Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (D
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Jun 12 2020 08:05 am

JAMMING PLAGUES CHICAGO POLICE RADIOS

JIM/ANCHOR: In one U.S. city, the challenge of keeping life orderly
during troubled times has been amplified and complicated for police,
because of one issue that is well-known to radio amateurs: jamming.
Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, has that story.

KENT: Jamming is perhaps one of the most adversarial forces out there
for ham radio operators. Now one Midwestern city's police department
is afflicted with the same problem - in the middle of the kind of
explosive riots, looting and protests that are rocking many of the
cities around the United States. As Chicago police officers struggled
to respond to dispatchers' emergency radio calls in the troubled city,
jammers were filling the frequencies with music and slogans that
interrupted communications, according to a report in the Chicago Sun
Times newspaper.

Dan Casey, deputy director of public safety information technology
in the Office of Emergency Management and Communications said that
although some police frequencies are encrypted, most officers' radios
aren't protected from hacking, although the move in cities across the
U.S. is to employ more secure digital radio systems.

Casey told the newspaper that local and federal authorities were being
given recordings of the transmissions. Jamming is illegal, and an
accused jammer can face a substantial prison term if convicted.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY.

(CHICAGO SUN TIMES)

**

TOP HONOR FOR AUSTRALIA'S ARISS LINCHPIN

JIM/ANCHOR: A half-century of service to amateur radio and space
exploration have got one ham in Australia feeling a bit like royalty
right now. Robert Broomhead, VK3DN, tells us why.

ROBERT: You may think "Worked All States" or a DXCC certificate is the
highest honour, but ask Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, what he's proudest of
and he'll likely say it's his inclusion on the Queen's Birthday Honours
list, which awards him the Member of the Order of Australia for his work
in amateur radio. Tony is most especially known for his 50-plus years
of service as one of 10 telebridge stations used by ARISS, or Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station, of which he is a founding
member. In addition to his years of service as national ARISS
coordinator, he is also an operator and member of AMSAT VK, Australia's
radio amateur satellite corporation. Last year at the age of 80, Tony
announced he would be taking a break from his work with ARISS. The
break - and the honour - are well-deserved. Congratulations to Tony,
from all of us.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Robert Brookhead, VK3DN. 

**

JIM/ANCHOR:  For our listeners here in the United States, we add a word
of caution from the U.S. Postal Service. Postal officials have announced
they have temporarily suspending acceptance of international mail for
certain foreign destinations, as a result of COVID-19 service impacts.
The list of nations and territories is published on the usps.com website,
and changes often. Please visit the website before attempting to send any
QSL cards overseas from the United States.

**

KICKER: NEWSLINE REMEMBERS BILL PASTERNAK WA6ITF

JIM/ANCHOR: For our final story this week, we remember - and we remember
well, and with sadness. Newsline has just marked a difficult anniversary,
and Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, shares its significance with us now.

DON: As this newscast is being produced, it's Thursday, June 11, 2020.
Five years ago on this date, we lost Amateur Radio Newsline's founder,
and guiding light, Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. In some ways, it doesn't
seem like five years has passed, in others, it seems like 50.  Bill was
Newsline, and Newsline was Bill. He was a one-man band, and a force of
nature. He wanted things done his way, and to insure that he usually did
things himself. That is both good and bad. There were a lot of pieces to
put back together after Bill passed and, 5 years later, there are still
things left to do to get back to 100%. The one thing we made sure to get
back up as quickly as possible was the newscast. Bill was so passionate
about this newscast, and the things it led to, namely the Young Ham of
the Year award, now named in Bill's honor. A lot of the voices you hear
now on these newscasts came to us after Bill's passing.  Many had never
met the man, but were long time listeners, and reached out to see if
they could help.  I know Bill would be so very proud of the contributions
they continue to make, and we will carry on.  At Newsline, we have one
driving focus, an ideal that we filter everything through:  WWBD. What
Would Bill Do. With that mindset, we know we will stay on the right
track. We also formed a club for current and former Newsline staff, the
ARNARC. Our club call is Bill's old call, WA6ITF. Listen for it on the
air as we activate it. Let me just say thanks to everyone who has worked
on, and with Amateur Radio Newsline, and the Young Ham of the Year award
over these 4 decades. Thanks also to you, our listeners for being here.
I'm sure Bill would be proud of how we've kept the light shining. How do
I know that? Because it's what Bill would do. I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE:

With thanks to ARISS; Amateur News Weekly; the ARRL; the Associated Press;
Chicago Sun-Times; CQ Magazine; David Behar, K7DB; DX-World; Essex Ham;
the Mid Somerset Amateur Radio Club; Ohio Penn DX; QRZ.COM; Radio Society
of Great Britain; shortwaveradio.de; Southgate Amateur Radio News; Ted
Randall's QSO Radio Show; Twitter; the Worldwide Sideband Activity
Contest; WTWW Shortwave; Youth on the Air; and you our listeners, that's
all from the Amateur Radio Newsline.

Please send emails to our address at newsline@arnewsline.org. More
information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official
website at arnewsline.org.

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, and as always, we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.
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