Polish Railways Fall Victim to Cheap Radio Attack

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Polish Railways Fall Victim to Cheap Radio Attack

Poland’s railways have recently come under a form of electronic attack, as reported by Wired. The attack has widely been called a “cyber-attack” in the mainstream media, but the incident was altogether a more simple affair pursued via good old analog radio.

The attacks were simple in nature. As outlined in an EU technical document, Poland’s railways use a RADIOSTOP system based on analog radio signals at around 150 MHz. Transmitting a basic tone sequence will trigger any duly equipped trains receiving the signal to engage emergency braking. It’s implemented as part of the PKP radio system on the Polish railway network.

The attacks brought approximately 20 trains to a standstill, according to the BBC, with services restored within hours. There was no major safety risk in the event, something made clear in a statement from Polish rail authorities. Regardless, the attacks frustrated logistics across the rail network.

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Programme Marks 56 Years of Helping Hams with Disabilities

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Apart from having a one-day (five-hour) special event, it is well worth noting that this organisation has served amateurs with disabilities for more than a half century!!

For 56 years, the Courage Handiham Program has worked with people who have disabilities, encouraging them to work toward their goal of becoming a licensed radio amateur. The special event callsigns WØZSW and WØEQO will be on the air on Monday, September 11th in a five-hour special event QSO party that is part of this year's Handiham Radio Camp. The operators will be marking the program's 56th anniversary by calling QRZ using CW and SSB on 10, 15, 20, and 40 meters. The hours of the QSO party will be from 1600 to 2100 UTC.

The callsign WØZSW was originally assigned to Rochester, Minnesota amateur, Ned Carman, W0ZSW, who helped bring the Handiham program into being, based on his work in a clinic with individuals who had severe physical disabilities. The callsign WØEQO is assigned to the program's Camp Courage North station and was originally used by the first Handiham station that provided remote HF access to amateurs who had no other way of getting on the air.

Retailer Radio Shack Making US Comeback

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A big big deal in the US, where the sound of hams rejoicing will resonate around the world: The beloved electronics retailer Radio Shack, is returning to the US marketplace under new ownership.

The Radio Shack name is coming back from a difficult history that ended its pervasive presence with more than 5,000 locations around the US. The company filed for bankuptcy twice under its previous ownership and only a handful of its franchised locations were able to maintain a market presence.

“This acquisition will allow us to start another phase of growth and innovation in the shopping experience with the latest technology.”
— Rudy Siman

Now the brand's largest franchisee - the Unicomer Group, based in El Salvador - has acquired the company.

Radio Shack - https://radioshack.com/home/index.jsp