ISS Commander on a Roll, Completes Another Set of Back-to-Back School QSOs:

With Expedition 12 drawing to a close in April, ISS Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, has been working hard to speak via Amateur Radio with students at as many schools as possible. This week, he took time to thank the worldwide Amateur Radio community for its help in achieving several ham radio milestones from space. McArthur has been more active from NA1SS than any other astronaut or cosmonaut who's lived aboard the ISS since the first crew arrived in 2000. Among other accomplishments, he completed DXCC and WAS from space (the awards will be honorary). In addition, he holds the record for handling the most Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts of any ISS crew member--34 as of March 23.

"I would like to express my deep gratitude to the worldwide amateur radio community for your participation in this great adventure," McArthur said. "Clearly, one of the benefits for Amateur Radio is bridging the distances between us. Through your participation, you helped realize the potential for the human exploration of space to do exactly that. Thanks to you, over the past six months, the International Space Station has been more international than ever before."

Hams in Space

'HMS Bounty' on the air. 150th anniversary

Special Event Station for 'Bounty' 150th anniversary.

Special Event Station for 'Bounty' 150th anniversary
Norfolk Island VK9N is a self-governing Australian external territory, a tourist destination, and now the focus of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers.

Part of the celebrations is special event station VI9NI that will be much sought after during its month-long activation.

HMS Bounty sailed from England on December 23, 1787 with Captain William Bligh and a crew of 45 men bound for Tahiti to collect food plant samples.

Ham Radio from Norfolk Island

Knowsley Online.Hong Kong connection for school Hams

Oakdene pupils connected with the other side of the world last week when radio ham Tony Lewis came calling.

The school had a mast erected in its grounds to allow pupils to communicate with other amateur radio enthusiasts as far away as Hong Kong.

Tony Lewis, of Rainhill Rotary Club, brought along fellow hams to help set up the connection, and children spent the day learning about radio communication as part of Science Week.

Merseyside Hams