Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2491 for Friday, July 25th, 2025

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2491 with a release date of Friday, July 25th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The FCC prepares for a spectrum auction. Ham radio carries the message in a California rescue - and a new question pool for some hams in Canada. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2491 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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FCC EYES SPECTRUM AUCTION, EMERGENCY-ALERT OVERHAUL

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week in Washington, D.C., where the FCC has announced it is ready to return to auctioning parts of the spectrum - and to overhauling the country's emergency-alert systems. Kent Peterson KC?DGY brings us up to date.

KENT: In the US, the Federal Communications Commission is preparing for two major initiatives: the return of auctioning spectrum licenses and a top-to-bottom assessment of the nation's emergency alert system.

The FCC's ability to auction spectrum had expired but was restored in a bill signed by President Donald Trump on July 4th. The frequencies eyed for auction are in the so-called "AWS-3" band, for advanced wireless services. These are unused microwave frequencies that have been allocated for 5G commercial wireless. The auctions would be the first of their kind in the US in four years.

The FCC has also prioritized a systemwide re-evaluation of the nation's emergency communications technology. The Emergency Alert System makes use of radio and TV while the Wireless Emergency Alerts utilize mobile devices. The FCC is set to vote on moving ahead with this systemwide assessment at its August 7th meeting, with an eye toward pushing for upgraded technologies.

This is Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

(FCC, RADIOWORLD, CORDCUTTERS NEWS)

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ORGANIZERS CONDUCT FIELD TESTING AT WRTC SITE

PAUL/ANCHOR: If you took part in the IARU HF Championship on the second weekend of July and you happened to work one of five stations operating from the grounds of the Euston Estate in Suffolk, England, you were also part of the field test for the World Radiosport Team Championship taking place next year.

The five stations were on the air from actual site locations for an important training exercise, testing of the masts, antennas and radios -- and a little experimentation -- to prepare for next year's competition. Volunteers got a chance to practice setup of the equipment and give a thorough test of the scoreboard and IT networking system.

Despite some minor issues, the exercise was declared a success - right down to the report from the operators that there were no issues with interference between stations, which were running 100 watts. The organizers wrote on the WRTC website: [quote] "Activity will be different next year - hopefully 10m will be more co-operative - and the interest in chasing 50 real WRTC stations will be higher." [endquote]

(WRTC 2026)

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SILENT KEY: DAVID COURT, EI3IO, INFLUENCED SHAPE OF AMATEUR SPECTRUM

PAUL/ANCHOR: A globally prominent telecommunications expert whose input helped the IARU shape use of the amateur spectrum has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: Global telecommunications governance was the speciality for David Court EI3IO, who played a key part of the IARU Region 1 executive committee and a major force in such regional telecommunications organisations such as CEPT.

David, who became a Silent Key earlier this month, infused his volunteer work with regulatory and technical expertise gained over the decades in his professional work in telecommunications policy and regulation. The IARU credits his input with helping to promote amateur access to the 6-metre band, the use of which was approved on a secondary basis in many countries during World Radiocommunication Conference 19. The IARU announcement also credited David with successful defence of the amateur HF bands at times when sharing or reallocation was proposed for other purposes.

In 2020, David was presented with the IARU Region 1 Medal.

There were no further details about his death.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(IARU)

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SILENT KEY: JOSEPH ARCURE, W3HNK, RENOWNED QSL MANAGER

PAUL/ANCHOR: The man who some hams called the most recognized QSL manager in the world has become a Silent Key. We hear about him from Sel Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: Devoted to chasing DX within a year of getting his ham radio license in 1956, Joseph Arcure, W3HNK, soon established a niche for himself as a QSL manager for hundreds of those DX stations. According to his obituary on the DXNews website, Joe was so devoted to helping manage and send QSL mailings that he soon became [quote] "the most recognized QSL manager in the world." [endquote] He never refused a request from any ham seeking his QSL services and often funded some of the mailings himself. Many praised him for the human touch he brought to every task, a quality that made many cherish the QSL cards they received.

Joe became a Silent Key on Sunday the 20th of July.

According to his obituary, he confirmed 337 current DXCC countries as an operator. Over the years, he also became an enthusiastic DXpeditioner himself. In 1979, Joe was inducted into the CQ DX Hall of Fame.

The obituary noted that [quote] "his legacy endures in every confirmation, every new contact and every operator inspired by his example." [endquote]

Joe was 91.

This is Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(DXNEWS.COM, QRZ.COM)

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HAM RADIO PLAYS KEY ROLE IN MOTHER-SON RESCUE

PAUL/ANCHOR: The reason this next story has a happy ending is because everyone did everything right: the search-and-rescue team, the ham radio operators and perhaps most importantly, the mother and son in need of rescue in a remote section of a national forest in California. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB takes us there.

RALPH: The GPS was to have safely guided a mother to a campground with her 9-year-old son on July11th. Instead it mapped a route that left their car stuck in the rugged terrain after they lost their GPS signal.

Hours later, they were reported missing to the Calaveras County Sheriff's office by a caller who had the mother's travel agenda and said the family had failed to check in as they had planned. A search and rescue team was dispatched in four-wheel-drive vehicles to the area the next day where campers reported that they had seen the family's sedan. The team soon discovered handwritten notes, posted by the mother at nearby locations, indicating that the vehicle was stuck and they were stranded, The boy, meanwhile, periodically blew a whistle in three short bursts, an audible, universal distress call. Mother and son were found safe at their car, only a mile or so away from where the notes were posted.

Because of the thick canopy of Stanislaus National Forest, the rescue team could not use cell service or the usual radio frequencies to update the command post -- but one team member, a licensed ham, used his amateur radio to hit the KA6GWY repeater in Placerville. It bears the callsign of Frank Yost, a retired El Dorado County Communications supervisor who was monitoring the frequency at the time on 146.805 MHz. He passed the call along to emergency dispatch and the message was quickly relayed to Calavaras County.

Lt Greg Stark, one of the Search & Rescue coordinators, told Newsline everyone - including mother and son - did everything right. He said that the team was able to safely transport mother and son, extricate the car and let the command post know that no helicopters or additional backup resources were needed. He said that one backup resource proved invaluable: ham radio. It also provided some inspiration. The lieutenant told Newsline [quote]. "It enhanced our communication ability and now it has spurred some of our other team members to look at getting their license."

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(LT. GREG STARK, SEARCH & RESCUE; KTLA)

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BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the N5OZG repeater in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sundays at 8 p.m.

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CANADIAN TEST CANDIDATES FACE NEW QUESTION POOL

PAUL/ANCHOR: The questions on the basic-level exam for hams in Canada have changed. Andy Morrison K9AWM has more details.

ANDY: A team of volunteers from provinces throughout Canada is developing a new bank of questions for the Advanced Amateur Radio Certificate, according to the Radio Amateurs of Canada website. Many members of this team completed the new question pool for the basic-level certificate earlier this year and it was released in January by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The questions took effect for basic examinations starting on the 15th of July, providing the first major update for that level of examination since 2013.

Writing on the RAC website, Dave Goodwin VE3KG, the RAC's regulatory affairs officer, said the 984 questions were developed by a committee of 20 instructors and accredited examiners - many of whom are now working on the advance-level questions.Those questions are expected to become available in 2026.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(RAC, WIA)

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AMATEURS READY TO ACTIVATE BRITISH WATERWAYS

PAUL/ANCHOR: Now here's an idea we'd like to float in your direction: British Inland Waterways on the Air. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what's involved.

JEREMY: If you use the lakes, canals, or any other waterways in Great Britain almost as much as you use your radio, now is the time to combine the two activities. Registration has begun for British Inland Waterways on the Air, which takes place during the August Bank Holiday Weekend. The organisers are encouraging early registration, hoping that radio operators will identify the days they are operating and on what modes.

The event takes place on Saturday the 23rd August to bank holiday Monday 25th. You can operate on or near the various waterways throughout the UK; primary bands will be 2 metres and 40 metres.

If you want to register - or see who is already on board for the weekend, visit the website in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: https://nharg.org.uk/biwota ]

(NUNSFIELD HOUSE AMATEUR RADIO GROUP)

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WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, A team of hams from the UK will be on the air as GM?FRT/p from the Shetland Islands, IOTA number EU-012, until the 28th of July and will be active in the IOTA Contest. Outside of the contest, they will be using CW and SSB on 30, 17 and 12 metres, as well as FT8 on 6 and 4 metres. QSL via LoTW.

Members of the Korean Amateur Radio League's HQ station 6K0MF in Chungbuk, are marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Korea from Japanese rule by operating as HL8?V from August 1st through to the end of the month. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

In Malaysia, members of the Terengganu DX-ARRES group in West Malaysia are celebrating the 68th anniversary of independence from British rule by operating from 1st of August through to the 30th of September using the callsign 9M1957M on CW, SSB and FT8 modes on 80-10 metres. QSL direct to 9M2RDX.

Steve, ZL2KE, will be active again as E51KEE from Rarotonga, IOTA Number OC-013, in the South Cook Islands from the 3rd through to the 18th of August. Steve will be using CW and some SSB on 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 metres. QSL via IK2DUW, direct. See QRZ.com for additional details.

We also remind listeners that amateurs around the world will be on the air for International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend on August 16th through to the 17th. More than 250 lighthouse entries will be active in more than 40 countries. For a list of registered lighthouses see the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [DO NOT READ: illw.net ]

(425 DX BULLETIN, ILLW)

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KICKER: THE HEIGHT OF ACHIEVEMENT, HIGH ABOVE SEA LEVEL

PAUL/ANCHOR: Our final story is about both a "first" and "last." The last summit in the SOTA DL Association to be activated is a "first" for a very determined ham in Germany. We hear about him from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: Despite 18 years as a SOTA activator that have won him at least two high-ranking awards for operating in the German Alps, Dzianis, DD1LD, had some unfinished business. This month, it stood before him, all two thousand four hundred and thirty metres of it above sea level: the Tiefkarspitze, the single summit in the SOTA DL Association that had gone unactivated in the 20 years since SOTA-DL was established in Germany.

His harrowing mountain ascent on July 18th was punctuated by intense rockfall - not unexpected but nonetheless terrifying. As he wrote in his blog, he was compelled to ask: [quote] "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" [endquote]

Still, he made it to the summit where he soon logged his first QSO with his good friend Mario, DJ2MX. Then came the pileups. Finally, he went QRT after one more QSO: another close friend, Andy, DL2DVE. With 66 in his log, he had transformed that lonely, daunting rocky outpost into a shared space among friends. Dzianis, as solo activator, had turned a personal challenge into a triumph for himself and the DL-Association.

As he wrote in his blog: [quote] "I let my feelings run free." [endquote]

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

(SOTA REFLECTOR, DZIANIS DD1LD, BLOG AT https://dd1ld.blogspot.com/ )

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A good QSO can be like poetry - sometimes! So why not write a haiku about amateur radio and join the Newsline haiku challenge? It's as easy as writing a QSL card. We can only accept the correct haiku format - that is, a three-line verse with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second and five in the third. Submit your work on our website at arnewsline.org - each week's winner gets a shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur News Daily; ARRL; CordCuttersNews; David Behar K7DB; DX World; 425DX Bulletin; FCC; IARU; International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend; Lt. Greg Stark, Calaveras County Search & Rescue; Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group; QRZ.com; Radio World; Radio Amateurs of Canada; Shortwaveradio.de; SOTA Reflector; Wireless Institute of Australia; WRTC 2026; Zero Retries Newsletter; and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. We remind our listeners that Amateur Radio Newsline is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that incurs expenses for its continued operation. If you wish to support us, please visit our website at arnewsline.org and know that we appreciate you all. We also remind our listeners that if you like our newscast, please leave us a 5-star rating wherever you subscribe to us.

For now, with Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT at the news desk in New York, and our news team worldwide, I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO in Valparaiso Indiana saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.

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