AMATEUR RADIO NEWS FROM THE NET

10571- 10605 of 10751 News Items

New Campaign Exploiting Linux Servers to Insert Backdoor "SpeakUp" Trojan A new backdoor Linux-based operating system trojan dubbed "SpeakUp" is on the loose, although so far it does not appear to have propagated to North America or Europe. Research team Check Point Research recently reported the discovery and said SpeakUp exploits known vulnerabilities in six separate Linux distributions and is able to evade all security vendors. A community of radio amateurs use various forms of Linux, including the popular Ubuntu software, which includes ham radio apps. Check Point Research said the attack is targeting worldwide servers. "The attack is gaining momentum and targeting servers in East Asia and Latin America, including AWS [Amazon Web Services]-hosted machines," the Check Point Research article said. "SpeakUp acts to propagate internally within the infected subnet, and beyond to new IP ranges, exploiting remote code execution vulnerabilities. In addition, SpeakUp presented ability to infect Mac devices with the undetected backdoor." The origin of the malware appears to be in East Asia, although its developer may be Russian. Check Point Research said the sample it analyzed had targeted a machine in China on January 14. Once the software successfully registers a victim, it receives commands to manipulate the machine to download and execute various files. Check Point Research said SpeakUp serves XMRig cryptocurrency miners listening to infected servers. via the RSGB: SOS Radio Week 2019 SOS Radio Week 2019 will take place between 0000UTC on 1 May 2019 to 2359UTC on 31 May 2019. Individual amateur radio operators and clubs are invited to register as official SOS Radio Week stations and operate during the month. Stations can be run under individual, club, or special event call signs, from home or other locations. There are few restrictions at to what can be done when, how, or where, other than to warn participants not to operate within the vicinity of a lifeboat or Coastwatch station without clearing it with them first. For more information, visit sosradioweek.org.uk. Ninth District Incoming QSL Bureau has New Manager and Address Erik Andersen, K9EU, of Naperville, Illinois, has assumed the role of manager for the Ninth District Incoming QSL Bureau. He is a long-time volunteer with the Bureau as well as a noted and accomplished DXer and contester. He succeeds John Meyers, K9QVB, who served as manager for 2 decades and will remain a sorter and letter dispatcher. The Ninth District Bureau handles more than 45,000 DX QSL cards each month. Effective immediately, send all Ninth District Incoming QSL Bureau correspondence to NIDXA, PO Box 125, Naperville, IL 60566. — Thanks to Central Division Director Kermit Carlson, W9XA via the RSGB: ITU emergency comms document update The ITU has updated a key recommendation for cross border usage of Emergency Communications Equipment. The new 2019 edition of ITU Recommendation M-1637 is clearer regarding countries facilitating the use of radio equipment that may be physically brought by visiting relief personnel into the territory where there is a disaster or emergency. The recommendation is intended to avoid delays due to customs procedures and type-approvals, etc and facilitate the use of both professional, as well as amateur, radio equipment in such situations. URL for M1637-1 is itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1637-1-201901-I. FCC Announces Career Opportunities The FCC has announced job openings that may be of interest radio amateurs. The agency is seeking to fill two openings for the position of Electronics Engineer (Field Agent) — one in Boston, Massachusetts, and the other in Los Angeles, California The FCC also is looking to fill a position of Attorney Advisor (Field Counsel) in Washington, DC. NJ Pirate Enters FCC Consent Decree For three years, a member of the national association for amateur radio evaded the FCC with illicit broadcasts at 90.9 MHz in a Northern New Jersey city not far from midtown Manhattan, across the Hudson River. In April 2018, the Commission was finally able to act on the matter by issuing a hefty Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture to the individual determined to be running the pirate radio stations, and followed up with a Forfeiture Order six months later. Now, the matter is officially resolved by way of a Consent Decree. On Wednesday (10/31), the Enforcement Bureau moved forward with a Forfeiture Order against Winston Tulloch (QRZ.com lists a callsign for a Winston Tulloch as KC2ALN). As reported by RBR+TVBR, Tulloch was fined $25,000 fine for his unlicensed radio broadcast activity. The Forfeiture Order from Enforcement Bureau Regional Director Dave Dombrowski was a simple conclusion: Tulloch failed to file a response to the April 2018 NAL. Russian "Sunflower" Coastal Radar Showing Up on 60, 40, and 75 Meters The January issue of the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) newsletter reports the Russian "Sunflower" coastal radar, located east of Vladivostok, is being heard at nights on 3,716 kHz and 6,860 – 7,005 kHz, as well as on several 60-meter frequencies. A Chinese wideband over-the-horizon (OTH) radar also appeared on 7.000 MHz in early January. While 60 meters and 80/75 meters are shared bands, the 7.000 – 7.200 MHz segment of 40 meters is currently allocated exclusively to the Amateur Radio Service worldwide. True intruders are those appearing on exclusive Amateur Radio frequency allocations. Some domestic Amateur Radio HF allocations outside Region 2 (the Americas), such as 7.200 to 7.300 MHz, are either shared with other services or not available to radio amateurs. On HF allocations such as 30 and 60 meters, Amateur Radio is secondary to other users. The 20-, 17-, 15-, 12-, and 10-meter bands are exclusively available to the Amateur Radio Service worldwide. via the ARRL: Amateur Radio Volunteers Activate Following California Flooding Amateur Radio volunteers with the Sonoma County, California, Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) rallied to assist in February after heavy rain led to flooding in the region. San Francisco Section Manager Bill Hillendahl, KH6GJV, told ARRL that while no actual communication emergencies occurred during the weather event, Sonoma County ACS volunteers provided "needed eyes" and were available in case further assistance was needed. Sonoma County ACS Radio Officer Dan Ethen, WA6CRB, said heavy rainfall on fire-scarred areas resulted in flooding along the Russian River. "During February, the Sonoma County Auxiliary Communications Service activated, providing communication services to the Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services Department," Ethen reported. "On February 13 and 14, ACS volunteers staffed the Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Operation Center. Mobile ACS Field Units were assigned to patrol the burn-scar areas that were a result of the Complex Fire Storm in October of 2017." Highest-Ever Summits on the Air Activation Reported Tom Rudzinski, SQ9FVE, made Summits on the Air (SOTA) history on February 16 by activating Aconcagua in Mendoza, Argentina. At 6,962 meters (22,841 feet) above sea level, the mountain is the highest peak in both the Southern and Western hemispheres. An experienced and skilled mountaineer, Rudzinski planned the expedition carefully, including all necessary support. He began his ascent to the summit nearly 2 weeks ahead of his activation, setting up camps and acclimatizing to the elevation en route. He managed five contacts on 2-meter FM, working Argentinian chasers some 90 kilometers (56 miles) away. Rudzinski worked with a group of friends from the Cuyo Radio Club (LU1MA) to activate Aconcagua. via the ARRL: The Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure Returning to Curacao The 2019 Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure (YDXA) will return to the PJ2T station in Curacao this summer, with Uli Thielke, DL8OBQ, hosting. The trip is set for July 14 – 19. The application for three youth and accompanying parent(s) is now open. Jim Storms, AB8YK, will serve as the team leader. "At this time there does not appear to be any issues with the situation in Venezuela," a statement on the YDXA website said. "Curacao is over 40 miles away over open ocean to the north and has been unaffected.  We will keep an eye on the situation. "Last summer, the YDXA team operated as PJ2Y from Curacao and logged nearly 6,300 contacts. FCC Seeks Electronics Engineer for Dallas, Texas, Area The FCC Enforcement Bureau has an opening for an electronics engineer (field agent) for the Dallas, Texas, area, that may be of interest to radio amateurs. This is a permanent, full-time job at the GS 11 – 13 level. The incumbent field agent "resolves interference, educates users and enforces regulations. An in-depth knowledge of electronic engineering is required. A full range of skills relating to inspections and monitoring is necessary," the announcement said. This individual "performs comprehensive investigations of unauthorized or unlawful radio operation and comprehensive inspections of all classes and types of installations employing RF energy," among other activities, and should have operational knowledge of technical equipment involved, such as spectrum analyzers and field strength meters. Some travel is required. The deadline to apply is April 19. See the position opening announcement for full details. General Class Element 3 Question Pool Errata Released The NCVEC Question Pool Committee has released the latest errata for the 2019 – 2023 General Element 3 question pool, which goes into effect on July 1, 2019. These changes are reflected in the new General Pool download file, dated March 15, 2019. 3Y0I DXpedition Team Reports It has Departed for Bouvet Island The 3Y0I Bouvet Island DXpedition website has announced that the team of operators — led by Polish DXpeditioner Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX — set sail on March 19 from Cape Town, South Africa, for the remote Antarctic island on board the MV Atlantic Tuna. "The 3YØI Bouvet Island Expedition has officially begun," the announcement said. "If everything goes well, we should reach Bouvet in 7 days around March 26. Landing on the Island will be strictly dependent on weather conditions met upon arrival." According to the website, 3Y0I could be on the air by the end of March but notes that the information is subject to change, noting the vagaries of sea and weather conditions. "The team plans to stay at the island at least for 2 weeks, with an option to extend the stay to 3 – 4 weeks, if weather and other factors permit," the announcement said. "We will sign as E51DOM/mm on the way to and back from the island." The announcement invited anyone interested to track the vessel. "Stay tuned for further updates and cross fingers for us, the announcement concluded. "History has begun!" Effort Under Way to Revive Boston College Amateur Radio Club Some alumni, faculty, and staff of Boston College are in the process of trying to restart the Boston College Amateur Radio Club. They would appreciate hearing from current BC students and alumni who are interested in participating. Contact Jim Repetti, WJ1R. Norfolk Island Special Event DX Operation Set to Start on April 1 A four-operator team will activate special event station VI9NI on April 1 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Norfolk Island Act. The Act granted limited self-government to the Australian external territory of Norfolk Island. The Act formally established the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly and gave the Assembly powers to pass, amend, and repeal laws, and — subject to the assent of the Administrator of Norfolk Island — executive powers. The activation will run from April 1 until April 14. Two stations will be on the air from 160 – 17 meters, with a focus on FT8, CW, and SSB. VI9NI will use WSJT-Xversion 2.01 in Fox/Hound mode (call only above 1,000 Hz). — Thanks to David Burden VK3BDX/AC3CW via the RSGB: Australians set new microwave records The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) reports that new records have been set on the 47GHz and 122GHz bands. Operating 47GHz mobile, David, VK5KK and Wayne, VK5APN set a new record of 20.8km on 11 March 2019. At 122GHz, Matt, VK2DAG and David, VK2JDS set a new VK2 state record of 100m. Although this is some way short of the world record, the 122GHz band is fiendishly difficult and has serious attenuation challenges due to an atmospheric oxygen resonance. "Team Exuberance" to Take Over K3LR Superstation for CQ WW WPX This weekend, some new — and younger — voices will be on the air from the K3LR Superstation, an 11-acre antenna farm of 13 towers owned by Tim Duffy, K3LR. Duffy reports that "Team Exuberance" members will operate from the station in the two-transmitter, multioperator (M2) category for the CQ World Wide WPX Contest (phone), March 30 – 31 UTC. The operators will be NN1C, HA9T, VE7DZO, K6JO, KG5HVO, and KM4ATT, a team with an average age of about 16. Fourteen-year-old team member Kat, KM4ATT, and David, VE7DZO, sparked the idea, and soon a plan was put in motion to create an all-youth team to operate K3LR. Funds for transportation, hotels, and other logistical expenses were raised through a GoFundMe appeal. Kat and David had both participated in the 2018 Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure to Curacao. While young, Team Exuberance members boast a combined record of more than 10 contest wins. Two WRTC 2018 competitors are on the list, and several have operated at other prominent stations around the world. "We believe we are the first all-youth serious contest operation in North America," said Marty Sullaway, NN1C. The Youth Amateurs Radio Club (YARC) Young Contesting Program (YCP) solicited team members for the CQ WW WPX operation and will continue the trend of recruiting young operators to contest from Big Gun stations. ARES Helps Iowa Water Utility to Resolve RFI Issue Des Moines (Iowa) Water Works (DMWW) uses secure radiotelemetry to monitor various remote-site parameters to alert staff to problems. Earlier this year, DMWW experienced periodic and sometimes total failure of the radio system. After no solution could be found, staff reached out to various resources, including the FCC. Polk County ARES also was brought in, and eight operators assembled to track down the interference, working the late shift. After a process of elimination, the ARES volunteers pinpointed the interfering signal to defunct equipment atop a downtown Des Moines building. The team contacted the owner of the license associated with the equipment and got permission to disable it, and DMWW confirmed that the signal interference was gone. Collectively, the Polk County ARES volunteer team spent approximately 70 hours to assist DMWW. Following the experience, DMWW installed a more robust radio system with encryption and established stronger relationships with several entities that can assist if similar problems arise. — Thanks to H2Oline and The ARES E-Letter Nellie Ohr: Ham radio not used for Russia contacts (Massachusetts) A transcript made public on Thursday by a GOP lawmaker in Congress shows that the wife of a top Justice Department official said she got a ham radio license as part of an effort to help with local community emergencies, not as part of any effort to communicate with anyone overseas, or to monitor broadcasts from Russia associated with the Steele Dossier. CY0C Sable Island DXpedition Some time ago, we had scheduled fall of 2019 for Sable Island DXpedition. Due to circumstances we had to reschedule to 2020. Hopefully this will be better for propagation. The permit process took over a year of emailing, phone calls, and furnishing documents. Sable at this point is no longer easily "permitted" for Ham Radio DXpeditions, as the policies have changed with the change in administration. In fact our permit finally was graciously authorized as a "one time special use permit". We believe that it is very probable that permits in the future may be essentially "nil" for a very long time. AMSAT Academy to be Held Prior to Hamvention AMSAT Academy will take place on Thursday, May 16, the day before Hamvention. AMSAT says this is a unique opportunity for both beginners and advanced satellite operators to learn about Amateur Radio in space and working the FM, linear transponder, and digital satellites now in orbit. AMSAT Academy will take place on Thursday, May 16, 9 AM until 5 PM, at the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) clubhouse, 6619 Bellefontaine Road, in Dayton. The $85 registration fee includes a full day of instruction taught by some of the most-accomplished AMSAT operators; a digital copy of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites (2019 ed.); 1 year of AMSAT Basic membership; pizza buffet lunch, and an invitation to the Thursday night AMSAT get together at Ticket Pub & Eatery in Fairborn. Hamvention Opening Gates to All on Final Day of 2019 Show Hamvention has announced that it will open the gates to all, without charge, on the final day of the annual gathering at Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Hamvention 2019 General Chair Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT, said the idea is to encourage the curious to see what attracts some 30,000 visitors to Hamvention each spring. "We have decided to open the doors to Hamvention to the public on Sunday, May 19, without buying a ticket," Gerbs said. "This will make it a little easier and cheaper for someone with just a little interest in Hamvention to see what all the excitement is about." IARU Argues for Protection from Wireless Power Transfer Spurious Emissions The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) was represented April 8 – 10, when CEPT Committee SE24 – Short Range Devices met in Ankara, Turkey, to undertake further work concerning wireless power transfer/transmission (WPT). SE24 is considering WPT for electric vehicles (WPT-EV) and also for generic applications. IARU already provided extensive input on the potential impact on radio communications resulting from spurious emissions from WPT devices, as detailed in CEPT ECC Report 289, published in January. According to that report, given the planned density of WPT systems for electric vehicles operating in the 79 – 90 kHz range, it is calculated that there will be a widespread and serious impact for the Amateur Service in the vicinity of WPT systems, should spurious emissions, measured at 10 meters, be at the current limits of ERC Recommendation 74-01. At the Ankara meeting, IARU and other interested parties provided further input. SE24 will meet again in early July to focus on WPT issues. Three BIRDS Constellation CubeSats Delivered to ISS for Orbital Deployment A Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 11 also delivered three CubeSats of the BIRDS-3 constellation and three other CubeSats. The BIRDS-3 constellation is a project of students at the Kyushu Institute of Technology. The additional CubeSats include Swiatowid, KrakSat, and EntrySat. All BIRDS-3 CubeSats are of the same design and have been coordinated to operate on a common downlink frequency of 435.375 MHz. Each will transmit a CW beacon and 9.6 k GMSK telemetry. The CubeSat deployer in the ISS Kibo module will deploy the BIRDS-3 CubeSats at a later date. Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Set for May 11 The Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) will host the traditional military/Amateur Radio communication tests to mark the 68th annual Armed Forces Day (AFD) on Saturday, May 11. The event is open to all radio amateurs. Armed Forces Day is May 18, but the AFD Crossband Military-Amateur Radio event traditionally takes place 1 week earlier in order to avoid conflicting with Hamvention®. Complete information, including military stations, modes, and frequencies, is available on the US Army MARS website. "For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is only an exercise scenario, designed to include hobbyist and government radio operators alike," the event announcement said. "The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service, as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly-controlled exercise scenario that does not impact any public or private communications." Radio signals reach homes of missing persons (India) Kolkata: West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC), an organisation of ham radio enthusiasts in the state, helped to reunite two Bihar residents —a nonagenarian man and an elderly woman— with their families on Monday. These two elderly persons went missing after they got estranged from their respective groups at Gangasagar Mela. ARRL Field Day Site Locator is Live, Promotional Material Available ARRL Field Day is June 22 – 23. See the May issue of QST, page 85, for the Field Day announcement. The Field Day site locator is now up and running, and so far more than 430 sites already are in the database. To find a Field Day site near you, enter your town and state in the "Location or Call Sign" box at the upper left. Listings also are available by state or Canadian province.To add a site, visit the Add Field Day Station page. Information on promoting Field Day is available. Also, visit the Field Day social media page for information on promoting your Field Day operation via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting to Expand Hours during Hamvention The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, located at the site of the former Voice of America Bethany Relay Station in West Chester, Ohio (between Dayton and Cincinnati, off the I-75 Tylersville Road exit), will expand its hours during Hamvention 2019 weekend. The WC8VOA station will be open. The museum includes a comprehensive collection of Drake Amateur Radio gear. Extended hours for Hamvention attendees will be Thursday and Friday, May 16 and 17, 4 – 9 PM; Saturday, May 18,1 – 9 PM, and Sunday, May 19, 1 – 5 PM. More information is on the VOA Museum website. Mobile Event App will Help Dayton Hamvention Visitors to Navigate the Show Dayton Hamvention® 2019, host of the ARRL National Convention, will mark the debut of a free mobile event app to help attendees navigate the extensive Hamvention program, activities, and exhibits using their smartphones or tablets. A collaborative effort between ARRL and Dayton Hamvention, the app was developed by TripBuilder Media™. ARRL Convention and Event Coordinator Eric Casey, KC2ERC, has been readying the app, with content contributions from Dayton Hamvention Com RSGB Cricket World Cup Radio Marathon Set The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) has announced a Cricket World Cup Amateur Radio Marathon, from May 30 until July 14. The Cricket World Cup will take place in England and Wales. UK and international call signs will be active on nine HF bands on SSB, CW, and digital modes. Award certificates will be offered based on the number of contacts made with the special UK and international stations. Sponsors are inviting other countries to take part and to activate special call signs with the suffix "19CWC" or similar. A total of 31 special call signs will be on the air in the UK, with GB19CWC representing the 2019 Cricket World Cup Headquarters in England. Listen for other "GB19" prefix call signs. Teams will field special event stations as well. Details, including the rules for awards and a list of international call signs, are on the RSGB website. Follow your progress on the Ham Log website. Email for more information on the marathon. — Thanks to Nick Totterdell, G4FAL  Former Hamvention Home Hara Arena Damaged From Dayton Tornado A State of Emergency has been issued in the City of Trotwood due to severe damage of storms and suspected tornadoes hit the area Monday night. Hara Arena suffered extensive damage when tornadoes and severe storms moved through Monday night. Drone footage shows the roof and side of the structure blown off in several places. Trotwood schools are closed, and several homes and businesses have been severely damaged. Germany permits 50 MHz ham radio contest operation The DARC reports German radio amateurs are permitted to take part in Contest Operating in the 50 MHz band from May 1 until September 30. On-the-Air Activity to Mark 50th Anniversary of First Market Reef DXpedition The Aland Islands Postal Administration is issuing a postcard this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first DXpedition to Market Reef, OJ0MR, in late December 1969 and its attainment of DXCC status. Soon after that initial operation, the permanent lighthouse keeper, Karl-Erik, OJ0MA, also hit the airwaves, and a stream of DXpeditions followed, establishing Market Reef as a dream location for hundreds of operators. The Northern California DX Foundation and the Finnish DX Foundation later assisted the Finnish Light House Society (FLS) to restore the remote DX outpost between the Aland Islands and Sweden. This year, many veteran DXpeditioners will return to Market Reef, including some up-and-coming young DXers from Finland and Sweden. The activity, which got under way on June 8, may even extend into the winter in order to catch the best low-band openings. OJ0A and OJ0Z will be on the air starting on July 6. Market Reef will also be active as OJ0B during the IARU HF World Championship Contest over the July 13 – 14 weekend. Youth Week will follow, with OJ0C on the air starting on July 15, followed by an Islands on the Air operation as OJ0DX, starting on July 27. For International Lighthouse/Lightship weekend, August 17 – 18, the call sign OJ0O will be active. Make: Magazine Going Dark Maker Media, which published Make: magazine and produced Maker Faire, has laid off its staff and is terminating operations due to financial problems. Maker Media CEO and founder Dale Dougherty confirmed to TechCrunch that the company was ceasing operations and that it had laid off all 22 employees, citing financial difficulties with publishing a magazine and the lack of corporate sponsorship. Orkney Islands DXpedition Announces Call Sign The Perseverance DX Group (PDXG) team planning the 2020 DXpedition to Orkney Islands will use the call sign VP8/VP8DXU. The team reports that radio and antenna strategies are complete, and work is under way on detailed project plans. Elecraft will provide K3S transceivers as well as amplifiers and panadapters for the adventure.