Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2405 for Friday December 1st, 2023

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2405 with a release date of Friday
December 1st, 2023 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. A massive fire ravages Nikola Tesla's last
remaining laboratory. Hams in India help track down a child's
lifesaving but unavailable medicine -- and if you believe in Santa, you
may just hear him on the air. All this and more as Amateur Radio
Newsline Report Number 2405 comes your way right now.

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BILLBOARD CART

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FIRE SWEEPS THROUGH NIKOLA TESLA'S LAST REMAINING LAB

PAUL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with news of a fire that
nearly destroyed a historic landmark with a longstanding connection to
radio and innovation. Kevin Trotman N5PRE has the details.

KEVIN: In New York, a raging fire swept through the last remaining
laboratory of Nikola Tesla, where a massive redevelopment began three
years ago to create a science center and a hub of amateur radio
activity and education. Marc Alessi, the nonprofit center's executive
director, said at a press conference on November 28th that authorities
have ruled out arson and are still investigating the cause.

The historically significant laboratory building itself, set on a
15-acre site on Long Island, sustained damages of at least $3-million
from the November 21st fire. A worldwide fundraising effort on
indiegogo has begun for the lab, which the Serbian-born scientist used
in the early 1900s. This fundraising is separate from the already
$20-million raised for the renovation - an effort that is still
$6-million short of its goal.

Amateur radio club N2TSC will be housed in the visitors center - a
different building from the devastated lab. Ed Wilson, N2XDD, the
club's president, told Newsline that the visitors centre was not
damaged by the blaze, which drew the response of more than 100
volunteer firefighters from the surrounding community. Plans continue
to go forward for the site's overall redevelopment as an educational
and community resource, but it is not clear how far back the original
opening date of late 2025 will be delayed.

I'm Kevin Trotman N5PRE. (ED WILSON, N2XDD; CBS; PATCH.COM)

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HAMS HELP TRACK DOWN LIFESAVING MEDICINE FOR ILL CHILD IN INDIA

PAUL/ANCHOR: Hams in India raced the clock to help locate and deliver
medicine in short supply to a critically ill little girl. John Williams
VK4JJW tells how they did it.

JOHN: Working under a critically short deadline and across the borders
of several nations, hams in India were able to locate a medicine that
is vital to a 7-year-old girl in neighbouring Bangladesh who was
hospitalised for a neurological disorder. The medicine was in her
doctor's hands within 48 hours of being found.

The girl's parents had been told by doctors at Dhaka Medical College
and Hospital that they were in short supply of the anti-viral drug that
was successfully treating their daughter and that no stock of the drug
could be found elsewhere in the country at present. The girl's father
told The Times of India that he promptly launched a search by
contacting Rahat Khan, S21DI, an amateur radio operator in Bangladesh.
Rahat put out a call to his network of ham contacts in neighbouring
countries, all to no avail. In India, hams in the West Bengal Radio
Club found an alternative of the brand in the state of Kerala but it
was not clear whether the girl would respond to that drug. The
necessary brand was at last located in New Delhi by one of the newest
members of the club, Naendraath Jana, a student in the Indian Academy
of Communication and Disaster Management. According to the club's
secretary, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, the hams then tracked down
someone at the New Delhi airport who was preparing to return home to
Bangladesh - and who agreed to transport the medicine. The girl's
father met the passenger at the airport in Dhaka. The girl received the
treatment on Friday, November 24th.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(THE TIMES OF INDIA, THE STATESMAN)

**
FCC SEEKS COMMENTS ON PROPOSALS FOR 2200 and 630 METERS

PAUL/ANCHOR: There is still time to comment on an FCC proposal that
would remove the baud rate limitation for the 2200 meter band and the
630 meter band. The agency has said it would like input on what
appropriate bandwidth limitation might be set instead. In making this
proposal, FCC acknowledges previous comments that have been received,
underscoring public-safety benefits for radio communications during
emergencies, such as natural disasters.

The FCC is also proposing to maintain existing bandwidth limitations on
the VHF and UHF bands.

This is the latest action by the commission, which recently established
a bandwidth limitation of 2.8 kHz for digital transmissions on certain
amateur radio HF bands, eliminating the longstanding baud rate
limitation on those bands.

(FCC)

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SPACEX ASSURES FCC: NO RADIO INTERFERENCE FROM STARLINK

PAUL/ANCHOR: In other news in Washington, D.C., the FCC has received a
document from SpaceX in which the company gives assurances that its
cellular Starlink system does not pose a hazard to other radio signals.
More on that from Sel Embee KB3TZD.

SEL: Responding to an FCC request for details about radio interference
hazards posed by its Starlink system, the company has submitted a
16-page document to the agency explaining why ground-based and
satellite services will not face interference from its operation. The
FCC had requested the detailed analysis. SpaceX said that its
direct-to-cell system uses software that prevents radio interference
and, in any case, transmissions can also still be individually turned
off if it occurs.

The Starlink system of satellites has been compared to cellular towers
in orbit. T-Mobile is its first partner in the venture and will be
using frequencies between 1.91 GHz and 1.995GHz for customers'
transmissions.

Questions about interference have been raised before. An
Australia-based astronomy team recently published a study that they say
links unintended emissions from the SpaceX array of satellites to
interference with the low-frequency VHF radio antennas used to study
the universe.

I'm Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(PC MAGAZINE)

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NASA RELEASES NEW VERSION OF ISS-SPOTTING APP

PAUL/ANCHOR: Are you looking out for the International Space Station?
NASA has just made it even easier. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us how.

ANDY: If you've got the International Space Station in your sights
-figuratively, of course - because you're hoping for a contact, there's
a new option to help you spot the ISS more easily. NASA has released a
new version of their Spot the Station mobile application that is
downloadable from either Google Play or the Apple Store. If the station
is passing overhead, you'll get notified in time to try for the APRS or
voice repeater in time. Although NASA is still sending alerts by email
and text messages, the new app allows users to see predictions of
visible passes. You can also set alarms that allow you to be on time
to catch the ISS when it arrives in sight.

Visit spotthestation.nasa.gov for more details.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM

(NASA, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**
YOUTH ON THE AIR APPLICATION PERIOD IS OPEN

PAUL/ANCHOR: It may be December but it's not too early to start
thinking about July -- because that means Youth on the Air camp, and
this year the young amateurs are heading to Nova Scotia, Canada. Jack
Parker W8ISH shares the details.

JACK: Even though the temperatures are dropping and snow has already
fallen in some parts of the world, young radio amateurs in North,
Central and South America are getting ready for warmer days ahead at
Youth on the Air Camp. It's taking place July 7th through July 12th at
the Mount Saint Vincent University campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The
camp is being hosted by Radio Amateurs of Canada.

The application period is now open. Licensed amateurs between the ages
of 15 through 25 are being encouraged to complete the application form
online by the 15th of January. It can be found at YouthOnTheAir.org

Campers will be notified of their selection by the 1st of February.
There are allocated slots for applicants in each of the Americas to
encourage as wide an attendance as possible. Any remaining free places
after the January deadline can still be applied for up until the 31st
of May.

As many as 50 campers will be accepted. Because COVID is still a
concern, organizers will be monitoring changes in guidelines for
masking and vaccinations.

For details about costs, travel arrangements and other details, visit
the Youth on the Air camp website or contact camp director Neil Rapp
WB9VPG at director at youthontheair dot org
(director@youthontheair.org)

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

PAU: There's still plenty for youngsters to do on the air in the
meantime. Starting December 1st, hams around the world who are age 25
and younger will be marking YOTA month by using callsigns ending in "Y
O T A," trying to beat last year's final tally of 107,845 QSOs. As the
month wraps up, don't miss the YOTA Contest on December 30th. For
complete details visit the website events dot ham hyphen yota dot com
(events.ham-yota.com)