Amateur radio News during the Coronavirus

United Kingdom: RSGB Hope QSO Party

A series of 90 minute duration daytime contests that has been introduced on a temporary basis to help and support radio amateurs who are isolated at home and would appreciate contact with other people.

This contest series is open to all entrants and is not restricted to RSGB members. This series is for Single Operator Fixed Stations only (please no Multi-Operator, Portable or alternative address operation entrants at this time). A requirement of the series is that participants must be in full compliance with all measures in respect of Covid-19, that are currently applied by the authorities at their station location. This series does not contribute to the HF Championship and is not linked to any RSGB Affiliated Club contests.

Scoring is “Anyone works Anyone” – a scoring QSO does not need to include a UK station.

QSOs are encouraged before and after the contest periods. We include recommended frequencies for SSB discussion after each event in these rules.

Participants are encouraged to call “CQ HQP” or “CQ Hope QSO Party”. We would like to see the number of participants growing as the series runs. On SSB and CW please be sure to ask if the frequency is in use before calling.

We suggest entrants use a CQ WPX template in their contest logging software for the SSB, CW and RTTY events; this will log correctly but will not score correctly for this series - all logs will be rescored during adjudication. For FT4 the latest WSJT-X package will be appropriate and described on https://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2020/rhqp.shtml

United States: Hamvention QSO Party - something new to do!

The Dayton Hamvention for 2020 has been cancelled. The WWROF, in cooperation with the Hamvention organizers, wanted to create a fun way for people to celebrate the Hamvention experience over the air - the Hamvention QSO Party.

This is a 12 hour fun event on Saturday of Hamvention May 16, 2020.
There are special bonus points for working W8BI, the club call of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA is the host of Hamvention) which will be activated by DARA members from their home stations.

For complete details, see:
https://wwrof.org/hamvention-qso-party

Germany: Friedrichshafen - Ham Radio 2020 update

The organisers of the Ham Radio 2020 in Friedrichshafen, June 26-28, say they are working intensively to plan the upcoming event, they expect to provide a further update in mid-April

A press release issued by the organisers says:
Friedrichshafen – The 45th edition of the Ham Radio will take place on the exhibition grounds in Friedrichshafen from June 26 to 28, 2020 (based on the information status as of March 31, 2020).

Friends of amateur radio meet to get to know each other and exchange ideas and information with like-minded people as well as take the opportunity to go shopping on Lake Constance.

"We are working intensively to plan the upcoming International Amateur Radio Exhibition under the assumption that the event can take place and maintain close contact to our patron Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club (DARC) e.V.", explains Project Manager Petra Rathgeber, referencing prevailing developments relating to the topic of the coronavirus and the current cancellations of many other exhibition events."In mid-April we can give you more information."

More than 180 exhibitors from 32 countries were present in Friedrichshafen last year, presenting their products, trends, and innovations in the field of radio transmission as well as the associated technology. The German Amateur Radio Club (DARC) invites you to participate in its 71st conference, taking place on Lake Constance with numerous lectures (also based on an information status as of March 31, 2020).

Ham Radio Friedrichshafen
https://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.com/

Italy：International Marconi Day 2020 cancelled

The ARRL reports International Marconi Day 2020, planned for Saturday, April 25, has been cancelled

The annual International Marconi Day (IMD) ham radio operating event that was set to take place on April 25 has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 24-hour amateur radio event celebrates the birth of Marconi on April 25, 1874.

Sponsored by the Cornish Radio Amateur Club, which operates as GB4IMD, International Marconi Day features participating stations operating at sites having a personal connection to Marconi, including places where he set up transmitting and receiving stations.

Source ARRL
http://www.arrl.org/news/international-marconi-day-2020-has-been-canceled

Spain grants special authorization to radio hams

Spain's national amateur radio society URE has talked to their regulator and obtained permission for unlicensed people to use amateur stations during the Coronavirus lockdown

A Google translation of part of the URE announcement says:

After the publication of Royal Decree 463/2020, of March 14, declaring the state of alarm for the management of the situation of health crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), for this purpose, and with the In order to accompany radio amateurs in the exceptional situation caused by the spread of COVID-19, the URE, in its commitment to collaborate and help to cope with the complicated situation we are currently experiencing in our country, presented to the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures a request for special authorization.

Today, the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures has issued a resolution granting temporary authorization for the use, under certain conditions, of radio amateur stations by people who do not have the required administrative authorization under the supervision of authorized radio amateurs. , while the validity of the state of alarm and its corresponding mandatory measures of confinement.

That the use of the aforementioned radio amateur stations will be carried out under the responsibility and direct and face-to-face supervision of the radio amateur and under the conditions established in the Regulations for the use of the radioelectric public domain by radio amateurs.

Read the full URE announcement at
https://tinyurl.com/SpainURE

Canada：Radio Amateurs of Canada offers new Online Amateur Radio Courses

In response to the current Covid-19 crisis, Radio Amateurs of Canada is pleased to announce that it is introducing two new online Amateur Radio courses so that individuals can upgrade their qualifications while continuing to practise social/physical distancing.

RAC Online Basic Amateur Radio Qualification Course: The course offers an introduction into the wonderful world of Amateur Radio nd prepares students for their Basic Qualification Examination. It will be conducted with the assistance of the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club (AVARC) of Nova Scotia.

RAC Maple Leaf Operator Online Advanced Qualification Course: The course is an excellent opportunity to upgrade your qualifications so that you will be able to run higher power and to operate your own repeater sites. The course is being offered at no charge to RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members – both current and future – who already have their Basic Amateur Radio Qualification.

Portugal's QSL Bureau closed

Due to the state of emergency declared in Portugal due to Covid-19, the services of the Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP) association are physically closed, we keep the minimum services on telework

We appreciate that you suspend the entire service of sending the QSL bureau, orders are not delivered and may be returned by postal services.

Please inform the persons responsible for QSL BUREAU do not send to Portugal at this time which includes Azores and Madeira (CQ-CU).

We wish you all good health.

Take cover and stay at home!

Best regards

73 Carlos Nora, CT1END
President of REP

REP http://www.rep.pt/