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Ärende: ARNewsline Report 2520 - 13 Feb 2026
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Forgot to post this out on Friday... My appologies!
/// Break - Begin Newsline content ///
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2520 for Friday, February 13th, 2026
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2520 with a release date of Friday,
February 13th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Kenya becomes the only African nation hosting
astronaut ham radio contacts. Shortwave service delivers news to Iran -- and
transmitter-wearing birds in Australia give lessons in survival. All this and
more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2520 comes your way right now.
**
BILLBOARD CART
**
KENYA JOINS ARISS AS ITS SOLE AFRICAN NATION
JIM/ANCHOR: In this week's top story, the African nation of Kenya takes a big
leap forward, as amateur radio and space converge formally in the months ahead:
Kenya has become part of ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station. Jim Meachen ZL2BHF brings us the details.
JIM: The Kenya Space Agency has announced that students, professionals and
others will have an opportunity to communicate live over amateur radio with
astronauts aboard the ISS. Kenya has become the only African nation chosen to
participate in the program. Astronaut contacts are expected to take place
between July and December.
The country's selection comes as it deepens its commitment to providing greater
STEM education. The nation has been encouraging space science studies and
innovation through efforts such as the Kenya National Science Technology
Engineering and Mathematics Learning Ecosystem. This national emphasis is a
major part of Vision 2030, a development initiative to industrialize and raise
the quality of life in Kenya.
In preparation for ARISS participation, Kenya's space agency and the
Pan-African Citizen Science e-Laboratory will collaborate on public outreach
technical coordination and of course, the selection of schools and other
educational institutions.
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
(KENYA SPACE AGENCY, AMSAT NEWS SERVICE)
**
IRAN RECEIVES BBC SHORTWAVE RADIO PROGRAMMING
JIM/ANCHOR: Shortwave radio, so valued as a carrier of critical information at
various times in the world's history, has been declining. The BBC, however, has
brought back an emergency shortwave radio service to deliver programming to
Iran. Graham Kemp VK4BB has the details.
GRAHAM: The turmoil in Iran that led to an information blackout in that nation
has prompted the BBC to launch a temporary shortwave radio service for
listeners there. Medium and shortwave frequencies have been carrying programmes
each day starting at 1630 UTC. The content includes news and analysis relevant
to Iran and provides a global perspective. In announcing the service, the BBC
said this was part of its tradition of providing crisis broadcasting, adding
that the broadcasts will remain on the air until the end of March.
Half-hour programming is broadcast starting at 16:30 UTC on both 702 kHz and
9465 kHz and repeated starting at 1800 UTC on both 702 kHz and 5935 kHz.
This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.
(BBC, RADIOTODAY)
**
VICTORY IN SCOTLAND FOR AMATEUR'S TOWER INSTALLATION
JIM/ANCHOR: Victory was never sweeter for a ham in Scotland who has
successfully appealed the local planners' rejection of his tower plans. We
learn more from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: The foundations dug and the concrete base with anchor bolts installed,
the greatest obstacle facing John Grieve, GM3RTIs tower project, has been the
Scottish winter weather, so John needs to proceed slowly with pulleys, wire
ropes and other work; but it was only a few months ago that he could not
proceed at all.
Despite supporting statements from neighbours and the Radio Society of Great
Britain, the local Perth and Kinross Council rejected Johns planning
application for the tilt-over, telescoping structure in the garden behind his
home in the village of Inchture. It was to have had an operating height of 15
metres, or 50 feet. John told Newsline that hed had little opportunity to
communicate directly with the Council beforehand. The rejection stated that the
project would [quote] have a detrimental impact on the character and
environmental quality of the application property and the surrounding area.
John, who is also an RSGB Region 2 representative, contacted the RSGB Planning
Advisory Committee for an appeal in October. In mid-December 2025, he received
a 10-year approval. John also gained enthusiastic support on social media: an
update on the RSGBs Facebook page reached more than 35,000 supporters in just a
few days, according to society spokeswoman Heather Parsons M7OWS.
Now if only John could similarly appeal against the Scottish winter weather...
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(RSGB, JOHN GRIEVE, GM3RTI)
**
NEW HAMPSHIRE POISED TO OK HAM RADIO LICENSE PLATES
JIM/ANCHOR: In the US, the state of New Hampshire is poised to approve amateur
radio license plates for vehicles registered to hams. Sel Embee KB3TZD has that
story.
SEL: Amateur radio operators in New Hampshire are eagerly awaiting the passage
of a measure by their state lawmakers to create a new vanity license plate type
for motor vehicles that clearly identifies the owner of the vehicle to be an
amateur radio operator.
A public hearing was held last month on the House Bill which would authorize
the creation of vanity license plates and decals that identify amateur radio
operators by their Federal Communications Commission call sign. If the owner
chooses not to display their call sign they may use a standard issue plate
featuring a lightning bolt symbol to indicate their status as a licensed
amateur radio operator.
If lawmakers approve the bill, it would still need the signature of Gov. Kelly
Ayotte (AY-ott) before becoming law. Gov. Ayotte (AY-ott) has shown support of
ham radio, proclaiming June of last year "Amateur Radio Month" in recognition
of radio operators' important roles in public service and emergency
communications.
This is Sel Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D.
(QRZ.COM, STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE)
**
GPS INTERFERENCE WARNING IN CENTRAL TEXAS
JIM/ANCHOR: People in or near central Texas who rely on GPS received a warning
from the US military base at Fort Hood that wide-ranging GPS tests there might
cause interference with their own personal devices. Kevin Trotman N5PRE picks
up the story from here.
KEVIN: Farmers, pilots and smartphone-users and anyone else who relies on GPS
to get from here to there have been paying close attention to an alert from the
US military base at Fort Hood in Texas. The announcement said that throughout
February, the region that includes Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and even
Oklahoma City could experience interference and disruptions. The final rounds
of testing are to be held on February 13th and 14th from 3 to 5 a.m. local time
and resuming nightly from February 15th through to the 22nd. The final testing
period is February 23rd through to the 27th.
This is Kevin Trotman N5PRE.
(FAA, KXXV-TV)
**
BREAK HERE: Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the W3FDK
repeater in Frederick, Maryland and the Echolink node N3RO-L on Thursdays at 7
pm local time, followed by the weekly Weather Net.
**
US ADVANCED CLASS OPERATORS HOST POPULAR NET
JIM/ANCHOR: Proud to have operating licenses as Advanced Class hams, a friendly
group meets a few times a week on 20 meters. Others are welcome too, as we hear
from Travis Lisk N3ILS.
TRAVIS: The A13 Advanced Class Preservation Society is more than a gathering of
friends - it is a circle of amateur radio operators who celebrate their status
as the last holders of a class of license the Federal Communications Commission
stopped granting nearly 26 years ago. The holders of these licenses, which are
still renewable indefinitely, created the society in 2020 as a welcoming place.
It became the home of a ragchew net that operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays on 14.213 MHz at 1700 UTC, with Scott Endsley, W5HVO, as primary net
control.
Although 445 hams hold numbered certificates of membership in this group, they
extend a welcome to any Advanced and Extra Class operators, as well as DX hams
who would like to check in.
The elimination of the Advanced Class license was undertaken as a streamlining
move - an action that created a three-license system that also removed the
entry-level Novice Class.
This is Travis Lisk N3ILS.
(QRZ.COM FORUMS, FCC)
**
CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION IN UK EYES MAKER COMMUNITY
JIM/ANCHOR: Some new elements have been introduced into the Radio Society of
Great Britains annual Construction Competition. Jeremy Boot G4NJH explains
whats different.
JEREMY: As in previous years, the RSGBs Construction Competition has six
categories which emphasize the hands-on building and designing of projects -
activities that are rooted deeply in ham radio. Organisers have introduced a
new category this year - Reimagination - which still draws its challenges from
radio but produces projects with an appeal to non-amateurs, such as individuals
in the Maker community. The society hopes that these innovative entries will
shine even more of a spotlight on what ham radio is all about.
This is an international competition. Entries can be from anywhere in the world
but competitors must belong to the RSGB.
The deadline for entries is the 1st of March. For details on how to enter and
for a list of the other six categories, visit rsgb.org and search for
construction competition.
This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.
(RSGB)
**
WORLD OF DX
In the World of DX, Hide, JO1CRA/JR6 will be on the air from the Yaeyama
Islands, IOTA Number AS-024, from the 17th through to the 21st of February. He
will be operating mainly CW and FT8 on 40, 30, 20, 17, 10 and 6 metres.
Listen for a team of operators with the callsign T45FM, on the air using CW,
SSB, FT8 and FT4 from the lighthouse at Punta Maya, Cuba, IOTA Number
NA-015. They will be active from the 20th to the 22nd of February during the
American Lighthouses Weekend.
Three special callsigns will be on the air for several weeks marking a
half-century of German research in Antarctica. Listen for DAØANT, DM5ØANT and
DP5ØANT from the 15th of February through to the 30th of April.
Ulmar, DK1CE is calling QRZ as TZ1CE from Bamako, Mali until the 1st of March.
Listen for him operating mainly SSB and FT8. His main focus will be FT8 on
160m, 80m and 6m.
See QRZ.com for QSL information and other operating details for these stations.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
**
KICKER: TINY BIRDS TRANSMIT THE SECRET OF THEIR SURVIVAL
JIM/ANCHOR: As anyone who has ever worked a satellite - or does so regularly -
working these birds, as they are known, has its rewards. A group of researchers
in Australia has also been working the birds, a species known as a white-backed
swallow, using temperature-sensing radio transmitters. Theyve received some
great results, as we hear from John Williams VK4JJW.
JOHN: No matter which hemisphere you live in, no doubt this year has already
shaped up to be a time of weather extremes. Wherever you are, you have a lot in
common with the white-backed swallow, a prevalent species here in Australia
with the very uncommon ability to survive despite freezing temperatures to
blasting heat. Were talking about as much as 50 degrees Celsius - thats 122
degrees Fahrenheit - and we Australians especially can relate!
To learn how the birds survive, researchers in central Australias Sturt
National Park outfitted some of them with tiny transmitters. This was not an
avian Parks on the Air; this was a research project to monitor the birds
physiological responses through biologging - a way to record and transmit their
body temperatures changes as the birds slept in their burrows at night.
The result? A highly successful Worked All States of Bird Physiology. The
collected data confirmed the scientists theory that a deep torpor - an
essential near-shutdown of metabolism, heart rate and breathing - was essential
for these birds, just as for some other bird species, such as the tiny
hummingbirds in some regions of the world.
The results were recently published in the journal Current Biology. The
scientists called the transmitters key to their findings because data could be
gathered in the wild instead of an artificial setting, such as a laboratory.
Hams, of course, would not be surprised at radios reliability. After all, the
researchers HAD created a Reverse Beak Network.
This is John Williams VK4JJW.
(THE CONVERSATION.COM)
**
Newsline wishes to thank all the listeners who did their creative best to meet
our haiku challenge each week. We are taking a break now and hope you'll use
the extra time to check your SWR, chase a DXpedition or install new logging
software. Thanks for making it fun - and don't forget to visit our website at
arnewsline.org to see some of the past winners.
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, AMSAT News Service; The Conversation.com;
David Behar, K7DB; FAA; FCC; 425DX Bulletin; John Grieve, GM3RTI; Kenya Space
Agency; KXXV-TV; QRZ.com Forums; Radio Society of Great Britain;
shortwaveradio.de; Space.com; Wireless Institute of Australia; 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. We wish all our listeners the very
best for the year ahead in 2026. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2026.
Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even when
retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.
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