Categories
Contents
ZR6D Anette appeals for input to celebrate 100 years of Amateur Radio 2025
Ja No Well Fine- Aconcagua SOTA World Record
More about SOTA-YLs: Mexico, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, GMA, USA
Yls in 14th Summer Lighthouse Weekend – Southern Hemisphere. –
Out-and-About
YL operator from Seychelles.
Polish YL Dorothy SP2TO and OM Slavo Chabiera SP2JMB Dx from Mauritius
Silent keys
Contacts & Calendar
2025 South Africa will celebrate 100 Years of Amateur Radio
An appeal from ZR6D Anette Jacobs 21 Jan, 2022
Hello SA Ladies please help me collate a History of Amateur Radio ladies, past and present for the SARL 100 book . Please send me any information regarding your experiences and something about when and why you, or others, became involved with amateur radio. I also want to include the present ladies history in the book. I really need something from the ladies, including Pictures.
I only have 2 years to compile the book before it can go to the printers for the 2025 AGM.
Regards Anette, ZR6D jhjacobsza@gmail.com
The South African Radio Relay League (SARRL) was formed in 1925
Any contribution will be welcomed – even if it is just an old photo of you and your radio, or an old article in some local newspaper, old barnch/club newsletters or minutes, anything.
Council created an email address for this purpose: archives@sarl.org.za
ZS6WN Karel Bezuidenhout Convenor: SARL100 WG & SARL Historian
Ja No Well Fine (Editorial)
The article about Aconcagua has been included because it is topical, newsworthy and has excited Amateur radio operators around the world. Who knows perhaps we will hear of a YL making this climb in the future?
The January yl.beam covering YL SOTA activity generated a lot of response and several people wrote to advise about omissions and corrections – Thank-you. I have included this information below and look forward to additional information.
33 Editor: Heather (ZS5YH)
Aconcagua SOTA World Record
Diego Lizarraga LU9MZO made history at 13:00 LU (16:00 UTC) on Monday, January 10,2022 when he made radio contacts on HF. from the 6,961-meter-high summit of Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas.
Diego Lizarraga who lives in Rivadavia, in the Argentine province of Mendoza, teacher, mountaineer and radio amateur, has set a world record in the world of SOTA (Summits-On-The-Air) program,
In 2018 Diego Lizarraga climbed Aconcagua for the first time, but due to the intense cold he was only able to spend five minutes at the top. Since then during more than 50 activations, where with each one he practiced assembling and disassembling the antenna, he kept thinking about how one day he would be able to speak on HF on Aconcagua.
On January 10, 2022 he was able to fulfill his dream. This time he made the ascent as a radio amateur (LU9MZO), carrying a 25 kg backpack, with the portable field radio station assembled inside, together with the folded antenna, he spent almost an hour and a half at the summit operating on HF, setting a new world height record for the SOTA program and he also had time to call on VHF.
He reached the top of the mountain, at an altitude of 6,961 meters, and from there he established contact on HF (high frequency). The event lasted almost an hour and a half, and could be heard at stations in Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, San Luis, San Juan, Mendoza and Chile, among others. On HF in SSB he operated in the 40 meter band on 7200 MHz,and on 146 520 MHz in VHF and on 432 500 in UHF, using an inverted V dipole antenna with a fishing rod mast of 5.5 meters and uBitx v5 rig with 5 W lithium battery, and handys for VHF and UHF, Diego recorded the pile up of contacts on his cell phone, the only possible way to record the log from the summit. He made 64 qso in total: 33 on VHF; 16 in UHF ; 15 on HF.
At one point he operated by calling simultaneously on HF and VHF, extending the activity for 90 minutes, before deciding it was time to start the descent, leaving his name in the history of SOTA.
At 14:30 LU (17:30 UTC) when starting his descent, the good weather-window had already closed and upon reaching the Plaza Cólera refuge, a thousand meters below, 20 centimeters of snow had fallen and settled on the tent in which they spent the night. It was still snowing the following morning when he descended to 4,300 meters to the Plaza de Mulas base camp.
On Wednesday, January 12, as night fell, he returned to the entrance of Aconcagua Park, from where he had started on January 2, welcomed by jubilant relatives and friends. After 10 intense, unforgettable days,
(The above is taken from various posts and an interview by Carlos Almirón LU7DSY – Thank you)
More about SOTA YLs
From Mexico – : 4 Jan. 2022:
I am XE1TUX Iliana from Mexico, and I have been active SOTA, for more than 1 year, I love this activity which I share with my husband (XE1GNU, 1st place in México) my children and dog, Almost every week we go up to mountains, with heights of 3500-4100 meters, Each peak is a challenge, and combined with the radio is fantastic, I occupy the 3rd place in México as a SOTA activator and the 4th place as a hunter. 33 88 Iliana Hernández Pérez
YL from Poland – SQ9NOT Wioletta – Zawiercie, Poland wrote on 4 Jan, 2022:
I have been working with the Summits since 2009. I like mountain trips with the radio but I didn’t order SOTA diplomas – maybe someday. Currently I have scored 4320 points as an activator of QRP only. Until we meet on the air 73 SQ9NOT Wioletta
Austria YLs & SOTA
Sylvia OE5YYN – SOTA OE Association Manager advised that YL SOTA Mountain Goats list (yl.beam Jan, 2022) did not contain the Austrian Yls. Apologies for the ommission, find below:
Austrian YL Mountain Goats (MG):
Inge Roch OE5IRO, 5xMG achieved in May 2014
Monika Fleischanderl OE5MOM, 2xMG achieved in July 2014
Sylvia Auer-Specht OE5YYN 2xMG achieved in Nov 2019
Inge OE5IRO (above) started with SOTA in 2009 and within 14 months reached the first 1000 points to get the SOTA trophy. Inge & her OM (OE5RTP) Peter did more than 500 unique summits in 23 different countries. On 7.12.2011 their son Bernhard was born and from the beginning he became part of their hobbies, hiking for SOTA, camping at fielddays and having fun with lots of other hams (and their children).
Czech Republic & SOTA
Alena Malá OK2APY 4 Jan, 2022 Advised:
As the Czech Rep. (OK land) only has small summits, instead of the SOTA programm, they use Alena Malá OK2APY is the GMA (global mountain activity) and OMFF coordinator, award and reference manager; OKFF reference manager; and WWFF map manager
(OK area = Czech Republic). (OM area = Slovak Republic)
(Wiki Czech Republic consists mostly of low hills and plateaus surrounded along the borders by low mountains.)
GMA – Global Mountain Activity
Mountain radio without if’s and buts. Any summit 100m and more above sea level can be activated. GMA references assign special references that can easy distinguish from other references. All references of all mountains activity programs (i.e. SOTA, HuMPs Award) are valid for the scheme. There will be points awarded per qualifying summit on the GMA account.
On this website the QSOs can be uploaded and compared with results from other HAM-radio operators. web page here https://www.cqgma.org/
USA Yls & SOTA
8 Jan, 2022 – Bob Witte K0NR, om of Joyce/K0JJW, advised on omissions to the list of Yls from USA. active in SOTA.
June 2019 MG K0JJW Joyce Witte 1000 points
Oct 2016 Shack Sloth K7NIT Rachel Lindsay
Sept 2018 Chaser Unique W0ERI Martha Auchard 5000 summits
Dec 2018 Chaser W0ERI Martha Auchard 100000 points
June 2019 Shack Sloth K9IR Paula Uscian
Oct 2021 Chaser W4KRN Karen Russo 30000 points
Oct 2021 Chaser Unique W4KRN Karen Russo 2500 summits
Yls on the 14th Summer Lighthouse Weekend – Southern Hemisphere.
Info from Carlos Almiron LU7DSY – online registration available on the Radio Club Grupo DX Bahìa Blanca ( LU3DXG) of Argentina website. http://www.grupodxbb.com.ar
The Punta Caldera lighthouse CHI-065 (Chle) was registered by YL
Maritza Fredes Naveas CE1RFI, who together with Alejandra Mora Diaz CA1AKL and her OM Marcelo Riquelme Mora CA1HDG, will activate the lighthouse using their personal callsigns.
The Punta Caldera lighthouse is active; with focal plane at 38 meters; a white flash every 12 “. Its 18.5 meter square wooden tower, with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white bands. It is the only wooden lighthouse in Chile and is located on a prominent headland about 5 km northwest of the Caldera coast, in the province of Copiapó in the Atacama region.
Light Beacon Mar Chiquita, Argentina (ARG-044).
Luis Mariano Schiavo LW2EKY, Florencio Heredia LU9DD and (YL) Maria Graciela Couste LW5ECO, will activatec the Mar Chiquita light using their personal callsigns .
The Mar Chiquita Baliza (37°46′10′′S – 057°26′56′′W) is located right next to the beach in the small swimming pool of Mar de Cobo, just south of Mar Chiquita and about 20 km north of Mar del Plata.
Faro Chubut, Argentina (ARG-034)
(YL) Laura Fanelli LU1WL and her motorhome (above), using her personal callsign, will be active in SSB mode in the 40 and 20 meter bands from the Chubut Lighthouse. (43°22′00′′S – 065°03′00′′W), located at the southern end of the Chubut River, 10 km south of Rawson Port, on the coastal road to Santa Isabel Beach, in Chubut Province, Patagonia Argentina.
The lighthouse consists of a steel tower 11.5 meters high. It is painted with two white horizontal stripes and a black centerpiece. It is active; with the focal plane at 36.5 msnm; a white flash every 9″, with. a luminous range of 6.5 nautical miles. In 1985,the acetylene gas power source was replaced with solar energy and batteries.
Out-and-About
Russian YL – Tatyana Ostankova 10 Jan 2022, wrote:
Our trip to the uninhabited Mestnyy Island has been postponed to February 2022
In March 2022 we plan to visit the Ural Mountains, the call sign will be RL1I/P. 73! Tatyana (YL) RL1I (ex:R9XAM)
Ngaire Zl2UJT & her OM Graeme ZL2APV activated Lake Rotomanu in Taranaki New Zealand for the 1st January 2022 activity day. Worked stations on 2 metres. Had a picnic lunch by the lake and watched the boats going by while we worked on the radio.
73 Ngaire ZL2UJT, 3 Jan, 2022
YL operator from Seychelles.
Beverly Marcelin, S79BMK who lives at Anse Etoile, on Mahe Island, posted the following,
“Hello, I am new to the radio hobby and still learning a lot. I am a foundation license passed in Seychelles via remote RSGB system, thanks to local Radio Club (www.sara.sc) and supportive members with SMA (Seychelles Maritime Academy) lending the venue. I am a very occasional radio operator and if it happens you QSO
with me it’s like having New-Year Eve and Easter on the same day 😉 I am looking forward to more QRV and good luck to all in 2022.” QSL info will be posted soon.
Mauritius Island IOTA (AF-049) 3B8GY
Polish YL Dorothy SP2TO and OM Slavo Chabiera SP2JMB will be active from Mauritius IOTA (AF
-049) February 5 – 25, 2022 as 3B8GY.
They will operate on HF Bands 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, 40, 80 M in SSB, CW, RTTY Modes.
Mauritius is located in the south-western Indian Ocean, 900 kilometers off the eastern coast of Madagascar and approximately 3,943 kilometers south-west of India.
Silent key NANCY L RITCHIE – WB8GSD March 18, 1937 – January 13, 2022
WB8GSD Nancy Lee Gladwell Ritchie, age 84, of Huntington, WV, died Thursday, January 13, 2022, after a long illness.
She married Garry Harlan Ritchie in 1958 and moved with him to Charleston.
Husband Garry W8OI, has been a licensed Ham since 1953. Mrs. Ritchie also held a “ham” radio license (WB8GSD), and was a member of the Tri-State Amateur Radio Association.
She belonged to a number of quilting clubs and won awards for her quilts.
WA0AAM Flora Ellen Lampman Rutledge, [May 17, 1925 – December 16, 2021]
of Sun City West, AZ,, passed away Dec. 16th, 2021 at the age of 96,
She received her General license, on the 13th of April 1962. She was 36 years old, and living in Minneapolis, Minnesota at that time.
She was married for 48 years to Boyd A (Bud) Rutledge,
For the past 24 years she shared her life with Bruno Berg, her worldwide travelling companion, and dance partner. Flora retired to Sun City West in 1997. A very active volunteer in community clubs, she participated in AZ Senior Olympics in bowling and billiards.
Thanks for checking my QRZ page! This info was updated Aug 29 2021.
My present age is 96 years old. No one else in my family ever shared my interest in amateur radio. I thank God for giving me friends to help me get started in ham radio. This hobby has truly enriched my life and my desire to travel.
In the 1960’s I was very active in YL activities, and radio clubs. My photo appeared in World Radio back then. Ham radio has always been very special to me, and a very important part of my life.
In 1997 I moved from Minnesota to Sun City West, Arizona. A retirement community with 7 golf courses, 30 billiards tables, many swimming pools, exercise rooms, hospitals and shopping. A very special area to keep busy in later years of life. I am a member of the WVARC. I immediately errected a tower and a beam, and talked to hams around the world.
Silent key GI0VVC Jan (Janet)Serridge (nee White) Died 3 Jan 2022
wife of the late Paddy Serridge GI0PED/EI6ID Warrenpoint newry CO DOWN. Northern Ireland
Silent Key VK3LT Victoria Griffin (VIC) Australia
It is with great sadness that I wish to share with you the passing of Victoria Griffin nee Edmonds VK3LT in November 2021. Vicki was taken from us far too young after a determined 20-month fight with Cancer.
Vicki was first licensed in 1977 and had already gained a full licence by 1979, operating with the call sign VK3BNK when I first met her through some Amateur Radio friendships. A year later a relationship between us blossomed along with me gaining my amateur radio licence.
We went on to get married have 2 children and dip in and out of amateur radio activity over the years, as the other priorities of life demanded.
In the early years we greatly enjoyed the monthly fox hunts, going to Hamfests and participating in contesting. The pressures of work and the child raising years pushed Amateur Radio into the background, but it was always there and was always a part of any road trip. Vicki also had a short involvement with the North East Radio Group (VIC.) as a founding member.
It was only in the last several years, as empty nesters, that we greatly rekindled our interest in Amateur Radio though the Parks and Peaks activity. This provided us with a very relaxed way of enjoying the hobby, getting away from the city, particularly into the high country. It provided the satisfaction of setting up a portable station and talking to as many people as possible, not to mention the pleasure of working HF with little or no background noise. We have got to know many of the regular P&Ps participants over the air waves but have only had the opportunity to catch up with a few at one of the VK3 Park get togethers.
Vicki spent her younger years growing up in the Wimmera and we made a point of activating several VKFF parks near where she grew up and Mt Arapiles the nearest SOTA summit for our very first SOTA activation.
Vicki also had a professional career as a Graphic Designer working for a couple of State Government Departments in the early years and then starting her own business when she became a mother, enabling her to work from home and blend the responsibilities of being a mother with the professional satisfaction of running her own business and building her career.
For those of you who recognise Vicki’s maiden name, you may be aware that Vicki was a member of the Edmonds family who have been prominent and prolific in Amateur Radio circles over the years. Vicki’s parents were John VK3AFU and Brenda Edmonds, VK3KT (S/k) . They had 4 children who all went on to gain their Amateur Radio licences, Brenda VK3QT, Charles VK3CLE, Vicki VK3LT, and Alex VK3BQN. There is a family photo on the cover of AR back in the Day.
Brenda married Paul VK3DIP, and Vicki married me, John VK3CU. Both marriages produced 2 children, boy and girl who have also gone on to gain their Amateur Radio licences, which greatly pleased Vicki’s mother. There is another more recent photo on the cover of AR showing the 3 generations of female amateurs in the family.
Vicki was well known and liked in Amateur Radio circles and will be sadly missed. Her loss leaves a gaping hole in our lives. John Griffin, VK3CU
CONTACT US
‘HAM YL’ : https://web.facebook.com/ham.yls?_rdc=1&_rdr
yl.beam news: Editor Eda zs6ye.yl@gmail.com
newsletters can be found: https://jbcs.co.za/wp/
Italian Radio Amateurs Union: QTC U.R.I.
https://www.unionradio.it/qtc-la-rivista-della-unione-radioamatori-italiani/
also https://www.darc.de/en/der-club/referate/yl/ (German ARC)
Event – 3rd YL round of the Lower Austrian state association.
When: February 5, 2022 at 4:00 p.m
Where: 3740 Khz +/- in the 80m band
Call : OE3XYL Brand new club call sign of the YL Lower Austria
Location: OEVSV HQ in 2351 Wr.Neudorf
All YLs, including those from other ADLs and associations, are cordially invited to participate.
After the round, all OMs can also confirm!
I would look forward to your numerous participation.
OE3YTA,Tina LV3 and MAFC YL presenter
Calendar February 2022
Feb 5 – 6 EU DX CONTEST from 18.:00 UTC on 5th February till 18:00 UTC on 6th February, 2022.
Feb 5 The SARL VHF/UHF FM Contest
Feb 5 East Rand RC Boot sale
Feb 6 The AWA CW Activity Day
Feb 5 – 6 Black Sea Cup International 12:00Z, Feb 5 to 11:59Z, Feb 6, 2022
Feb 11 International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022
Feb 12 – 14 YLRL YL-OM Contest: SSB/CW/Digital (1400Z, Feb 12 to 0200Z, Feb 14)
Feb 12 – 13 CQ WPX RTTY Contest, 2022 (0000 GMT Saturday – 2359 GMT Sunday)
Feb 13 World Radio Day
Feb 18–20 14th Summer Lighthouse Weekend – Southern Hemisphere. Friday- Sunday
Feb 19 SARL Saturday 40 m Club Contest
Feb 19 – 20 ARRL International DX CW Contest
Feb 19 West Rand ARC Boot sale
Feb 21-27 19th Antarctic Activity Week 2022
Feb 22 TDOTA 2021 Thinking Day
Feb 23 Sandton ARC Talking Tech Power Hour on 145.700/Echolink 19:00
Feb 26-27 UBA DX (Belgian Amateur Radio Union) Contest CW, 2022
13:00 UTC Sat – 13:00 UTC Sun
Feb 25 – March 5 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro 2022
Pride Radio Group VI2022PRIDE: Midsumma Festival: 23 January – 13 February 2022
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras: 18 February – 6 March 2022