Subj : Newsline Part 3 To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Mar 31 2017 12:23 pm DON'T FORGET: YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR JIM/ANCHOR: Just another reminder that April is here, and the deadline approaches to nominate a young candidate for Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak Memorial Young Ham of the Year Award. This is our commitment to honoring young talent. Is there someone who particularly impresses you? Nominations are open to amateurs 18 or younger, who reside in the United States, its possessions, or any Canadian province. Find application forms on our website at arnewsline.org under the "YHOTY" tab. The award will be presented on August 19th at the Huntsville Hamfest in Alabama. Visit our website for details. Nominations close May 31, and that date is coming up fast! ** RADIO SCOUTING UPDATE JIM/ANCHOR: Radio Scouts are starting this month with a bit of activity. We hear about 2 activations, and some progress on merit badges, from Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Stearns, NE4RD. BILL: This week in Radio Scouting, we have 1 activation of the K2BSA callsign, 1 activation from Scout Camps on the Air, Radio Merit Badge numbers are in, and we're moving into 7 months out for Jamboree on the Air. Laurence Galle, K9EYZ, will be the control operator for the K2BSA portable 5 station, at the Jamboree Shakedown Campout at Camp Tiak in Wiggins, MS, from April 7th to April 9th. Troop 4125 will be preparing for this summer's great adventure at the National Jamboree. Hopefully, other councils having these shakedown campouts leading up to the event, will consider activating amateur radio stations. Hatchie Crew 32, KB5WAX, will be activating K5BSA at the Venturing Rendezvous for Southern Region Area 2 at Camp Wisdom in Dallas, TX, from March 31st to April 2nd. Along with a Low Cope Course, Rock Climbing, and Water Sports, this active venture crew is activating an amateur radio demonstration station. The Boy Scouts of America have released the rankings and numbers for all the merit badges earned during 2016. From the Byran on Scouting blog the Radio Merit Badge came in at 74 with 6,442 badges earned during 2016. A big thanks goes out to all of our Radio Scouters involved in making this happen throughout the year. This year, we expect to see a bump in numbers with the roughly 300 plus scouts going through this program at the National Jamboree this summer. As we move into April, we're only 7 months out for Jamboree On the Air. A lot of clubs are starting to plan Field Day operations. Consider inviting your local council, district, or troop, out to your event. Remember, the GOTA station is free, and receives bonus points for each 20 QSOs made by the same guest operator. What a great opportunity to get Scouts involved with your club! For more information on K2BSA and radio scouting, please visit http://www.k2bsa.net/. For Amateur Radio Newsline, and the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association, this is Bill Stearns, NE4RD. ** HAMS' TRADITION OF SURVIVAL JIM/ANCHOR: A husband-and-wife team of amateurs in South Africa, has a special reason for going on the air with a most unique call sign. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, explains. JIM MEACHEN: For South African radio operators Tom, ZS1AFS, and Sue, ZS1AFR, the annual tradition of being on the air as ZT1T is one for which they're immeasurably grateful. The activation marks the Morgans' dramatic rescue from their yacht, which became disabled in the South Atlantic Ocean in 2011, while they were sailing to South Africa from the UK. The prefix of their call sign makes their radio operation all the more meaningful too, not just for Tom and Sue, but for those who contact them, because "ZT" is a one-of-a-kind prefix for a South African call sign. Having marked the anniversary date of their Feb. 25 rescue not long ago, Tom and Sue Morgan are now preparing for their next big radio operation. That will be Easter weekend. In an email to Amateur Radio Newsline, Tom said they operate every Christmas and Easter, and often use the ZT1T call sign as well in events such as the WPX SSB Contest, to provide a multiplier to operators. They will begin their Easter operation starting on Thursday the 13th of April, mostly on SSB but with some PSK-31 as well. There's lots to celebrate, since the Morgans' on-air operations are always immensely popular -- especially because they're still here and still on the air. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF. (SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS) Posted by VPost v1.7.081019 .