Southgate Amateur Radio Club News

ARISS: Celebrating 20 Years of Continuous Operations on ISS!!
Twenty years ago – November 13, 2020 – the Expedition-1 crew turned on the ARISS Ericsson radio for the first time and completed several contacts with ARISS ground stations around the world to validate the radio communications system. These inaugural contacts launched an incredible two-decade operations journey on ISS, enabling ARISS to inspire, engage and educate our next generation of explorers and provide the ham radio community a platform for lifelong learning and experimentation

Silent Key – then what happens?
With the majority of radio amateurs now over 65, Randy Hall K7AGE looks at how amateurs can prepare for their passing and ease the burden those left behind face in dealing with the collection of radio equipment

Spain: Authorization to use 2,400 MHz extended
Spain’s Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure has extended the authorization for Radio Amateurs to use 2,400.050 to 2,410.0 MHz for QO-100 communications until Dec 26, 2021

Free ebook about 50 MHz ham radio band
The ebook Capture the MAGIC of Six Meters by Jim Wilson K5ND is available for free download

IRC over LORA, for when things really go south
As a society, we’ve become accustomed to always-on high-speed data connections, whether we’re at home on the computer or out and about with a mobile device. But what happens if a natural disaster knocks out the local infrastructure? Sure some people will be able to fire up their radio if they need to reach out and touch someone, but even among hackers, hams are a minority. What we really need is a backup Internet

DXCC Country/Entity Report
According to the Amateur Radio Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 6th December, through Sunday, 13th December there were 212 countries active.

Old ham radio equipment: ANATEL respond to LABRE request
Brazil’s communications regulator ANATEL has responded to the request of the national amateur radio society LABRE concerning the approval of old amateur radio equipment

Registration for Winter 2021 RAC Basic Course
Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Amateur Radio course so that individuals from all across Canada can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification while continuing to practise social/physical distancing

Geminid Meteor Alert
The Geminid meteor shower is about to peak. On Sunday night-Monday morning (Dec. 13/14), debris from “rock comet” 3200 Phaethon will fly out of the constellation Gemini, producing what many forecasters believe will be the best meteor display of 2020

Hans Knot International Radio Christmas Report
The new edition of the Hans Knot International Radio Christmas Report is now on line for downloading

Video of Further Adventures in VHF/UHF talk
On December 8, Practical Wireless columnist Tim Kirby GW4VXE gave the Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club (MUARC) a talk on all things VHF/UHF, the video is available on YouTube

Propagation Report from Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels