Amateur Radio Emergency Net Active in Wake of Earthquake in Central Mexico 

The FMRE National Emergency Net has activated on 7.060 MHz following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the central Mexico state of Puebla at 1814 UTC on Tuesday. The net also uses 3.690 MHz and 14.120 MHz as well as IRLP reflector 9200, channel 08.

The epicenter was some 75 miles southeast of Mexico City, which felt the temblor. Preliminary reports indicate a lot of collapsed buildings and missing p...

W1AW Supporting Partners in Hurricane Response; Bulletins and Visitor Operations Currently Suspended 

The Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW, has suspended its regular bulletin transmissions beginning September 19, 2017 in order to help support its partners for both HF and long-haul communications response for Hurricane Maria. W1AW will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch, SATERN, and Caribbean Emergency Weather nets; checking Winlink2000 e-mail; checking into the VoIP Weather Net, and prov...

ARISS Invites Proposals to Host Amateur Radio Contacts with Space Station Crew 

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is seeking proposals from US schools, museums, science centers, and community youth organizations to host Amateur Radio contacts in 2018 with a crew member aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The deadline to submit proposals is November 15. Contacts would be scheduled between July 1 and December 31, 2018.

Each year, A...

Rockwell Collins Sold to United Technologies 

United Technologies has acquired avionics maker Rockwell Collins in a $30-billion deal. United Technologies said it wants to further enhance its role in aviation for both its military and commercial customers in the area of new aircraft connectivity systems.

Collins Radio and later Rockwell Collins for many years manufactured top-tier Amateur Radio equipment. Art Collins, W0CXX, founded Collins ...

AMSAT 2017 Annual Meeting and Space Symposium Issues Second Call for Papers 

The AMSAT 2017 Annual Meeting and Space Symposium has issued a second call for papers. The event takes place the weekend of October 27-29 in Reno, Nevada.

AMSAT invites proposals for papers, symposium presentations, and poster presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the Amateur Satellite community. Tentative presentation titles are requested as soon as possible, with final copy du...

Caribbean Emergency Weather Net Activates; FEMA Announces Interoperability Nets 

Jeff Austin, 9Y4J, Emergency Coordinator Advisory Group, IARU Region 2, Area E, reports that the Caribbean Emergency Weather Net (CEWN), activated at 1030 UTC on 3.815 MHz. The net will use 3.815 and/or 7.188 MHz as propagation dictates. The CEWN will provide 24-hour coverage during the passage of Hurricane Maria and in the storm

IARU Administrative Council Considers New Radio Spectrum Pollution Threat 

The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) believes high-power wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles has significant potential for interference with radio communication. That assessment came as the AC met on September 15 and 16 in Landshut, Germany, immediately prior to the IARU Region 1 Conference, to review its priorities and positions with r...

Hurricane Redux: Amateur Radio Community Goes on Alert for Maria 

Caribbean Island residents and the Amateur Radio community have hardly had a chance to catch a breath from Hurricane Irma as recovery operations continue, but now Hurricane Maria is knocking on the door. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) activated today on 14.325 MHz, with plans to maintain operations on that frequency during the day and on 7.268 MHz after dark.

St. Croix Amateur Radio Club Supports Irma Response in US Virgin Islands 

Amateur Radio volunteers from the St. Croix Amateur Radio Club are supporting the Hurricane Irma response at the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA), utilizing 60-meter band channel 2 (5.346.5 MHz USB) to coordinate emergency communications. The net is continuously monitored and has scheduled situation reports (SITREPS) at 1200 and 2200 UTC.

The club

Enigma Reloaded Event Returns on September 22 

The 4th running of the Enigma Reloaded operating event will get under way on September 22 and continue until September 30. Sponsored by the A.R.I. Fidenza Radio Club, the event celebrates the history of the Enigma cipher machine and its crucial role in World War II, as well as the individuals who developed the device and contributed to its success.

Enigma Event 2017 takes place in two stages: F...

New 10-GHz Earth-Moon-Earth World Record Set 

A new 10-GHz Earth-Moon-Earth (EME or moon bounce) world record has been set. On September 9, Rex Moncur, VK7MO, and Jim Malone, WA3LBI, completed a 18,949.4-kilometer contact using QRA64D. This extends by approximately 600 kilometers the previous world record of 18,337 kilometers held by DL7FJ and ZL1GSG, who used CW.

The participants said the key was to find locations with nearly 0° take-off, ...