A First For Hams at Nuclear Cleanup Site

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A First For Hams at Nuclear Cleanup Site

When there's an emergency, you can't have too many ways to communicate - particularly when the crisis involves nuclear materials. That's why here in the US, the Department of Energy recently asked amateur radio operators to be part of a drill at a plant where the agency conducts nuclear waste management and decontamination.

It was a first for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in Paducah [PUH-DUKE-KUH], Kentucky: responding to a mock emergency at a government-owned site that conducts nuclear deactivations and spent-fuel cleanup. Paducah is one of more than 100 government sites across the country handled by the Energy Department's Emergency Management program, which conducts nuclear remediation.

The hams, first-responders at numerous natural disasters throughout Kentucky, were now providing backup in a nuclear scenario.

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OFCOM Reviews License Procedures for Some Satellites

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The UK regulator has proposed changes in the way licenses are granted to certain satellites. 

Ofcom is hoping to improve the licensing procedures that were introduced in 2021, covering non-geostationary satellite orbit systems used by businesses, individuals and other entities, particularly in remote areas. The regulator opened a consultation earlier this month and is seeking comments up to the 18th November 2025.

Having issued eight such network and nine gateway licences for these systems, Ofcom believes it is time to work towards a swifter decision-making process while minimising the administrative burden on system operators. Ofcom is also looking at enabling the gateways to connect to a broader range of satellite services using both the Q and V bands.

The regulator intends to publish its decision early next year.

RSGB invites local MP to the RSGB National Radio Centre to discuss EMD

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The RSGB was pleased to welcome Callum Anderson, MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, to the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park last week. Callum enjoyed seeing the history of radio, watching live CW contacts and listening to his voice coming back from space, having been relayed via a satellite. Callum was invited to meet a small group of senior RSGB representatives who emphasised the important role of amateur radio in encouraging young people into an engineering career. Getting involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths activities gives a great foundation that could lead some young people to follow in the footsteps of radio amateur pioneers who led the development of many wireless technologies that we rely on today.

Most importantly the visit gave the RSGB an opportunity to show the problems that ElectroMagnetic Disturbance can cause to wireless reception. Examples of EMD include household appliances, Broadband FTTC and green energy from solar panels and windfarms, where the signal levels are thousands of times stronger than the expected levels given in ITU recommendations. EMC Chair John Rogers M0JAV and Board Chair Stewart Bryant G3YSX explained that unless the year-on-year increases in background noise are stopped, many critical services and infrastructures could be impacted soon, just as the amateur radio bands are today. The RSGB looks forward to meeting again with Callum who is the Parliamentary Private Secretary for Science, Innovation and Technology.