From Newsgroup: rec.radio.amateur.misc

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2528 for Friday, April 10th, 2026 Amateur
Radio Newsline Report Number 2528 with a release date of Friday, April
10th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The FCC explores using more radio spectrum for
space technology. Two cosmonauts join a tribute to the first man in
space -- and a deal secures funds to upgrade an emergency-response
phone network. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report
Number 2528 comes your way right now.

**

BILLBOARD CART

**
FCC REVIEWS GROWING SPACE SECTOR'S NEED FOR SPECTRUM

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We begin this week in Washington, D.C. An official
posting on the website of the Federal Communications Commission refers
to potential new spectrum users as - and this is their terminology
-"weird space stuff." Kent Peterson KC0DGY explains what's goingon.

KENT: Expecting that orbital laboratories, inhabitable spacecraft,
in-space repairs and many other related uses are going to have a need
for greater access to the RF spectrum, the Federal Communications
Commission is seeking comment on ways to make that happen. The agency
voted last month to address new ways to support tracking, telemetry and
command for a variety of on-the-horizon initiatives.

The FCC published the proceeding on its website, referring to the uses
as [quote] "weird space stuff." [endquote] The agency said that the
proposed rulemaking is part of a larger effort to modernize policies in
support of the quickly growing space sector. It encouraged comments in particular from companies involved in different aspects of lunar
missions, satellite-servicing or related operations.

One of the potential frequency ranges referenced in the Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking is frequency range 2305 MHz to 2315 MHz, which
overlaps part of the amateur radio allocation on 13cm. The proposal is
Docket Number 26-54.

This is Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(FCC)

**

STATION'S EXPERIMENTS EXPLORE USE OF 4M and 8M BANDS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A ham in Florida with an experimental license is busy
exploring propagation and its impact on 4 meters and 8 meters. As we
hear from Jack Parker W8ISH, he hopes this work will stir more interest
in amateur access.

JACK: In the hope of gaining insights into seasonal propagation trends, Sporadic-E, Trans-Equatorial Propagation and low-band VHF path
behavior, the experimental station WQ2XDM has been conducting
experiments using the digital weak-signal modes WSPR and FT8 on the 4
metre and 8 metre bands. The license was granted to John K9JMS, who is
asking fellow hams to monitor reception and send him reports for data collection. He recommends using PSK Reporter and station logs and
screenshots to record time, SNR, grid and frequency details while
monitoring FT8 on 40.680 MHz.

The station's website says John will publish a final white paper and an
open dataset. The location in Florida is key to the experimental
activity because of the region's recurring tropospheric ducting in the Gulf/Atlantic region. Florida's low latitude makes it especially
suitable for capturing Trans-Equatorial Propagation and equatorial
ionospheric phenomena.

According to the station's page on QRZ.com, the project is aimed at strengthening the case for more interest in and access to 8 metres.
Unlike hams in a number of other countries, such as Ireland, Slovenia
and South Africa, licensed amateurs in the US do not have access to
either 8 metres or 4 metres.

Signal reports or queries can be sent to John at the email address
WQ2XDM dot EFF ELL at gmail.com (WQ2XDM.fl@gmail.com). This is Jack
Parker W8ISH.

(QRZ.COM. WQ2XDM.COM)

**

SILENT KEY: TEACHER RITA WRIGHT, KC9CDL, LED 1ST SCHOOL ISS QSO

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: She was the first teacher to make contact with the International Space Station by Ham Radio. Remembering Rita Wright, who
is now a Silent Key, is Jen DeSalvo, W9TXJ.

JEN: Rita Bauer Wright, KC9CDL, taught math and science for 38 years at District 111 in Burbank, Illinois, USA, where she always encouraged her students to reach for the stars.

Rita wrote educational materials for NASA, so in 1988, she challenged
her students to come up with a name for the next space shuttle. Her
student projects also included solar-powered cars and robot prototypes
for Mars exploration.

But it was on December 21st, 2000, that Rita led 14 elementary school
students to make the first school contact by ham radio with the
International Space Station.

It took years to coordinate through the ARISS application and ARRL
educational proposal processes. Leading up to the set date, the
suburban Chicago school was covered with space-themed projects made by
kids in all classrooms from kindergarten to eighth grade.

The first attempt was set for December 19th, with Charles Sufana, AJ9N. assisting the contact with Commander William Shepherd, KD5GSL. aboard
the ISS. That didn't go as planned. A successful re-try came two days
later. Rita wrote in her post-contact report that:

"At 20:28 UTC, Bill Shepherd and the ISS came up over the horizon for
what turned out to be a near direct overhead pass! Charlie and his team
made a connection within seconds and continued up to 20:39 UTC."

All fourteen students chosen to ask questions got their chance.
Chicago-area students were greeted by their teachers in the morning,
and by the afternoon were welcomed aboard the ISS.

Rita is survived by her loving OM of 68 years, Billy, KC9HRM and a
member of the Chicago-area STARS Radio Club. Thanks to president Dennis Calderone KC9DSP for helping Rita keep her license active in recent
years, and for sharing her legacy.

Rita Wright became a Silent Key on the 8th of March.

This is Jen DeSalvo, W9TXJ.

**
SILENT KEY: ARGENTINE BROADCAST JOURNALIST CARLOS ALMIRÃ"N LU7DSY

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Argentina, broadcasters and amateur radio operators
together are grieving the loss of a prominent member of both
communities. We hear more about him from Dave Lee M7TLB.

DAVE: Carlos Almirón, LU7DSY, enjoyed a long and busy career on both
the professional and amateur sides of radio. Over the years, he became well-known as a TV and radio journalist for a number of media outlets
in Argentina. A former sports journalist, he later moved on to covering
news and had served as a war correspondent in the Falklands. Across
oceans and continents, the radio amateur became known as a successful
DXer and DXpeditioner. He was a member of the DXCC Honor Roll.

Locally, Carlos' talents were put to good use during the annual
American Lighthouse Weekend organised each February by members of the
Radio Club Grupo DX Bahia Blanca, which he helped found.

Carlos became a Silent Key on the 21st of March. He was 79.

(YL BEAM, FACEBOOK, QRZ.COM


**

RED CROSS NVIS NET DRAWS IMPORTANT REGIONAL RESPONSE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In Pennsylvania, an important net has been connecting
with others in the region having a Near Vertical Incident Skywave
antenna. Travis Lisk N3ILS tells us about this net.

TRAVIS: Using the properties of the Near Vertical Incident Skywave
antenna to their best advantage, members of the Red Cross of Southeast Pennsylvania have been running a successful monthly net enabling other
EmComm stations, municipal emergency centers and interested radio
operators to check in. The calls come from as close by as the immediate
region and from as far away as northern New Jersey, Delaware and the
Greater New York area.

The net is, in fact, all about check-ins. Participants ask for
callsign, name, location and an accurate signal report. According to
Cliff Hotchkiss, KC3PGT, the regional lead for the American Red Cross'
Disaster Services Training in southeast Pennsylvania, these important
records have been logged on this NVIS net since its startup almost a
year and a half ago.

Using the southeast Pennsylvania Red Cross callsign, WA3ARC, the net
operates from its communications trailer and welcomes anyone who wants
to check in. Cliff told Newsline: [quote]: "We started it for a dual
purpose. First, we need to exercise and practice setting up our NVIS
antenna and operating from our communications trailer. Second, we
wanted to establish a frequency range and protocol to communicate with
our neighboring Red Cross regions in case of a widespread communication outage."

Like so many other NVIS nets around the country, this net relies on the antenna's ability to establish connections with local and regional
stations and has a maximum range of about 400 miles. Cliff said that it
is useful for emergency communications on HF because unlike UHF/VHF
nets, it does not rely on repeaters.

The net takes place on the third Thursday of every month which, this
month, will be April 16th. Calls for check-ins begin at about 10 a.m.
Eastern Time on 40 meters, on or below 7.235 MHz.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(CLIFF HOTCHKISS, KC3PGT)

**

BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including
the K6SIS repeater of the Siskiyou County Amateur Radio Association in
Yreka, California on Fridays at 7:30 pm local time.

**

DEAL WILL UPGRADE EMERGENCY-RESPONSE PHONE NETWORK

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Funding has been approved for a phone network that is
relied upon by public safety agencies throughout the US. Andy Morrison
K9AWM explains what happens next.

ANDY: A mobile phone network created to provide public safety agencies
around the United States with reliable emergency communications, is
poised for service upgrades after reaching an agreement with the
federal government and the network's private-sector partner AT&T.

Under the deal, AT&T, which built and maintains the network known as
FirstNet, will cover the cost of $1 billion worth of the network's improvements. At the same time, AT&T will reduce its bill to the
federal government by another $1 billion for its continued support to
FirstNet. The government selected AT&T to build the network in 2017,
when the service was first known as the Nationwide Public Safety
Broadband Network. Its creation was driven by the breakdown in
emergency communication for public safety agencies and first responders
in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11th, 2001.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY, FIRSTNET)

**
COSMONAUTS CALL CQ IN TRIBUTE TO YURI GAGARIN

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Hams wishing to pay tribute to the first man in space
have a chance to do so by making radio contact with two cosmonauts who
followed the pioneering path of Yuri Gagarin. We have details from
Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY:: A pair of cosmonauts, each in their own time, brought value to
the realm of space exploration for their country. Alexander Volkov,
U4MIR, now retired, is a veteran of three launches who later served as commander of the cosmonaut detachment at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut
Training Centre. Roscosmos cosmonaut, Alexander Grebenkin, R3HP, who
has a radio communications engineering background, served as a mission specialist for SpaceX Crew 8 in 2024.

Now the two are adding value to an event here on Earth that pays
tribute to Yuri Gagarin and the trip 65 years ago that made him the
first man in space. Both cosmonauts will be among the activators
seeking QSOs with chasers on the 11th and 12th of April as part of an international DX contest honouring the Soviet cosmonaut and bearing
hisname.

Contacts will be on HF via CW and SSB. The cosmonauts aren't just worth
double multipliers for chasers but earn them QSL cards bearing their autographs.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(DMITRI KOLENCHUK, R3GM)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, Elvira, IV3FSG is on the air as 3X3A from
Roume/Rooma Island, Guinea, IOTA Number AF-051, from the 11th through
to the 25th of April, using SSB, CW and the digital modes. Listen for
her on 80-6 metres where she will be operating with one of two
low-power stations.

A team of operators using the callsign GB0OH will be on the air from
the Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, IOTA Number EU-010. Listen
for them from the 11th through to the 17th of April. Three operators
will be calling QRZ on 40-10 metres. They will operate SSB with
someFT8.

The Hungarian Amateur Radio Society is marking the 235th anniversary of
the birth of Samuel Morse and has nine special-event callsigns on the
air, all making use of the numbers two three and five. The calls
include HA235MSE, HA235S, HA235A and HA235M and operators will be using
CW and SSB. The special event will take place from the 17th through to
the 27th of April and an award is available.

Marking World Amateur Radio Day, which is the 18th of April, members of
the HF Committee and the Board of Directors of Belgium's IARU society,
the UBA, will be on the air throughout April. Listen for the callsign
OO26WARD [OH OH TWO SIX W A R D).

For QSL and other information about these stations, visit their pages
on QRZ.com

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**

KICKER: HAM TUNES UP - AND PLAYS SOME TUNES - IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the Carolinas, a special brand of homebrew is being
made - music that celebrates some amateur radio traditions with some
help from "AI." Jim Davis W2JKD tunes up with our final story for
theweek.

JIM: Zach Thompson, KM4BLG, believes there's something lyrical about
the regional hamfest hosted by his club, the Western Carolina Amateur
Radio Society. It's a day that's popular with local families and
attracts those from Tennessee, South Carolina and beyond who gather
each year at the Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville.

This year's event on July 25th is shaping up to be even more lyrical
because it actually has lyrics - its own promotional theme song set to bluegrass music. Zach told Newsline that while he's a music-lover. he's
not a musician so he got some help with the writing and composing. He outsourced both tasks to "AI." Even the song's performance on the
amateur radio society's YouTube channel is by a fictional group called
CQ DX and the 73s - again, created by AI.

What he got are lyrics like this: "Coax coil shining in the Carolina
sun." "Antennas reaching like pines to the sky." That's the kind of
magic that happens when AI meets RF. Besides, not everything here is artificial: The event itself offers very real feelings of fellowship
and the beauty of the Smoky Mountains.

Zach told Newsline that he was so surprised at how well the song turned
out that he partnered up with AI to generate a tribute to Parks on the
Air. It can be found on his KM4BLG YouTube channel. The same fictional musicians are back with more lyrical inspiration that, according to the
YouTube blurb, will [quote] "have you wanting to drop everything and go activate." [endquote] Best of all, getting out and doing POTA isn't
something you can do using AI - at least not yet.

This is Jim Davis, W2JKD.

(ZACH THOMPSON, KM4BLG; YOUTUBE, WIA)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, AMSAT News; Cliff Hotchkiss,
KC3PGT; David Behar, K7DB; Dmitri Kolenchuk, R3GM; FCC; 425DX News;
FirstNet; Government Technology; QRZ.com Forums; shortwaveradio.de;
Wireless Institute of Australia; Experimental Station WQ2XDM; YouTube;
YL Beam; Zach Thompson, KM4BLG; 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 2026. Amateur Radio Newsline retains
ownership of its material even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights
are reserved.

--- Synchronet 3.21f-FreeBSD NewsLink 1.2