Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2490 for Friday, July 18th, 2025

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2490 with a release date of Friday, July 18th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1

The following is a QST. The FCC OKs experimental use of amateur frequencies by a satellite for 5G broadband. Youth on the Air hosts its first Junior Camp -- and ham radio plus a small dog help rescue a hiker in the Swiss Alps. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2490 comes your way right now.

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SATELLITE'S EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE OKS AMATEUR BAND USE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Washington, D.C., where the FCC has approved an experimental license for the satellite of a 5G mobile provider - and the license approves use of some amateur radio frequencies. We have details from Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

KENT: AST SpaceMobile, the Texas-based rival of SpaceX, has been approved for an experimental license to test a low-earth orbit satellite that is the prototype for its planned mobile phone connectivity from space.

The US Federal Communications Commission granted the license on Friday, July 11th, giving the company the ability to test a satellite that has a phased-array antenna that enables it to function as a cell tower from space. Known as FM1, it is at the center of the 5G broadband provider's hopes to build a satellite-to-phone internet system. The FCC has assigned the callsign WP2XRX, which expires on July 1st, 2027. A copy of the license online shows that it authorizes experimental operation only on 37.5 GHz-42 GHz, and 2.235 GHz, 2.245 GHz for mobile satellite services.

The amateur radio frequencies, 430-440 MHz, also appear on the license. The 5G service requested those frequencies to conduct telemetry, tracking, and telecommand between ground stations and its satellites. The company seeks FCC approval for operation of 248 low-earth orbit, non-geostationary satellites. Its present license only permits five.

AST SpaceMobile has been developing its network in association with AT&T and Verizon. SpaceX is partnering with T-Mobile.

A copy of the license can be seen using the link to the FCC website that appears in the text version of this week's newscast.

This is Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

[DO NOT READ: https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=380200&x=. ]


STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, Amateur Radio Daily reports that a ham in Germany has asked the FCC to oppose AST SpaceMobile's use of amateur radio frequencies on 70 cm and is seeking proof that its operation cannot cause interference to radio amateurs. A comment period remains open on the FCC website through the 21st of July.

(AMATEUR RADIO DAILY, PC MAG, FCC)

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CANADIAN AMATEURS IN YUKON TERRITORY GET SEPARATE SECTION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The amateur radio map of Canada has undergone a change with the creation of a new section. Andy Morrison K9AWM has the details.

ANDY: Radio amateurs who live in Canada's Yukon Territory now have a section to call their own. Radio Amateurs of Canada has separated the Yukon Territory from the overall Territories section and given it a designation of its own. It now carries the abbreviation Y U K, setting it apart from hams in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Those regions will continue to be part of the section known as "Territories," which carries the abbreviation T-E-R.

Radio Amateurs of Canada made the announcement in the July/August 2025 issue of the journal, The Canadian Amateur. The change took effect on the 1st of July. While the new section may have consequences for ARRL Field Day, Sweepstakes CW, Sweepstakes SSB and the 160 metre contest, the changes are not expected to have an impact on any major contests from the ARRL or RAC. Organizers of QSO parties may need to review their operating rules.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(DX NEWS)

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4 TEENS ON DAVE KALTER MEMORIAL DX ADVENTURE CALL CQ

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Listen for the pileups as four young amateurs get on the air from Curacao during the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure. Travis Lisk N3ILS tells us who they are.

TRAVIS: It is always a bit of a homecoming every year when the young participants in the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure arrive in Curacao at the super contest station of the Caribbean Contesting Consortium. From the 17th through to the 22nd of July, the adventurers' host Uli, DL8OBQ will be extending a welcome to Oklahoma brothers Izzy Russell, KJ5CMP, and Josiah, WD5JR, and their father, John N5VOF. Agnes Wagner, AD8IR, and her brother Ben, AD8FQ, are accompanied by their grandmother, JoAnn, a fan of CW even though she is not a licensed amateur operator herself. As in previous years, the group's log is destined to fill up with several thousand QSOs as the young operators call QRZ under the callsign PJ2Y from the island that is IOTA number SA-099.

The adventure opportunity, which is open to licensed amateurs between the ages of 12 and 17, bears the name of its cofounder Dave Kalter, KB8OCP, who became a Silent Key in 2013.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(YOUTHDXA.ORG)

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YOUTH ON THE AIR JUNIOR CAMP HOLDS FIRST SESSION

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Youth on the Air in the Americas camp has ended its run in Colorado - and now it is time for the camp's much younger version to shine in Ohio, as we hear from Paul Braun WD9GCO.

PAUL: Youth on the Air Junior Camp USA, the younger sibling of Youth on the Air in the Americas, is preparing to welcome campers for the first time this month ? and you can too, by working them when they get on the air. The debut session of this camp is being hosted by the West Chester Amateur Radio Association at National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester, Ohio. Youngsters under the age of 15 will be calling CQ with the special event callsign W8Y throughout the weekend of July 25th and at specially scheduled times.

When they are not in the shack, the campers will be involved in radio-related activities similar to those at the regional YOTA camps for young people 15 through 25. You can participate too by watching the opening ceremony at 1700 UTC on Friday, July 25th on the Youth on the Air YouTube channel, where videos will highlight some of the day?s activities. Of course, getting these youngsters in your log is the best way to support them. Be listening on the HF bands, especially at the following dedicated times: Friday, July 25th from 2230 to 0100 UTC; Saturday, July 26th from 1500 to 1600 UTC and Sunday, July 27th from 2000 to 2100 UTC.

This is Paul Braun WD9GCO

(YOTA)

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STUDENTS SOLAR-CAR EVENT GETS GOOD MILEAGE WITH HAMS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateur radio isn't the only activity that seeks good mileage from the sun. How about solar-powered automobiles? High school students are putting these homebrew vehicles to the test and amateur radio is celebrating that challenge, as we hear from Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

KEVIN; The Texas Motor Speedway is the scene of the Solar Car Challenge, an event that has been encouraging high school students to experiment with alternative energy since 1993.

According to a post in the QRZ.com forums, special event station K5S will be on 20 meters from the 17h to the 25th of July to celebrate the cars built by students from California, Florida, Washington state, Texas and elsewhere. Listen for radio operators around 14.340 MHz for SSB and 14.074 MHz for FT8. They'll be on the air from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. US Central Time. The actual four days of the race are the 20th through to the 23rd.

Naturally, everyone is hoping for good terrestrial - and solar - weather. Everyone, start your engines!

This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.

(SOLAR CAR CHALLENGE, QRZ.COM)

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BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W9YRC repeater of the York Radio Club in Elmhurst, Illinois, following the weekly Wednesday net at 8 p.m.

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CW OPS PREPARE TO FLY WITH 'FLIGHT OF BUMBLEBEES' EVENT

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Adventure Radio Society is challenging CW ops to turn down their power and get outdoors with the trees and the bees. Jim Damron N8TMW explains.

JIM: So here's the buzz: If you're a CW operator and enjoy QRP, four hours on July 27th have been reserved just for you. It's the annual "Flight of the Bumblebees," organized by the Adventure Radio Society and anyone can operate from 1700 to 2100 UTC.

Because the objective is for bumblebee stations to work portable and home-based stations to chase bumblebees, it promises to be quite a hive of activity. You'll know you're working a bumblebee because the operators will append /bb [stroke b b] to their calls. Each bumblebee will be assigned their own number so that they aren't just...bumbling along.

This popular event has also worked well for POTA hunters and SOTA chasers but, as always, there are rules to follow and there is a necessary exchange of bumblebee numbers and other information - but always, short and sweet.

For details, visit the Adventure Radio Society website. The link appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org. The society was formed in the 1990s by Russ Carpenter, AA7QU, in Oregon, to promote the enjoyment of QRP radio outdoors.

[DO NOT READ: https://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html ]

This is Jim Damron N8TMW.

(ADVENTURE RADIO SOCIETY)

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HAMS REUNITE MISSING DAUGHTER WITH FAMILY AFTER 8 YEARS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In India, hams helped a family reunite with a missing daughter they had long since given up for dead. We hear the details from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: The parents of a woman missing from West Bengal, India, for eight years were reunited with her in early July by amateur radio operators after she was found in Bangladesh. Her parents told local media that she had disappeared from home eight years ago and they were convinced she had died during that time. Local media reports said that the woman, who is now 28, has been determined to have mental challenges.

A report in the Indian Express said that Muhammed Abdul Gani Fitu, S21BD, a ham in Bangladesh, first spotted the woman at a railway station not far from the social services agency he operates. He told the newspaper that when he spoke with her, he was surprised to learn she was from India. He contacted amateurs in West Bengal and provided information about her home village and her parents' names, which she was able to provide.

In West Bengal, Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, said he received the woman's photos and other details and asked Sanjib Sarma, a shortwave listener who belongs to the West Bengal Radio Club, to assist by locating her parents. They were tracked down the next day and, following a video call between them and her daughter, arrangements were being made with government authorities for her eventual return after her medical condition could be further assessed and managed.

This is Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.

(INDIAN EXPRESS)

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WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, a 12-person team will be using the callsign 9M8A from Satang Besar Island, IOTA number OC-165, East Malaysia from the 26th of July through to the 10th of August. Listen for them operating CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4 on 80 through 6 metres. They will also participate in the IOTA contest. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Maxim, OH7O [OH H Seven OH] is on the air as 8Q7YY from the Maldives, IOTA number AS-013, through to the 25h of July. His main mode is SSB but he will occasionally operate using FT8. Listen for him on 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 metres. See QSL details on QRZ.com.

Be listening for Jo, F8GDP, operating holiday style as F8GDP/p from Oleron Island, IOTA number EU-032, from the 20th of July through to the 1st of August. He will operate mainly using CW and occasionally FT8. Listen for Jo on 60, 40 and 30 metres. QSL via the home call.

Team J45E will be on the air from the 24th through to the 29th of July from Kos Island, IOTA number EU-001. Listen on 80 through 10 metres where operators will be using CW, SSB and the digital modes. The team will also participate in the IOTA contest. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

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KICKER: A LIFE-SAVING DISTRESS CALL SENT IN 'DOG MODE'

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Finally, there are two tiny ham radio heroes in our final story for this week. Both prevented a hiking accident from turning into a tragedy. We'll let Ralph Squillace KK6ITB share the details.

RALPH: A July 4th hike in the Swiss Alps near the Italian border turned into a fight for life for one hiker after he lost his footing and plunged into an icy crevasse that trapped him 8 metres deep below the glacial surface.

The hiker was not alone. He'd held onto his amateur radio HT and used it to call for help. According to various media accounts, although his signal was picked up nearby, that radio operator could not narrow down the hiker's location. He reached out to emergency services instead.

The hiker was also not alone because he had a companion: his small dog, believed to be a Papillon [Pap-EE-Yon]. The little dog remained steadfast in the snow, sitting atop of the glacial hole that held the man captive. As it turns out, the shivering, barking dog is what got the helicopter rescue crew's attention first before they even saw the crevasse.

The Air Zermatt rescue team was able to lift the hiker and his dog to safety and flew them to a local hospital. Air Zermatt released a statement later calling the effort an "extraordinary" rescue mission. Neither the hiker's name nor the dog's name were made public.

Hams know that a lifesaving HT is always a plus for such hikes -- but for extra assurance, perhaps the next essential in the amateur radio "go kit" out to be something called an "LD" -- which in this case, stands for "Loyal Dog."

This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.

(THE GUARDIAN, SWISSINFO. CH, ADVNTURE.COM, CBS)

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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 Adventure Radio Society; Advnture.com; Amateur News Daily; CBS; David Behar K7DB; DX World; 425DX Bulletin; FCC; Guardian; PCMag; shortwaveradio.de; Solar Car Challenge; SwissInfo; Wireless Institute of Australia; Youth on the Air; YouthDXA.org; Zero Retries Newsletter; 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.

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