[continued from previous message]   
      
   during an elephant attack in a remote district village.   
      
   The youths purchased five ham radios and then trained themselves.   
      
   Training is very easy and no rocket science. We then obtained a licence   
   from the government to legally operate the radios, said Swarup Saha,   
   secretary, North Bengal Amateur Radio Society. The society was formed by   
   youths of the five villages.   
   How about some Pi with that ham radio?   
      
   And I'm not talking the raspberry flavour.   
      
   The David Sarnoff Radio Club (DSRC) in Princeton, New Jersey, will operate   
   special event station N3P on Pi Day, March 14. The event celebrates the   
   March 14, 1879, birthday of Princetons most famous resident, physicist   
   Albert Einstein, best known for his equation E = MC2, which states that   
   energy and mass (matter) are the same thing in different forms.   
      
   Why call it Pi Day?   
      
   If you take the distance around a circle (circumference) and divide it by   
   the distance across the circle (diameter), you always get the number 3.14,   
   the value known as Pi, which also happens to be the date of Einsteins   
   birthday, 14 th day of the 3rd month.   
      
   N3P will be using CW and SSB, two modes in existence during Einsteins   
   lifetime: 14.031 (CW), 14.314 (USB), 7.031 (CW), and 7.227 MHz (LSB), from   
   1300-1900Z.   
   Harnessing the suns power doesnt come easily or affordably but researchers   
   at the University of Tokyo believe theyre working on a future for solar   
   panels that will be cheaper and more efficient:   
      
   They announced recently that they have combined titanium dioxide with   
   selenium, a production process that could bring down the heavy costs of   
   extracting titanium from its ore so it can be used in a variety of energy   
   related products, including solar panels. The scientists method relies on   
   introducing an element known as yttrium into the process of purifying the   
   titanium. So far, they have been impressed with the resulting performance.   
      
   According to recent reports in Business Today and on MSN.com, the only   
   drawback is that the element leaves traces of itself behind in the final   
   result, enough of a contaminant that it could compromise its durability   
   and its resistance to corrosion.   
      
   The next challenge?   
      
   Minimise what is left so that a new type of solar cell will be available in   
   the future with a higher level of energy efficiency and affordability.   
   Have a Ham Radio Open House in April   
      
   World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is April 18 every year, and in 2025, WARD   
   is extra special.   
      
   ARRL invites radio clubs and schools to organize a Ham Radio Open House in   
   April, to highlight the Amateur Radio Service for its development and   
   practice of the latest radio communications and technology, and as a hands   
   on pathway into STEM fields for the next generation.   
   British Science Week started Friday the 7th of March and gives radio   
   amateurs the opportunity to share their passion and knowledge of the hobby   
   to reach new audiences.   
      
   Many schools have radio-related activities planned for students. Ham Clubs   
   are involved with events that are open to the public. A Mens Sheds group   
   is active as G8EYM and would appreciate skeds, especially with other   
   Mens Sheds  maybe an Aussie Mens Shed could establish comms?   
      
   The RSGB Outreach team has partnered with the Radio Communications   
   Foundation to provide FM radio receiver kits for 15 school, university,   
   scout and youth groups to build.   
      
   You can find these and other ideas and resources on the RSGB British Science   
   Week web page.   
   The Amateur Radio Operators Reception  a traditional part of the NAB Show   
   experience for many broadcast engineers  will not take place in 2025.   
      
   With our longstanding partner no longer operational, were taking this   
   opportunity to reinvent the event for next year by exploring fresh   
   partnerships and innovative ideas, a National Association of Broadcasters   
   said.   
      
   A story in the publication "Radio World" says it isnt certain when the   
   reception tradition began, but it has been part of the show for at least   
   35 years. Weve seen engineers lined up outside eager to get in, and the   
   reception is noted for its full tables worth of door prizes.   
      
   The annual event was not a program of sessions, but rather a networking   
   reception, prompted by the fact that many radio and TV attendees to the   
   NAB Show also are licensed amateur operators.   
      
   https://bit.ly/4h4WIpP   
   The National Society of Professional Engineers recently named Debbie Korth,   
   Orion deputy program manager at Johnson Space Centre, as NASAs 2025   
   Engineer of the Year.   
      
   Debbie was recognized during an award ceremony at the National Press Club   
   in Washington, D.C., alongside honourees from 17 other federal agencies.   
      
   The annual awards program honours the impactful contributions of federal   
   engineers and their commitment to public service.   
      
   Debbie has dedicated more than 30 years of her career to NASA, supporting   
   human spaceflight development, integration, and operations across the   
   Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Orion Programs. Her earliest   
   roles involved extravehicular and mission operations planning, as well as   
   managing spaceflight hardware for shuttle missions and space station crews.   
      
   -------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   OPERATIONAL NEWS -   
      
   Once again, this is Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, manager of the VHF-UHF Field   
   Days in th TEXT edition of WIA NATIONAL NEWS.   
      
   The time has come, the Walrus said . . . begins the 11th verse of an epic   
   poem by Lewis Carroll . . . the same bloke who imagined Alice in Wonderland.   
      
   Having now distracted you and got you wondering  here is the news.   
      
   Last week, I posted the results for the 2024 Summer, Winter and Spring field   
   days to the VHF-UHF Field Days page on the WIA website.   
      
   As before, I have to thank Peter Forbes VK3QI for completing the log   
   conversions, aided and abetted by his duo of programmers who wrote the   
   software to convert VKCL logs to Cabrillo format.   
      
   The results are compiled in shortform tables of final scores in each   
   category and sub-category. Now, open your PC, go online, download the   
   tables, check your scores and dont miss out.   
      
   Until next time, this is Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for WIA National News.   
      
   --------------   
   --------------   
      
   NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2025   
      
   --------------   
   --------------   
      
   THE BANDS ARE ALIVE - WITH THE SOUND OF CONTESTS.   
      
   MARCH 8 - 9  CW Commonwealth Contest.   
      
   The Commonwealth Contest is one of the longest-running contests in the   
   HF contesting world. 88 years this has run, originally called the BERU   
   contest. It promotes contacts between stations in the Commonwealth Countries   
   and Territories.   
      
   CWers, you can participate in the RSGB Commonwealth Contest activity on   
   80 through to 10 metres.   
      
   rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2023/rcwc.shtml to get all the rules.   
      
   (rsgb/arl)   
   ------------   
      
   YOTA Contest 2025   
      
   Organized by the IARU R1 Youth Working Group in cooperation with the   
   Hungarian Amateur Radio Society, the aim of the YOTA Contest is to   
   increase youngsters activity on the air, strengthen the reputation   
   of the YOTA programme and demonstrate support for youngsters across the   
   world.   
      
   The first session of this year's 3 YOTA Contests will be held March 9   
      
   yotacontest.mrasz.org   
   -------------   
   The IARU 100th Anniversary Centennial QSO Party.   
      
   The IARU CQP will be held for nine days, beginning Saturday 12 April and   
   ending Sunday 20 April. This event will celebrate 100 years of the IARU   
      
   (sarl)   
      
   ------------------------   
      
   HARRY ANGEL MEMORIAL 80 Meter Sprint, Saturday May 3.     (vk4uh)   
      
      
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   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)