur radio much better."
"It's [going to be] be wonderful," Allnutt told DX Engineering's
Tim Duffy, K3LR.
Hamvention will also feature ARRL EXPO, a large assembly of
ARRL-sponsored exhibits, activities, and representatives for ARRL
programs and services. Several ARRL-sponsored presentations
and forums will be given. Information will be posted to
www.arrl.org/expo as it becomes available. Kalter also highly
recommended attending Contest University (CTU) on May 19 at
the Hope Hotel, which takes place on the Thursday before
Hamvention, as an adjunct to the Hamvention experience.
ARRL Teacher Institute coming to Ohio
ARRL will offer four sessions of the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology
in June and July as part of its educational outreach to schools through the
Education & Technology Program. The Teachers Institute (TI) is an expenses-
paid professional development program intended to provide teachers with
tools and strategies to introduce basic electronics, the science of radio, space
technology and satellite communications, weather science, microcontrollers,
robotics, and amateur radio to their students. The curriculum is designed for
motivated teachers and other school staff who want to learn more about
wireless technology, gain hands-on experience, and bring that knowledge to
their students. Class sizes are limited to 12. The deadline to apply is May 1,
2022.
"I invite you to apply and to share this incredible opportunity with schools and
teachers," ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA,
said. Goodgame said to contact him via email with any questions.
Sessions this summer will be held in Newington, Connecticut, and in Dayton,
Ohio. There are two levels -- TI-1 Introduction to Wireless Technology, and TI-2
Remote Sensing and Data Analysis. TI-1 is a prerequisite for TI-2.
TI-2 focuses on the basic electronics of sensors (temperature, pressure,
position, humidity, etc.), converting analog sensor data to a digital format,
programming the microcontroller to read and interpret the data, and using
radio to send the sensor data to the user. After learning the basics of remote
sensing, teachers assemble a sensor package to collect environmental data
remotely.
Program
Location
Dates
TI-1
Newington, Connecticut
June 27 - July 1
TI-2
Newington, Connecticut
July 11 - July 15
TI-1
Dayton, Ohio
July 18 - July 22
TI-1
Newington, Connecticut
July 25 - July 29
A 2022 brochure is available from the Teachers Institute on Wireless
Technology web page. An explanatory video is also available.
This in-service training program is supported entirely by generous
philanthropic donations. Teachers Institute opportunities are virtually free for
participants. The grant to attend a TI covers transportation, hotel, a modest per
diem to cover meals, instructional resources for the electronics,
microcontroller, and robotics segments of the course, and a resource library of
relevant ARRL publications. The primary out-of-pocket expense is a $100
enrollment fee.
Graduate credits are available through Fresno Pacific University upon
completion of the TI-1 or TI-2 programs.
Qualified applicants must be active teachers at an elementary, middle, high
school or at a college or university, or in a leadership or enrichment instruction
role in an after-school or collective homeschool program. An amateur radio
license is not required for the introductory workshop (TI-1) but is required for
the advanced TI-2 program.
- ARRL Letter
Ukraine Maintains Ham Radio Silence in State of Emergency
Radio amateurs in Ukraine appear to be diligently maintaining radio silence as
the state of emergency declared there just prior to the Russian military
invasion remains in effect. A February 24 decree from President Volodymyr
Zelensky included "a ban on the operation amateur radio transmitters for
personal and collective use." The Ukraine Amateur Radio League (UARL/LRU)
reported this past week that it has received many messages of encouragement
from the worldwide amateur radio community.
"The LRU informed international amateur radio organizations about Russia's
military invasion of Ukraine," said the message from UARL Vice President
Anatoly Kirilenko, UT3UY. "To date, there have been many reports from radio
amateurs around the world in support of Ukraine."
The International Amateur Radio Union ( IARU) has adopted a neutral stance.
"IARU is an apolitical organization focused on promoting and defending
amateur radio and the amateur radio services," the IARU said. "The amateur
radio service is about self-instruction in communications and friendship
between people." IARU Region 1 has said it continues to monitor the
development and expect all radio amateurs "to follow their national laws and
regulations."