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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2485 for Friday, June 13th, 2025
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2485 with a release date of Friday, June 13th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1
The following is a QST. Hams in Iran give an on-air history lesson to DX stations. An Indiana EMCOMM group goes
digital - a 6-metre activity conjures some special magic. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2485 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
SPECIAL EVENT IN IRAN HIGHLIGHTS PERSIAN GULF HISTORY
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A small group of amateurs living in different cities throughout Iran joined together over the
airwaves recently to give the world its first ham radio history and cultural lesson about the Persian Gulf.
John Williams VK4JJW brings us that report.
JOHN: It was a proud moment for 11 ham radio operators in Iran who got on the air on June 7th, calling CQ on
SSB as special event station EP2PG. Using modest, home-based equipment with 100 watts of power or less, the
operators faced less-than-ideal conditions on the HF bands during their 16-hour operation.
Still, it was a proud moment as the hams of Echo Papa two Persian Gulf celebrated the historical and cultural
significance of the Persian Gulf itself and shared it with the world. One of the operators, Morteza EP5APP,
told Newsline that the team's focus was on making as many DX contacts as possible in the interest of friendship
and unity and, of course, to share the story of the gulf, which is one of the world's oldest maritime regions.
The team achieved that goal, logging more than 360 QSOs from, 60 DX countries across Europe, Asia, Oceania and
the Americas.
Morteza told Newsline [quote]: "This activity was entirely self-funded and carried out by volunteers with a
shared passion for radio and a strong desire to make the voice of Iran heard in a positive, non-political, and
welcoming way." [endquote]
They're ready to do it again next year - hoping to exchange even more stories and of course QSL cards.
This is John Williams VK4JJW.
(MORTEZA, EP5APP; QRZ.COM)
**
INDIANA EMCOMM GROUP SWITCHES FROM ANALOG FM TO DIGITAL
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: With emergency communications embracing digital modes more and more, operators increasingly
find themselves navigating the tricky landscape of system access and compatibility. Randy Sly W4XJ tells us how
this played out for a group of amateurs in Indiana.
RANDY: In April of this year the Dubois County Office of Emergency Management in Indiana made the decision to
migrate from analog FM to C4FM digital for their 147.195 repeater during activations. The change was made to
reduce noise during operation and increase the quality of copy. According to Gary Fritz, WB9LIB, operations
officer for the EMA, <quote> “Our new Fusion repeater system was thoroughly tested to confirm its superior
performance when using C4FM.ö <endquote>
When the announcement was made to the Patoka Valley Amateur Radio Club, not all the club members were
enthusiastic. Since some of them did not own a Fusion compatible radio, this decision would exclude them from
emergency operations with SKYWARN.
Fritz told AR Newsline that the change has brought about the desired results in message quality, as proven by
recent SKYWARN activation during severe weather. <quote> “We found that by using C4FM,...our units are now able
to check in crystal clear from locations that were previously impossible.ö <endquote>
A number of local amateurs remain unconvinced regarding the move to digital. Reuben Montgomery, KA9RCM, told
Newsline that his main concern is centered primarily on the lack of access to the emergency communications by
hams without Fusion radios and by visitors who are passing through the area. With the variety of digital
platforms, he also sees great difficulty in picking one mode to the exclusion of all others. Regarding
participation, Fritz reported that the public and all amateur radio operators can continue to monitor net
communications through audio streaming over Broadcastify.
This is Randy Sly, W4XJ
**
WHIDBEY ISLAND BROADENS ITS RADIO SAFETY NET
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The largest island in the state of Washington is Whidbey Island, connected to the United States
mainland by bridge and ferry and - perhaps even more importantly these days - by radio. George Zafropoulos
explains why.
GEORGE: As of the weekend ending on Sunday, June 8th, 8 new amateur radio operators have received their
licenses on Whidbey Island. These newcomers are contributing to an important momentum on this island in Puget
Sound, where ham radio operators from the Island County Amateur Radio Club have been giving top priority to
emergency preparedness, following a recent conference on the subject held by the South Whidbey Fire/EMS.
Response from that conference inspired the hams to host the weekend test-preparation class which ended with the
amateur radio exam itself. One of the instructors, Bob Keeton K7MHJ, told Newsline that with the new amateurs
on board, the next step is to get island neighborhoods organized for improved radio response in a crisis. A
neighborhood representative with a GMRS radio would be able to communicate with a ham who also holds a GMRS
license and together they would gather damage-assessment data and pass that along to the county. Bob, a retired
police officer, said that the hams have the ability to use Winlink Peer 2 Peer and VarAC FM to reach the
emergency operations center.
As volunteer civilian coordinator between the hams and the Island County Department of Emergency Management,
Bob knows that living near an earthquake-prone fault line such as the Cascadia Subduction Zone, requires this
kind of readiness.
He said [quote]: "Anytime we can add another link in our amateur network I am happy." [endquote]
This is George Zafiropoulos.
(SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD, BOB KEETON K7MHJ)
**
GET READY FOR YOTA CAMP IN COLORADO
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Be listening for the callsign WØY between the evening of Sunday, June 15th and late afternoon
on Friday, June 20th. You’ll be getting so much more than a QSO with a young radio operator, as we hear from
Andy Morrison K9AWM.
ANDY: A lot of activity will be packed into the Bob Heil K9EID Memorial YOTA Camp Amateur Radio Shack in
Thornton, Colorado, between the 15th and 20th of June. Young operators from the Youth on the Air Americas Camp
will be calling CQ remotely and in person from there with the callsign WØY. As well as a scheduled contact with
the International Space Station, and making satellite contacts, they will be operating portable making SOTA and
POTA activations and visiting the timekeeping radio station WWV and a Buc-ee's truck stop.
If you miss any chance to contact them - or just want to follow along with their activities - don’t miss the
opening and closing ceremonies and the ISS contact, all of which will be streamed live on the Youth on the Air
YouTube channel. The channel will also feature daily videos of some of the campers’ activities from the
previous day. It’s almost as much fun as being a camper yourself -- we did say "almost."
For more details or to see the operating schedule, visit QRZ.com
This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.
(YOUTH ON THE AIR)
**
DX FOUNDATION GIVES GRANTS TO 3 DXPEDITIONS
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: DXpeditioners heading to Micronesia, Equatorial Guinea and Wallis Island are getting a
financial boost from the Northern California DX Foundation. We have details from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
JIM: The 9-member team of German operators planning the V6D DXpedition to Micronesia in September has been
named as one of the latest recipients of grant money to assist their activation. The team has scheduled
operations from September 22nd through to October 6th. This is a group of seasoned DXpeditioners who have had a
number of other successful radio adventures together.
The foundation is also supporting the 3C2MD DXpedition to Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea. The operators are
from the Mediterraneo DX Club, which has planned their activation from October 9th through to November 10th.
Finally, Hannah Rosenfeld, W7HER, has received a grant for her role as an operator on the FW5K DXpedition to
Wallis Island in the South Pacific. The participating DXpeditioners, including Hannah's father Scott N7JI, are
part of the team known as DXObsessed. Hannah is a founder of W7DUX, the radio club at the University of Oregon
where she is an alumna. The DXpedition is set for October 20 through to November 7th.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(DXWORLD, 425 DX BULLETIN)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin
stations around the world, like the George County ARES repeater in Lucedale, Mississippi Wednesdays at 7:37
p.m. local time.
**
OREGON LATEST STATE TO PROCLAIM 'AMATEUR RADIO MONTH'
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the US, Oregon has become the latest state to proclaim June to be "Amateur Radio Month."
Gov. Tina Kotek issued the proclamation in time for ARRL Field Day, which is taking place in the US and Canada
on the 28th and 29th of June. The state is a busy place on the ham radio map, both for hosting the convention
of the Northwest Division of the ARRL and its location on an earthquake fault line that keeps emergency
responders alert. Governors in Hawaii and New Hampshire recently issued similar proclamations in their
respective states.
(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, OREGON GOVERNOR'S OFFICE)
**
RSGB SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR OCTOBER CONFERENCE
PAUL/ANCHOR: If you are planning to attend this year’s Convention of the Radio Society of Great Britain, you
can do something more than simply mark your calendar for the dates in October and then show up. Jeremy Boot
G4NJH tells us about something else you may want to consider doing.
JEREMY: Attendees will be arriving at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes on the 10th of October for
the three-day RSGB Convention. The RSGB is hoping that many of those in attendance will also help shape the
content of the conference by bringing a project, a paper for presentation or plans for a practical session. If
you want to get involved, share your ideas with the RSGB and let them know what you have planned. Send your
proposals to convention at rsgb dot org dot uk (convention@rsgb.org.uk)
Meanwhile, satellite enthusiasts will be pleased to know that, as before, AMSAT-UK will hold its Colloquium
during the Convention.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(RSGB)
**
AMSAT DESIGNATES SO-125 with SDR FM, DIGITAL REPEATER PAYLOAD
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: AMSAT has given the designation of SO-125 to the HADES-ICM satellite that was launched on March
14th from California. The satellite, from AMSAT-EA, is SDR-based and supports FM Phone and FSK digital data
through its repeater. The SDR-based platform is especially significant because it can transmit as much as 25
watts when the battery allows, giving access to stations who are using handheld antennas.The coordinated uplink
frequency is 145.875 MHz, and the downlink is 436.666 MHz. The repeater operates with an open squelch and does
not require a sub-tone.
(AMATEUR NEWS WEEKLY, AMSAT)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, ZL100IARU [ZED ELL ONE HUNDRED IARU] is on the air through to the 31st of July marking the
centenary of the International Amateur Radio Union. A special event QSL card has been printed and confirmation
is also on LOTW and QRZ.com. Listen for operators using CW, SSB and FT8.
Pascal, F6UIG will be active as TK2C from Corsica, IOTA number EU-014, through to the 23rd of June, using CW
and SSB on 40-10 metres. You may also hear him doing POTA, using the callsign TK/F6UIG/p. See QRZ.com for
details.
John, W5JON, is on the air from St. Kitts, IOTA Number NA-104, from the 15th through to the 24th of June with
the callsign V47JA. Jon will be using SSB and FT8 on various bands and will focus on 6 metres. See QRZ.com for
QSL details.
A team of operators using the callsign YW6M will be using SSB, CW, digital, and satellite from Isla Chimana
Segunda, IOTA number SA-090, from the 20th through to the 24th of June. QSL direct to W4DTA.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: COULD IT BE MAGIC? CHECK THE LOG
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We end this newscast by sharing a little magic. Meet some hams who pulled some QSOs out of -
well, not a hat - but the 6-metre band. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB shares their story.
RALPH: Mike N2MAK is one of those hams who believes in magic. It’s the kind of enchantment that brings
possibilities to summertime in the Northern Hemisphere when sporadic E propagation is strong, breathing new
life into 6 metres.
These moments aren’t summoned by a magic wand or an incantation. On the 25th of May, Mike and his friends Fred,
N2RPG, Michael W2NVP, Brian W2BMT and many others who took up the challenge of this just-for-fun, 6 Meter FM
Activity Day, found that just calling CQ will do the trick.
Activating a POTA park with Mike and the others, the magic happened first for Fred, who made his first 6-metre
contact ever. Within two hours, the friends had worked 16 unique stations on 6 metres FM locally, logging 18
contacts in all because one was at a POTA 3-fer. Said Mike [quote] “We had an absolute blast.ö [Endquote]
Others apparently found the magic too. Mike told Newsline [quote] “what meant the most to me was the positive
response from hams across the US and in Canada who reached out to me.ö [Endquote] Mike’s hope that hams would
want to try something different - in the true spirit of amateur radio adventure - was no illusion.
All it took was the simple wave of a band - instead of a hand - to make it happen.
This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: To see videos about the event, see the YouTube links in the text version of this week’s script
at arnewsline.org
https://youtu.be/ysqIUHBpFJ0
https://youtu.be/0uSGVDDWEpE
https://youtu.be/bdB4emzlBJg
**
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; AMSAT; Amateur Radio Digital Communications; Bob Keeton, K7MHJ; David Behar
K7DB; DX World; IP400 Website; Morteza, EP5APP; Oregon Governor's Office; QRZ.com; Radio Society of Great
Britain; Shortwaveradio.de; South Whidbey Record; Wireless Institute of Australia; WRTC List; Youth on the Air;
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
Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline
(tm) is Copyright 2025. All rights reserved.
73 de Bill, PY2BIL
PY2BIL@PY2BIL.SP.BRA.SOAM
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BBS: PY2BIL - Timed 13-Jun-2025 11:14 E. South America Standard Time
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