Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2525 for Friday, March 20th, 2026

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2525 with a release date of Friday, March 20th, 2026 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. The Bouvet Island team declares the trip a success! YL operators around the world conclude their first major event -- and coming soon: a documentary about the well-loved founder of MFJ Industries. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2525 comes your way right now.

**

BOUVET ISLAND DXPEDITION A SUCCESS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you were one of the lucky ones to contact 3Y[zero]K on Bouvet Island, our lead story is for you. Ralph Squillace KK6ITB, tells us more:

RALPH: The 3Y(zero)k DXpedition to Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic Ocean is done, and according to the team was a great success. A report on their Facebook page stated:

[QUOTE] "The whole 3YØK team is safely back on the vessel after a successful expedition to Bouvet. We made more than 100.000 contacts and achieved our goals.

It was an extraordinary undertaking, involving years of planning, complex logistics and determination needed to succeed. The team worked well together under harsh conditions, cold, snow and severe wind.
Bouvet is known for its remoteness and unpredictable weather, and while it is a beautiful island, any attempt going onshore involves a risk. Despite all the challenges we encountered the team stayed focused on our goals, determined, and the result is due to real teamwork!

We had been working with professional expedition guides, pilots, crew and vessel along with our off-island support team who all contributed to our success." [END QUOTE]

According to the team, logs will soon be available in OQRS.

If you wish to check you made a valid contact, but want to verify, you can search the logs at the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org.

The group's next target is, according to them, "Another icy rock in the Antarctic Ocean, Peter I [the first] Island" in 2027.

This is Ralph Squillace.

[DO NOT READ] Check for your contact here -> https://www.m0oxo.com/oqrs/logsearch.php?dxcallsign=3y0k

(Facebook)

**
JUDGE ORDERS VOICE OF AMERICA BACK ON THE AIR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The Voice Of America broadcast service, which had been shut down amid controversy last year, is headed back into service. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, has more details:

KEVIN: Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court in the District Of Columbia reversed actions taken last year by the Trump administration to shutter the Voice Of America and ordered VOA's journalists to return to work and the news service to resume broadcasting. Judge Lamberth had earlier ruled that the appointment of Kari Lake was illegal, hence voiding all layoffs and shutdowns which she made.

The VOA, founded in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda in World War II, had been broadcasting in 49 languages to over 360 million people around the world when it was shut down. If Judge Royce's ruling stands, their goal is to return to that level.

Newsline would like to make clear that the Voice Of America museum and amateur radio club in Westchester, Ohio, a popular attraction during Hamvention, is not connected with or affected by this current situation.

This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.

(NEW YORK TIMES)

**
SKYWARN YOUTH NET CALLS CQ FOR SECOND YEAR

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: As National Weather Service Forecast Offices begin their spring education campaigns for the United States, the Skywarn Youth Net wants to bring that mission to the airwaves. Randy Sly, W4XJ, fills us in:

RANDY: <Actuality> This is NØA, November Zero Alpha calling CQ CQ. Special Event Station for severe weather awareness calling CQ

N0A, the special event station for the SKYWARN Youth Net, is back on the air for their second annual event! Operating from March 15th through March 29th, this initiative aims to encourage amateur radio operators across the United States and around the world to prioritize Severe Weather Awareness and emergency preparedness.

SKYWARN Youth Net Manger Caleb Sfair, KE0FOE, told AR Newsline, <Quote> Our goal with this special event station is to educate the amateur radio community about the dangers of severe weather and the importance of being prepared. <End Quote>

The station will be operating SSB and FT8 on all HF bands at various times during the day and night as time permits.

In an environment where seconds save lives, the N0A event serves as a critical reminder for the ham radio community to establish situational awareness before severe weather strikes. For more information on the SKYWARN Youth Net, you can visit skywarnyouth.net.

This is Randy Sly, W4XJ

(SKYWARNYOUTH.NET)

**

US MILITARY TESTS HF COMMUNICATIONS IN ALASKA

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Are the HF bands useful for long-distance communications to remote areas? The US Military just did their own exercise to prove what hams have known for years, as we hear from Paul Braun, WD9GCO:

PAUL: Communicating under simulated emergency conditions on HF, members of the military in Alaska demonstrated something that hams have known all along: radio carries the message. The recent activity known as Exercise Arctic Connect, might well be called Field Day or an ARES drill for the military.

According to the US Army's website, over 30 operators in 28 different locations across Alaska recently took part in the exercise, a radio test to show that HF communications are vital in areas that are separated by extreme terrain, weather and distances. The test was conducted by Alaska Organized Militia, which includes the Alaska Army and Air National Guard, the Alaska State Defense Force, members of the Civil Air Patrol, the State of Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and representatives from the National Guard Bureau.

Col. Christy Brewer, Alaska National Guard director of joint operations said that [quote] Our responsibility is to the people of Alaska. That means ensuring we can maintain command and control across a state where terrain, weather and distance test every system. This exercise validates the partnerships and redundant pathways that allow us to respond decisively when communities need us. [endquote]

You can read the full story at the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org


[DO NOT READ] https://www.army.mil/article/290901/exercise_arctic_connect_validates_communic

(army.mil)

**

YL WORLD WIDE EVENT OVERWHELMING

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The YL World Wide Award, the first international amateur radio event dedicated exclusively to female operators, just concluded on March 16. Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, has the details.

NEIL: YLs, which is short for Young Ladies, actually describes female amateur radio operators of all ages. Across the world, YLs joined together for a single operating event called YL World Wide Award from March 9th through 16th.

Using the HamAward platform, YL-WWA saw 300 activators from 51 countries generate over 300,000 QSOs in one week, chased by approximately 50,000 hunters from 203 countries.

Veronika Wigand, DL4VER, one of the event organizers told Newsline, <Quote> It was awesome to see the outstanding cooperation and enthusiasm of the YLs, as well as the OMs. Complete beginners who had only obtained their licenses a few months ago worked hand in hand with experienced female radio operators. The pileup was overwhelming. <End Quote>

At the close of the event at midnight UTC, March 16th, even though conditions were very difficult, there were more YLs on the air than at any time during the week. The project was coordinated by the YL Unit of the German Amateur Radio Club under the leadership of Heike, DL3HD, and Veronika, DL4VER, in collaboration with the international WWA team, Max IW1FRU and Carlo IK1HJS. For more information about the YL-WWA, visit hamaward.cloud.

This is Neil Rapp, WB9VPG
.

(VERONIKA WIGAND, DL4VER)

**

BREAK HERE;

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the N9IAA repeater in Valparaiso, Indiana on 146.685, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. local time.

**
AIRLINES REQUIRED TO UPDATE ELECTRONICS DUE TO CW INTERFERENCE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A story that we have been following about aircraft avionics now includes a Federal mandate. Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, tells us more:

SKEETER: The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines flying Boeing 787 Dreamliners to inspect and repair faulty on-board transponders. According to a report at Aviation A-to-Z dot com, the move is expected to cost U.S. airlines nearly eight million dollars.

United Airlines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines who operate from hubs including Chicago OHare and Los Angeles International Airports are among those affected by the FAA Airworthiness Directive. It states that certain Boeing 787 transponders can fail when they are exposed to continuous wave signals, including those generated by Morse code from military transmitters and amateur radio transmissions. Such signals, when encountered by the aircrafts Mode S transponder, may cause a failure to respond to radar interrogation. Air traffic control systems rely on those responses to track aircraft positions accurately. Without a correct reply from the transponder, controllersQUOTEmay temporarily lose visibility on their radar displaysEND QUOTE.

Additionally, the onboard Traffic Collision Avoidance SystemsQUOTEmay not generate alerts correctly, reducing a critical safety safeguard designed to prevent mid-air collisionsEND QUOTE. Tests conducted by the FAA showed a near-90 percent failure rate of interrogation attempts in environments with CW interference, which prompted the corrective solution order.

The directive applies globally to Boeing 787 aircraft equipped with the affected transponder model. However, the FAAs financial assessment only covers aircraft registered in the U.S. Airlines have up to four years to complete the required inspections and modifications.

The directive has the support of Boeing and the Air Line Pilots Association; however, operational concerns were expressed by several airlines who have requested a delay.

This is Skeeter Nash N5ASH.

(AVIATIONA2Z.COM)

**

PUSH IS ON TO GET SARDINIA RADIOACTIVE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There is a new challenge to give more hams the chance to work Sardinia Island, as Dave Lee, M7TLB, tells us:

DAVE: For 10 years, the Sardinian regional radio group, Team DX Coros has focused on growing the community of amateur radio DXers. As its members mark the group's tenth anniversary, they have teamed up with the Porto Torres section of ARI, the national nonprofit organisation representing hams in Italy to help land Sardinia in as many logbooks as possible.

The Sardinia Island DXCC 225 Challenge began earlier this month offering gold, silver and bronze certificates and a chance for some operators to record a new log entry.

Their focus until the 1st of May is to call CQ as IRØSAR. Sardinia Island is recognised as an independent DX entity - and a much sought-after one. Long known and appreciated for its ancient ruins and other links to history, Sardinia can now be pursued with extra intensity for its standing among DXers.

See the QRZ.com page of IRØSAR for more details

This is Dave Lee M7TLB.

**

SUN-LIT AWAKENING FOR JAPAN'S 30-YEAR-OLD SATELLITE

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Like Rip Van Winkle waking up from a very long nap, an elderly satellite just came back online. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, brings us the story:

GRAHAM: March 9th brought a sun-lit awakening for the satellite known as Fuji-OSCAR 29, a veteran of the skies that was launched in August 1996. Its batteries failed during the satellite's 30-year space journey, making it completely dependent on solar panels. AMSAT News called its recent arrival into a full-sunlight orbit [quote] "a welcome revival for one of the oldest active analog linear responders in the amateur fleet." [endquote]

The sun-lit awakening has permitted continuous operation instead of the periodic eclipses experienced before. According to AMSAT News, SatNOGS reported CW beacon and telemetry receptions around the 12th and 13th of March and data was logged by stations EA5WA and DL7NDR. Next came the successful QSOs on SSB and CW reported from Japan and China, with some hams making several contacts during a particularly busy pass.

The AMSAT report said there was still no activity on the digital modes. There is also a Digitalker on 435.910 MHz that is almost never used.

AMSAT has been encouraging hams to monitor activity and to log contacts via the AMSAT OSCAR Status page.

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

(AMSAT NEWS)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the World of DX, operators with the CYØS DXpedition will be on the air from Sable Island, IOTA Number NA-063, from the 19th through to the 31st of March. There are eight operators and as many as six stations on 160-10 metres using CW, SSB, FT8 and RTTY. There will also be a 6-metre operation on FT8 and EME on 23 cm.

Listen for Brian, AD8FD using the callsign C6AFD from Eleuthera Island, IOTA Number NA-001, in the Bahamas. He will be on the air from the 24th through to the 31st of March, operating SSB and FT8 on 40-10 metres. You can also find him in the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest on the 28th and 29th of March.

Miguel, EA1BP, will be active holiday style as FM/EA1BP from Martinique, IOTA Number NA-107, from the 25th of March through to the 2nd of April. Listen for him as well during the CQ WW WPX SSB contest where he will be using the callsign TO7O (Tee Oh Seven Oh).

Listen for the callsign DAØHEL, as a group of about 20 operators call QRZ from Helgoland Island, IOTA Number EU-127, from the 23rd of March through to the 3rd of April. There will also be occasional activity from the nearby Helgoland Duene island as DLØIH. The operators will be using CW, SSB and digital modes on 160-10 metres.

For QSL details and updates on any of these activations, visit QRZ.com

(425 DX BULLETIN)

**
KICKER: DOCUMENTARY ABOUT MARTIN F. JUE AND M.F.J. IN THE WORKS

STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A routine job for one Mississippi documentarian turned into a two-year passion project. Jim Davis, W2JKD wraps up this week's newscast with that story:

JIM: Filmmaker Preston Booth from Starkville, Mississippi, was hired to shoot a small portrait documentary about a local businessman to celebrate his 82nd birthday.

That's when he met Martin F. Jue, and learned about the company he had built, MFJ Enterprises.

According to a post on Reddit, Booth said that [QUOTE}"Once I got to meet Martin and the team I realized that their story really deserved a feature length production to best tell their story and Ive been moonlighting this project in my free time ever since." [ENDQUOTE]

Booth said he's spent a significant amount of time with Jue and his family, friends, and staff. Booth learned about his background, how he grew up, what drew him into amateur radio, and why he started MFJ. He learned that Martin grew up in a family that owned a small grocery store, developed a love of radio at a very young age and had to build his own equipment from spare parts supplied by a local electronics repairman because his family was poor.

After earning his Masters' degree from Georgia Tech, he moved back home to run the family store so his brother could take time off to travel. It was there that he learned the fundamentals of running a business, marketing, and client relations. These would go on to help him when he started MFJ.

According to Booth, Jue viewed MFJ not only as a way to provide affordable products for the average ham, but also as a way to offer locals the opportunity to work. He mentioned that MFJ's first production line was actually staffed by students from Jue's classes at Mississippi State University, where he taught. They built the products in exchange for extra credit and some spending money.

You can learn more about the documentary and see the trailer at Booth's website in the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org.

I'm Jim Davis, W2JKD

(REDDIT, KB6NU BLOG)


[DO NOT READ] https://www.prestonboothcinematography.com/mfj-documentary
**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, AMSAT News Service; Army.mil; AviationA2Z.com; David Behar, K7DB; DX-World.net; Reddit; 425DX Bulletin; QRZ.com Forums; Reddit; shortwaveradio.de; SKYWARNyouth.net; 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 Paul Braun WD9GCO at the news desk in Indiana, and our news team worldwide, I'm Stephen Kinford N8WB in Wadsworth Ohio saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. 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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