Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1886 with a release date of October 4 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a Q-S-T. The FCC in shutdown. How will it affect ham radio? A new report says that faulty radio communications may have led to deaths of 19 firefighters in Arizona; Hams in Pakistan stand ready to assist following devastating earthquakes; The IARU Administrative Council looks for ways to work with non member societies; D-Star comes to 40 meters down-under and rappelling off a 367 foot hotel was all in a days work for a California ham. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1886 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here) ** RADIO LAW: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFFECTS THE FCC With the government shutdown that came into affect on October 1st, one of the many agencies affected is the FCC. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom and takes a look at how this will affect the United States world of Amateur Radio: -- Until the government shutdown actually occurred on October 1st, no one was quite sure which FCC services required by Amateur Radio would be affected. A widely circulated FCC shutdown plan suggested only essential personnel mandated by law would remain on duty until the budget situation is resolved. Automated services such as license processing and address changes were unavailable as anyone who attempted to access the FCC's Website on October 1st were quick to learn, The landing page at FCC.gov said in part: "We regret the disruption, but during the Federal Government-wide shutdown, the FCC is limited to performing duties that are immediately necessary for the safety of life or the protection of property. FCC online systems will not be available until further notice." After giving a short list of links to cancelled meetings and actions, the statement continued: "If you need to contact the FCC to address an emergency situation, please call: (202) 418-1122 or email: FCCOPCenter@fcc.gov." The Network Outage Reporting System remains open for telecommunications providers to report network outages. There is no way to access the U-L-S pages; no way to file license applications, updates or changes or report rules violations. Simply put, the physical and electronic doors to the FCC are closed -- and won't re-open until Congress ends the budget impasse. Commission employees who remain on call are ready to act should there be an actual crisis. As many as 16 have been retained to handle emergencies, including staffing the FCC Operations Center and 8 others to conduct emergency level interference detection, mitigation and disaster response operations. So if you are waiting for a license or other paperwork from the FCC to show up in your mailbox, you will simply have to keep on waiting. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in Los Angeles. -- As this newscast goes to air its unknown how long it will take both ides of the political aisle to come to terms on this latest government funding crisis. ** PROPAGATION: SOLAR ERUPTION HURLS CME INTO SPACE On September 29th, a long magnetic filament in the sun's northern hemisphere erupted producing what some observers are calling a magnificent Coronal Mass Ejection. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory or SoHo photographed the C-M-E leaving the sun at a speed of close to 2 million miles per hour. Although the event was not aimed at our planet, it was expected to receive a glancing blow from the plasma cloud beginning on or about October 3rd. Keep an eye on spaceweather.com for the latest updates on this and other solar events that could impact on radio communications here on planet Earth. (Published news reports) ** RESCUE RADIO: FAULTY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS MAY HAVE LED TO DEATHS OF 19 FIREFIGHTERS IN ARIZONA An investigation into the deaths of nineteen firefighters in Arizona on June 30th has found that inadequate communication may nave played a significant role in their fate. The dead men, all members of an elite unit called the Granite Mountain Hotshots died when they were overrun by a wildfire near the town of Yarnell. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, takes a look at what the report has to say: -- It is a sobering and detailed report that investigators put together to try to ascertain what happened, why it happened and to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again. Because there were no survivors, investigators relied on recordings of radio transmissions, eyewitness accounts of fire incident managers and neighboring crews, including pilots flying tankers dropping flame retardant and helicopter pilots. The report's key findings on communications: "Radio communications were challenging throughout the incident. Some radios were not programmed with appropriate tone guards. Crews identified the problem, engaged in troubleshooting, and developed workarounds so they could communicate using their radios. And, this telling conclusion: "Radio traffic was heavy during critical times on the fire." Did it mean the Hot Shots trying to escape to what they thought was a nearby safe zone - a ranch - weren't able to cut in on the traffic? Here's more, quoting from the 122-page investigation report: "Although much communication occurred among crews throughout the day, few people understood Granite Mountain's intentions, movements, and location, once they left the black." The black is considered a safe zone. Quoting again from the report: "The Team believes this is due to brief, informal, and vague radio transmissions and talk-arounds that can occur during wildland fire communications. "Based on radio conversations, Operations and other resources had concluded the Granite Mountain IHC was located in the black, near the ridge top where they had started that morning. This resulted in confusion about the crews actual location at the time of search and rescue." Finally, the investigative team made some key recommendations to the state of Arizona and the National Wildfire Coordination group. Among them, increasing resource tracking, communications and real time weather information. And, putting together an interagency task force to conduct a further analysis of what happened, as well as examining the human factors and wildland fire communications. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V. -- The report describes radio communications during the time of the fire as being very challenging. (K7DB, Yarnell Hill Fire Investigation) ** RESCUE RADIO: PAKISTANI HAMS READY TO ASSIST FOLLOWING QUAKE The toll mounts in south-western Pakistan after it was hit by the 7.7 scale earthquake on Tuesday, September 24th. Mujtaba Haider Imran AP2MI, is the president of the Pakistan Relief. He says that government officials put the death toll at 349 and rising. Other news sources put the number of deaths so far at 515 with more than 600 injured. Few of the mud and homemade brick houses in the area survived. Since then tens of thousands of people have been sleeping under the open sky or tents. The disaster took place in a remote and thinly populated area. Pakinstan Amateur Radio Society members say that they are prepared to provide any emergency communications support to as needed. A-P-2-M-U-T is already on the scene and involved with gathering information on the devastation and needed relief supplies. Pakistan Relief has so far donated 2500 jerry cans, 1500 mosquito nets, an unknown number of first aid kits and other essential equipment. The coordination process is underway with Pakistan Air Force to airlift and drop these goods in the worst hit areas. A second 7.2 magnitude quake in the same region on the 28th caused further damage to the regions infrastructure. (VK3PC, the Guardian, other news sources) ** INTERNATIONAL POLITICS: IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL LOOKS TO WORK WITH NON IARU MEMBER SOCIETIES The International Amateur Radio Union Administrative Council is looking into ways to work with non-IARU Amateur Radio organizations. This in nations where the IARU member- society may not be representing all of that country's radio amateurs. The issue came under discussion at the annual IARU Administrative Council meeting held September 21st to the 23rd in Cancun, Mexico. According to a news release from the gathering, in many of these countries, there are other non-IARU member-societies. The Administrative Council is studying ways to work with the non-IARU societies to ensure that the interests of all the amateurs are represented in those countries where the IARU member-society fails to do so. (IARU, ARRL press releases) ** BREAK 1 Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Peak Radio Association repeaters of Corvallis, Oregon. (5 sec pause here) ** ENFORCEMENT: HAM ARRESTED IN INDIANAPOLIS FOR ALLEGEDLY IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER An Indianapolis area ham has been arrested after he was allegedly spotted pretending to be a cop at the funeral of a police officer who was being laid to rest. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jack Parker, W8ISH, has the details: -- News of the death of an Indianapolis police officer shot and killed while responding to a domestic dispute made headlines all last week. But, on the afternoon of his funeral another man in uniform stole the headlines. As law enforcement officers, friends, family and media gathered at the cemetery another man in blue was arrested for impersonating a police officer. As it turns out these two men had more in common than first thought. They are both Indianapolis based Amateur Radio Operators. Arrested is 38 year old Minh Nguyen, callsign KB9WDY. He was arrested as he waited with Westside residents and other police officers as the miles long funeral procession neared the west side district headquarters when deceased officer Rod Bradway was assigned. Rod Bradway was killed last week while attempting to save a woman and her child from an armed domestic partner. Bradways Amateur Radio call sign is KC9PFW. Authorities don't believe the two men knew each other. The police badge and uniform was the common link to this sad commentary. According to the arrest report, Police say Nguyen was taking photographs from a black 2012 Dodge Charger equipped with a siren, flashing lights and a two-way radio. Police found an AR 15 rifle in his car and later found guns, police uniforms and police equipment at his the home. Police say he has had prior arrests on similar and other unusual behavior. The report said Nguyen also had "property stolen from the city of Indianapolis," including property room slips and envelopes that the public does not have access to. Minh Nguyen faces felony charges of impersonating a public servant and theft, which carries a sentence of six months to three years in prison. A conviction could also lead to revocation of his Amateur Radio license by the FCC if they choose to review the case. Reporting from Indianapolis, this is Jack Parker W8ISH. -- The public and law enforcement officers were not aware of the Nguyen arrest until after Officer Rod Bradway, KC9PFW, was laid to rest following a full honors ceremony at Crown Hill Cemetery on Indianapolis north side. (ARNewsline, W8ISH) ** ENFORCEMENT: PUBLIC RADIO STATION FINED $12000 FOR 6 YEARS OF MISSING PAPERWORK The FCC has proposed a $12,000 fine and a shorter license renewal term for Gallup Public Radio. This based on some missing documents from its public file. New Mexico station KGLP -FM admitted it was missing nearly six years' worth of issues and programs lists from the file. In its reply to the FCC the station indicated it has now reconstructed the missing documents. However the FCC's Media Bureau said in its decision the station is still responsible for the lapse. The commission found the violations to be "extensive," occurring for nearly six years of an eight-year license term. For that reason the agency raised the proposed monetary forfeiture from the base $10,000 to $12,000 and also granted the station a shortened, four-year, license renewal term. Gallup Public Radio was given the usual 30 days from imposition of the fine to pay the amount in full or to file a further appeal. (FCC, RW) ** DIGITAL AUDIO: D-STAR EXPERIMENTAL NET ON 40 METERS FROM VK LAND If you have interest in digital audio on the High Frequency bands you might want to tune your D-Star equipped transceiver to 7.215 MHz at noon UTC. This to see if you can take part in a D-Star test net operating from Australia most mornings. The net control is Brian Farrar, VK2AH, in New South Whales who says the best contacts so far have been from his location to the city of Horsham about 550 miles away. Farrar says that net participants have tried other bands with no much success but 40 meters seems promising. VK2AK is not only on for the net but also tries 40 meter D- Star at other times of the day as well. While operating he also monitors D-Star Reflector REF003 and does put out alerts when he is looking for D-Star contacts from his QTH down-under. (VK3TOM, D-Star Remailer) ** RADIO HAPPENINGS: NIKOLA TESLA MONUMENT UNVEILED IN NEW YORK The president of Serbia has traveled to the United States where he recently unveiled the Nikola Tesla Monument at Tesla's former laboratory in Long Island. In a press statement prior to the actual ceremony, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said that it was the strength of Tesla's vision is what influences how the public speaks about Nikola Tesla with respect some 70 years after he died. Nikola Tesla who passed away on January 7, 1943 was a Serbian-born and later inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist. He is perhaps best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system. For decades The Tesla Science Center has been trying to set up a commemorative museum at the site of Nikola Tesla's old laboratory, Now those behind the project and who managed to raise over a million dollars in an internet crowd funding campaign can celebrate the fact that their goal is finally starting to become a reality. (IntelliHub) ** RADIO HAPPENINGS: NEW RCA EXHIBIT AND STUDY CENTER TO OPEN AT NJ COLLEGE A new exhibit highlighting the Radio Corporation of America's rich history across the 20th century will open shortly at the College of New Jersey, in Ewing Township. The display will draw from the more than 6000 artifacts that the college inherited after the David Sarnoff Library, which at one time was RCA's main technical archive and museum, closed in 2009. The new exhibition covers the development of radio, television, and broadcasting, as well as RCA's work in liquid-crystal displays, electron microscopy, solid- state physics, and computers. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Foundation funded the new Sarnoff Study Center which is connected to the exhibition. The Center will serve as the central educational component of the Sarnoff Collection. More is on the web at tinyurl.com/rca-exhibit (Artscom NJ) ** EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: THE INDESTRUCTIBLE LDMOS FET A new Laterally Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor or LDMOS type Field Effect Transistor designated as type BLF578XR has been developed by NXP Semiconductor. This for use as an RF power amplifier in broadcast and industrial applications. The new device is rated at 1400 Watt output, 50 Volts DC with a gain of 23.5 dB and an efficiency of 69%. Even more amazing, it is designed to survive a 125 to 1 or higher VSWR and as such it is literally almost indestructible. The current priced of a single unit BLF578XR transistor is 230 Euros or about 300 U-S dollars but like most semiconductors, it should come down in price over time. (SARL) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: GB2RS MANAGER TO RETIRE Some names in the news. First up this week is Gordon Adams, G3LEQ whom after 35 years of unbroken service, is to retire as manager of the Radio Society of Great Britain's GB2RS bulletin broadcast service. The Society says that GB2RS has always been a much valued part its news service and every week nearly 100 volunteer newsreaders give of their time to broadcast the material to all parts of the UK. According to the RSGB, Adams has agreed to continue in post until a successor is found. (RSGB) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: MARNICK JOINS UK REGULATOR OFCOM British telecommunications regulator Ofcom has announced the appointment of Philip Marnick as its new Group Director in Charge of Spectrum. Marnick comes to the agency with 27 years' experience in the wireless communications industry including a stint at U K Broadband where he served as Chief Technology Officer. He will join Ofcom in November and will lead the Spectrum Policy Group. This is organizations arm responsible for setting and implementing the strategy for managing spectrum, which involves clearing, awarding and licensing it. (Southgate) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: WA2OJK NAMED HEAD OF CQ ADVERTISING DEPT CQ Communications has announced that effective immediately. Jon Kummer, WA2OJK, has been appointed to head the company's advertising department. Kummer is no stranger to CQ or to many in the hobby radio industry. In years past WA2OJK sold advertising for CQ Amateur Radio, Popular Communications and WorldRadio Online, as well as Modern Electronics and Electronic Servicing & Technology when the latter were CQ publications. Jon Kummer may be reached by e-mail at jon (dot) kummer (at) cqcomm (dot) com or by phone to 516-883- 1641 during normal weekday hours Eastern Time. (CQ) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: TWO HAM ASTRONAUTS DEPART NASA NASA astronauts Gregory Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, and Ronald Garan, KF5GPO, are leaving the agency. Chamitoff is joining the faculty of Texas A and M University in College Station, Texas, and the University of Sydney in Australia. Garan has said that he plans to work on a range of new entrepreneurial and humanitarian efforts. (Southgate) ** BREAK 2 This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur: (5 sec pause here) ** THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: NOISE REDUCTION INVENTOR RAY ROLBY - SK The technologist who literally invented electronic noise reduction has passed away. This with word that Dolby Laboratories founder Dr. Ray Dolby died September 12th at his home in San Francisco at age 80. Early in his career, Ray Dolby was employed by Ampex Corporation where he was chief designer of the electronic aspects of the first practical videotape recording system. In 1965 he founded Dolby Laboratories, whose major accomplishments include the development of electronic noise reduction and surround sound technologies. According to a company spokesperson, in recent years, Ray Dolby had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Then last July he was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia. Ray Dolby is survived by his wife, Dagmar, his sons, Tom and David and their spouses. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 1060 La Avenida Street, Mountain View, California, 94043, or the Brain Health Center, % CPMC Foundation, 45 Castro St., San Francisco, California, 94117. (Dolby Labs, RW, ProSound, twice.com) ** ON THE AIR: 5P14EHC TO CELEBRATE THE EUROPEAN HANDBALL CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT JANUARY Keep an ear open early next year when members of the Danish Radio Amateurs group as they activate the special event callsign 5P14EHC. This station will be operational throughout January of 2014 in celebration of Denmark hosting the European Handball Championship for Men. Look for operation of 5P14EHC to be on all bands including the 30, 17 and 12 meters. Activity will likely encompass all modes available, but will exclude cross-mode, cross-band contacts and those made via repeater, repeater interties and Echolink. All QSOs will be verified electronically via Logbook of the World and eQSL. Paper QSL's will also be available as well. (Various) ** DX In DX, The Martello Tower Group is returning to Herm Island from October 4th to 9th using the callsign GP0PKT. Their operation will be 80 through 10 meters including the WARC bands using SSB and RTTY. Although Herm is part of the Guernsey Islands on the Air group, it isn't activated very often and the GP0 prefix usually attracts some interest. All QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World. Direct or bureau cards should be sent via G6NHU. K7ZO will be active from Nicaragua during the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest from October 26 to the 27th as a Single- Operator All-Band entry using the callsign YN5Z. QSL to K7ZO direct, via the bureau or electronically using Logbook of the World. DJ7RJ will be on Reunion Island signing stroke FR until November 2nd. Listen out for him on 160 through 10 meters SSB and CW with a focus on the lower bands. QSL via DJ7RJ either direct or via the bureau. WP3A will be active as ED8P from Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands also during the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest. He will enter as a Single-Operator, 15 meter Single Band Low Power Assisted entry. His QSL's go via NP3O. DL4VM will be operating stroke OZ when he returns back North Jutland. He will be there through October 19th. QSL via DL4VM either direct or via the bureau. DK8LRF is reportedly operational from Columbia as HK3JCL through November 23rd. His activity will mostly be on 20 and 40 meters using SSB. QSL to his home callsign via the bureau. (Above from various DX news sources) ** THAT FINAL ITEM: WALKING DOWN THE SIDE OF A LANDMARK HOTEL And finally this week, its not every ham that gets to rappel down the side of a 35 story landmark, but it was all in a days work on Friday, September 27th, for Tony Buittitta, KD6AJG. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the rest of the story: -- By profession, Tony Buittitta, KD6AJG is a news photographer for KTTV Fox 11 television. He is also a member of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue team. So when reporter Bob De Castro, decided to walk down the side of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel to raise money for the Boy Scouts of America through the Los Angeles Council "Over the Edge IV" rappelling demonstration, Tony, who is fully trained and qualified in this area was a natural to accompany him down the side of the building: -- KD6AJG: "The station asked me if I would be interested in being part of that and I was really excited. I just couldn't wait to do it. So it was like `yeh, no problem.'" -- Oh yes, in addition to going along for the 367 foot vertical walk, Tony had another duty. That was to bring some live television pictures of both of them as they made their way down: -- KD6AJG: "I've done lots of rappels; come out of helicopters and (off) mountains and stuff like that. That kind of stuff does not bother me. I'm really comfortable with my skill level as far as that goes. "But the night before this, I couldn't sleep (because) I was trying to figure out the technical part of it. How to do all this and then put it on live TV." -- We asked Tony to tell us a bit about the technology involved to make it all happen. It turned out to be rather complex: -- KD6AJG: "Lots of microwave links (and) some new technology using broadband called Live View in my balk-pack. Se we had a camera on the roof on the reporter going back via Live View broadband technology. I had a GoPro (camera) on my head and then in the back pack I had all kinds of converters sp we could get audio into the GoPro and then a portable microwave link one on frequency that was bouncing from my back up to the rooftop where we had dangled some receive antennas over the side. Then from the output of that receiver into another receiver which was hitting Saddle Peak where the station would pick us up. "Then in addition to all those microwave links and broadband we had our helicopter on another microwave frequency hovering right over us. So there was quite a bit going on and actually on the air it all cut together seamlessly with no problem." -- And did he enjoy the experience? -- KD6AJG: "Oh, I had a blast. My responsibility was to try to keep the reporter in frame, but shooting on the GoPro stuck to your head you really never know where you are pointing. If I could do it again I probably would like to have done a test and see what the shot looked like. "I was able to get him in there quite a bit; try to keep up with him and to try to stay level with him. "I wish I could do it again and make a few changes to the camera but for the most part I did OK. I got some good stuff and it was fun, that's for sure." -- If you want to know what its like to venture 367 feet down the side of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel you can do so vicariously. That's because Bob and Tony's walk was televised live on the stations Good Day L.A. morning program and is on line at tinyurl.com/rappel-over-the-edge. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles. -- And one more thing. While we are not 100% sure, it appears as if KD6AJG may have inadvertently become a sort of a record holder. This as being the first ham radio operator to ever rappel down the side of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, even though he had no way to get on the amateur radio airwaves at the time. (ARNewslineT) ** NEWSCAST CLOSE With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate News, TWiT-TV and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350 For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, near Houston, Texas, saying 73 and we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
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