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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2498 for Friday, September 12th, 2025
  
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2498 with a release date of Friday,
September 12th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Broadband satellites gain limited use of amateur
frequencies. Hams in India convert their licenses to digital format -- and
questions are raised about  the current solar-cycle prediction methods. All
this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2498 comes your way
right now.

**
FCC GRANTS LIMITED USE OF AMATEUR BANDS TO AST SPACEMOBILE

JIM/ANCHOR: As Newsline went to production, the Federal Communications
Commission approved limited use of amateur frequencies for 20 satellites to be
deployed by a Texas broadband company. Travis Lisk N3ILS has the details.

TRAVIS: The FCC's Space Bureau said in a statement that it was giving
permission to AST SpaceMobile to use frequencies between 430 and 440 MHz on an
emergency basis only, The regulator said its move was in direct response to
overwhelming concerns raised by amateur radio operators.

Citing potential interference among their issues, member societies of the
International Amateur Radio Union, AMSAT, the ARRL and individual amateurs
worldwide also argued that alternate UHF allocations exist for the satellites'
telemetry, tracking and command functions. More than 2,500 comments were
submitted to the FCC .
 
The FCC's action gives use of the amateur frequencies to the satellites for no
more than a 24-hour period. The amateur radio 70cm band is used by hams
worldwide for such applications as mobile FM voice, analogue and digital TV,
digital data transmission, amateur radio satellites and weak-signal
communications on SSB and CW.

AST SpaceMobile ultimately plans a full constellation of 248 satellites for
broadband service from space.

This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.

(AMATEUR NEWS DAILY, FCC, IARU)

**

FCC EYES GIVING OK TO MOBILE PHONE JAMMING AT PRISONS

JIM/ANCHOR: Jamming is illegal in the United States but the FCC  is
considering whether to give prisons permission to jam cell phones of inmates.
Kent Peterson KC?DGY has more details.

KENT: The Federal Communications Commission hopes to grant federal and state
prisons the right to jam mobile phones that have been smuggled in to inmates.

The commission has scheduled a vote this month to remove a restriction that
keeps the prisons from such jamming. The inmates are not authorized to have
the phones, which the commission said are being used to assist them in
conducting  criminal activity while behind bars.

US law prohibits the use - and even the sale or distribution - of any
equipment that can jam authorized signals such as radio communication, police
radar, GPS devices and cell phones. Jamming is forbidden under the
Communications Act of 1934, which has been amended and updated since its
original drafting. 

The vote is scheduled for September 30th.

This is Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS, FCC)

**
MANDATE FOR INDIAN HAMS TO CONVERT TO DIGITAL LICENSES

JIM/ANCHOR: In India, amateurs have been facing a deadline to migrate their
licenses from the old paper-based format to digital via a web portal, as we
hear from Graham Kemp VK4BB.

GRAHAM: Hams in India who received amateur radio licences in paper form are
being required to replace those certificates with a digital licence no later
than the 15th of September by logging into the Saral Sanchar, a web-based
portal of the Department of Telecommunications.

There is no application fee for the process, which provides amateurs with a QR
code-authenticated certificate. This is the equivalent of the amateur radio
booklets that had been issued manually with paper certificates until December
31st, 2019.

In early 2020, India began issuing all new and renewed amateur radio
certificates digitally. The Telecommunication Rules of 2024 now require the
holders of the older paper certificates to use the digital web-based portal as
well. Failure to migrate will mean that when the licence expires, it cannot be
renewed.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY OF INDIA, INSTITUTE OF AMATEUR RADIO IN KERALA)

**
DOUBTS ABOUT SOLAR CYCLE PREDICTION METHODOLOGY

JIM/ANCHOR: Like a solar storm itself, a controversy over solar cycle
predictions is heating up. Andy Morrison K9AWM tells us more.

ANDY: As this year brings the solar maximum of Cycle 25, a  different kind of
solar storm has been raging - one that challenges the longstanding and
prevailing paradigm scientists use to help arrive at forecasts. Sociologist
and statistician Frank Howell K4FMH has done an extensive study of this
so-called NASA-NOAA-ISED prediction formula, which utilizes a consensus
methodology, pitting it against the work of solar physicist Scott McIntosh of
Lynker Space.

In this busy, high-profile year for the sun and its activity, Frank has
written extensively and presented a series of virtual talks on the subject in
the US and overseas. He has also discussed the competing models extensively in
his blog, K4FMH.com. Frank's most recent talk, "Progress in the Revolution:
Sunspot Cycle Forecast Accuracy at Cycle 25," was given to Pennine [PEN-NINE]
Ham in the UK, and can be seen on their YouTube channel.

Whether the NASA team or the McIntosh team prevails, one thing is certain:
Like CMEs themselves, this scientific competition over solar predictions
promises to rage for some time to come.

This is Andy Morrison K9AWM.

(YOUTUBE, PENNINE HAM, FRANK HOWELL, K4FMH)

**
UK REGULATOR MULLS SATELLITE-TO-CELL PHONE SERVICE

JIM/ANCHOR: Following in the path of countries such as the US that permit some
mobile phones to use satellite connectivity, the UK is opting to move ahead to
allow such services too. Jeremy Boot G4NJH explains.

JEREMY: The UK is poised to become Europe's first country offering legal
satellite connectivity for smartphones. The regulator Ofcom has released a
consultation authorising the move and is requesting comments no later than the
10th of October.

Making this service available to standard mobile phones would provide the most
remote parts of the UK with the access needed to send texts, make phone calls
or even connect to the Internet - functions presently not possible in areas
without mobile phone coverage.

This is known as "direct-to-device" and operation would be permitted after
Ofcom has provided a variation to the licences of Mobile Network Operators.
The change would also grant such use to mobile handsets and any other devices
that make use of SIM cards.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(OFCOM)

**
PORTABLE-OP CELEBRATION ACTIVATES NY'S ERIE CANAL

JIM/ANCHOR: The massive Erie Canal in New York State is the scene of a massive
anniversary celebration - on the air, of course. Sel Embee KB3TZD tells us
what to expect.

SEL: Ten days on the air. Fourteen clubs in NY State. Six months of planning.
It all adds up to two hundred years of the Erie Canal - the celebrated
public-works project that sparked economic growth by providing a connection
between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes in the early 1800s. It
ultimately earned the nickname, the "Mother of Cities," because its
connections fostered the development of towns, villages and cities.

Ham radio operators will light up the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
with an operating event that runs from the 16th through to the 25th of
September. Many of them will be doing Parks on the Air activations, including
a notable two-fer that also includes the Empire State Trail.

Organizers Matt K2EAG, Angela N3ARB and Mike N2MAK are encouraging clubs to
create their own commemorative QSL cards for the event. The organizers aren't
just looking to collect QSOs, though; they also want to gather stories from
operators about their experiences during the event. They can be emailed
directly to Matt at k 2 e a g at arrl dot net (k2eag@arrl.net) or posted on
social media with the hashtag symbol and one of these three words:
ErieCanal200, Erie Canalway or parksontheair.

This Sel Embee KB3TZD.

(MATT K2EAG, ERIE CANALWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR)


**
BREAK HERE: 

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the nodes and repeaters
on Allstarlink, Echolink, D-STAR, DMR and TGIF connected to the Blind Hams
Network on Sundays at 3 pm. Eastern Time. 

**
WILD CARD TEAM MEMBERS CHOSEN FOR WRTC 2026

JIM/ANCHOR: Two more competitors have been named for the World Radiosport Team
Championship next year in England, as we hear from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The excitement continues to build during these remaining months of
planning for the World Radiosport Team Championship to be held next year in
England.

Event chairman Mark M?DXR, has announced that members of the Wild Card team
have been chosen by the Organising Committee. The lead position will be held
by Diego, LW5HR, who showed much promise in the qualifications both as a
single operator and as part of a number of multi-op teams. His teammate will
be Manu, LU9ESD.

Mark said that given the strong representation of the US and Europe in the
other teams, the make-up of the Wild Card team from South American amateurs
has satisfied the organisers' goals for the field to achieve international
diversity.

Wild Card teams are created to recognise candidates with exceptional
competitive skills but who were not chosen during the selection process for
the other teams.

The preparations and 24-hour contest take place from 8th to the 13th July
showcasing the skills of 50 teams of two-person operators. Like the Olympic
Games, it is held every four years.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(WRTC 2026)

**
SIX RECIPIENTS SELECTED FOR YLRL SCHOLARSHIPS

JIM/ANCHOR: Six YLs who combine amateur radio with academic excellence and
leadership have been awarded scholarships from the Young Ladies Radio League,
as we hear from Jack Parker W8ISH.

JACK: The Young Ladies Radio League has announced six scholarship recipients
for this year - two each for the Ethel Smith K2LMB Memorial Scholarship, the
Mary Lou Brown NM7N Memorial Scholarship, and The Martha Wessel K?EPE Memorial
Scholarship. 

Congratulations to Grace Papay, K8LG and Neeti Sonth, KN6?JJ for their
selection as recipients of the Ethel Smith scholarship. Grace, who was Amateur
Radio Newsline's Young Ham of the Year in 2024, is a top contester and youth
mentor. She is studying electrical engineering at Cedarville University in
Ohio. Neeti is a PhD student at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she
is studying toward her PhD in aerospace engineering sciences. She is the
communications officer for the school's amateur radio club.

Madison Clogher, KC1KJT, and Camrynne Ellis WX5CAM, have been chosen for the
Martha Wessel scholarship. Madison is active in public service and emergency
communications and worked recently with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency in its office of planning and preparedness. She has a bachelor's degree
in emergency management and is pursuing her master's in cybersecurity.
Camrynne is entering her final year at Texas A&M University where she is
studying meteorology and atmospheric sciences. She became involved in ham
radio through the school's Texas Aggie Storm Chasers organization.

Rachel Jones KO4HLC, and Katherine Forson, KT5KMF are receiving the Mary Lou
Brown scholarship. Rachel, a PhD candidate in aerospace sciences at the
University of North Dakota, has been a presenter on radio space science for
students and is currently the winter manager of KC4USV at McMurdo Station in
Antarctica. Katherine is a senior meteorology student at Texas A&M University
and active as an officer in the campus radio club W5AC. She is also a liaison
between the club and the Texas Aggie Storm Chasers, where she serves as radio
and licensing director. Katherine received the ARRL's Hiram Percy Maxim Award
in 2021.

Newsline extends its congratulations to these six promising young talents.

This is Jack Parker W8ISH.

(YL HARMONICS)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, there is still time to work Bo, OZ1DJJ who is on the air
as OX3LX from Nuuk, Greenland, IOTA number NA-018, until the 16th of
September. He may be taking day trips to IOTA group
NA-220. He is on the air, holiday style, since this is also a working trip.
See QRZ.com for QSL details.

Listen for Claudio, HB9OAU, operating as SV5/HB9OAU from Karpathos Island in
the Dodecanese Islands, IOTA number EU-001, from the 13th through to the 25th
of September. He will operate SSB and  CW on 40-6 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.

Paul, G4PVM will be active holiday style as GM4PVM from Isle of West Burra in
the Shetland Islands, IOTA number EU-012, from the 13th through to the 18th of
September.  He will be using CW and SSB on 40-10 metres. See QRZ.com for QSL
details.


(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
LETTING YOUNG READERS SEE A NEW DIMENSION TO RADIO

JIM D/ANCHOR: Our final story this week takes us inside the pages of a new
fiction book for young readers. As we hear from Jim Davis, W2JKD, the story
delivers its message thanks, in part, to amateur radio.

JIM: There are many dimensions to Lorilyn Roberts, KO4LBS. The Florida
resident is an educator, a storyteller and a ham -- something she has wanted
to be since childhood. Although she enjoys CW, one of her preferred modes when
she is off the air is fiction. In many of the books she has authored, she uses
that mode to communicate with faith and passion, reaching out most especially
to young adult readers.

In her latest book, released September 5th, Lorilyn shows yet another
dimension of her work, one that is reflected in its title "Eighth Dimension -
Frequency." This is a work of fantasy fiction. It's the story of a teenager
who gains fluency as an amateur radio operator but off the air, struggles to
communicate as a caregiver for her mother who has dementia. The young girl,
named Chumana, believes that her faith and her future have been shattered and
she questions why things happen as they do in this universe.

Like Lorilyn, the protagonist at the core of this tale is a communicator - a
gift that serves her well as she begins to make some unusual and unexpected
connections via the digital modes.

Lorilyn told Newsline in an email that her hope is that young readers will
discover amateur radio - and something more - by hearing Chumana's story. In
fact, perhaps they will end up on the same frequency.

This is Jim Davis, W2JKD.

(QRZ.COM, ARRL NORTH FLORIDA SECTION, LORILYN ROBERTS, KO4LBS)
 
**
WHAT? You haven't sent in your ham radio haiku yet? Help is on the way! Visit
our website at arnewsline.org and as you compose your ode to your favorite
online activity, we will help you use the correct number of syllables to make
an authentic haiku. Submit your work and then sit back and wait to hear
whether you are the winner of this week's challenge. The winner gets a
shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur News Daily; AMSAT News Service; Amateur Radio Society
of India; Associated Press; David Behar K7DB; DXNews; 425DX Bulletin; FCC;
Frank Howell, K4FMH; IARU; Institute of Amateur Radio in Kerala; Lorilyn
Roberts, KO4LBS; Matt, K2EAG; Ofcom; Pennine Ham; shortwaveradio.de; Wireless
Institute of Australia; WRTC 2026; YouTube; 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 Jim Damron N8TMW in Charleston West Virginia saying
73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright 2025. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even
when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.

** Audio version of AR Newsline is available for download at The Rat's Den BBS!

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