24 September 2021
Home Computing Pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair Dies
Pocket calculator inventor and home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair died at his home on September 16 following a long illness. He was 81. Sinclair may have been best known for popularizing the home computer. Leaving school at 17, he worked for 4 years as a technical journalist to fund Sinclair Radionics and created the Sinclair Spectrum and the first computer, the Sinclair ZX-81. Many modern-day titans of the games industry got their start on one of his ZX models. Back in the day, the gamer’s computer of choice was either the ZX Spectrum 48K or its rival, the Commodore 64. Among his other inventions was a coin-sized radio. Despite his computer background, Sinclair declined to use the internet, email, or even computers. He also was involved in developing various personal transport systems, including an electric vehicle.
Clear Frequencies Requested for Possible Nicaragua Earthquake Traffic
IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinator Carlos Alberto Santamaría González, CO2JC, has requested that radio amateurs in Central America avoid 7098 and 7198 kHz in the wake of an earthquake at 0957 UTC this morning (September 22) in Nicaragua.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the offshore magnitude 6.5 earthquake has also affected Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The earthquake was followed by another 4.0 temblor and other aftershocks of less intensity, as confirmed by Juan de la Cruz Rodríguez Pérez, YN1J, President and National Emergency Coordinator of the Club de Radio Experimentadores de Nicaragua (CREN). CREN is the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society for Nicaragua.
The earthquake occurred offshore in the North Pacific some 60 miles from Chinandega and approximately 52 miles southwest of the resort town of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua. The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of approximately 20 miles.
According to the Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies, the event was related to the tectonic processes of the collision between the Cocos and Caribe tectonic plates.
Emergency communicator Juan de la Cruz, YN1J, requested the frequency protection.
No tsunami warning has been issued and there have been no immediate reports of damage.
According to the USGS, “Little or no landsliding is expected, but
some landslides could have occurred in highly susceptible areas.” And,
“The number of people living near areas that could have produced
landslides in this earthquake is low, but landslide damage or fatalities
are still possible in highly susceptible areas. This is not a direct
estimate of landslide fatalities or losses.”
Radio Amateurs on Standby Following La Palma Volcanic Eruption
The Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palmas in Spain’s Canary Islands erupted for the first time in 50 years on Sunday, September 19, following an increase in seismic activity over the previous 7 days. The lava flow triggered the evacuation of more than 6,000 people so far. Authorities have deployed all the resources of the Canary Islands Government as well as military support from the mainland to manage the situation.
In order to facilitate communication into and out of the area, EMCOM-SPAIN has asked that the IARU Emergency Center of Activity Frequencies be kept clear in case the situation worsens: 3.760 MHz; 7.110 MHz; 14.300 MHz, and 21.360 MHz. — Thanks to IARU Region 1Source: ARRL
