Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2499 for Friday, September 19th, 2025

Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2499 with a release date of Friday, September 19th, 2025 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a QST. Equatorial Guinea suspends ham licenses following a DXpedition's operation. A statewide POTA group grows in Minnesota - and a Silent Key is inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. All this and more as Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2499 comes your way right now.


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EQUATORIAL GUINEA SUSPENDS HAM RADIO LICENSES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story takes us to Equatorial Guinea where the government has suspended ham radio licenses after what it called unauthorized operations of a DXpedition. We have more from John Williams VK4JJW.

JOHN: As DXpeditioners called off the 3C?W and 3C3W activations in Equatorial Guinea, the government suspended all amateur radio licences in the country. Authorities made the announcement saying that a visiting ham radio operator gained access to sensitive areas in the country with radio equipment that was unauthorised. The government announcement did not identify the radio operators but various DX sites online listed Yuris, YL2GM and Eugene, EA5EL, as DXpeditioners operating from Annobon Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Both callsigns were seen on the spotting clusters, with 3C?W's last spot made on the 11th of September, accompanied by the comment that there was bad news reported on the DX-World.net.

That report said the operation had gone forward [quote] "without properly verifying the legality of the equipment or the compliance of the assigned frequencies with national regulations."

In its announcement, the Malabo government did not identify the callsigns but said that the hams had applied for licenses in 2018 and this year but had not verified that the equipment to be used was in legal compliance.

Yuris posted an update on DX-World, confirming that the team had not yet managed to get the local permit to operate as 3C?W in Annobon Island and that they were returning to the mainland where they had previously had a successful activation as 3C3W.

Meanwhile, authorities said that the suspension of licences will enable the government to develop a new regulatory framework with respect to legal frequencies and equipment - an action it said also aligns with national security requirements. A government statement said: [quote] "The goal is to ensure that no high-frequency equipment enters the country without proper approval and review of the license." [endquote]

The news comes one month before the scheduled 3C2MD DXpedition of the Mediterraneo DX Club International, which is to operate from the 30th of October through to the 11th of November. It is unclear what impact this move by the government will have on the planned DXpedition.

This is John Williams VK4JJW.

(DX-WORLD, DXHEAT)

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SILENT KEY AMONG THOSE IN RADIO HALL OF FAME

NEIL/ANCHOR: A popular radio personality who was also a ham radio operator has been honored posthumously by the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Jen DeSalvo W9TXJ tells us more about him.

JEN: An amateur radio operator with a flair for and a following in late-night broadcast radio is one of eight inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame for 2025. Dale Sommers, WB6OM, who became a Silent Key in 2012 at the age of 68, gained popularity as the so-called "Trucking Bozo," on AM Radio - a nickname the radio personality garnered during his highly rated overnight program that was a hit with the nation's truck drivers. The show originated on WLW-AM in Cincinnati before moving to SiriusXM Radio.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications has inducted Dale and seven other broadcast notables who have passed away, as Legends. They include late on-air personalities Amos Brown, Jed the Fish and the Big 89?s WLS-AM?s, Don Wade.

Also honored, the late broadcast engineer Richard Burden, research executive Joanne Church, scriptwriter and producer Irna Phillips and programming executive Steve Smith.

This is Jen DeSalvo, W9TXJ

(RADIO HALL OF FAME)

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WRTC ANNOUNCES HQ SITE IN ENGLAND

NEIL/ANCHOR: Organizers of next year's World Radiosport Team Championship have announced the location of the event's headquarters in England, as we learn from Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

JEREMY: The market town of St. Neots in Cambridge has been chosen as the headquarters site for the World Radiosport Team Championship next year. Organisers have identified the three hotels close to the event where activities will take place from the 8th through to the 14th of July. There is also a renewed call for volunteers in various roles at either the headquarters site or one of the clusters. For additional details or to volunteer, visit the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

[DO NOT READ: www.wrtc2026.org/contact-volunteers ]

(WRTC 2026)

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CRYPTOLOGY, SPACE OFFER SIDE TRIPS AT TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

NEIL/ANCHOR: Attendees at the Radio Club of America's Technical Symposium and awards banquet can expect more from the experience by taking a sidetrip the day before to such nearby sites as the Goddard Space Center and the Cryptologic Museum of the US National Security Agency. Motorcoach tours will be available for both on Friday the 21st of November. The symposium and banquet take place on the 22nd of November at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The banquet is held every year to celebrate achievements in every area of wireless innovation.

For details about the tours or the RCA event itself, visit radioclubofamerica dot org. That's "radioclubofamerica" - one word - dot org

(RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA, AMATEUR RADIO DAILY)

**

FCC LEVIES $920,000 PIRACY PENALTY AGAINST FM STATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: In the US, the FCC has taken action against a radio operator who the agency has charged with piracy. The fine is nearly $1-million, as we hear from Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

KENT: The US Federal Communications Commission has given the operator of a New Jersey FM radio station 30 days to pay a penalty of nearly $1 million, for what the regulator says is unlicensed operation of a radio station on 91.7 MHz. The commission identified the station as Radio Leve Kanpe which is described on a number of websites online as having Haitian Creole programming.

The station's operator, Masner Beauplan of Middletown, New York, has been assessed a forfeiture of $920,000 for what the commission says were illegal broadcasts between November 16th, 2023, and January 8, 2024. The FCC said that Beauplan had been sent a Notice of Apparent Liability in September of 2024 but never responded. Failure to pay means that the regulator refers the case to the US Justice Department, which is responsible for collecting the fines.

The Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act, or PIRATE Act, of 2020 permitted the FCC to raise its fines when going after unlicensed broadcasters. Violating the PIRATE Act carries a maximum penalty of approximately $2.4 million.

This is Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

(RADIOWORLD, RADIO ONLINE)

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ARDC SEEKS VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEMBERS

NEIL/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Digital Communications is looking for volunteers to serve on one of four committees. They include the Grants Advisory Committee, which helps identify potential grant-making opportunities; the Technical Advisory Committee, which provides input on policies and technologies for 44Net, amateur radio's Internet IP address space; the Grants Evaluation Team, whose responsibilities include reporting on the results of funded grants; and the Conduct Review Committee, which oversees compliance with the Code of Conduct.

The ARDC also needs 44Net Portal Ticket Handlers, who help verify callsigns and other information for 44Net address space requests; and help on its Grants Communications Team, whose members write summaries to share with the public about the results of ARDC-funded grants.

Details about the application process, volunteer qualifications and time commitments for any of these posts can be found on the ARDC's blog. A link to the relevant post appears in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

[DO NOT READ: https://www.ardc.net/join-ardcs-2026-volunteer-team/ ]

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MINNESOTA'S STATEWIDE POTA GROUP GROWS AMONG THE TREES

NEIL/ANCHOR: Out of all the things that can grow in parks - from trees and shrubs to wildlife - perhaps the one that is most meaningful to many hams is a sense of community. Lately, a group in Minnesota has been encouraging that to grow even more, as we hear from Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

KENT: During the pandemic, Minnesota's parks provided amateur radio operators with welcoming places to get on the air with friends or just gather in a safe social setting. Many of those parks have since evolved into the birthplace of an organization that encourages POTA activations throughout the state by hosting activities, awards and formal events with the help of a group known as MNPOTA [pron: "MIN POTA."] Supported by the Stillwater Amateur Radio Association and a coalition of other clubs, MNPOTA has spent two years hosting year-round meetups and POTA activity days - including a Minnesota POTA Day in June. There is also an awards scheme that recognizes activators and hunters in different categories and different modes each spring.

Collin O'Connor, KE?IYN, a board member of the Stillwater club, said that all of this activity has nurtured and expanded Minnesota's population of POTA participants. He said that in the Stillwater club alone, between one-third and one-half of the more than 180 club members have become active in POTA.

Next year MNPOTA will add a new focus to its activities, encouraging Technician class license holders to get involved. Multi- and single stationary activations will be scheduled specifically on 6m and 10m, enabling the Techs to put their privileges to good use.

In the meantime, Collin encourages other POTA enthusasts in different states to consider a similar effort, even if they start small. He told Newsline: [quote] "Even 15 to 20 people is successful. Everything can grow from there. So let's spread POTA and keep POTA growing." [endquote]

This is Kent Peterson KC?DGY.

(COLLIN O'CONNOR, KE?IYN)

**
BREAK HERE:

Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the ZS?MOT repeater on Wednesdays at 1900 local time in Middelburg South Africa.

**
AUSTRALIAN REGULATOR MAKES CHANGES TO CB RULES

NEIL/ANCHOR: There are some updated rules for citizens band radio operators in Australia starting on the 1st of October. Graham Kemp VK4BB picks up the story from here.

GRAHAM: The Australian Communications and Media Authority is making changes to the Citizens Band Radio Station Class Licence Rules of 2015, which are about to sunset. The regulator is remaking the rules, with minor changes, saying that they reflect new developments in technology in the ensuing years. The ACMA characterised the changes as "minor."

They include permission to use FM now 27 MHz which was previously restricted to AM or SSB. This aligns CB in Australia with operations in much of the rest of the world. The rules also remove the requirement that calls be initiated only on specific call channels, giving operators the freedom to begin contacts on channels they customarily use. The ACMA also declared it would no longer be responsible for taking action against such on-air behaviour as harassment and threats, leaving enforcement issues instead to police and other authorities.

For details about these and other changes, see the Federal Register using the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org

This is Graham Kemp VK4BB.

[DO NOT READ: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2025L01088/latest/text ]

(ACMA, FEDERAL REGISTER)

NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the Australian regulator has updated its Licence Conditions Determination that covers amateur radio for repeaters, operators in external territories and those hams who could not switch over to the Class license system that was introduced in February of 2024.

Beginning on the 30th of September, changes affecting amateur radio assigned and non-assigned licences include removal of such restrictions on licensees transmitting messages with entertainment, commercial or financial content. The update also requires that a qualified person be on site when an amateur station is located in an isolated area. The ACMA said that its purpose in making these and other minor changes was to fine-tune that language so it aligns more closely with the amateur Class license.

(ACMA)

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RSGB'S DMR PROJECT BEGINS AGAIN IN UK SCHOOLS

NEIL/ANCHOR: It's back-to-school season in the UK for a DMR project supported by the Radio Society of Great Britain. Jeremy Boot G4NJH tells us what that means.

JEREMY: Just as the schools are back throughout the UK, so is the DMR Project launched by the Radio Society of Great Britain.

The initiative was introduced last May to loan equipment to schools to enable students to feel comfortable with making QSOs.

Now it is back as the schools and colleges reopen in September. The society's Outreach Team is working with teachers and, in partnership with the Radio Communications Foundation, they will pay licence exam fees for nine teachers who wish to set up ham radio clubs at their schools. Additional details are available from Chris Aitken MM?WIC, the youth chair, who can be reached at youthchampion dot school at rsgb dot org dot uk.

This is Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

WORLD OF DX

Members of the DXHams Amateur Radio Group, 9Y4Y, are marking the 49th anniversary of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago by activating the callsign 9Y49R from the 24th through to the 28th of September. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

A team of operators will be on Great Blasket Island, IOTA Number EU-??7, calling QRZ with the callsign EJ1K, from the 26th through to the 28th of September. See QRZ.com for QSL information.

Members of the Inverness and District Amateur Radio Society will be on the air as GS?RIV from the island of North Uist, IOTA Number EU-?1? from the 21st through to the 26th of September. Modes will be CW, SSB and FT8/FT4. See QRZ.com for QSL details.

(425 DX BULLETIN)

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KICKER: GETTING A READ ON AMATEUR RADIO IN NEW ZEALAND

NEIL/ANCHOR: We hams know that there are many ways to make contact across an ocean. One radio operator in New Zealand, however, has succeeded in getting the job done without even going on the air. We hear about him from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

JIM: Greg Dirk Van Der Reis, ZL1GUD, doesn't just have a good read on amateur radio in New Zealand - he produces a good read too: As of this month, his free independent e-zine, the New Zealand and Australian Amateur Radio Magazine, has published its third edition electronically. Although it was originally intended primarily for amateur radio readership in New Zealand and Australia, it is now being downloaded in parts of Europe and in Greg's native South Africa, where he began his radio life in 1979 as a CB'er and later a licensed amateur.

A prolific writer as well as a reader, Greg recognised early on that hams benefit from good communication in between time at the workbench or making contacts. He told Newsline that his electronic magazine is the outgrowth of work he first did for a local club's magazine after moving to New Zealand two years ago. His daytime business, The Ham Shack, sells amateur radio equipment for the home, portable and disaster preparedness while keeping him in touch with what hams need and the direction trends are going. He sees POTA and SOTA as big growth areas and his pages provide coverage on those topics, as well as personal profiles, DXpeditions and international events.

Greg told Newsline that the next edition will have a subscription button but until then, anyone reading this month's issue, can email him directly to be added to the distribution list. See the link to the magazine in the text version of this week's Newsline script at arnewsline.org

In an email to Newsline, he wrote: [quote] "This fills a gap and I would like it to bridge the amateur radio communities in New Zealand and Australia. I hope to create joint radio events between the two countries. We are only 3 hours apart by air." [endquote] Now the two countries are barely a few downloads apart -- and the same is true for the rest of the world beyond.

This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.

[DO NOT READ: https://thehamshack.co.nz/pages/new-zealand-and-australian-amateur-radio-magaz

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If you haven't sent in your ham radio haiku yet, what are you waiting for? We can help you express your inner poet. Visit our website at arnewsline.org and as you compose your ode to your favorite online activity, we will help you use the correct number of syllables to make an authentic haiku. Submit your work and then sit back and wait to hear whether you are the winner of this week's challenge. The winner gets a shout-out on our website, where everyone can find the winning haiku.

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to the ACMA; Amateur News Daily; Collin O'Connor, KE?IYN; David Behar K7DB; DXHeat; DXNews; DXWorld; 425DX Bulletin; FCC; the Federal Register; Greg Dirk Van Der Reis, ZL1GUD; QRZ.com; Radio Hall of Fame; RadioOnline; RadioWorld.com; shortwaveradio.de; Wireless Institute of Australia; YouTube; 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 Neil Rapp WB9VPG in Union Kentucky saying 73. As always we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2025. Amateur Radio Newsline retains ownership of its material even when retransmitted elsewhere. All rights are reserved.

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