Two new RSGB activities for National Coding Week

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National Coding Week takes place during the third week of September and the RSGB is dedicating the whole of the month to amateur radio and coding activities.

This year, the Society has created two new activities for you to try. Both build on worksheets it shared in previous years, however, you don’t have to have done those first.

Python Pocket Morse activity

The Python Pocket Morse activity has been developed by the RSGB Maker Champion Tom Wardill, 2E0JJI and is a low-cost opportunity to learn some Morse and programming together. The exercise will cover using a BBC Micro:bit V2 and the ‘more advanced’ Python programming instead of the previous block programming mode. It is intended as a gentle introduction to both Python and small computer programming and can be done without any previous knowledge of the micro:bit. You can download the full instructions via the activity web page.

LoRa Balloon Challenge

The other new activity is the LoRa balloon challenge. As well as the manual which guides you through the process of building your own LoRa tracker and seeing how far your signal can reach, the Society has released a video in which Fraser, MM0EFI demonstrates the process. Find both on the RSGB website.

Hams Over IP Invites Hamshack Hotline Users to Apply

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Hams Over IP Invites Hamshack Hotline Users to Apply

In response to recent service changes and anticipated outages affecting Hamshack Hotline (HH) users, Hams Over IP Inc. is extending a warm invitation to all amateur radio operators affected by the transition to apply for service on the Hams Over IP (HoIP) network.

As a volunteer-driven nonprofit platform, Hams Over IP was founded by hams for hams, with a mission to offer a reliable, secure, and modern VoIP network exclusively for licensed amateur radio operators worldwide. With robust infrastructure, active development, and a welcoming community, HoIP is proud to support the continued growth of digital amateur communications.

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US Legacy Weather Satellites Being Decommissioned

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The remaining older satellites in a constellation identified earlier this year as being in end-of-life status, are now being decommissioned by the US government. 

As the US government had announced previously, the remaining satellites in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's legacy constellation of Polar Operational Environmental Studies are in the process of being decommissioned. The POES system satellite known as NOAA-15 was to be taken out of service on the 12th of August and another, NOAA-19, on the 19th of the month. Earlier this year, both were declared in the End of Life stage, along with a third constellation satellite, NOAA-18, which was decommissioned in June. For years, these satellites were relied upon by many for vital weather data via their 137 MHz APT transmissions, providing data used in monitoring the environment, forest fires, volcanic eruptions and global vegetation.

“Direct users should make plans to discontinue use of POES data.”
— NOAA

Although previous reports said that the satellites' transmissions would continue, an article on the RTL-SDR website said that the transmitters will be turned off. The end-of-life status means they are no longer eligible for repair or recovery efforts and NOAA advises that they should not be considered reliable sources of information for critical or emergency purposes. None of the satellites are scheduled for deorbiting.