tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9472700476029415422024-03-13T08:59:45.816-07:00W1AWZ'Technology and Amateur Radio'
Email: gjeremiah.w1awz@gmail.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-11927740695030846812014-11-20T21:25:00.000-08:002014-11-20T21:25:02.652-08:00Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1945 - November 21 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1945 - November 21 2014
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1945 with a release
date of November 21st 2014 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Malaysia shows its support of ham
radio emergency communications; an unidentified German ham
takes on Russian military communications; Japan announces a
deep space satellite mission; some new DMR experiments take
place down - under and some space junk turns out to be a new
Russian satellite. Find out the details are on Amateur
Radio Newsline report number 1945 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: MALAYSIA INCLUDES HAM RADIO IN FLOOD PLANNING
Malaysia is including ham radio in its emergency
preparedness for the upcoming monsoon season. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has the details:
--
Malaysia's Ministry of Communications and Multimedia will
ensure that all communication towers including those used by
radio amateurs will be fully functioning even though they
are inundated during the flood season.
According to the Ministry, several communication towers that
were inundated during the flood season last year, especially
in the Kemaman area. To prevent this happening again, many
had already been upgraded so that they were located on
higher ground and would not be submerged by the rising
waters.
A Ministry spokesperson noted that there are several areas
which could not receive normal communication coverage but
can be contacted using the amateur radio. The ministry went
on to say that it would cooperate with several amateur radio
associations under the Malaysian Communication and
Multimedia Commission to assist in terms of information
sharing in any flood-affected areas.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in
New Orleans.
--
In its statement Malaysia's Ministry of Communications and
Multimedia indicated that amateur radio has the ability to
provide communications into and out of areas that no other
quick response radio service can. (Benama Information
Agency)
**
INTERUDER WATCH: ILLEGAL DEFENFDER TAKES ON RUSSIAN
MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
An unidentified German amateur station has tried to disturb
military transmissions from Russia taking place in the 80
meter band. Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB,
has what's known so far:
--
The action happened on 3 dot 733 MHz on October 22nd at 2000
hours UTC. The Russian Frequency Shift or FSK transmission
is believed to have come from a transmitting site in
Kaliningrad.
A screenshot photograph taken by International Amateur Radio
Union Monitoring Service observer Wolfgang Hadel, DK2OM,
shows a station trying to insert Morse code dashes on the
space breaks of the Russian transmission. It also shows the
interfering station putting out spurious emissions at least
2 kilohertz wide.
According to the Monitoring Service, the same unidentified
operator is believed responsible for similar transmissions
against Russian based communications in the 40 meter band
but this has yet to be proven.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
reporting.
--
At airtime, the source of the interfering signal has not yet
been identified. (IARUMS)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: 49.9 MHZ RADAR 16 KW WITH 64 ANTENNAS
IN ETHOPIA
A new back-scatter radar on 49.9 MHz is currently being
constructed in Ethiopia. The Bahir Dar coherent backscatter
radar is being assembled by researchers from the University
of Oulu, Finland and Boston College, here in the United
States.
The new system will operate just below the 6 meter band
using a 16 kilowatt solid-state transmitter and 64 antennas.
The return sampling is based on a number of USRPX model 300
high-performance, modular software defined radios. This is
a platform developed by Matt Ettus, N2MJI that combine two
extended-bandwidth daughterboard slots covering DC to 6 GHz
with up to 120 MHz bandwidth and multiple high-speed
interface options. (Southgate)
**
PROPAGATION: OLD SUNSPOT RETURNS: QUIET WITH A CHANCE OF
FLARES:
Old sunspot AR 2192 now renamed AR 2209 has returned to the
side of the Sun facing Earth. As this report is being
prepared solar observers say that it still poses a threat
for strong flares because the sunspot's magnetic field is
unstable and harbors the energy required for X-class
eruptions. If such flare were to occur NOAA estimates a 25%
chance it will be likely have a direct effect on High
Frequency communications because AR 2209 is almost directly
facing Earth. You can keep an eye on AR 2207 and other
solar happenings by simply taking your web browser to
spaceweather.com. (Spaceweather)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: JAPAN ANNOUNCES DEEP SPACE HAM RADIO
SATELLITE
A Japanese news report says the asteroid mission Hayabusa 2,
planned to launch before years end on will also carry an
amateur radio satellite named Shin'en 2. The bird will have
an elliptic orbit around the Sun and travel to a deep space
orbit between Venus and Mars.
Shin'en 2' inclination will be almost zero, which means that
it will stay in the Earth's equatorial plane. The distance
from the Sun will be between 0.7 and 1.3 Astronomical Units.
An Astronomical Unit is described as 149,597,871 kilometers.
Shin'en 2 already has a set of IARU coordinated frequencies.
These are 437.505 MHz for its CW beacon and 437.385 MHz to
be used for WSJT telemetry. It will also carry a Mode J
inverting SSB and Morse transponder operating with a Lower
Sideband uplink between 145.940 to 145.960 MHz and a UHF
downlink from 435.280 to 435.260 MHz on Upper Sideband.
Shin'en 2 is a deep space satellite built by students at
Kagoshima University in Japan. Its primary mission is to
establish communication technologies with a long range as
far as moon. (AMSAT, SkyRocket.de), others)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: REALTIME BAND CONDITIONS WEBSITE
bandconditions.com is a newly created website that supplies
real time band condition information to operators wanting to
get this up to the minute information. The data provided is
based on what the developers call a new Ionospheric Sounding
method called "H F Ionospheric Interferometry" which
operates very similarly to the PolSAR system used by NASA.
Reports are generated and uploaded to the web server
every 30 seconds. Header information includes a Date, Time
in GMT and a report number in sequential order. A web
browser refresh command is also sent so the user does not
have to hit the refresh button for the latest report. The
web browser does it automatically for them.
The display shows the Meter Band in red and the Band Quality
Index as blue colored number at the bottom of the band
scale. To sample it for yourself go to bandconditions.com
and take a look. (bandconditions.com)
**
DX UP FRONT: ARNO ISLAND NOV 26 TO DEC 3
In DX up-front, NL8F says that he will be active
as V73TM from Arno Island rather than Majuro Island between
November 26th and December 3rd. The reason for the change
is the hotel next to the airport on Majuro now belongs to
the Education Ministry and hence the move of the operation
to Arno. During his stay, he plans to operate on 80 through
10 meters using CW, SSB with the possibility of some digital
operation. QSL's go via K8NA as shown on see QRZ.com.
(OPDX)
**
DX UP FRONT: AUSTRAL ISLANDS IN JANUARY 2015
Also word that KK6BT will be operational as TX5W from
Raivavae Island in the Austral Island group between January
5th through the 11th 2015. Activity will be on 40 through
10 meters including the 17 and 12 meter bands operating
exclusively SSB. His primary objective is to work as many
amateurs in Central and Northern Europe as possible during
his stay. QSL direct only. (OPDX)
DX UP FRONT: BOUVET IN LATE 2015
And the one many have been waiting to hear. This with the
announcement that a team of 12 operators, lead by UN7PCZ
will be active from Bouvet Island as 3Y0F sometime between
December 2015 and January 2016. The group plans to be on
the island for 2 weeks with 6 stations on the air. More
details and a Web page are forthcoming. (OPDX)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the WA4FAT audio server in Birmingham, Alabama.
(5 sec pause here)
**
HAM RADIO ON THE SMALL SCREEN: NBC MAY BRING FREQUENCY TO
THE SAMALL SCREEN
Will the early 2000's motion picture Frequency show up on
NBC as a weekly series? That could happen if the Peacock
Network proceeds with plans to bring the big screen thriller
to the home screen on a weekly basis. Bill Pasternak,
WA6ITF, who used to work in Hollywood has some insight:
--
For those who have never seen it, the movie Frequency is
centered on the character John Sullivan played by James
Caviezel, a New York City police officer in his mid-30s who
is still haunted by the tragic death of his firefighter dad
Frank portrayed by Dennis Quaid. The elder Sullivan had
died three decades earlier and that experience has haunted
the younger Sullivan's life ever since.
One night, John locates an old ham radio transceiver that
belonged to his father, and begins transmitting. To his
shock, John soon gets a response from his deceased father,
thirty years in the past. The scientific explanation for
this is explained that the aurora borealis is taking place
overhead has somehow allowed the two men to communicate
across time.
John Sullivan uses the contact to warn his father Frank of
his impending death and gives him the information on how to
survive. But changing what happens with time always has its
consequences and John Sullivan's changing of past events
inadvertently causes consequences with the potential to be
worse for all involved.
Now the industry trade publication the Hollywood Reporter
says that NBC is looking to create a television series based
on the New Line Cinema thriller. It says that the Peacock
Network has already issued a 'script plus penalty'
commitment for the series. The term a script plus penalty
means that even if a show is not produced that those
involved in its initial creation are still paid a fee, but
does not guarantee that a movie or television show actually
be brought to production.
And talking about the development of the Frequency into a
television series, its reported that Jeremy Carver is
writing the script for Warner Brothers Television and would
also be the Executive Producer of the series. Toby
Emmerich who wrote the original movie will be a co-producer.
As with any show in early development, there are a lot of
rumors floating around. For example, another industry trade
on-line newsletter says that there's no word yet on if any
of the film's original cast members will return if the
Frequency TV series gets a go ahead. But it also adds that
while unlikely that it may not be outside the realm of
possibility.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
for the Amateur Radio Newsline.
--
It also notes that the show is in its earliest of
development stages and there is no planned premiere date.
(nevadahamradio.com, N7UR, Hollywood Reporter,
ScreenRant.com, others)
**
RESCUE RADIO: MORE CERT TRAINING COMING TO CHULA VISTA CA
If you live in and around Chula Vista, California and are
interested in public service then listen up. The next
Community Emergency Response Team or CERT academy will be
offered in May or June 2015.
There are a number of classes that include orientation, an
introduction to disaster preparedness, fire safety and
utility controls. Participants will also learn about
disaster medical operations, complete exercises and witness
demonstrations, be part of light search and rescue
operations as well as learn about disaster psychology and
terrorism.
Participants must be 18 years old or if a minor have the
signature of a parent or legal guardian is required. (San
Diego Union-Tribune, other published reports)
**
RESCUE RADIO: UK 4X4 RESCUE TEAM GETS HAM RADIO TRAINING
A team in the United Kingdom that provides a valuable off-
road service during natural disasters and searches for
missing people has received training in amateur radio. This
with word that members of the Wessex 4X4 Response Team have
completed their Amateur Radio Foundation License course.
The training was arranged as part of the joint working
program between the voluntary agencies within Dorset, with
the course being arranged by members of RAYNET. The e
Christchurch Amateur Radio Society served as the host
organization.
.
The course was funded using part of a grant from Dorset
County Council to Wessex group in order to support an
increase in the group's communication capability in the
event of an incident. Earlier this year the team provided
support to emergency services during floods in and around
Dorset. (Dorset Echo)
**
WORLDBEAT: DMR EXPERIMENTS TAKING PLACE DOWN-UNDER
Hams down under are doing some interesting experimentation
using the Digital Mobile Radio or DMR voice mode. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the details:
--
On September 7th at 12:45pm local time here in New
Zealand, Steve Jepson, ZL2KG, who was situated at the
Stratford Plateau car park on the slopes of Mt. Taranaki
worked John Yaldwyn, ZL4JY at his home in Waikanae over a
distance of over 191.7 km. This, using the nations 70
Centimeter Digital Mobile Radio simplex frequency on
432.7625 MHz. A Connect Systems CS700 handheld connected to
a dual-band mobile antenna was used at Mt. Taranaki and
a Motorola MOTOTRBO XPR 5550 mobile tied to an 8-element
Yagi was used in Waikanae for contact with perfect signals
in both direction
To test the usable range for DMR relay operation, ZL1KG also
tried working through the ZL2DMR repeater, which is located
on Colonial Knob at a distance of 213 km from his location
on Mt. Taranaki. What was found was that ZL2KG could
receive without any problem, however he could not transmit
through the machine. While the repeater was triggered,
however a voice QSO could not be made through it. By moving
closer to the repeater to the top of Waitotara Hill, which
is located 149 km from the ZL2DMR repeater, voice contact
was possible and a two-way QSO made.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Jim Meachen. ZL2BHF, in
Nelson, New Zealand.
--
While not trying to set a record the distances of these
contacts is quite impressive. It also shows the ongoing
interest in DMR by the experimenters within the ham radio
community. More information on DMR is at VA3XPR.net.
(DMR)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: VK5ZAI TAKING A WELL DESERVED ARISS
BREAK
Some names in the news. Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI, a
communications relay mainstay of Amateur Radio on the Space
Station or the ARISS program, is taking a well-earned break.
His involvement so far spans 21 years and includes being the
ARISS Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Region. His
immediate plan is to move to a new location and retire from
daily business. While taking a break in arranging school
contacts with International Space Station astronauts, he
will continue as a well-equipped telebridge station, when at
home. (VK3PC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: KC5LK TO REPLACE N5FG AS CQ WAZ AWARD
MANAGER
John Bergman, KC5LK, of Brandon, Mississippi, has been named
the new CQ Worked all Zones Award Manager, effective January
1, 2015.
KC5LK has been licensed since 1978 and holds an Advanced
Class license. He has been heavily involved in DX and DXing
for over 20 years, is a charter member of the 599 DX
Association
Bergman will succeed fellow Mississippian Floyd Gerald,
N5FG, who has served the DXing community in this position
for the past 11 years. (CQ)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: RSGB YOUTH COMMITTEE CHAIR NAMED
Still in the UK, the RSGB has appointed 17-year-old Mike
Jones, 2E0MLJ, as Chair of its Youth Committee. Jones was
originally licensed as M6TMJ and is currently studying
Forensic Science and Criminal Psychology at City College in
Plymouth England. He is a member of the QRZ.com staff
helping on the database forum and is also Youngsters on the
Air Month Coordinator for the UK. (GB2RS, Southgate)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: RILEY IS BACK - KIND OF
Back here in the USA, retired FCC Special Council Riley
Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, gave what is being called an
inspirational talk at the Forsyth Amateur Radio Club in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina on November 10th.
Addressing the group, Hollingsworth explained that while it
may seem like there is less enforcement activity in Amateur
Radio under current Special Council Laura Smith than when he
was doing the job, that's not the case. New FCC privacy
rules mean that Smith can only release information after an
enforcement action has been completed, not when one was
initiated as Hollingsworth did.
The talk was recorded and appears as Episode 174 of the
online Amateur Radio television series HamRadioNow. You can
catch it on the web at hamradionow.tv and click on the link
to episode number 174. (KN4AQ)
**
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)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: MAGNESIUM-ION MAY SOON REPLACE LITHIUM-
ION BATTERIES
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the mobile power
sources of choice today, used in everything from laptop
computers to hand held transceivers and even automobiles.
For years, though, it has been known that they can overheat
and even catch fire. Now there may be a new battery
material that overcomes this problem as we hear from Amateur
Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD:
--
The overheating problem is much less likely to happen
with batteries made with magnesium. And magnesium ions in
the battery electrolytes can carry a double positive charge,
increasing the device's energy density, or the amount of
electricity the battery can store.
Still, no one's been able to make a commercially viable
magnesium-ion battery, mostly because of magnesium's high
reactivity with other materials in such a cell which would
interfere with the movement of the ions through the
electrolyte. Now, researchers Liwen Wan and David
Prendergast of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in
California have conducted computer simulations that show
this reactivity actually isn't a problem.
In the October issue of the Journal of the American Chemical
Society, they write that the interference is much lower than
had been thought, and therefore that a magnesium-ion battery
would be more efficient than expected. On that basis,
researchers at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan
improved the stability of the magnesium-ion battery. Fei-Yi
Hung, one of the three leaders of the team, told the online
publication Energy Trends that they accomplished this in
part by turning to a new technology that uses electrodes
made of magnesium membranes and magnesium powder.
The idea of a magnesium-ion battery has long been attractive
not only because it's less likely to overheat, Hung said,
but also has up to 12 times the energy density of a lithium-
ion battery and its charge-discharge efficiency is five
times greater.
So when can we expect to see Magnesium Ion batteries hit the
consumer market? According to the research teams it will be
a while as there are still other technical hurdles to
overcome.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
reporting..
--
More on this story can be found on the web at
tinyurl.com/magnesium-batteries. (Journal of the American
Chemical Society)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FOUR NEW JAPAN MICROSATS LAUNCHED
Four new microsats developed in Japan are now on-orbit.
Carried aloft on Thursday November 6th on board a Russian
Dnepr rocket were ChubuSat-1; Tsubame; Hodoyoshi-1 and QSAT-
EOS.
ChubuSat has a CW and AX.35 downlink on 437.485 MHz with its
digipeter uplink on 145.980. TSUBAME transmits CW on
437.250 and AX.25 data on 437.505 MHz. Signals from
Hodoyoshi-1 should be found on 467.674 MHz while QSAT-EOS
carries an AX.25 G-M-S-K payload but its exact transmit
frequency is unknown.
Kosmotras launch controllers reported all spacecraft were
inserted into their target orbits. (Southgate)
**
ON THE AIR: COMMEMORATING THOSE LOST IN 1907 W. VA MINE
DIASTER
On the air, Nathan Banks, KC9HYY, has announced a
commemorative operation to honor the memory of the miners
who lost their lives on December 6th of 1907. On that date
an explosion at the Monongah Mine in West Virginia killed
362 workers and stands as the worst in the history of mining
of the United States.
In memory of those who lost their lives on that date KC9HYY
will be using his call stroke M-M-D From December 5th to
December 14th. Operations will be on 40 through 10 meters
using SSB and PSK 31. QSL via KC9HYY as listed on QRZ.com.
(KC9HYY)
**
DX
In DX, SM6JBC and SM6GOR will be on the air from Mauritius
as 3B8JB and 3B8HB until November 26th. Operations are on
the High Frequency bands, using SSB, PSK31 and PSK63. QSL
via their home callsigns, either direct or via the bureau.
G3VPW will be active from Falkland Islands through December
12th operating as VP8KF. He will be active on 80 through 10
meters. He also plans to use the special call VP8KF stroke
100. QSL via his home call or electronically using Logbook
of the world.
Members of Lufthansa Amateur Radio Club of Frankfurt will be
active as 4S7DLG from Sri Lanka until November 27th.
Operators mentioned are DK7TF, DH6ICE and DH0RAK. Operations
should be on all HF bands using CW and SSB. QSL via DK8ZZ.
JJ2RCJ will be active stroke AH2 from KH2JU's rental shack
on Guam between December 27th to the 30th. Activity will be
focused on 30, 17 and 12 meters mainly using RTTY. QSL via
direct to JJ2RCJ or electronically using Logbook of the
World.
DJ8VW will be operational as 5P8VW from Romo Island between
December 6th and the 21st. Activity will be on 160 through
6 meters, including the 30, 17 and 12m bands, using CW and
SSB. QSL via DJ8VW direct only or electronically using
Logbook of the world or eQSL.
Lastly, and subject to weather conditions in the area,
JI3DST will be active stroke 6 from Tokara Island between
0600 UTC on December 27th through 0000 UTC on January 4th.
Operations will be on 160 through 10 meters using CW, SSB,
FM and some of the digital modes. QSL to JI3DST/6 via the
bureau or by ClubLog's Oh QRS.
(This weeks DX report courtesy of OPDX and the Facebook DX
Page)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: SPACE JUNK TURNS OUT TO BE RUSSIAN
SATELLITE
And finally, its well known that there is a lot of junk in
Earth orbit as a result of over a half decade, but once in a
while a piece of space debris is not what everyone thinks it
to be as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Hal Rodgers,
K8CMD:
--
What was first thought to be a piece of debris left over
from the launch of three Russian military communication
satellites has turned out to be a fourth bird that is
actually on-orbit and capable of maneuvers.
The three satellites were designated Kosmos 2496, 2497 and
2498 were launched this past May. An analysis of orbital
elements from a United States space radar showed that a
ghost spacecraft that had been thought to be debris from the
launch had made a definite controlled maneuver between May
29th and May 31st.
On June 24, the mysterious spacecraft started maneuvering
again, lowering its perigee by four kilometers and lifting
its apogee by 3.5 kilometers. The object continued its
maneuvers in July and its perigee was lowered sharply,
bringing it close to the launch vehicles upper stage which
had originally delivered all four payloads into orbit.
This is the second time a Russian piece of orbital junk has
suddenly started maneuvering while on-orbit. The first time
was in early 2014 after a December 2013 launch. At that
time the Russians admitted five months later that the
supposed junk was itself actually another satellite.
I'm Hal Rogers, K8CMD.
--
Whatever else may be circling the Earth from space launches
of years and decades past is likely only known to those
nations that put it on-orbit. (G7VFY, Southgate,
russianspaceweb.com)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, CQ Magazine, the
FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the
RSGB, the South African Radio League, the Southgate News,
TwiT-TV, Australia's WIA News and you our listeners, 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 Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue,
Santa Clarita California, 91350..
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk,
I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW, saying 73 from Charleston, West
Virginia, and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2014. All rights
reserved.
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-69148903640974886692013-12-06T05:07:00.000-08:002013-12-06T05:07:08.969-08:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1895 - December 6 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1895 with a release
date of December 6 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Four youngsters get their names in
space thanks to ham radio; the ARRL files erratum to its
"symbol rate" rule making petition; The Department of
Homeland will be giving emergency communications training at
Hamvention 2014; VHF Communications magazine ceases
publication after 45 years and its Youngsters on the Air
Operating month in IARU Region One. Find out the details
are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1895 coming
your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NAMES OF FOUR PRE-TEENS NOW ON-ORBIT
The names of four pre-teens from the town of North Pole,
Alaska, have been sent into space, and its all thanks to ham
radio. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with the
story of how it came about:
--
North Pole, Alaska is just outside of the city of Fairbanks
and its where Daniel Perry, age 10, Derik Perry, 9, Riley
Perry, 9, and Kailey Perry, 5 all live. But these four
youngsters now have something very special in their lives
because their names are orbiting some 400 miles above the
Earth on a microsat and its all because of friendship
between to ham radio operators.
The honor comes courtesy of their grandfather, Mike Perry,
AL7F, who became caretaker to some satellite-monitoring
equipment about a year and a half ago. This happened after
he became close friends with Mark Kanawati, N4TPY of Space
Quest Ltd, which is a technology company based in Fairfax,
Virginia. AL7F says it all came about because of a note to
the local ham radio club:
--
AL7F: "The way this all got started was that Mark, the
owner of Space Quest, being a ham radio operator got in
touch with the Arctic Amateur Radio Club here in Fairbanks
and had a letter posted to our membership site looking for
someone who had some property or knew of somebody who had
some property that would be a good location for him to
install a satellite tracking station. I own some property
right off the side of the highway that's sub-divided into
lots and I offered to let him put his tracking station on
one of the lots."
--
This lead to a close friendship developing between AL7F and
N4TPY and in turn to Kanawati offering to fly the names of
Perry's grandkids on a satellite that was to be launched
this past November.
--
AL7F: "I was more than happy to have my grandkids names put
into the satellite. It just launched on the 21st of
November on a Russian ICBM from Kazakhstan and there were
quite a few ham radio cube-sat satellites along with his and
several different university cube-sats that went up also."
--
But the Perry kids are not the only people whose names have
flown in space. Putting names or initials on vehicles bound
for the final frontier is believed to be something of an
unwritten tradition in the space launch industry. One
apparently dating back to its earliest days. But according
to newsminer.com at SpaceQuest, the practice has reached a
new level. It says that photos and names are commonly tucked
inside the company's micro-satellites and N4TPY personally
speaks to school classes about space. He says that putting
children's names on-orbit is one way to spark their
interest.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
According to AL7F, the youngsters don't quite realize how
rare it is to be part of an orbiting satellite. But he adds
that will likely appreciate it a lot more as they get older.
(ARNewsline, Newsminer.com)
**
BREAKING NEWS: REWRITE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT ANNOUNCED
Some breaking news out of the nation's capital. This with
word that House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman
Michigan Representative Fred Upton and Technology
Subcommittee Chairman Oregon Representative Greg Walden,
W7EQI, plan to update the Communications Act.
Making the announcement on Google Hangout the committee
leaders and former FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell outlined
the need to adapt the law to today's marketplace. Upton
termed the project a multi-year effort that will be focused
on updating the communication laws to fit the Internet age.
Meantime Walden noted that the Communications Act is now
painfully out of date. He said that when the Act was last
revised nearly 18 years ago, the 56 kilobits-per-second via
dial-up modem was state of the art.
The actual revision will involve a series of white papers
asking questions about what to do to improve the laws
governing the communications marketplace. These will also
seek to learn the best way to a robust conversation using
digital media platforms.
To make it easier for the public to participate in this re-
write, you can follow the event on Twitter using the hashtag
#CommActUpdate. (RW)
**
RADIO RULES: ARRL FILES ERRATUM TO "SYMBOL RATE" PETITION
FOR RULE MAKING
The ARRL has filed an Erratum or modification of its request
with the FCC. This to correct an error in its "symbol rate"
Petition for Rule Making filed November 15 and put on public
notice for comment as RM-11708 a few days later.
The League's petition asks the FCC to delete the symbol rate
limit in part 97.307(f) of its Amateur Service rules and
replace it with a maximum bandwidth for data emissions of
2.8 kHz on amateur frequencies below 29.7 MHz.
The Erratum, filed November 26, removes an erroneous
reference in the appendix at 97.307(f)(3) to "unspecified
digital codes" and includes a corrected appendix. The
revised proposed 97.307(f)(3) will read: "Only a RTTY or
data emission using a specified digital code listed in
97.309(a) of this part may be transmitted. The authorized
bandwidth is 2.8 kHz." (ARRL)
**
RESCUE RADIO: DHS TO PROVIDE EMCOMM TRAINING WITH
HAMVENTION 2014
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Emergency
Communications will be on hand at Hamvention 2014 to conduct
its nationally recognized emergency communications training
course. The purpose of this program is to educate qualified
amateur radio operators so they may assist their local,
county and state governments with backup communications if
requested to do so.
The training will be held in the Dayton area on May 13th to
the 15th. These are the three days prior to the start of
Hamvention 2014. Registration will begin on February 1st.
More information is on the front page of the Dayton
Hamvention website at hamvention.org. (Dayton Hamvention)
**
WORLDBEAT: SOUTH AFRICA ONE YEAR HAM LICENSE RENEWALS DUE
South Africa's telecommunications regulator ICASA has
advised the South African Radio League that hams who hold
one-year amateur radio license should re-apply for renewal
before 31 December 31st.
ICASA notes that South Africa Telecommunications Regulation
9 stipulates that radio amateurs must reapply annually for a
license renewal unless they have opted for a multi-year
license. In that case they only need to reapply when their
license is about to expire.
According to the regulatory agency, to date over 300 have
already submitted their applications. (SARL)
**
DXCC UP FRONT: DXCC 2013 DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 31
In DX up-front, Bill Moore, NC1L, who is the ARRL Awards
Branch Manager wants to remind to all DXCC program
participants that the deadline for the 2013 calendar year
ends on Tuesday December 31st. Moore says that in order to
appear in the Annual Listing published in the electronic
version of the DXCC Yearbook, you must have your submission
postmarked no later than that date. Since the DXCC workload
usually peaks around this time each year, Moore recommends
that applicants not wait until the last minute to get their
submissions in. Complete details are posted on the web at
arrl.org/dxcc-blog. And we will have more DX news later on
in this week's newscast. (ARRL DXCC)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the Golden Empire Amateur Radio Club's W6RHC
repeater serving Chino California.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: ILLINOIS MAN CHARGED WITH RACIAL SLURS OVER
POLICE RADIO
A Waukegan, Illinois man who may be a former ham was
arrested on Tuesday, November 26th. This after authorities
allege that he breached security on a Lake County Sheriff's
Office radio communications system and transmitted racially
offensive language.
according to Sara Balmes of the sheriff's office, 24 year
old Raymond J. Kelly was charged with two counts of
tampering with jail communications. HE also faces one count
of harassment through electronic communications,
According to news reports, officers allegedly heard Kelly
repeatedly using a racial epithet over the communications
system overnight on the previous Saturday and Sunday.
Officials said that during a search of Kelly's residence,
authorities seized radio and other electronic equipment.
While several news reports referred to Kelly as a ham radio
operator a check of the Universal Licensing System shows
that he is not licensed by the Federal Communications
Commission at this time. However there are indications that
at one time he did hold an amateur radio ticket.
(Published news reports)
**
RADIO LAW: BROADCASTERS SUED OVER USE OF HD RADIO STANDARD
Yet another patent infringement lawsuit is in the offering.
This one aimed at broadcasters who use what commonly known
as HD radio. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeff Clark, K8JAC,
has the details:
--
In a major lawsuit a large number of radio broadcast groups
have been sued alleging patent infringement for using its
technology for their H-D Radio broadcasts. The filing by
Wyncomm LLC and Delaware Radio Technologies claims the
broadcasters are using In-Band On-Channel or IBOC technology
and therefore infringing on U.S. patent no. 5,506,866 or
simply 866 as well as several other associated patents.
The '866 patent is titled "Side-Channel Communications in
Simultaneous Voice and Data Transmission." It was applied
for in 1993 and granted in 1996 and originally assigned to
AT&T by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The
patent specifically describes radio transmission techniques
used in the In Band On-Channel standard adopted by the
National Radio Systems Committee in 2005.
The litigation lists Delaware Radio Technologies as the
exclusive licensee for the technology. HD Radio developer
iBiquity Digital is not named nor identified in any of the
lawsuits. That company licenses the HD Radio technology
used by the radio broadcasters.
This is Jeff Clark. K8JAC, reporting.
--
How the broadcast community will respond to this latest
patent infringement claim is not known as we go to air.
(RW)
**
LAW: ANTI-PATENT TROLL MEASURE PASSES HOUSE COMMITTEE AS
ASSERTION COMPANIES READY TO FIGHT BACK
A law against patent trolling is making headway in Congress,
but the trolls appear organizing to fight back. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has more in this
report:
--
The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill to curb patent
abuse by so-called patent trolls, officially known as Patent
Assertion Companies that buy patents, not to make anything,
but to sue end-users.
The committee sent to the full House a measure titled the
Innovation Act of 2013. Sponsored by Committee Chair
Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte, the bill seeks to curb
vague demand letters trolls send to end-users that place the
burden on users to prove they're not infringing on a patent,
rather than on the sender to prove they are.
Among other things, the bill requires lawsuit plaintiffs to
specify which patents are at issue and what products
allegedly infringe. The Innovation Act also allows a court
to require the loser in a patent case to pay the winners
costs if the case was not reasonably justified.
But the so-called patent trolls are not sitting idly by
waiting for the end to come. With millions if not billions
of dollars in future income at stake may have are reported
to be taking on a new role. This, by doubling as government
lobbyists for their patent-assertion companies.
The newsletter Politico reports that one of America's
largest patent-assertion entities, is investing in lobbying
help to protect its interests on Capitol Hill by pushing
back against legislation designed to curb patent trolls
ability to extract rents from other companies. Unnamed
sources also told Politico that several patent-assertion
entities are even trying to create their own advocacy group
to give them a larger voice in Washington. The prospects of
this actually happening are at this point in time unclear.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm, Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
"Patent Trolls" is an informal term for firms whose only
business is acquiring patents and using them as a basis to
sue other companies even though they don't actually produce
any products based on the patented technology. And if
congress passes laws to restrict these patent assertion
companies, it's very likely that they will challenge such
regulations all of the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
(RW, Politico, BGR)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: VHF COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE CLOSES
The famed United Kingdom publication VHF
Communications magazine is closing after 45 years of
continuous publication. A message on the magazine website
says that by the end of 2013 the number of subscribers was
not sufficient to support the magazine. Also the supply of
articles had become difficult because a lot of good articles
are published direct to the Internet.
From 1969 to 2013, VHF Communications was one of the
foremost construction oriented publication for radio
amateurs and professional RF communications engineers. A DVD
containing the complete collection of magazines is
available. More is on the web at www.vhfcomm.co.uk
(Southgate)
**
RADIO READING: ONE FREE ARTICLE FROM QST PER MONTH TO HELP
WITH OUTREACH
The ARRL has a deal that you can't refuse. This according
to the League's Contact public relations newsletter that
notes that one QST article a month will be made available
free of charge to non League members and the general public.
Traditionally, content from QST has been available only to
members, who have access to the print and digital editions
of the ARRL membership journal. According to the Contact
article, this has hampered the ARRL's ability to send
articles to the non-amateur community, and consequently,
impacting on other efforts.
Beginning with the December 2013 issue, one QST article per
month from each issue will be made available in PDF format
on the "This Month In QST" page of the ARRL web site. The
December 2013 article will be on the Colorado flooding of
2013 and Amateur Radio's role in the disaster. You will
find it at www.arrl.org/this-month-in-QST. (ARRL)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: HAM RADIO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR 2014 BOSTON
MARATHON
Registration to be a 2014 Boston Marathon ham radio
communications volunteer is now open. If you'd like to help
out as a radio operator at the Marathon on Monday April 21st
or the smaller races on Saturday April 19th, you can
register at marc.mmra.org.
One note. Due to security issues, volunteer signup will end
in early March and organizers will not be able to accept
volunteers up to the last minute as has been the case in
years past. So if you wish to volunteer, please do so as
soon as possible.
Again that URL to volunteer is marc.mmra.org. (K1IW)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: W5KUB LIVE WEBCAST FROM R & L CUSTOMER
APPRECIATION DAY
W5KUB.COM will be webcasting live the R and L Electronics
Customer Appreciation Day from Hamilton, Ohio on Saturday,
December 14th. In addition to the actual event, Tom will
also stream forums on D-Star and another by ham radio's Mr.
Audio Bob Heil, K9EID.
The Netcast will begin on Friday December 13th where you can
follow Tom and his crew on their 500 mile trip from Memphis,
Tennessee, to Hamilton, Ohio. During their airtime from R
and L, there will be a number of special guests. Those
tuning in and joining the chat room will be eligible for
prizes. It will all be on-line at w5kub.com.
(W5KUB)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: FCC CHAIR APPOINTED DEFENSE COMMISSIONER
Some names in the news. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has yet
another duty as he is appointed as the Commission's Defense
Commissioner. This position is purely procedural in nature
and pertains to internal organization and delegations of
authority within the structure of the FCC. The Defense
Commissioner directs the homeland security, national
security and emergency preparedness, and defense activities
of the Commission. (FCC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: NATIONAL VOA MUSEUM OF BROADCASTING
NAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
John T. Dominic has been named executive director of
the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West
Chester, Ohio. This, effective March 1, 2014.
Dominic is a 38-year broadcast veteran, serving as a station
manager at WCET and at Cincinnati Public Television, where
he was instrumental in the consolidation of WCET in
Cincinnati and ThinkTV in Dayton. He will retire as WCET
executive vice president and station manager in February.
The exhibits at the museum feature the Voice of America at
the VOA-Bethany Ohio station, Media Heritage's Greater
Cincinnati Museum of Broadcast History, the Gray History of
Wireless Museum and the West Chester Amateur Radio
Association. The museum is also implementing a docent
program and seeks volunteers to learn about the museums and
help lead tours. (Press release)
**
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)
**
WORLDBEAT: TOKYO'S FAMED "THE RADIO STORE" CLOSES AFTER 64
YEARS
One of the landmarks that helped to create Tokyo Japan's
famed Akihabara electronics district has closed its doors
for good. Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
is here with the details:
--
On Saturday evening, November 30th local time the business
known as The Radio Store ceased operations after 64 years.
The Radio Store building opened on March 8, 1950. It was
the first of Tokyo's electronics superstores, built by ten
of the prominent vendors at the time.
The building originally housed only those first ten stores
but it lead to the creation of business area that eventually
became home to hundreds of other electronics retailers and
gained recognition world-wide. Its said that The Radio
Store was responsible for giving this area of Tokyo its
Electric Town nickname
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania, here in the USA.
--
The complete story of The Radio Store's rise to fame and its
decision to close can be read at tinyurl.com/Tokyo-Radio-
Store-Closes. (Southgate, others)
**
WORLDBEAT: CANADIAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND HAM
RADIO STUDY GUIDES
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind has recently
confirmed to Radio Amateurs of Canada that it still has
amateur radio study guides and other resources available in
various formats for those who are blind or vision impaired.
If you live in Canada and wish to avail yourself of these
services, please contact Radio Amateurs of Canada which will
assist you in contacting the Canadian National Institute for
the Blind to obtain the assistance that you desire. (RAC,
VA3GX/ VE2HHH)
**
WORLDBEAT: INTERNATIONAL MUSEUMS WEEKEND 2014 TO GO WORLD
WIDE
John O'Toole, M0HEM, reports that the 2014 International
Museums Weekends will take place on June 14th through the
15th and again on June 21st through the 22nd.
For well over a decade the International Museums Weekend has
been growing particularly in the United Kingdom, but with
only a few radio amateurs taking part from the rest of the
world. So for 2014 the event administrators are hoping to
turn it into a truly international experience. As such
stations can be set up from absolutely any type of location
which might be broadly classified as a museum. This might
include air, railway, radio, agricultural and doll museums.
Even entities such as preserved jails and warships will
qualify.
O'Toole who is the Public Relations manager for the event
says that there is absolutely no cost involved for taking
part, nor is there any charge for any of the International
Museums Weekend Awards. More details about the event, its
history and how to register can be found at tinyurl.com/imw-
2014. (M0HEM, Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: LIVE ISS VIDEO STREAM VIA N2YO.COM
If life aboard the International Space Station interests
you, then listen up. The N2YO satellite tracking website
also provides limited live video streaming from the
International Space Station.
The Ustream video is available only when the orbiting
complex is in contact with the ground through its high-speed
communications system via NASA's Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite or TDRS System. During loss of signal periods,
you will see a blue screen.
Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it
sees a sunrise or a sunset every 45 minutes. When the
station is in darkness and there is established contact, an
external camera video has the ability to provide spectacular
views of city lights below if any are in range.
The URL for live video stream from the ISS can be found at
www.n2yo.com/space-station. (Southgate)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING MONACO HAM RADIO SOCIETY AT 60
On the air, members of the Monaco Ham Radio Society will
celebrate the clubs 60th anniversary by signing 3A60ARM
through December 31st. Activity is on all bands and modes.
A special QSL card to confirm all contacts will be sent
after March 2014 via bureau. Sorry but there will be no
electronic QSLing available for this event. (Press release)
**
ON THE AIR: VX9MRC TO BE ON 472-479 KHZ DECEMBER 14 - 15
The Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland's Experimental
station VX9MRC has been issued a two-day temporary authority
by Industry Canada. This to transmit on 472 to 479 kHz on
December 14 and 15th. The purpose of this special permit is
to call attention to the possible creation of a new amateur
service radio band in Canada while also highlighting the
role ham radio plays in emergency communications. (RAC)
**
DX
In DX, W8YCM, is currently on his annual trip to Jamaica and
will be active as 6Y5/W8YCM until the new year. His
operations are mostly on 17 meters using SSB. QSL via his
home callsign.
G0KOK, is currently active as 8P9CC from Barbados and will
be there through mid December. He uses a FT897D into a
dipole antenna. QSL via G0KOK.
8P9JB will be operational QRP from Barbados beginning at
1400 UTC on December 13th. Radio gear consists of an Alinco
DX-70 at 5 to 10 watts out to verticals and wire antennas.
QSL as directed on the air.
F5MCC, will be active stroke FM from Martinique Island
through December 21st. Operations will be on 40 through 10
meters using CW and SSB. Hewill also activate 4 lighthouses
on the island. QSL via the bureau to his home callsign.
F5PLC, is currently operational stroke FR from Reunion
Island. The length of his stay is not known. Activity will
be on the HF bands only QSL via his home callsign, direct or
by the REF Bureau.
K9EL will operate stroke FS from St. Martin between June 8th
to the 27th of 2014. Activity is usually on 160 through 10
meters using CW, SSB and possibly RTTY. Daily uploads to
ClubLog and LoTW are planned. QSL via his home callsign.
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: DECEMBER IS IARU REGION HAM RADIO YOTA
MONTH
And finally this week, following on the heels of the success
of last summers European Youngsters on the Air operating
events comes Youngsters on the Air Operating month. This as
several nations in IARU Region one band together to get
stations on the air with youngsters operating throughout the
month of December and using the YOTA as a suffix in their
callsign.
Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, is the IARU Region 1 Youth
Coordinator. She tells Amateur Radio Newsline that part of
the event is to break the ice for some already licensed
youngsters by simply getting them to take a microphone in
the hand:
--
PA2LS: "Now that it's getting bigger, it gives them a
chance to speak with people of their own age"
--
According to Leenders, over the years she has seen both
youth in ham radio as well as the Youngsters on the Air
group growing with more young people participating in the
hobby.
--
PA2LS: "The youngsters who already have their licenses are
getting more active on the bands and there are also more
youngsters getting ham licenses. We are also seeing this
with YOTA getting more and more youngsters (taking part)
from all of the countries in Europe."
--
And if this growth keeps up, maybe one-day YOTA could become
a world-wide operating event.
--
PA2LS: "We would like to grow bigger. It's now in Europe
but we want to expand it into all of (IARU) Region 1 and
later to the U.S. and to the rest of the world."
--
A truly noble goal but for this year there are only some 17
stations from 14 countries with young operators active using
YOTA suffix calls. If you hear any of them on the air
please take a moment and give them a QSO. Remember that its
today's young hams from around the world that will be the
future developers of technologies of tomorrow. They will
also be the ones carrying on the traditions of amateur radio
for decades to come.
More information about Europe's Youth on the Air program is
on the web at www.ham-yota.eu (Southgate, PA2LS)
**
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 WIA 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.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-41999844021479779522013-11-29T05:45:00.001-08:002013-11-29T05:45:38.806-08:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1894 - November 29 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">The following is a QST. Ham radio relief efforts continue
in the Philippines; the long awaited United Kingdom FUNcube
One ham satellite is now on-orbit; a new 76 Gigahertz record
is set in Great Britain; lots of FCC enforcement action and
the Consumer Electronics Association issues its Annual
Trends to Watch. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio
NewslineT report number 1894 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO CONTINUES TO ASSIST IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Even though it's been more than three weeks since Typhoon
Haiyan laid waste to many parts of the Philippines, much of
that nations telecommunications infrastructure is still not
operational. As such, ham radio operators continue to be a
primary information conduit into and out of those areas
stricken by the storm. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim
Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the latest:
--
The Philippine-based Ham Emergency Radio Operation or HERO
stations are still at work providing help and communications
after deadly Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Typhoon Yolanda
wreaked its destruction in the central Philippines.
The current official death toll of 5,200 puts the Category-5
storm that landed on November the 8th as the worst typhoon
in the archipelago, with its 314-km/h winds generating storm
surges in coastal villages and devastating main cities.
As previously reported, in anticipation of the arrival of
the super storm the Philippines Amateur Radio Association or
PARA activated its HERO network. This after having already
faced many storms this year and an earthquake in October.
PARA's Vice Chief Operating Officer is Ramon Anquilan,
DU1UGZ. He reports that in some areas mobile phone service
is now available, but is patchy and unreliable. The same is
true with electric mains power. DU1UGZ says that he knew
that amateur radio emergency communications was effective,
and the results saw many tearful moments when local people
were able to get their message through to loved ones
elsewhere.
Meantime, HERO stations have worked with the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the National
Telecommunications Commission, communities and non-
government organizations. The frequency of 7 dot 095 MHz
and several others are still in use and PARA thanks the
world's ham radio community for keeping them clear for
emergency traffic.
As we go to air, PARA continues to work closely with
authorities and hopefully obtain increased recognition of
the HERO network. A very good job continues to be done by a
group of truly dedicated ham radio volunteers.
With much of the information in this report provided by Jim
Linton VK3PC, who is the Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster
Communications Committee, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reporting
from the South Island in Nelson, New Zealand for the Amateur
Radio Newsline.
--
It appears as if ham radio assistance in the aftermath of
this killer typhoon will be ongoing for some time to come.
(VK3PC)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: UK FUNCUBE 1 HAMSAT NOW IN SPACE
When the FUNcube-1 satellite was first reached orbit its
beacon transmitting just 30 milliwatts. And in a time
compressed recording, it sounded like this:
--
Actual FUNcube-1 audio (time compressed)
--
That was recorded on Fun Cube-1's very first pass over
Croatia by Adam Alicajic, 9A4QV and posted to YouTube not
long after the United Kingdom built ham radio satellite was
declared to be on-orbit. We removed the long pauses between
telemetry tones and did some noise reduction so you can get
an idea as to what those first signals sounded like.
For its first two orbits FUNcube-1 was in this Safe Mode
with the beacon transmitting low power just of only 30
milliwatts. The satellite was then commanded into
Educational Mode which increased the power to 300
milliwatts. This enabled it to be copied on a SSB handheld
with just a whip antenna.
By way of background, a Russian Dnepr launch vehicle carried
FUNcube-1 and 18 other ham radio payloads successfully to
orbit at 07:10 UTC on Thursday, November 21st.
Approximately 8 minutes later, FUNcube-1 was deployed into
orbit. Soon after the first telemetry was successfully
received, decoded, and uploaded to the FUNcube Data
Warehouse by ZS1LS and ZS6BMN in South Africa. Needless to
say that there was a huge cheer and the FUNcube-1 Project
team toasted the successful launch. Soon afterward the new
bird was given the official designation of AMSAT-OSCAR-73
but it's expected to be known as FUNcube-1 by the ham radio
public.
FUNcube-1's telemetry downlink is on 145.935 MHz running in
the BPSK mode. The control team is encouraging all stations
who may receive the telemetry to record it and upload it to
the Data Warehouse at tinyurl.com/funcube-data. More about
the overall Funcube -1 mission and its objectives can be
found on the web at funcube.org.uk. The full length
unedited audio clip is at tinyurl.com/fun-cube-sound
(FUNcube-1, Southgate, YouTube)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: WREN NOT HEARD SINCE LAUNCH
Meantime another new hamsat has not been as lucky. The WREN
microsat team reports that it has had no confirmed reception
of the signal from its Slow Scan TV Pocket Qube satellite
which was launched on November 21st. The tiny bird is
supposed to be transmitting on 437.405 MHz +/- 10 kHz for
Doppler shift. The length of the beacon is 1.6 seconds and
it is AFSK modulated. The team says that it needs help from
every amateur radio operator and ground station operator it
can get. More is at tinyurl.com/wren-in-space and at
www.facebook.com/StaDoKo. (Southgate)
**
RADIO RECORDS: UK RADIO AMATEURS EXTEND 76 GHZ DISTANCE
RECORD
Another new United Kingdom distance record of 80 miles has
been achieved on 76 GHz. This on Saturday November 23rd
with contacts between Brown Clee Hill in Shropshire and
Winter Hill, Lancashire
Operating on three separate millimeter bands of 24, 47 and
76 GHz, were Ian Lamb, G8KQW, and John Hazell, G8ACE, at
Brown Clee Hill. At the other end of the path at Winter
Hill were Roger Ray,G8CUB, with John Wood G4EAT who was
operating the 76GHz station.
Contacts on all three bands were made using narrow-band FM.
Signals on 76GHz were exchanged for one hour with some QSB.
This likely due to changes in atmospheric conditions along
the path.
This success follows closely on the heels of the previous
distance record that was set by Lamb and Hazell on September
14th with a contact over a 63 point 3 mile path.
(Southgate)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the Twin City Amateur Radio Club net serving
Champaign and Urbanna Illinois.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC ORDERS KANSAS HAM TO PAY $4000 FINE FOR
OPERATING AN UNLICENSED RADIO STATION
The FCC has ordered a ham to pay a $4000 monetary forfeiture
but not for violating any of the Part 97 Amateur Service
rules. Rather the FCC says that Glen Rubash, KC0GPV,
operated the unlicensed radio transmitter on 88.3 MHz in the
city of Manhattan, Kansas and Amateur Radio Newsline's Don
Wilbanks, AE5DW, is here with the details:
--
According to the FCC, on December 5, 2012, the Enforcement
Bureau's Kansas City Office issued a Notice of Apparent
Liability to Monetary Forfeiture in the amount of $15,000 to
Glen Rubash, KC0GPV. As reflected in the order there was no
mention of any Part 97 violation. Rather, on September 26
and 27, 2012, agents from the Kansas City Office determined
that an unlicensed radio station was operating from a
detached garage in Manhattan, Kansas. The agents determined
that Rubash had secured space and operated the unlicensed
radio station.
On September 27, 2012, the FCC says that Rubash admitted
over the telephone to its agents that he installed and owned
the station's radio transmitting equipment. He also
demonstrated control over the station by stating that he
would refuse to surrender the equipment to the agents from
the Kansas City Office if required to do so.
In his subsequent written response, the regulatory agency
says that Rubash requested cancellation or reduction of the
proposed forfeiture. The FCC said that even though Rubash
admitted via telephone interview to making the admissions,
he later asserted that his statements were based on
incorrect information. More specifically, in his written
response he stated that he owned and installed a low power
FM radio transmitter but that it operated within Part 15
unlicensed limits. He also claimed that it was only able to
reach 300 feet beyond the garage housing the station. Also
that its purpose was to teach a small group of college and
high school students how to operate a community radio
station.
Rubash want on to say that he attached his transmitter to a
home-built antenna supplied by one of the students. He
claims no knowledge of the radio transmitter that was in
place when the agents inspected the station on September 27,
2012, because he was absent from the station from late July
until September 29, 2012, due to illness. He went on to
assert that someone must have replaced the transmitter while
he was recuperating and claims that he should not be held
responsible for unlawful actions which occurred during his
absence. Finally, as an alternative, Rubash claimed that he
is unable to pay the original forfeiture and requests a
reduction.
But in denying most of Rubash's requests the FCC said that
it affirmed the Notice of Apparent Liability finding that he
violated Section 301 of the Communications Act by using
equipment without the required Commission authorization.
However based on the financial documents provided by Mr.
Rubash, the FCC said it found sufficient basis to reduce the
forfeiture to $4,000 and that's the amount that he has been
ordered to pay.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW,
reporting.
--
As is usual in these matters, Rubash was given the customary
thirty days from the November 21si affirmation of the fine
to pay in full or make arrangements with the FCC to pay on
an installment plan. If he fails to do one or the other the
matter will be turned over to the Department of Justice for
enforcement of the forfeiture. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: OKLAHOMA CB OPERATOR FINED $15000 FOR USING
LINEAR AMP
The FCC has issued a $15,000 Notice of Apparent Liability
for Forfeiture to Carlton Lewis, of Enid, Oklahoma. This
for his alleged operation of a Citizens Band radio operator
with an external power amplifier in violation of the
Commissions Part 95 rules.
Back this past May 14th an agent from the Enforcement
Bureau's Dallas Office T-hunted down a strong signal on
27.1850 MHz which is CB Channel 19. He found it was coming
from Lewis' residence in Enid. The agent observed an
antenna mounted on the roof of the home and traced a coaxial
cable from the antenna into the residence.
The agent knocked on the door of the residence but no one
answered the door for over 30 minutes. A person eventually
answered the door and claimed that Mr. Lewis was not at
home. However a few minutes later Carlton Lewis appeared
and showed the agent his CB transmitter, which was warm to
the touch.
The agent observed that no coaxial cables were connected to
the CB transmitter but also noted the coaxial cable coming
into the residence and traced it to a linear amplifier
hidden behind a sofa. The linear amplifier was also warm to
the touch. Lewis did not respond when asked whether he had
used the linear amplifier.
Now in making its determination to issue the $15,000
proposed fine the FCC notes that prior to its May 14, 2013
inspection Lewis CB station that he had been issued two
written warnings from the Dallas Office. Both advised him
that using a linear amplifier with his CB transmitter voided
his authority to operate. Also that it violated the
Communications Act and the FCC's Part 95 Rules.
The FCC says that the fact that Mr. Lewis operated overpower
and used a linear amplifier despite being twice warned in
writing that such actions violated the Act and Rules
demonstrates a deliberate disregard for the Commission's
requirements and authority. As such a proposed fine of
$15,000 is warranted in this case.
Lewis was given the customary 30 days from the November 26th
issuance of the Notice of Apparent Liability to pay or to
file an appeal. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC UPHOLDS $14000 FINE FOR SELLING NON
CERTIFIED GEAR
A California company has been dinged $14,000 by the FCC for
making and selling unauthorized radio gear. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has the details:
--
The FCC has issued a monetary forfeiture in the amount of
fourteen thousand dollars to Custom Interface Technologies,
a Division of Thornstar Corporation, in Joshua Tree,
California. This for willfully and repeatedly violating
rules against manufacturing and marketing of unauthorized
radio frequency devices in the United States.
Back on November 17, 2011, the Enforcement Bureau's Los
Angeles Office issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for
Forfeiture for fourteen thousand dollars to Custom Interface
Technologies for manufacturing and marketing uncertified
video assist transmitters. In response to the proposed fine
Custom Interface Technologies, did not deny the violations,
but requested cancellation of the forfeiture based on its
inability to pay.
However in affirming the forfeiture amount the FCC says
while Custom Interface Technologies did provide the
Commission with three years of tax returns and a bank
statement to support its claim of an inability to pay, after
reviewing of these financial documents that the FCC says
that it declines to reduce the forfeiture amount and that
the $14,000 fine is warranted.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in Los Angeles.
--
Custom Interface Technologies was given the customary 30
days from the November 13th release date of its order
affirming the fine to pay the amount in full. If it fails
to do so the case may be referred to the U.S. Department of
Justice for enforcement of the forfeiture pursuant to
Section 504(a) of the Communications Act. (FCC)
**
RESTRUCTURING: BROADCASTERS AND DOD AGREE ON NEW SHARING OF
1755 TO 1780 MHZ
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton and
Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg
Walden, W7EQI, say that they welcome the National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration's endorsement of an important agreement.
This between the Department of Defense and the National
Association of Broadcasters on the relocation of a parcel of
government spectrum to shared use.
The agreement was reached after bipartisan committee
leadership worked with the Department of Defense, the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
and the Federal Communications Commission. It paves the way
for the Department of Defense to move systems out of the
1755 to 1780 MHz band by creating a sharing arrangement
between it and the broadcast community in the shared use of
the Broadcast Auxiliary Service. This spectrum is used by
news organizations to originate material such as breaking
news stories from outside of studio facilities. More is on
the web at tinyurl.com/DOD-BROADCAST-SHARING.
(House Energy & Commerce Committee release)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: FCC CHAIRMAN ADDS FOUR TO HIS SENIOR
STAFF
Some names in the news. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has
announced four new members to his Senior Staff. Those named
are Shannon Gilson, who comes on board as Communications
Director and Head of the Office of Media Relations; Jonathan
Chambers as Chief of the Office of Strategic Planning and
Policy Analysis; Gary Epstein, as Special Advisor to the
Chairman on Incentive Auctions and John Leibovitz who will
serve as a Special Advisor to the Chairman for Spectrum
Policy. (FCC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: VE3PU AND VE6NM INDUCTED TO THE CANADIAN
AMATEUR RADIO HALL OF FAME
The Board of Trustees of the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of
Fame has announced the induction of the late Ken Pulfer,
VE3PU, and the late Earle Smith, VE6NM, to the Hall of Fame
for 2013 year. The families of the two inductees will be
receiving this award in their loved ones honor in early
2014. A summary of their contributions to amateur radio
will be published in an upcoming issue of "The Canadian
Amateur" magazine. (VE7EF)
**
BREAK 2
With you every week, 52 weeks a year since 1977, 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)
**
D-STAR NEWS: HF TESTING CONTINUES FROM NORTH AMERICA
Kent Hufford, KQ4KK, reports that the International D-STAR
HF Testing Net is continuing in North America with its just
issued winter schedule. Net sponsors say that they
routinely have two way communications coast to coast, north
to south, and have had two way contacts to Europe and Japan.
The net is on each band only for 5 minutes and will spend
less time if a given band is dead. The net also may need to
move early or if the frequency is busy. It's also wise for
D-STAR operators to monitor reflector REF030C to coordinate.
Also, please keep an eye on hf.dstar-relay.net for the
latest information. A video demonstration of how all this
comes together is on YouTube at tinyurl.com/DSTAR-ON-HF.
(KQ4KK, VHF Reflector)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: CALL FOR PAPERS AT THE 2014 SOUTH AFRICA
RTA SYMPOSIUM
The South African Radio League has put out a call for papers
to be presented at the Radio Technology in Action symposium
or to be included in the symposium CD. The event is slated
for July of 2014 and if you have a subject that you would
like to present at the Radio Technology in Action please
send a synopsis by not later than December 15th to rta
(at)sarl.org.za. Be sure to include your e-mail and other
contact details. (SARL)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: MAVEN MISSION TO EXPLORE MARS PAST
A NASA spacecraft is headed toward Mars where its study of
the upper atmosphere of the Red Planet. This in the hope of
finding out how what was ione believed to be a warm planet
became what it is today. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeff
Clark, K8JAC, has the details:
--
The multi million dollar Mars Atmosphere and Volatile
Evolution or Maven mission began its 10-month voyage on
Monday, November 18th atop an Atlas Five launch vehicle from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with the mission spacecraft
deploying 53 minutes after liftoff. After separating from
the launch rocket, the mission spacecraft successfully set
out its solar arrays with radio telemetry showing that all
systems were reportedly functioning well early in into the
flight. Maven is expected to arrive at Mars on September
22, 2014 after which it is expected to drop into an
elliptical orbit around the Red Planet flying between 78
miles and 3,900 miles above the planets surface.
Previous missions have found evidence that water once flowed
on the surface of Mars indicating conditions that would have
required a warmer, denser atmosphere than exists today.
Mars now is a cold, dry desert with a very thin atmosphere.
These are conditions under which liquid water would freeze
or evaporate. Scientists want to know where the water and
gasses from Mars' early, thicker atmosphere went and they
hope that data radioed back from the Mars Atmosphere and
Volatile Evolution mission will provide an answer.
As an aside, maven is a Yiddish term meaning a
trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass
knowledge on to others. It was derived from the Hebrew
language where it related to one who understands, based on
an accumulation of knowledge. Kind of very apropos name for
this mission into Mars past.
I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC.
--
More is on the web at tinyurl.com/maven-to-mars. (NASA,
Wikipedia)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF SIR JAGADEESH CHANDRA
BOSE
On the air, keep an ear open for special event station
AU2JCB to be active through December 10th. This is to
celebrate the 155th anniversary of the birth of Sir
Jagadeesh Chandra Bose.
Activity for this event will be on 80 through 6 meters SSB,
SSTV, PSK and FM. If higher frequency bands are open,
operations will be on those as well. The operator will be
VU2DSI. QSL direct with 2 International Reply Coupons to
VU2DSI at his callbook address.
And as a historical note, Sir Jagadeesh Chandra Bose is
considered to be India's greatest scientist and inventor.
He is also considered to be India's "Father of Wireless
Communication." More about his life and his work in
communications and other sciences can be found on
Wikipedia.com. (Via e-mail)
**
DX
In DX two more operations have been approved by the ARRL
Awards desk for DXCC credit. These are the current 2013
through May 2014 operations of ZS8C and ZS8Z from Prince
Edward and Marion Islands. If your request for DXCC credit
for these operations has been rejected in an earlier filing,
please contact Bill Moore, NC1L, at ARRL headquarters to be
placed on the list for an update to your record. His e-mail
is bmoore (at) arrl (dot) org.
And less we forget to mention, Bill notes that two student
hams are expected to join this operation upon completion of
their licensing, which will make it four operators. NC1L
says that he will update this approval when he has more
information.
SM6JBC and SM6GOR are on the air from Mauritius Island
signing as 3B8JB and 3B8 stroke SM6GOR, respectively. They
will be there until December 16th. Activity is on 20 through
10 meters operating CW, SSB, PSK31 and PSK63. QSL via their
home callsigns.
F5AHO is operating stroke FR Reunion Island through December
4th. Activity is on 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters using SSB and
the Digital modes. QSL via F5AHO, either direct or via the
bureau.
F6ICX is active as 5R8IC from Saint Marie Island and will be
there until December 15th. Operations are holiday style
using CW, RTTY, and PSK63. QSL via his home callsign.
VK3XPT is operating from Raratonga and neighborinh islands
as E51XPT. Hes on the air holiday style running only five
watts on 40, 20, and 10 meters. QSL only via his home call.
Lastly, OH6EI, will again show up from Aland Islands a OH0Z
on all bands. No exact dates or operational times were
given. QSL via W0MM.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: CES FIVE TECHNOLOGY TRENDS TO WATCH
And finally this week a look into this future. This as the
Consumer Electronics Association releases the 2014 edition
of "Five Technology Trends to Watch." This is an annual
publication that examines five prominent technology
movements that will influence the consumer electronics
industry in the years ahead. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm
Seeley, KI7UP, takes a look at what lies ahead:
--
According to a press release, this year's "Five Technology
Trends to Watch" examines key developments from the Internet
to things like driverless cars, digital health care,
robotics to the future of video distribution and
consumption.
Geared toward industry professionals, the publication
provides in-depth analysis and outlines related issues and
market forecasts for the coming year. Each section also
explores consumer perspectives, partnerships, key players
and public policy issues. For example, a chapter titled "A
Hundred Billion Nodes" looks at how the Internet is using
the Web to "learn" consumer habits and needs.
The Consumer Electronics Association Senior Manager of
Business Intelligence is Jack Cutts. He looks at where the
major auto makers are in testing and refining their
driverless vehicles. He also expounds on the legal and
social implications of ceding the open road to science in
"On the Road to Driverless Cars."
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Norm Seeley, KI7UP,
watching emerging technology from Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
The publication was released during a panel discussion at
Consumer Electronics Association Industry Forum in Los
Angeles in October. (RW)
**
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 WIA 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 Jim Damron, N8TMW, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving
holiday from the Amateur Radio Newsline. And as always, 73
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-48601695946264565632013-11-22T05:09:00.000-08:002013-11-22T05:10:54.536-08:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1893 - November 22 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe2KFsOB9sE/Uo9XYC8B1jI/AAAAAAAABEY/0wZ-xjJrUjM/s1600/arnewsline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe2KFsOB9sE/Uo9XYC8B1jI/AAAAAAAABEY/0wZ-xjJrUjM/s400/arnewsline.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1893 with a release
date of November 22 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Ham radio emergency
communications efforts continue in the Philippines; Amateur
Radio responds to mid-west tornado outbreak; the ARRL files
symbol rate petition with the FCC; the International Space
Station celebrates 15 years on-orbit; Wake Island
commemorative operation ends with over 100,000 contacts and
a mega launch puts 29 new satellites on-orbit. Find out the
details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1893
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO FOLLOW-UP: ITU DEPLOYS TO THE PHILIPPINES
Post typhoon rescue radio efforts continue in the
Philippines. We get the latest from Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF:
--
One of the most powerful storms ever recorded hit the
central Philippines on November 8 with 314-km/ hour winds
that killed about 4,000 people, swept away coastal villages
and devastated main cities.
The Philippines Amateur Radio Association (PARA) and its Ham
Emergency Radio Operation (HERO) network continue to provide
emergency communications, although some communications and
limited power have recently been restored in many disaster
areas.
HERO stations have worked with authorities including the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the
National Telecommunications Commission, local communities
and non-government organizations.
Ramon Anquilan DU1UGZ, Vice Chief Operating Officer of PARA,
reports that many are active throughout the archipelago
including in most typhoon disaster areas.
The news media has taken interest with Ramon DU1UGZ being
interviewed, including twice on the BBC and also a US
network. Nathan DU5AOK in Tacloban and Ramon have also been
on radio station DZBB interviewed by the program anchor Kiko
Flores.
In one interview Ramon DU1UGZ told how people queued up at a
HERO station to get their health and welfare messages out.
He knew that amateur radio emergency communications were
effective, and the
results saw many "tearful moments" when the messages got
through.
Ramon DU1UGZ said that a group from Don Bosco Technical
College Manila including a radio amateur Rey DV1DWJ has
reached Borongan and the HERO station of Lester DV5PO.
With them was fuel for a generator and he assisted them to
set up an
HF station.
On the Cebu side, Paul Kelly who is a retired US Colnel with
the call DU7/N1PK is assisting the Don Bosco effort.
PARA Chief Financial Officer, Jojo DU1VHY is a Don Bosco
alumni and
coordinating its involvement.
In other reports another group, FARE-8 of Dipolog City with
Roy Garbonera DV8BQI is on a relief mission in Cebu. Roy has
roots there and will be on HF.
In coming days the CARL club relief effort headed by Sidney
Tan, DW7EEE, will join ham club RECON MACE in the
Municipality of Daanbantayan, at the northern part of Cebu
Island.
RECON MACE is assisting a French medical mission at Santa Fe
Bantayan Island. A French ham operator Denis Ramelet F5PXF
has asked PARA to monitor and assist medical teams, on Santa
Fe Island in Bantayan.
Ramon DU1UGZ said the relief operators for Tacloban have
arrived and backed up Nathan DU5AOK who had been the HERO
signal in the town.
With thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC for the information in this
report
I'm Jim Meachen, in Nelson, New Zealand for the Amateur
Radio Newsline.
--
The International Telecommunications Union headquartered in
Geneva, Switzerland, has sent assistance in the form of
satellite communications equipment to the areas ravaged by
Typhoon Haiyan. Also, some hams have asked how to directly
aid their counterparts in the Philippines. You can find
that information on the web para.org.ph (VK3PC, PARA,
GB2RS)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS RESPOND TO MIDWEST TORNADOES
At least eight people are dead after a particularly
dangerous tornado situation unfolded across the Midwest
Sunday, November 17th. The late-season, outbreak of
tornadoes and high winds killed six people in Illinois, two
in Michigan and injured hundreds of others. Amateur Radio
Newsline welcomes our newest reporter Hal Rogers, K8CMD, who
has this report:
--
According to the ARRL Peoria County ARES Emergency
Coordinator Fritz Bock, WD9FMB, ham radio responded with a
team of volunteers to a Central Illinois Division Red Cross.
This after receiving a request for emergency communication
support between various locations in Washington, Illinois.
Washington is a town of approximately 11,000 people and news
reports say that it is among the hardest hit by the storms
with many injuries having taken place there.
Communication support was provided between the American Red
Cross offices in Peoria, a Methodist Church and the Tazewell
County Emergency Operations Center. To the credit of the
hams that installed and maintain them, VHF and UHF FM
systems remained operational for all of the required
communications paths.
Even the broadcast media was affected by the severe weather
outbreak. A tornado tearing through East Peoria put two
anchors for WEEK off the air after the twister hit part of
the station's property. At the time the stations
Meteorologists were giving viewers on-air updates about an
approaching tornado when they said they heard something.
They scrambled for shelter at about11:00 a.m., leaving the
anchor desk while the station went to a break. It was later
reported that the facility suffered some slight roof damage
and some power hits that took it off air for a few minutes.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn told reporters today that the
storms destroyed or badly damaged upward of 400 homes in
Washington, Illinois. The storms also affected Michigan,
Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin. Seven Illinois counties,
including Peoria and Tazewell, have been declared disaster
areas.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Hal Rogers, K8CMD, in
Prama, Ohio.
--
In Indiana it was a similar situation as we hear from
Amateur Radio Newsline's Jack Parker, W8ISH:
--
As the multiple storm cells left Illinois they began to pick
up strength from afternoon heating. At last count 24
confirmed tornadoes raced across the Indiana landscape
leaving massive damage in it's wake. Vincinnes, Indiana
experienced an EF2 tornado that was a hundred yards wide and
traveled more than 19 miles.
Amateur Radio storm spotters from Evansville to the
southwest up through Marion, Indiana to the northeast
reported funnel clouds and strong winds along the way. EF2
torndoes caused damage in Lafayette, Lebanon, Bedford and
numerous Indiana cities. An EF3 tornado devastated Dayton,
Indiana just west of Kokomo.
The National Weather Service says the Sunday November 17th,
outbreak is the third largest such outbreak in one day, in
state history. Local, county and state officials credited
the National Weather Service and Amateur Radio weather
spotters for the advanced warnings as the storms raced
across the state at 45 miles per hour.
At last report no Amateur Radio Operators were involved with
emergency communications following the storms. Thanks to
their efforts and the National Weather Service there were no
deaths reported in Indiana.
Reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline, this is Jack Parker
W8ISH.
--
The storm system eventually moved off shore into the
Atlantic, but part of the East Coast experienced heavy winds
and rain from its remnants.
(W8ISH, ARRL, RW, WEEK-TV, others)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ISS CELEBRATES ITS 15th BIRTHDAY
The International Space Station celebrated its 15th birthday
on Wednesday, November 20th. This marking the day in 1998
when a rocket lifted to orbit the first piece of what is now
the largest man made structure ever built in space.
The International Space Station began construction with the
arrival on-orbit of the Russian built Zarya Module. This
lead to the ongoing international mission to build the
orbital outpost one piece at a time.
Today, the I-S-S is about the size of a football field with
roughly the same amount of livable space as a six-bedroom
house. Amateur Radio became a part of the Space Station two
weeks after the first two licensed ham radio operators took
up residence in it on Expedition One. Since then hams have
taken part in all 38 expeditions to this point.
Five different space agencies representing fifteen countries
have contributed to construction of the $100 billion orbital
outpost.
(ARNewsline from published news reports)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the WA0FYA Zero Beaters Amateur Radio Club net
serving Dutzow and Washington, Missouri.
(5 sec pause here)
**
FCC NEWS: MAJOR CHANGE COMING TO FCC LEADERSHIP
A major leadership change is coming to Homeland Security at
the FCC. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with
the details:
--
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has announced a major change in
leadership at the commission. Wheeler intends to name Rear
Admiral David Simpson as Chief of the FCC's Public Safety
and Homeland Security Bureau, which oversees emergency
alerting.
According to the FCC, Admiral Simpson has more than 20 years
of information and communications technology experience
supporting the Department of Defense. He has also worked
closely with other agencies to provide secure communication
services and improve cyber defense readiness. Most recently
he served as the vice director of the Defense Information
Systems Agency. He was also a senior delegate to the 2012
World Radio Telecommunications Conference. From 2009
through 2010 Admiral Simpson was the Director for
Communications and Information Services for U.S. Forces Iraq
in Baghdad. There he synchronized strategic and operational-
level communications for U.S. forces and helped the Iraq
government build capacity for the information and
communications technology sector.
David Turetsky, who had been leading the bureau, will now
take on a new role as coordinator of the agency's informal
task force on the FCC response to international disasters
such as Typhoon Haiyan. In this new capacity he will be
drawing from his experience handling domestic United States
disaster response.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in Los Angeles.
--
As we go to air, the effective date for this change has not
been announced. (FCC, RW)
**
RADIO RULES: ARRL FILES SYMBOL RATE PETITION WITH FCC
The ARRL has asked the FCC for a rules change to delete the
current symbol rate limit in part 97.307(f) of the Amateur
Service rules. In its place the League wants the regulatory
agency to replace it with a maximum bandwidth for data
emissions of 2.8 kHz on amateur frequencies below 29.7 MHz.
According to the League's petition, the changes proposed
would relieve the United States Amateur service of what ARRL
terms as outdated, 1980s era restrictions that presently
hamper or preclude experimentation with modern high
frequency and other data transmission protocols. The
proposed rule changes would also permit greater flexibility
in the choice of data emissions.
Current FCC rules limit digital data emissions below 28 MHz
to 300 baud, and between 28 and 28.3 MHz to 1200 baud. The
petition notes that transmission protocols are available and
in active use in other radio services in which the symbol
rate exceeds the present limitations in part 97 but the
necessary bandwidths of those protocols are within the
bandwidth of a typical High Frequency 3 KHz single sideband
transmission.
Symbol rate represents the number of times per second that a
change of state occurs, and should not be confused with data
or bit rate. The two are separate and distinct entities.
The ARRL petition was filed November 15th. The FCC has not
yet assigned an Rule Making number nor has it put the
petition on public notice. As such, at this point there is
no way for the ham radio community to file comments until
that happens. (ARRL)
**
HAM HISTORY: WAKE ISLAND K9W OPERATION CONCLUDES WITH OVER
100,000 CONTACTS
The long awaited K9W Wake Atoll Commemorative DXpedition is
now a part of ham radio history. The operators went QRT on
Friday, November 15th, local Wake Island Time. During their
operation the operators put over 100,000 QSOs from 186
discrete DXCC entities in their logbook. The K9W operators
say that they are grateful for the opportunity to have
honored the Forgotten 98 during our DXpedition. For more
details on this historic operation along with QSL routing
and any further updates please visit the K9W Web page at
www.wake2013.org. (WAKE 2013)
**
ENFORCEMENT: ANOTHER FLORIDA UNLICENSED STATION HAS BEEN
TAKEN OFF THE AIR
The Pinellas Park Police Department Community Redevelopment
Area Policing Unit teamed with investigators from the FCC
has busted an unlicensed broadcaster. One that was within
the city limits of the city of Pinellas Park, Florida.
On November 15th investigators determined that Joseph
Kervenson of Kenneth City was listed as the Chief Executive
Officer of the unlicensed radio station using the call
letters of WKMJ. The unlicensed station was operating on
102.1 MHz in the FM broadcast band.
During the investigation officers seized the stations
transmitter and antenna. Kervenson was charged with
unauthorized transmissions to, or interference with, a
public or commercial radio station licensed by the FCC.
This is 3rd degree felony under Florida state law FSS
877.27. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail with
bail set at $5,000. He has since been released on bond.
(KB5TJI, tbnweekly.com)
**
COMMUNITY SERVICE: HAMS NEEDED FOR SUTTON MA CHAIN OF LIGHTS
Ham radio communicators are being sought for the
Massachusetts Sutton Chain of lights festival. This event
takes place each year the 1st weekend of December, which
this year is the 7th. The festival uses Trolleys to
transport people from one site to another. There will be
about 9 such Trolleys, which means that at least 10
operators, to run this event. If you live in the Boston
area or are planning to be there on December 7th and want to
volunteer your services, please e-mail ka1otq (at) arrl
(dot) net. More information about the event is on-line at
tinyurl.com/sutton-lights-2013 (KA1OTQ)
**
EDUCATION: QCWA BOARD APPROVES 14 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS FOR
2014
The Quarter Centaury Wireless Association's Board of
Directors has announced the approval of 14 scholarship
awards in the amount of $20,000 to be issued in 2014. The
QCWA Scholarship Program is administered by Foundation for
Amateur Radio, and all applications for scholarship awards
must be sent to them at FAR Scholarships, P. O. Box 911,
Columbia, Maryland, 21044.
Since 1978, some 397 recipients have received over $396,850
in scholarship awards through the QCWA Scholarship Award
Program. More information can be found on the Foundation
for Amateur Radio website at www.farweb.org/2013-scholarship-
application. (VE6AFO, QCWA)
**
ON THE WEB: DECEMBER 2013 K9YA TELEGRAPH NOW AVAILABLE
The December 2013 issue of the K9YA Telegraph now available.
This is a free, general interest monthly amateur radio
electronic magazine delivered as a full-color PDF file.
This latest issue contains a number of interesting items
including Part 2 of an article on International Law and Ham
Radio authored by Philip Cala-Lazar, K9PL. To check out
sample issues, subscribe or write an article, visit the K9YA
Telegraph Web site at www.k9ya.org. (K9YA.org)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: K4AC ELECTED NEW ARRL SOUTHEASTERN
DIRECTOR
The ARRL Southeastern Division will have a new director come
next January 1st. This after ballots counted on November
18th showed that challenger Doug Rehman, K4AC, of Mt Dora,
Florida, narrowly defeated incumbent Director Greg Sarratt,
W4OZK, of Huntsville, Alabama. This, by a vote of 961 to
949. Rehman was among challengers who ran against Sarratt
in 2010. W4OZK has served as a Director since 2007.
There will be no change in the Southeastern Division Vice
Director position. There, incumbent Jim Millsap, WB4NWS,
handily outpolled challenger George Hawrysko, K4AWA by a
vote of 1429 to 467 votes. Millsap, of Acworth, Georgia,
was appointed in 2012 to complete the term of Andrea
Hartlage, KG4IUM, who resigned when she moved out of the
Southeastern Division. (ARRL Bulletin)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: N8SY NAMED NEW OHIO SM EFFECTIVE JANUARY
1 2014
Scott Yonally, N8SY, of Mansfield, Ohio has been named to
replace Frank Piper, KI8GW, as Ohio Section Manager
effective on January 1st. Yonally holds appointments as an
Official Relay Station. He is also an Official Emergency
Station and previously served as Public Information
Coordinator and District Emergency Coordinator within the
Ohio Field Organization. Piper, who has served as the Ohio
Section Manager since 2009 cited increased job and family
commitments as his reason to stand down. (ARRL)
**
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)
**
WORKDBEAT: DUTCH TELECOM SAYS BIG INSTANT FINES FOR FM
PIRATES
The telecommunications regulator in Holland has said its
going to get tough with pirate radio broadcast and will be
hitting them hard where it hurts the most. In their
wallets. Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB,
has the details:
--
The Netherlands telecommunications regulator Agentschap
Telecom says it will no longer simply warn those involved in
illegal radio broadcasts but will immediately issue heavy
monetary fines. The penalty applies to all illegal FM
broadcasts and can cost wrongdoers as much as 60,000 U-S
dollars.
Up to now, owners of land or buildings where an antenna
system is located have received an initial warning letter
asking them to stop the illegal broadcasts. A fine was
imposed only if it appeared that the station was still in
operation after that warning letter was received.
Under the agency's new policy offenders will get an instant
fine. This applies to all involved including the property
owner or tenant where the transmitter is situated, as well
as the broadcast operators themselves.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
reporting.
--
This action comes after the Dutch Telecommunications Agency
revealed that it receives about 1200 complaints each year of
interference caused by pirate radio operations. (RW via
Radio NL/Novum)
**
RADIO LAW: WORKSHOP HELD IN THE SOUTH SUDAN
An IARU Region 1 sponsored Radio Spectrum and Regulatory
Workshop held with the South Sudan administration on
November 15th. Its purpose is to assist the administration
with the implementation of amateur radio in that nation.
The workshop took place on the compound of the European
Union in Juba the capital of South Sudan. Most of the 21
participants work for the South Sudanese Radio
Communications Agency, while others represented the Ministry
of the Interior.
The objectives of this workshop were, among other things, to
educate regulators on the creation of their own amateur and
amateur-satellite services; to assist the administration on
creation of amateur-radio regulations and the related
national frequency allocation table and to discuss the
amateur radio's benefits for the nations society.
South Sudan became an independent country in 2011.
Currently amateur radio is allowed only on a provisional
basis. There are two resident foreign amateurs who received
full amateur privileges. Since 2011 only one DXpedition was
active from South Sudan.
The workshop was part of a goodwill project in cooperation
with Radio Arcala, DX University, the YASME Foundation, Rock
City Investments Co, Yaesu Musen Co. Ltd of Japan and the
European DX Foundation. You can read more at
tinyurl.com/south-sudan-ham-radio-meeting. (Southgate, IARU-
R1)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: MEGA SATELLITE LAUNCH PUTS 29 NEW BIRDS
ON ORBIT
A large number of CubeSats carrying amateur radio payloads
were launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in
Virginia. The launch occurred at 01:15 UTC on November 19th
using an Orbital Sciences Minotaur One that carried among
its payloads a high school student-built satellite.
Designated as JT3sat it was designed, constructed and tested
by students at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science
and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. This is the first
time ever that a satellite designed and built by high school
students has been launched into Earth orbit.
In all, there were twenty-nine satellites were on the launch
vehicle of which a dozen operate on Amateur Satellite
Service frequencies. Radio amateurs from around the world
have reported receiving signals from many of the satellites.
For the latest news on all the new birds check the DK3WN
satellite blog www.dk3wn.info. (Southgate, Space.com, Yahoo
News, other published reports.)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FUNCUBE ON ORBIT
Another ham radio bird now on-orbit is the United Kingdom's
FUNcube, This is an educational project with the goal of
getting young people interested in radio, space, physics and
electronics. Its launch was to take place on November 21st
at 07.10 GMT. (RSGB)
**
ON THE AIR
On the air, keep an ear open for special event station
DB50FIRAC. It will be active between January 1st and
December 31st of 2014. Its purpose is to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of Federation Internationale des Radio Amateurs
Cheminots. QSL via the bureau or electronically using
Logbook to the World or eQSL. (Via e-mail)
**
DX
DC0KK will be on the air from Sri Lanka as 4S7KKG between
through April 15th, 2014. His activity will be mainly on
CW and the Digital modes. QSL via DC0KK direct, via the
bureau or electronically using Logbook to the World on
request. All paper QSLs for will be sent via the bureau.
F6ICX is reportedly active as 5R8IC from Saint Marie Island
until December 15th. His operation is holiday style
operating CW, RTTY, and PSK63 on for 20 through 10 meters.
QSL via his home callsign as listed on QRZ.com.
EA5FL, EA5DY, EA5GVZ and EC5JC will activate special event
station EG5MM on December 11th. This in celebration of
International Mountain Day. QSL via EA5FL.
PU5IKE will be operational as ZW5AAA from Remedios Island
between December 7th and 8th. This will be a 10 meters SSB
only operation. QSL via PU5IKE direct with a self addressed
stamped envelope, via the bureau or electronically using
Logbook of the World or eQSL. QSLs from SWLs are also
welcome.
DL3DXX will be active from Namibia December 24 through
January 8, 2014 signing stroke V5. He will be operational on
most of the High Frequency bands though modes and times were
not announced. QSL via DJ2HD
Lastly, F5TLN, who is currently operational stroke OD5 from
Lebanon reports that he will be there until April 2014. His
activity has been mainly on 15 meter SSB. QSL direct only
via his home callsign.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER TO BE U.S. TALLEST
BUILDING
And finally this week, a decision has been made that will
give New York City the honor of hosting the tallest building
in the United States. This after it was decided that it's
very top is not just an antenna support. Amateur Radio
Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, reports:
--
We don't know if there will ever be a ham radio repeater
located at the still under construction One World Trade
Center in New York City, but it will be the nation's tallest
building when it opens next year. This according to a
decision by the Chicago based Council on Tall Buildings and
Urban Habitat which said that its decision hinged on whether
the tower's mast was a spire, which counts in height
measurements, or an antenna, which doesn't.
Anthony Wood is the executive director of the architectural
evaluation group. In issuing the decision he said that even
though the cladding was taken off the new buildings spire,
one can still see that it is an architectural element and
not just a plain steel mast from which to hang antenna or
satellite dishes.
Currently Chicago's Willis Tower, which used to be known as
the Sears Tower is considered as the tallest building in the
United States. Completed in 1974 it was once the world's
tallest building at 1,451 feet tall. That was eclipsed when
Dubai opened its Burj Khalifa which stands at 2,717 feet
tall. One World Trade Center is height locked in at a
symbolic 1,776 feet high.
While its management of One World Trade Center hopes to lure
many of the broadcasters that moved back to other sites
after the 9/11 al-Quida terror attack that felled the
original World Trade Center twin towers, so far no major
entity has made up its mind on such a move. Each site has
its own advantages and disadvantages so it is not simply a
technical, business or operational choice but a combination
of the three. Add to that the long-term leases at current
broadcast sites such as the Empire State Building, the costs
involved in such a move along with uncertainty over the
FCC's repacking of the television band and it's easy to
understand why many are reticent to commit to such a
transmitter relocation.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
One World Trade Center was initially developed by
Silverstein Properties and taken over by the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey in April 2006. The 104 story
building will feature a grand lobby an observation deck with
views of the entire metro-area and the spire that's capable
of being used as an antenna structure for those who so
desire. (Published News Reports)
**
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 WIA 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 Jeff Clark, K8JAC, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-54542789426300963982013-11-08T04:57:00.001-08:002013-11-08T04:57:56.433-08:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1891 - November 8 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L0a0SvNAwTE/UnzfkAEpILI/AAAAAAAABDU/R18sUpeqz-k/s1600/newslinepic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L0a0SvNAwTE/UnzfkAEpILI/AAAAAAAABDU/R18sUpeqz-k/s400/newslinepic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Please note that this is an extended Amateur Radio Newsline
and includes three breaks. Thank you.
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1891 with a release
date of November 8th 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. AMSAT North America celebrates 30
years of manned ham radio in space; all hams in New Zealand
will soon have access to 6 meters; Oregon's Office of
Emergency Management says it needs more ham radio volunteers
and the FCC acts to stop abuse of EAS alert tones. All this
and more on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1891
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF MANNED HAM
RADIO IN SPACE
The weekend of November 1st to the 3rd was very special for
AMSAT North America. Not only was it the organizations 31st
Space Symposium and Annual Meeting, but also a very special
celebration of a giant step by ham radio as it crossed into
the final frontier. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, has the rest of the story:
--
The weekend gathering in Houston, Texas, marked AMSAT's
celebration of the 30th anniversary of amateur radio
involvement in human space flight. It also told the story
of its evolution into a successful program on board the
International Space Station which is known as today as
ARISS.
But to tell the story we must step back three decades. It
was in November of 1982 when then Astronaut Owen Garriott,
W5LFL became the first ham radio operator to use amateur
radio to communicate from a spacecraft in Earth orbit. It
was also the first time that anyone on mother Earth who held
a ham radio license got to speak with an astronaut on-orbit.
As such it was an event that changed the face of ham radio
forever. If you weren't there, this is what that first QSO
from space sounded like:
--
Actual 1st QSO between W5LFL on the space shuttle Columbia
and WA1JFN in Frenchtown, Montana from the video "Amateur
Radio's Newest Frontier." (Note QSO was time compressed.)
--
That was shuttle flight STS-9. From that initial contact
evolved the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment or SAREX
program with its 25 space to schoolroom contacts. That
later grew into today's ARISS: Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station. And in an interview on NASA
television, AMSAT's Vice President for Human Spaceflight
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, told NASA Public Affairs Officer Kelly
Humphries just how far the program has come since the ARISS
ham station took to the air:
--
KA3HDO: "In 1996 we started the ARISS program; Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station and that program
has been going very well on the space station. We turned on
the radio system two weeks after Bill McArthur and Sergi
Krikalev got into the module on Space Station and we have
been operating since on all 37 expeditions at this point."
--
According to Bauer, using ARISS as a way to educate is very
important to everyone involved:
--
KA3HDO: "It's all about education. It's to get students
interested in STEM careers; science, technology, engineering
and math. We go beyond just inspiring into engaging the
students and educating the students. Ultimately that's our
goals and objectives of the program."
--
These days there are about 100 ARISS school contacts made
world-wide every year. There are also the experiments with
Packet Radio, Fast Scan and Slow Scan television plus the
casual operations from orbit by some licensed crew members.
When added together you come away with a ham radio in space
program that cannot be duplicated by any other all volunteer
radio service. And now at age 30, manned ham radio in space
is not only alive and vital, but through ARISS, it's going
strong.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
Another part of the celebration was a panel presentation
hosted by KA3HDO and included discussions with retired NASA
Astronaut's Owen Garriott, W5LFL, and Bill McArthur, KC5ACR.
And less we forget, you can see and hear the complete
interview with Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and NASA's Kelly
Humphries on the web. It's at tinyurl.com/thirty-years-in-
space.
(ARNewsline archive, NASA, AMSAT-NA, ANS)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: INDIA LAUNCHES ITS FIRST MARS PROBE
India's first-ever mission to Mars launched into space on
Tuesday, November 5th. India's Mars Orbiter
Mission rocketed into space at 09:08 GMT from the Indian
Space Research Organization's Space Centre. If all goes as
planned it will arrive at the red planet on September 24,
2014, making India the fourth country to successfully
deliver a spacecraft to orbit Mars. (Space)
**
RESTRUCTURING: CLOSING OF CHANNEL 1 TV BRINGS 6 METERS TO
ALL NEW ZEALAND HAMS
With the imminent departure of television transmission from
New Zealand TV channel 1, hams throughout that nation will
have access to the lower Megahertz of 6 meters as we hear
from Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF:
--
The last Channel 1 Television transmitter in New Zealand is
due to close down at the end of November. And now
telecommunications regulator Radio Spectrum Management has
announced that as of December 6th that hams throughout the
nation will have access from 50 to 51 MHz without needing to
apply for a permit.
The actual allocation which is called a management right
under which the channel 1 television transmitters operated
does not expire until August 2015. Therefore 50 to 51 MHz
can not appear on the Amateur General User Radio License
until after this date.
To get around this, Radio Spectrum Management is putting in
place a footnote called license No 4122. It simply says
that those who hold a New Zealand General Amateur Operators
Certificate of Competency and a callsign issued pursuant to
the Radiocommunications Regulations of 2001 may operate an
amateur radio station under this new grant. The power limit
will be 1 kilowatt to bring it into line with the power on
the nations General User Radio License for Amateur
Operators. When the actual Management Right expires on
August 30th of 2015, 50 to 51 MHz will be added to the New
Zealand General User Radio License for Amateur Operators.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, down-
under in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
This long sought after change comes just in time for the
annual New Zealand VHF/UHF and Super High Frequency Field
Day Contest slated for December 7th and 8th, local time.
(NZART)
**
RESCUE RADIO: OREGON OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SEEKING
MORE AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS
A recent simulated emergency test in Oregon has pointed out
a need for more ham radio communications volunteers in that
state.
The scenario of the event centered around the simulated
hacking on the electric power grid that in turn cut off both
telephone and internet access. As such the test planners
had identified amateur radio as the fallback method
of communication.
While the exercise was considered a success, it also pointed
out one of the current vulnerabilities. That being a lack
of qualified amateur radio operators east of the Cascade
Mountain range.
While the state has about 700 licensed volunteer ham radio
operators to help run the emergency communications system,
most are in Western Oregon. Morrow, Grant and Jefferson
counties have no volunteers. Other counties have as few
as 1. So the bottom line is that more emergency
communications trained amateur radio volunteers are needed
in the eastern part of the state.
More on this story is at tinyurl.com/oregon-needs-emcomm-
hams. (OPB)
**
DX UP FRONT: MYANMAR NOVEMBER 15 TO THE 26
Some breaking DX news. Word that JH1AJT and an
international group of 10 other operators will be on air
from Myanmar from November 15th to the 26th. This will be
the third and final operation for 2013 from X-Z land. As we
go to air the proposed call sign is X-Zed-1-J and plans are
to set up three to four stations, running 24 hours a day, 7
days a week on 160 through 10 meters. Modes will likely be
CW, SSB and RTTY with QSL's preferably going via OQRS.
(XZ1J Team)
**
DX UP FRONT: YEMEN AND AFGHANISTAN OPERATIONS APPROVED FOR
DXCC CREDIT
And word from ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore NC1L,
that several operations have been approved for DXCC credit.
These are Yemen 2013 using the call 7-Oh-2-A and the 2012
and 2013 operations from Afghanistan as T-6-M-H. Also
approved has been the current T-6-S-M Afghanistan operation
that began on August 14, 2012.
If anyone had this contact rejected in a recent submission,
please send an e-mail to bmoore (at) arrl (dot) org to be
placed on the list for an update to your record. Please be
sure to note the submission date to help expedite the search
for any given QSO. And we will have more DX news for you
near the end of this weeks newscast. (ARRL, OPDX)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W0ILO repeater serving Fargo, North Dakota.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC SAYS FLUORESCENT LIGHTING JAMMING
CELLPHONE SITE
The FCC has issued a violation notice to a Texas business
because it's new lighting is interfering with a cellular
telephone site. Skeeter Nash is near Houston with more:
--
It doesn't happen very often but the FCC has issued an
official Citation and Order for violation of Section 15.5(b)
of the Commission's regulations governing what are called
Incidental Radiators. In this case the recipient is Ronald
Bethany doing business as Perfect Cuts Salon in San Antonio,
Texas, who is being cited for operating incidental radiators
and causing harmful interference to a cellular telephone
system.
This past July 24th the FCC's Houston Office used direction
finding techniques to locate the source of an unknown
transmissions on 705 MHz to the Perfect Cuts Salon. The
agent confirmed that the interfering signal was coming from
the overhead fluorescent lighting in the salon.
The agent then interviewed Bethany who is the owner of the
salon. He reportedly stated that representatives of AT&T
had conducted on and off testing of the lighting in the
salon and confirmed that the interior fluorescent fixtures
were the source of interference to a cell site located next
door. Bethany further stated that he had unsuccessfully
asked General Electric, the manufacturer of the fluorescent
lighting, to replace the lighting.
The FCC says that Bethany would not cooperate, so the agent
from the Houston Office was unable to conduct his own on/off
testing of the lighting in the salon. The agent verbally
warned Bethany that he must repair or replace the lighting
fixtures to resolve the interference.
On July 31, the agent spoke by telephone with Bethany, who
stated that the lighting was not causing him any problems
and that he saw no reason to repair or replace them unless
he was paid to do so. The agent reiterated to Bethany that
he must resolve the interference or be in violation of the
FCC's rules. As of the October 25th release date of the
Citation AT&T continues to report receiving interference at
its cell site next door to Mr. Bethany's salon.
Now, based on the evidence it has on hand the FCC has found
that Ronald Bethany is in violation Of Section 15.5(b) of
its Rules by operating incidental radiators and causing
harmful interference. It has directed him to cease
operation of the incidental radiators immediately. Or in
simpler terms, it basically told him to turn off the lights
until the interference can be resolved.
From near Houstron Texas, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.
--
Bethany and Perfect Cuts were given the normal time to
respond and take corrective measures or face further
enforcement action. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC ACTS TO STOP USE OF FALSE EMERGENCY ALERT
SOUNDS
Responding to a growing number of consumer complaints that
TV and radio commercials are misusing the Emergency Alert
System or E-A-S sounds the FCC's Enforcement Bureau has
taken action to stop the practice immediately. This is
according to Robert H. Ratcliffe who is the Acting Chief of
the FCC's Enforcement Bureau.
In a press statement, Ratcliffe said that it is inexcusable
to trivialize the sounds specifically used to notify viewers
of the dangers of an incoming tornado or to alert them to be
on the lookout for a kidnapped child, merely to advertise a
talk show or a clothing store. This activity not only
undermines the very purpose of a unique set of emergency
alert signals, but is a clear violation of the law.
Caught by FCC Enforcement is Turner Broadcasting. It has
been issued a $25,000 Notice of Apparent Liability for using
simulated E-A-S tones to promote its Conan O'Brian Show.
The FCC also reached a resolution with MMK License LLC which
owns WNKY - DT in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In that case the
complaint alleged misuse of a simulated EAS Attention Signal
in an advertisement for "The Fan Wear and More Store."
Settling that case cost MMK a $39,000 voluntary contribution
to the U.S. Treasury in the form of a Consent Decree.
The Enforcement Bureau has also issued an advisory to
address growing concern about the misuse of these sounds to
capture audience attention during advertisements and at
other times when there is no emergency or scheduled E-A-S
test. The warning reemphasizes the wide-ranging and long-
standing ban on such abuses and the potential for sanctions
in the case of violations. More on this E-A-S enforcement
action is on the web in PDF format at tinyurl.com/dont-
misuse-eas-tones. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: ALASKA CB OPERATOR FINED $500 FOR USING LINEAR
AMP
The FCC has fined Glenn S. Yamada, of Kenai, Alaska, $500
for what the agency terms as his willful and repeated
operation of a non certificated Class D CB transmitter and a
linear amplifier. This in direct violation of its Part 95
Citizens Radio Service rules.
On July 18, 2012, the Enforcement Bureau's Anchorage
Resident Agent Office issued a Notice of Apparent Liability
in the amount of $12,500 to Yamada for operating a non-
certificated CB transmitter with a radio frequency linear
amplifier which voided his authority to operate his CB
station. In response to that notice, Yamada did not deny
the violations, but stated that he had not intend to violate
the Communications Act or the FCC Rules and that he is
unable to pay that high an amount. He also provided the
necessary documentation to prove his claim.
In issuing its final ruling on October 30th, the FCC said
that based on financial documents Yamada provided that it
found there is sufficient basis to reduce the fine to $500.
And as is customary, it gave Yamada 30 days to pay the
amount in full or to arrange making full payment over time
under an installment plan. If he fails to do one or the
other the case can be turned over to the Department of
Justice for further enforcement action. The complete text
of the Forfeiture Order is on the web in P-D-F format at
tinyurl.com/alaska-cb-fine (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC UPHOLDS FINE AGAINST CONSUMER TRANSMITTER
MANUFACTURER
The FCC affirmed an earlier decision to fine Hong Kong based
Richfield Electronics $18,000 for marketing wireless radio
gear in the United States that does not comply with its
technical and labeling requirements.
Richfield received FCC certification for its 106.7 to 107.9
Whole House FM Transmitter in 2002, but later modified it to
improve sound quality. The modification made it
noncompliant with the FCC's rules. The Enforcement Bureau
originally proposed the penalty in 2009.
In its response to the proposed fine, Richfield told the FCC
it didn't know exactly how many of the noncompliant devices
the company had shipped to the United States, but conceded
it had shipped at least 2,500 transmitters that had the
modified antenna. The FCC believes the number of
noncompliant devices made and sold was significantly higher
than Richfield acknowledges.
Richfield asked for the fine to be cancelled, alleging that
TAW asked Richfield to make the devices based on that
company's designs and therefore TAW and not Richfield was
responsible for violating the FCC's rules. However the
commission says Richfield did manufacturer and market
unauthorized FM transmitters in the U.S.
Richfield also asked for the fine to be cancelled because it
was unfamiliar with the FCC's labeling requirements. The
FCC says lack of knowledge of its rules does not let a
company off the hook and the agency upheld the fine. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC RELEASES AM REVITALIZATION PROPOSAL
The FCC has released its AM revitalization proposal as a
Notice of Proposed Rule Making in MB Docket 13-249. Its
contents include an exclusive FM translator filing window
for AM stations, changes in community of license coverage
standards, the end of the so called AM "ratchet rule," wider
implementation of modulation-dependent carrier level control
standards, and changes in AM antenna efficiency standards.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the
details:
--
The FCC revitalization plan has many facets. The proposed
translator filing window would allow AM stations one chance
at a single FM translator within the stations AM daytime
signal coverage contour. It would be permanently linked to
the AM so that it may only be sold or transferred with the
underlying AM license and not by itself.
The change in community of license coverage would reduce the
requirement from 100% daytime and 80% nightime to 50%
daytime and night coverage within the 60 dBu contour. This
is the same as it is for noncommercial educational FM
stations.
The proposal would also do away with the so-called "ratchet
rule." This is the nighttime skywave protection requirement
that result in new stations or those moving their
transmitter sites having to reduce power or go directional
and thereby reducing their nighttime coverage. It would
also alter the minimum efficiency standard for AM antennas
by reducing the existing minimum effective field strength
values.
The notice also opens the door for new proposals to help AM
stations that include the use of modulation dependent
carrier level control. This is a system similar to the old
controlled carrier AM techniques used by hams back in the
1950's and 1960's. It's a system where carrier level
increases with modulation level, but now on a far more
technically advanced level than was available in the old
days of ham radio. Experiments have shown a significant
reduction in energy costs with no loss in intelligibility or
area of coverage using this modulation technique.
The bottom line appears to be that the FCC wants AM radio to
grow and prosper. The only question is whether these
proposed changes are enough to make that happen,
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
Comments on MB Docket 13-249 are due 60 days after
publication in the Federal Register, with replies due 90
days after publication. You can read the entire proposal on-
line at tinyurl.com/fcc-am-redo (FCC, RW, others)
**
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)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: NEW FCC CHAIR WHEELER NAMES HIS STAFF
Newly confirmed FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has announced
several staff and other appointments. Ruth Milkman will be
his chief of staff. She is currently Chief of the FCC's
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and has worked as special
counsel to the chairman for innovation in government. She's
former deputy chief of the International and Common Carrier
Bureaus and was senior legal advisor to Chairman Reed Hundt.
Philip Verveer has been named senior counselor to the
Chairman. He is former United States coordinator for
international communications and information policy at the
State Department, and practiced communications and antitrust
law for 35 years. At the FCC he was chief of the Cable
Television Bureau, the Broadcast Bureau and the Common
Carrier Bureau.
Gigi B. Sohn joins as Wheeler's special counsel for external
affairs. Since 2001 she has been president and CEO of
Public Knowledge, an "open Internet" advocacy organization.
More recently co-chair of the board of directors of the
Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group.
Diane Cornell was named the chairman's special counsel. She
was Vice President for government affairs at Inmarsat and
also the Vice President of regulatory policy at CTIA, The
Wireless Association. Her FCC background includes working
as a legal advisor to three commissioners, chief of staff of
the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and division chief in
the International and Common Carrier Bureaus. Others include
Daniel Alvarezwho was named a legal advisor to the chairman,
Deborah Ridley who was named confidential assistant to the
chairman, and Sagar Doshi as special assistant.
Also named to the commission staff are Jon Sallet will serve
as interim director of the Technology Transitions Policy
Task Force and will become acting general counsel when
General Counsel Sean Lev departs in the near future. Jon
Wilkins was named acting managing director and advisor to
the chairman for management with Roger Sherman becomes
acting chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. It
is the latter that oversees matters affecting Amateur Radio
at the FCC. (FCC Press release)
**
HAMES IN THE NEWS: W3BE FILLS QCWA DIRECTOR VACANCY
The Quarter Century Wireless Association's Board of
Directors has announced the appointment of John Johnston,
W3BE, to fill the Director vacancy of Val Erwin, W5PUT.
Johnston has been licensed for 59 years and resides in
Derwood, Maryland He is a Life Member of the QCWA, and a
member of QCWA Chapters 20, 91, 45 and 222. Johnston is a
past QCWA Director, Vice-President and President. He is
also the contributing editor of 'The Rules & Regs Digest'
for the QCWA Journal.
In his professional career, W3BE served for 26 years with
the Federal Communications Commission carrying out
regulatory duties with the Office of Engineering and with
the series of bureaus administering the private radio
services. Some of the positions he held included Deputy
Chief of the Spectrum Management Task Force and Chief of the
Amateur and Citizens Division. Johnston also authors the
Rules and Regs column for Worldradio Online magazine.
(QCWA)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: ART BELL DEPARTS FROM SIRIUS/XM RADIO
Art Bell, W6OBB, who only recently returned to broadcasting,
has departed from Sirius/XM Satellite radio after only about
a month and a half on the air. According to a posting on
his website credited to siriusbuzz.com, his reasons for
leaving boiled down to three main items:
First is a claim that the SiriusXM's web player is
notoriously unreliable, causing a loss of subscribers and a
degraded listening experience for those who remain listening
online. Second is that for a "caller driven" show, the
caller pool is just too small and lastly that international
listeners have no legitimate way to hear the show.
According to siriusbuzz.com, Bell will continue his show on
the web. As of late on November 6th he was already testing
at http://live.artbell.com:8303/stream.
For more information simply go to artbell.com/art-leaves-
siriusxm. At the very end of the posting is a link to the
siriusbuzz.com news article. (artbell.com, siriusbuzz.com,
Huffington Post)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SSTV FROM THE ISS
UB4UAD reports that the Slow Scan Television experiment on
the International Space Station was active on 145.8 MHz FM
on October 28th and 29th. He also says that on October 31st
that SSTV images were to be transmitted from the ISS showing
photographs of the life and work of the first Russian
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. SSTV pictures received by Pete
Sipple, M0PSX can be seen at tinyurl.com/iss-oct-2013-sstv
(UB4AUD, Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: INTERFERENCE TO THE AMATEUR-SATELLITE
SERVICE IN THAILAND
E22ICQ has posted a video on YouTube that shows the problem
of interference to the Amateur Satellite Service allocations
taking place in Thailand. Terrestrial users are making
signals from the ham radio satellites into tiny heterodynes
or signals that are totally inaudible. Take a listen:
--
Actual terrestrial signals interfering with weak satellite
signals.
--
The video shows that terrestrial usage of frequencies
reserved for the Amateur Satellite communications such as
145.800 to 146.000 MHz can result in the satellite
transmissions being totally blocked and rendered useless.
You can see and hear the E-22-I-C-Q recording and spectrum
display photos of the interference at tinyurl.com/sat-qrm-in-
thailand. (Southgate)
**
BREAK 3
Serving you 52 weeks a year, every year since the mid
1970's, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the
world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org
and we will be right back.
(5 sec pause here)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: NEW TINY PACEMAKER DEVELOPED THAT
REQUIRES NO WIRING
A miniaturized wireless pacemaker that can be inserted into
the body without invasive surgery has been given approval
for use in the European Union. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:
--
Developed in the United States by the company Nanostim, the
tiny device is less than 10% of the size of a conventional
pacemaker, uses a built-in battery and is designed to be
implanted intravenously directly in the heart.
Conventional pacemakers require a patient be subject to a
surgical procedure so that a pocket can be created in the
body to house the pacemaker and associated wiring. Such
wires are regarded as the component of pacemakers most
likely to fail.
By contrast the Nanostim pacemaker is inserted via a
catheter inserted through a vein leading to the heart. It
has a built-in battery that is expected to last between nine
and thirteen years. Eliminating the need for wires lowers
the risk of infection or malfunction and means that patients
are not restricted in the amount of activity they do, the
firm behind the device claims.
Currently more than four million people around the world
have some sort of cardiac rhythm device with an additional
700,000 people getting one each year. The new pacemaker
design has yet to receive full United States Food and Drug
Administration approval.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm, Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
More on this story is on the web at tinyurl.com/wireless-
pacemaker.
(BBC)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: INTEL GALILEO BOARD SOON AVAILABLE
Intel's Galileo open-source computer can now be ordered and
is scheduled to ship at the end of November. Online retailer
Mouser Electronics is the first to take orders for the
board.
The Galileo computer is an unenclosed circuit board that's a
little larger than a credit card, and uses Intel's extremely
low-power Quark processor.
Though higher priced, the Intel board is being called a
competitor to the popular Raspberry Pi open-source PC. Both
are targeted at the community of makers and hackers who
design computing devices ranging from robots and health
monitors to home media centers and PC's. Galileo is also
expected to become a welcome addition in ham radio
development circles as well. (Southgate)
**
ON THE AIR: ARECIBO OBSERVATORY ON-THE-AIR THIS SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 10.
If you are hearing this before Sunday, November 10th, then
listen out on 20 meters for station KP4AO. This as part of
the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Arecibo
Observatory in Puerto Rico.
The operation will be on the air from 1300 until 2000 UTC
around 14.250 Mhz. A commemorative certificate will be
available for those who make contacts with KP4AO. QSL to
Arecibo Observatory Radio Club, HC03, PO Box 53995, Arecibo,
Puerto Rico, 00612. The special event is sponsored by the
Caribbean Amateur Radio Group and the Arecibo Observatory
Radio Club. (WP3GW)
**
DX
In DX, JF1OCQ will be active as 5W7X from Apia, which is the
capital of Samoa, between November 7th and the 14th.
Operations will be on 160 through 6 meters using CW and SSB.
QSL via JF1OCQ, either direct or by the bureau. E-mail
requests for Bureau QSLs can be sent to jf1ocq (at) arrl
(dot) net
F4FET will be active stroke as 3A from Monaco on November
11th and 12th. His operation will be on 40through 10 meters
using SSB. QSL via his home callsign, direct or via the
bureau.
IK7JWX has informed the Ohio Penn DX Newsletter that his
DXpedition to the Island of Zanzibar scheduled for April of
2014 is has been cancelled. The reasons given are technical
and logistical constraints.
members of the DX Friends will be on the air from an Andres
Island as 5J0R until November 10th. Activity was slated for
160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via EA5RM
direct. More is on the web at dxfriends dot
com/SanAndres2013
EA4ATI says that he will be in Kenya for a couple more years
and will be active stroke 5Z4. He is using a Cobwebb
antenna with a small amplifier and is active on
30/20/17/15/10 meters. His QSL Manager is EA4YK.
JA8BMK will be operational as 9N7BM from Kathmandu and
Nagalkot in Nepal between November 8th and the 28th.
Activity will be holiday style on all HF bands and he says
that he will try to work the United States on 160 and 80
meters if vertical antennas can be put up. QSL via JA8BMK,
direct or via the bureau.
Lastly, 8P9IU, 8P9TA and 8P9BJ will be on the air from
Barbados between December 9th and the 16th. Their main
activity will be the ARRL 10 meter Contest on December 14th
and 15th using the call 8P8T. Prior to the contest,
operators will be using their own callsigns. QSL via KI1U.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: IN FLIGHT BAN ON USE OF HAM GEAR TO
CONTINUE
And finally this week, in the not to distant future airline
passengers may not have to turn off all electronic devices
prior to takeoff and landing in a commercial jetliner, but
anything that has the capability of radiating any RF power
will still fall under the current ban. That includes any
form of ham radio gear as we hear from Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephen Kinford, N8WB:
--
Under a new set of new FAA guidelines passengers on domestic
U.S. flights will be permitted to read, work and listen to
music from gate to gate. But they still will not be
permitted to talk on their cellphones, directly browse the
Internet or use any form of two-way radio through the
flight. Internet connectivity will only be permitted on
aircraft equipped to provide such a service, usually at a
fee. For ham radio operators it means the ban on the use of
a hand-helds or other gear operating on any band will
continue just as the rules are now.
Currently airline passengers are required to turn off their
smartphones, laptops, and other devices once a plane's door
closes. They're not supposed to use them again until the
planes reach 10,000 feet and the captain gives the go-ahead.
Passengers are then supposed to turn their devices off again
as the plane descends through 10,000 feet to land and not
restart them until it is on the ground or at the arrival
gate.
Under the new guidelines, airlines whose planes are properly
shielded from electronic interference may allow passengers
to use the devices during takeoffs, landings and taxiing.
The FAA says that most new airliners and other planes that
have been modified so that passengers can use airline
supplied WiFi at higher altitudes are expected to meet the
criteria. However to use electronics that normally radiate
an RF signal, that feature must be disabled unless
instructed otherwise on aircraft with airline supplied WiFi
connectivity.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
The bottom line is that while most passengers with certain
devices will be able to enjoy some relaxation in the rules
regarding their use, ham radio operators and users of any
other two way radio gear will continue to face a complete
ban from operating such devices from boarding a flight to
disembarking from it. (Published news reports)
**
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 WIA 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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Southern Mississippi, saying 73
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
The following is a closed circuit advisory and not
necessarily for air. With a report on Amateur Radio
Newsline's current finances, here's our producer Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF:
--
Well, the last time I was on here with a financial report I
told you that I thought we had enough in the bank to
hopefully hold us over the summer months June, July and
August, and that I would not be asking for any contributions
unless the sky was falling. Sadly, the sky is falling this
year. This is mainly because we did not get some of the
larger donations that we have come to count on to keep us
going over the lean summer months when people are away on
vacation.
Right now, we only have a couple of hundred dollars left in
our bank account. Most of that will vanish as we pay off
our financial obligation in regard to presenting this year's
Young Ham of the Year Award and the outstanding bills which
are quickly piling up. And unlike the years up through
October 2009 when I retired from full time employment, I'm
now living on fixed income and honestly cannot afford to
underwrite the cost of bringing these newscasts to you.
To be candid, I do not like to lead off a newscast with an
appeal such as this, but we have no other method of getting
the word out to you that we need your financial assistance
to keep Amateur Radio Newsline on the air, and that we need
it now. To all of us involved, each donation is looked upon
as an ongoing vote of confidence in the quality of the news
and information that we provide each week. And for this I
add my personal thank you.
Remember, Amateur Radio Newsline is a 501c3, not for profit
corporation and your donations are tax deductible. The
easiest way to donate is by going to our website at
www.arnewsline.org and clicking on the Pay Pal button. Or
you can mail a donation to the address you will hear at the
end of this weeks newscast.
Whichever method you choose, the all volunteer Amateur Radio
Newsline team says thank you so much for caring. We promise
to do all that we can to continue bringing you the news and
information you want to hear about amateur radio and
personal communications in the coming years.
Thank you. I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, and now this week's
newscast.
--
Thanks Bill. Now, Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1890
with a release date of November 1 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-
1.
The following is a QST. Australia's WICEN stands down as
the brushfire menace eases; A new satellite subband is
coming to 2 meters; Congress is asked to consider mandating
regularly scheduled EAS tests and the South Sudan will be on
the air in mid-November. Find out the details are on
Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1890 coming your way
right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: FOLLOW-UP - AUSTRALIAS WICEN STANDS DOWN
AFTER FIRE EMERGENCY
The work of ham radio operators in the wildfire response has
come to an end down under. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim
Meachen, ZL2BHF, has this follow-up report:
--
Australia's WICEN has stood down from its assistance to fire-
fighting efforts in the Australian state of New South Wales.
This as more favorable weather conditions has lead toward
containment of the blazes that threatened the outskirts of
the city of Sidney as it raged through the Blue Mountains.
WICEN had been activated by the Volunteer Rescue Association
to provide manpower after a State of Emergency was declared.
Several of its members were sent to Lithgow as part of a
Volunteer Rescue Association team 24. The others had been
held in reserve for later deployment as needed.
With the worst of the emergency now over, WICEN New South
Wales President Compton Allen VK2HDX has thanked the ham
radio operators who made themselves available in New South
Wales time of need.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, in
Nelson, New Zealand.
--
In all, the wildfires destroyed some 220 homes with an
estimated insurance value into the millions of dollars.
(VK3PC, published news reports)
**
RESTRUCTURING: NEW REGION 2 BANDPLAN INCLUDES ADDED 2 METER
SATELLITE SUBBAND
More room on 2 meters for ham radio space operations is one
of the outcomes of a recent IARU Region 2 meeting in Cancun,
Mexico.
The gathering whose minutes have now been published covered
all Region 2 bandplans for all allocations from 137 kHz to
250 GHz. Included is a new allocation for the Amateur
Satellite Service on 2 meters from 144.000 to 144.025 MHz.
There is also a reference to Near Space Stations or NSS
operations in the definitions section. This is believed to
be the first mention of High Altitude Balloons in any
amateur radio band plan.
IARU Region 2 is the organization of the International
Amateur Radio Union for the American continent. You can view
the entire document containing this and bandplans for all
other amateur radio spectrum on the web at
tinyurl.com/ANS300-IARU-Region-2-bandplans. (ANS)
**
RESCUE RADIO: CONGRESS ASKED TO CONSIDER REGULARLY
SCHEDULED EAS TEST
A bill recently introduced into the United States House of
Representatives to reauthorize the Federal Emergency
Management Agency or FEMA includes a provision that would
require national EAS tests at least once every three years.
The measure is designated as H.R. 3300 and reauthorizes FEMA
through Fiscal Year 2016 at $972 million each year. However
about $12 million of the total would provide Congressional
authorization for FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning
System or IPAWS, which uses several technologies
to simultaneously send alerts through many different
channels. This includes the EAS, along with wireless
alerts, Internet services and NOAA.
The measure would also establish system requirements and
capabilities for IPAWS and gives certain stakeholders,
including federal, state, local and private sector entities,
input into its development. (RW)
**
RESCUE RADIO: FEMA AND NPR TEAM FOR ALERTING DEAF TO
EMERGENCIES
The Department of Homeland Security has announced a pilot
project in cooperation with NPR Labs, to demonstrate the
delivery of the first-ever, real-time emergency alert
messages to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in five
Gulf states.
Twenty-five NPR affiliates in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi and Texas have agreed to participate in the
venture to transmit emergency alert messages, such as
weather alerts, to 475 individuals who are deaf or hard-of-
hearing in the stations' listening areas. This to determine
how effectively the messages are being sent and received.
The public radio stations participating in the project will
receive emergency alert messages from FEMA's Integrated
Public Alert and Warning System. The stations will then
broadcast the emergency alerts to specially designed FM
Radio Data System receivers that alert the participants with
a flashing indicator.
The receivers can also show the content of the alert through
the receiver's digital display. Participants can connect a
strobe light or bed-shaker alerting device to the receiver
to help ensure alerts are noticed both day and night. (RI)
**
DX UP FRONT: WAKE ATOL OPERATION COMING ON THE AIR
Up-front in DX, the Wake Atoll Commemorative K-9-W
DXpedition team has been approved for entry onto Wake Atoll
and should be operational by the time many of you hear this
newscast. Their equipment is already on the atol and in safe
storage awaiting arrival of the operators that was scheduled
for November 2nd local time. They will then immediately set
up antennas and the stations.
As we go to air team leaders say that they plan to begin
operations on November 3rd and continue until November 15th,
once again local Wake Island time. There will be two CW and
two SSB stations operational during this DXpedition. More
information and updates will be on the web at wake2013.org
(K9W Management Team)
**
DX UP FRONT: SOUTH SUDAN TO BE ON NOVEMBER 14 - 28
An international group of hams, including CQ Magazine's DX
Editor Wayne Mills, N7NG, is planning to operate from South
Sudan as Z81X from November 14th to the 28th. This is the
time period that includes the CW weekend of the 2013 CQ
World Wide DX Contest.
According to Mission Goodwill South Sudan spokesman Martti
Laine, OH2BH, the group of ten hams is led by International
Amateur Radio Union Region One President Hans Timmerman,
PB2T, and includes two local operators.
The operation is hosted by South Sudan's Ministry of Posts
and Telecommunications, and will include a series of
workshops aimed at developing a permanent amateur radio
licensing and regulatory structure. On the operating side,
the plan is to activate all HF bands with an emphasis on 80
and 160 meters. QSL via OH0XX and we will have more DX news
for you later on in this weeks report. (CQ)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the KF4ADM repeater serving Williamsburg Virginia.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO POLITICS: SENATE CONFIRMS WHEELER TO FCC CHAIR
The Senate confirmed Thomas Wheeler as the next chairman of
the FCC and Michael P. O'Rielly to fill another vacancy at
the agency.
Wheeler's confirmation came after Senator Ted Cruz removed a
hold on his nomination after meeting with Wheeler on Tuesday
afternoon, October 29th and Wheeler was confirmed that
evening.
His nomination was partnered with that of O'Rielly, a
Republican, to draw bipartisan support. Their confirmations
came in a unanimous vote.
(published News Reports)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC ISSUES $15000 TO UNLICENSED BROADCASTER
The FCC has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability in the
amount of $15,000 to Florida resident Juan R. Nieves, Jr..
This for his alleged operation of an unlicensed radio
transmitter on the frequency 97.7 MHz in the city of
Summerfield. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP,
has the details:
--
According to the FCC, agents from the Enforcement Bureau's
Tampa Office used direction-finding to locate the source of
the transmissions on several occasions last May and June to
an FM transmitting antenna located at a residence in
Summerfield, Florida. On each of those days, the agents
took field strength measurements of the station's signal and
determined that it exceeded the limits for license free
operation under Part 15 of the Commission's rules.
On June 25th the agents inspected the unlicensed radio
station and interviewed Juan R. Nieves, Jr.. He admitted
renting the residence housing the station, owning the
transmitter, and being the sole responsible party for the
unlicensed operation. In fact, he claimed to have operated
the station on 97.7 MHz for over a year. He also stated
that he had been in the broadcast industry for many years,
was a former officer of a low power station in Summerfield
and knew he needed a license to operate.
Now in proposing the $15,000 penalty the FCC says that it
finds that the violations in this case warrant a proposed
forfeiture above the base amount. The record evidence in
this case shows that Nieves was an officer of a low power FM
station, and was expected to be familiar with the
Commission's licensing requirements. Nevertheless, he
operated the unlicensed station for over a year, in
deliberate disregard for the Communications Act and the
Commission's rules. As such the FCC finds that an upward
adjustment of $5,000 in the forfeiture amount is warranted.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
Nieves was given the customary 30 days from the October 24th
issuance date to pay the proposed $15,000 fine or to file an
appeal. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FORMER MISSOURI HAM FINED $500 FOR UNLICENSED
OPERATION
The FCC has fined Jared A. Bruegman, the former KC0IQN, of
Bolivar, Missouri, $500. This, for transmitting without a
license in the Amateur Service 20 meter band.
Last February, the FCC issued Bruegman a Notice of Apparent
Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $10,000 after its
agents observed an unlicensed radio transmitter operating on
14.312 MHz from a residence in Bolivar in December 2012.
Bruegman was the only person at home at the time and
admitted to owning the radio transmitting equipment.
In his response to the Notice of Apparent Liability Bruegman
claimed that the $10,000 would be a financial hardship and
requested that the FCC cancel the proposed fine. He also
submitted the required financial records to back up his
claim.
Now in a Forfeiture Order released October 23, the FCC has
reduced the fine to $500 stating that there is a sufficient
basis for such a reduction but not to outright cancel the
forfeiture. It gave him the customary 30 days from the date
of it issuing the Forfeiture Order to pay or make
arrangements to pay the fine. If he fails to do so the
matter can be turned over to the Department of Justice for
further enforcement action. (FCC)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: OREGON HAMS TEAM WITH FRS IN EMCOMM
EXERCISE
The Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay, Oregon
recently held a training exercise where it activated its
local Map Your Neighborhood captains' emergency
communications operations. This, using the combined
resources of citizens with FRS radios and local ham radio
operators who were asked to set up a spontaneous net.
According to news reports, the Map Your Neighborhood
captains responded with professionalism and competency.
Moreover the operation by the hams taking part in the
exercise was described as simply being great.
The article in the North Coast Citizen Journal stated that
that everyone was proud of the community and its team of
volunteers. 13 hams out of the 28 living in the area took
part in the emergency preparedness exercise.
(CitizenJournal.com, eHam.net)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: ELK ANTENNAS AND DAYSAVER POWER SUSTEMS TO
MERGE
DaySaver Power Systems is merging with Elk Antennas.
DaySaver products will continue to be offered by Elk, which
says that that the transition from DaySaver Power Systems to
Elk Antennas should be seamless, with no interruption in
order fulfillment or warranties.
Currently, the DaySaver.com website will continue to
operate, but in the future the link will likely take you to
the Elk Antennas site at ElkAntennas.com for an expanded
array of products with the DaySaver name.
According to Elk Antenna's Jim Siemons, AF6PU, the merger
helps fulfill Elk's goal of expanding its product line for
portable, remote and emergency communications. Both
companies service the Amateur, Commercial, Military and
Public Safety Radio Services. (Press Release)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: FIRST AND ONLY 2 METER DXCC IN SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE
Some names in the news. Back in 2011 to Bob McQuarrie,
ZL3TY was awarded the first 2 Meter DXCC ever issued in the
southern hemisphere. This after he contacted and confirmed
contacts with 102 countries. McQuarrie was also the first
New Zealand amateur to achieve DXCC in mixed VHF 6 meters
and 2 meters using digital technology combined with his CW
skills and moonbounce. Now comes word that his name and
call have been inducted in the New Zealand Hall of Fame. We
say congratulations. (SARL)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: VE3RHF NEW RAC DIRECTOR FOR ONTARIO SOUTH
Rod Hardman, VE3RHF has been recently elected as the Radio
Amateurs of Canada Director for Ontario South. His term as
Director will be for the two years starting January 1, 2014
and ending December 31, 2015.
(RAC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: MIKE CALLAGHAN, WA6KPD RETIRES
And congratulations also to Mike Callaghan, WA6KPD, who
recently announced that he plans to retire on November 1st
after a long and distinguished career in broadcasting.
Callaghan was the chief engineer for station KIIS-FM in Los
Angeles. This is a position that he has held for only a few
months shy of 40 years. You can read the story of his
fascinating life in the broadcast engineering field at
tinyurl.com/Mike-Callaghan-retires (RW)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: INSPIRING YOUTH AT THE ARRL MIDWEST
CONVENTION
Inspiring youth will be an important part of the upcoming
ARRL Midwest Convention slated for Joplin, Missouri on
November 8th and 9th. And to help meat this goal New York
City educator Carole Perry, WB2MGP will join forces with
former Astronaut, Colonel Steve Nagel, N5RAW, to bring the
magic of two way radio and spaceflight to youngsters in a
Joplin school:
--
WB2MGP: "He and I are going together to a high school where
we will be goin a presentation in front of an assembly of
gifted science students and ohers who will be able to ask
questions of astronaut Nagel."
--
Then on convention Saturday, WB2MGP will be hosting a Youth
Forum with Steve Nagel, N5RAW, taking part:
--
WB2MGP: "Astronaut Nagel is going to be coming to my Youth
Forum. I'm going to have a 9-year-old give a very exciting
presentation. One of the Youth Advisors for the ARRL will
be giving a small presentation and then we will be opening
up for questions for astronaut Nagel from the audience which
I hope as it is in Dayton contains a lot youngsters in it so
that they can be inspired by the sheer presence of this
incredible human being who has been in space."
--
In addition to Steve Nagel and Carole Perry there will also
be a Ham Radio in Space presentation featuring Eddy Paul,
KYOF; Jeremy Widner, ACODX and Randy Schulze, KDOHKD. They
will provide those attending their session with information
how to successfully get on the FM ham radio satellites, in
most cases with equipment they already own.
More on the convention and its special ham in space youth
events are on line at www.arrlmidwestconvention.com.
(ARNewslineT, AMSAT, WB2MGP)
**
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)
**
WORLDBEAT: INDIA'S FIRST MULTI-MODE RADIO SCOUTING REPEATER
OPENED
A new repeater dedicated for use by scouts has come to the
airwaves in India. Hosted by the Malabar Amateur Radio
Repeater Society the VU2MJJ system came to life on October
20th during the 2013 Scouting Jamboree on the air.
The VU2MJJ repeater is located at the Malabar club station
and reportedly has wide coverage in South India. It is also
the first D-STAR capable repeater in India that can also
relay other digital and analog modes including traditional
FM.
VU2MJJ operates on 145.450 Mhz with the standard minus
offset shift.
(Southgate)
**
WORLDBEAT: FRIEDRICHSHAFEN LECTURES AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD
Six of this years lectures presented at Germany's Ham Radio
gathering are now available as PowerPoint slides with
synchronized audio. Available programs include Tom Perera,
W1TP's talk on the Enigma and other historic cipher
machines; John Alexander, G7GCT's small cipher machines
presentation and Chris Duckling, G3SVL's, 100 Years of the
RSGB and its International Partners. If you are interested
in finding out more, go to www.dokufunk.org/talk on the
World-Wide-Web. (Southgate)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: ESA DRIVES FORWARD WITH ALL-ELECTRIC
TELECOM SATELLITES
The European Space Agency is set to begin development of a
new generation of satellites propelled by solar electric
thrusters as it signs a contract with SES of Luxembourg for
development of this project. This for the next phase of the
Electra project.
Electra is described as a partnership between European Space
Agency and satellite operator SES to define, develop and
validate in space an electric only propulsion platform for
geostationary telecommunication satellites of around 3
tones. The first launch is expected by the end of 2018.
(ESA)
**
EXTRATERRESTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS: LASER SPEED DEMO IN SPACE
NASA has used laser technology to transfer data over the
239,000 miles to and from the moon. This at a speed of 622
megabits per second.
Badri Younes is NASA's deputy associate administrator for
space communications and navigation. In a press release he
said that his agency is encouraged by the results of the
demonstration of the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration
to this point. As such NASA is confident that it is on the
right path to introduce this new capability into operational
service soon.
The space agency's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration
is the first two-way space communication system to use a
laser instead of radio. Younes calls it the first step on
NASA's roadmap toward building the next generation of space
communication capability.
The Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration is hosted on
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer or
LADEE satellite. (NASA)
**
WORLDBEAT: SOMALI BROADCAST STATION ATTACKED
The National Union of Somali Journalists says that it is
shocked by the latest violent attack on the media in
Puntland, which involved a double bomb strike on a private
radio station in Galkayo. According to the information
received from the site of the attack, gunmen hurled two hand
bombs at Radio Daljir, at around 10 p.m. local time on
Tuesday, October 15th. Eyewitness said that the attackers
were riding in sedan with no plate number. No one was
injured in the assault. More is on-line at
tinyurl.com/somali-broadcaster-bombed (Published news
reports)
**
ON THE AIR: OQ4CLM CELEBRATES LIBERATION OF KNOKKE, HOLLAND
On the air, special event station OQ4CLM is on the air
through November 15th to commemorate the liberation of the
town of Knokke, Holland by Canadian troops in 1944. This is
the 32nd time the station has taken to the airwaves. More
information is on the web at www.oq4clm.be (ON4RO)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING 200 YEARS OF THE NETHERLANDS
Fred Weidema, PA0FAW, of Arnhem Holland will be operating as
PG200NL, between November 2nd and the 29th. This in
celebration of 200 Years of The Netherlands.
As of now, he will mainly be active on CW, but he hopes to
also use SSB and some digital modes if locations become
available.
In his announcement, Fred notes that he is an International
Short Wave League member and can be worked or listened to by
I-S-W-L members for the organizations Monitor award. QSL go
to PA0FAW either direct, via the bureau or electronically
using eQSL. SWL reports are obviously also very welcome.
(PA0FAW)
**
DX
In DX, YL2GM is currently reported on the air from Sao
Vicente Island as D44TYL. Activity has been mainly 20 and
15 meters SSB. The length of his stay is unknown. QSL via
YL2GM.
HB9EYP will be on the air from Zanzibar between November 2nd
and the 9th possibly using the call 5H3JJ. Activity will be
QRP on 20 through 6 meters with 10 watts into a Windom
antenna from a beachfront location. QSL via his home
callsign either direct, via the bureau or electronically
using Logbook to the World.
Members of the DX Friends group will activate San Andres
Island as 5J0R from November 1st to the 10th. Operations
will be on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.
Visit their Web page at dxfriends.com/SanAndres2013 for more
information and QSL via EA5RM.
DL7VOA will be active as 6V7D from Senegal between November
29th and December 7th. His operation will be mainly on CW,
with some SSB, on 40 through 10 meters. QSL via DL7VOA.
A group of operators from India will be operating from the
Lakshadweep Islands from November 20th to the 10th of
December as VU7AG and VU7KA. They will be active on 160
through10 meters using CW , SSB and RTTY. QSL via W4VKU
Lastly, a team of 8 operators will be active from the rare
Banda Besar Island between November 10th to the 15th.
Callsigns have not been announced yet but operations will be
on 40 through 10 meters using CW and SSB. Look for more
details to be forthcoming at oc157.blogspot.co.uk.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: POLICE SAY ALLEGEDLY INEBRIATED MAN
CONFUSED $20 BILL WITH CELL PHONE
And finally this week a story out of Minnesota that kind of
speaks for itself. Here's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW:
--
Call this one enforcement of a truly different kind as in
trying to make a phone call without a phone. This as a
Minnesota man is been charged with public intoxication after
he allegedly tried to make a phone call using a $20 bill.
Iowa City Police on foot patrol on the pedestrian mall
recently noticed the man passed out on a bench at 2:30 a.m.
on a Saturday morning. The officers said that the man
smelled strongly of alcohol, had watery, bloodshot eyes,
slurred speech and poor balance.
When officers requested identification, the man reportedly
grabbed money from his wallet and handed to the officers
instead. Police say officers then offered him the chance to
call his friends from his cell phone but instead he placed a
$20 bill to his ear and used it to try to make the call.
But $20 bills don't have built in receivers or transmitters
so for the police that was enough. They placed the
unidentified man under arrest for his own safety.
I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
--
And so ends another strange moment in communications
history. (Press-Citizen)
**
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 WIA 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
Before we sign off, a reminder that the Dayton Amateur Radio
Association is soliciting nominations for next year's
Hamvention awards. This includes the Amateur of the Year,
Special Achievement, Technical Excellence and Club of the
Year. Nominations must be received by January 17, 2014. For
more information, visit tinyurl.com/hamvention-awards-2014.
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.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-81510503390177354632013-10-25T04:23:00.000-07:002013-10-25T04:23:49.565-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1889 - October 25 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1889 with a release
date of October 25 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Hams in Australia respond to
massive wildfires; Amateur radio operators in India are set
to assist in tracking Comet ISON; the Babnaba Island T33A
DXpedition targets November 5th as its start-up date; the
FCC says no to expanding Technician class phone operations
on 10 meters and UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom
takes a new look at pirate radio. Find out the details are
on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1889 coming your
way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: AUSTRALIA WICIN RESPONDS TO NEW SOUTH WALES
BRUSHFIRES
Hams who are members of Australia's WICEN have been
activated as fires rage in an area called the Blue Mountains
threaten to expand. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen,
ZL2BHF, reports:
--
According to Jim Linton, VK3PC, who is the IARU Chairman
Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee, already some 200
homes have been lost as wildfires rage in the Blue Mountains
of the Australian state of New South Wales not far from the
city of Sydney. News reports attribute one death to the
wildfires. A State of Emergency has been declared for the
area and fire fighters worry that up to four separate blazes
could potentially combine to form a single massive fire
front.
Compton Allen, VK2HRX, is the president of WICEN in New
South Wales. He says that an official activation has begun,
drawing on the resources of the emergency communications
group. Currently the mobilization is to support the
declared State of Emergency with manpower in the Lithgow
area to the west of Sydney.
About 1,200 firefighters were battling blazes across the
state. New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner
Shane Fitzsimmons said personnel had volunteered to help
from all across Australia, and as far away as here in New
Zealand. The ground effort is being backed with more than
eighty aircraft which were dropping water and fire retardant
on the flames.
VK3PC says that evacuations of tens of thousands of people
are possible if hotter weather conditions combine with fire
fronts already burning. This is a scenario that is
literally changing minute by minute and we will have more on
it in future newscasts.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF,
across the Tasman Sea in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
WICEN in Australia is comparable to a combined RACES and
ARES here in the United States.
(VK3PC, News 10, euronews.com)
**
RESCUE RADIO: PHILIPPINE EARTHQUAKE FOLLOW-UP
A follow-up to last weeks report on a devastating earthquake
that hit the Bohol region of the Phillipines. According to
Roberto Vicencio, DU1VHY reporting via QRZ.com, due to the
shaker both the communication and electrical power
infrastructures in the disaster area were initially
crippled. He notes that to date over 140 fatalities have
been recorded on the island of Bohol and about 10 on the
island of Cebu adding that numerous buildings were damaged
due the severity of the shaker.
DU1HVY notes that as of his latest posted report that hams
were still passing information to and from the island and to
the National Capital Region. Communications was taking
place on 7.095 MHz on the 40 meters plus VHF, Echolink and
using the social media.
John Hays is DW5HT on the island of Leyte. Hays, who is
also WB0HZL notes that in the Philippines there are
approximately 5000 licensed hams in a country with a
population of about 103 million. He notes that the land
mass is about the size of Oregon but the country is long,
thin and made up of numerous islands. As such, the
Philippines do not have the extensive repeater systems so
commonly found here in the United States. There, the
National Emergency High Frequency calling channel is 7.095
MHz and Hays says that this works very well for
communication throughout the country on a 24 hour a day, 7
day a week basis.
(DU1VHY, WB0HZL/DW5HT via QRX.com)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: INDIA'S HAM RADIO OPERATORS SET TO HELP
IN TRACKING COMET ISON
Astrophysicists in India are joining with amateur radio
operators to track and read data comet ISON which is
scheduled to pass nearest to Earth on November 28th.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the
details:
--
With the assistance a ham radio operators, scientists at
India's Institute of Astrophysics will send a neon gas
filled balloon about 130,000 feet in into the stratosphere
in late November to gather data on comet ISON.
Ram Mohan Suri, VU2MYH, is the director of India's National
Institute of Amateur Radio. He says that the Institute of
Astrophysics has joined forces with Dhruva Space and his
organization for the project.
Suri says that this type of joint mission has never been
attempted before but that trial runs have proven to be quite
successful. He notes that an amateur station has been set
up at the Institute of Astrophysics. He says that it and
two mobile units will track the balloon and monitor its
instruments as they record data from comet. Specifically
the instrument package will take detailed readings of ISON's
mass, composition, inert gases and other aspects of its
nucleus and tail.
Once the balloon bursts and the instruments parachute back
to Earth it will be a team of amateur radio operators that
will track and retrieve it from anywhere in India or abroad,
presumably using APRS.
The location of the payload and balloon will be posted
online in real time, so that amateur radio operators
throughout the world can follow the mission. This says Suri
will be helpful if the balloon falls back to Earth out of
the geographical border of India.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
Comet ISON is classified as a sungrazing comet discovered in
September of 2012, by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok.
Studies presented at the American Astronomical Society's
Division for Planetary Sciences meeting suggest that ISON's
nucleus measures somewhere between 1 to 2 � miles across and
it has a distinct green glow at its tail. (Hindu Times)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC SAYS NO TO EXPANDING TECH PRIVILEGES ON 10
METERS
The FCC has dismissed a Petition for Rule Making from the
Toledo Mobile Radio Association that sought to expand
Technician class operating privileges on 10 meters. This to
permit holders of Technician class tickets access to the FM
portion of the band from 29.52 to 29.7 MHz
Under current rules, Novice and Technician licensees may
operate from 28.0 to 28.5 MHz but are limited to CW, RTTY
and other data modes from 28.0 to 28.3 Mhz. They also have
limited SSB phone privileges from 28.3 to 28.5 MHz.
Last June the Toledo Mobile Radio Association had asked the
Commission to expand the spectrum available to Technician
licensees on 10 meters to include operating privileges in
the FM portion of the band. It asserted that that
amending the rules would bring Technician voice privileges
on 10 meters in line with technical advancement that had
taken place since those rules were put in place.
But in its October 17th decision denying the rules change
request the FCC said that the Toledo Mobile Radio
Association had not presented any new evidence to warrant
the Commission revisiting the question of Technician class
licensees operating privileges. The regulatory agency went
on to note that Technicians can already transmit through
repeaters licensed to a General class or higher licensee
that have an output channel in the 29.52 to 29.7 MHz
segment. The caveat is that the input of the repeater must
have an input on 2 meters or above and be under the control
of a higher class licensee. In other words, a cross-band
linked system or remote-base rather than a conventional 10
meter in-band repeater.
Also that contrary to Toledo Mobile Radio Association
assertion, the FCC says that its rules do not prevent
Technician Class licensees from taking advantage of such
technological developments as IRLP or Echolink. Nor does it
prevent them from exchanging voice communications with other
stations in the 29.52 to 29.7 MHz segment of the 10 meter
band but again as long as the Technician operator is using
spectrum allowed to that license class.
You can read the entire FCC decision in this matter on the
web at tinyurl.com/no-new-tech-frequencies. (FCC)
**
BREAKING DX NEWS: T33A BANABA ISLAND HOPES TO BE ACTIVE
NOVEMBER 5 - 18
Some breaking news from the world of DX. The T33A
DXpedition to Banaba Island is fast approaching and is
expected to be active from November 5th to the 18th.
It was reported on the T33A Blog Page on October 17th by co
team leader Jay Kobelin, W2IJ, that the container carrying
the gear for the operation has departed Suva, Fiji and was
now on its way by sea to Tarawa. Also that the operations
advance team will arrive in Tarawa on October 31st to attend
to picking up provisions as well as to get the container
unsealed and cleared through customs. They will then make
certain that it is loaded onto their vessel in preparation
for a November 3rd departure to Banaba Island.
It was also mentioned that the T33A operations main sponsor
is Elecraft, which is supplying six K 3 Transceivers and
five KPA-500 Amplifiers. Also that the T33A team will be
using the DXA interface for their operation. DXA is an
innovative Web site that allows DX'ers to view the status
and activities of a DXpedition in near-real-time.
For more details about this DXpedition please visit
www.t33a.com. We will have more DX related news later on in
this weeks report. (OPDX)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the Las Vegas Amateur Radio Club repeater serving
Las Vegas Nevada.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC EXTENDS FILING DATES ON VARIOUS ITEMS
The FCC has set new deadlines for filings with the agency on
various issues. This after the agency re-opened for
business in mid-October following the partial 16 day
government shutdown. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant,
K6PZW, has the details:
--
As reported in the trade publication Radio World, in
general, filings that would have been due between October
1st and 6th became due on Tuesday, October 22nd. That date
is now past. Filings that would have been due October 7th
to the 16th are now due 16 calendar days after the original
filing date. Again, some of those day's have now passed.
Also, if the new date falls on a weekend or holiday, those
filings are due at the FCC on the following business day.
Regarding public comments that were due on various issues
during the shutdown, of interest to our listeners are the
proposed RF exposure changes. Reply comments are now due
November 18 for "Reassessment of Exposure to Radiofrequency
Electromagnetic Fields Limits and Policies." For that you
file to ET Dockets 03-137 and 13-84.
Three other issues of interest to the hobby radio community.
Regulatory and enforcement filings that would have been due
on October 17th are now due on November 4th. Special
Temporary Authorities that expired between October 1st to
the 22nd have been extended to November 4th and low-power FM
station applications are now due November 14th.
As to the processing of new and renewal Amateur Service
license applications, the only information made public so
far comes from the ARRL V-E-C. It said that it had
approximately 250 sessions and over 1500 forms in the queue
as the FCC reopened on October 17th. By the end of the day,
the League's V-E-C staff had dispatched its entire backlog
to the Commission for processing.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
So it looks as if things are getting back to normal at the
FCC, albeit a bit slower than some might have envisioned.
(RW, ARRL)
**
RADIO POLITICS: CONFIRMATION OF NEW FCC CHAIRMAN HELD UP IN
SENATE
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, the conservative who helped
prompt the recent government shutdown, has blocked the
Senate from voting on the nomination of Tom Wheeler to be
Federal Communications Commission chairman. The Senate was
scheduled to vote on Wheeler, a Democrat and telecom
industry veteran, late on Wednesday. October 16th. Cruz
held up the vote over questions about the FCC's power to
enforce disclosures of who sponsors political television
advertising.
The Senate also has yet to vote on the nomination of
Republican Michael O'Rielly to fill the fifth and final open
FCC commissioner position. O'Rielly has spent nearly two
decades as a staffer in Congress, most recently serving as a
top aide to Senator John Cornyn of Texas. (Published news
reports)
**
RADIO LAW: ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION CHALLENGES
PERSONAL AUDIO LLC
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a petition with
the Patent and Trademark Office challenging the claims of
Personal Audio LLC. This is the company claiming to hold
key patents for podcasting technology. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, reports:
--
The Electronic Frontier Foundation said in a press release
that its petition filed in this matter shows that Personal
Audio did not invent anything new, and, in fact, other
people were podcasting years before Personal Audio first
applied for a patent.
The Foundation notes that in preparation for its filing,
that it solicited help from the public to find prior art, or
earlier examples of podcasting and cites three examples of
what it discovered. These are Internet Pioneer Carl
Malamud's `Geek of the Week' online radio show along with
online broadcasts by CNN and the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation.
From the release, Electronic Frontier Foundation Staff
Attorney Daniel Nazer said that as shown in our petition,
Personal Audio is not the true inventor of this technology
and should not be demanding a payout from today's
podcasters. The petition goes on to note that because
Personal Audio's business model is entirely based on
leveraging its patents and it does not do any podcasting
itself, the company fits the definition of a non-practicing
entity.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stepen Kinford, N8WB, in
Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a nonprofit foundation
dedicated to keeping modern media technologies minimally
regulated and hindered. (EFF, RW)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: WASHINGTON HAMS HONORED FOR COMMUNITY
PREPAREDNESS
An all-volunteer amateur radio organization has been
recognized by King County, Washington for its commitment to
emergency preparedness and response
The Renton Emergency Communication Service was chosen for
this accolade based on a record of service that stretches
back long before their formal incorporation by two groups of
amateur radio operators in 2008. Over time the volunteers
have evolved to become a key asset to Renton's Fire and
Emergency Services Department, especially during disasters.
Each of the group's members is trained to staff the Renton
Emergency Operations Center and carry out communication
responsibilities. During the snow and ice storm of January
2012, they performed critical functions, including call-
taking, managing radio and social media, and providing real-
time weather and road information gathered from around the
City of Renton. When power was lost to hundreds of homes,
Renton Emergency Communication Service members were deployed
to Renton's network of Neighborhood Information Centers,
where they posted information on shelter and food
distribution locations delivered to them by radio.
Mark Peterson is the Fire Chief of Renton. He says that the
dedication and commitment shown by the Renton Emergency
Communication Service volunteers is making a real difference
in his departments ability to better serve the community.
Peterson added that the hams provide timely and critical
communications and information before it is needed. More on
this story is on the web at tinyurl.com/renton-hams-honored.
(Kings County Executive News)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: AMERICAN LEGION TAKES TO AIRWAVES IN SALUTE
TO VETERANS
Indianapolis Legionnaires will honor their fellow veterans
in a special on-the-air tribute on Veterans Day, November
11th. That when members of The American Legion Amateur
Radio Club will operate using the special event call sign
W9L on 20 meters, 2-meter simplex, a Central Indiana
repeater and connect world wide via IRLP beginning at 9:00
a.m. through 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Frequencies in use will include to 14.275 MHz upper sideband
on 20 meters, 146.46 MHz on 2 meter simplex, the 145.17 MHz
repeater in Hamilton County and IRLP Node 4816. Those who
make contact with W9L will be eligible to receive an
attractive full color commemorative certificate. More about
this event including QSL routing is on the web at website
www.legion.org/hamradio (K9JM)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: HAMS IN BAHRAIN CELEBRATE ARAB CYCLING
CHAMPIONSHIP
Ham radio operators in the Kingdom of Bahrain are on the air
in celebration of the 2013 Arab Cycling Championship being
held in that nation through October 31st. A Special Event
Station using the call A91ACC will be active on all of the
High Frequency bands during the event. All confirmed QSO's
will receive an award signed by the president of Bahrain
Cycling Association. QSL's go via IZ8CLM. Planners say
that participation by ham radio operators in this event
shows the increasing interest in Amateur Radio in the
Kingdom of Bahrain and encouragement from its officials.
(A91ACC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: ERIN KING AK4JG NAMED ONE OF THE WORLDS
50 SMARTEST TEENS
And congratulations to 2012 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham
of the Year award winner Erin King, AK4JG, who has been
named one of the 50 smartest teens in the world by
TheBestSchools.com.
King was selected for this honor based on her early
acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
her then hacking of her acceptance letter tube. This she
converted into a spacecraft payload that she flew to over
90,000 feet. Once recovered using A-P-R-S tracking Erin
took the video captured by the onboard Go Pro camera and
produced a stunning documentary of the creation of the
payload and the actual flight itself.
This past summer recess she spent with Google working on
their Project Loon. This is a communications experiment
that looks to use a global network of high-altitude balloons
to connect people in rural and remote areas of the world who
currently have no Internet.
TheBestSchools.org bills itself as a leading resource for
campus and online education. You can read Erin's story and
that of the forty-nine others selected for this distinction
at tinyurl.com/fifty-smartest-teens. (TheBestSchools.com)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: RAC ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIPS AND COMMUNITY
GRANT
Radio Amateurs of Canada has announced the granting of three
academic scholarships and one community grant.
The individual recipients are Paulyn Mulles, VE3PJM who is
attending Carlton University, Jason Deglint, VE7TJD who is a
student at University of Victoria, and Liam Bindle, VE5LRB
who is attending the University of Saskatchewan. Each of
these young Amateurs will receive a $500 academic
scholarship to assist their further studies in Electrical
Engineering.
Shaftesbury High School in Winnipeg will also received a
$500 community grant to assist them to become the only
permanent Amateur Radio ARISS Telebridge Station in Canada.
This, under the guidance of Mr. Robert Striemer, VE4SHS.
(VE3XT)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: NEW FREE E-BOOK ON IMAGE COMMUNICATIONS
And word that Martin Bruchanov, OK2MNM, has written a Free e-
book for hams and SWL's interested in special communication
modes for image transmission and reception. This includes
such modes as SSTV, Digital SSTV and radio facsimile to name
only a few. You can download the entire book or view on
line at www.sstv-handbook.com (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)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: INTEL NEW BROADWELL CHIPSET DELAYED TO
EARLY 2014
Intel, the world's biggest computer chip maker, has said the
production of its next-generation PC chip, Broadwell, will
be delayed by a about three months past its scheduled
release date. This due to a technical glitch according to
Chief executive Brian Krzanich.
The Broadwell chips are expected to succeed the firm's
Haswell line of processors, and are touted to be more power-
efficient and faster. Intel is the leading PC chip-maker
and its updated products typically spur on new laptop and
desktop sales. It will now begin production on Broadwell
chips in the first quarter of 2014 rather than later this
year. (Intel, c-net, Techradar)
**
WORLDBEAT: UK REGULATOR OFCOM VS. PIRATE RADIO
United Kingdom communications regulator Ofcom has published
some new information about putting an end to pirate radio
operations. Basically it appears as if they want to license
these stations.
Currently in London alone there are over two dozen pirate
stations operating in the 88 to108 MHz FM broadcast band.
Many operate 24 hours a day, 7days a week so are not exactly
difficult for Ofcom to locate if they wished to do so.
But on its In the Pirate Radio web page Ofcom points out
that they have issued Community Radio licenses to former
pirate radio stations such as Rinse FM and Kane FM. The
inference that may be taken is Ofcom would like more pirate
radio stations to apply for community radio licenses.
Although Ofcom has occasionally raided pirate stations
operating in the FM broadcast band, such enforcement actions
have been few and far between. And following the 2008
through 2009 fiscal year, Ofcom stopped publishing its
Prosecution Formal Warning Statistics and subsequently
removed all prosecution statistics from their website.
Some speculate the reason the statistics no longer appeared
was because Ofcom had stopped undertaking enforcement
action. Heres what Ofcom has to say about the situation in
its own words at tinyurl.com/uk-pirate-unenforced.
(Southgate, BDXC)
**
RADIO FROM SPACE: THE FERRARI OF SPACE TO SOON DE-ORBIT
A European Space Agency a scientific research satellite
dubbed the "Ferrari of Space" based on its sleek, finned
looks will shortly run out of fuel and fall to Earth after a
successful mission.
Launched in 2009, the Gravity Ocean Circulation Explorer
orbits at an extremely low altitude of just 160 miles where
there are still some molecules of atmosphere. The
satellite's main payload is the Electrostatic Gravity
Gradiometers to measure the gravity field of Earth. These
are arranged in three pairs of ultra-sensitive
accelerometers arranged in three dimensions that respond to
tiny variations in the 'gravitational tug' of the Earth as
it travels along its orbital path.
Other payloads include an onboard GPS receiver used as a
Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking Instrument; a compensation
system for all non-gravitational forces acting on the
spacecraft. The satellite is also equipped with
a laser retro-reflector. This to enable tracking by ground-
based lasers.
To reduce drag, the Gravity Ocean Circulation Explorer has
an arrow-like octagonal shape and two fins to provide extra
aerodynamic stability. This is a radical departure from the
box like form of many satellites that operate in the
complete vacuum of space.
Keeping it aloft is an ion engine that began with about 90
pounds of fuel but was now down to about 4.4 pounds at the
end of September. While no exact date could be given
controllers say that fuel will be exhausted by the beginning
of November at which time most of the 17 foot long
spacecraft will break up and burn when it tumbles into a
denser portion of the Earth's atmosphere. (Space OnLine,
ESA)
**
RADIOSPORTS: RADAR CONTEST COMING NOVEMBER 2
Turning to radiosports, the 2013 RaDAR-America Contest is
coming November 2nd starting at 14:00 UTC and ending at
18:00 UTC.
RaDAR stands for Rapidly Deployable Amateur Radio and the
event is aimed at promoting this type of operation
throughout North and South America.
This competition is open to all licensed radio amateurs. A
choice is made prior to the contest to participate in one of
the defined categories.
The points system is so structured as to encourage portable
operation, especially moveable stations. In fact, the rules
are very close to those created by the founder of the
contest Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE and the ZS RaDAR competition
will take place at the same time in South Africa as it will
here in the Americas.
Marcus Kessler, NX5MK, is the RaDAR-America Contest manager.
The complete rules can be found at tinyurl.com/radar-america-
contest. You can see a promotional video on the Amateur
Radio Today page at www.sarl.org.za. (Southgate, SARL,
others)
**
ON THE AIR: 4U0WFP AT WORLD FOOD PROGRAM IN ROME
On the air, the Ohio-Penn DX newsletter reports that 4U0WFP
is an amateur radio station located at the United Nations
World Food Program headquarters in Rome, Italy. Currently
the operators are S53R and S53T who were recently heard on
21 dot 023 MHz at around 13:25 UTC. Give them a call and
learn about what World Food Program does to fight the hunger
worldwide. More about the group is at www.wfp.org. QSL via
the information for 4U0WFP found on QRZ.com. (OPDX)
**
ON THE AIR: ROYAL AIR FORCE PERMANENT SPECIAL EVENT
STATIONS
The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force station G3ELV and the
Royal Air Force Signals Museum station GB4SMH, will be
operational under a permanent Special Event permit effective
November 1st. Normal operating times for both locations
will be 10:00 to 16:00 local time on each Tuesday and on the
first Saturday of each month. If you make contact, please
QSL only via the bureau. (Via e-mail)
**
DX
In DX, the ARRL DXCC desk has announced that the 2013 T6JR
operation from Afghanistan has been approved for DXCC
credit. Cards are now being accepted for that one.
RK4FF will be on the air as 6V7S from Senegal through
November 27th. Activity is on 80 through 10 meters excluding
the WARC bands using CW, SSB and RTTY. His log is available
on ClubLog. QSL via RK4FF.
DF1YP is now active stroke FO from Moorea Island French
Polynesia. He reportedly will be there until November 6th.
His operation has been mainly on 20 meters using SSB. QSL
via his home callsign.
G4IRN will be active as D44TWQ from Cape Verde between
November 5th to the 12th. His operation will be holiday
style on the 30, 17 and 12 meters and on CW only. QSL via
his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.
N7OU will be operational from the South Cook Islands until
9th of November. He has reactivated his E51NOU callsign on
all bands from 10 to 160 meters operating CW only. QSLs go
via his home call.
DL7AFS and J7ZG will be active as D44TXT from Ilha de Sao
Tiago, until November 7th. They will be on the 80 through
10 meters using SSB, RTTY, PSK31 and PSK63. QSL via DL7AFS,
either direct or via the bureau.
N0HJZ is active as C6ARW from Grand Bahama, through October
29th using on 30, 17 and 12 meters as well on CW and RTTY on
other bands. QSL via N0HJZ, either direct or via bureau.
Lastly, a real Christmas present of sorts. This as DH3WO
announces that he will be operational from Lesotho as 7P8WO
from December 22nd to the 24th. He plans to be active on
all of the High Frequency bands though no operating times or
frequencies have yet been announced. QSL's go via home
call.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: NASA DEEP IMPACT SPACECRAFT - SK
And finally this week, after nearly nine years in space, 4.7
billion miles traveled and an untold number of radio
transmissions of data, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft has met
an unexpected end. This, after mission controllers say that
they lost contact with the spacecraft. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Jim Damron, N8TMW, reports:
--
Though Deep Impact was unable to complete its latest
assignment, the comet-hunting spacecraft led a far longer
life than expected with several career changes after its
first encounter with comet Tempel 1.
Launched in 2005, the spacecraft first traveled about 268
million miles to the comet Tempel 1, where it shot a probe
into the comet's path. The resulting collision blasted
material out from beneath the comet's surface, which
researchers were then able to study, giving them an
unprecedented look into a comet's inner workings. The
mission also provided researchers with an up-close and
personal look at these icy tailed comets which are in effect
time capsules of the young solar system's chemical makeup.
Having wrapped up its planned mission in six months, NASA
then put the spacecraft to work on a new mission with a
brand new acronym called EPOXI. Not the glue but rather a
combination of two mission names/ These were the Extrasolar
Planet Observations and Characterization and the Deep Impact
Extended Investigation. For the latter portion of the
mission, the control team sent the Deep Impact spacecraft
back past Earth to get close to the comet Hartley 2. It
also stayed busy during its travels observing half a dozen
different stars to confirm their planets' motions.
The spacecraft also took pictures of Earth, the moon and
Mars. These findings helped confirm the existence of water
on the Moon, and they attempted to look for methane on Mars.
This particular task was in vain, as the Curiosity rover's
findings recently revealed.
The spacecraft then went on to study the comet Garradd, in
2012 and took distant images of the comet ISON this year.
But around the time the mission was supposed to take close-
ups of ISON, controllers lost contact with the spacecraft
and spent several weeks trying to reactivate its systems.
They finally announced that they have been unsuccessful and
have abandoned any further attempts.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im, Jim Damron, N8TMW.
--
Deep Impact may now be lost in space, the data it radioed
back to Earth has contributed greatly to mankind's
understanding of the final frontier. (NASA)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX
Bulletin, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate News, TWiT-TV and
Australia's WIA 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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Southern Mississippi saying 73
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-90398970971791513822013-10-18T05:36:00.001-07:002013-10-18T05:36:16.513-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1888 - October 18 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1888 with a release
date of October 18 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Ham radio responds as a major
cyclone hits India and an earthquake hits the Philippines;
the IARU Monitoring Service says that Russia is again
intruding into 15 meters; Sweeden gives its hams access to
472 kilohertz; AMSAT to celebrate 30 years of manned ham
radio in space operations and a bit of early DX history from
down-under. Hear it all on Amateur Radio NewslineT report
number 1888 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: AMATEUR RADIO ON SCENE AS CYCLONE PHAILIN
HITS INDIA
Amateur radio operators in India were ready to respond when
cyclone Phailin roared up the Bay of Bengal, carrying winds
of 155 mph at landfall. But proper planning on the part of
India's emergency services kept casualties to a minimum as
ham radio operators braved the weather to make sure
communications kept flowing. Amateur Radio Newslines Mark
Abramowicz, NT3V, has the rest of the story:
--
India's National Institute of Amateur Radio put as many as
200 operators on alert and many of those volunteers came
through and were dispatched as needed once the cyclone hit
Odisha, along the country's eastern coast.
And, news accounts are praising government officials in the
country for acting quickly to evacuate some half-a-million
people living along lowland coastal areas to get them out of
harm's way.
Early accounts put the death toll in the teens.
The storm is believed to be the strongest to hit the region
since 1999 when a tropical storm washed ashore causing 9,000
deaths and extensive damage.
Power is still out in many areas in the wake of this storm.
Radio operators are staying on duty at shelters and other
areas in many of the coastal districts where flood and wind
damage to the infrastructure was the most extensive.
News accounts are reporting many of the mud homes and farms
in the coastal region hit by the storm were destroyed and
roads remain blocked by uprooted trees.
Jay, VU2JAU, was helping to coordinate storm relief activity
on 40 meters, along with a team that included VU2DPI, VU3BHI
and VU2AOR.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V.
--
During the height of the storm VU2JAU put out a world-wide
request that the frequency of 7 point 145 MHz on 40 meters
be kept clear for disaster communications. As we go to air,
some ham radio emergency communications is reported to still
be ongoing as the clean-up effort in the aftermath of the
cyclone continues. (IARU R-3, other published news sources)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS RESPOND AS AN EARTHQUAKE HITS THE
PHILIPPINES
The Philippine Amateur Radio Association has activated its
Ham Emergency Radio Operators group. This, following a
Magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit the province of Bohol at
8:12 a.m. local time on Monday, October 14th.
At airtime the death toll stands near 110 and could rise.
Dozens of people are reported as missing, and authorities
were checking into reports of people trapped in collapsed
buildings in both Cebu and Bohol.
Roberto Vicencio is DU1VHY in Mandaluyong City. He has
passed along word that all radio amateurs are being asked to
keep 7 dot 095 MHz on 40 meters clear until further notice.
This frequency is being used for both damage assessment and
other ongoing relief work.
Meantime, a state of calamity was declared in both the Bohol
and Cebu areas. This prompted the closure of schools and
other structures until officials can determine the safety of
buildings and bridges. The initial jolt was followed by two
aftershocks, each measuring more than 5.0 in magnitude.
(PARA, VK3PC, Pacific News)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HISTORIC VK LIGHTHOUSE SAVED FROM FIRE
A bushfire on the Australian coast recently threatened the
historic Barrenjoey Lighthouse at Palm Beach, on the
northern most point of Sydney. The New South Wales Rural
Fire Service reports the building sustained some roof damage
but is mostly fine after fire swept through the area. This
is good news, particularly to the Manly Warringah (PRON: WOR-
RING-A) Radio Society which has activated this lighthouse as
VK2MB in the 2013 International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend. (VK3PC)
**
INTRUDER WATCH: RUSSIAN MILITARY BACK ON 21 MHZ
The IARU Monitoring Service newsletter reports on a possible
Russian military station that has been using the amateur
radio 21 MHz band. It says that encrypted voice traffic has
been operating on 21000.0 kHz on USB. Also that the in-band
synchronizing signal was always audible and quite strong.
The transmitter sending out these transmissions is believed
to be located in or near Nizhny Tagil in Russia but its
purpose is unknown. The newsletter also reports that the
Russian military have also been using other frequencies in
our 7, 14 and 21 MHz bands and have been operating an Over
The Horizon radar between 3500 and 3800 kHz. (IARUMS, IARU-
R-1)
**
RESTRUCTURING: SWEDISH HAMS GET ACCESS TO THE 472 KHZ BAND
Some good news for radio amateurs and other spectrum users
in Sweden. Hams get a new band and commercial entities are
given limited use of unlicensed devices. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:
--
As of October 1st Swedish Telecom is permitting that nations
radio amateurs access to the 472 to 479 kHz band. Like in
some locations the maximum radiated power is one watt as
opposed to the five watts permitted by some nations.
The Swedish Telecom paper also reports that also on the same
date that new rules concerning exemptions from the
requirement for radio transmitters to have an operating
license came into effect.
Most transmitters in Sweden still require a license but for
the sake of simplicity, the telecommunications regulator may
allow exceptions in cases where this is little risk of
interference. One new exclusion applies to vehicle
communication transmissions in the 63 to 64 GHz band. Other
exemptions are associated to Radio Frequency Identification
use in the 2446 to 2454 MHz range for sales and inventory
control.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in
Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
All in all it appears to be a win-win decision for everyone.
(Southgate)
**
RESTRUCTURING: UK ISSUES RULE MAKING TO LEGALIZE AM AND SSB
ON CB
Twenty-eight months after the European Commission published
a decision aimed harmonizing CB radio across the European
Union, United Kingdom telecommunications regulator Ofcom has
announced a consultation on legalizing 27 MHz double
sideband A.M. and Single Sideband transmissions. Jeremy
Boot, G4NJH, is in Nottingham, in the UK with more:
--
Ofcom has published proposals to amend current arrangements
for Citizens' Band radio in the UK, to allow the use of a
wider range of transmission standards.
Ofcom is proposing to allow amplitude modulation, double-and
single sideband transmissions on CB radio, which will bring
the UK in line with other European countries.
The consultation will close on 8 November.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, in
Nottingham in the UK.
--
11 meter CB radio was first introduced into the United
Kingdom around 1972 as an F.M only service. In the late
1970's James Bryant, G4CLF, who was then the President of
the UK Citizens Band Association, campaigned for the
legalization of AM and SSB operation for use in that
service. Now some 36 years later it looks as though it may
finally be achieved. (RSGB)
**
WORLDBEAT: IARU ANNOUNCES THEME FOR WORLD AMATEUR DAY 2014
The IARU has chosen its theme for World Amateur Radio Day,
2014. Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA news is here with the
details:
--
Each year on 18 April is World Amateur Radio Day, which
celebrates the founding of the International Amateur Radio
Union in 1925. The theme "Amateur Radio: Your Gateway to
Wireless Communications" has been chosen for the day in
2014.
In 100 years it has evolved from crude spark-gap technology
to digital signal processing and software-defined radios.
The IARU understands that the date is close to Easter. It
encourages activity earlier or later to gain as much
exposure and publicity as possible for modern and easily
accessed amateur radio.
Only six months to go. Will you be involved?
For the AmateurRadio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of
the WIA News in Australia.
--
Most if not all of the worlds national ham radio societies
will be taking part in World Amateur Radio Day 2014. Check
with yours to find out its celebration plans. (IARU, WIA
NEWS)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the N7KSO repeater system serving northwest
Arizona.
(5 sec pause here)
**
BREAKING NEWS: CONGRESSIONAL IMPASSE SETTLED - FCC REOPENS
I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP with breaking news.
The House and Senate votes on Wednesday, night October 16th
to at least temporarily restore all government operations
until January 15th and permit the US Treasury to extend its
debt ceiling limit through February 7th have passed and been
signed into law by the president. This means that the FCC
and other government agencies should now be getting back to
work, but that does not mean things will be back as they
were before the partial government shutdown began.
Even though the FCC is technically back in operation, you
have to remember that matters concerning services such as CB
radio, the Mult-Use or MURS Radio Service, GMRS and even
Amateur Radio are going to take a back seat to more
important subjects. This includes but is not limited to
broadband expansion and broadcast related issues.
While the good news is that the stalemate is over for now,
it could take a bit more time before the FCC takes any
matter under advisement that is important to ham radio such
as several requests for rule making from the ARRL. And as
you will hear in a few moments, the FCC could even face a
paperwork deluge of monumental proportions in the coming
days.
So for now the two key words are "be patient."
(ARNewslineT)
**
RADIO LAW: MASSIVE BACKLOG COULD HIT FCC WHEN IT REOPENS
Don't expect miracles in the handling of any matter by the
FCC when the government shutdown ends. That's
the prediction of attorney Mitchell Lazarus from the law
firm of Fletcher, Heald and Hildreth.
According to Lazarus, everything that would have come due
during the shutdown instead will all be due on the same day.
Not the day the FCC reopens, but the day after that.
And as to filings due on the day of reopening? They likely
will also be put off till that same - the next day. As
such, Attorney Lazarus believes that this creates the
possibility of a massive accumulation of filings, including
the last-minute crunch when the electronic databases becomes
accessible and updated again.
The commission said right before the shutdown if its systems
become overwhelmed upon reopening, it will issue further
guidance. Presumably that includes extending filing
deadlines, but until that happens nobody can be sure.
The bottom line says Lazarus: "The longer this goes on, the
worse the chaos will be when it ends." (RW, commlawblog.com)
**
ENFORCEMENT FOLLOW-UP: ALLEGED INDIANA POLICE IMPOSTER
CHARGED
A follow-up to our recent story about an Indianapolis area
ham who was arrested after authorities say he impersonated a
cop during the funeral of an Indianapolis police officer
killed in the line of duty. Court documents say that 38
year old Minh van Nguyen, now faces three felony charges
including two counts of impersonation of a public servant
and theft.
Nguyn holds the call sign KB9WDY. As reported, on the day
of the funeral of officer Rod Bradway, KC9PFW, police say
that Nguyen showed up in police uniform with police patches
and a badge. Later, when investigators searched Nguyen
home, they recovered among other items, including a 37-
millimeter grenade launcher, a number of assault rifles,
shotguns, handguns and several thousand rounds of
ammunition. Officials said he also had body armor, several
uniforms belonging to area police agencies and numerous
badges. This included one that belonged to Indiana State
Police.
If tried and convicted, Nguyen faces up to three years in
prison. And if convictions were to be reported to the FCC's
Enforcement Bureau the regulatory agency could call for a
show cause hearing as to whether Nguyen should be permitted
to retain his Amateur Service license. But as time has
shown, such an action by the FCC is likely down the road at
least several years. (Published news reports)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC WARNS STATIONS ABOUT UNLICENSED OPERATION
Some unlicensed operators have caught the eye of FCC
Enforcement counsel Laura Smith. On July 8, Smith warned
James E. Richburg against unlicensed radio operation in the
Amateur Radio bands. According to Smith it had come to the
FCC's attention that at multiple times in the last several
months Richburg had made radio transmissions in the amateur
bands for which a license is required and that Richburg did
not possess such a permit.
Then in August Smith sent notices to Charles W. Johnson and
Mark W. Althaus, warning them of unlicensed operation on
26.735 MHz. In this letter Smith underscored that
transmitting outside of authorized frequencies violates
Section 301 of the Communications Act. As such, this could
lead to the imposition of substantial fines and seizure of
radio equipment as well as possible criminal action up to
and including imprisonment.
In all three cases Smith directed that unauthorized
operation of their radio station must cease immediately.
She also gave Richburg, Johnson and Althaus 10 days from the
date each received her letters to respond to their
respective warning notices. Each was instructed to state
what specific actions had been taken to comply with the
FCC's rules. (FCC, ARRL)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: SMALL WONDER LABS TO GO QRT
QRP kit supplier Small Wonder Labs is closing its doors
permanently. According to owner Dave Benson, K1SWL, he is
going into retirement and has discontinued sales of the
popular RockMite.
Benson says that he will ship out the last several dozen
orders shortly and that he will continue to support requests
for missing or replacement RockMite parts from existing
customers, but only over the short term. He also hopes to
keep the Small Wonder Labs website active for a year, and it
will maintain documentation for his earlier products
However QRP enthusiasts should not despair. According to
the rumor mill at least one other QRP kit supplier is
interested in taking over supplying the RockMite and there
could be an announcement at any time now.
For more on Dave Benson's future plans please visit
smallwonderlabs.com on the world-wide-web.
(smallwonderlabs.com, others)
**
WORLDBEAT: POLAND NATIONAL PUBLIC BROADCASTER ADOPTS DAB+
National public broadcaster Polish Radio has begun
transmitting in the DAB+ digital audio transmission system.
The Director and Editor-in-Chief of Polish Radio 4 said that
adopting the digital standard enables the it to increase its
coverage area, improve sound quality and disseminate
programming nationwide. (RW)
**
WORLDBEAT: WW2 GERMAN ENIGMA MACHINE TO BE AUCTIONED
A rare German Enigma encoding machine used by the Nazis to
send secret messages during the Second World War will go on
sale in the United Kingdom later this month. The machine,
built in 1944, was part of the German intelligence operation
thwarted by British counter-intelligence working out of
Bletchley Park.
Engima machines were used through the war by the German
military, but this was a later model which sent out even
more heavily encrypted signals than earlier versions. A
specialist from London auctioneers Bonhams said the
untouched and unrestored device is especially valuable
because it still has many of its original parts, and was not
modified after the war.
The unit comes with an original ebonite plugboard, which
when added to the Engima would swap pairs of letters. For
example, pressing the F key would send a letter B to be
scrambled at the Enigma's rotors. This of coarse would
require a matching device at the other end to make sense of
the message.
If you want to own this prize World War 2 relic be prepared
to shell out at least $80,000. More is on the web at
tinyurl.com/enigma-for-sale. (Daily Mail)
**
WORLDBEAT: APPLE VS EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTS ON PROPRIETY
CONNECTORS
Apple may be forced to abandon its proprietary 30-pin dock
charger, at least on the other side of the Atlantic, if
European politicians get their way. This after members of
the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee voted
unanimously for a new law mandating a universal mobile phone
charger.
The Member of the European Parliaments want all radio
equipment devices and their accessories, such as chargers,
to be interoperable to cut down on electronic waste.
Germany's Member of the European Parliaments Barbara Weiler
said she wanted to see an end to what she terms as cable
chaos.
This is not the first attempt to set a standard for
universal phone chargers. In 2009 the European Commission,
the International Telecommunications Union and leading
mobile phone manufacturers drew up a voluntary agreement
based on the micro USB connector. However Apple, which sold
nine million units of the iPhone 5s and 5c's in just three
days has not adhered to the agreement despite signing up
with it.
(euexaminer.com, networkworld.com)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: HAM RADIO SUPPORTS BETHANY BEACH TRIATHLON
The Bethany Beach Delaware First Responders Triathlon
featured ham radio as one of its key components. This as
the Sussex County Amateur Radio Emergency Service provided
communications support to the event.
Twenty amateur radio operators supported the triathlon.
They were located at strategic points throughout the course
of the bike and run events. The hams radio volunteers
reported through a net control at the Bethany Beach Fire
Station. Status on the progress of the participants as well
as any emergency or medical needs were routed to the
appropriate authorities using ham radio.
The event which was held back on September 22nd included a 6
tenths of a mile swim, an 1 mile bike and a 4.3 mile run.
More than 800 participants took part. Planners say that it
was a very successful effort for the first responders as
well as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service communications
team. The complete story is on the web at
tinyurl.com/bethany-triathlon-hams. (CapeGazette.com,
eHam.net)
**
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)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF
AMATEUR RADIO INVOLVEMENT IN HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT
A special highlight of this year's AMSAT Space Symposium and
Annual Meeting will be the celebration of the 30th
anniversary of amateur radio involvement in human space
flight. This as it evolved into a successful program on
board the International Space Station that we all know as
ARISS. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is
in the newsroom with more:
--
The AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting takes place
November 1st to the 3rd in Houston Texas. And in
recognition of the 30th anniversary of manned ham radio in
space, a specially invited panel featuring former Astronaut
Owen Garriott, W5LFL, and other key individuals who
initiated this amazing program will take place on Saturday
evening, November 2nd as a part of the symposium's grand
banquet.
The event will be moderated by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, who is
AMSAT Vice President of Human Space Flight. The
presentation includes not only remarks by Garriott and
others, but also video highlights of amateur radio
participation in the first ever manned ham radio operation
from space as well as several other shuttle flights.
Owen Garriott, W5LFL flew on shuttle flight STS-9 in
November 1983. He was the first astronaut to utilize
amateur radio to communicate with those on the ground. This
in turn permitted the general public to speak with a United
States astronaut from space, doing so outside of NASA
communication channels. Garriott's operation from the space
shuttle Columbia was commemorated in the video "Amateur
Radios Newest Frontier" produced and hosted by the late NBC
newsman Roy Neal, K6DUE.
According to AMSAT, holding this celebration in Houston
makes it all the more special. This is because it will
permit non-AMSAT personnel and others involved with placing
amateur radio on the space shuttles and later onto the
International Space Station a chance to participate in the
celebration.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
looking skyward and remembering where I was when STS-9 flew
overhead here in the City of Angels.
--
The 31st Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting
takes place at the Houston Marriott South at Hobby Airport.
Details about the symposium and this celebration are on the
web at www.amsat.org. (AMSAT - NA)
**
ON THE AIR: SPECIAL EVENT STATION II8IDXC CELEBRATES ITALYS
IDXC 2015
On the air, listen out for special event station II8IDXC to
be active between November 2013 and May 2015. This
operation is to help publicize the 10th anniversary of
Italy's "International DX Convention" that will be held in
the city of Paestum in April of 2015. Operations will be on
the High Frequency bands plus 6 meters using CW, SSB and the
Digital modes. The events QSL manager is IZ8EDJ. More
information is on the web at www.dxitalia.it (Southgate)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
Members of Turkey's Special Wireless Activity Team have been
active with the special event TC suffix callsigns for some
years now to celebrate the anniversary of the Republic of
Turkey. This year the celebration runs through October 31st
and the group will be operational as TC90TC through then.
More details will be available on QRZ.com in the coming
days. (Southgate)
**
DX
In DX, K4ZIN and N4WDT will be on the air from Sierra Leone
from October 15th to the 22nd using the callsign 9L1JT. No
operating times or modes were stated. QSL via K4ZIN.
SM1TDE is currently on the air from Uganda as 5X8A on High
Frequency bands. No specific modes or operating times
mentioned. QSL via his home call.
Five operators from Japan will be active from Grenada Island
operating as J34J from November 20th to the 29th. Their
operation will include the CQ World Wide DX CW Contest. If
you make contact please QSL via JA1HGY
W9NJY will be active from Curacao from November 19th to the
25th signing stroke PJ2. He will be operational on 160
through 10 meters on CW only. QSL via WD9DZV either direct
or electronically using Logbook of the World.
JA1FUF and JF1CCH will be on the air from Kiribati from
November 28th to December 4th as T30NK and T30TS. Listen
out for them on 40 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and PSK31.
QSL each operator via his home call.
Lastly, M1AYI will be active from Falkland Islands October
20 through November 19th as VP8DNY. He plans to be
operational an all of the High Frequency bands on SSB only.
QSL via his home call.
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: CELEBRATING THE FIRST ZL DX
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
And finally this week, October marked the beginning of a
celebration in New Zealand of the earliest days of DX.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the
details"
--
After World War 1 and with the relocation of radio amateurs
to the supposedly useless shorter wavelength bands an
amazing period of radio exploration took place. Ham radio
operators all over the world soon realized that far from
being useless these wavelengths allowed communication over
long distances than previously thought.
Amateurs in New Zealand were among those at the forefront of
this activity with the first Zed-L to Australia QSO in April
1923. This was followed by what were then world record
distance QSO's between New Zealand and Argentina in May
1924, New Zealand and California in September 1924, and
Connecticut on the US east coast just weeks later. And then
the ultimate early Zed-L DX contact of Frank Bell, Z4AA and
his QSO with Cecil Goyder, G2SZ, in London, England on
October 18 1924.
To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the record breaking
activities of these early pioneers of Amateur Radio, ZM90DX
will be on the air between October of this year through
October 31st of 2014 on all bands 1.8 MHz to 1.2 GHz and
beyond using all modes. Activated by the Kiwi DX Group
which is an informal group of DX'ers and contest
enthusiasts, ZM90DX will be used by stations around New
Zealand and a special commemorative QSL card will be
available as well as an award program for contacts with this
nation during this period.
Not only will ZM90DX be active at expected times and on
expected bands, but in the spirit of those early pioneers
the operators will also be calling CQ on bands and in
directions one may not necessarily expect. This, with the
intention of exploring the boundaries of radio propagation.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF,
down-under in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
This will be an unparalleled opportunity for Amateurs all
over the world to work Zed-L while celebrating the exploits
of those early trail blazers whose work paved the way for
radio communications as we know it today. Further details
can be found on zm90dx.com and gb2nz.com. (NZART)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the NZART, the Ohio Penn
DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the
Southgate News, TWiT-TV and Australia's WIA 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 Jin Davis, W2JKD, in Vero Beach, Florida, saying 73 and
we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-16971777328813837102013-10-11T06:12:00.001-07:002013-10-11T06:12:24.809-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1887 - October 11 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cg42624wihk/Ulf5JDZdlDI/AAAAAAAABAE/OA5--mv72r0/s1600/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cg42624wihk/Ulf5JDZdlDI/AAAAAAAABAE/OA5--mv72r0/s400/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1887 with a release
date of October 11 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. The 2013 Scouting Jamboree on the
Air takes to the air on October 18th; Complaints pour in
about closed government websites; Several hams receive
warning notices from the FCC; The South African Radio League
announces its young scientist expo winner and the Dayton
Hamvention puts out a call for its 2014 awards. Find out
the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number
1887 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
SCOUTING: JOTA 2013 TO AGAIN INVOLVE HAM RADIO
The 2013 Scouting Jamboree on the Air is slated for October
18th to the 20th. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz,
NT3V, is here with the rest of the story:
--
Jamboree on the Air, or JOTA as it is known by those who
participate, is the largest Scouting event in the world.
James Wilson, K5ND, is the national Boy Scouts of America
coordinator for JOTA in the United States.
"Typically, about 700,000 Scouts get on the air from 6,000
stations and roughly 14,000-15,000 radio amateurs are making
things happen around the event," Wilson says.
"It's a huge deal worldwide and that's part of its
excitement. It's not just, gee let's check out the fun,
technology and the magic of amateur radio. But, let's get on
and talk to other Scouts.
"It might be in another state, it might be across the
country, or they could be around the world. And, a lot of
fun interaction happens reaching out to Scouts who are from
a completely different culture but still enjoying Scouting
and being introduced to amateur radio."
Jamboree on the Air is coordinated by the World Organization
of the Scout Movement out of the World Scout Bureau in
Geneva, Switzerland.
The activity is in its 56th year.
Wilson says JOTA operations in the U.S. range from home
stations where a den of Cub Scouts or a patrol of Boy Scouts
might be introduced to the event by an operator to set-ups
on an outdoor or larger scale...
"There are troops, for example, that are going out on a
campout. One of the dads or maybe a Scoutmaster is an
amateur radio operator and they're setting up, probably a
fairly simple station at the campout and getting it on the
air," Wilson says.
"And, then there are large camporees or merit badge
universities or what have you where they're setting up
multiple stations and planning to get literally hundreds, if
not thousands, of Scouts in front of the radio during
Jamboree on the Air."
This year marks the end of an era for one well-known
station, HB9S, the station based at the World Scout Bureau.
"This year will be it's last year because the World Bureau
is relocating its offices," Wilson says. "It's moving out of
Geneva, pretty much it's moving out of Europe. They don't
know exactly where, but they do know it will be taking place
in 2014.
"And, so, this will likely be the last time that HB9S is on
the air from Switzerland."
If you're looking for more information about JOTA and want
to participate, the best place to look, Wilson says, is
www.scouting.org/jota
"That gives a list of frequencies which includes Echo Link
and D-Star and those nodes as well so it really provides a
great deal of information about Jamboree on the Air," Wilson
says.
"That also, that same site, scouting.org/jota, has a link to
register your station. And, once you register your station,
you'll be added to an email list and you'll be updated on
Jamboree on the Air on all what we call Radio Scouting
activities which is the broad sweep of amateur radio
activities within Scouting."
Station registration is still under way and Wilson says it's
not too late to get involved.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V,
in Philadelphia.
--
The complete history of the event can be read on Wikipedia
at tinyurl.com/scouting-worldwide. (NT3V, ARNewsline)
**
RADIO LAW: LAWYERS AND OTHERS COMPLAIN ABOUT GOVERNMENT
WEBSITE SHUTDOWNS
Lawyers and others are accusing several Federal regulatory
agencies of unnecessarily blocking access to websites during
the government shutdown.
Agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and
the Federal Trade Commission have entirely shut down their
websites, preventing the public from accessing regulations,
filings and other documents. Other federal agencies
including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and
Drug Administration and the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration have stopped updating their
websites during the shutdown but old information is still
available.
The the Federal Trade Commission shutdown guide does not
directly address whether the website should be kept
available during a shutdown. Instead, it directs the agency
to retain up to six information technology employees to work
to ensure the integrity and security of the agency's
information infrastructure and its availability for use by
exempt employees pursuing excepted and essential law
enforcement actions during the shutdown. The FCC's shutdown
plan also did not mention cutting off access to its website.
According to the plan, the agency retained four employees
for critical information technology issues.
Congressional Republicans have accused the Obama
administration of maximizing the pain of the shutdown to
increase Democrats' leverage in negotiations. Because of
the shutdown, the FTC and FCC were unable to comment. More
on this story can be found on the web at
tinyurl.com/government-websites-down. (The Hill)
**
GOVERNMENT HALTED: MOST OF ARMY MARS STILL OPERATIONAL
The US Army MARS gateway station at Fort Huachuca, Arizona,
is operating on its normal schedule during the government
shutdown, but routine administrative activity is on hold.
This is because computer systems are down and no membership
paperwork can be processed for the duration of the fiscal
crisis.
As a civilian contractor not covered by the shutdown,
Operations Officer David McGinnis, K7UXO, is completing
final preparations for the November 3rd to the 4th national
communications exercise. Also, the MARS national net is
still functioning normally. (US Army MARS, ARRL)
**
GOVERNMENT HALTED: NIST CLOSED AND AFFILIATED WEB SITES NOT
AVAILABLE
While the tick and the announcements over WWV and WWVH are
still available over the airwaves, the current deadlock in
Washington over the Federal budget has shut down the
National Institute of Standards and Technology or NIST. It
has also closed most NIST and affiliated web sites until
further notice. As a result, the NIST is warning that its
time signals may not be 100% accurate until staffing
returns.
The National Vulnerability Database and the NIST Internet
Time Service web sites will continue to be available. A
limited number of other web sites may also be available.
Take a look at tinyurl.com/2dt3l7 to see whats on-line and
whats not. A notice will be posted at www.nist.gov once
operations resume. (NIST)
**
BREAKING DX NEWS: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PUTS WAKE ISLAND
COMMEMORATIVE ON HOLD
According to news reports the partial Federal shutdown is
preventing a group of radio amateurs visiting Wake Island to
commemorate a WWII massacre.
A dozen operators using the special call sign K9W were
supposed to be on Wake Island as this newscast goes to air.
They were working to assemble their gear in Hawaii for
transport to Hickam Air Force Base and then on to Wake
Island. Instead, after months of preparation, the trip is
on indefinite hold because of a paperwork delay the group
attributes to the partial federal shutdown.
The operators still hope to make the trip once the
government funding crisis is solved. Please keep an eye on
wake2013.org for the latest details and we will have more DX
news for you later on in this weeks report. (wake2013,
various other sources)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the Xerox Amateur Radio Club system WD6CZH in El
Segundo and Long Beach, California.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: HAMS SENT WARNING NOTICES BY FCC
According to the ARRL, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau recently
made public warning letters to several individuals. This
for alleged infractions of the Part 97 Amateur Service rules
or Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details:
--
Back on June 24th, FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith sent
identical warning notices to Eric J. Christianson, KNZ0CW,
and Thomas E. Barnes, N7OVC, of Reno, Nevada. This, to
inform them that the trustee of the WA7DG repeater in
Sparks, Nevada, had requested that they refrain from using
his system.
In her notices, Smith said that the written request was
issued as a result of the failure of the two hams to follow
operational rules set forth by the licensee and control
operators of the repeater system for their users. She went
on to note that the Commission requires that repeaters be
under the supervision of a control operator. Also that it
not only expects, but requires that such control operators
be responsible for the proper operation of the repeater
system. As such, control operators may take whatever steps
they deem appropriate to ensure compliance with the repeater
rules.
Smith then advised the two licensees that the FCC expects
them to abide by the repeater owner's request and any
similar requests by other repeater licensees, control
operators or trustees of other systems. She also said that
continued use of the WA7DG repeater could subject the two
hams to severe penalties, including monetary forfeiture, a
modification proceeding to restrict the frequencies upon
which you may operate or even license revocation.
On August 9th, Smith took on a High Frequency band issue.
This in a letter to Jack Hartley, K4WSB, of Tampa, Florida.
In it, Smith cited evidence received from members of the
Amateur Auxiliary Official Observers that Hartley had
operated outside of his Advanced class privileges on four
separate occasions while attempting to contact a station on
Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific.
Smiths letter to Hartley noted that According to the
Official Observer's, the Kwajalein operator refused the
contact noting that Hartley was not authorized to be
operating in that part of the band. She noted that after
sending Hartley three previous notices the O-O's contacted
the Commission and asked it to remind K4WSB that his
continued attempts to contact the operator on Kwajalein
Atoll constitute a violation of the Amateur Service rules.
Smith cautioned Hartley that continued operation outside the
parameters of his license could lead to enforcement action
that could include revocation or suspension and fines. The
three prior instances noted by the Official Observers
occurred in 2007 and 2008.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
The FCC also sent warnings to several non hams for operating
without a license. That part of the report next week.
(ARRL, FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: ALLEGED UNCERTIFIED TRANSMITTER SUPPLIER CITED
BY FCC
The Federal Communications Commission's Los Angeles
Enforcement Bureau has cited a company known
as FCCFrequency for marketing unauthorized RF devices in the
U.S.. Amateur Radio Newsline Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
reports:
--
The case began when the Los Angeles Office received
complaints alleging that FCCFrequency was selling and
installing non-certified low-power FM transmitters that
could be used in LPFM stations. In addition, the company
was also reportedly selling and installing the gear to
individuals and entities that had no FCC authorization to
operate the devices.
The company'name: FCCFrequency. That's FCCFrequency
spelled as one word. It came to the FCC's attention when
the agency was inspecting an unlicensed station in the Los
Angeles suburb of Arleta. At that time the operator showed
agents the purchase contract for the 100-watt transmitter
manufactured in the Dominican Republic that he bought in
March for around $6,000 from FCCFrequency.
The regulatory agency noted that at the time of its
investigation that the company's website said that it
specializes in Low Power FM Radio Station equipment sales
and installation, and encouraged nonprofit organizations to
install their own Low Power FM Radio Station. The website
also advertised that the company will help applicants to
file for new L-P-F-M's and major changes to existing
stations in the upcoming filing window, which is supposed to
open on October 15th. A check of the website on October 9th
now only shows an almost blank page with the short message
that reads "new.FCCFrequency.com is coming soon."
In its citation the FCC told FCCFrequency that it must stop
marketing the unauthorized devices and avoid any recurrence
of the alleged misconduct. The company must also inform the
FCC within 30 days of the date of the citation who it sold
RF equipment to since January of 2012. It must also supply
contact information on each purchasers and copies of sales
contracts. Not responding in 30 days could result in
further sanctions.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, in the
newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
More on this story is on the web at tinyurl.com/transmitter-
supplier-cited. (FCC, RW)
**
RESCUE RADIO: FCC SEEKS COMMENTS ON EAS FIXES
It is nearly two years since the first-ever nationwide test
of the Emergency Alert System and the FCC is now ready to
look at making some procedural changes based on what it
learned November 9, 2011. This as the agency begins
accepting public comments on several equipment and
operational issues. The FCC says the goal is to create a
dialogue with broadcasters and equipment companies to
develop a list of recommendations for what action the agency
needs to take. Obviously nothing much is going to happen
until Congress passes a measure that fully funds the
government's agencies but more on this issue is on the web
at tinyurl.com/eas-revisited (Inside Radio)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: SARL SPONSORED EXPO FOR YOUNG SCIENTIST
AWARD
The South African Radio League sponsored Expo for young
scientist award has won by Justin Boyce, a student at St.
John's College in Johannesburg. Boyce set out to predict
future Solar Coronal Mass Ejection activity by proving a
correlation between the number of C-M-E's and the sunspot
cycle. His findings were that Coronal Mass Ejections and
the sunspot cycle are both caused by intense activity in the
Sun's magnetic field and therefore strong correlations can
be expected. Also that predictions on the future of CME's
can be made using the repetitive pattern of the solar
sunspot cycle. The press release from the South African
Radio League did not say if Boyce was or was not a radio
amateur. (SARL)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: K6OSC RESIGNS AS W6RO QUEEN MARY
WIRELESS ROOM MANAGER
So0me names in the news. First up comes word that Nate
Brightman, K6OSC, stepped aside as the W6RO Wireless Room
Manager aboard the Queen Mary museum ship, anchored in Long
Beach, California.
Brightman, now 96, was the W6RO Wireless Room Manager for 34
years. Prior to that K6OSC devoted a decade arranging for
the GB5QM "Last Voyage" Amateur Radio operation from the
Queen Mary. He then was responsible for establishing W6RO
as the club station of the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long
Beach.
K6OSC cited his recent illness, hospitalization and his
advanced age as reasons for his decision to step aside
effective October 1st. He is succeeded as W6RO Station
Manager by David Akins, N6HHR. (ARRL, ARALB)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A QRMER BY JAMES
MILNER WB2REM
The Psychology of a QRMer is the title of a feature article
authored by James Millner, WB2REM. In it, Millner who is a
licensed Psychologist with 35 years of experience delves
into the thinking of those who cause problems for their
fellow hams.
Without giving away any of the plot so as to speak, we will
say that Milner is very meticulous in separating
unintentenional from intentenional interference. This, as
he looks into the underlying factors of operators who cause
these kinds of problems on the amateur bands.
The Psychology of a QRMer makes good reading, especially if
you have ever been the intentional target of a jammer. You
will find it beginning on page 44 of the October issue of CQ
Magazine. (ARNrewslineT)
**
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)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: THE OTHER EFFECT OF THE SOLAR CYCLE
As almost every ham knows, the number of sunspots rises and
falls in a regular cycle that repeats every 11 years, but
there's a lot more to the story. Here's Amateur Radio
Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, with that part of the story:
--
Sunspots are among the least dramatic activities in a solar
cycle. This is because they are easy to count and closely
correlated with flares and other indications of solar
activity. As such astronomers and scientists have used them
for centuries to monitor variations in the sun's activity.
But it is Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections that pose
the biggest risk to power grids and communications systems
here on Earth. These take place when billions of tones of
solar plasma erupt from the surface of the sun and are flung
out into space at speeds up to millions of miles per
second.
Variations in the amount of heat and light reaching the
Earth's surface as a result of the changes in the 11 year
cycle are tiny. Total solar output reaching the surface
varies by just 1.3 Watts per square meter or 1/10th of 1
percent between the maximum and minimum phases of a solar
cycle. However some researchers say that even this
miniscule variation has profound impacts on climate and
weather. They note that rainfall, cloud formation and river
run-off are all strongly correlated with the sun's 11-year
cycle.
All in all, the impact is far smaller than the warming
associated with other sources of climate change.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
One thing that solar activity cannot explain long-term
trends in global temperatures such as those associated with
global warming. That said there are some researchers
believe that it may have a noticeable impact over shorter
timescales. (macedoniaonline.eu)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: LADEE SPACECRAFT GOES INTO LUNAR ORBIT
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer or
LADEE spacecraft fired its engines Sunday morning, October
6th, slowing it enough to be captured by lunar gravity and
placing it into orbit around the Moon. Once given the green
light the spacecraft will begin its mission to study the
Moon's exotic and almost transparent atmosphere, which is
highly affected by space weather. That information will be
sent by radio back to Earth for further analysis.
(Spaceweather)
**
HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE: HABEX BALLOON TO FLY NOVEMBER 30
Plans to launch an unmanned high altitude balloon called
HABEX have received the approval of South Africa's Central
Airspace Management Unit. The launch will take place from
the Klerksdorp Airport between 06:00 and 08:00 local time on
Saturday, November 30th. The payload is expected to reach
an altitude of about 130,000 or more feet before the balloon
bursts and returns to the ground.
Chris Gryffenberg, ZS6COG, is coordinating the project. He
says that the mission will carry an Automatic Packet
Reporting System which will allow the monitoring of the
balloon trajectory via the internet at aprs.fi.
HABEX is a joint project of the Gauteng Department of
education and the South African Radio League. It is
specifically aimed at getting young people involved
scientific activities as a precursor to following a career
in communication and electronics. (SARL)
**
WORLDBEAT: VOICE OF RUSSIA MAY GO QRT JANUARY 1 2014
North American and Western European international shortwave
broadcasters aren't the only one's feeling todays financial
squeeze. RIA Novosti reports that the Voice of Russia will
cut its shortwave service as of January 1st, 2014. However,
the government shortwave broadcaster, originally known as
Radio Moscow, has not confirmed this plan of action,
according to The SWLing Post. The station has been
broadcasting since 1922. (SWL Post)
**
DX SUPPORT: NCDXF ANNOUNCES ESTABLISHMENT OF W7OO
CONTRIBUTION CHALLENGE
The Northern California DX Foundation has announced the
establishment of the W7OO Contribution Challenge. From
October 15th through the end of December long-time DXer Bill
Everett, W7OO, will match contributions received by the
Northern California DX Foundation. For those contributors
who file United States income tax returns, contributions to
Northern California DX Foundation are tax-deductible under
Section 501(c)(3) as an entity with the IRS. More
information is at www.ncdxf.org. (W0GJ)
**
DX
In DX, word that CT2HPM is once again on the air from Angola
operating as D2CT. He plans to be there through November
15th operating PSK31 and RTTY on 20 through 10 meters
including the WARC bands. QSL via CT2HPM.
W1CDC will be operational from Guyana as 8R1A between
October 13th and November 1st. Activity will be holiday
style on 80 through 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via his
home callsign, direct or by the bureau.
YB9WZJ and YD9RQX will be active using their home calls
stroke P from Waigeo Island between October 16th and the
22nd. Operations will be on 40, 20 and 15 meters using SSB
only. QSL only via their home callsigns.
Members of the Andorran Amateur Radio Union will again be
active as C37NL from Andorra during the CQWW DX SSB Contest.
The dates are October 26th and the 27th. QSL via C37URA.
N0HJZ, will be active as C6ARW from Grand Bahama Island
between October 22nd to the 29th. Operations will be on 30,
17 and 12 meters using CW and RTTY. QSL via his home
callsign, direct (with sufficient postage) or by the Bureau.
Lastly, AA1AC will be on the air stroke 6W from La Somone,
Senagal between December 8th and the 14th. No information on
times or frequencies was given. QSL direct or by the Bureau
to his home callsign.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: HAMVENTION 2014 OPENS AWARDS NOMINATION
SEASON
And finally this week, the Dayton Hamvention has announced
that it is soliciting nominations for its awards for the
2014 Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement, Technical
Excellence and Club of the Year. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Stephan, Kinford, N8WB, has the details:
--
The Amateur of the Year Award goes to an individual who has
made a long-term, outstanding commitment to the advancement
of amateur radio.
The Special Achievement Award honors someone who has made an
outstanding contribution to the advancement of amateur
radio. This is usually someone who has spearheaded but bit
necessarily limited to spearheading a significant project.
The Technical Excellence Award is for the person who has
made an outstanding technical advancement in the field of
amateur radio.
Last but by no means least, the Club of the Year award goes
to an organization which has made a significant contribution
to the advancement of amateur radio.
The Hamvention Awards Committee makes its decision on all
awards based in part upon the information it receives and
not on the number of nominations submitted for a given
candidate. Documentation that informs the Awards Committee
of a nominee's accomplishments may include magazine
articles, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and even videos.
These materials become the property of Hamvention and will
not be returned.
The winners will be recognized at the 2014 Hamvention, which
runs May 16th to the 18th. To be considered, nominations
must be received by January 17, 2014. Additional details on
these awards and a nomination form are available on the
Dayton Hamvention Web site at tinyurl.com/hamvention-awards-
2014.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
not far from Dayton in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
Once again Forms and other information are on the web at
tinyurl.com/hamvention-awards-2014. The last day for a
nomination to be postmarked is January 17, 2014.
Nominations may be sent by e-mail to the awards at
Hamvention dot org or mailed to Dayton Hamvention Awards,
P.O. Box 1446, Dayton, OH 45401-1446 in the USA. (DARA)
**
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 WIA 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 Jim Damron, N8TMW, in Charleston, West Virginia, saying
73 and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-68495480484018059602013-10-04T06:01:00.001-07:002013-10-04T06:01:58.815-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1886 - October 4 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
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.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-9517437634500828212013-09-27T05:55:00.001-07:002013-09-27T05:55:13.934-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1885 - September 27 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELkJoFyNTXA/UkWAH5Z38cI/AAAAAAAAA_g/y5Q8kW49I_0/s1600/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELkJoFyNTXA/UkWAH5Z38cI/AAAAAAAAA_g/y5Q8kW49I_0/s400/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1885 with a release
date of September 27 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QS-T. Hams in Australia may keep access
to part of the 2300 MHz band; amateur radio operators in
Portugal get new spectrum and some rules changes; Congress
asks why first responder radios failed during Washington
Navy Yard shooting; the FCC says no to encrypted ham radio
communications and researchers admit that Solar Cycle 24 is
quite puzzling. Find out the details on Amateur Radio
NewslineT report number 1885 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESTRUCTURING: VK AMATEURS MAY WIN PARTIAL REPRIEVE FOR
2300 MHZ
Some good news for hams down-under in V-K land. This with
word that the Australian amateur radio community could win a
partial reprieve on the expected loss of 2300 to 2302 MHz.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the
details:
--
The Wireless Institute of Australia reports that VK amateurs
may win a partial reprieve for access to the 2300 to 2302
MHz amateur band. This is spectrum that is currently under
threat of reallocation and restructuring.
This past February the Australian Communications and Media
Authority or ACMA released a discussion paper proposing to
withdraw the 2300 to 2302 MHz amateur allocation so that the
band from 2300 to 2400 MHz could be re-allocated for other
spectrum licensing.
The Wireless Institute of Australia filed a response to the
discussion paper, seeking to have a 150 kHz segment, from
2300 to 2300.15 MHz, retained for the amateur service on at
least a co-primary basis.
The ACMA has posted a report on its website on September
17th saying that it had received 124 submissions in response
to the discussion paper, from which an overwhelming number
objected to the ACMA's proposal. Specifically, a staggering
93% of submissions disagreed with the ACMA's suggestion, and
of those, 30% indicated support for the position advocated
by the Wireless Institute of Australia.
Even so, the ACMA has advised that, after considering the
information provided in the submissions, its view is that
the amateur service would not be able to retain co-primary
status if 2300 to 2400 MHz was relicensed. However, the
ACMA goes on to say that it will work closely with the
Wireless Institute of Australia to test whether a
coexistence licensing arrangement might be developed under
section 138 of that nations Radiocommunications Act.
Section 138 provides for a license to be issued within
spectrum where it would not result in unacceptable levels of
interference to equipment operated under the primary users
spectrum license.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF,
across the Tasman Sea in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
In its own statement, the Wireless Institute of Australia
says that it looks forward to working with the regulatory
authority to achieve a positive outcome for the 2300 to 2302
MHz band in that nation. More is on-line at
tinyurl.com/good-news-down-under. (VK2ZRH)
**
RESTRUCTURING: NEW SPECTRUM IN PORTUGAL
CT1JHQ reports that hams in Portugal have some new operating
spectrum as well as a few rules changes. He says that on
September 6th the nation's telecommunications regulator
issued an addendum to Portugal's National Table of Frequency
Allocations. In summary, the changes include the allocation
of the new 472 to 479 kHz band to the Amateur Service with
secondary status, and changes to conditions for access to
the 50 to 52 MHz and 1270 to 1300 MHz bands. The latter
affects only some license classes. More about this
restructuring is on the web as a PDF file in the Portuguese
language at tinyurl.com/new-Portugal-bands.
(CT1JHQ, South
**
RESCUE RADIO: COLORADO FLOOD FOLLOW-UP
A follow up to last weeks report on ham radios response to
the massive flooding that hit the state of Colorado. Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with the latest:
--
Ham radio volunteers assisting in damage assessment
following the recent flooding to hit parts of Colorado have
a new piece of equipment to work with. These are remote
control drone aircraft equipped with fast scan amateur
television cameras that permit ARES volunteers the ability
to provide actual real time pictures to served agencies from
the air. Amanda Alden, K1DDN, lives in Canyon City,
Colorado and is part of the Ham Nation reporting team:
--
K1DDN: "... They've done some awesome things with amateur
TV and using drones at the same time. Its... Allen Bishop
who controls this and he is one of those up there in Boulder
ARES. It has been a pretty neat introduction to helping
them see where damage has been in remote locations and
things like that."
--
The Allen Bishop that Amanda refers to is Boulder County
ARES Emergency Coordinator K0ARK. According to ARRL
Colorado Section Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, Bishop is one
of the key people involved in rescue radio operations and
kind of the father of the Mountain Emergency Radio Network
or MERN as described in last weeks newscast. Meantime
Ciaccia says that amateur television played another role
early on in this emergency:
--
WM0G: "We have been broadcasting live ATV pictures of the
evacuation choppers from the National Guard back to the
EOC's and we have been linking that through the Internet all
across the country back to FEMA headquarters in D.C.."
--
While the rains are gone there's still a lot of damage
assessment to be done. And as Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, told us
last week, ham radio volunteers will be there for as long as
they are needed.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
More on this story as developments warrant. (ARNewslineT,
Ham Nation)
**
RADIO FROM SPACE: SCIENTISTS ADMIT SOLAR CYCLE 24 LOW IS
PUZZLING
Predictions that 2013 would see an upsurge in solar activity
and geomagnetic storms have proved to be a false alarm.
Instead, the current peak in solar cycle 24 is among the
weakest for a century. Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephan
Kinford, N8WB, takes a look at what scientists are saying:
--
Subdued solar activity has prompted controversial
comparisons with the Maunder Minimum. The Maunder Minimum,
also known as the prolonged sunspot minimum, is the name
used for the period starting in about 1645 and continuing to
about 1715 when sunspots became exceedingly rare, as noted
by solar observers of the time. These minimums supposedly
coincided with the coldest period in the last millennium.
But Giuliana DeToma, a solar scientist at the High Altitude
Observatory in Colorado says that the unusually low number
of sunspots in recent years is not an indication that we are
going into a Maunder Minimum, but added that researchers do
not know how or why the Maunder Minimum started. As such,
they really cannot predict the next one.
Other solar experts think the downturn is linked a different
phenomenon called the Gleissberg cycle. The Gleissberg
cycle, named after Wolfgang Gleissberg, is thought to be an
amplitude modulation of the 11-year Schwabe Cycle which
predicts a period of weaker solar activity every century or
so. If that turns out to be true, the sun could remain
unusually quiet through the middle of the 2020s. However,
as scientists still do not fully understand why the
Gleissberg cycle takes place, the evidence is, at best,
inconclusive.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
The bottom line appears to be that the sun has gone
unusually quiet and no one really knows why or how long this
lull in activity will last.
(Macedoniaonline.eu)
**
BREAKING DX NEWS: VIETNAM COMING TO THE AIR IN OCTOBER
Vietnam will be on the air in a few weeks. This with word
that N0ODK will be operational from Ho Chi Minh City as
3W2DK between October 17th and the 24th. He will then
travel to Phu Quoc Island and be operational from there
using the call XV4MN between October 24th through the 29th.
His operations will be on 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters from both
locations. After his Phu Quoc Island operation, he will
return to Ho Chi Minh City and will again be on the air from
there until November 2nd. If you work this rare one, QSL
via N0ODK, direct, by the Bureau or Logbook of the World.
And we will have more DX related news for you later on in
this weeks newscast. (OPDX)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the Twin City Amateur Radio Club Net serving
Champaign Urbana Illinois.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: CONGRESSIONAL LAWMAKERS ASK WHY NAVY YARD
RADIO FAILED DURING SHOOTING
Two California lawmakers are calling on federal regulators
to investigate reports that first responder radios failed
during the recent shooting at Washington's Navy Yard. The
newspaper The Hill reports that Representatives Henry Waxman
and Anna Eshoo sent a letter on Monday, September 23rd to
the heads of the Federal Communications Commission and the
Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and
Information Administration, urging them to work with other
federal and local officials to investigate the problems.
In their letter of inquiry, the two lawmakers reportedly
stated that it is imperative that lawmakers understand what
happened to these communications systems and why. They also
urged the officials to ensure that FirstNet, which is a
planned nationwide wireless network for first responders,
avoids similar communications breakdowns.
The newspaper had previously reported that some federal
firefighters and police officers were unable to communicate
using their radios during the Navy Yard attack. According
to union officials for first responders some equipment
stopped working as officers entered buildings and at least
one officer was forced to rely on his cellphone. There were
also widespread reports of battery problems that prevented
the some of the radios from working. More on this story is
on the web at tinyurl.com/Washington-shooting-radio-fail.
(The Hill)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC SAYS NO TO ENCRYPTED HAM RADIO COMMS
Encrypted communications won't be coming to ham radio
anytime soon. This as the FCC dismisses a rule making
request from a Massachusetts ham who had asked the
regulatory agency to amend the Part 97 Amateur Service rules
to permit the encryption of certain amateur communications
during emergency operations or related training exercises.
RM-11699 was filed earlier this year by Don Rolph, AB1PH.
In it, he had asked the regulatory body to add an exception
to section 97.113 so as to permit limited encryption during
crisis communications or training exercises related to
readiness for such events. He argued that communications
when participating in emergency services operations or
related training exercises which may involve information
covered by medical privacy requirements or other sensitive
data required such encryption.
However in denying Rolph's rule change request the FCC
concluded that while the proposal could advance one purpose
of the Amateur Radio in its value to the public that it
would at the same time undermine other characteristics and
purposes of the service. Therefore the FCC says that it
agrees with those who filed comments opposed the concept of
encryption and turned away the request.
Among those who filed in opposition to RM-11699 was the
American Radio Relay League. As we go to air we have not
heard if AB1PH will appeal the Commissions decision in this
matter. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: ATLANTIC CARE ISSUED $4000 NAL FOR
UNAUTHORIZED OPERATION
The FCC has issued a $4000 Notice of Apparent Liability to
Atlanticare Medical Center E-M-S of Egg Harbor Township, New
Jersey. This for operating radio transmitting equipment on
154.4825 MHz from an unauthorized location in Hammonton, New
Jersey.
In its September 23rd release, the FCC said that on October
17, 2012, the Enforcement Bureau's Philadelphia Office
received a complaint of interference from Sunshine
Communications in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, alleging that
an unidentified digital transmitter was causing harmful co-
channel interference on 154.4825 MHz. Agents from the
Philadelphia Office monitored radio transmissions
immediately after receiving the complaint. They then T-
Hunted it to a mobile relay station operating from a water
tower in Hammonton, New Jersey. The agents conducted an
inspection of the radio transmitting equipment, which was
located inside the Water Tower. With the assistance of a
Town of Hammonton employee, the agents soon confirmed that
Atlanticare was operating a mobile relay station on the
frequency 154.4825 MHz from that location.
After the inspection, the agents searched the Commission's
records and found that Atlanticare holds a license for
Private Land Mobile Radio Station WQME366, but that it did
not authorize operation of a mobile relay station from the
water tower.
Now, in issuing its decision, the FCC says that pursuant to
the Commission's Forfeiture Policy Statement and Section
1.80 of the Rules, the base forfeiture amount for operating
on an unauthorized frequency is $4,000. As such,
Atlanticare was given the customary 30 days to pay the
proposed fine or to file an appeal. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC ANNOUNCES OCTOBER 3 WEBINAR ON LOW POWER FM
RADIO
The Federal Communications Commission has announced that it
will hold its second webinar to answer questions about low
power FM or LPFM radio stations and the process for applying
for a new license during the upcoming October 15th to the
October 29th open filing window. The webinar will be held
Thursday, October 3rd, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern
Time and will be broadcast live over the Internet at
www.fcc.gov/live.
The session primarily will be a question and answer period
where potential applicants can ask Media Bureau staff their
specific questions on areas such as using the LPFM Channel
Finder, filling out the application and any other issues
related to the LPFM filing window. Participants will be
able to submit questions by e-mail during the webinar to
lpfm@fcc.gov or by Twitter using the hashtag,
#LPFMquestions. The Bureau says that it will respond to as
many questions as possible during the session. Open
captioning will be provided.
The FCC says that it created the Low Power FM broadcast
service in 2000 to create opportunities for new voices to be
heard on the radio airwaves. (FCC)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: YAESU INTRODUCES SYSTEM FUSION DIGITAL
AUDIO AT DCC
Yaesu used the occasion of the recent ARRL and TAPR Digital
Communications Conference held in Seattle, Washington to
introduce the latest links in its chain of new products
aimed at the VHF and UHF digital voice market. Called
System Fusion, the new product line uses the previously
introduced C4FM / FDMA mode introduced in the company's FT
1DR Handheld and FTM 400DR mobile digital and analog dual
band transceivers coupled with its soon to be released DR-1
dual mode repeater. It will also have an optional
interconnect to the Internet using a stand alone HRI-200
Wires X interface unit.
Yaesu's System Fusion repeater differs in one important way
from most previous entries into the ham radio digital
marketplace as it retains traditional FM interoperability
along with C4FM / FDMA digital voice operation. This
according to Yaesu means that both analog and digital users
can share one repeater and communicate with each other.
The presentation of the new System Fusion was made by Dennis
Motschenbacher, K7BV, who is Yaesu's Executive Vice
President Amateur Radio Sales. It was video recorded by
Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, of Ham Radio Now dot TV. You can see it
on line at tinyurl.com/yaesu-digital-audio-dcc. Theres also
a new remailer set up to comment on this new digital voice
system. Its at groups.yahoo.com/group/YaesuSystemFusion and
YaesuSystemFusion is spelled as one word. (Yaesu,
HamRadioNow, ARNewsline)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: W6OBB TALKS ABOUT HIS SIRIUS XM RADIO
SHOW
Some names in the news. First up is radio talk show host
Art Bell, W6OBB, who appears in a recently posted video
where he discusses his new Sirius XM show Dark Matter with
Las Vegas journalist George Knapp. In the interview, which
was recorded before the premiere of Dark Matter, W6OBB,
explains that it simply the right time to come back.
Bell notes that many questions that he first brought to
radio more than a decade ago are still out there. Also,
that they more important now to many people then when he was
doing the original Coast to Coast AM show on terrestrial
radio.
Art Bell's Dark Matter premiered on Monday, September 16, on
Sirius XM channel 104. It airs live Monday through Thursday
from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am Eastern Time. We are sorry we
can't bring you any sound bites from the interview as it is
copyrighted material, but you can see it on the web at
tinyurl.com/art-bell-video. (Southgate, YouTube)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: COSMONAUT LEAVES SPACE PROGRAM FOR JOB
IN GAS INDUSTRY
Space travel seems to have lost its magic for at least one
person. This after a Russian cosmonaut Colonel Yury
Lonchakov, RA3DT, quit as a commander on a future mission to
become a gas industry worker.
The Mail Online newspaper reports Lonchakov opted out of the
Russian space program for a what the newspaper called a more
interesting job and forgoing his chance to lead a flight to
the International Space Station.
Why leave what's definitely one of the most interesting jobs
a person could ever get? The Mail says that as a gas
company worker he is expected to make two to three times the
salary as that of a Cosmonaut. It adds that quitting the
space industry was his personal decision. He thought he did
enough for space program and got an offer he could not turn
down. (WIA News, MailOnLine)
**
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)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: VOYAGER 1 ENTERS INTERSTELLAR SPACE
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is now officially the first man
made object to venture into interstellar space. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:
--
New data indicates that the Voyager 1 spacecraft has been
traveling for about one year through plasma, or ionized gas,
present in the space between stars. The 36-year-old Voyager
is about 19 billion kilometers from our sun in a
transitional region immediately outside the solar bubble,
where some effects from our home star are still evident.
Voyager 1 first detected the increased pressure of
interstellar space on the heliosphere in 2004. That's
bubble of charged particles surrounding the sun that reaches
far beyond the outer planets. It was at that point in time
that scientists then ramped up their search for evidence of
the spacecraft's interstellar arrival, knowing the data
analysis and interpretation could take months or years.
Voyager 1 does not have a working direct plasma sensor, but
does carry a plasma wave instrument. As luck would have it,
a massive burst of solar wind and magnetic fields that
erupted from the sun in March 2012 provided scientists the
data they needed. When this energy from the sun eventually
arrived at Voyager 1's location on April 9th of this year
the plasma around the spacecraft began to vibrate causing
the plasma wave instrument to detect the movement. The
pitch of the oscillations helped scientists determine the
density of the plasma. The particular type of oscillations
meant the spacecraft was bathed in plasma more than 40 times
denser than what they had encountered in the outer layer of
the heliosphere. This was to be expected and was the
confirmation astronomers needed to prove that Voyager 1 had
entered into interstellar space.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, were launched 16 days
apart in 1977. Mission controllers still talk to or receive
transmissions from the twin Voyager probes daily though the
signals are currently very faint. Data from Voyager's
instruments is transmitted to Earth typically at 160 bits
per second, and captured by NASA's Deep Space Network
receiving stations. Traveling at the speed of light, a
signal from Voyager 1 takes about 17 hours to travel to
Earth. (Space and Science)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE : DIGITAL ATV FROM ISS COMMISSIONING TO
BEGIN
According to a note from ARISS Europe chairman Gaston
Bertels, ON4WF, the new Digital ATV transmitter on board the
International Space Station, will soon be installed in the
Columbus module and commissioned. This will be done in
several steps, each during a full pass of the ISS over the
Matera ground station. It is not yet known if these passes
will be chosen in close succession, or if they will cover
several weeks.
ARISS has proposed to the European Space Agency to operate
so called "blank" transmissions during the commissioning
period. If this is accepted, it means that Ham Video will
transmit permanently without camera. The camera will not be
used because it is fed on batteries and servicing it would
require a prohibitive amount of crew time. Transmitting
recordings is part of a future project, but not available
presently.
Although ground stations will receive a black image without
audio, these so called blank transmissions will contain all
information needed for the setting up and the fine tuning of
the station. Collected data will be used for a performance
study of the ARISS L/S-band antennas as well as for an
evaluation of the global system. (ARISS Europe)
**
HAM RADIO TO SPACE: SAY HELLO TO JUNO ON OCTOBER 9
NASA has invited hams around the world to say hello to its
Juno spacecraft as it passes close to Earth on October 9th.
The experiment will utilize the amateur 10 meter band using
CW and you will need to know basic Morse to send the two
letters HI. More information on how to take part is on the
web at www.jpl.nasa.gov/hijuno (NASA)
**
ON THE AIR: AZ QSO PARTY OCTOBER 12 - 13
The 2013 Arizona QSO Party, sponsored by the ARRL Arizona
Section and Catalina Radio Club, takes place from 1600 UTC
on October 12th and runs through 0600 UTC on October 13th.
It then continues at 1400 UTC on the 13th and finally
concluding at 23:59 UTC on that same date. Modes will be
phone, CW and Digital on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 10, 6 and 2
meters. More information can be had for an e-mail sent to
info (at) azqsoparty (dot) org (AZ QSO PARTY)
**
RADIO EDUCATION WWROF TO HOST WEBINAR ON NEW CQ WW CONTEST
RULES
The World Wide Radio Operators Foundation has announced
plans to host a webinar to review the updated rules for
the CQ World Wide DX Contest. The cyberspace event will
take place at 1900 UTC on Sunday, October 6th and will be
hosted by CQ World Wide DX Contest Director Randy Thompson,
K5ZD. According to a news release, Thompson will also take
questions following the presentation.
The CQ World Wide DX Phone Contest takes place on October
26th and 27th while its CW counterpart is slated for
November 23rd and the 24th. Pre-registration for the
October 6th webinar is required and can be done on-line at
tinyurl.com/cq-ww-contest-webinar. (WWROF, DX remailer,
others)
**
DX
In DX, JF2WGN will be active as AH2EA from Guam between
October 17th and the 21st. His operation will be on the HF
bands. QSL via the bureau to his home callsign only. If you
want a QSL direct do not send your card until after January
2014.
JF1CCH and JA1FUF will be on the air from West Kiribati
between November 28th and December 4th. Activity will be on
the HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK. Their callsigns
and QSL info will be announced shortly.
Lastly, HL05GDB will be active from South Korea around until
November 3rd. Listen out for him on 80 through 6m using all
modes and QSL via HL4CEL.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: THE AGE OF DIGITAL DETOX
And finally, if you have been spending far to much time in
front of your computer screen, then a Pennsylvania hospital
may be able to help you. This as it becomes the first to
offer an inpatient detox program for those addicted to the
internet. No we are not kidding as we hear from Amateur
Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK:
--
Bradford Regional Medical Center in Bradford, Pennsylvania
will soon have a program available to assist those whose
lives have spiraled out of control because of their
addiction to the World Wide Web. The program will offer a
voluntary, 10-day in-patient treatment program that was
created by experts in other, more traditional addictions
like alcohol or drugs.
In the hospital wing already occupied by patients with
addictions of other sorts, groups of four internet addicts
will take classes and take part in the sort of group therapy
traditionally reserved for chemical and other dependencies.
This program can also intervene with medication, if needed,
to treat withdrawal symptoms and diagnose and treat the
underlying issues that often accompany the web addiction
problem.
Only one catch. The price tag of the program could be
prohibitive enough to keep all but the most desperate of
internet addicts away. A stay for this digital detox
facility will cost around $14,000 and currently no insurance
program will cover it. So if you are a ham who may be
addicted to web based contacts or just surfing the web night
and day, it may pay to simply try limiting your time on the
Internet and spending most of it using RF to make contacts
on the air.
But before you do anything be sure to consult your physician
for advice. That's because none of us are doctors nor do we
play one on TV.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
The United States is not the only place where digital detox
will be taking place. According to a report in The Japan
Times, that nations Education Ministry plans to set up the
camps next year, offering addicted students a chance to
unplug from their computers and smartphones, enjoy some time
in the real world, and face their web based addiction head-
on with tablet-free counseling sessions and lectures.
(London Daily Mail, CTV News, other published reports.)
**
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 WIA 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 David Black, KB4KCH, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-85898131981562274392013-09-20T04:50:00.002-07:002013-09-20T04:50:26.501-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1884 - September 20 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1884 with a release
date of September 20 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Ham radio responds as flooding
ravages parts of Colorado; China and the Philippines at
loggerheads over the fate of Scarborough Reef; UK hams set a
new record at 76 Gigahertz; Portugal takes legal action to
combat widespread unlicensed operation and ham radio says a
final goodbye to 73 Magazine founder Wayne Green, W2NSD.
This and more on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1884
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: AMATEUR RADIO RESPONDS TO COLORADO FLOODS
Ham radio was once again a first responder as a week of
torrential rainfall brought destruction to parts of
Colorado. Many of these were the same areas that were
damaged by a series of wind-driven wildfires earlier this
year and back in 2012. At least seven people have been
confirmed as killed by deadly flooding and efforts to locate
more than 1,000 missing people continue.
Some of the worst flooding followed the path of the High
Park and Waldo Canyon fires. The 2013 Waldo Canyon fire was
the worst in the state's history burning more than 18,000
acres near Colorado Springs and destroying more than 300
homes.
Jack Ciaccia, WM0G is the ARRL Colorado Section Manager. He
says that as the flood waters began arriving on Thursday,
August 12th, ham radio operators were ready:
--
Ciaccia" "The hams in the local ARES groups reported to the
regional and local county emergency operations centers and
manned their positions. Plus the state Emergency Operations
Center in Centennial Colorado was opened and staffed by
senior ARES personnel"
--
The unprecedented storms dealt a heavy blow to both
utilities and communications. News reports say that many
cellular telephone towers have either fallen, were washed
away or are simply without power. This in turn cut off
wireless and broadband communications to several
communities. Also destroyed have been powerlines and some
landline-based telephone service. This has left ham radio
as the mainstay of communications into and out of these
areas.
--
Ciaccia: "The next thing to happen was we started hearing
of evacuation centers being opened kind of spontaneously
because a large building in a dry area was the only
criteria. And as fast as we could we needed to get
communications to them because in many of the mountain areas
where these evacuation centers were there was no other means
of communications"
--
As the operation progressed, some hams were assigned to
monitor the Boulder County ARES Repeater as well as the two
Mountain Emergency Radio Network Repeaters located in high
altitude communities. The latter turned out to be true life
savers. Again, WM0G:
--
Ciaccia: "We were fortunate to have some hams located in
some of the remote areas which is (the result) of another
project that we had created in the past year since the fires
called the Mountain Emergency Radio Network. This is a
small network of repeaters that the ARES hams have trained
upward of 60 mountain residents and who have gotten their
licenses. We then repurposed a bunch of VHF radios - both
handy talkies and mobiles for them to utilize these
repeaters.
"And just tonight we were told by the Fire Chief in one of
those remote communities that had it not have been for that
MERM repeater system that there probably would have been a
lot more deaths because people were able to communicate with
each other as to what was happening, where the destruction
was and how to get out."
--
On Monday the 16th the ARES groups received new marching
orders. In addition to search assistance, evacuations,
shelter communications and logistics another role has been
added. That of disaster assessment:
--
Ciaccia: "Disaster assessment teams from the Red Cross and
from the counties will be mobilizing and we have been asked
to provide hams, radios and also video cameras to record
video of the disaster areas. So we will be taking on that
assignment as well."
--
According to Ciaccia so far some 200 ham radio volunteers
have been deployed in and around the various flood-stricken
counties with some providing communication where no other
means existed or still exists. News reports say that at the
height of the flooding that the towns of Estes Park, Lyons
and Jamestown were relying on ham radio as their only
contact with the outside world.
This is a still developing story and we will have more in
future Amateur Radio Newsline reports. (ARNewslineT)
**
RESCUE RADIO: XE HAMS RESPOND TO TROPICAL STORMS INGRID AND
MANUEL
Mexican radio amateurs have been using 40 and 20 meters as
part of their response to the effects of tropical storms
Ingrid and Manuel. According to a posting to Twitter by
that nations national amateur radio society, both 7.060 and
14.120 MHz have been activated in the wake of these severe
weather outbursts. Amateurs elsewhere are asked to please
keep those two frequencies clear until post storm
communications have been secured. (FMRE, Southgate)
**
WORLDBEAT: CHINA VS. THE PHILIPPINES OVER SCARBOROUGH REEF
DXpeditions to Scarborough Reef and other locations in that
region could become a lot harder if not impossible if
China makes good on its expected move to occupy a disputed
chain of shoals in the South China Sea. This according to a
top Philippines' diplomat who says that China may act to
expand China's territory before regional rules on maritime
behavior comes into effect.
Albert del Rosario is the Philippines Foreign Affairs
Secretary. On September 4th he said that his nation
believes China's incursion into the area known as the
Scarborough Shoal is a threat to peace in Southeast Asia.
But in Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman described the
shoal area as China's inherent territory.
Scarborough Shoal or Reef, also known as Huangyan Island, is
a shoal located between the Macclesfield Bank and Luzon
Island of the Philippines in the South China Sea. It is
a disputed territory claimed by the People's Republic of
China, by Taiwan and the Philippines. The shoal's status is
often discussed in conjunction with other territorial
disputes in the South China Sea such as those involving
the Spratly Islands or the Paracel Islands. Since the 2012
Scarborough Shoal standoff access to the territory has been
restricted by the People's Republic of China.
Tension in the South China Sea has risen of late as China
uses its growing naval might to assert extensive claims over
the oil and gas rich waters more forcefully. This in turn
has been fuelling fears of a military clash for some time.
The last major operation from Scarborough was in 2007 where
the BS7H team made over 45,000 QSO's. Currently Scarborough
is listed as number 21 in the Club Log Most Wanted List and
number 7 in the latest most needed list published by the DX
Magazine.
(defensenews.com, inquirer.net, South China Morning Post,
others)
**
RADIO RECORDS: UK HAMS SET 76 GIGAHERTZ DISTANCE RECORD
A new United Kingdom distance record on 76 Gigagertz of 102
kilometers was achieved on Saturday September 14th. This in
a contact between Chris Towns G8BKE and John Hazell G8ACE at
Batcombe Hill, in Dorset and Ian Lamb GW8KQW on Eglwysilan
Mountain in Gwent.
The success of this attempt is a result of continual
innovation and systematic improvements and testing of the
equipment built and used by the Wessex microwave
enthusiasts. This with support from other microwave radio
devotees in the UK and Germany.
This is also believed to be the first 76GHz contact between
Wales and England.
The mode used was narrowband FM. More is on the web at
tinyurl.com/uk-76ghz-record. (Southgate)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W1QWT Repeater serving Scituate,
Massachusetts.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: PORTUGAL TAKES ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS
Portugal is going after the radio bad guys. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has more:
--
Jose Francisco, CT4AN, reports that the Portuguese national
telecommunications regulator ANACOM has taken action against
illegal radio communications in that nation. In a second
joint action, ANACOM and the Portuguese Maritime Police
seized radio gear and issued heavy fines to ten unlicensed
operators. Besides having the equipment confiscated, the
operators face monetary forfeitures which may reach close to
1650 US Dollars each.
The Authorities said that the raids were based on
interference complaints to legal Portuguese radio operators.
These included stations licensed to operate in the Amateur
Radio Service, Aeronautical and Maritime Services and on
certain unspecified commercial radio frequencies.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
More is on the web at tinyurl.com/PortugalCommsRegulator.
(Southgate)
**
ENFORCEMENT: AUSTRALIAN CB OPERATOR ACCUSED OF HARASSMENT
A 44-year-old Adelaide, Australia, man has appeared in court
charged with being abusive over his CB radio. The
Australian Communications and Media Authority said the man
had been charged with five offences following an
investigation into his alleged abuse and harassment over
that nations Citizens Band Radio service.
The unidentified man appeared at the Adelaide Magistrates
Court on Friday, September 6 and was released under an order
to appear again on November 15th. Under Australia's Radio
Communications Act it is against the law to operate a CB
radio in a way that would cause a person to be seriously
alarmed or affronted or to harass. It should be noted that
Australia is a nations whose legal system protects the
identity of those accused of legal infractions until a
conviction has taken place.
(Seven News Australia)
**
ENFORCEMENT: MYSTERY AM STATION ON THE AIR IN OMAHA NB
ISSUED NOV
The FCC appears to be admitting that it is stumped by a
mystery station in Omaha, Nebraska, that operates on 1490
KHz in the AM broadcast band.
According to the Omaha World Herald newspaper, the station
uses the call letters KOMJ but is seemingly without owners,
advertisers or disc jockeys. Instead it plays a continuous
loop of oldies that some liken to a 1960's jukebox stuffed
with an endless supply of coins.
In papers filed last month the FCC admitted it was stumped
in that it could not locate the stations owner nor its
studio location. The regulatory agency said in its filing
that the station is technically owned by Cochise
Broadcasting, in Jackson, Wyoming but that it could find a
phone number nor a website for the company.
Regular listeners to the station's oldies format say that
commercials aren't part of the entertainment cycle leaving
questions about who is paying for the programming. Meantime
on August 14th the FCC did issue a Notice of Violation to
Cochise Broadcasting for various alleged violations of its
rules in relation to the operation of KOMJ.
More on this fascinating story is on the web at
tinyurl.com/Omaha-mystery-station. The FCC Notice of
Violation can be found at tinyurl.com/mystery-radio-n-o-v.
(Omaha World-Herald)
**
RESCUE RADIO: ARMY MARS INVITES PARTNERS TO COLLABORATE IN
HOMELAND SECURITY OPERATION
Army MARS Headquarters has invited the Chiefs of Air Force
and Navy-Marine Corps MARS to join in a National
Communications Exercise. One that will measure the
auxiliary force's capabilities in the event that normal
communications are disrupted throughout North America.
The test will run for 48 continuous hours from November 3rf
to the 5th and will be closely monitored by a Joint Command
responsible to the Defense Department for homeland security.
This exercise culminates a year-long series of escalating
preparations by Army MARS for responding to all types of
complex emergencies. These could be anything from a natural
phenomenon or terrorist attack that might render the
Internet, long distance telephone, and national news and
media networks unusable across the United States.
(N1IN, QRZ)
**
RESCUE RADIO: NEW EMCOMM GUIDEBOOK FROM DHS
A very informative guidebook authored by Ross
Merlin, WA2WDT, and titled NIFOG is described as a great go-
to compendium of radio frequencies, channels, and other
tidbits if information that can be essential in times of an
emergency.
The guide is authored by Merlin who works in the Department
of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications. He
authored the guidebook for the agency and says that it
contains page after page of frequency information, operating
procedures, formulas, and rules and regulations from both
the FCC and the NTIA. Specific subject material includes
frequency and channel data for Fire, EMS, Police, and Law
Enforcement as well as Mutual Aid channels in VHF, UHF, 700
MHz, and others. Also included is communications
information for marine, aviation, NOAA weather, MURS, GMRS,
FRS, and just about any radio you might encounter in an
emergency.
Te guidebook is available in printed and downloadable
formats. The primary Website where downloads copies are
available is publicsafetytools.info. Copies printed on
waterproof paper, are reportedly available free of charge
from the Department of Homeland Security. Please
contact NIFOG (at) HQ (dot) DHS (dot) GOV for details.
(AA7BQ, QRZ.com)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: OCTOBER SKY - THE ROCKET BOYS FESTIVAL
The "October Sky : Rocket Boys Festival" takes place October
4th to the 6th in Beckley, West Virginia. And as a part of
the celebration the Black Diamond Amateur Radio Club will be
operating a special event station on October 5th with the
call W8R. Frequencies to be listening on are 7.280 and
14.280 MHz. +/- 3.Khz. More is on the web at
tinyurl.com/rocket-boys-festival-2013
(KB8QEU)
**
RADIO HAPPENINGS: COLLEGE RADIO DAY OCTOBER 1
College Radio Day 2013 will take place on Tuesday, October
1st. This annual event has by now grown to 650
participating stations in 40 countries. This includes
Italy, Israel, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Mexico,
Colombia, the United Kingdom and Sweden to name only a few.
College Radio Day is described as a 40 hour relay which
involves presenters passing the mic figuratively from
station to station while circumnavigating the globe over the
airwaves. It was begun by Rob Quicke, who is a
communications professor at William Paterson University, in
New Jersey. He also oversees programming at WPSC- FM, which
was named the "Best College Radio Station" in the U.S. in
both 2012 and 2013. More about the event is on the web at
collegeradioday.com.
(RW)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: AMSAT-NA BOD ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED
The results of the 2013 Amsat North America Board of
Directors election has been announced. Barry Baines,
WD4ASW; Tony Monteiro, AA2TX; Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, and Mark
Hammond, N8MH, will serve on the board for two year terms.
The first alternate is JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, and the second
alternate is Steve Coy, K8UD. 688 AMSAT-North America
members cast votes in this year's election.
(AMSAT-NA)
**
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)
**
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: WAYNE GREEN, W2NSD - SK
The changing of the guard in amateur radio continues with
word of the passing of one of the hobby's true legends.
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has the story of the life and legacy
of Dr. Wayne Green, W-2-Never-Say-Die:
--
One of the people who truly changed the face of ham radio in
both the 20th and 21st centuries has gone to his final
reward. This with the sad news that Dr. Wayne S. Green II,
W2NSD, of Hancock, New Hampshire, died September 13th at the
age of 91.
Dr. Green was an outspoken figure during his many years
writing about the hobby. His public career really began
with a five year stint at CQ Magazine in the 1950's before
founding 73 Magazine in late 1959. While at the helm of 73
he often used the title of El Supremo and Founder of the
magazine which he published until 2003.
Over the years Dr. Green was known for many things. He
traveled the world and did his best to introduce ham radio
in developing nations. He was one of the earliest
supporters of emerging modes such as RTTY, FM and repeaters
and even started the first ham radio digital communications
magazine. And as each new technology came along, there was
W2NSD as its point man urging all of us to embrace the same
dreams that he had. Be it ham radio, personal computing,
the Compact Disc or numerous other technologies, there was
Wayne Green urging anyone who would listen to give it a try.
But what Wayne Green, W2NSD, will likely best be remembered
for was his editorials. He wrote over a thousand of them
covering everything from giving his personal support to even
the most mundane aspects of our hobby to alternate science
such as his belief in producing energy through cold fusion.
The list of what he wrote about goes on and on. It took a
lifetime for him to write and for many of us; it took a good
part of our lifetime to read. And in the process his zest
for life and commitment to ham radio and technology changed
both for the better.
On his blog, Dr. Green left a short note for all of us. It
was his final entry. Please permit me to read it to you as
it sums up the life of the man as he saw himself:
The wall clock clicks out the seconds
With so many yet ahead, I've ignored them
A battery keeps the clock going
I wonder how my own battery is doing?
The one with the most toys wins
Awash in toys, I'll pass on
What did I win?
Now what happens to my toys?
I'll leave books, records, tapes, and photos
By the thousands
A lifetime archive
Worthless to anyone but me.
Pictures of family and friends
Treasured books and music
The mileposts of my life
All will be headed for the trash heap.
Like my father, grandfather, and great grandfather
I'll be another gravestone
In a northern New Hampshire cemetery
And the world will carry on as if nothing had happened.
I have no complaints
I've enjoyed the world and helped it a bit
What would I change if I could do my life over?
Get a thick pad and I'll make a list.
73 Wayne. We will see you once again on the other side of
the great ethereal abyss.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
remembering the years gone bye.
--
Wayne Green's longtime associate Daron Libby will be keeping
Dr. Green's on-line blog at waynegreen.com/wayne/news.html
active for the foreseeable future. If you have a personal
thought that you would like to see added to it please e-mail
it to dhlc (at) Comcast (dot) net.
(ARNewslineT)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: HAM OWNED COMPANY DEVELOPS HF ASSET
TRACKING NETWORK
HySky Technologies Inc. is using High Frequency
communications for an innovative asset tracking and
reporting network. Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash,
N5ASH, has the details:
--
The company whose the Chief Executive Officer is Charles
Maynard, KJ4PPE, recently gained an FCC license to use 954
H-F channels each 3 kHz wide. The mobile tracking units
using this spectrum will transmit a maximum of 1 watt
Effective Radiated Power using a small low-efficiency
broadband antenna. The data will be received by nine
stations located at low-noise sites across the USA which
will then be forward the data to customers.
The signal being transmitted will have a bandwidth of 2800
Hz and an emission designator of 2K80G1D. The company says
that a military High Frequency waveform will be used and
claims the system will overcome coverage and other problems
associated with traditional tracking devices using cell-
phone or satellite transmission interfaces.
The license issued to HySky reportedly covers up to 10,000
devices operating in the United States, including Hawaii,
Alaska and US territories but word is that this service
could expand worldwide.
Im Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.
--
More about the company and its rather interesting work is on
the web at www.hysky.com (Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NEW INFLATABLE ANTENNA FOR CUBESATS
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports that
researchers have developed a new design of inflatable
antenna for CubeSats that can fold into a compact space and
then inflate when on-orbit.
Due to their small size CubeSats have up to now been limited
to small monopole or dipole antennas. Such low gain omni-
directional antennas have in turn restricted CubeSats to Low
Earth Orbits using lower data rates than would be possible
with a large directional antenna array.
But the new inflatable antenna may significantly increase
the communication range of these small satellites, enabling
them to travel much farther in the solar system. It is
claimed the distance that can be covered by a satellite with
an inflatable antenna array is seven times farther than that
of existing CubeSat communications.
The MIT team, led by Alessandra Babuscia, is part of the
research group of Professor Sara Seager, KB1WTW. The group
also includes graduate students Mary Knapp, KB1WUA, Benjamin
Corbin, and Mark Van de Loo from MIT, and Rebecca Jensen-
Clem from the California Institute of Technology.
(Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: KF5LJG HEADED TO ISS IN LATE SEPTEMBER
NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, along with Russian
cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryzanskiy are scheduled to
launch September 25 to join their Expedition 37 crewmates
aboard the International Space Station.
Hopkins will be the first member of the 2009 NASA astronaut
class to fly into space. While aboard the ISS, KF5LJG will
install the new Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station Ham Video gear. He has already received pre-flight
training on how to commission the amateur radio digital
video equipment.
Hopkins will join Expedition 37 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin,
RN3FI, and Flight Engineers Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP and Karen
Nyberg. Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and Parmitano arrived in May
and will return to Earth in November. (K6LCS)
**
DX
In DX, DL1YAF is currently on the air stroke VP9 from
Hamilton. Bermuda. He will be there through September 25th
operating holiday style on CW, SSB and PSK31. QSL via home
callsign, either direct or via the bureau.
Members of Canada's Association de Radio Amateurs Sept Iles
Inc. will be active as VE2CSI during the CQ World Wide DX
RTTY Contest on September 28th and 29th as a Multi-2 entry.
Operators mentioned are VE2EBK, VE2SG and possibly others.
QSL via M0URX.
DL3JH will be operational from Sri Lanka as 4S7JG until
September 29th. He is active on the High Frequency bands
only. QSL via his home call.
Lastly, JI1LET will be active from Chichijima Island in the
Ogasawara chain from October 25th through November 3rd
operating signing JD1BOI. He will be active on 80 through 6
meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via his home call direct
only
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: NASA TO REACTIVATE WISE INFRARED RADIO
TELESCOPE
And finally this week, a currently mothballed space
telescope will soon have a new mission in space as we hear
from Newsline's Jeff Clark, K8JAC:
--
NASA will reactivate a currently unused infrared space
telescope for a three-year mission. This to search for
potentially dangerous asteroids on a collision course with
Earth.
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, telescope
also will hunt for targets for a future mission to send a
robotic spacecraft to rendezvous with a small asteroid and
relocate part or all of it into a high orbit around the
moon. Astronauts would then visit the relocated asteroid
during a test flight of NASA's deep-space Orion capsule
which is slated for launch sometime in 2021.
Launched in December 2009, the WISE telescope spent 13
months scouting for telltale infrared signs of asteroids,
stars, distant galaxies and other celestial objects,
especially those too dim to radiate in visible light. As
part of its all-sky mapping mission, WISE observed more than
34,000 asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter and another 135 asteroids in orbits that come close
to Earth. In all, researchers cataloged more than 560
million objects from data radioed back to Earth from the
WISE space telescope.
Im Jeff Clark, K8JAC.
--
Orion and a heavy-lift rocket called the Space Launch System
which will carry Wise follow-on team on their mission are
scheduled for an unmanned debut test flight sometime in
2017. (NASA)
**
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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in South Mississippi, saying 73 and
we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1883 with a release
date of September 13 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. New Zealand and Japan sign a new
reciprocal operating agreement; unlicensed operations on 2
meters in Europe becomes a growing problem due to cheap hand
held radios; a wildfire in Northern California destroys
several repeaters; a move to restructure the FCC passes the
House pf Representatives and a pair of solar powered pico
balloons set a new European flight endurance record. Find
out the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number
1883 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
WORLDBEAT: RECIPROCAL LICENSING AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN
NEW ZEALAND AND JAPAN
New Zealand and Japan have signed an agreement formalizing
reciprocal licensing between the two countries. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reports:
--
Under the agreement the New Zealand General Amateur
Operators Certificate will be recognized as equivalent to
the Japanese First Class Radio Operator's qualification and
a New Zealand Amateur will be will be permitted to establish
and operate a station as an amateur radio operator in Japan.
Similarly the Japanese First and Second Class Radio
Operator's qualification will be recognized as holding the
equivalent to the New Zealand General Amateur Operators
Certificate. This means that the holder of a Japanese First
or Second Class Radio Operator's qualification visiting New
Zealand may operate for up to 90 days using their Japanese
assigned call sign, with the addition of the ZL prefix.
Not included in the agreement are Japan's Third and Fourth
Class amateur license holders because there appear to be no
New Zealand licenses with equivalent levels of
qualification.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, on
the South Island in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
No date was announced for when this new reciprocal licensing
agreement will take effect. (NZART)
**
ENFORCEMENT: UNLICENSED OPERATIONS DISCOVERED ON 2 METERS IN
EUROPE
The August issue of the International Amateur Radio Union
Monitoring System newsletter reports the amateur 2 meter
band in Europe is being used illegally by unlicensed
stations using what are described as cheap hand held
transceivers.
The monitoring service says it has already received reports
from several countries about unlicensed operators using VHF
FM handhelds in the 144 MHz band. These include such wide
ranging activities as taxi-nets in the Canary Islands,
fishery operations in the Bay of Biscay and a number of
undefined private users in Germany.
The IARU Monitoring System asks that all radio amateurs to
be aware of this situation. Additionally they should inform
their relevant national authorities when this type of
activity is encountered. Also to please log their reports
of any amateur band intruders online at tinyurl.com/2-meter-
intruder-watch. (IARU-R1)
**
RADIO HAZARD: CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE TAKES NUMEROUS REPEATERS
OFF THE AIR AND DESTROYS SEVERAL
A wildfire in Contra Costa County, California that started
on September 8th forced the evacuation of at least 100
homes. It also took a cluster of repeaters primarily
serving the San Francisco Bay area off the air. Four of the
repeaters are owned by the Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club.
They were the lucky ones because all they lost was power to
their systems. Jim Siemons, AF6PU, is a spokesman for the
club:
--
AF6PU: "MDARC has three ATV repeaters on 440, 900 MHz ans
1.2 GHz and an APRS Digipeater ob 144.390 MHz. There are
other buildings up on the hill which are being fed by
generators and the owner of the site is going to string
additional power lines to feed our vault and we might be
back on the air by this weekend. (ed Note: That would be
Sept. 15th.)
--
According to Siemons, the clubs W6CX APRS digipeater was
only recently moved to the north peak of Mount Diablo after
vandals toppled the communications tower which was the
systems home on another peak known as Rocky Ridge.
Not so lucky on Mt. Diablo were several other repeaters
housed in another container. This included the K6MDD D-Star
repeaters, the W6UUU MotoTRBO repeater, and one of the sites
of the Cactus Intertie. The latter is a privately owned
amateur radio system made up of a large number of remotely
controlled FM base stations that are interconnected
utilizing full duplex links. This includes the system on
Mt. Diablo. According to AF6PU, salvaging anything from
that site is unlikely:
--
AF6PU: "They were actually closest to where the fire went
into the vault and firefighters were able to put the fire
out but they had to break into the vault and spray water all
over the equipment so it appears to be a total loss."
--
Siemons said that it was only thanks to the firefighters who
risked their lives in fighting the Mt. Diablo fire that most
of the radio sites were saved:
--
AF6PU: "The efforts of the firefighters up there were
incredible. I was watching them drive around through my
binoculars and was monitoring their tactical channels and I
can tell you that they put themselves in a position that no
normal person would put themselves in to try and save the
communications towers that are on the North and South peaks
of Mt. Diablo."
--
As this newscast is being prepared firefighters were calling
the blaze as being only 20 percent contained with no control
date mentioned. (AF6PU, MDARC, published News Reports)
**
RADIO LAW: FIRST RESTRUCTURING MEASURE PASSES HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
The United States House of Representatives has passed the
first of two FCC reform bills by a 415 to nothing vote.
The FCC Consolidated Reporting Act is co-sponsored by
Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg
Walden, W7EQI, Representative Ranking Member Anna Eshoo and
Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise. The measure
consolidates what are now eight separate reports required by
Congress on the industries regulated by the commission into
one biennial report. The measure known as H.R. 2844 also
eliminates four outdated reports, including one on the
status of competition in the telegraph industry that dates
back to 1934.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are still working on another FCC reform
bill which would, among other things, establish more shot
clocks for proceedings along with requiring the agency to
publish the full text of a rule for public comment before a
commission vote. A shot clock is used in some sports to
quicken the pace of a given athletic event game. In this
case the game is speeding up the activities of the FCC.
(RW, TVT, other news reports)
**
RADIO LAW: NAB OPPOSES CERTAIN CHANGES TO RF EXPOSURE
REGULATIONS
The National Association of Broadcasters has come out in
opposition to a pair of proposed changes to the FCC's RF
exposure rules as outlined in ET Dockets 13-84 and 03-137.
The trade association is focusing specifically on a
suggestion to reduce the allowable amount of RF emissions
for so-called transient persons near a radiating antenna.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the
details:
--
Currently, the FCC allows broadcasters to treat transient
people or persons, which include untrained employees or
members of the public, the same as RF-trained employees.
This is provided such transients are made aware of their
possible exposure and such exposure is only brief and not
normally repeated. The transient exception only applies to
controlled environments, like fenced areas near tower sites
or antennas on rooftops with locked access.
Under changes to the RF exposure rules the FCC recently
adopted, workers in controlled environments must be made
aware of their possible exposure by verbal or written
communication and must receive training on how they can
control their exposure. The stricter general population
uncontrolled exposure limits typically apply to situations
where members of the public or employees have no or little
knowledge of potential exposure and little means to mitigate
their exposure.
According to NAB Instead of applying the occupational or
controlled limits to such transients, the FCC proposal would
instead apply a newly created, and effectively undefined,
general population controlled limit. This in turn would
likely require significant and costly changes to the way
licensees comply with RF exposure rules.
The broadcast lobby group also disagree with the FCC
proposal that transient people should be supervised by
trained occupational personnel within the controlled area
where the general population limit is exceeded.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan Kindord, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
Comments on further changes were due to ET Dockets 13-84 and
03-137 were due to the Commission. by September 3rd. Reply
comments are still open with a cutoff date of November 1st.
(RW)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
KC2DAA repeater serving Mount Beacon New York.
(5 sec pause here)
**
DISTRACTED DRIVING: NHSTA ISSUES VOLUNTARY DISTRACTED
DRIVING FUTURE ELECTRONIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES
A new set of voluntary guideless for the operation of future
vehicle electronics has been issued by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more:
--
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has
released its visual-manual driver distraction guidelines for
electronic devices in vehicles. They apply to original, in-
vehicle electronic devices used by the driver to perform
secondary tasks where the driver must look at a device,
manipulates a related control with his or her hand and
watches for visual feedback. Communications, entertainment,
information gathering and navigation fall under this
umbrella. Although the guidelines apply to new technology,
they also are applicable to common electronic devices
referred to as conventional information or communications
systems, such as AM/FM radios, satellite radios, CD players,
cassette players and MP3 players.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes
some secondary tasks also interfere with a driver's ability
to control the car safely. Two examples would be displaying
video or scrolling text. Other activities the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration considers distracting
include displaying video not related to driving,
automatically scrolling text, large amounts of static text
for reading and manual text entry. The guidelines recommend
these devices be designed to lock out the driver's ability
to access them at a certain point if the vehicle is moving.
However they would not mean to block simple map displays
and related text, so long as the material is displayed in a
safe manner.
The bottom line according to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration is that any task performed by a driver
should be interruptible at any time, and that the driver,
not the device, should control the pace of task
interactions.
How this could all impact on the development of the next
generation of add-on mobile two-way radio gear including
rigs used by ham radio operators can not even be speculated
on at this time, but simplified eyes on the road operation
will be most likely
For the Amateur Radio Newsline' Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a part
of the Department of Transportation. It issued these
nonbinding, voluntary guidelines to promote safety by
discouraging the introduction of excessively distracting
devices in vehicles. You can find the entire 281 page set
of guidelines on the agency's website www.nhtsa.gov and on
the Department of Transportation's distracted driving
website distraction.gov. (RW, NHTSA, DoT)
**
RADIO LAW: POWAY CALIFORNIA MAY LOOSEN ITS HAM RADIO
ANTENNA REGULATIONS
Some good news for hams living in Poway, California. At a
meeting on Tuesday September 3rd the Poway City Council took
action to assure about fifty local amateur radio operators
that the regulatory body will take a serious look at
revising local planning codes. This to make certain that
they conform with federal laws including PRB One regarding
the placement of antennas on private property.
Currently the city requires every antenna installation to go
through a minor development review application process,
which costs the applicant $719. In late 2005 the council
gave its preliminary approval to some changes, but never
followed through with the final adoption.
Now, all five council members have agreed that the
application fee should be waived or at least significantly
reduced. They then instructed the city staff to return in
30 days with a plan and timeline for the regulation review.
The radio operators were invited to the meeting by Poway
Mayor Don Higginson. They reportedly applauded at the end
of the discussion. (pomeradonews.com)
**
RESCUE RADIO: NM HAMS AID IN SEARCH FOR MISSING FIREFIGHTER
Ham radio was involved in a search for a missing
firefighter found dead Friday, September 6th atop a New
Mexico mesa, where he apparently had crashed his All Terrain
Vehicle.
Hundreds of volunteers, firefighters, search and rescue
teams and the Civil Air Patrol had spent a week combing some
50 square miles of steep canyons looking for Token Adams.
Adams was a 41-year-old U.S. Forest Service fighter who
disappeared August 30th while checking a report of smoke.
Some of those involved in the search effort included
Sandoval and Bernalillo County ARES Members. New Mexico
Section Emergency Coordinator Michael Scales, K5SCA, and
Section Manager, Bill Kauffman, W5YEJ, were both directly
involved in the search mission. (W5WHN)
**
RESCUE RADIO: NEW WILLIAMSON COUNTY TEXAS EOC INCLUDES HAM
RADIO
A new $18 million Emergency Operations Center in Williamson
County, Texas, will provide a room for amateur radio
operators.
Jarred Thomas is the Emergency Management Coordinator. He
says that local amateur radio operators will also have a
room in which to gather. He notes that natural disasters
such as a 1997 F 5 tornado with winds in excess of 200 miles
per hour is in part the reason for the Emergency Operations
Center's existence.
The new nerve center will be command central for major
emergencies and also houses the county's 911 communications
department, which had outgrown its home at the sheriff's
office. A large conference center and separate room for
media are also included at the EOC. More is on the web at
tinyurl.com/hams-at-new-eoc. (The Statesman)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: AMERICAN TOWER TO ACQUIRE GLOBAL TOWER
PARTNERS
If you own a repeater or remote station sited on a tower or
other structure operated by Global Tower Partners you will
likely soon have a new landlord. This with word that
American Tower Corporation has announced an agreement to
acquire the outstanding common membership interests of MIP
Tower Holdings LLC, for a purchase price of approximately
$4.8 billion. MIP is the parent company of Global Tower
Partners, and its related companies
American Tower says it expects that the acquisition of the
MIP Tower holdings portfolio will generate approximately
$345 million in revenues and approximately $270 million of
gross margin in 2014. The transaction is subject to
customary regulatory and closing conditions. If all goes as
expected the purchase will likely be completed in the fourth
quarter of this year. (American Tower, Global Tower
Partners, RW)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: FUTURE AES SUPERFEST CANCELLED
The annual March Amateur Electronic Supply Superfest is no
more. In an e-mail posted to the Chicago's NS9RC North
Shore Amateur Radio Club remailer, Don Whitman, KK9H, says
that he learned from AES employee Ray Grenier, K9KHW, that
there would no longer be an AES Superfest held in Milwaukee.
Grenier, who spoke to Whitman at the recent Radio Expo
convention reportedly mentioned several factors that led to
the decision to abandon future Superfests. Among these are
the high prices for gasoline that has curtailed the number
of Illinois residents that drive up to Wisconsin for the
event. Also there has been a drop in the number of
commercial exhibitors willing to come due to increased
expenses and the difficulty of finding interesting speakers.
(KC9RP, NS9RC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: W2TRR JOINS BURK TECHNOLOGY
Burk Technology has announced that it has added former
Buckley Broadcasting and WOR - AM Director of Engineering
Tom Ray, W2TRR, to its team. Burk Technology designs,
builds and sells high-quality electronics that monitor and
control mission-critical facilities and functions.
During his 15 years tenure WOR AM in New York, Tom Ray
rebuilt the facility and made WOR the first high-power AM HD
radio station in the country. He is a regular contributor
to the trade publication Radio World, has published several
papers for the National Association of Broadcasters
Engineering Conference, has been on the Society of Broadcast
Engineers board and was chairman of SBE Chapter 15 in New
York City for nine years.
Currently, W2TRR owns Tom Ray Broadcast Consulting in New
Windsor, New York. His QRZ.com bio says that he is a member
of the Orange County New York Amateur Radio Club and the
Broadcast Engineering Amateur Radio Society which is run by
ABC Radio and Television. Ray also operates an APRS
digipeater and i-gate station. The home station call is
W2TRR and mobile operation is as W2TRR-9. (RW, QRZ)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: CONTEST UNIVERSITY 2014 IN DAYTON OHIO
Its never to early to plan for the future and in that vein
comes word that Contest University 2014 will be held next
May 15th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dayton, Ohio.
According to organizer K3LR, if you stayed at the Crowne
Plaza for the 2013 event, filled out a 2014 reservation form
and dropped it off at the registration desk, then you should
already have an e-mail confirmation from the hotel for your
2014 reservation. If not and you would like to reserve a
room contact the hotel directly and use the code CON. The
base room rate for the Contest room University is $139.00
per night.
Hamvention 2014 runs from May 16th to the 18th with separate
ansulary activities like Contest University taking place
earlier in the week. (Contest University)
**
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)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: STANFORD SOLAR SCIENTISTS SOLVE ONE OF
THE SUN'S MYSTERIES
Solar scientists at Stanford University in California have
solved one of the few remaining fundamental mysteries of how
the sun works. And its something that hams will want to
know as it does affect propagation. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details:
--
According to researchers, the mechanism in question is known
as meridional flow and is said to work something like a
conveyor belt. Magnetic plasma migrates on the sun's
surface from the equator to the poles. It then cycles into
the sun's interior on its way back to the equator. The rate
and depth beneath the surface of the sun at which this
process occurs is critical for predicting the sun's magnetic
and flare activity, but has remained largely unknown until
now.
To find out how it actually worked, researchers used
the Stanford-operated Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager or
HMI instrument onboard NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory to
track solar waves in much the way seismologists would study
seismic movements beneath the surface of the Earth. Every
45 seconds for the past two years, the HMI's Doppler radar
recorded images of plasma waves moving across the sun's
surface which were then radioed back to Earth. By
identifying patterns of sets of waves, the scientists could
recognize how the solar materials move from the sun's
equator toward the poles, and how they return to the equator
through the sun's interior.
One startling discovery is that the equator-ward flow is
actually sandwiched between two layers of poleward flowing
currents. This is a more complicated mechanism than
previously thought. Its also one that could help refine
predictions of the sun's activity.
For example, some computer models projected that the current
solar cycle would be strong, but observations have since
showed it is actually much weaker than the previous cycle.
This inconsistency could be due to the previously unknown
inaccuracies of the meridional circulation mechanism used in
the simulations.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
The report was published in the online edition of The
Astrophysical Journal Letters. (Space & Science)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: US RESEARCH PROBE HEADS TOWARD THE MOON
More than 40 years after the last Apollo astronauts left the
moon, NASA has launched a small robotic spacecraft to
investigate Earths primary satellite. The Ladee spacecraft,
which is charged with studying the lunar atmosphere and
dust, soared aloft aboard a Minotaur launch vehicle rocket a
little before midnight on Friday, September 6th with its
destination being the moon.
Ladee is a acronym for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust
Environment Explorer mission. It is using the so-called
sling-shot effect of Earth's gravity to propel it to moon.
This by it making three increasingly larger circuits around
our home planet before getting close enough to transfer into
a lunar orbit. Because of this the spacecraft will require
a full month to reach Earth's closest neighbor.
Ladee, which is the size of a small car, is expected to
reach the moon on October 6th. Researchers hope to use it
to learn the composition of the moon's weak atmosphere and
how it might change over time. Another puzzle, dating back
decades, is whether dust rises of its own accord from the
lunar surface.
To accomplish its mission the Ladee spacecraft carries three
scientific research instruments. And in addition to
traditional radio gear it is also carrying a. experimental
Laser communications package that could revolutionize data
relay. NASA wants to experiment with this system to see if
it might eventually be able to replace its traditional RF
based communications with coherent modulated light
transmission that might afford greater bandwidth using
significantly less power and smaller devices. For now, data
gathered by Ladee will reportedly be sent back to Earth
using both systems.
The $280 million moon-orbiting operation will last six
months. It will end when the spacecraft is commanded to
make a final plunge to the surface of the moon. More about
Ladee mission is on the web at tinyurl.com/back-to-the-moon
(NASA, guardian.com)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: QSCOPE LOG STATISTICS AND CHARTS
Back on the ground, QScope.org is a new online application
that provides statistics and charts from amateur radio logs.
While some features are designed with contesting in mind,
most of the statistics will be useful for DXers and
DXpeditions. You just import your ADIF 2 or Cabrillo logs
into QScope database and then browse the statistic and
charts pages. Registration and access to the website are
free at www.qscope.org (OPDX, Southgate)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING HUNGARY'S TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF
THEODORE PUSKAS
On the air, listen out for HA75KBF which is on the air
celebrating the 75th anniversary of the amateur radio club
at Hungary's Technical College of Theodore Puskas. If you
work them, QSL via the clubs regular call sign of HA5BKF.
(Via e-mail)
**
DX
In DX, Bill Moore, NC1L, the ARRL Awards Branch Manager,
reports that the current JY9FC operation beginning this past
August has been approved for DXCC credit. If you have a
card for that operation now is the time to submit it.
HA3JB will be operational slash 4O from Montenegro between
September 23rad to the 30th. Activity will be on CW, RTTY
and SSB. QSL via HA3JB direct
N4WDT and K4ZIN are planning to on the air from Sierra Leone
between October 16th and the 21st. They are currently
waiting for a license approval and plan to operate 160
through 10 meters with a focus on 30, 17 and 12 meters as
well as the lower bands. QSL electronically via Logbook of
the World or via their home callsigns.
OH6KZP, will be active as CR2X from the Azores during the CQ
World Wide DX SSB Contest on October 26th and 27th. This,
as a Single-Operator/All-Band/High-Power entry. Before the
contest begins he may be on signing his own call portable
CT8. QSL via OH2BH.
DJ7RJ will be active stroke FR from Reunion Island between
September 28th and November 2nd. His operation will be on
160 through 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via DJ7RJ,
direct or by the bureau.
Lastly, K7AR will be active as E51AAR from Rarotonga in the
South Cook Islands, between October 21st and the 26th. His
operation will be mainly using RTTY but he will also
participate in the CQWW DX SSB Contest. Log will be
uploaded to Logbook of the World upon his return home. QSL
via K7AR, direct or by the Bureau.
(Above courtesy of various DX news sources)
**
EMERGING TECHGNOLOGY: SOLAR POWERED PICO BALLOONS SET NEW
ENDURANCE RECORD
A pair of solar powered pico balloons launched from the
United Kingdom have set what appears to be an all time
endurance record over Europe. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in
the newsroom with the latest on the flights of B-11 and B-
12:
--
United Kingdom experimenter Leo Bodnar in cooperation with
members of Europe's ham radio community has set some
interesting records flying radio equipped pico balloons.
His latest, simply called B-11 and B-12 were launched by Leo
from the town of Silverstone on September 1 and 2
respectively. As of late on September 9th, both balloons
were still in the air transmitting in the Domino EX 16 data
mode on 434.500 MHz USB.
During their long duration record-breaking flights, the two
balloons have between them flown over most countries in
Europe. B-11 was last reported over Turkey and B-12 over the
Ukraine. Both balloons are powered by small solar panels
which recharge a tiny on-board battery. Unfortunately, B-12
did suffer a battery failure so it only transmits when in
sunlight.
As this newscast goes to air, both pico balloons have so far
floated at least 1550 miles from their launch point could
still be in-flight. Keep an eye on leobodmar.com/balloons
for the latest.
From the other side of the world, I'm Bill Pasternak,
WA6ITF, in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
Pico balloons do not go to extremes altitudes but instead
float at anywhere between 6500 to 26000 feet for an extended
period of time. From those heights above sea level their
434 MHz transmitters can have a radio range of up to 250
miles depending on line of sight. You can see the tracks of
these latest radio equipped pico balloons on the web at
tinyurl.com/b11-b12-flight. (Southgate, Leo Bodnar
Balloons)
**
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.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-51549131543431866992013-09-06T05:52:00.001-07:002013-09-06T05:52:50.189-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1882 - September 6 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1882 with a release
date of September 6 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. A trans-Pacific emergency
communications test is deemed a success; a ham radio
satellite band at 5 Gigahertz could be in jeopardy in
Europe; registration is now open for the Western
Hemisphere's biggest transmitter hunting event; a ham flies
a Presidential Medal to the International Space Station and
some very unexpected words at the wrong time from on high.
Find out the details on Amateur Radio NewslineT report
number 1882 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
WORLDBEAT: PAN PACIFIC RESCUE RADIO EXERCISE DEEMED AN
UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS
A follow-up to our recent story on a planned joint MARS and
civilian trans-pacific emergency communications drill. It
was called operation Pacific Endeavor-13 and it teamed the
United States Military Auxiliary Radio System with hams
across the Pacific in an ocean spanning emergency exercise.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has the
details:
--
Everything about the August 25th and 26th Pacific Endeavor-
13 simulated emergency response was staged except for one
unexpected occurrence. Electric power actually did fail in
the pretend nation of Pacifica which was the supposed
disaster beaten Asian nation that a small band of ham radio
operators were trying to assist.
The power failure happened right at the start of the globe-
spanning exercise organized by the U.S. Defense Department.
At 9N1AA in Nepal, the real "Pacifica," operators kept going
on battery power with only 25 watts output. But a stroke of
the other kind of luck provided a low-power digital link to
an amateur in Afghanistan. That was Tim McFadden, T6TM. He
is a retired Army communicator now helping train Afghan
troops who had only joined Army MARS less than a month
before the exercise
Although the operation only lasted just under three hours,
months had gone into its planning. The Pentagon and U.S.
Pacific Command set it up as a test of amateur emergency
support in Asia after Japan's tsunami catastrophe, using
procedures of the International Amateur Radio Union, the
Military Auxiliary Radio System, military stations and radio
amateurs.
When power was restored in Nepal there were some limited
voice contacts with Afghanistan and Germany. Hawaii could
hear but not talk to Nepal because propagation lasted only a
few minutes.
But the real star of the exercise was the digital mode PSK31
that appeared to propagate well on low power. This even in
the otherwise poor High Frequency band conditions
experienced during the exercise.
Only one negative note. During rehearsals, messaging was
disrupted by hams seeking to contact Nepal, which is rarely
heard on the air. That was alleviated by the use of
abbreviated call signs plus the dependence on digital
communications during the actual exercise itself.
One unique feature of the event was use of the Defense
Department's open bulletin board for civil emergencies
called the All Partners Access Network or APAN. Army MARS
Operations Chief David McGinnis coordinated information flow
via APAN to the Department of Defense and U.S. Pacific
Command.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in
New Orleans.
--
A preliminary account had a total of 60 stations logged at
MARS headquarters at Fort Huachuca and to the station in
Germany of MARS region director Daniel Wolff. (N1IN /
AAR1FP via QRZ.com)
**
WORLDBEAT: AMATEUR RADIO LICENSING EXAM TO BE HELD IN
BANGLADESH
After a five year wait the Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Authority has announced that an amateur radio
licensing exam session will be held on November 9th. The
test will be made up of 50 multiple choice questions
covering the fundamentals of radio engineering, basic
electronics, that nations amateur radio rules, and several
other topics. An applicant must score at least 50% to pass.
More information is on the Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Authority website at www.btrc.gov.bd. (S21SM,
Southgate)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO SUPPORT IN FIGHTING RIM
FIRE WINDS DOWN
The California Rim Wildfire continues and so does the
volunteer communications support provided by radio amateurs.
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has been following this story and
has the latest:
--
As we go to air, there's good news. Shifting weather
patterns have brought some level of moisture to the fire
ravaged area. This together with massive firefighting
efforts means that at airtime that the Rim fire is about 80%
contained. That does not mean the fire is under control,
but rather its not expected that the blaze will be able to
move past those areas of the containment line.
With the 80 percent containment the sheriff's offices in
Tuolumne and Mariposa counties have been able to lift
evacuation advisories for several communities. This
includes those with several thousand structures that were in
the fire's path. It also means that after some sixteen days
of continuous duty that volunteer ham radio operators with
Tuolumne County ARES and RACES were able to stand down and
return to their normal lives.
As previously reported, ham radio was first asked to assist
back on August 19th. That was when communications
assistance was required to the towns of Tuolumne and Mi-Wuk
Village which were under voluntary evacuation alert.
We've since learned that hams also served duty assisting the
Red Cross in setting up an evacuation center in the town of
Groveland and later at the Tuolumne County Fairgrounds in
the city of Sonora. Operators associated with the Amateur
Radio Emergency Service provided information into and out of
these centers during the time that evacuees were being
housed and fed at those locations. At the height of the
evacuation news reports say that the Tuolumne Fairgrounds
was the temporary home to upward of 100 evacuees.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
Full containment of the Rim Fire is not expected until
September 20th at the earliest.
**
RADIO LAW: CEPT CONSIDERS USE OF 5830-5850 MHZ HAM RADIO
SATELLITE BAND
Ham radio satellites could wind up being forced to share
spectrum at 5 point 8 Gigahertz with terrestrial devices.
At least in those nations that are CEPT signatories.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW has the
particulars:
--
A CEPT Short Range Devices or SE24 meeting took place in
Vienna, Austria on August 26th and 27th. This to discuss
the future use of 5350 to 5470 MHz and 5725 to 5925 MHz for
wireless access systems including wireless or radio-based
local area networks.
The Amateur Satellite Service has a downlink band lies from
5830 to 5850 MHz. Those involved in space communications
believe that introducing such ground based services in this
spectrum would inevitably raise the noise floor. This in
turn could make the weak signals from satellites difficult
if not totally impossible to receive.
Right now, no final decision on the future of this spectrum
has been made by the CEPT, but as the squeeze for more
commercial bandspace grows, the entire 5 Gigahertz band
appears a prime target for more sharing on an international
basis among CEPT signatories and that includes most of
Europe and possessions of European nations.
More on this recent meeting is on the World Wide Web at
www.cept.org/ecc
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
CEPT stands for the European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations. It was established in
1959 by 19 countries, which expanded to 26 nations during
its first ten years of existence. Today 48 countries are
members of CEPT's with the organizations activities
including co-operation on commercial, operational,
regulatory and technical standardization issues.
(Southgate, CEPT, others)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FIRST DANISH ASTRONAUT TO FLY TO THE ISS
IN
Andreas Mogensen will be the first Danish astronaut to make
a trip to the International Space Station. Mogensen will
ride to the ISS on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to be
launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in
September 2015. During his stay onboard the ISS, Mogensen
will conduct a series of experiments in preparation of
future missions and in the orbital testing new technologies.
This 10 day mission will be Mogensen's first foray into
space. The flight is directly connected to the new era in
ISS operations where 2 experienced spacefarers from the USA
and Russia will work on the ISS for one year starting in May
of 2015.
More about his upcoming space adventure is on the web at
tinyurl.com/Andreas-Mogensen-ISS. And we will have more ham
radio space related news later on in this weeks newscast.
(ESA)
**
BREAK 1
We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin
stations around the world including the WA2JWR repeater
serving Toms River New Jersey.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO LAW: CHANGES COME TO THE TRAVELERS INFORMATION
STATION SERVICE
The FCC has updated its rules governing Travelers'
Information or T-I-S radio Stations. It's also seeking
public input on further planned changes. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has more:
--
The commission created the Travelers Information Service in
1977. At that time it authorized stations to operate low
power transmissions on 530 kHz on a primary basis and in the
535 to 1705 kHz band on a secondary non-interfering basis
with broadcasters who are the primary spectrum users.
At inception, the agency envisioned local governments would
use Travelers' Information Stations to reduce traffic
congestion. Commercial broadcasters opposed the creation of
the service on grounds that the information conveyed would
duplicate what they provided and as such would siphon off
their add revenues or cause interference to their
operations.
The government prevailed and over the years, Travelers'
Information Station operators have wanted to broaden the
scope of their content and eliminate the restriction that
confines their transmitting sites to areas near roads,
bridges, highways and public transportation terminals like
bus stops, train stations and airports. For example the
American Association of Information Radio Operators wanted
to broadcast excerpts of NOAA Weather Radio transmissions
and AMBER Alerts. As a result AMBER Alerts are now allowed
on Travelers' Information stations.
In its latest decision FCC has clarified that Travelers'
Information stations operators can already transmit weather
alerts regarding difficult or hazardous conditions. This is
in addition to information regarding motor vehicle crashes,
emergency points of assembly, road closures and
construction, parking, current driving travel times, air
flight status, truck weigh stations, driver rest areas,
locations of truck services, and road closures.
The FCC says that all transmitted content must remain
noncommercial and must relate to travel, an emergency or an
imminent threat of danger. As such, the commission has
nixed the idea of routinely retransmitting entire NOAA
Weather Radio Alerts. However, the commission will now
allow Travelers' Information Stations to integrate those
alerts into broadcasts but only during especially hazardous
conditions.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
In a Further Notice, the agency is proposing deleting
requiring the filtering of Travelers' Information Station
audio frequencies above 3 kHz. So far those commenting for
the most part have told the agency that filtering makes it
harder to hear the broadcasts while adding little to
interference protection of commercial AM stations. (FCC,
RW)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: IDAHO HAMS NEEDED FOR KOOTENAI RIVER RIDE
SEPT 14
An Idaho Amateur Radio Emergency Services group will be
providing radio communications for that states Kootenai
River Ride to be held September 14, and the group is in need
of additional licensed radio amateurs to assist. A planning
session is slated for Tuesday evening September 10th at the
Bonners Ferry Main Fire Station in Boundary County and any
radio amateur from that area who wants to be a part of this
outing is invited to attend. If being a part of this very
worthwhile public service is of interest you them please
contact Gary Leonard by e-mail to gary (at) pvfd (dot) us.
(newsbf.com, eHam.net)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: FCC'S GREG COONS IS HEADING BACK TO
VIRGINIA
Some names in the news. First up is Greg Coons, who
currently works as an agent in the FCC's Denver field
office, but has been promoted to resident agent to be based
in Norfolk, Virginia. Coons grew up in Virginia Beach and
started his commission career in Norfolk in 1991. He was
transferred to Denver in 1996 after a reorganization of FCC
field offices, and has been based there for 17 years. He
received his BSEE from Old Dominion University in 1986.
(SMPTE Rocky Mountain Section and SBE Chapter 48)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: ASTRONAUT HAM FLIES PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL
TO ISS
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station has paid
tribute to the late United States president John F. Kennedy
by flying a medallion to the orbiting outpost that bears the
likeness of the 35th President of the United States. NASA
astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF6KDR, who is serving as a flight
engineer on board the space station, radioed photos down to
Mission Control on Wednesday, August 21st showing the medal
floating in front of a window with a view of the Earth
below.
The 3-inch bronze medallion that Cassidy took to the space
station was created as part of the U.S. Mint's presidential
medallion series. The front of features a bust of the late
United States president. Its reverse side in inscribed with
a quote from Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address which says:
"We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship,
support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the
survival and the success of liberty."
When he returns to Earth this fall, Cassidy will deliver the
medal back to the JFK Library, where it will become a part
of its permanent collection. The John F. Kennedy
Presidential Library and Museum is located in Boston,
Massachusetts and has a permanent exhibit devoted to the
race for space that began in the 1960's. (space.com,
VenturesInSpace, other news reports)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: CUBAN AMATEUR LOOKING FOR UK CONTACTS
CO6CBF is looking for stations in the United Kingdom to try
contacts with him over the FO-29 amateur radio satellite.
Currently, when the satellite is in apogee, it has a good
footprint that covers both the UK and Cuba for a few
minutes. Anyone wanting to try a FO-29 contact with Cuba
should e-mail Hector via co6cbf (at) frcuba (dot) co (cu)
cu. (GB2RS)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: QRP OPS NEEDED FOR 2014 THIRTEEN COLONIES
SPECIAL EVENT
Ken Villone, KU2US, writing via eHam.net, says that the 13
Colonies Special Event is looking to enlist one dedicated
SSB and CW QRP operator for each the original colony states
state for 2014 and beyond. Applicants must hold a General
class or higher United States Amateur Radio license but
there are no special station requirements.
KU2US notes that this will be a QRP to QRP operation only as
planners want to give the low power stations a chance to get
a 13 Colony States "Clean Sweep" endorsement on his or her
certificate. Those interested should contact KU2US via e-
mail using the information found on QRZ.com.
More information on the recent 2013 event as well as the
early planning for next year is on the web at
www.13colonies.info. KU2US adds that the New York QRP
position is already filled for 2014. (KU2US via eHAM.net)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: ARRL - TAPR DCC IN SEATTLE SEPTEMBER 20-22
A reminder that the 32nd Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital
Communications Conference is less than three weeks away.
The gathering will take place September 20th to the 22nd, in
Seattle, Washington. The DCC is an international forum for
radio amateurs involved in digital communications technology
to meet, publish their work, and present new ideas and
techniques. Presenters and attendees will have the
opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about recent
hardware and software advances, theories, experimental
results, and practical applications. More about this event
is on the web at www.tapr.org/dcc
(DCC)
**
RADIOSPORTS: CALIFORNIA QSO PARTY OCTOBER 5 AND 6
The 47th running of the California QSO Party or CQP is
slated this year to begin at 1600 UTC on October 5th and end
at 2200 UTC on October 6th. The Northern California Contest
Club sponsors this annual event and offers a variety of
awards open to stations inside and outside of California.
These include plaques for the top operators in various
categories including a youth award for those under the age
of 18. A list of the awards is included in the rules and
can be found on-line www.cqp.org. (N6WM, W6TCP)
**
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)
**
RADIOSPORTS: ORGANIZING THE 2013 USA ARDF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Registration is now open for the Western Hemisphere's
biggest transmitter hunting event of 2013, and you might
become a medal winner there. Newsline's Joe Moell, K0OV,
has the details.
--
The mountains of North Carolina will be the setting for the
13th USA championships of on-foot hidden transmitter
hunting. Fans of this international sport, which is also
called foxtailing, radio-orienteering and ARDF, are making
travels plans now, and they want you to join in.
Tuesday, October 8 will be arrival day for the optional
practice sessions on both two meters and 80 meters, which
begin early on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will have two
specialty events, sprints and foxoring.
Those who cannot be present for all five days will arrive
Friday, October 11 for the classic championships. Saturday
morning will be the two-meter main event, followed in the
evening by the banquet and awards presentation. The 80-
meter main event will be on Sunday morning with awards
presented afterwards, in time for those who must hurry home.
Organizing the 2013 USA Championships are Joseph Huberman,
K5JGH and Ruth Bromer, WB4QZG. Both have competed at
previous USA Championships and earned medals. Setting the
courses will be Nadia Scharlau, with radio support from
Charles Scharlau, NZ0I. Nadia learned ARDF as a youth in
the Soviet Union and won her first gold medal by competing
for USSR at the European Championships in 1984. In 2006 in
Bulgaria, she became the first Team USA member to win a
World Championships medal.
As always, our national Championships are open to anyone of
any age who can safely navigate the woods. Most will be
licensed hams, but that's not required, so encourage your
unlicensed-but-athletic friends and family members to join
in. You can watch and learn from the best in the country,
as well as visitors from around the world.
Registration is now open on the Web and there is an e-mail
reflector for Q&A with the organizers. Learn all about the
championships and the sport of radio-orienteering at
www.homingin.com. That's homingin, as one word,
homingin.com. I hope to see you there. From sunny southern
California, this is Joe Moell, K0OV, for Amateur Radio
Newsline.
--
Again if you missed it that URL is simply www.homingin.com
(K0OV)
**
RADIO TO SPACE: US SHUTS DOWN US AIR FORCE SPACE
SURVEILLANCE RADAR
The US Air Force Space Surveillance Radar or AFSSS has
stopped transmitting. This, as a result of sequester budget
cuts mandated by Congress.
The Space Surveillance Radar which has been operational
since 1961 and is only one part of the nations global Space
Surveillance Network. The system is designed to transmit
what the military calls a "fence" of radar energy into space
to detect all objects intersecting it. The operational
advantage of is its ability to detect objects in a random or
non cued fashion, rather than tracking objects based on
previous information. The disadvantage is the inherent
inaccuracy of the data, based on its dated design.
Military officials have devised what they call modified
operating modes for the Perimeter Acquisition Radar
Characterization System located at Cavalier Air Force
Station, North Dakota and for the Space Surveillance Radar
at Eglin Air Force Base, in Florida. This allows the
discontinuation of the older Air Force Space Surveillance
Radar operations while still maintaining solid space
situational awareness.
The AFSSS radar's final echoes came from a Russian satellite
and a sporadic meteor. You can see those traces at
tinyurl.com/last-radar-traces. Deactivating the old system
will save the Air Force Space Command $14 million annually
starting in fiscal year 2014. (Space News, VHF Reflector,
WB4JGG)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NEXT PHONE SATS TO LAUNCH IN NOVEMBER
AND DECEMBER
EDN magazine reports that the next generation of Phone-Sats
which are microsatellites built around smartphones will
launch on November 6th and December 6th. In an interview
with the magazine developer Jasper Wolfe said that these
next Phone-Sats will transmit using Packet Radio on 437.425
MHz using AFSK at 1200 bits per second. Coding will be AX
dot 25 and the transmit polarization will be vertical.
These and the previous Phone-Sats were developed by young
engineers at the NASA-Ames Research Center. One of the new
birds will remain on-orbit for up to two years while the
other will have a far shorter lifespan of only three months.
The entire article including photos is on the web at
tinyurl.com/generation-2-phonesats. (EDN, Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: UK FUNCUBE 1 TO LAUNCH I LATE NOVEMBER
AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL have been advised that the launch date
for FUNcube-1 is now expected to be November 21st. This date
is still subject to final approval by the authorities.
FUNcube-1 is a 1 unit CubeSat that will provide a
signal directly from a satellite to classrooms with a signal
level that can easily be received by schools and colleges.
(AMSAT, Southgate)
**
DX
In DX, OH2YY hopes to be on the air from Nepal between
October 2nd and the 5th. He has applied for the callsign
9N2YY, but the final confirmation will not take place until
he arrives in that nation. After Nepal he will be visiting
the Kingdom of Bhutan between October 6th and the 10th where
he has already been assigned the callsign A52YY. Listen out
for him during his evenings and nights on 20 through 10
meter SSB. QSL via OH2YY, the bureau or direct. Electronic
QSL's go via Logbook of the World.
JK1AJT will again be in Myanmar from September 18th to the
23rd signing X-Zed-one-Zed . He tells DX Daily that he has
spotted a better location atop a 1557 feet hill and will
bring a tri-band Yagi with him in addition to the Ground
Plains that he used last month. This next operation will be
mainly CW. QSL via ClubLog Oh-QRS or direct to JH1AJT.
Meantime the recent X-Zed-one-Zed Myanmar 2013 operation has
been approved for DXCC credit. If you've had it rejected in
a prior application, send a note to bmoore@arrl.org to be
placed on the list for an update to your record.
The Martello Tower Group are activating Herm Island again
from October 4th to the 9th on 80 through 10 meters
including the WARC bands. The group will be using SSB and
some data modes. All QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of
the World and Club Log. QSL direct or via the bureau to
G6NHU
WB6OJB and K5LBU will be active as A25JK and A25CF,
respectively, from the extreme eastern part of Botswana
through September 12th. They should have two stations
running but the A25JK will be the main call to listen out
for. Look for A25JK to operate SSB on 20 through 10 meters
with a possibility of some time spent on 40 and 75. A25CF
will be operating some PSK on whatever bands might be open
and A25JK is not on. QSL via their home callsigns.
DL2MDU and his DO3HDA will on the air 8Q7CF from the
Maldives between September 15th through the 27th. Their
activity will be holiday style on 80 through 10 meters with
the possibly 160 meters Modes will be CW and SSB with some
digital. QSL via DL2MDU.
JA0RQV hopes to be operational from Tonga as A35JP/N between
September 19th and the 24th. This operation will depend on
weather and flight availability to the island and his time
on the air will be limited because of limited supply of
electric power. Operations will be on 80 through 6 meters
using CW and SSB. QSL via his home callsign, by the Bureau,
direct or electronically using Logbook of the World.
DL7AFS and DJ7ZG will be operational as D44TXT from Santiago
Island, Cape Verde between October 19th and November 7th.
The duo will be on 80 through 6 meters using SSB, RTTY and
PSK31. QSL via DL7AFS.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: UK FUNERAL INTERRUPTED BY RF
And finally this week, we have all heard of RF getting into
public address systems, but this one truly has to take the
prize for the unusual. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl
Lasek, K9BIK, has the rather strange details:
--
Can you imagine being at a funeral service when the sound
coming out of the loud speaker system is suddenly
interrupted by airline stewardess' message to her
passengers? Well it actually happened recently in the
United Kingdom when what's been described as a mysterious
voice was heard through a church's public address system
during a funeral service telling passengers on a plane to
prepare for landing.
The story goes this way. Friends and family of Brendan
Duffy had gathered at St Edward's Church in Windsor,
Berkshire, to pay their final respects after the Dublin-born
grandfather-of-four died on August 8th, at age 78. But as
his nephew Joe Duffy was reading the eulogy, everyone was
suddenly told to fasten their seat belts and for the other
flight attendants to prepare the aircraft's doors for
landing.
While some might have thought it could have been a sign from
the heavens above a more rational explanation is that the
church's wireless microphone system and the two-way radio
system on the aircraft were on the same frequency. But that
would not explain how the announcement made using a closed
loop in-cabin public address system could get transmitted
outside the airplane unless perhaps someone pushed the wrong
button on the flight deck.
That said, as we go to air, the mystery of the RF signal
from on-high remains unexplained.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
Joe Duffy is a local personality radio. He told a news
reporter that everyone at the service was looking around and
up to heaven, trying to figure out where the voice was
coming from. (UK Daily Mail)
**
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 WIA 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 Jim Damron, N8TMW, saying 73 from Charleston, West
Virginia and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-76471764065815263582013-08-30T05:30:00.000-07:002013-08-30T05:30:34.904-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1881 - August 30 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1881 with a release
date of August 30 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. The NTIA to lead a two year pilot
study of all spectrum in the United States, hams respond to
Colorado Flooding and the western states wildfires; hams in
Ridgecrest California get some good news concerning tower
installations and a Virginia radio club begins a computer
loan out program to help needy high schoolers. All thiis
and more on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1881
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RADIO LAW: NTIA TO INITIATE PILOT SPECTRUM MONITORING
PROGRAM
The National Telecommunications and Information
Administration or NTIA is planning a two year pilot program
to determine the benefits of an automated spectrum
measurement and data collection system. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Norm Seeley, has the details:
--
The National Telecommunications and Information
Administration or NTIA has filed a budget request to
Congress for fiscal year 2014 seeks an initial $7.5 million
for a research and development investment. This, for a two-
year pilot program to determine the benefits of an automated
spectrum measurement and data collection system to better
analyze actual spectrum usage.
In addition, the NTIA has issued a Notice of Inquiry to seek
public comment on this proposed spectrum monitoring pilot
program that, if funded, would develop and deploy a
prototype system to monitor spectrum usage in up to ten
metropolitan areas throughout the United States.
The Notice of Inquiry requests input from all interested
stakeholders on the measurement system's design, its
features, deployment options, operational parameters,
expected utility, potential benefits, and other issues.
Subject to the availability of funds, NTIA will design,
develop, validate, and field this prototype system and
evaluate whether a more comprehensive monitoring program
would create additional opportunities for more efficient
spectrum access through, for example, increased and more
dynamic sharing. NTIA intends to use the input received in
response to the Notice of Inquiry to help design and
implement such a spectrum monitoring program.
If this project goes forward it means that the ham bands
from the lowest to the highest in frequency, along with that
assigned to all other current users will come under the
scrutiny of such a program. So to coin a phrase made
popular by 73 Magazines Publisher Wayne Green, W2NSD, back
in the 1980's, when it comes to our bandspace we had better
use it or we might just loose it.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdfale, Arizona.
--
In his June 2013 Executive Memorandum on Expanding America's
Leadership in Wireless Innovation, President Obama directed
the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration to design and conduct such a pilot spectrum
monitoring program. More on this is in the Federal Register
at tinyurl.com/ntia-spectrum-monitor. (Southgate,
rrmediagroup.com, FCW.com, Federal Register)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS ASSIST IN WAKE OF COLORADO FLOODING
The ARRL Letter reports that on August 9th that Pikes Peak
ARES volunteers provided communication support to several
organizations during the Waldo Canyon flood in Manitou
Springs, Colorado. Hams assisted at the El Paso County
Emergency Operations Center, the Colorado Springs Emergency
Operations Center, the National Weather Service Pueblo
SKYWARN, the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross
and one Red Cross shelter.
Some two dozen operators checked in with reports on rainfall
rates, creek and roadway water levels, traffic and shelter
populations. Pikes Peak ARES activated again on August 12
and 14 to support the EOCs and the National Weather Service
in Pueblo, Colorado by providing rainfall rates, street
flooding information, creek levels, and hail occurrences.
ARES also supported the flow of information from Red Cross
evacuation shelters to the main Red Cross chapter, to help
facilitate the flow of supplies, emergency needs, and
shelter utilization.
More on this story is on line at tinyurl.com/arrl-Colorado-
floods
(ARRL)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS RESPOND TO WESTERN WILDFIRE
Ham radio operators have been called out to assist in
communications efforts associated with a massive wildfire in
the Western United States. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with what's known so
far:
--
Its called the Rim Fire and the situation surrounding its
containment is so fluid that it literally changes from
minute to minute.
As we go to air the statistics are literally staggering.
Currently the burned area stands at close to 200,000 acres.
This is about equal to the size of the city of New York. It
has already destroyed 111 structures and was last reported
to be threatening 5,500 more. According to the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 90 percent of
these residences.
USA Today reports that ham radio was first called upon when
communications assistance was required when the towns of
Tuolumne and Mi-Wuk Village and several smaller communities
between them were placed under voluntary evacuation alert.
Operators associated with the Amateur Radio Emergency
Service were providing information in Sonora, California
where evacuees were being housed and fed.
Carol Logue, KG6SGL, is with the Tuolumne County Amateur
Radio Electronics Society. She told USA Today that the
smell of the fire was all around and that one can get on the
hilltops around here and see the fires. Other reports say
that Officials in Tuolumne County soon asked that ARES and
RACES volunteers to help fill a communication void in areas
that could not otherwise be reached by two-way radio.
In another USA Today interview Larry Brown, KJ6WHR, of
Sonora, California, said that ham radio operator with the
Tuolumne County Amateur Radio Electronics Society are
manning phones at the Sonora community information line for
those affected by the fire.
Another source of news on ham radio involvement came from
Sabrina Ambler who is a reporter for MML news. She
interviewed Phil Fish, WB6GGY, who is the Tuolumne County
RACES Radio Officer. Fish told Ambler that radio amateurs
volunteer to assist the county in any way they are needed.
He noted that hams have the ability to provide radio
coverage over a large area much more reliably than cell
phones and that amateur radio has the ability to fill in
communications dead spots. For this reason alone ham radio
could be involved in the fire-fighting effort, as needed,
for some time to come.
This is not the only blaze that the Western United States is
facing. There are dozens of smaller fires burning the
largest of which being the Beaver Creek Fire in Idaho, which
has scorched 111,387 acres. Thankfully this one is now over
90% contained, according to a federal fire tracking website.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
More on this in future Amateur Radio Newsline reports. (USA
Today, MNL News, Southgate, other published news reports)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NEW HAM VIDEO GEAR IS ON THE ISS
The ARISS Ham Video transmitter is now on board the
International Space Station and located in the in the
Columbus Module. The transmitter was delivered by Japanese
cargo spacecraft which launched in early August.
Installation will be done by astronaut ham Michael Hopkins,
KF5LJG, who has been trained for the commissioning of the
ARISS Ham Video equipment. This could take place as early
as sometime in October. When the new S-Band transmitter
becomes operational, it will be used mainly for ARISS
educational school contacts. Video will be for downlink
only. Uplink will continue to be VHF FM audio and we will
have more ham radio and space related news later on in this
weeks newscast. (ARISS, ON4WF)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W5HTK and WA5QYE Linked repeater system
serving Enid Oklahoma.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO LAW: FIRST STEP ACHIEVED IN HIGHER TOWERS FOR
RIDGECREST CA HAMS
Some good news for hams in the city of Ridgecrest,
California. By a 4 to 0 vote preliminary approval of an
ordinance has signaled a small step forward for amateur
radio operators in that community. This in the area of
installing towers and antennas that exceed the current city
limit. Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB,
reports:
--
At a City Council meeting on Wednesday's August 21st
Ridgecrest California City Planner Matthew Alexander
presented a request by the city staff to amend municipal
code. This, to allow towers higher than 35 feet to be built
in residential parts of the city on a conditional basis.
Alexander provided background to the council, indicating
that in late 2012 that Steven Rainey, N6MVX, had requested
to build a 55-foot tower, with an additional 15-foot antenna
attached. Under the current municipal code, residents
cannot install structures larger than 35 feet in residential
areas.
Alexander said the zoning changes will apply to single-
family residential areas, estate-zoned areas and the city's
agriculture-zoned areas. He added that the language should
be modified to include just the word tower, instead of
signaling out any other particular type of structure. He
also said that it has been suggested the council consider a
lower fee for the permit process to reflect actual costs
based on the time it takes to review, research and process
applications. Currently the coat is $1200.
In his presentation, Alexander conceded that the structure
that Rainey proposed would tower over most single-story
homes in Ridgecrest. However, Alexander added that ham
radio operators provided a great service to the community,
especially during emergencies. He went on to say that the
city does not don't want to discourage them and if newer
towers are higher, we want to be able to let them to move
forward and allow them to be built.
Vice Mayor Chip Holloway appeared supportive of the idea of
waiving or reducing fees. He noted that he would actually
want to encourage more ham radio operator in Ridgecrest
after experiencing Hurricane Katrina, and knowing how
effective and prevalent such towers are in the South where
he grew up. Holloway added that knowing the city's
isolation, the state we live in and the lack of resources we
already have, if we get into trouble we are going to need
ham operators to be available.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB.
--
Currently the way Ridgecrest handles such structures is with
the issuance of a conditional use permit. Alexander
explained that this process requires applicants to notify
neighbors within 300 feet of the residence, to pay for costs
of mailers and of a public notice in the newspapers in
addition to the $1200 conditional use application fee. You
can read more on this story at tinyurl.com/ridgecrest-ham-
towers.
(ridgecrestca.com)
**
RADIOSPORTS: WRTC-14 TEAM LEADER APPLICATIONS DUE BY
SEPTEMBER 13
Organizers of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship or
W-R-T-C competition are accepting applications for team
leaders. There will be 54 two person teams in the contest,
scheduled to be held next July in New England.
Team leaders will be selected from the top qualifiers in 29
regions around the world, based on applications and a
qualification formula that considers 12 scores selected from
55 qualifying events between October 2010 and March 2013.
The team leader application is online at tinyurl.com/wrtc-
leader. The deasdline for filing the completed application
filing is September 13th.
(CQ)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC CITES TEXAS CB STORE FOR UNCERTIFIED
AMPLIFIER
The FCC appears to be hot on the trail of anyone who is
selling uncertified gear capable of operation on the 11
meter Class D Citizens Radio band. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has more:
--
As we reported last week, the FCC already had cited DNJ
Radio for selling uncertified equipment capable of 11 meter
operation. Now comes word of a citation having been issued
to the Radio Master CB Shop for similar violations.
According to the Citation and Order to Radio Master, this
past February 14th agents from the FCC's Dallas office
inspected the Radio Master CB Shop at a TravelCenters of
America truck stop in Rockwall, Texas. At that time they
observed a used Palomar model 250 external RF amplifier
offered for sale. The agents noted that the unit did not
have an FCC identification number to confirm that the
particular amplifier had been granted an FCC certification.
In its Citation released on Friday, August 20th, the FCC
says that under its rules, any external RF power amplifiers
capable of operating in that spectrum may not be offered for
sale unless they have first been authorized in accordance
with the agency's rules. The unit in question was not so
authorized.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
As in the case of DNJ Radio, Radio Master CB Shop was
ordered to immediately stop selling the uncertified
equipment. The FCC also gave the company thirty days to
provide in writing certain information concerning Radio
Masters online store. (FCC)
**
ON THE AIR: COLLINS RADIO 80TH ANNIVERSARY SEPT 21-23 AND
28-30
Four club stations honoring the famed Rockwell Collins
collaboration will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of
the Collins Radio Company with a special event operation the
last two weekends of September.
Stations W0CXX and N0CXX Cedar Rapids, Iowa; W5ROK
Richardson, Texas; W4CRC Melbourne, Florida and W6CXX
Tustin, California will be on the air September 21st to the
23rd and again on September 28th to the 30th to take part in
the event. Operation is from 9AM to midnight local time for
each station based on operator availability.
A special QSL card for the overall event will be available
to all making contact with any of the stations. A
commemorative certificate will be obtainable for those
working 3 or more club stations on any combination of bands
and modes. More information on the operation and QSL
instructions is on the web at www.w0cxx.org. (Collins ARC)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: EMCOMM EAST CONFERENCE SEPT 29 IN PITTSFORD
NY
Registration is now open for the EmComm East emergency
communications conference slated for Sunday, September 29th
near Rochester, New York. This is an action packed one-day
meeting where amateur operators involved in disaster
response and emergency communications can attend training
sessions, interact with those from served agencies, and
exchange information with other operators from the area.
This years keynote speaker will be ARRL Chief Operating
Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B. Kramer was one of the ham
radio volunteers working at the finish line of the Boston
Marathon when the terrorist bombings took place. As such he
will likely have a very gripping story to tell.
EmComm East will be held at St. John Fisher College is
located six miles southeast of Rochester, NY, in the suburb
of Pittsford. More information is on the web at
www.emcommeast.org (Emcommeast)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: FORMER ASTRONAUT STEVE NAGEL N5RAW, TO
SPEAK AT ARRL MIDWEST CONVENTION
Former NASA Astronaut Steve Nagel, N5RAW, will be speaking
to students and the public at the ARRL Midwest Division
Convention on Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, 2013 in
Lebanon, Missouri.
Highlights of Astronaut Nagel's visit will include a special
event for science and technology students from public
schools on Friday November 8th. It will be hosted by Nagel
along with Carole Perry, WB2MGP, who is a former Dayton Ham
of the Year and ARRL Instructor of the Year. The two will
also host a 2 hour Youth Forum at 2 pm on Saturday, November
9th.
The target audience and programs focus is on youth and are
open free of charge to all young people. The event will be
held at the Cowan Civic Center with other guest that include
ARRL Executive Vice President Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, Ham Nation
hosts Bob Heil, K9EID, and Gordon West, WB6NOA and Newsline
producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.
More about this event is on the web at
arrlmidwestconvention.org or by e-mail to k4sx (at)
centurytel (dot) net. (ARRL Midwest Convention)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: DAYTON RTTY CONTESTING DINNER TO RETURN IN
2014
After a 10 year interruption, the Dayton RTTY Contesting
Dinner will be back next year. Fred Dennin, WW4LL, of
Sharpsburg, Georgia, plans to host the dinner. He says that
it will be held Thursday evening, May 15, 2014, at
the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton, Ohio. He adds
that is in the process of locating a featured guest speaker
and additional door prize donors. Any individual,
organization or merchandiser wishing to contribute is
invited to contact him by e-mail to fdennin (at) numail
(dot) org. (OPDX, Southgate)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: 9M6DXX TO DEPART MALAYSIA NOV 1
Steve Telenius-Lowe, 9M6DXX, says that after more than eight
years in Malaysia, that he and his wife Eva, 9M6EVA, have
decided to move on to another part of the world. They will
depart Malaysia on November 1st so 9M6DXX will go QRT some
time in October. Lowe notes that they are moving to the
Caribbean island of Bonaire, and hope to be active with PJ4
prefix callsigns before the end of the year. (9M6DXX)
**
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)
**
RADIO FROM SPACE: NASA TO RETIRE KEPLER TELESCOPE FROM
PLANET-HUNTING
NASA's Kepler space telescope has had to give up its prime
mission of searching the universe for new habitable planets.
This after mission engineers failed to find a fix for its
pointing system after the observatory lost the second of its
four reaction wheels. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl
Lasek, K9BIK, reports:
--
The $600 million dollar Kepler space observatory was
launched in March 2009. Its primary mission was to try to
locate planets orbiting their home stars in the so-called
habitable zone and then radio its findings back to Earth.
The habitable zone is the region where, given the right
conditions that water might exist on in a liquid state.
These planets are considered as having the best chance of
supporting some form of life.
Kepler's method of planet detection involved looking for the
tiny dips in light as a planets passes in front of its star.
Because of this the space observatory must be held
absolutely motionless during these observations which is
something that requires a minimum of three operating
reaction wheels to achieve.
The space observatory was launched with four operating
reaction wheels, and experienced its first failure in the
hardware set in July 2012. A second wheel failed last May.
Kepler had so far confirmed 135 planets beyond our Solar
System but still had over 3,500 more in its database that
have yet to be fully investigated. The observatory had
already identified a number of worlds slightly bigger than
Earth in several stars habitable zones and researchers were
confident they will soon be able to confirm the existence of
more planets that enjoy Earth-like conditions.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
More on this story can be found at several websites covering
space science including tinyurl.com/kepler-to-retire.
(Published news reports)
**
WORLDBEAT: VOICE OF RUSSIA TO CEASE SHORTWAVE RADIO SERVICE
TO GO QRT
It appears the Voice of Russia will cease shortwave radio
service on January 1st, 2014. According to this article on a
major S-W-L website, the shortwave service is closing due to
government mandated funding cuts. The Voice of Russia was
known as Radio Moscow in the Cold War era but actually first
took to the shortwave bands back in 1922 with a single
transmitter located in Moscow. (swling.com)
**
WORLDBEAT: RSGB TO FUND RF NOISE FLOOR STUDY
A proposal for funding to support the long term
understanding of the RF noise floor has recently been
approved by the Radio Society of Great Britain's Legacy
Trustees managing the legacy provided by the late Ken
Rowell, G5RL.
The funding provides for web support for the Noise
Measurement Campaign, announced in the July 2012 edition of
the RSGB's publication Radio Communications Magazine, and
data collection for one or more such projects at the
University of Leicester. The combined projects are expected
to be run in conjunction with assistance from a small number
of amateurs in suitable locations.
Further information is on the Notices section of the RSGB
website at www.rsgb.org.uk (GB2RS)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: NEW DIGITAL 2 METER BEACON ON THE AIR
FROM EUROPE
The new generation digital and analog 2 meter beacon in grid
square IN87KW near Bubry, France, became operational on
Sunday evening, August 25th. Signing the call F5ZRB, the
new propagation alert device operates on 144.405 MHz and
transmits both analog telegraphy and digital JT65B with its
sequences of emissions are controlled by the Global
Positioning System. To decode the JT65B data your receiver
must show 144.4035 MHz Upper Sideband. More about this new
propagation alert is on the web at tinyurl.com/F5ZRB-Beacon.
(F6ETI)
**
ON THE AIR: CYCLING EVENT STATION IN SPAIN
On the air, keep a lookout for EG5VCE will be operational
through September 15th. This, while the annual Vuelta
cycling race is under way in Spain. Operation is all bands
using various modes. QSL EA7HBC via the bureau. More
information can be found on the world wide web at
www.europeanrosclub.com (Euro ROS)
**
ON THE AIR: GERMAN SPECIAL EVENT STATION
DL600WW is a special event German station run by amateurs
from the town Willingen to celebrate their city's jubilee.
More is on the web in the German language at
tinyurl.com/osam587. QSL's go via the bureau. (DL News)
**
DX
In DX, CE0ZOL is active from Juan Fernandez Island. He will
be on there for about six months in the role of manager of
the local airport. Activity will take place mainly on
weekends. QSL as directed on the air.
HB9IQB is reported to have begun his Palestine as E44PM on
August the 18th . He is using 100 watts and vertical
antennas. QSL to HB9IQB using Logbook to the World.
R100RQA continues to celebrate the beginnings of
professional radio operations 100 years ago in the region
Arkhangelsk, Russia. He will be on through November 15th.
QSL via RN1ON direct or electronically using Logbook to the
World.
PA1FJ will be active from Chios Island through September 9
operating portable SV8. He will operate 40 through 6 meters
using QRP level SSB. QSL via his home call.
JJ8DEN will be operational from Reao Atoll from September
18th to the 25th signing F Oh slash K-H-Zero-P-R. Listen
out for him using CW, SSB, PSK31 and JT65A on 80 through 10
meters and QSL via JJ8DEN
E78A is now active as JY9FC from Amman, Jordan. As during
his activity will be during his free time, mostly on CW with
some SSB and Digital operations. QSL via E73Y.
Lastly, the ARRL DXCC Desk has approved the 2013 operation
of D2CT in Angola and TX5K DXpedition to Clipperton Island
for DXCC credit. If a previous request credit for theses
operations has been rejected contact ARRL Awards Branch
Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, to get placed on the list for an
update to your record. Please include the submission date
and/or reference number of your application in order to
expedite the search for any rejected contacts. His e-mail
is bmoore (at) arrl (dot) org.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: VA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB CREATES LAPTOP
LOANER PROGRAMS TO NEEDY STUDENTS
And finally this week, the Floyd Amateur Radio Society of
Floyd, Virginia, has created a new program to supply loaner
laptop computers to high school aged students. The club
purchased surplus laptops, installed Windows 7 on most of
them along with Open Office. It then provides these
computers to those students who show a need.
Dee Wallace, KG4MVI, is part of the committee that handles
the computer loan out program. She says that the
application process is fairly simple:
--
KG4MVI: ".Basically its just an affirmation by the students
and their families that they are eligible according to the
program and that they do agree to receive the computer on-
loan and that they will use them for the proper uses and
take advantage of what computers offer related to their home
and school studies."
--
The program also applies to home schoolers as well as those
in public education. The only stipulation is that the loan
out computers go to those who can provide a need for them
and that they do not show up for resale on Ebay or any other
auction site. Rather, they are to be treated as text books
and returned at to the organization at the end of the school
year.
The club has provided a video describing the program and
posted it to YouTube. It can be seen at tinyurl.com/ham-
computer-loan. More about the Floyd Amateur Radio Society
is at www.floydamateurradiosociety.com. (KG4MAV)
**
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 WIA 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 Jeff Clark, K8JAC, in Charleston, West Virginia, saying
73 and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
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Please note that this is an extended Amateur Radio Newsline report
and contains three breaks.
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1880 with a release date of
August 23 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. A trans-Pacific emergency
communications demonstration will involve United States MARS; FCC
and Industry Canada reach spectrum sharing agreement; the ARRL
says no to TCB expansion; Brockton, Massachusetts, takes an
unlicensed broadcaster off the air; DX Magazine's most wanted DX
entity list is open for voting and a young ham is honored at the
Huntsville Hamfest. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio
Newsline report number 1880 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: US MARS MEMBERS AND HAMS IN ASIA TO TEST DISASTER
RESPONSE
A trans-Pacific link up to test ham radio emergency communications
is about to take place. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley,
KI7UP, has the details:
--
Members of the Military Auxiliary Radio System or MARS here in the
United States will link up with amateur radio operators on the
Asian continent on Monday, August 26th. This in a unique test of
ham radios ability to provide communications assistance in the
event of a major transpacific natural disaster.
In the exercise scenario, volunteer MARS operators will establish
a communication path with civilian hams in the fictitious nation
of Pacifica. This connection will be used to gather information
for any needed emergency relief operations halfway around the
world.
Traffic will then be sent on to the United States Pacific Command
and then to the Pentagons Chief of Information office via an open
blog operated by the Department of Defense for international
messaging. Information collected will be used to develop possible
humanitarian assistance and disaster response procedures to assist
Pacifica following the catastrophic scenario.
The Military Auxiliary Radio System is a Department of Defense
sponsored program, established as a separately managed and
operated program by the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force.
It is a civilian auxiliary consisting primarily of United States
amateur radio operators who are interested in assisting the
military with communications on a local, national, and
international basis. This as an adjunct to normal lines if
military communications.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, on this
side of the Pacific, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
For those who might be wondering where make believe nation
Pacifica might really be located. We suggest that you might want
to think of Nepal. (Southgate, others)
**
RADIO LAW: US AND CANADA AGREE ON NEW BORDER SPECTRUM SHARING
MEASURE
The United States Federal Communications Commission and
telecommunications regulator Industry Canada have agreed on three
interim spectrum-sharing arrangements covering three types of
wireless communications operations along the U.S.-Canada border.
The arrangements govern various bands involving air-to-ground
communications, fixed operations and specialized mobile radio
services.
In the way of fixed services, the FCC, the U.S. National
Telecommunications and Information Administration and Industry
Canada struck a sharing agreement governing 71 to 76, 81to 86 and
94.1 to 95 GHz. This is intended to facilitate deployment of
fixed services within the border area. Such services include
backhaul for mobile broadband networks, high-speed wireless local
area networks and broadband Internet access over high bandwidth
point-to-point links.
At 454.6625 to 454.9875 MHz and 459.6625 to 459.9875 MHz a
Statement of Intent allows for creation of a nationwide digital
system covering the sharing and coordination of spectrum for
general aviation air-to-ground services. It provides for sharing
of spectrum when operations are located within distances ranging
from roughly 300 to 360 miles of the common border.
With regard to specialized mobile radio services at 896 to 901 and
935 to 940 MHz, the new arrangement governs the sharing and
coordination of within roughly 60 miles of the common border and
simplifies the criteria for permitting secondary users in the
band. This is intended to enable more efficient use of the
spectrum while protecting primary users. This particular
agreement called Arrangement U may become part of a larger treaty
or replacement agreement governing services operating above 30
MHz. The operational provisions of this arrangement will be
applied on an interim basis pending further review. (RW, FCC,
Industry Canada)
**
RADIO LAW: ARRL TO FCC - SAY NO TO TCB EXPANSION
The ARRL has told the FCC to not act with hast to delegate greater
authority to private Telecommunication Certification Bodies also
known as TCB's. This in the area of granting certification to
electronic gear regulated by the agency. Amateur radio Newsline's
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the Newsroom with more:
--
In reply comments filed July 31 on an ET Docket 13-44 which is an
FCC proposal to alter its Part 2 equipment certification process,
the ARRL says that it agrees with the National Association of
Broadcasters which has expressed concern about the current level
of Telecommunication Certification Bodies in regard to their
performance record. As such it advised against outsourcing all
equipment authorization functions to these TCB's.
The ARRL went on to say that it knows that this is not a docket or
proceeding that directly affects the Amateur Service. However, it
notes that the track record for TCB certification of RF devices in
terms of errors and ill-advised grants of certification is
abysmal. The ARRL notes that the FCC lab staff constantly has to
review and set aside TCB grants of RF equipment.
In closing, the ARRL says that it is concerned that the
reliability of Telecommunication Certification Bodies exhibited so
far is not sufficiently high to justify the proposed extensive
delegation of the evaluation of more complex types of equipment
authorizations. This, where interference potential is significant
or where RF exposure is an issue.
The FCC's equipment authorization program exists in part to ensure
that RF devices imported, marketed and used in the United States
comply with the agency's rules and that they not cause harmful
interference.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the
Newsroom, in Los Angeles.
--
At present, the FCC still conducts evaluations for initial
approval of devices requiring certification. It also approves
certain exempt equipment, including devices that operate in UHF
bands on which Amateur Radio has a secondary allocation. (ARRL)
**
BREAKING DX NEWS: PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL ASSOCIATION OF RADIO
AMATEURS OF MOROCCO FORCES CANCELLATION OF 5C0CE DXPEDITION
The Council of Europe Radio Amateur Club says that the long
planned 5C0CE operation from Morocco has been shut down before it
even got started. This because of what appears to be either a
policy decision or some form of bureaucratic red tape.
Francis Kremer, F6FQK, is a founder and member of the Council of
Europe Radio Amateur Club charged with Public Relations. In an e-
mail to Amateur Radio Newsline and other ham radio information
outlets on Sunday night August 18th, Kremer said that the
operation sponsored by the Council and slated for August 20th and
21st had been cancelled only 16 hours before the team was depart
to Morocco. This due to what he termed as a last minute blockage
by the President of the Royal Association of Radio Amateurs of
Morocco.
Kremer's e-mail went on to state that the DXpedition team had
received their Moroccan licences several months ago. Also that
hams in Morocco have been preparing to assist with this operation
since last year.
F6FQK's e-mail said that the notice from the Moroccan national
society leader gave no reason for the decision to block the
operation from taking place. He notes that each member of the
Council's DXpedition team had paid his own expenses and when news
came of the forced cancellation it was to late to recover those
monies.
Kremer called the incident very damaging to the ham radio
community. (CERAC)
**
REGULATORY: VANITY LICENSE FEE GOES TO $16.10 AUGUST 23
The new FCC regulatory fee of $16.10 to apply for an Amateur Radio
vanity call sign went into effect today, Friday, August 23.
Earlier this year the FCC had proposed upping the vanity fee from
its current $15 to $15.20, but in the Report and Order in MD
Docket 13-140, released August 12, the Commission offered no
explanation for the even higher $16.10 fee. Also starting in
Fiscal Year 2014, the FCC will require that all regulatory fee
payments be made electronically. (ARRL)
**
BREAK 1
Serving you 52 weeks a year, every year since 1977, we are the
Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the
world including the K8TIW repeater serving Paw Paw Michigan.
(5 sec pause here)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: ACTOR AND HAM RADIO SUPPORTER DICK VAN DYKE
ESCAPES BURNING CAR
Famed actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke, who, over the years has
supported ham radio, escaped injury when he was pulled from a
burning car on Los Angeles area Freeway.
It happened on Monday afternoon, August 19th. Van Dyke was
driving on the 101 freeway at approximately 2 in the afternoon
when his Jaguar caught fire near Parkway Calabasas. That's about
25 or so miles West of downtown Los Angeles. Smoke from the
burning vehicle caused the brief closure of two lanes on the
freeway. Van Dyke was reportedly unhurt and did not require any
medical help.
Starting way back in the 1970's the now 87 year-old entertainer
appeared in a number of amateur radio Public Service
announcements.
--
Van Dyke PSA: "Don't worry; it's only the radio. This is Dick
Van Dyke and frankly I get scared when I think of earthquakes,
fire, flood or hurricanes. We almost always loose our normal
means of communication. But who is there ready to help? The
radio hams. If you would like free information about the amateur
radio service write The American Radio Relay League, Newington,
Connecticut, 06111. Over"
--
He also was seen in the opening scene of the 1979 ARRL promotional
film titled The World of Amateur Radio produced by Dave Bell,
W6AQ. And for those living in the Los Angeles area, for many years
he's been the voice of the identifier of a local 2 meter repeater.
Apparently Van Dyke never lost his sense of humor even though the
car was an apparent total loss. Later in the day he reportedly
tweeted a post on Twitter which simply said: "Used Jag for sale
REAL CHEAP!!"
(ARNewslineT audio archive, published news reports.)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATES UNLICENSED BROADCASTER IN
BROCTON MASSACHUSETTS
Brockton, Massachusetts did its own investigating after it started
hearing music over its alert system. In the end it was not the
FCC that came to the rescue but rather a police officer and a
political leader from the city. Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephan
Kinford, N8WB has this very interesting story:
--
The incident took place on Wednesday, August 14th when
firefighters began hearing music coming from the speakers in the
firehouse that are used to alert a callout.
Kevin Galligan is the city's Deputy Fire Chief. He called for the
assistance Officer Scott Uhlman, who is the Brockton Police
Department's two-way radio specialist. Ulman is listed in the FCC
database as holding the call sign KC1AGW.
Also responding to help was Brockton City Councilor Dennis
DeNapoli. The two arrived equipped with radio direction finding
gear and used it to locate the source of the interfering signal as
coming a rooftop antenna of a one-story building directly across
the street from Fire Station. Measurements proved it was the
source of the unlicensed signal on 88.9 MHz.
Uhlman said they approached a group of men behind building and
asked who owned the radio equipment. The men were at first
evasive but when Uhlman climbed on the roof with a pair of wire
cutters, they quickly located the owner. The station was
immediately shut down. The next day the antenna and radio
equipment were gone.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kuinford, N8WB, this
week portable 2 in New York
--
It appears that unlicensed radio stations have in recent times
proliferated in Brockton. Both DeNapoli and Uhlman said they are
aware of several currently operating in the city. (Brockton
Enterprise)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC ORDERS CALIFORNIA COMPANY TO STOP SELLING COMBO
10 AND 11 METER AMPS
The FCC has issued a Citation and Order to a Fremont, California
company known as DNJ Radio. This for its alleged violation of the
agency's rules by marketing non-certified amplifiers and kits via
its website under the trade-name RM Italy.
The agency's San Francisco office was assigned to investigate the
matter. It says that it found that that DNJ Radio was offering R
M Italy brand linear amplifiers and amplifier kits that were
capable of operation on both 11 and 10 meters that had not been
certified for sale in the United States. It also said that a
disclaimer posted on DNJ Radio's website that the devices were
only for industrial, scientific, medical, or export use was not
acceptable because using them on 11 meters would violate FCC
rules.
The FCC ordered DNJ Radio to immediately discontinue marketing
these unauthorized devices and gave the company 30 days to provide
a list of amplifiers imported or marketed under the name RM Italy.
It also told DNJ Radio that any future violations could result in
sanctions of up to $16,000 for each future violation. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: LIGHTSQUARED BACKERS SUE GPS INDUSTRY
Just when we thought it was all over, once again LightSquared is
back in the news. Or more accurately the money people behind
LightSquared who - well - want their investment back and are suing
those who opposed the LightSquared project to try to get it back.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, has the details:
--
Backers of the failed attempt by LightSquared to establish a
nationwide satellite based high speed broadband network are suing
those who successfully opposed the plan. This with word that
Harbinger Capital Partners and several other entities associated
with the failed LightSquared 4G broadband network have filed a
lawsuit against Deere & Co., Garmin, Trimble Navigation,
The U.S. GPS Industry Council and The Coalition to Save Our GPS.
On February 14, 2012, the Federal Communications
Commission refused to give final approval to LightSquared's
planned national broadband network. This after it was informed by
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration or
NTIA that there is no practical way to mitigate potential
interference at that time. The NTIA is the federal agency that
coordinates spectrum uses for the military and other government
entities.
The newly filed litigation by Harbinger Capital claims that the
defendants failed to disclose information about G-P-S interference
problems caused by an adjacent frequency spectrum that
LightSquared was allocated to use. The plaintiffs are seeking
$1.9 billion in damages. More about this court action is on the
web at tinyurl.com/gps-lawsuit
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Skeeter Nash, N5ASH
--
A spokesman for defendant Trimble Navigation says that the law
suit is without merit and that responsibility for Harbinger's
losses rests squarely with Harbinger. He adds that the action
will be vigorously defended. (VHF Reflector, aionline.com,
silobreaker.com)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: HEAD OF THE CHARLES REGATTA OCTOBER 19 - 20
Hams are needed to provide communications for the Head of the
Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 19th and
20th. If you are in the area and have some free time on either of
those days, please take your web browser to tinyurl.com/regatta-
volunteer-2013, create an account and in the comment section,
please note what your current certifications are. If you have any
questions about volunteering please contact David Wolfe, KG1H via
e-mail to dkwolfe (at) comcast (dot) net. (KG1H)
**
RADIO HAPPENINGS: THE NAB SHOW CALL FOR SPEAKERS IS OPEN
The National Association of Broadcasters has put out a call for
speakers for its 2014 NAB Show to be held next April in Las Vegas,
Nevada. While the gathering encourages all types of submissions,
technical papers are offered exclusively within the Broadcast
Engineering Conference program.
Proposals are due no later than October 18th. Those featuring
original content, research or rarely-seen yet highly regarded
speakers will receive favorable consideration. More information
is on-line at tinyurl.com/nab-2014-speakers
More than 93,000 media and entertainment professionals from 156
countries attended the 2013 NAB Show. (RW, NAB)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: OH2BH FRIEDRICHSHAFEN LECTURE NOW ONLINE
Some names in the news. First up is well known DX'er Martti
Laine, OH2BH, was a speaker at the Friedrichshafen Ham Radio
exhibition this past June. His keynote lecture titled Changing
Times in the DX Hunt is now available complete with slides and
audio at tinyuel.com/oh2bh-dx-talk. (Southgate)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: ASTRONAUT HAM MIKE FOALE KA5UAC RETIRES
And after twenty-six year with the space agency, NASA
astronaut Michael Foale, KB5UAC has retired. Starting back in
1997, Foale had spent a total of 375 days in space during six
space shuttle missions and later assignments aboard two space
stations. This included 145 days on the Russian Mir space station
in 1997 and 194 days aboard the International Space Station as
commander of Expedition 8 from October 2003 to April 2004. He also
took part in four spacewalks also known as EVA's totaling almost
23 hours. (NASA, other news reports)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: JE3HHT HAM RADIO SOFTWARE IS MADE OPEN SOURCE
Makoto Mori, JE3HHT, has made his popular MMTTY, MMSSTV and MMVARI
amateur radio software available as an open source enabling anyone
to experiment with the code. These three software packages were
originally developed to support RTTY, Slow Scan Television, PSK,
and MFSK respectively. As of August 1st all of these applications
are released to open source development under the L G P L license.
More information on these programs is on the web at mm-open.org.
(Southgate)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: 2013 MOST WANTED DX SURVEY NOW OPEN
Carl Smith, N4AA, who is the editor of QRZ DX and The DX Magazine,
says that due to popular demand that many countries have been
added to this years Most Wanted DX entity survey. To vote for
your favorites, simply fill out the survey form found at
tinyurl.com/2013-most-wanted-survey. The deadline for entry is
October 15th with the results likely to be published in the
January/February 2014 issue of The DX Magazine. (Southgate)
**
BREAK 2
This is communications 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)
**
WORLDBEAT: NEW VK SUPER COMPUTER TO AID IN SEVERE WEATHER
RESEARCH UNVEILED
Hams involved in emergency communications take note. Australia's
most powerful computer designed primarily for use by scientists
who calculate vast amounts of data to make forecasts and
pinpoint extreme weather has been unveiled.
The machine weighs in at 70 tones and has 57,000 processing cores.
That's the equivalent of about 15,000 state of the art laptop
computers. It also carries 160 terabytes of memory which would
equal that of about 30,000 average modern laptops.
The Australian National University in Canberra has named the
supercomputer Raijin after the Japanese god of thunder, lightning
and storms. More about it is on the web at tinyurl.com/vk-super-
calculator. (The Australian, WAIA)
**
RADIO FROM SPACE: VOYAGER ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
The Voyager 1 inter-stellar probe may soon be gone from our
galaxy, but its certainly not been forgotten. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the latest celestial
wanderer that's still in radio contact with Earth:
--
The latest data from the Voyager-1 spacecraft as reported in a
recent edition of Science journal, suggests it is surfing right on
the very edge of our Sun's domain. It's currently some 18.5
billion kilometers from Earth and at a point in space where
particles streaming away from our star have reduced to a trickle.
Particles flying towards it from interstellar space, by contrast,
have jumped markedly in the past year. It all points to an
imminent departure, which would make Voyager the first man-made
object to cross into the space between the stars.
In 2004, Voyager reached a turbulent region referred to as the
heliosheath, where particles bounced around in all directions. It
was expected this would be the final stage before the leap to
interstellar space, but as has been the case throughout this 35-
year mission, Voyager had another surprise.
Last year, the probe detected what appears to be a discrete
boundary layer that its control team calls the heliosheath
depletion region. This is described as a kind of magnetic highway
where particles on the inside our solar system can exit easily and
the galactic cosmic ray particles on the outside can enter.
The team is now watching the direction of these field lines very
carefully. Currently, they are orientated east to west and wound
into a spiral by our ever rotating Sun. But when Voyager finally
breaks through into interstellar space, they are expected to shift
dramatically, running north-south. At that time the challenge of
exploring interstellar space will have begun.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in
Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
Launched way back in 1977, the Voyager 1 probe has now traveled so
far from home that its radio data transmissions take some 17 hours
to arrive at the US space agency's receiving network here on
earth.
(Science OnLine)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NASA ANNOUNCES NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR CUBESAT
SPACE MISSIONS
NASA says that it is now accepting proposals for the CubeSat
Launch Initiative. Developers whose proposals are selected may
have the opportunity to see their design launched as an auxiliary
payload on a mission between 2014 and 2017.
CubeSat investigations should be consistent with NASA's strategic
plan and educational vision and goals. As such the research
mission of the mini-satellites should address specific aspects of
science, exploration, technology development, education or
operations.
NASA will not provide funding for the development of the small
satellites and selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity.
Proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 4:30 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time on November 26th. From the submissions,
NASA will select the best proposals by February 7, 2014.
From the first four rounds of the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative,
89 payloads from 25 U.S. states made the short list for launch
opportunities in 2011 through 2016. Of the selected CubeSats, 12
satellites have already launched. Twenty-one Cubesats are
scheduled for launch later this year.
For additional information on NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative
program please take your web browser to go.nasa.gov/13VCBmz
(NASA)
**
WORLDBEAT: SOUTH YORKS RG IS UK FIRST TO IMPLEMENT ICOM SYSTEM
The United Kingdom's South Yorkshire Repeater Group says that
GB7YD port A of its 23cm Digital Data System has been granted a
Notice of Variation from regulator Ofcom. This to permit it to
become the first amateur radio group in the UK to implement the
complete Icom D-Star A, B, C and G2 system. GB7YD port A is on
1241.075 MHz. Details are on the web at www.syrg.net. (GB2RS)
**
ON THE AIR: KJ6KO BEACONS ON 2 METERS - 803 and 1296 BACK ON AIR
Greg Stahlman, KJ6KO, reports that his 2 meter, 903.293 and
1296.262 MHz beacons located in California Grid Square CM 88 WS
are back up and running. For now, the 432 MHz unit is down for
repair as is the 222 MHz unit. More information as it is made
available. (VHF Reflector)
**
ON THE AIR: NEW 70 MHZ BEACON ON THE AIR FROM ITALY
A new propagation beacon is on the air from Italy.
The IW9GDC/B beacon in located Grid Square JM78SD near the city of
Messina and operating on 70.091 MHz using 10 watts out to a Big
Wheel omni directional horizontal antenna. The beacon is
frequency and time locked to the Global Positioning System and
transmits its callsign call and grid locator in Morse at regular
intervals. QSN reports are welcome. (IW9GDC, VHF Reflector)
**
DX
In DX, VK6DXI will be active as 9M8DX/2 fom Kuala Lumpur between
through September 3rd. His operation will be limited since this
is a business trip, but he will operate some CW during his local
evening hours. QSL via SP5UAF.
E78A is currently operational from Jordan as JY9FC. He is
reported to be active on all of the High Frequency bands. QSL to
E73Y.
DL1AL who is now active as 5A1AL near Tripoli has told the Ohio
Penn DX Newsletter that his stay in Libya will depend on a holiday
and his business. He's recently been heard on 40, 30, 20 and 6
meters CW and 20 meters using SSB. QSL via DL1AL.
G7COD is operating stroke EA8 from Gran Canaria until August 31st.
He is active on all bands from 6 to 30 meters. QSL as directed by
the operator.
N6TJ will be on the air from Ascension Island in September
operating with the call sign ZD8Z. He will be active on High
frequency bands though no specific modes have been mentioned. If
you work him please QSL via AI4U
An international team will be active as C82DX from Mozambique
between October 15th to the 22nd. Their operation will be on 160
through 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL and other
information is on the web at c82dx.com
Lastly, WB9FMC tells Newsline that he will be in Minnesota from
August 25th to the 31st and will attempt to qualify a United
States island for the US Islands on the Air award. His two
possible choices are Cedar Island in grid square MN012 and
possibly Star Island in grid MN014. This operation requires 25
contacts, 2 of which must be different DXCC entities. Listen out
for him on the 40 and 20 meter CW QRP frequencies. He says that
more about the United States Islands on the Air program can be
found at usislands.org
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
BREAK 3
Time for you to identify your station. This is the Amateur Radio
Newsline and we will be back in just 5 seconds.
(5 second pause here)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: 2013 YHOTY AWARD PRESENTED TO PADRAIG LYSANDROU
KC9UUS
And finally this week, Saturday, August 17th was likely a very
special day in the life of 16 year old Padraig Lysandrou. KC9UUS.
Because on that day he was at the Huntsville Hamfest in Alabama
where he was presented the 2013 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham
of the Year Award. Our own Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, was the host and
emcee:
--
AE5DW: "What Padraig Lysandrou. KC9UUS, has accomplished in his
brief time as a radio amateur makes him a roll model for others no
matter what their age to follow and is the reason he has been
chosen as the 2013 Young Ham of the Year Award recipient.
"Without any further adieu, let me present Mr. Lysandrou with this
plaque that reads:
" `Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year awarded to Padraig
Lysandrou. KC9UUS, in recognition to his dedication to the Amateur
Radio service presented jointly by Amateur Radio Newsline, Yaesu
USA Corporation and CQ Magazine on Saturday, August 17th 2013.'
"Padraig, this is for you. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you
Padraig Lysandrou. KC9UUS."
--
In his short acceptance speech, KC9UUS, took the time to thank
those who were his mentors and brought him to the world of amateur
radio:
--
KC9UUS: "It's a real honor to receive this award, but I obviously
didn't do it alone. I have to thank Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, Scott
Wright, K0MD, the ARRL Education Fund and the Radio Club of
America. Without then I really couldn't have gotten this far."
--
2012 winner Erin King, AK4JG, wanted to be on hand to congratulate
Pagrig in person, but due to other commitments she could not make
it. So she sent her congratulations in an e-mail that Don read:
--
AE5DW: "Holding the title for the past year has been an honor and
a wonderful experience and I am very excited to pass the torch on
to the 2013 Young Ham of the Year. Knowing the appreciation of
the ham radio community is a reward in itself and I am proud to
pass that on to you.
"I sincerely wish I could have attended your ceremony in person to
hand off the award and I am sorry that I was unable to make it.
Huntsville is my favorite hamfest so I am sure that you will have
an awesome weekend with the awesome hams there.
"Congratulations (signed) Erin King, AK4JG."
--
Next up was Rich Moseson, W2VU, of CQ Magazine. CQ is one of the
major corporate underwriters of the award and he had some words of
encouragement for all in the hobby and praise for all of the
younger members of ham radio society:
--
W2VU: "I've said this on this stage many times before but I
continue to say it because I continue to be impressed with the
quality of the nominees.
"People who are concerned about the future of our hobby need not
be concerned because we have great young like Pad who are coming
up through the ranks who will be our next generation of leaders,
and I am sure that the hobby will be in very good hands as we move
on through the years."
--
Rich then presented Padraig with a gift at a week at Spacecamp
Huntsville he can use at some future date. W2VU was followed by
Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, of Yaesu who had a here and now gift
for KC9UUS:
--
K7BV: "Believe it or not, he does have time for ham radio, but
hes going to have less as he starts going into college and doing
more and more travel. At Yaesu we would like to you to be able to
take ham radio with you and to do that we are going to present you
with our FT-817ND which is a 5-watt radio that's all modes and it
goes from 160 meters all the way up to 440 MHz, and that should
take care of just about anything you will run into.
"So often we see young people become very, very active in Amateur
Radio and then they go off to school and they just can't take it
with them. This will allow hom to take it with him and we would
like to give it to you with best wishes and congratulations from
Yaesu."
--
There is a lot more to tell you but not enough time in a half hour
newscast. So for those of you who would like to hear the entire
2013 Young Ham of the Year Ceremony, we are posting it all on our
website in MP3 format. Just go to www.arnewsline.org and click on
the "EXTRA" tab to download the full 20 minute file.
Meantime, some thank you's are in order. First to our major
corporate underwriters Yaesu USA, CQ Publishing and Heil Sound.
Also to our new prize donator Emmett Hohensee, W0QH, of Radio
Wavez Antennas.
And our sincere thanks to Dave Bell, W6AQ, who underwrites the
Young Ham of the Tear Award plaque. To Tom Medlin, W5KUB, who
provided a live video and audio stream of the presentation and to
our great friends of the past two decades at the Huntsville
Hamfest and its leader Charlie Emerson, N4OKL.
Last but by no means least to our Young Ham of the Year Judging
Committee headed up by Mark Abramowicz, NT3V. All of you are part
of the family that makes the Young Ham of the Year Award a
reality, year after year and we hope to see you again in
Huntsville in 2014. (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 WIA 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
Jim Davis, W2JKD, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-77543242262237020912013-08-16T04:18:00.000-07:002013-08-16T04:18:12.248-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1879 - August 16 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--X3jCdq0Ycw/Ug4KLkDQcQI/AAAAAAAAA9c/Opyccs8xy4s/s1600/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--X3jCdq0Ycw/Ug4KLkDQcQI/AAAAAAAAA9c/Opyccs8xy4s/s400/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1879 with a release
date of August 16 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Three Somali pirates will spend
the rest of their lives in prison for killing four Americans
three of whom were radio amateurs; Philippine hams respond
to yet another killer cyclone; three Balkin nations sign a
Memorandum of Understanding to assist one another in times
of crisis; Australian hams to loose their temporary high
power privileges and bringing ham radio to primetime network
television. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio
NewslineT report number 1879 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: JURY RECOMMENDS LIFE FOR SOMALI PIRATES THAT
MURDERED US HAMS
A US jury has recommended that three Somali pirates be
sentenced to life in prison for the 2011 killing of four
Americans off the coast of East Africa. Three of those
murdered were ham radio operators. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the details:
--
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Ahmed Muse
Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar, who
were convicted in July. They were among nineteen men who
hijacked the Americans' yacht hoping to ransom them for
millions of dollars. The three men allegedly served as an
armed guard over the Americans and shot and killed them as
the US Navy closed in.
Those murdered by the pirates were Scott Adam, K9ESO, his
wife Jean, KF6RVB, Bob Riggle, KE7IIV, and Phylis Macay.
They had been on board the yacht S/V Quest when the pirates
boarded their vessel and took them hostage in February of
2011.
At their trial all three Somali's were found guilty of the
26 counts against them. These included piracy, Kidnapping
and murder. Federal Judge Rebecca Beach Smith will formally
sentence the men in November in the courtroom in Norfolk,
Virginia.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
reporting this week from New Jersey.
--
The victims were the first US citizens killed in a wave of
pirate attacks that plagued the Gulf of Aden and the Indian
Ocean in recent years. (Published news reports)
**
RESCUE RADIO: PHILIPPINE HAMS RESPOND TO YET ANOTHER
PACIFIC CYCLONE
Ham radio was again called out as another fierce Pacific
cyclone made landfall in the Philippines. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reports on what's known so
far:
--
At least one person died and 44 others were declared missing
as typhoon Labuyo hit the northern part of the Philippines
early on Monday, August 12th local time. When it made
landfall news reports said that the storm was carrying
maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour with guts
upward of 200 kilometers an hour. Intense rainfall of one
half to one in per hour was experienced in areas within the
typhoon's 600 kilometer or 375 mile wide diameter.
The RAYNET H F website reports the Philippines emergency
communications operations were set in motion well in advance
of the arrival of Typhoon Labuyo. As of 7:00 a.m. local
time on Sunday, August 11th, the Philippines Amateur Radio
Association had activated its HERO A-R-E-S net centered on
7.095 MHz. It also advised radio clubs across that nation
to start local nets on 2 meters at 144.740 MHz. An urgent
request was made for the cooperation of neighboring
countries in the IARU Region 3 to keep clear from the
emergency frequency during and immediately after the storm.
According to Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration, after Typhoon Labuyo
made a landfall in Aurora province, it weakened its strength
and left the country in the afternoon. Some 8,927
passengers were been stranded in various ports in the Bicol
and Visayas areas as the authorities suspended sea travel
due to the typhoon.
At least 244 families from Central Luzon and Southern
Tagalog were affected by the typhoon. They are reportedly
staying at evacuation centers as this newscast is being
prepared.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF,
reporting from down-under in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
After passing through the Philippines, Typhoon Labuyo was is
expected to move out to sea towards the general direction of
southeast China and northern Vietnam. If ham radio is again
called out, there could be more about this typhoon in
upcoming Amateur Radio Newsline reports. (PARA,
PhilStar.com, DU1UGZ)
**
WORLDBEAT: THREE BALKAN NATION AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETIES SIGN
MOU
The national Amateur Radio organizations of the Balkan
nations of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding. This, to assist one another in
times of emergency communications need.
The three nations have a long history of natural disasters
like earthquakes, fires, floods and other natural disasters
where ham radio has been a vital communications link, but
the agreement does not end there.
The Memorandum of Understanding not only supports the
communications needs in times of emergencies. It also
supports other events which promote and strengthen amateur
radio, friendship and co-operation between peoples. These
include Field Day, support of local and worldwide sporting
events, contact between schools with the International Space
Station, Scouting Jamborees and other similar happenings.
(IARU Region 1, LZ1US)
**
RADIO LAW: VK HAMS TO LOOSE TEMPORARY HIGH POWER PERMISSION
AT THE END OF AUGUST
Hams in Australia have learned that their temporary high
power authorization will end on Sunday August 31st and for
now will not be renewed. The Australia Communications and
Media Authority says that this is because the hams in that
nation are not properly aware of RF exposure requirements.
Phil Wait, VK2ASD, is the President of the Wireless
Institute of Australia:
--
At a meeting between the WIA and the ACMA on Monday 5th
August, the ACMA told the Institute that the arrangements
put in place to authorize the use of higher power will not
be made permanent.
The ACMA revealed that its decision was reached after
reviewing data it obtained during an assessment process that
began back in March this year.
According to the ACMA, the trial demonstrated a lack of
awareness by some Advanced Licensees of their license
conditions.
Of particular concern to the ACMA were issues related to
compliance with electromagnetic energy requirements and that
this lack of awareness is not confined to the use of higher
power than the 400 watts already permitted.
The ACMA said that the results of the trial demonstrate
there is a need to raise awareness among licensees of their
license conditions, and that this should not be confined to
Advanced Licensees, adding that the ACMA looks forward to
working with the WIA to achieve that objective.
It is important to realize that radio amateurs are not being
singled out here. Compliance with electromagnetic energy
requirements applies to all apparatus licensees, including
broadcasting, maritime services and others. The ACMA also
remarked on the lack of awareness of electromagnetic energy
compliance generally among other licensees.
To address this issue, and to prepare for another approach
to the ACMA next year, the Institute has begun implementing
plans to promote widespread awareness of the necessary
compliance with electromagnetic energy requirements for
amateur stations.
This is Phil Waite, VK2ASD, for the WIA.
--
According to the Wireless Institute of Australia, all is not
lost. It says that following lengthy discussion, the ACMA
agreed to re-visit the matter, which could happen as early
as next year. (WIA News)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC PROPOSES NEW RF EXPOSURE STANDARDS THAT WILL
ELIMINATE HAM RADIO EXEMPTION
Amateur radio operators in the United States who live in
developments where they want to keep their anonymity may
soon find it hard if not impossible to do so. This is
because of proposed new rules on RF exposure from the FCC
that would remove the blanket exemption that currently keeps
hams from having to conduct RF radiation studies.
Under the proposed new regulations, households where amateur
stations operate should be considered to operate under
occupational exposure standards. According to the FCC, this
could eventually require education for household members and
the posting of signs warning of the possibility of exposure
to RF.
While not the law yet, more about the plans by the FCC to
increase the scope of its overall RF exposure standards in
all areas of its oversight can be read in an article by
noted author Scott Fybush and published in the trade
publication Radio World. You can find it on-line at
tinyurl.com/living-with-rf. (RW)
**
BREAK 1
Serving you 52 weeks a year, every year since 1977, we are
the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations
around the world including the W4BS repeater serving
Memphis, Tennessee.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: GPS JAMMING BRINGS BIG PROPOSED FINE IN NJ
A New Jersey man faces a $32,000 fine after regulators say
he interfered with a satellite guidance system at one of the
nation's busiest airports. This while allegedly attempting
to mask his whereabouts from his employer. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the details:
--
The Federal Communications Commission claims that Gary
Bojczak installed a Global Positioning System jamming device
in his company owned pickup truck in an apparent attempt to
keep his employer from knowing his whereabouts. But what
Bojczak was not aware of was that the jammer was interfering
with a new GPS assisted navigation system used to aid
aircraft approaching and departing Newark Liberty
International Airport in New Jersey.
Federal agents eventually tracked the jamming signal to
Bojczak's vehicle. Bojczak reportedly surrendered the
jamming device after his truck was stopped at the airport in
August 2012.
Now in its Notice of Apparent Liability the FCC described
Bojczak's alleged conduct as particularly troubling because
it interrupted the calibration of a critical air navigation
system. At the time of the incident the system was
undergoing testing and was not put into full service until
September of last year.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
Bojczak was given the customary 30 days from the issue date
of the NAL to pay or to file an appeal. (KC5FM, CBS NY,
Bigstory.ap.com, others)
**
RADIO RULES: VANITY CALL FEE TO RISE TO $16.19 IN MID
SEPTEMBER
The price of a Vanity Callsign will be going up in mid-
September. This as the FCC announces that the new fee of
$16.10 will apply as soon as the new fee schedule appears in
the Federal Register.
In its Report and Order released August 12th in Docket 13-
140, the FCC ordered a sweeping schedule of new fees be
implemented without the normal 30 day period following
publication in the Federal Register. This change is because
the next fiscal year for the government beginning on October
1st and there would not be enough time for the new fees to
become effective on that date if the waiting period were
kept in place. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC MODIFIES AND STREAMLINES PART 15 RULES
The Federal Communications Commission has streamlined the
agency's Part 15 rules governing unlicensed communication
equipment in the 57 to 64 GHz band. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has more;
--
In announcing their decision, the FCC Commissioners said the
modification it is making to Part 15 of its rules will
enhance the use of unlicensed spectrum as a relatively
low-cost, high-capacity short-range backhaul alternative to
connect wireless broadband networks and for other wireless
applications. The FCC notes that these changes could
provide wireless broadband network connectivity over
distances up to a mile at data rates of 7 Gigabytes Per
Second. This, the commissioners say could potentially
relieve the need and expense of wiring facilities or using
existing facilities with less capability.
However the rules for equipment located indoors will remain
unchanged, providing certainty for emerging products that
can provide data rates of 7 Gigabytes Per Second. This for
such applications as the wireless docking of digital devices
and distribution of uncompressed video to TV receivers and
video displays.
They FCC says that unlicensed spectrum technologies hold the
potential to encourage competition in the broadband market,
to promote efficient delivery of broadband services in
residences and businesses, and improve user experience with
consumer devices needing short-range but high data rate
communications.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
In the 1990s, the FCC put into place rules for unlicensed
operations in the 57 to 64 GHz band. At the time the agency
said that this spectrum was desirable for high-capacity
uses, both in point-to-point fixed operations outdoors and
as networking equipment indoors based on its rather wide
bandwidth, (FCC, RW)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC TO HOLD WEBINARS ON HOW TO APPLY FOR LPFM
LICENSE
The FCC will be hosting two webinars for would-be low-power
FM station owners. The aim is to answer questions on how to
apply for a new low-power FM station or LPFM broadcast
license once the agency opens an application window on
October 15th.
The first webinar is slated for Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. Topics
include an overview of the low-power FM service,
instructions on creating an account in the commission's
electronic database and on how to fill out the application
Form 318 for a new LPFM station. The second webinar will be
held in early October and the agency plans to announce those
details later.
The webinars will be streamed on-line at www.fcc.gov/live.
Participants can email questions during the webinars to lpfm
(at) fcc (dot) gov or submit questions using Twitter and the
hashtag #LPFMquestions. (FCC)
**
HAM TECHNOLOGY: THE RADIO DOCUMENTATION PROJECT MANUALS FOR
CHINA BUILT RADIO GEAR
If you own a China built hand-held and have questions that
the manual does not answer, there's now a new source of
information. Calling itself the Radio Documentation
Project, this website plans to provide high quality and in-
depth open source documentation user manuals for mainland-
China built handheld two-way radios.
Its first completed work is a PDF file containing a well
documented manual for the popular Baofeng UV-5R dual bander.
The instructions are clear and distinct. Best of all it is
available as a free download at tinyurl.com/new-uv5r-
booklet. (Southgate)
**
HAM TECHNOLOGY: MULTISCAN 2B VER 1.8.2 FOR MC RELEASED
KD6CJI has announced the availability of MultiScan 3B
SSTV for Mac version 1.8.2. This is an application for Ham
Radio Slow Scan TV Communications that will run on the Mac
OS X 10.6 or later versions and supports many popular SSTV
formats. It can be downloaded at www.qsl.net/kd6cji
(Southgate)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: EMCOMM EAST SEPTEMBER 29 IN ROCHESTER NY
EmComm East, the east coast amateur radio emergency
communications conference takes place on Sunday, September
29th at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York.
This year's featured guest speaker will be the ARRL Chief
Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B. More on the
convention including a list of forum speakers along with
registration information is on-line at www.emcommeast.org
(Emcommeast)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN FROM KN4AQ TO RECORD
2013 DCC
The video podcast HamRadioNow.tv has launched a KICKSTARTER
campaign to raise the money they need to record the 2013
ARRL and Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Digital Communications
Conference, which is coming up this September in Seattle,
Washington. Producer Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, says the
KICKSTARTER goal is $10,000, and the campaign ends on Labor
Day, September 2nd.
The Digital Communications Conference is Tucson Amateur
Packet Radio's annual conference featuring about sixteen
individual technical presentations. Each runs about 45
minutes and the conference itself covers every aspect
digital operation and experimentation in ham radio.
HamRadioNow plans on shooting all of it, and putting it on
the Internet for the amateur community worldwide to view
free of charge. The Digital Communications Conference
won't be streamed live, but the programs should be available
for viewing within a few weeks of the conference.
To contribute to this project simply take your web browser
to tinyurl.com/dcc-video-2013, watch the short video and
then make your pledge. KICKSTARTER is a crowdfunding
website that helps those wanting to subsidize a project to
do so with public support. (KN4AQ, HamRadioNow)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: BRINGING HAM RADIO TO NETWORK TELEVISION
A very interesting talk given at this years Dayton
Hamvention about how an episode of the hit ABC situation
comedy Last Man Standing that featured ham radio came about
is now available on YouTube. The presentation features the
show's producer John Amodeo, NN6JA, who not only explained
how ham radio gets featured on a TV show, but also some
background into the world of television production itself:
--
NN6JA: "Network television is driven by advertising dollars
so it's probably not surprising that it's all about ratings
and demographics.
"Last Man Standing gets about 6 to 7 million viewers each
week and that makes us a successful show. But by
comparison, CBS's `Big Bang Theory' gets about 15 million
viewers each week which makes it a hit show.
"But as important as the total number of the people watching
the networks pay particular attention to the age of the
viewers. The thinking behind this is that older viewers
translate into older shoppers who are set in their ways and
hard to sell new products to. Young people are considered
to be better shoppers with more spendable income.
"There are now about 750,000 licensed amateur radio
operators in the United States. But because only a small
percentage of hams might potentially watch our show so it's
hard to get the writers to focus on radio as a topic. As a
TV comedy, we have to be funny to our general audience. We
cannot address any one group of people."
--
John Amodeo's presentation is titled Bringing Amateur Radio
to Primetime Network Television. It was produced by Icom
America with video recorded at the Icom Hamventionc booth by
Julian Frost, N3JF. It runs thirteen minutes and you can
watch it on-line at tinyurl.com/dayton-nn6ja-lms. (Icom,
NN6JA)
**
BREAK 2
The news never stops and neither do we. This is 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)
**
WORLDBEAT: SARL VHF FORUM SUGGESTS AIRCRAFT SCATTER ON 50
MHz & 144 MHz
Mike Bosch, ZS2FM, reports that lately there has been a lot
of discussions and interest shown in Aircraft Scatter on the
South African Radio League's VHF Forum. There are also many
reports of signals heard and some contacts made were via
reflections from aircraft.
The longest two-way contacts of 430 to 470 kilometers were
established on 2 meter SSB by Van Watt, ZS6LW, in Germiston
with John Fielding, ZS5JF, and Ben Smit, ZS5QM, in Natal.
Its also been reported that the ZS6JON beacon on 50.050 MHz
is often seen on the WSJT waterfall displays and heard in
Port Elizabeth when aircraft cross the area of the Orange
River. These aircraft scatter signals last for a minute or
longer and operators in South Africa feel that they could
easily have sustained SSB contacts.
However, as pointed out to Newsline, one thing to take into
consideration is that many aircraft now utilize multiple
radio systems and not all their operating frequencies are
publicized. This could lead to interference and safety
issues should someone aim a high power signal at an aircraft
in the hope of making a VHF, UHF or microwave DX contact by
reflecting signals off of it. Therefore it might be wise to
error on the side of safety and not get involved in any form
of operation that carries with it the chance interfering
with sensitive avionics of any aircraft in flight. (SARL.
others)
(Note: Additional information on aircraft radio systems is
posted on our �EXTRA� page.)
**
WORLDBEAT: ACMA LOOKING FOR ROGUE SIGNALS
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is trying
to locate the source of a signal or signals that have caused
motorists in the city of Sydney problems in locking and
unlocking their vehicles using radio remote key fobs.
According to Jim Linton, VK3PC, the problem only occurs
during normal business hours leading to the belief that the
signals could be coming from a device such as a store entry
sensor or anything operated by wireless signals including
doorbells, fans and possibly even a weather station. So far
the source of the interference has not been found. (VK3PC)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: AMATEUR DATA INTERCHANGE FORMAT
STANDARD 3.0.4 RELEASED
The latest version of the Amateur Data Interchange Format or
ADIF Standard, 3.0.4, has been approved by its developer
group, and is available from adif.org/304. ADIF is a
standard format used to exchange data between different
amateur radio programs and websites. This new version
includes improvements to the way modes and awards are
represented. It also adds support for Summits On The Air and
uploading QSOs to Club Log, HRDLog.net and QRZ.COM. For
more information about the ADIF Developer group, please
visit groups.yahoo.com/group/adifdev (ADIF Development
Group)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: AMSAT SECOND CALL FOR SYMPOSIUM PAPERS
A second call has gone out to those who might wish to
present papers at the 2013 AMSAT Annual Meeting and Space
Symposium. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations
and poster presentations are invited on any topic of
interest to the amateur satellite community.
AMSAT says that it needs a tentative title of presentations
as soon as possible, with final copy to be submitted by
October 1st. This is so that it can be included in the
gatherings printed proceedings.
Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz at n8fgv
(at) amsat (dot) org. The symposium to be held on the
weekend of November 1st to the 3rd at the Marriott Hobby
Airport Hotel, Houston, Texas. (N8FGV)
**
DX
In DX, SQ9KWW will be active portable HL3 from South Korea
through September 2nd. He plans to operate on the various
High Frequency bands during his stay. QSL via his home call
direct or electronically using eQSL.
SP2EBG and five other SP prefix operators will be
operational as J88HL from Saint Vincent and Grenadines
between November 17th and the 29th. Their activity will be
on 160 through 6 meters. More information including QSL
routing should be available in the near future.
G7COD is on the air stroke EA8 from Playa Del Cura, on the
Island of Gran Canaria, through August 31st. Operation is
on all bands including WARC frequencies and 6 meters using
SSB and CW. Callers from QRP stations are particularly
encouraged. Refer to QRZ.com for further activity details.
W7JVN will be working at a church mission in Ghana for the
next 16 months. He has been issued with the callsign 9G5AC
and will operate 100W to a dipole on 20 and 15 meter SSB
when time and conditions permit. QSL as directed by the
operator.
DL2SBE is spending his holiday on Lolland which is the
fourth largest island of Denmark. He will be there until
August 24th and is reported to be operating holiday style
signing stroke OZ. Modes he's using are SSB, PSK, and RTTY.
QSL via DL2SBE both direct and via the bureau.
Lastly, DL2JRM and DO6XX will be operational stroke JW from
Svalbard Islands from September 20th to the 23rd. They
will be active also in the SAC CW Contest. If you work
them, please QSL via each stations home call. (Above from
various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: A FASCINATING CONVENTION WEBSITE
And finally this week, while we usually do not do stories
about hamfest or convention websites, every once in a while
one comes along that deserves a bit of special attention.
And so it is with this years Pacificon show. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has the details:
--
If you have ever visited a hamfest website then you know
that most are very basic. Usually it's a headline with the
name, date and location of the event and possibly a way to
register on-line. But Pacificon, the ARRL Pacific
Division's annual conference held annually in California's
Silicon Valley has changed all this. The cutting edge
website uses a professional conference management system
donated to the event by a startup called PointView. David
Witkowski, W6DTW, is the Webmaster for Pacificon 2013:
--
W6DTW: "The system is really exciting because, in addition
to the fully modernized website the public will see, there's
a set of back office tools the Pacificon team can use to
efficiently manage the event leading up to and on the day
of. It handles everything from attendee and vendor
registrations, managing presentation submissions. We can
dynamically adjust room and timeslot assignment to better
create an agenda that's going to be responsive to the users.
And if we need to change the time or location for a Forum
session, the website's event calendar gets automatically
updated with that information."
--
Pacificon 2013 is slated for October 11th to the 13th at the
Mariott Hotel in Santa Clara California. Its new conference
system is so modern it even features support for smartphones
and social networking.
--
W6DTW: "On the day of the event attendees can use the
PointView mobile app which runs on both iOS and Android
devices to manage their agenda, exchange contact information
with presenters and other attendees, and get live
announcements about the event. The attendees can also link
their Pacificon account with social networking such as
Facebook and Twitter, and use the PointView app or the
Pacificon website to post comments and photos which will be
reflected to their social networking channels."
--
Bringing convention and hamfest websites into the 21st
century is what this story is really all about and right now
it appears as if Pacificon and its new website are the
leaders of the pack.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
Attendee and vendor registration for Pacificon is now open
at pacificon.org. There's also a Facebook page that you can
follow at facebook.com/pacificon.org. Planners say that
they are looking forward to seeing you in October at
Pacificon 2013. (W6DTW)
**
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, saying 73 from near Houston, Texas,
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-14181672003790984782013-08-09T05:13:00.000-07:002013-08-09T05:13:54.180-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1878 - August 9 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zn9EMWo7cMI/UgTcvb0RdCI/AAAAAAAAA9M/2KgEFOEt07M/s1600/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zn9EMWo7cMI/UgTcvb0RdCI/AAAAAAAAA9M/2KgEFOEt07M/s400/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1878 with a release
date of August 9 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Scientists say that the Sun's
magnetic poles are about to reverse; hams in India again
respond as monsoon rains bring landslides; a Florida man is
electrocuted while installing an antenna; Louisiana adopts
the Alert FM public warning system and guess who is not
going to retire from ham radio teaching. Find out the
answer on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1878 coming
your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
FUTURE PROPAGATION: SUN MAGNETIC POLES READY TO REVERSE
According to measurements from NASA-supported observatories,
the sun's vast magnetic field is about to turn over.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the
details:
--
The Sun's magnetic field changes polarity approximately
every 11 years. It happens at the peak of each solar cycle
as our home star's inner magnetic field generator
reorganizes itself signaling the mid-point of a Solar Cycle.
Todd Hoeksema is the Director of Stanford's Wilcox Solar
Observatory which is one of the few that monitor the sun's
polar magnetic fields. He says that we are no more than 3
to 4 months away from a complete field reversal and that
this change will have ripple effects throughout the solar
system. This is because of the fact that the domain of the
Sun's magnetic influence, also known as the Heliosphere,
extends billions of kilometers beyond the minor planet Pluto
and almost too interstellar space.
When solar physicists talk about solar field reversals they
are also referring to something known as the Sun's Current
Sheet. This is a sprawling surface jutting outward from its
equator where it's slowly rotating magnetic field induces an
electrical current. During field reversals, the current
sheet becomes very wavy. As Earth orbits the sun, it dips
in and out of the current sheet. Transitions from one side
to another can stir up stormy space weather around our
planet which in turn can affect radio propagation to some
degree.
As the field reversal approaches, data from the Wilcox Solar
Observatory shows that the sun's two hemispheres are out of
synch. According to Solar Physicist Phil Scherrer the Sun's
North Pole has already changed sign, while the South Pole is
racing to catch up. Soon both poles will be reversed, and
the second or downhill half of Solar Max will be underway.
For ham radio it likely means that good DX openings
especially on the higher bands could be fewer and far in-
between.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
You can read more about what is happening with "Old Sol" at
tinyurl.com/solar-max-midpoint-here. Frequent updates are
also on the web at sciencedaily.com (NASA)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS IN INDIA AGAIN RESPOND TO MONSOON
FLOODING
Hams in India are reportedly once again on the front lines.
This as another series of heavy rains on August 4th lead to
landslides hit in the high mountain range area of Idukki and
the adjoining districts of Kerala.
At airtime nine people have lost their lives and scores are
reported missing from the monsoon saturated areas. Word is
that the ham radio response is centered on 7.080 MHz for
long distance communications with VHF being used within the
storm devastated region.
Idukki is described as an agricultural area where most
people operate small farms. Reports say that the region has
suffered heavy crop and property loss due to the flooding.
More information on the current situation is on the web at
tinyurl.com/more-india-flooding.
(Southgate, IndiaToday.com, Times of India)
**
RADIO LAW: UK GOVERNMENT MAY AMEND OFCOM'S STATUTORY DUTIES
A report by the United Kingdom Department for Culture Media
and Sport says that telecommunications regulator Ofcom's
duties should expanded to include the power to issue
monetary penalties for breach of Wireless Telegraphy Act
licenses.
The report is titled Connectivity, Content and Consumers -
Britain's digital platform for growth. It covers a number
of issues related to the RF spectrum including such items as
spectrum management on and the already planned digital radio
switchover. However of greater interest is the Spectrum
Management Impact Assessment document. It notes that the
Government's preferred option is to amend Ofcom's statutory
duties to make possible Dynamic Spectrum Access database
licensing, incentive auctions and to impose monetary
penalties for breach of Wireless Telegraphy Act licenses.
The report says that should a holder of spectrum is in
breach of the Wireless Telegraphy Act even in a minor way,
Ofcom can currently only prosecute licensees or revoke their
licenses. Such measures are often disproportionate to the
offence. The report also suggests that its time to
introduce a system of penalties which provide appropriate
incentives for compliance. This would essentially be
similar to the authority that the FCC has here in the United
States. (Published news reports)
**
FOLLOWUP: RADIO CLUB WILL MOVE DIGIPETER AFTER ITS
RECOVERED FROM FALLEN TOWER
A follow-up to last weeks story on the destruction of the
Rocky Ridge radio tower east of San Francisco, California.
It's now been learned that the ham radio system on that
tower belonged to the Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club and was
its heavily trafficked 144.390 MHz Packet Radio and APRS
digipeater.
Jim Siemons, AF6PU, is a spokesman for the group. He says
that the club's repeater committee has decided to move the
digipeater and the results were amazing:
--
AF6PU: "This last Friday (Julu 2nd), Trevor Hall, WA6JAU,
was able to get into the vault at Rocky Ridge and retrieve
all of our Digipeter gear. Early on Saturday morning (July
3rd) a group of us met to go up to the North peak of Mt.
Diablo to set up ATV gear. And while we were up there
Trevor was able to install and get running the Digipeter.
The great news is that at its higher vantage point we are
now covering almost 150 miles all the way around."
--
According to AF6PU, the new site should offer packet and
APRS coverage to the majority of hams in Northern
California.
Meantime police are still asking the publics assistance in
finding the person or persons responsible for this act of
vandalism. If you have any information that might help
please contact investigators at area code 510-881-1833.
(AF6PU, ARNewslineT)
**
BREAKING DX NEWS: SWAZILAND DXPEDITION NEEDS RTTY OPERATORS
Some interesting DX news. Word that Roger Jones, ZS6RJ, and
a multi-national team of operators will be active as 3DA0ET
from Piggs Peak, Swaziland, between November 18th and the
27th. They plan to have 4 stations on the air, covering 160
through 10 meters plus 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.
This operation will also include the CQ World Wide DX CW
Contest that takes place this year from November 23rd
through the 24th.
According to planner Charles "Frosty" Frost, K5LBU, the team
is still looking for operators, especially some skilled in
RTTY operators. If you are interested in joining this
DXpedition, please contact ZS6RJ at: roger.jones (at)
vodamail (dot) com or K5LBU to 3da0cf (at) gmail (dot) com.
More information on this upcoming operation is on-line at
www.swazidx.org (OPDX)
**
THIS JUST IN: DAYTON ARA TO HOST OPEN HOUSE AT RENOVATED
CLUBHOUSE
Some late breaking good news. It comes in words of
congratulations to the Dayton Amateur Radio Association.
This on the grand re-opening of its clubhouse after some
extensive renovation and expansion.
On Friday, August 16th from 4 to 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight
time club members and the public are invited to preview the
facilities that include a lounge, a kitchenette, two new
classrooms and a Board Room which have been wired with the
latest video, audio and Smart Boards projection gear.
Current club President Reuben Meeks, W8GUC and Past
President Don DuBon, N6JRL, will be hosting a ribbon cutting
ceremony at 5 pm and again at 7 pm. Refreshments will be
served.
The Dayton Amateur Radio Clubhouse is located at 6619
Bellfontaine Road in the Dayton suburb of Huber Heights,
Ohio, For more information on this event please e-mail
WD8QAI (at) gmail (dot) com. (DARA)
**
BREAK 1
With you 52 weeks a year, every year since 1977, we are the
Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around
the world including the WB9AER repeater serving Madison
Wisconsin.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO ACCIDENTS: FLORIDA MAN ELECTROCUTED PUTTING UP
ANTENNA FOR ALLEGED UNLICENSED RADIO STATION
An Oakland Park, Florida man was electrocuted on July 29th
while trying to install an antenna for an unlicensed radio
station antenna on the roof of a strip mall. According to
the Broward Sheriff's Office forty-two year old Jean Roselet
Adelphonse was reportedly climbing a tree at about 10:40
p.m. when the 30-foot antenna that was supporting came into
contact a high voltage power line. His friend, Clebert
Durand, who was helping him install the antenna, called 911.
Officials said Adelphonse was trying to start a Creole-
language pirate station and that they found
more broadcasting equipment in his vehicle. (RW, Orlando
Sentinal)
**
RESCUE RADIO: LOUISIANA ADOPTS ALERT FM STATE WIDE
A new public alert system is coming to the state of
Louisiana. Amateur Radio Newsline's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW,
has the details:
--
If there's ever another disaster like Hurricane Katrina,
Louisiana will be in a far better position to advise its
residents than back in August of 2005. This with the
announcement by Louisiana's Office of Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness that it has adopted the Alert
FM system as a way of notifying the state's emergency
managers in 64 parishes and 42 institutions of higher
learning of an imminent threat to life or property.
According to the release, Louisiana's Senator Mary Landrieu
was an early supporter of the broadcast-based emergency
alert systems. She is quoted as saying that with Alert FM,
Louisiana has implemented a reliable method of distributing
life-saving information to the citizens. She added that the
dependability of broadcast transmissions can make the
difference between life and death during an emergency.
As previously reported here on Newsline, Alert FM is
an emergency notification system that delivers messages from
state, local, and private sector officials to citizens,
schools, businesses, and first responders using the Radio
Data System or R-D-S sub-carrier of local FM radio stations.
Messages are originated by designated officials and are then
transported from a secure web-based portal to the data sub-
carrier via GSS Net which is a secure satellite data
delivery system. These alerts and messages are then received
by FM stations and re-transmitted to Alert FM equipped
receivers or to cell phones that have both active FM chips
and properly installed software.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in
New Orleans.
--
More about the Alert FM system is on line at alertfm.com.
(Radio Weekly)
**
ELECTRONIC SAFETY: APPLE OFFERS FAKE FOR REAL CHARGER
EXCHANGE
Apple has begun a worldwide program to replace third-party
and counterfeit USB chargers for use with its iPhone, iPad,
and iPod products. The after reports that a woman in China
was electrocuted by a non-Apple charger.
Apple said it would swap third-party chargers for an
official replacement on payment of $10 or the equivalent fee
in local currency. The exchange program begins on August
16th and will run until October 18th.
In mid-July, Apple said it was investigating reports that Ma
Ailun was killed when she answered her iPhone 5 while it was
plugged into a wall charger. Investigators later said that
her death was caused by a fake third party non-Apple
charger.
No mention was made of the woman's death in the announcement
of the trade-in program but Apple did say that the
initiative was prompted by safety issues. Apple also said
that the third-party and fake chargers would be disposed of
in an environmentally friendly way. You can read one of the
many detailed stories on this Apple initiated safety program
at tinyurl.com/apple-charger-exchange. (BBC, iDigital
Times, Huffington Post, others)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC PROPOSES $8000 FINE AGAINST BROADCASTER
THAT MOVED TRANSMITTER WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION
The FCC has proposed an $8,000 fine to the religious
broadcaster Fellowshipworld Inc. which is the licensee of
WFWO - FM. This for allegedly operating from a location
other than the one it was authorized for. Stephan Kinford,
N8WB, reports:
--
According to the Commission, the noncommercial station was
authorized to transmit on 89.7 MHz in Knowelsville, New
York. Responding to a complaint in October 2012, an agent
from the Enforcement Bureau's Philadelphia office traced the
signal back to the Fellowship Christian Center in Buffalo,
some 36 miles from Knowelsville. The agent also took field
strength measurements to determine if WFWO's power levels
were low enough to operate under Part 15 of its rules. The
FCC said in its decision that WFWO exceeded the maximum
permitted for non-licensed devices and, therefore, required
a license to operate.
In his response, Fellowship President John Young told the
commission the station stopped operating from its original
transmitter site so the property owner could remove some
trees around the antenna. Young was admitted that the group
was operating a one-watt low-powered transmitter on 89.7MHz
in Buffalo. The agent told Young to stop operating the 1
watt transmitter because it was over-powered for Part 15
operation and not at its authorized location. The FCC said
Young agreed and the agency followed up with a Notice of
Unlicensed Operation. It warned the licensee of a violation
and that a fine could be imposed.
But in November of 2012 the director of engineering from a
licensed station told the FCC that WFWO was once again
transmitting again from the Buffalo location. An FCC
Enforcement Bureau agent confirmed that it was on the air
and inspected the facility. This time Young claimed he was
unaware the station was operational and alleged that his
children must have turned on the transmitter.
But in its imposing the penalty the FCC said that while the
base fine for this type of violation is $4,000, that it
raised it to $8,000, saying the licensee's conduct in this
case is egregious.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
Fellowshipworld Inc. was given the customary 30 days from
imposition of the proposed fine to pay or to file an appeal.
(FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: NO FM TRANSLATOR FOR EMF IN LOS ANGELES
The FCC says that the Educational Media Foundation cannot
have an FM translator in Los Angeles, California. In making
its decision the regulatory agency said that the broadcaster
had not proven that granting its application would not
preclude future Low Power FM licensing opportunities for it
in that market.
The Media Bureau had treated the Educational Media
Foundation situation as a request for a waiver and said in
its decision such waivers face a high hurdle. Audio
Division Chief Peter Doyle noted that given the massive
number of pending translator applications, the agency isn't
going to conduct a case-by-case assessment of any one
request. (FCC, RW)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: BOB GROVE EXPLAINS THE DEMISE OF
MONITORING TIMES
As reported last week, Bob Grove W8JHD, founder, editor and
publisher of Monitoring Times Magazine, has announced his
and the magazine's retirement. Now in a one-on-one video
interview, Ham Radio Now's Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, finds out why
Bob's retirement also means an end to the magazine. It's a
very interesting conversation that will give you a lot of
insight into Bob Grove's thinking and putting his popular
magazine to bed. To find out, take your web browser to
tinyurl.com/monitoring-times-says-goodbye (arvidnews.com)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: WHEELER ONE STEP CLOSER TO FCC CHAIR
President Obama's nominee for chairman of the Federal
Communications Commission is one step closer to that
position. This with word that Thomas Wheeler has received
the approval of the Senate Commerce Committee for that
position.
Its now believed that a full Senate vote on Wheelers
nomination will take place shortly after Congress returns
from its August recess. If approved, Wheeler will replace
former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski who retired from the
position to join the Aspen Institute as a senior fellow.
(Published news reports)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: SENATE CONFIRMS THREE MEMBERS FOR
BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Before its recess the United States Senate confirmed three
new members to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
Jeffrey Shell, Matthew C. Armstrong and Ambassador Ryan C.
Crocker were unanimously appointed to the bipartisan board.
Shell was also confirmed as chair. The board had been below
quorum level for some time but with the swearing in of these
new members it will once again be at a fully operational
level. (The Hill)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION AUG
20 - 24
The 52nd Antique Wireless Association World Convention is
slated for August 20th to the 24th at the Rochester
Institute of Technology Inn and Conference Center. The
event will celebrate the grand opening of the new Antique
Wireless Association Museum that takes place on August 20th.
For more information on this event please take your web
browser to antiquewireless.org/annual-convention (AWA)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: WORLD DIGITAL ATV QSO PARTY AUGUST 20 TO 31
The next World Digital Amateur Television QSO Party is on
its way. The event created by Peter Cossins, VK3BFG, in
2011, will begin on Friday the August 30th and conclude on
Saturday the 31st with scheduling all in Australian Eastern
Standard Time.
This QSO Party will be initiated through the VK3RTV
Melbourne-Geelong repeater in Australia linked with the
California W6ATN network in the United States. It will also
include an on-line seminar by Ken Konechy, W6HHC, of the
Orange County Amateur Radio Club with an update on the DATV
Express Project. This is a digital fast scan television
system being developed by United States and British hams.
European presenters are yet to be confirmed; however the QSO
party will be streamed on-line thanks to the British Amateur
Television Club. If you are a ham interested in the world
of digital video, this is one event that you won't want to
miss. (VK3PC)
**
BREAK 2
Serving all of hobby radio 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)
**
WORLDBEAT: NEW ZEALAND RADIO STATION ORDERED TO APOLOGIZE
Some enforcement of a different kind. This as a broadcaster
down-under is ordered to apologize for things said on the
air. Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has the details:
--
A New Zealand radio station has been ordered to apologize on-
the-air for abusing and insulting local councilors, as well
as a rival radio broadcaster. This after the nations
Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled that Cruise FM
Waikato must express regret for unfair comments made about
South Waikato District Council members, Classic Hits Radio
and its staff in two broadcasts late last year.
The Broadcasting Standards Authority found that while host
and owner Johnny Dryden and another councilor were broadly
discussing issues of public interest, their comments went
beyond what could be considered acceptable. Also that they
had the potential to be very damaging to the individuals'
reputations.
The Broadcasting Standards Authority went on to note that
Dryden made comments that were not related to their public
or professional duties but were personally abusive and
insulting.
Cruise FM has been ordered to pay the Crown $2500 New
Zealand Dollars to cover its costs in the matter. It must
also broadcast an apology for the unfair treatment within a
month.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, on
the South Island in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
Imagine if there was a board similar to the New Zealand
Broadcasting Standards Authority here in the United States.
It there were, its likely there would be very few edgy radio
talk shows and no shock jocks on the air. (RW, NewsComAu,
Broadcast NZ)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: HAM TV HEADS TO THE ISS
A Japanese HTV-4 cargo vessel carrying the new Ham TV gear
was successfully launched to the International Space Station
on Saturday, August 3rd. Once activated, the primary
mission of Ham TV is to perform contacts between the
astronauts on the ISS and school students by adding real
time video to the current voice only QSO's within the ARISS
program.
The European Space Agency's Columbus module on the ISS will
host the 2.4 GHz video transmitting station in addition to
the existing 2 meter FM amateur radio station. The new
equipment can broadcast images from the ISS during the
school contacts or other downlink other pre-recorded video
images up to 24 hours a day.
The IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel has
announced frequencies of 2422.0 MHz and 2437.0 MHz for use
by the Ham TV project. It is currently planned to transmit
using the DVB-S signal format with 10 watts of power. More
about the project is on the web at tinyurl.com/iss-ham-tv
(ARISS)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SPACE CONTACT BIG SUCCESS AT SCOUTING
JAMBOREE
Christopher Friesen, VE4CWF, reports via the AMSAT News
Service that he heard and recorded the space to ground
portion of ham radio contact between NA1SS on board the
International Space station with operators at the Boy
Scout's of America 2013 Jamboree on July 20th. Friesen, who
lives several hundred miles away in Steinbach, Canada says
that he copied astro-ham Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP, operating
as NA1SS making contact with Jamboree station K2BSA and
answering questions from the scouts.
VE4CWF added that at the time of the contact that space
station was making a relatively low 30 degree pass to the
south of his location. He says that to copy the N-A-One-S-S
side of the contact that he had to climb to the peak of his
roof to get above the trees and other rooftops in the area.
He says that he used his Yaesu FT-60R handheld transceiver
and what he called his Slapshot antenna capture the contact.
You can read VE4CWF's entire report and hear the ISS to
ground portion of the QSO at tinyurl.com/ANS-216-B. The
audio clip is near the bottom of the page. (ANS)
**
WORLDBEAT: ILLW REACHES 450 REGISTRATIONS WITH 17
LIGHTSHIPS
A new record for registrations for this years International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. This as it's announced
that the milestone 400th registration went to Australia's
Carpentaria CLS-4 Lightship and there have been 49 more
since then.
The Carpentaria CLS-4 is a Scottish designed and Australian
built lightship. It is moored at Australia's National
Maritime Museum in Sydney's Darling Harbor. Word is that it
will be put on air by the Hornsby and Districts Amateur
Radio Club as station VK2MA for the International Lighthouse
and Lightship event. It is also one of 17 such vessels
taking part in International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend that has so far attracted some 450 registered
entries from 42 countries around the world.
Now in its 16th year, International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend was created to increases public awareness of the old
form of maritime navigation, engender good will and promote
amateur radio. This year's event takes place August 17th
and 18th. More about it is on the web at www dot illw dot
org. (VK3PC)
**
PROPAGATION: NEW 6 METER BEACON ON GIBRALTER
A new six meter beacon has been set up at the on 50.012.5
Mhz operating from the Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society's
club house on that British Overseas Territory. Located in
Grid Square IM-76-HD the beacon is signing the call ZB2SIX/B
and running 5 watts output into a temporary inverted V
dipole. QSN reports go via the information found on
QRZ.com. (ZB2B)
**
DX
In DX, YT7AW and YT4RA will be active stroke 4 Oh from
Montenegro through August 15th. Their operation will begin
in Durmitor National Park followed by a seaside stopover and
ending with a possible stop on Crna Gora. QSL's go via their
home callsigns as shown on QRZ.com.
Bill Moore, NC1L, at the ARRL Awards Desk reports that the
2013 T5TC operation from Somalia has been approved for DXCC
credit. If you've had this rejected in a prior application,
send a note to bmoore (at) arrl (dot) org to be placed on
the list for an update to your record.
DL7VOA will be active stroke EA8 from the Canary Islands
through August 17th. His is holiday style using CW and
mainly during his evening night. QSL to DL7VOA direct or by
the Bureau.
IK2OHG will be active as HC2IOH from Ecuador between August
10th and September 12th. This operation will be holiday
style on 40 through 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL
via his home callsign, direct, via the Bureau or
electronically using Logbook of the World.
Lastly, KF8UN is on the air from Tanzania as 5H3BB through
August 20th. He is there on a safari with his fife K8FUN.
Activity is possible on 40 through 15 meters, but mostly 20
meters using SSB with some CW. QSL via his home callsign
direct.
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: GORDON WEST WB6NOA SAYS HE WILL TRAIN THE
TRAINERS
And finally this week the man who is possibly the worlds
best known ham radio instructor says that he is not going to
rehire after all.
--
WB6NOA: "That's right; Gordo is not retiring from teaching
but rather Ill be teaching `Elmers' and instructors and
Scout Merit Badge leaders how to do ham radio classes
similar to the classes that I have done for the past 44
years."
--
Of coarse that's Gordon West, WB6NOA, who earlier this year
had hinted that a change was coming in his life that many
saw as a hint that he would be pulling the plug. But West
says that he feels that it's time to take his years of
accumulated knowledge and pass it on to the next generation
of instructors who will be the people bringing new operators
into the hobby over the next several decades. And from this
came the idea of rounding out his career by teaching the
teachers:
--
WB6NOA: "Teaching the teachers was a decision that I made
when I saw that class sizes were continuing to remain strong
and I had other `Elmers' come over and monitor. So I
thought `why not teach the teachers and get more classes
going throughout the local area here in Southern California
as well as well as when I travel throughout the country
going with some of the techniques I use.' So beginning
officially now, I'm going to be training the trainers rather
than actually presenting classes for students."
--
West says that he plans to get this new educational project
underway in just a couple of weeks:
--
WB6NOA: "We are going to hold our first Instructors Class on
October 5th here in Orange County (California) and we
already have about 25 signed up. And these are not
necessarily ham radio instructors but rather `Elmers'
wanting to representing their club and wanting to teach ham
radio classes like mine.
"Then Ill take this same technique and this same seminar,
make it shorter and present sessions at Pacificon coming up
in October, the Midwest Convention in November and other ham
shows throughout the country where Ill put on an hour or so
on training the trainers."
--
The exact location of this first "Train the Trainers"
session will be the Muth Interpretive Center, 2301
University Drive in Newport Beach California. The class
will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight
Time. Each instructor will receive the forty
page INSTRUCTOR TEACHING GUIDE that gives step-by-step
directions on teaching the new Technician class materials.
Those planning to attend are encouraged to download this
free guide ahead of time at www.haminstructor.com.
Lastly, more information on Gordon West's plans to train the
next generation of ham radio educators can be found on his
website at www dot gordonwestradioschool dot com. Just
click on the tab marked `Ham Instructors.' (WB6NOA,
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 WIA 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 Jim Davis, W2JKD, on Florida's Treasure Coast saying 73
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1877 with a release
date of August 2 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Hams in Hawaii go on alert for
Pacific Storm Flossie, India recognizes three hams as rescue
radio heroes; more than 400 attend ARRL sponsored Hurricane
readiness webinar; vandals topple a radio tower that's home
to at least one ham radio digipeter; Monitoring Times to
cease publication at years end and a lighthouse in the
middle of the Australian desert will take part in
International Lighthouse and Lightship weekend. Find out
the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number
1877 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAWAII HAMS RESPOND TO TROPICAL STORM FLOSSIE
Ham radio was ready when Pacific Storm Flossie took aim at
the Island State. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the
newsroom with what we know so far:
--
KH7HO: ".there was a report of an individual that had a
hole in the roof that was touched by lightning; we had some
trees that fell and that's about it. There wasn't ant
extensive flooding, no huge storm surge. So we lucked out in
this tropical storm."
--
That's Clement Jung, KH7HO, who is the State of Hawaii's
Amateur Radio Skywarn Coordinator summing up a severe
weather event that was called Tropical Storm Flossie.
According to Jung, amateur radio operators across Hawaii
involved in various aspects of rescue radio operation were
ready to respond after the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
issued an advisory on announcing that the storm had crossed
Longitude 140 into the Central Pacific hurricane region.
Flossie approached from the east, heading almost due west at
20 Miles per Hour. In anticipation of the storms arrival
plans had been underway between the National Weather Service
SKYWARN and Hawaii State Civil Defense to coordinate a joint
net on the state-wide VHF Repeater system. Its purpose
would be for the passing storm information to the National
Weather Service Honolulu Forecast Office.
--
KH7HO: "About 8 o'clock on Monday (morning) July 29th was
when the action began to come up. The Hurricane Center
meteorologists were concerned about a development over Maui
and approaching Lanai, Molokai and Oahu. The development
was (a storm cell) some 60,000 feet high while generating a
lot of lightning and thunder. They were concerned about
more rain, hale and possibly tornadoes."
--
Meteorologists also requested reports of heavy rainfall to
confirm what they were seeing on their radar. These reports
were provided by amateur radio operators on the SKYWARN net
supplemented with messages relayed via cell phones, text
messages and on social media such as Facebook.
This was the first tropical cyclone in Hawaiian waters that
encountered the volcanoes on the Big Island. As predicted,
the mass of these mountains disrupted the circular motion of
the storm causing a portion to separate and head around
South Point. It also forced the main portion of the storm
to head north where it encountered the mass of Mt. Haleakala
on Maui. The combined action of these three volcanoes
caused the moisture to deflect upwards, forming thunderhead
clouds up to an estimated 49,000 feet. The cold
temperatures at that altitude caused the moisture to form
ice and rain, which fell as heavy downpours on the island of
Maui and Molokai.
All in all Flossie did not wreak the damage that some had
predicted, and with the state-wide ham radio network of
intertied repeaters using the ALL STAR Network
communications was uninterrupted throughout the event.
KH7HO says that it is cooperation among the various groups
that makes Hawaii's ever ready emergency response possible:
--
KH7HO: ".no matter what hat we wear we all work together.
Whether we are ARES, RACES, State RACES, DM RACES; that's
the whole concept. We have limited resources here; we're an
island state and we all have to work together. Its what we
call `ohana' or family in Hawaiian."
--
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
Flossie faded the morning of July 30th thanks to winds that
broke layers of the storm apart. The ham radio operators
who were a part of the first response effort say that they
are ready for anything that Mother Nature might send their
way. (ARNewslineT)
**
RESCUE RADIO: INDIA RECOGNIZES THREE HAMS AS HEROES
Three hams in India have been recognized for their efforts
in the Uttarkhand flood relief operations. The newspaper
The Hindu says that VU3GDS, VU3HVD and VU3HBT have all been
honored for their contributions to public safety during and
in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand storms and flooding.
All three are from the city of Bangalore and were among the
first to reach Uttarakhand and establish a communication
link from remote areas. During the floods, the three were
instrumental in establishing communication with the local
district administration in the Himalayan terrains to enable
better coordination for civilian relief. Communicating with
the disaster control center established at Dehra Dun, they
relayed messages to the local district administration which
took appropriate measures to reach out to those stranded or
in need of rescue.
The Newspaper is calling the three heroes. The complete
story in The Hindu is on-line at tinyurl.com/india-ham-
heroes. (The Hindu)
**
RESCUE RADIO: RADIO NZ AM SIGNAL FAILED AFTER JULY 21 QUAKE
An AM radio outage takes place after an earthquake hits New
Zealand. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, has
the details:
--
Radio New Zealand's AM emergency notification radio service
was unable to broadcast civil defense messages for about 20
minutes after the 6.5-magnitude quake on Sunday evening,
July 21st. Radio New Zealand spokesman John Barr said that
the problem was caused when a fuse went out in the Porirua
coastal suburb of Titahi Bay.
Barr said that the company had a technician there quickly to
rectify the situation. He noted that the outage was
isolated to the AM broadcast operation and did not hamper
any other civil defense capacity. Barr added that Radio New
Zealand had continued to operate on their FM frequency and
on television through Sky and Freeview.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, in
Nelson, New Zealand.
--
New Zealand authorities recommend that the public tune to
the civil defense recommended frequency of 101 FM. That is
the standard FM emergency notification frequency around most
of that country. (published news reports)
**
RESCUE RADIO: MORE THAN 400 ATTEND 2013 ON-LINE ARRL
HURRICANE WEBINAR
A record number of individuals interested in emergency
preparedness were on hand for the 2013 ARRL Hurricane
Webinar, which was held Monday evening, July 15th.
According to the ARRL Letter, a total of 410 people, many of
them radio amateurs, participated in the event. This was
the highest attendance ever for an ARRL webinar,
administered by ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike
Corey, KI1U.
Those attending heard presentations on a number of topics,
including an overview of the 2013 hurricane season forecasts
and the role of IRLP/EchoLink in disaster communication by
veteran SKYWARN volunteer Rob Macedo, KD1CY. Also covered
was a summary of Hurricane Watch Net activity by Net Manager
Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, and the importance of publicizing
Amateur Radio communication support by ARRL Media and Public
Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X.
For those who missed it, the webinar has been posted for
download at the ARRL's website. You will find it in
cyberspace at www.arrl.org/public-service-resources (ARRL)
**
RADIO LAW: ARRL SAYS THAT RECEIVER IMMUNITY STANDARDS
IMPRACTICAL FOR AMATEUR SERVICE
The ARRL says that receiver interference immunity standards
are not needed or of value to ham radio. Amateur Radfio
Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:
--
Responding to an FCC call for comments based in part on
recommendations in a Technological Advisory Council white
paper, the ARRL has told the FCC that establishing so-called
"harm claim threshold" or HCT standards for receivers would
not work in the Amateur Service.
HCTs, expressed in field strength or power flux density,
would specify the level of radio interference that receivers
should be expected to tolerate before a radio service could
claim harmful interference. Limits would be established
throughout a given service's assigned frequency range as
well as within certain frequencies outside that range.
But in its filing, the ARRL argues that there is a need for
minimum, perhaps even mandatory, receiver performance
standards for home electronic devices, but the Amateur
Service should not be subject to these same type of receiver
immunity standards. The Leagues comments note that any
performance standards for amateur service receivers would be
purely arbitrary, and would compromise the experimental
purposes of the Amateur Radio Service.
The ARRL says that hams have the technical knowledge to
differentiate between interference from spurious or out-of-
band emissions from nearby transmitters and that caused by
receiver deficiencies. In other words, the suggested
standards would be of little or no value to receivers
designed to operate in or near the Amateur Service bands.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
The complete ARRL filing is on the web at tinyurl.com/hct-
not-needed-by-hams (ARRL)
**
BREAK 1
With you 52 weeks a year, every year since 1977, we are the
Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around
the world including the WD6HFR repeater serving San Diego,
California.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO CRIME: VANDALS TOPPLE RADIO TOWER NOT FAR FROM SAN
FRANCISCO
Vandals have brought down a multi-use transmission tower
East of the San Francisco bay area. The structure that is
the site for microwave links, land mobile radio, cellular
telephone, and an APRS Digipeter.
According to the East Bay Regional Park District Police the
guy wires that supported the structure located on Rocky
Ridge near the city of Danville were intentionally cut
causing it to collapse early on Tuesday, July 30th.
Park police Lt. John King said the vandal or vandals went
through a lot of effort to topple the tower. He explained
that it was in an area not easily accessible and that the
criminal or criminals involved had to get through several
gates to reach the site.
Nobody was injured in the downing of the fifty foot high
antenna support structure. Police are continuing the
investigation of the incident. They ask anyone with
information to contact them at area code 510-881-1833.
According to a post by a ham on Facebook familiar with the
area, losing that tower will have a big impact on radio
coverage in the cities of Danville, San Ramon and along
Interstate 680 corridor. (W6DTW, K8WHB, Published news
reports)
**
ELECTRONICS LAW: MOMENTUM IS BUILDING IN CONGRESS TO SQUASH
PATENT TROLLS.
More laws to curb patent trolling appear to be on their way.
This as Representatives Blake Farenthold of Texas and Hakeem
Jeffries of New York introduce the Patent Litigation and
Innovation Act of 2013 in the United States House. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, has the details:
--
This is the sixth piece of legislation unveiled this year to
address concerns about patent trolls, and features some
provisions that were incorporated in the earlier bills.
This includes forcing an infringement accuser to reveal more
about who is actually bringing the suit, including details
about their patent claims, as well as limiting discovery.
A big difference between H.R. 2639 and its predecessors is
this measure would permit manufacturers to essentially take
over a case against an end user accused of patent
infringement. As such the bill adds transparency and
legitimacy to the thousands of cease and desist letters sent
out by patent trolls.
According to the National Economic Council and the Council
of Economic Advisors, patent trolls can threaten to sue a
few or thousands of companies at once, without specific
evidence of infringement against any of them. Some create
shell companies that make it difficult for defendants to
know who is suing them and assert that their patents cover
inventions not imagined at the time they were granted.
Last May the White House said that it was taking several
steps to curb patent abuse and that the administration is
ready to work with Congress to resolve the problem.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.
--
Ham radio operators who produce podcasts dealing with the
hobby have a vested interested in this matter due to an
ongoing issue involving a company that claims it owns rights
to the podcasting concept and has brought suit against
several high profile users in various areas of broadcasting
and technology over what that company claims to belong to
it. (Published news reports)
**
HELPING HAMS: NCDXC DONATES $8,000 TO NCDXF FOR FUTURE
DXPEDITIONS
The Northern California DX Club has presented an $8000 check
to the Northern California DX Foundation. This to assist in
continuing the Foundations work in fostering DX and
DXpeditions where needed.
The Foundation says that this is the largest donation that
it ever received from a club. It says that the monies will
help to provide critical funding to DXpedtions high on the
Most Wanted List. It adds that without this type of support
that such DXpedtions might not be possible.
The Northern California DX Club was founded on October 10th,
1946. The beneficiary of its generosity, the Northern
California DX Foundation is a private non profit
organization founded in 1972. Its purpose is to assist
worthwhile amateur radio and scientific projects with
funding and equipment.
More details and a photo of the check being presented is on
the web at www.ncdxf.org and www.ncdxc.org. (NCDXF press
release)
**
HELPING HAMS: YASME SUPPORTS EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION FOR NEW
ETHIOPIAN AMATEURS
Some good news for a nation where ham radio is re-emerging.
The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has approved a grant
to be used to purchase amateur radio transceivers for three
members of the Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society. This is so
that these hams can satisfy the requirements of the
Ethiopian licensing process.
Ethiopia came back on the air May 30, 2011, with the re-
opening of the Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society station
ET3AA. To support the reestablishment of amateur radio in
that nation the Yasme Foundation issued a grant to pay the
fees associated with license examinations for 25 members of
that club. Many were successful but under Ethiopian
regulations could not receive a license without proof of
ownership of an amateur radio station. This latest Yasme
grant is a step in getting individual Ethopian hams back on
the air. (Yasme Foundation)
**
HELPING HAMS: YASME SUPPORTS DEVELOPER OF VIEWPROP
The Yasme Foundation Board has also announced that it has
made a grant to support further development of ViewProp.
This is a new utility for propagation visualization
developed by Rick Kiessig, ZL2HAM.
ViewProp integrates information from the Reverse Beacon
Network and worldwide spotting networks with station
location information from QRZ.com and mapping through
DXAtlas. The result is a real-time, worldwide view of
amateur radio signals and overall ham radio operation.
ViewProp also supports a "playback" function to review
historical data and provides the user with a number of
options to configure both the input data stream and the way
in which the information is displayed.
Currently in beta testing by a global user's group, the
Yasme grant will enable ZL2HAM to complete development with
appropriate networked software tools and release it for
public use.
The Yasme Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation
organized to conduct scientific and educational projects
related to Amateur Radio. More about it is on the web at
www dot yasme dot org. (Yasme Foundation)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: MONITORING TIMES MAGAZINE TO CEASE
PUBLICATION AT THE END OF 2013
Monitoring Times magazine will cease publication at the end
of the year. This as publisher Bob Grove, W8JHD, tells
contributors in an e-mail that, after 33 years, he and his
wife, Judy, have decided to retire.
In his notice Grove said that a combination of a down-turned
economy, as well as the ready availability of free listening
and technical information on the Internet, has reduced sales
and subscriptions throughout the marketplace. Therefore
Monitoring Times will be shutting down all operations after
its December 2013 issue.
The impending closure of Monitoring Times leaves CQ
Publishing's Popular Communications, as the only national
magazine serving the burgeoning shortwave listeners, CBers
and scanning enthusiasts market. (CQ, MT)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: VK2DIK ON HIS WORLD JOURNEYS AND HAM
RADIO
Some names in the news. First off is Australian aviator and
entrepreneur Dick Smith, VK2DIK , who made the first solo
helicopter flight around the world 30 years ago. The journey
which ended on July the 22nd, 1983, was the subject of an
unforgettable Wireless Institute of Australia Centenary
speech given by Smith at his Bowylie Flying Club. During
the talk he highlighted the dangers of the Japan to Alaska
leg, that included the finding and landing on a container
ship to refuel. Smith also noted that it was amateur radio
that assisted him to circumnavigate the globe and on other
occasions including his famous balloon flight in February of
2000. (VK3PC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: W6OBB RETURNING TO NIGHTTIME TALK RADIO
According to a posting by Art Bell, W6OBB, on Facebook, he
will be returning to nighttime talk radio this fall. But you
won't be hearing him on your AM or FM dial. That's because
Bell's new program will be a part of the Sirius XM satellite
subscription program line-up.
More information was provided in an article on the bigstory
dot com website. It says that a Sirius XM company
representative contacted Bell through social media a few
months ago. This in turn led to the creation of Bell's new
show to be titled "Art Bell's Dark Matter."
Sirius XM says that Bell will talk about things like UFOs,
ghosts, near-death experiences and the weird aspects of
science. Also that he will do interviews and take calls
from listeners.
Like in years past, the show will originate from Art's
property in Nevada. Sirius XM is reportedly in the process
of building a new studio facility for him to originate from.
Meantime back on Facebook W6OBB posted that he could not say
a word until now. He added that he tried to tell his
followers on Facebook that it was coming without spilling
the beans because he had been sworn not to. He also
directed those interested to see his website at artbell.com
for more details. You can read the in-depth bigstory dot
com article at tinyurl.com/w6obb-returns-to-talk-radio.
(W6OBB, bigstory.ap.org, artbell.com, Fecebook)
**
RADIO PAST: THE VOA DELANO CALIFORNIA STORY
A oldie but a goodie from radios recent past. If you have
ever had the chance to listen to the Voice of America
Shortwave station that operated from Delano California and
can recall its booming signal up and down the West coast and
out into the Pacific, here is the story of how it came
about. Also the way it operated for 63 years and its final
non-descript signoff at 03:30 U-T-C on October 28, 2007.
And there's even an amateur radio tie-in when one of the
stations 200 kilowatt Federal Radio transmitters showed up
on the ham radio airwaves calling CQ. We won't spoil it by
telling you more. Rather, make yourself a snack, sit back,
relax and take your web browser to tinyurl.com/the-voa-
delano-story for a great evening of reading. (RW)
**
BREAK 2
This is 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)
**
WORLDBEAT: A LIGHTHOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF AUSTRALIA
An interesting story from down-under. Australia is known as
a very big island nation. At its geographic centre 1,500
kilometres from the coast is Alice Springs, which hosts the
famous Henley-On-Todd Regatta each August - albeit on a
usually dry river bed. What does this have to do with ham
radio you ask? Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek,
K9BIK, has the answer:
--
Those living in Australia's Northern Territory and many
visitors take the annual regatta which began in 1962 very
seriously. In fact there will likely be some 3,000 people
on hand witnessing the event.
There is an interesting story of how this location, in one
of the driest parts of Australia, connects with ham radio
and also why deserves a registration this year in the
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. Its because
of the Alice Springs lighthouse that is located there.
Greg Mair, VK8GM, explains that with the help of the Henley-
On-Todd team, a lighthouse has been built to promote the
spirit of amateur radio and lighthouses. Now, the Alice
Springs lighthouse joining hundreds of others around the
world this year its pretty is certain to attract the
attention of local, national and international news media.
After all, there are not very many lighthouses out in the
desert, anywhere on the planet.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl, Lasek, KB9BIK,
half way around the world in Zion, Illinois.
--
If you want to register a lighthouse, lightship or marine
beacon in this year's event then visit www.illw.net. This
years International Lighthouse and Lightship event takes
place on August the 17th and 18th with almost 300 lit
locations on the air. (VK3PC)
**
WORLDBEAT: SARL TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN 5 MHZ PROPAGATION
RESEARCH
The South African Radio League says that it will activate a
new propagation beacon on 5 point 250 MHz by the end of
August. Its transmitter will be programmed to send signals
at regular intervals and radio amateurs who have the proper
software will be able to record these signals automatically
on their computers.
The software to be used is called ALE. This is described as
a complex communications standard also known as MIL-STD 188-
141 and USA government standard FED-STD-1045. In the past
usage it had been limited to expensive military and
commercial equipment with built-in controllers. All of that
changed with the development of software that runs on a
personal computer and makes use of the systems sound card.
Because of this ALE is now in regular use by radio amateurs
all over the world.
The announcement of the new beacon was made at the Radio in
Action Symposium held in Port Elizabeth on Saturday July
27th. An article by Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, that explains
the full operation will be posted on the Propagation
Research page on www.sarl.org.za. (SARL)
**
WORLDBEAT: NORDIC HF CONFERENCE AUGUST 12 TO 14 IN SWEDEN
The popular English language Nordic HF conference will take
place in Sweden, from August 12th to the 14th. Topics to be
covered will include the design of a software-defined radio;
an ionospheric chirpsounder for HF propagation analysis;
creation of applications of advanced VLF/LF/HF-digital
signal processing in the amateur radio service and numerous
other offerings.
The conference first took place in 1986 and initially was
planned for a limited audience of Nordic countries. It's
now held every three years and has grown steadily to a point
where it now has international acclaim.
More information including a complete program and speaker
listing is on the web at nordichf.org. (Nordic HF
Conference)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: MISSING STRaND-1 HAMSAT RETURNS TO LIFE
A missing satellite has announced its return. After 113
days of silence DK3WN reported that hearing STRaND-1 and
decoding telemetry. The spacecraft has been silent since
March 31st.
STRaND-1 transmits on frequency of 437.568 MHz. Further
reports from others hearing the bird would be welcome. Send
them by e-mail to C.P.Bridges (at) surrey (dot) ac (dot) uk
(ANS)
**
ON THE AIR: MEXICO SPECIAL EVENT TO CELEBRATE FMRE
On the air, members of the Mexican Federation of Radio
Experimenters will be operating from the resort city of
Cancun from October 2nd to the 7th using the special
callsign XE3FMRE. This to celebrate the National Convention
FMRE 2013. Operation will take place on 80 through 6 meters
using CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK31 and possibly WSJT. QSL the event
station via XE1LM. (Southgate)
**
ON THE AIR: PA6SAIL NETHERLANDS SPECIAL EVENT
Also keep an ear open for Netherlands special event station
PA6SAIL to be active between August 19th and September 10th.
This to support the maritime event "SAIL De Ruyter" at
Vlissingen.
Operation will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB, PSK and
RTTY as well as various times and modes on 6 and 2 meters.
A special QSL card will be issued for working this callsign.
QSL via PA3GEO either direct or via the bureau. (Southgate)
**
DXCC NEWS: NINE OPERATIONS APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT
Bill Moore NC1L, the Awards Branch Manager of the ARRL has
announced a plethora of operations that have been approved
for DXCC credit. These are the 2013 4S7NZG operation from
Sri Lanka; the current W4XR expedition in Laos; the one day
July 9th Z8OID operation from the South Sudan and the 2012
and 2013 9M4SLL operations from the Spratly Islands.
Also now approved is the 2010 through 2011 9Q6CC operation
from the Democratic People's Republic of the Congo; the 2013
XWOYJY outing from Laos; the 2013 9XOEME from Rwanda and
6OOLA from Somalia Last but by no means least is the 2012
T6JM operation from Afghanistan
According to NC1L, if you've had any of these rejected in a
prior application, send a note to bmoore (at) arrl (dot) org
to be placed on the list for an update to your record.
Also, please note the submission date and/or reference
number where the rejection was noted to expedite the search
for any rejected QSOs. And we will have more DX related
information later on in this week's Amateur Radio Newsline
report. (ARRL - DXCC)
**
DX
In DX, TU5DF will be on the air from the Ivory Coast until
sometime in October. His operation is 40 through 6 meters
using CW with some SSB and PSK31. QSL via F5SWB
UX0HX, UZ1HZ and UT5UY will be active from Namibia signing
stroke V 5 from August 1st to the 8th. Their operation will
be on 80 through 10 meters using SSB and Morse. QSL each
operators home call either direct or via the bureau.
EA4GBA will be operational from Mozambique through December
27th signing C91GBA. He is reported to be active on all of
the High Frequency bands on SSB however no operating
schedule has yet been announced. QSL via his home call,
direct only.
DL1AL is now active as 5A1AL from near Tripoli, Libya. His
operation so far has been on 40, 30, 20 and 6 meters using
CW. He recently told the Ohio Penn DX Newsletter that he
will eventually be active on the H-F bands and 6 meters
using CW and SSB. He also plans to try PSK but at this time
the modem does not work. No matter. Whichever way you make
contact please QSL via DL1AL.
HB9ARY is currently operating stroke 3B8 from Mauritius
Island. He is reportedly active on all of the High
Frequency bands. QSL to his home callsign.
Lastly, DL7BC will be on the air stroke F H from Mayotte
between March 21st and April 4th, of 2014. Operations will
be on 20-10 meters with 40 meters also a possibility. He
also plans to participate in the 2014 CQ World Wide WPX SSB
Contest signing TO7BC. QSL via his home callsign, direct or
by the Bureau.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: A PEN FROM GERMANY THAT CORRECTS YOU
From our emerging technology file comes this story a new
writing instrument that warns its user when it thinks that
he or she is about to make a mistake. No we are not kidding
as we hear from Wireless Institute of Australia's Col
Herbert, VK3LED:
--
VK3LED: The New India Express has reported on the invention
of a new pen which will vibrate if it senses that the writer
is making a spelling mistake or his or her handwriting is
messy.
The brainchild of two German entrepreneurs, Learnshift which
means learning pen in German is a regular pen with real ink
but it has a special motion sensor inside and a small
battery operated Linux operated computer with a WiFi chip
which allows the pen to recognize specific movements, letter
shapes and a wide assortment of words. It vibrates if the
user is not careful with letters or writes inelligently.
Arguably, it will be able to correct those whose dependence
on spell checks and typing has played havoc with their
spelling and handwriting, but it is doubtful that how many
of we adults use a pen these days; even a fancy one that
vibrates.
I'm Col, VK3LED.
--
Now the only thing this pen needs is to find a way to
convince the buying public that its something that it really
needs. With more and more people turning to PC's, tablets
and smart-phones for texting, that job may not prove easy.
(WIA News)
**
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 WIA 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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in southern Mississippi saying 73
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-36083575389844519332013-07-26T06:24:00.000-07:002013-07-26T06:24:19.548-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1876 - July 26 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1876 with a release
date of July 26 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Ham radio will share a ride to
space on a pair of joint mission satellites; a pico balloon
remains aloft for over 70 hours; Massachusetts looks to
enact an anti pirate radio law and Lithium battery safety is
once again a major concern. Find out the details are on
Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1876
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RADIO NEAR SPACE: HAM RADIO TRACKED PICO BALLOON ALOFT MORE
THAN 70 HOURS
A possible new record for the flight of a ham radio tracked
pico balloon. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the Newsroom
with more:
--
Flying pico balloons appears to be the latest interest by
ham radio operators and other near-space explorers. A pico
balloon is essentially one of those silverized party
balloons fitted with an ultra-light-weight amateur radio
payload and designed for long distance medium altitude
flight. And now comes word that a pico balloon launched in
the United Kingdon managed to stay aloft for some 70 hours
while it floated across the English Channel, made several
north to south round trips in France before its signal was
lost about 80 miles North-East of Paris.
Dubbed simply B 6 the tiny craft was launched from
Silverstone in the UK at 18:40 UTC on Sunday, July 14th. It
initially headed south approaching Paris before it changed
direction and headed north again. On the evening of July
16th it was still aloft and transmitting over northern
France, at an altitude of about 11,000 feet. It then turned
south once again, before doing yet another loop and then
going East and passing just North of Paris before radio
contact was lost.
The B 6 payload weighed in at just 20.2 grams. It contained
a GPS receiver along with the 10 milliwatt transmitter on
434.500 MHz running the amateur radio Domino EX 16 data
mode. Power was supplied by a single AA size battery which
in itself may also prove to be an endurance record of sorts
for a single cell powering a long distance flight. But for
that we will have to see what those who keep the record
books have to say.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
Leo Bondar who launched the pico balloon tells Amateur Radio
Newsline that he is not himself a radio amateur but has long
been an avid shortwave listener. He adds that ballooning
has rekindled his interest in ham radio and radio equipment
building so he just press ahead and get a license after all
those years spent just listening. Also, a posting on the
balloon flight website indicates that he did work with some
four dozen hams from the U-K, France and several other
European nations who were involved in tracking the flight in
real time. More information on its epic voyage including
any late updates is on the web at tinyurl.com/balloon-b6.
(Southgate, Leo Bondar)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: JOINT SCIENCE AND HAM RADIO TRANSPONDER
PAYLOADS TO LAUNCH 2014
A consortium headquartered in the United Kingdom plans to
launch a set of shared purpose ham radio and scientific
research cubesats early next year. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Norm Seeley, KI7UP, reports:
--
It was announced during the QB 50 presentation at the recent
AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium that two CubeSats,
carrying SSB, CW and FM voice transponders could be launched
into a 600 km or 370 mile orbit in the first half of 2014.
The QB 50 project team says that on July 19th, it had signed
a Memorandum of Understanding with AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-
Francophone, and AMSAT-NL to enable two amateur radio
payloads to fly on a pair of CubeSats. These are mission
precursor mini-satellites which whose purpose is to permit
the testing of key satellite and payload components ahead of
the full QB 50 mission.
The primary objective of the QB 50 mission is the study the
temporal and spatial variations of a number of key
parameters in the Earth's lower thermosphere doing so with a
network of about 40 double CubeSats. These mini-birds will
be launched into a 320 kilometer or 210 mile high circular
orbit. They will be separated by a few hundred feet and
carry identical science sensors. These will monitor
parameters that will greatly increase our knowledge and
understanding of this little explored region of the E and F
layers of the Ionosphere.
QB 50 will also study the re-entry process by measuring a
number of key parameters during re-entry and by comparing
predicted and actual CubeSat trajectories and orbital
lifetimes.
At the beginning of the mission, the various payloads
onboard the spacecraft will be operated in an alternating
fashion. Later on the amateur radio transponders will be
operated as the primary mission once all QB 50 related
experimentation has been concluded.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP,
watching the nighttime sky from Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
By combining the ham radio and scientific missions together
it means that both will reach orbit at a cost affordable.
More information about the QB 50 project can be found at
www.qb50.eu
(AMSAT UK, Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: UKUBE ONE GIVEN TENTATIVE OCTOBER
LAUNCH DATE
In a related story the Amsat News Service reports that the
UKube-1 CubeSat carrying an amateur radio transponder as a
part of its payload could launch in late October. As
previously reported, UKube-1 will carry a set of AMSAT-UK
designed FUNcube-2 boards. These will provide the ham radio
community with a 70 centimeter up and 2 meter downlink
linear transponder for SSB/CW operation along with a 1200
bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.915 MHz. The actual
satellite is being constructed in Scotland by Clyde Space
with its launch to take place from Kazikstan on-board a
Russian Soyuz 2 orbital booster. (ANS)
**
RADIO POLITICS: BI-PARTISAN REQUEST TO NTIA TO ASSURE THE
FREEING UP SPECTRUM
In a rare bi-partisan move, Senators Mario Rubio of Florida
and Mark Warner from Virginia have asked National
Telecommunications and Information Agency chief Larry
Strickling for answers on what the agency is doing to free
up government spectrum. This in light of President Obama's
June 14th memo on motivating wireless innovation and in
light of a Government Accounting Office study from April
2011 that concluded NTIA cannot ensure that spectrum is
being used efficiently by federal agencies and has limited
ability to monitor federal spectrum use.
In a letter to Strickling dated July 19th, a copy of which
was supplied to the press by Warner's office, the two wanted
that question and severa others answered. The letter also
notes that - and we quote: "without effective NTIA
management and oversight, we have serious reservations about
the agency's ability to maximize spectrum efficiency and
relinquish portions of federal spectrum."
The FCC is preparing to auction as much as 120 MHz of
commercial spectrum reclaimed from broadcasters but this is
likely to be reduced to 80 MHZ or less given Canadian and
Mexican border issues. This matter is also of importance to
the ham radio community because much of the spectrum it has
at 420 MHz and above is on a secondary basis and is shared
with government and military users. (Published news
reports)
**
RADIO LAW FOLLOW-UP: DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AT STANDOFF
ON FCC REFORM
A follow-up to last weeks report on another congressional
attempt to streamline the FCC The House Communications
Subcommittee wrapped up its FCC reform hearing Thursday,
July 11th, but continuing partisan politics seem still be
standing in the way of any meaningful change. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details:
--
The subject of the hearing was Republican backed draft
measures similar to legislation that passed in the House
last year only to fail to get Senate attention.
On one side of the bills were Republican legislators who
argued that they were necessary to speed FCC decision
making, tie it to a cost-benefit analysis of any new
regulations, improve transparency and limit the FCC's
ability to impose merger conditions that they suggest are a
vehicle for backdoor regulations.
On the other side are Democrats who in effect said the
committee was wasting its time debating bills similar, and
even more burdensome, than ones that had failed to get a
legal toehold in the past.
Committee ranking Democrat Henry Waxman was quoted as saying
that the legislation was a way to undermine the FCC's
ability to adopt new rules and protect consumers. He said
that the only thing it would efficiently speed up would be
endless legal challenges. Waxman also noted that the dozen
new mandates in the proposed law would, among other things,
would remove the public interest standard and slow the FCC
process to a crawl.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berewick, Pennsylvania.
--
Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, W7EQI, is the one who
called the hearings. He said that the communications sector
is one of the few that is firing on all cylinders, but that
the current FCC process threatens the health of this segment
of the economy. That said, in this congressional session
there is little sign that Republicans and Democrats can come
together to reach an accord. (Connect2.com and other
published news reports)
**
BREAK 1
We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin
stations around the world including the W0EF repeater
serving Minneapolis, Minnesota.
(5 sec pause here)
**
HAM TECHNOLOGY: BROADBAND-HAMNETT SOFTWARE WINS
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
An interesting ham radio communications concept developed
mainly by hams in Texas interested in automated emergency
communications has been awarded a pair of important prizes.
Jim Davis, W2JKD, has the story:
--
Broadband-Hamnet, formerly HSMM-MESH firmware, developed by
amateur radio operators to provide hams with a high-speed
digital wireless communication mesh network, has won both US
and global awards from the International Association of
Emergency Managers.
The USA Council of the designated Broadband Hamnet as a
Division 2 Technology and Innovation Award winner. It then
went on to win the International Association of Emergency
Managers Global Technology and Innovation Award in the same
division.
Broadband-Hamnet as "a high-speed, self-discovering, self-
configuring, fault-tolerant, wireless computer network. It
has very low power consumption and a focus on emergency
communication. The firmware itself is available at no charge
via the project website hsmm-mesh.org
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Davis, W2JKD.
--
The awards will be presented to Broadband-Hamnet in October
at the International Association of Emergency Managers
annual conference in Reno, Nevada. A demonstration of how
it works can be seen in the ARRL video The DIY Magic of
Amateur Radio. It's on the web at tinyurl.com/ham-radio-diy-
magic (ARRL)
**
RADIO LAW: MASSACHUSETTS LOOKS TO ENACT ANTI PIRATE RADIO
LAW
Massachusetts is the latest state to follow the lead of
Florida, New York and New Jersey to enact laws that would
permit the prosecution of unlicensed broadcast radio station
operators. This with word that State Representative Steven
Walsh has introduced H.R. 1679, which would give the state
attorney general the power to seek action against radio
pirates, including seizing equipment and seeking heavy money
damages.
Specifically, the measure would prohibit any unauthorized
radio telecommunication or emission to, or interference
with, a public or commercial radio station licensed by the
Federal Communications Commission. The key to excluding
other services such as police, fire and even amateur radio
from inclusion under the proposal seems to be the words
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.
As previously reported, last January the U.S. Attorney's
Office for Massachusetts seized transmission equipment from
an unlicensed station operating in the city of Roslindale.
The FCC then escalated the case into a forfeiture action and
that's when the office of the U.S. Attorney for
Massachusetts became involved. (RW, Broadcast Daily,
others)
**
ENFORCEMENT: BROADCAST TRANSMITTER CREATES SPURS IN
AVIATION BAND IN NEW ZEALAND
A recent investigation of interference to communications
between pilots and the control tower for aircraft
approaching Auckland airport in New Zealand, highlights the
risk of unintended signals being generated as an unwanted
side effect of radio broadcasting. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Jim Meachen reports from down-under:
--
The investigation took several weeks to complete because of
the low signal level and intermittent observations of the
interference. Locating it involved considerable staff
resources from the New Zealand Radio Spectrum Management
agency as well as their renting an aircraft and pilot to
locate the source from the air.
When found the problem proved to be an unwanted spurious
emission from an FM broadcast transmitter in a community to
the north of Auckland. The problem was quickly repaired by
the broadcaster.
In this case the interference was not considered to be an
immediate safety risk because of the availability of
alternative aircraft radio communications channels. It did
however present a significant annoyance and distraction to
pilots flying into and out of the city.
A recent study by the New Zealands's neighbor across the
Tasman Sea confirms the same problem exists in VK land.
According to the Australian Communications and Media
Authority about 28% of the transmitters it checked showed
the production of unwanted emissions with many radiated in
the aeronautical radio-communication band. As such these
spurs do hold a potential risk to the safe operation of
aircraft.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, in
Nelson, New Zealand.
--
Auckland Airport is a major airline hub in New Zealand. It
serves domestic airline flights as well as a transfer point
for passengers going on to other locations. (Southgate,
ARNewslineT)
**
RESCUE RADIO: GOV.DELIVERY TO DISCONTINUE DISSEMINATING NWS
WEATHER ALERTS
If you are involved in emergency communications activities
and use the GovDelivery e-mail service service listen up.
GovDelivery has announced that it will discontinue
disseminating National Weather Service weather alerts
effective July 31, 2013.
GovDelivery is a self-subscription service used to deliver e-
mail and SMS/text notifications to the general public and
has contracts with many government agencies. The National
Weather Service began using GovDelivery in 2008 but
terminated its contract with GovDelivery in November of
2012, due to budget constraints.
At the time of the National Weather Service contract
termination GovDelivery continued distribute weather alert
information using a similar e-subscription service. NWS
subscribers were notified about the change and offered the
opportunity to subscribe to GovDelivery's free service as
well as to other third party weather alert services.
However, due to the substantial costs of providing a high
reliability messaging service at this scale GovDelivery
cannot continue the free service.
More information on the discontinuance of GovDelivery NWS
alerts and several free alternatives to it are on the web at
tinyurl.com/gov-delivery-ends. (NOAA)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: ALINCO NOW REPRESENTED BY REMTRONIX
George Howard, NW4G, who is the Amateur Radio Division
Manager at GigaParts says that he has received word that
Alinco is back up and running and its products began
shipping on July 17th.
In a posting to QRZ.com, Howard says that distribution is
now being handled by a company called Remtronix Incorporated
with a website at www.remtronix.com. A web search shows
Remtronix to be located in Hayward California not that far
from San Francisco.
Howard also says that he has received word of several price
reductions as well as announcement of the launch of the new
Software Defined Radio based DX-SR9T high frequency
transceiver. (NW4G via QRZ)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: VE3CWP NAMED RAC CORPORATE SECRETARY
Radio Amateurs of Canada has named Alvin Masse, VE3CWP, as
its new Corporate Secretary. In making the announcement,
Geoff Bawden, VE4BAW, who is the national society's
President and Chairman said that Masse brings with him a
wealth of organizational skills, history and wisdom and will
be a great benefit to the organization. VE3CWP replaces
Linda Friars, VE9GLF, who served as Acting Corporate
Secretary until Masse's appointment. (RAC)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: SARL TO EXHIBIT AT ESKOM EXPO FOR YOUNG
SCIENTISTS
The South African Radio League will be an exhibitor at the
2013 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. The event takes place
from September 25th to 28th and will include both an
operational High Frequency as well as a VHF station. The
South African Radio League will also be sponsoring a special
award at the Expo for best final entry in the field of RF
and electronics.
The Eskom Expo was founded by the late Dr. Derek Gray in
1980. Since then it has provided an opportunity for school
students from primary to grade 12, who have an interest in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to exhibit
their projects and to be judged on their skills and
enthusiasm for science. (SARL)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: MICROWAVE UPDATE 2013 SEEKS PRESENTERS
Microwave Update or MUD 2013 which takes place October 18th
and 19th at Morehead State Space Science Center in
Moorehead, Kentucky. The planners have put out a call
seeking papers to be presented at the event. Papers can be
up to 10 pages in length. If you wish to be a presenter
please send your proposal to mud (at) downeastmicrowave
(dot) come before August 30th. (WA3ZKR)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: NEW FACEBOOK PAGE TO SCHEDULE SKEDS
A new group has been formed on Facebook for hams wishing to
schedule contacts with other amateurs world-wide. If you
need a particular contact for an award, or just a chat, then
go to facebook.com/groups/hamsked and have a look. (GB2RS)
**
BREAK 2
With you 52 weeks a year, every year since 1977, 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)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: LITHIUM BATTERY SAFETY
Much of today's latest portable electronics including ham
radio gear is powered by Lithium or Lithium Ion batteries.
But these same batteries have also become a safety concern
as we hear from Graham Kemp, VK4BB:
--
Lithium batteries are undoubtedly popular going by their
wide use in consumer products, and even higher powered
models in electric vehicles. However they have been linked
to fires, illicit drug makers and medical problems.
The recent death of a toddler in Queensland, Australia and
others injured after swallowing them, has again focused
attention on the common power source.
From January 2013 stricter regulations for the carriage of
Lithium batteries by air travelers were introduced best
check with your airline for the rules.
A battery can also be a convenient source of lithium metal
used in illegal methamphetamine laboratories. Sales of
larger quantities are restricted for this reason in some
areas.
International industry standards for button batteries are
soon to be introduced as an urgent safety measure. These
are likely to include strengthened consumer education about
the dangers and child-restraint packaging for the cell
batteries.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB. Of
the WIA News, in Australia.
--
The bottom line is that when using these Lithium batteries
as a source of power for anything electronic that it is
important to think safety first. (VK3PC, WIA News)
**
WORLDBEAT: 2ND INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MEETING FRIEDRICHSHAFEN
IARU Region 1 reports that the 2nd International Youth
Meeting was held on Saturday, June 29th. The event featured
several lectures including one by Tommy Degrande, ON2TD. He
is the Belgian Youth Coordinator of that nations national
Amateur Radio Society the UBA. He spoke about youth
activities in Belgium
Other presenters included Remko Welling, PE1MEW, who
servers as the Scouting Jamboree on the Air Coordinator in
the Netherlands and Mari Nikkila, OH2FPK, who is the Finnish
Amateur Radio Youth Coordinator.
The International Youth Meeting was timed to coincide with
the 2013 Ham Radio Convention held on the shores of Lake
Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany. More can be found on
the web at www.iaru-r1.org (IARU Region 1)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ISS CONTACT PLANNING SOFTWARE GETS
UPDATE BY NASA INTERN
The Amsat News Service reports that the ARISS software has
been upgraded by a student named Nolan Replogle who interned
with the Education Projects Office at NASA's Johnson Space
Center in Houston from January to April of this year.
During his stay his assignment was to update the planning
software for the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station which is used to help schedule contacts and events.
The original software's lack of a user interface meant that
people needed to input data directly into text files, and
then run the program to see if it worked. Replogle, a
computer engineering major at Oklahoma State University used
his programming skills to create a more user-friendly
interface for the software.
Replogle named the upgraded software ARISS Assistant or
ARRISA for short. With his updates, there is now a graphic
user interface that allows users to click on buttons to
enter information into text boxes. This automated feature
is more intuitive and requires a lot less data entry.
Replogle has not yet had the chance to speak with an
astronaut on-orbit, but he says that he would like to. Now
thanks in part to the work he did as a NASA intern, other
students around the world will have a better chance to have
live contacts with International Space Station and its ham
radio astronauts. (ANS)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: INDIA HOLDS SMALL SATELLITE WORKSHOP
India's National Institute of Amateur Radio was co sponsor
of a Small Satellite Developer Workshop event organized by
Dhruva Space held July 8th to the 13th. Satellite experts
had engineering models on display to help participants
understand the challenges found in designing and developing
the subsystems of small satellites. A full report on this
gathering can be found on the web at
tinyurl.com/SmallSatelliteWorkshop2013. (NAIR)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SCOTLAND PORTABLE SATELLITE OPERATION
IN AUGUST
Paul Robinson, 2E1EUB, will once again be on the air from
Scotland as 2M1EUB for 14 days beginning August 5th. He
will be driving around that nation while listening out for
anyone looking for grid squares that they have not worked
yet, especially on the satellites. His operation will be
several ham radio birds including AO-7 running modes B to A
as well as on 160, 80 and 2 meter SSB. Robinson says that
he will arrange skeds to work him. To arrange one e-mail
him at 2e1eub (at) amsat.org. Check out QRZ.com under
2M1EUB for more information and the latest updates. (ANS)
**
DX
In DX, word that the ARRL has announced several Colvin Award
grants to help support three upcoming DXpeditions. The
recipients are the K9W Wake Atoll operation scheduled for
September through October and the T33A Banaba Island for
November. Also named is the FT5ZM Amsterdam Island
DXpedition planned for January through February of 2014.
PH2M will be active as PJ4M from the island of Bonaire
between September 13th to the 26th. Operations will be on
the High Frequency bands. QSL via his home callsign direct
or via the bureau\
N0TG, AA4VK and N1SNB will be active stroke FS from St.
Martin between October 24th to the 31st. This operation
will likely mirror probably their PJ7 DXpedition which was
described as a suitcase operation on 40 through 10 meters
using CW and SSB, with wire antennas and 100 watts. QSL all
operators via AA4VK.
IZ1DPS will be operational stroke HC from Ecuador through
January 12th, 2014. Activity will be on the HF bands. QSL
via IK2DUW, direct, by the Bureau or Logbook of the World
only.
A team composed of six French DXers will be operating
as TM2NOI from Noirmoutier Island from August 9th to the
11th. The team will try to be active from 160 through 10
meters using CW, SSB and several digital modes. Particular
interest will be paid to the Islands on the Air calling
frequencies. QSL direct or via the bureau to F4FVI.
Lastly, Members from the F6KOP Radio Club team will be
active as TO7CC from Reunion Island between February 5th to
the 17th, 2014. Their operation will be on all bands and
modes, with an emphasis on the lower bands and RTTY. The
group says that more details will be forthcoming.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: SEND A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO THE MOON
And finally this week, have you ever thought of sending your
own spacecraft to the Moon? Well until now such a trip was
out of the reach of almost everyone here on planet Earth.
But that's all changing thanks to a new citizen oriented
space project as we hear in this report from the Wireless
Institute of Australia:
--
A new project to give thousands of people the opportunity to
design, build and launch personalised spacecraft and send
them to the moon has begun.
Now anyone can become a citizen space explorer at a cost of
USD159,
explorers who back the project will be able to personalise
their own
spacecraft by adding a picture or message direct from their
favourite
social media or game profile or create their own unique
design.
Pocket Spacecraft are disks with flexible electronics,
smaller than a CD and as thin as a piece of paper, that will
be loaded into an Interplanetary CubeSat mothership to hitch
a ride into space on a commercial rocket. The mothership
will then set off to the moon and when it arrives many
months later, the fleet of Pocket Spacecraft will be
photographed as they are released to land on the moon to
complete their mission.
Anyone can take part in the mission via the crowd-funding
site
PocketSpacecraft.com
The campaign ends on August 26, 2013.
--
Anyone can take part in the mission via the crowd-funding
web site PocketSpacecraft.com. And who knows? If this idea
works as planned you could be the first ham radio operator
on your block or in your community to vicariously make a
trip to the Moon. Well at least, kind of. (WIA News)
**
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 WIA 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.</pre>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1875 with a release
date of July 19 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Researchers say that this solar
cycle will likely remain poor and Cycle 25 could be worse;
The 2013 National Scouting Jamboree takes to the air and the
web from Mount Hope West Virginia; ARRL CEO K1ZZ writes
about Spectrum Pressure in the August QST magazine; a new
beacon in Perth Australia trying to prove a path to Africa
exists on 2 meters; yet another move by Congress to try to
streamline the FCC may fail due to partisan politics and a
look at radio in Nepal where FM reigns supreme. All this
and more on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1875
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RADIO RESEARCH: HERE COMES THE SUN - THERE GOES THE SUN
While the sun is currently at the projected peak of its 11
year solar cycle, our home star has been relatively quiet in
the area of sunspots and their affect on radio propagation
here on planet Earth. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley,
KI7UP, takes a look at what scientists believe is happening:
--
Researchers say that this year's solar maximum is shaping up
to be the weakest in some 100 years and the next one could
be even quieter. This according to scientists who study the
solar cycle as it affects our home planet.
One of these is David Hathaway of NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. In an early July
teleconference Hathaway told reporters that we are
witnessing the smallest solar maximum we have seen in the
Space Age. Also that the next one, cycle 25 could be even
quieter.
About every 11 years, the sun goes through a cycle defined
by an increasing and then decreasing number of sunspots.
The current cycle known as Solar Cycle 24 has been underway
since 2011. Its peak was expected in 2013 but there have
been fewer sunspots observed this year compared with the
maximums of the last several cycles.
Sunspots are the dark temporary regions on the surface of
our home star that are thought to be caused by interaction
between the sun's plasma and its magnetic field. They are
also the source of the solar flares and Coronal Mass
Ejections that in turn send charged particles into space.
Those that hit Earth hold the potential of causing damage to
satellites and producing surges in power grids. But they
also affect radio propagation by causing short-term High
Frequency blackouts while at the same time producing some
dazzling auroras above the planet's poles that radio
amateurs and others have long used for propagation
experimentation. Ham radio operators on 6 meters and above
have been known to make some amazing DX contacts by bouncing
signals off auroral trails.
Giuliana de Toma, a scientist at the High Altitude
Observatory in Colorado says that the sunspots occurring
during a calm maximum have the same brightness and area as
the ones observed during a more turbulent peak. The only
difference is that there are fewer of them and that's why
this is why low cycles like this one are considered as being
weak.
Scientists seem to agree that a small Cycle 24 also fits in
with a 100 year pattern of building and waning solar cycles.
They say that they don't know yet the exact cause of this
trend, but they note that there were weak solar cycles in
the beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as now
in the 21st. For ham radio this means that while the
various bands are far from dead, that their full potential
may not come about during this solar cycle.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP,
where the sun is keeping us rather warm in Scottsdale,
Arizona.
--
You can find out more about the Solar Cycle at
tinyurl.com/weak-cycle-24 and tinyurl.com/not-many-sunspots
to mention only two. (Space.com, others)
**
RADIO SCOUTING: THE 2013 NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE GOES LIVE
Weak sunspots or not, one group having a lot of fun with ham
radio this week is the Boy Scouts of America who are holding
their 2013 National Scout Jamboree from July 15th to the
25th. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has
the details:
--
Approximately 40,000 Scouts have converged on Mount Hope
West Virginia for this years National Scout Jamboree being
held at the nearby at the Summit Bechtel Reserve.
While there are a lot of high impact events for scouts to
participate in at this years Jamboree, the K2BSA ham radio
station enjoys a high profile location nestled in between
the AT&T Summit Stadium, Summit Center, and the landing pad
for one of the many Zip Line adventures.
The purpose of K2BSA is to introduce the science,
technology, and fun of amateur radio to Scouts and Scout
leaders. It's also there to help scouts to earn their Radio
Merit Badges and to serve as the amateur radio voice of the
Jamboree via two-way radio contacts worldwide.
--
K2BSA off air audio: ".We have some updates on K2BSA
operations. Today we have completed 25 Radio Merit Badges,
We've had 41 Scouts go through the Amateur Radio Direction
Finding program; we have given 418 Scout demos and completed
over 460 QSO's."
--
With equipment furnished by Icom America, this year's K2BSA
station is providing scouts with a very wide ranging
exposure to amateur radio. Mentors are on hand to explain
what it is, how it is relevant to them, and providing them
an opportunity to try as many aspects of the hobby as
possible. It will also be providing demonstrations to at
least 4,000 Jamboree participants. This includes stations
operating High Frequency SSB and PSK-31 as well as VHF and
UHF FM. Hidden transmitter hunting classes will be
available and on-site Amateur license testing will available
as needed. APRS will be active and K2BSA will be on the air
with CW as time permits.
Even if you are not able to attend the 2013 Scouting
Jamboree you can still help support the event with a contact
or two. K2BSA will be on the air throughout the event
operating SSB and PSK-31 on 75 through 10 meters. They also
have an Echolink demonstration station on Node 4566 signing
K2BSA-R and D-Star contacts are available via the WV8BSA
repeater and Reflector 033A. This means that hams anywhere
with or without the best of propagation can tune in.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
Other activities include high altitude ham radio carrying
balloon launches on July 18, 20, and the 23rd. Also an
International Space Station contact has also been scheduled.
All in all a full ten days of fun for scouts at the jamboree
and for the ham radio community that's supporting it with
contacts world-wide. (KC5FM, N9JA, others)
**
RADIO LAW: WEST VA GRANTS HAM RADIO EXEMPTION TO NEW
DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW
Amateur radio has been granted an exemption from a new West
Virginia law that bans most distractions while operating a
motor vehicle in hat state.
The new distracted driving law took effect on Monday, July
1st. Under its terms it is no longer legal to text and
drive nor use a cellular telephone that is not operated
hands free.
But amateur radio operators are still allowed to operate
their two-way radio gear while behind the wheel as long as
they are properly licensed by the FCC. Also, for ham radio
operators, portable radio devices such as hand-helds are not
considered distracted driving implements under the new law.
Emergency officials like police, fire and Emergency
Management Services are also exempt and will continue to be
allowed to use radios while driving. (Published news
reports)
**
BREAK 1
With you 52 weeks a year, every year, we are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W0EF repeater serving Minneapolis Minnesota.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RESTRUCTURING: ARRL CEO DAVE SUMNER K1ZZ ON SPECTRUM
PRESSURE
Spectrum Pressure is the title of an editorial appearing in
the August issue of QST magazine. One that details the
reasons that ham radio must remain vigilant as pressure
grows to make more spectrum available to other services.
The article was penned by ARRL Chief Executive Officer Dave
Sumner, K1ZZ. In it, Dave talks about last June's
Presidential Memorandum representing the next stage in
making more spectrum available for commercial wireless
broadband. It also covers the implications this has for
current users of the bands from 400 MHz through 6 Gigahertz
including radio amateurs.
Unlike other articles and news stories we have seen on this
topic, this is not a piece meant to convince the reader that
the sky is falling. Rather it is an honest and very easy to
understand kook at the needs of wireless communications in
the years that lie ahead. This in itself makes it a must
for every ham regardless of personal interest to read and
share through discussions at club meetings and elsewhere.
Dave Sumner's article is on page 9 of the August issue of
QST. If you have the magazine but have not yet taken the
time to read it, we suggest that you make doing so a
priority. As many scholars say, knowledge and understanding
are always the first line of defense.
(ARNewslineT)
**
RADIO LAW: W7EQU AGAIN LEADING MOVE TO STREAMLINE THE FCC
Another attempt in Congress to modernize the operation of
the FCC is taking place on Capitol Hill. Jeff Clark, K8JAC,
has the details:
--
Oregon Representative Greg Walden, W7EQI, is once again
looking at ways to streamline the operation of the FCC.
Slated for last Thursday, July 11th, the chairman of the
House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
was to have members review drafts similar to bills those
passed the House of Representatives last Congress to
streamline the FCC's reporting obligations and hasten the
agency's decision making process while reducing regulatory
burdens on the companies it regulates.
In 2012, the Republican controlled House approved the FCC
Process Reform Act and the FCC Consolidated Reporting Act.
Taken together, the bills would consolidate the number of
reports the agency needs to submit to lawmakers each year on
the industries it regulates, as well as establish more shot
clocks for proceedings and publishing the full text of a
rule for public comment before a commission vote. The
effort went nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
For the amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC
--
Reports coming out of the hearings say that Democrats and
Republicans remain at odds over numerous points and as of
this moment there appears to be very little room for
compromise. (RW, others)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC EXTENDS INDECENCY REPLY COMMENT PERIOD
DEADLINE
The FCC has granted a request from College Broadcasters,
Inc. asking that the reply comment deadline on General
Docket No. 13-86 the FCC be pushed back by 15 days. This
rule making procedure is the latest inquiry in the subject
of broadcast indecency.
It turned out that by the commentary cutoff date over
100,000 comments had been filed and the petitioner claimed
more time was needed to evaluate the material. As such the
deadline for reply comments has been pushed back from July
18 to August 2nd. (Inside Radio)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC SAYS NO TO CAP DELAY WAIVER REQUESTS
The FCC has denied several petitions asking that its rules
regarding the installation of Common Alerting Protocol or C-
A-P gear be installed by a number of broadcasters and cable
delivery services. The petitioners had sought the delay on
the basis that they could not meet the original June 30,
2012 deadline due to vendor delay.
Section 11.56 requires that Emergency Alert System
Participants to have installed operational equipment that
can receive and process E-A-S alerts in the Common Alerting
Protocol by June 30, 2012. In its report and order the FCC
simply stated that it found that the petitioners failed to
show special circumstances to justify departure from this
requirement of the Commissions' rules, and that it is not in
the public interest to grant such a waiver.
The Common Alerting Protocol is an XML-based data format for
exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting
technologies. It allows a warning message to be
consistently disseminated simultaneously over many warning
systems to many applications. As such, it is said to
increase warning effectiveness and simplify the task of
activating a warning for those with authority to do so.
(FCC)
**
ELECTRONICS BUSINESS: WESTERN ELECTRIC AND THE 300B TRIODE
RETURN
The Western Electric name has been resurrected for a new
vacuum tube manufacturing venture here in the United States.
With its headquarters are in Rossville, Georgia operation
will make vacuum tubes mainly for use in high-end audio
components.
While tubes or valves as they are known in Europe were once
the mainstay of the world's electronics, they were
eventually supplanted by transistors and integrated
circuits. Soon afterward most United States based
manufacturers deserted the manufacture of tubes to follow
the solid state trend. In recent years vacuum tube
manufacturing has become the domain of specialty companies
mainly in Russia and China, but even they only manufacture
the most popular tubes like the venerable 12AX7 and 6L6.
These are used in high end specialty audiophile gear and
portable amplifiers preferred by some musicians.
The new incarnation of Western Electric is headed by Charles
G. Whitener Jr.. Initially it will sell only a handful of
different tube types that are exact reproductions of Western
Electric "classics," such as the 300B. The latter was a
power triode audio output tube that was originally designed
to be used in movie theaters sound installations.
You can read the entire story of the return of Western
Electric tube manufacturing on the web at
tinyurl.com/western-electric-lives. (Times Free Press)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: HAM RADIO OPERATOR DEVELOPS AIRPORT
SAFETY DEVICE
Maine's Kennebec Journal reports Ron Cote, N1SVC, and John
Guimond have developed a unit that could eventually help
prevent aircraft accidents at small and regional airports
The newspaper says that G.A.R.D, which stands for the
General Audio Recording Device, was created and developed by
Guimond's business partner, Ron Cote, of West Gardiner,
through their new commercial venture, Invisible Intelligence
LLC.
The device's purpose is to assist in the investigation of
crashes by providing a recording of all radio traffic at
smaller general aviation airports, without control towers.
Those are airfields where currently no mechanism for
recording exists. More about this device and how it was
developed is on the web at tinyurl.com/small-airport-safety.
(Kenebec Journal, Southgate)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: 2013 CENTRAL STATES VHF SOCIETY CONFERENCE
26-28 JULY
On the ham radio social colander, the 2013 Central States
VHF Society Conference takes place the weekend of July 26th
through the July 28th. The venue is the Elk Grove Village
Holiday Inn located in Elk Grove Village. Illinois.
Activities begin Friday morning the 26th at 9AM with antenna
range gain measurements and pre-amp noise figure measurement
contests. Technical Programs will be held Friday afternoon
and all day Saturday. Full information including a detailed
agenda can be found at tinyurl.com/central-states-vhf.
(CSVHFS)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: W9DXCC BANQUET TO FEATURE JOE TAYLOR K1JT
Nobel laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, will be the featured
banquet speaker at the 61st annual W9DXCC Convention and
Banquet. This event is slated for Saturday, September 21st,
at the Holiday Inn, Elk Grove Village, Illinois and will
also host presentations by such prominent names as Eric
Hall, K9GY, on his Afghanistan operations; Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA, who will discuss solar Cycle 24
propagation and many more.
The W9DXCC is an annual event sponsored by the Northern
Illinois DX Association and has become a mainstay for DX
operators throughout the mid-West. More is on-line at
www.w9dxcc.com. (W9DXCC)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: JARL HAMFAIR - AUGUST 24 - 25 IN TOKYO
Japan's Amateur Radio Festival, also known as JARL Hamfair,
will be held at the Tokyo Bigsight Exposition Center on
August 24th and 25th. Billed as one of the world's largest
and most impressive amateur radio gatherings, the event
features displays by industry and radio clubs;
internationally known guest speakers and many other
activities to satisfy the needs of the Pacific Rim amateur
radio community.
In addition, the Region 3 Directors of the International
Amateur Radio Union will be meeting on the Monday and
Tuesday following the Hamfair. They plan to discuss and act
on items relevant to the Region 3 as it is now and in the
future. More is on the web at www.jarl.or.jp. (JARL
Hamfair)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur this is 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)
**
RADIO RESEARCH: HAARP RESEARCH FACILITY IN ALASKA SHUTTERED
The ARRL and the Southgate News report that the High
Frequency Active Auroral or HAARP Research Program facility
has been shuttered due to a lack of funding. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, reports:
--
According to the ARRL, its information is from HAARP program
manager, Dr. James Keeney at Kirtland Air Force Base in New
Mexico. He says that the thirty-five acre ionospheric
research facility in Gakona, Alaska, has been shuttered
since early May. He said that no one is on site, access
roads are blocked, buildings are chained and the power
turned off. Also that HAARP's website through the
University of Alaska no longer is available.
According to Dr. Keeney, HAARP had put out a notice two
years ago that it would be shutting down. It also did not
submit a budget request for the 2015 Fiscal Year.
But says Dr. Keeney but no one paid any attention until the
shutdown occurred. Since it did, people are complaining
noting that he's already had inquiries from Congress and
from universities that depended upon HAARP research grants.
The in-depth ARRL story says that the Air Force has taken
possession of the HAARP facility for now, but if no other
agency steps forward to take over its operation that this
unique facility will be dismantled.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
You can read the ARRL story at tinyurl.com/haarp-shuttered.
Other than it and the Southgate story, we cannot find any
other mention of the closure of this research facility in
the mainstream media. (ARRL, Southgate)
**
RADIO EXPERIMENTATION: NEW BEACON WILL ATTEMPT TO PROVE THE
PERTH TO SOUTH AFRICA PATH
A new 2 meter special service beacon on 144.950 MHz is being
established in Perth, Western Australia. This by the
Northern Corridor Radio Group in an attempt to prove that a
Perth to South Africa path actually exists.
The beacon call will be VK6RIO. The beacon will run 100
watts into four 8 element yagis directed towards South
Africa. It will use digital Chirp modulation which can be
detected some 50dB below the noise floor in a 2 kHz
bandwidth. With the processing gain from using Chirp
modulation the Effective Radiated Power is close to 100
Megawatts.
The VK6RIO beacon will be GPS locked both in frequency, time
and Chirp synchronization. Tests across Australia have
already proven the effectiveness of Chirp modulation for
detecting very weak signals.
Anyone interested in more details regarding the new beacon
should contact Keith Bainbridge to vk6rk (at) wia (dot) org
(dot) au. (WIA)
**
RADIO DEVELOPMENTS: FORTY DOLLAR SDR RECEIVER
A Software-Defined Radio costing only $40 is the subject of
an IEEE article that describes how, with some cheap hardware
and free software, you can listen-in on digital and analog
signals across a wide range of radio spectrum. The author
is Stephen Cass KB1WNR, who used a Freeview P250 dongle, an
indoor TV antenna and a Model B Raspberry Pi microcontroller
to make it all happen. You can read the entire article and
watch a video of the device on line at
tinyurl.com/inexpensive-sdr
(WIA, GB2RS, Southgate)
**
RADIO FROM SPACE: NEW RADIO TELESCOPE DOWN-UNDER TO EXPLORE
THE UNKNOWN
Prepare for a wave of astronomical revelations with the $51
million Murchison Widefield Array or MWA radio telescope in
Western Australia now in full operation. WIA Newsman Graham
Kemp, VK4BB, has the details:
--
The MWA is part of the growing Murchison Radio-astronomy
Observatory in a remote part of the Western Australia where
radio frequency interference is virtually non-existent.
It is also a precursor to the $2 billion international
Square Kilometer Array project and comprises 2048 antennas
that capture low frequency radio waves.
It will step up observations of the sun to detect and
monitor massive solar storms and will also investigate a
unique concept - seeing if stray FM radio signals can be
used to track dangerous space debris.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of
the WIA News reporting from Brisbane, Australia.
--
Once both of these new radio astronomy tolls are in day to
day use, mans knowledge of the final frontier of space will
be greatly enhanced.
(WIA)
**
ON THE AIR: SPECIAL EVENT STATION PA1813A CELEBRATES THE
LIBERATION OF ARNHEM
On the air PA0FA will be operating special event
station PA1813A through August 13th celebrating the twice
liberated city Arnhem, Holland. Arnhem is a city and
municipality located in the eastern section of that nation.
It is well known that Arnhem was freed back at the end of
World War 2 in 1945 but it was liberated once before in 1813
from the French. Hence the PA1813A call for this operation
which will be mostly using CW with some SSB and digital
modes. The latter two modes will depend on the available
time and other possibilities. QSL to PA0FAW either direct
or bureau or electronically using or eQSL.
(ICPO)
**
DX
In DX, CT2HPM will be on the air from Angola as D2CT from
until July
26th. Activity will be 20 through 10 meters using mostly
PSK31 and RTTY. QSL via his home callsign.
ON4LO will be active stroke DL stroke p from Fehmarn Island
until July 25th. His operation is reported to be holiday
style on the HF bands. QSL via his home callsign, direct or
by the Bureau.
PY2DY will be active as SY8APQ from Lesvos Island until July
31st. His operations are on 20 and 15 meters but no modes or
times on the air are specified. QSL via PY2DY, either direct
or electronically using Logbook of the World. Sorry, but
this station will not accept cards via the bureau or eQSL.
Lastly, DL5KUD will be active from Ruegen Island during the
RSGB Islands on the Air Contest that takes place July 27th
and 28th. He will be on as a Single-Operator, CW only low
power entry. QSL via DL5KUD.
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: NEPAL - A KINGDOM OF FM RADIO
And finally this week Nepal which years ago modernized its
broadcast radio in a way that the isolated nation is now a
place where FM radio is king is facing new challenges from
the Internet. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK,
tells us why:
--
A recent Radio World story quotes Santosh Devkota who says
that when it comes to the penetration of FM radio stations,
Nepal is one of the most successful broadcasters in the
world.
Devkota is managing director of DigiMed. This is an FM
radio consultancy and training firm located in Katmandu. He
says that to date, over 300 FM stations are on air, with 435
licenses having been issued so far.
One of the most thriving stations is Radio Kantipur on 96.1
FM which received its license in October 1998. The station
is part of the Kantipur Media Group, which also operates a
national TV network, newspapers and websites. Radio
Kantipur has its central station located in Pulchowk,
Lalitpur with seven relay operations outside Katmandu valley
in major cities all over that nation.
Radio Kantipur is what Nepal calls a front rank radio
stations group, but there are hundreds of smaller stations
with far less in the way of resources. These are operating
either as commercial or community broadcasters. Devkota
says that the result is that the number of FM stations has
grown faster than the nations economy's ability to support
them.
And now there're are new challenges. Television is starting
to cut into Nepal's radio listening audience. So is
streaming media via the Internet. In this latter the
growing popularity of broadband Internet at home and via
smartphones is fueling the growth of homegrown online radio
stations similar to those in the West.
Devkota says that at the end of March 2012, there were
already about 250 Nepalese online radio stations. That is
approximately 150 more than could be found back in 2009 and
2010. An amazing growth rate to say the least.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
Nepal's population is just under 30 million who live in an
area slightly larger than the state of Arkansas. Despite
its reputation as a Himalayan refuge, only the northern part
of Nepal is mountainous. As you move south, into the area
of rivers that feed the Ganges, the mountains give ways to
hills, and then a flat plain where its economy is based
mainly on agriculture. Only about a fifth of its population
lives in urban areas.
You can read this very interesting article about radio in
this emerging nation's broadcasting prospects on-line at
tinyurl.com/nepal-radio-future. (RW)
**
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 WIA 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 Jim Davis, W2JKD, on Florida's treasure coast saying 73
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1874 with a release
date of July 12 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Ham radio continues its relief
efforts in India during monsoon season; hams in Canada and
Portugal may soon have added operating spectrum; the ARRL
says "no" to encrypted communications on the ham radio
bands; the FITSAT One ham radio satellite deorbits and the
story of some strange radio signals from space. Find out
the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number
1874 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO MONSOON RELIEF EFFORTS CONTINUE IN
INDIA
The crisis caused by the devastating monsoon rains and
flooding in northern India has so far claimed about 900
lives. Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has
the latest on the role being played by that nations ham
radio community:
--
Actually the latest word comes from Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, who
is the National Coordinator for Disaster communication in
India. He reports that amateur radio storm relief
operations have been using 7.073 and 14.160 MHz for inter-
region disaster relief communications. The messages they
are handling are being relayed by radio to authorities in
the cities of Gwalior, Calcutta, New Delhi, Vadodra, Kerala
and Hyderabad.
VU2JAU says that a relief team of four hams will soon be
continuing this work with a further list of volunteer ham
radio operators being made ready to go to the region if they
are needed. As this report is being prepared it appears
that the storm ravaged area will continue to receive monsoon
relief communications through amateur radio messaging for
some time to come.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heater Embee, KB3TZD,in
Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
The unexpected heavy monsoon rains affected pilgrims and
tourists in the holy area in the foothills of the Himalayas
on the Indo-Tibet border. (VK3PC)
**
RESCUE RADIO: INDIA TOWN HIT BY FLOODS EMBRACES HAM RADIO
The recent rain damage in the area of Valparai, India has
led to a decision by civic leaders to install a permanent
ham radio station in the town in the coming months. The
station will be used to link the local emergency
communications office to the amateur radio operators around
the world along with district office in Coimbatore and sub
office in Pollachi.
The Amateur Radio Club of Pollachihas promised to establish
the station free of cost and permission has been sought from
the government to proceed with the project. Once
established, it would facilitate emergency communication
during the time of crisis and disasters.
Meantime, an experimental station was set up on Saturday,
July 6th and is functioning as a tool for storm relief and
forest officials. Based on their positive feedback, a radio
club spokesperson says that permission is expected to be
granted shortly and the ham radio emergency communications
station should be a reality in about month.
(Times of India)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS READY FOR TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL
Meantime on this side of the world comes word that the
Caribbean Emergency and Weather Net was activated the night
of July 8th in preparation of the imminent arrival of
Tropical storm Chantal in the vicinity of Barbados and the
Windward Islands. This net which operates on 3.815 MHz will
continue to function until the storm and its effects have
dissipated from that area. Hams elsewhere are requested to
please keep this frequency clear until further notice.
Meantime on Tuesday, July 9th Professor Arnie Coro, CO2KK,
posted a report over the VHF Reflector. It said that Cuba's
national weather service 5 days track forecast for tropical
storm Chantal showed a cone of probability that may involve
the Florida Keys. At that time the storm was moving at the
very high speed of 26 miles per hour. (CO2KK, VHF
Reflector, Facebook, other reports)
**
RADIO LAW: ARRL SAYS NO TO ENCRYPTED HAM RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS
The ARRL is calling on the FCC to deny a Petition for Rule
Making in RM-11699. This is a request that seeks to permit
the encryption of certain amateur communications during
emergency operations or related training exercises. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, is here with the
details:
--
As we previously reported, earlier this year the FCC
accepted for filing a Petition for Rulemaking from Don
Rolph, AB1PH, designated as RM-11699 and put it on public
notice. In it Rolph suggested that an additional exception
to Part 97.113 be made to permit encrypted communications
when hams are participating in emergency services operations
or related training exercises which may involve information
covered by medical privacy requirements or other sensitive
data. This could include logistical information concerning
medical supplies, personnel movement or any other data
designated by Federal authorities managing relief or
training efforts.
But on July 8th the ARRL filed to oppose the AB1PH rules
change request. The ARRL says that in its view there is no
factual or legal basis for the assumption that encryption of
transmissions is necessary in order to continue and enhance
the utility of amateur radio emergency and disaster relief
communication. The ARRL also characterized as erroneous the
assumption that encryption of certain information may be
required under the provisions of the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability or HIPPA Act.
The ARRL is not alone in this view. Several other
commenters on RM-11699 have also pointed out that the
restrictions imposed by HIPPA can be overlooked in time of a
dire emergency.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
You can read an in-depth report on why the ARRL decided to
oppose RM-11699 at tinyurl.com/arrl-against-encryption. So
far close to 280 comments have been filed on RM-11699 with
most of those in opposition to it. You can read them on the
FCC's website beginning at tinyurl.com/encryption-
commentary. (ARRL, FCC, Southgate)
**
RESTRUCTURING: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE CANADIAN TABLE OF
FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS
What appears to be some good news for ham radio in Canada.
This with word from Radio Amateurs of Canada of some
proposed changes to frequency allocations in that nation
that will provide more spectrum to use.
First up in the proposed revisions is the inclusion of a new
allocation running between 472 and 479 KHz. This 600 meter
band was long sought and won at the 2012 World
Radiocommunications conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Also some good news based on what's not seen in the
proposal. Radio Amateurs of Canada officials noted that the
proposed revisions in the nations frequency allocation table
did not include the addition of an appropriate Canadian
Footnote for the range 5230 to 5240 KHz. This for
authorization of the amateur service on 60 meter spot
frequency channels as petitioned in 2010 and the subject of
the Industry Canada Proposal issued in May of 2012.
Radio Amateurs of Canada calls this simply an omission and
should not mean an unfavorable decision on the 5 MHz
channels. Instead, from all indications the national
society says that there is good reason to believe the 60
meter decision will be favorable to Canadian radio amateurs
and is imminent.
The Canada Gazette notice that proposes these changes also
invites public comments on the proposed revisions.
Following the review of comments by the nations
telecommunications regulator the allocation decisions will
be announced and a revised edition of the Canadian Table of
Frequency Allocations will be issued.
The public response period to the Gazette notice ends on
September 27th. (RAC)
**
RESTRUCTURING: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE PORTUGUESE
NATIONAL TABLE OF FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS
The Portuguese National Communications Authority has
approved a draft decision to amend the nations National
Table of Frequency Allocations. This to give that nations
radio amateur's additional operating spectrum at some future
date.
According to the regulatory authority, if approved the
revisions would provide hams in Portugal with access to the
472 to 479 kHz frequency band for the amateur service. It
would also alter some of the conditions governing access to
the 50-52 MHz and 1270-1300 MHz bands for access by that
nation's ham radio community.
This draft decision is submitted to the general consultation
procedure as provided for under the Portuguese Electronic
Communications Law whereby interested parties are given a
period of 20 working days in which to comment. This means a
July 26th commentary cutoff date. (Portuguese National
Communications Authority)
**
BREAK 1
With you 52 weeks a year, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
Two Rivers Amateur Radio Club repeater, W3OC, serving
Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
(5 sec pause here)
**
SURVEY: ARE THOSE BEEPS NEEDED
As you just heard in our break, there are five one second
tones that do two things. For the listener they denote the
fact we are in a station identification break. On a
technical level they keep the few tape machines left feeding
phone lines from resetting mid newscast.
But as we plan for the future we need to know if anyone else
is using these tones for any other purpose during the replay
of this newscast. We have heard stories that some repeaters
or Echolink nodes use the beep tones for cueing purposes,
but we are far from certain if this is actually the case.
If you are among those who require the tones please drop us
a note to newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org and let us
know. And please only those who require the tones respond.
To which we add our sincere thank you in advance.
(ARNewslineT)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC MODIFIES CALIFORNIA HAMS LICENSE AFTER VEC
SAYS IT MADE CLERICAL ERROR
The FCC has gone ahead with the license class modification
of a California ham after it was notified by the supervising
V-E-C that it had made a clerical error. One that had
awarded James H. Schofield, KI6JIM, a General Class ticket
even though he was only eligible for Technician class
privileges.
As previously reported, on November 29, 2012, the W5YI
Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent a data file to the
Commission requesting that Schofield's operator license be
upgraded from Technician Class to General Class. Based on
this application, the Commission granted Schofield a General
Class license on November 29, 2012.
But on May 30, 2013, the W5YI VEC notified the Commission
that it had made a typographical error in the original 2012
data file and that a licensee other than Schofield had
qualified for a General Class operator license. As a result
the FCC proposed to modify the license for Station KI6JIM to
show Technician Class operator privileges.
The Order Proposing Modification was released this past June
4th. Schofield did not protest the proposed modification of
his license within the requisite thirty-day time frame. As
such Schofield is deemed to have consented to the proposed
modification. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: NYC POLICE TAKE DOWN UNLICENSED BROADCAST
STATION
Running an unlicensed broadcast radio station in the Metro
New York City area can put you behind bars. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, reports:
--
Detectives in New York City have arrested two men for
allegedly operating an unlicensed radio station on 104.7
MHz. The Kings County District Attorney's Office says Seon
Bruce and Solomon Malka are charged with making unauthorized
radio transmission which is a class-A misdemeanor.
To thwart the illegal operation, detectives bought
advertising on the station and an FCC engineer traced the
signal to a rooftop antenna on a 50-story building in
Manhattan. The detectives then seized the transmission
equipment.
According to the Kings County District Attorney, Solomon
told them he installed the stations gear and knew the
station didn't have a license. Investigators also found
equipment for another station, 91.7 MHz, which was on the
air in June. Solomon is reported to have told detectives he
had a license for that station but the FCC disputes that
claim.
The defendants have been charged with a class-A misdemeanor
of making unauthorized radio transmissions. If convicted
under New York law, they could serve up to a year in jail.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan Kinford, N8WB,
in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
According to the FCC, New York has seen more
enforcement against unlicensed operations than any other
state, with 330 official actions including citations, fines
and shutdowns logged against pirate radio stations since
2003. Previously it was Florida that held this rather
dubious distinction. (FCC, NYPD, Daily News, others)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC UPHOLDS $25,000 FINE AGAINST IDAHO
BROADCASTER
The FCC has upheld fines totaling $26,000 against Salmon
River Communications. This, for not filing for renewal on
time and continuing to operate two stations after their
authorizations had expired.
Salmon River Communications owns radio stations KSRA AM and
FM in Salmon River, Idaho. According to the commission
their renewals were due in June 2005, four months before
their licenses would expire. The licensee did seek Special
Temporary Authority to remain in operation, but those also
ran out.
The commission eventually renewed both licenses and in 2011
proposed the fines. The agency now says that it has not
received a response from Salmon River. Saying no
circumstances warrant a reduction or cancellation, the
commission upheld the penalties and said Salmon River has 30
days to pay or file a further appeal. (FCC, RW)
**
RESCUE RADIO: DETROIT MI EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM FAILS
Detroit, Michigan is the latest city to receive national
news media attention for the failure of its P25 digital
trunked radio system. The system failed during the 4th of
July holiday weekend creating what was described as havoc
for first responders.
The radio system is for communication between 911
dispatchers and Detroit's police, fire and Emergency
Management Service crews. It failed at around 5:30 a.m.
Friday morning, July 5th causing a backlog of hundreds of
calls.
Michigan State Police stepped in to allow Detroit's
emergency system to use the state's communication system.
This backup was used for several days while crews worked to
restore the Detroit system.
Detroit Police Spokeswoman Sergeant Eren Stephens said that
during the initial down time there had been some 60 priority
one and more than 170 non-emergency calls that had backed up
because of the issue.
Like most new digital systems, Detroit's is dependant on
centralized computer control. This means failure of the
central processing system can bring the entire system to a
halt. And while Detroit does have a mirrored back-up system
in place it apparently had ever been fully tested and it
also failed leading to state to step in. More is on-line at
tinyurl.com/detroit-radio-down. (WXYZ, other published
reports)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: HAM RADIO SAILOR MAKES IT AROUND THE
WORLD
Some names in the news: A ham radio operator who is
believed to be the oldest female sailor to make a solo, non-
stop circumnavigation of the globe has finally reached her
goal. This with word that seventy-year-old Jeanne Socrates,
KC2IOV, is back on land.
Socrates set out from Victoria's Inner Harbor in her 36 foot
cruiser Nereida in October of 2012. A note on her website
says she returned to the harbor just before 3 a.m. Monday,
July 8th. The pre-dawn arrival ended several days of
anticipation as light winds along the west coast of British
Columbia, Canada, stalled her return, which was expected on
July 5th.
This was not Socrates first attempt at such a voyage. She
has made two previous attempts to sail solo, non-stop,
around the world. The first ended in Cape Town, South
Africa in 2009 and the second journey concluded in January
2011 with damage to her boat in a storm off Cape Horn.
During all three trips KV2IOV reportedly held regular
schedules with her support team and also made lots of other
QSO's while at sea.
Socrates, a grandmother and retired teacher is raising money
for Marie Curie Cancer Care. This is a United Kingdom-based
program that provides free home nursing for terminally ill
cancer patients. (CFAX, The Canadian Press, QRZ.com)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: A WEBSIITE FOR HAM RADIO ROYALTY
A website has been created that lists those members of Royal
families that its creators believe may have held amateur
radio callsigns. The page is at tinyurl.com/royal-ham-radio
and is sponsored by the Highfields Amateur Radio Club in the
U.K.. (M5AKA)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: BURT WEINER K6OQK TO SPEAK ON THE
HISTORY OF HAM RADIOS EARLIEST REPEATERS
If you have in interest in the early development of
repeaters and have some free time, then listen up. The July
19th meeting of the Los Angeles California-based San
Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club will feature a one-time
presentation on the history of Southern California's K6MYK
and WA6TDD repeaters presented by Burt Weiner, K6OQK, who is
one of the people who made it all happen.
It was the late Arthur M. Gentry, W6MEP, who built the
nations first truly automatic repeater. Its call sign was
K6MYK, and it operated from above the Hollywood sign on Mt.
Lee beginning back in the late 1950's. Its history was
chronicled in the March, 2004, QST feature titled "Once Upon
a California Hilltop."
Burt Weiner, K6OQK, was a prot�g�e of Art Gentry. He became
involved in Amateur Radio in the early 1950's while in Jr.
High School. He went ob to build and maintain the nations
second truly successful automatic control repeater. WA6TDD
later known as WR6ABE was sited atop Mt. Wilson and went on
the air in 1962. Burt ran it through the era of conversion
from AM to FM operation that lasted into the 1970's.
Burt Weiner's professional background is in broadcast
engineering, antenna systems and measurement systems design.
His talk will be primarily the history of WA6TDD with parts
touching on Art and Millie
Gentry, the K6MYK repeater and the part they played in his
building WA6TDD. He will be open to questions after and
maybe even during the presentation.
This very special presentation will take place on Friday
night June 19th beginning at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time. The
venue is the 5th floor penthouse of Northridge Medical
Center Hospital, 18300 Roscoe Boulevard on Northridge
California. The talk will also be video recorded for
general release at some later date.
For those interested in the history of this aspect of our
hobby it should prove to be a very interesting evening to
say the least. (ARNewsline)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the
United States of America, 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)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: GOOGLE PROJECT LOON INTERFERENCE CONCERNS
A broadband communications experiment that involves a series
of balloons circling the globe is bringing some anxiety to
other spectrum users. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the
newsroom with the details:
--
Concerns have been raised about possible interference from
the 2400 MHz and 5800 MHz transmitters on the Google Project
Loon High Altitude Balloon project. Google launched 30
balloons from New Zealand which transmit wideband 2400 MHz
and 5800 MHz signals and concerns have been raised about the
interference they could cause to radio astronomy.
The United Kingdom's Register reports that when Google
engineer Brad Tucker was contacted about the problem. He
said that Google had identified locations where Loon
balloons might interfere with radio astronomy. He said that
these transmitters had been shut down until these balloons
had floated out of range.
But its not just radio astronomers that are worried about
interference generated by the Google Loon balloons. The
Amateur Radio and Amateur Satellite Services are also
concerned about deterioration to their communications
especially in the area of weak signal operations. This is
because both use some of the same frequencies that Project
Loon is transmitting on.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in Los Angeles.
--
Google eventually plans to send some 300 balloons around the
world at the southern fortieth parallel that would provide
broadband coverage to New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and
Argentina. The company hopes to eventually have thousands
of balloons flying in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20
km relaying broadband almost world-wide. More about this
project is on the web at www.google.com/loon (Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE: PICO BALLOONS - A NEW HAM RADIO FAD
The latest fad in ham radio near space experimentation, at
least in the United Kingdom, appears to be the so-called
pico balloons. The small foil party balloons can only carry
ultra light payloads typically weighing less than 100 grams.
This presents a challenge to the builders to produce a
transmitter, GPS, batteries and antenna that are small and
light enough to be taken aloft.
Balloons such as these do not go to extremes of altitude but
can float at between 10,000 to 20,000 feet for an extended
period. Their 434 MHz transmitters can have a radio range
of up to 900 miles.
Several pico balloons carrying 434 MHz payloads weighing
less than 100 grams launch were to be launched last weekend
from locations in Great Britain. James Coxon, M6JCX, was
to launch one operating on 434.175 MHz USB transmitting
RTTY at 50 baud. David Bowkis, M0MDB, also was to have
launched one transmitting on 434.250 MHz running ASCII at 50
baud.
The free balloon software dl-fldigi can be used to decode
many different amateur radio digital modes and is available
in Windows, Mac or Ubuntu Linux versions. (UK Space,
Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FITSAT-1 DEORBITS AND BURNS UP
The FITSAT-1 ham radio Cube-Sat is reported to have de-
orbited and burned up in the Earth's atmosphere in the
early hours of Thursday, July 4th. According to Takushi
Tanaka, JA6AVG, of the Fukuoka Institute of Technology
FITSAT's last signal was received byJA0CAW at 03:07 UTC.
FITSAT-1's low orbit meant its lifespan was limited to just
9 months but in that time it was able to achieve a number of
technology firsts. (FITSAT)
**
WORLDBEAT: UK RADIO CLUB LAUNCHES STREAMING ATV CHANNEL
The United Kingdom-based Sheffield Amateur Radio Club has
its own streaming TV channel thanks to the British Amateur
Television Club. The channel will be used to stream live TV
from special events attended by the club's communication
trailer GX3RCM and viewable on-line at tinyurl.com/gx3rcm.
More information is at sheffieldarc.org.uk. (Southgate)
**
WORLDBEAT: ILLW REGISTRATION REACHES 300
Registration number 300 for the International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend has been awarded to the Luehe Lower
Lighthouse in Germany. Located in that country's Lower
Saxony region will be activated during the fun-event on
August the 17th and 18th by avid contester Rainer Arndt
DL9OE.
Now in the 16th year the annual event is always held on the
third full weekend of August to promote public awareness of
old marine navigation methods, amateur radio and foster
international goodwill. Guidelines and online registration
information are at illw.net. (VK3PC)
**
ON THE AIR: GRID SQUARE EXPEDITION TO SCOTLAND
On the air, listen out for 2E1EUB will be on the air from
Scotland as 2M1EUB for 14 days beginning August 5th. He
will actually be driving around that nation to provide other
hams with new grid squares that they have not yet worked.
Activity will be on 160, 80 and 2 meter SSB along with
several satellites. He does accept E-mails and will
arrange schedules to work him at 2e1eub (at) amsat (dot)
org. (VHF Reflector)
**
ON THE AIR: 4X19MG CELEBRATES MACCABIAH GAMES
Members of the Israel Amateur Radio Club
will activate 4X19MG between July 18th to the 30th in honor
of the 19th Maccabiah Games. The Maccabiah is an
international Jewish athletic event, held in Israel every
four years. QSL via 4Z1TL. (IARC)
**
DX
In DX, word that K4ZW, will be on the air from Addis Ababa
until July 19th. He plans to operate from the Ethiopian
Amateur Radio Society club station ET3AA and notes that most
of his time will be spent on CW, but is going to try some
RTTY as well. QSL via N2OO
RK4FF will once again be active as 6V7S from Senegal through
July 16th and again from October 22nd to November 27th. His
operations will probably be on 80 through 10 meters using
CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via RK4FF.
JJ2NYT, will be active as 9H1N from Malta between August 2ns
to the 5th. Activity will be holiday style on 40 through 10
meters using CW and SSB. QSL only via his home callsign.
CT2HPM is now active as D2CT from Luanda, Angola. He will
be there until July 26th operating 20 through 10 meters
using mostly PSK31 and RTTY. QSL via his home callsign.
Lastly, VU2UR will be operational as AT20RRC from Bangalore,
India through the end of July. His activity is to celebrate
20th anniversary of the Russian Robinson Club with stations
on the High Frequency bands. QSL electronically to AT20RCC
via eQSL.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: THE CASE OF THE STRANGE RADIO SIGNALS FROM
SPACE
And finally this week, if you are a ham with an interest in
radio astronomy, then this is for you. Bruce Tennant,
K6PZW, reports:
--
If you've been waiting to hear mysterious radio signals from
space, then now may be the right time to tune in. This as
an international team of astronomers has detected four
powerful bursts that appear to come from billions of light-
years away. At that distance, the radio pulses would each
have put out in a few thousandths of a second the same
amount of energy that our Sun would take 10,000 years to
produce.
The bizarre signals came to light as part of the High Time
Resolution Universe survey. This is a project using the 64-
meter Parkes radio telescope in Australia to search the sky
for radio signals from pulsars. These are the stellar
signal generators that are believed to be caused by super-
novas.
Because the pulsars we detect lie in our own galaxy,
astronomers mostly look near the Milky Way when hunting for
these dead stars. But when Dan Thornton of the University
of Manchester in the United Kingdom and Australia
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization started digging through the data he stumbled
across the four signal bursts. After scientists
extrapolated the data across the entire sky, they concluded
that perhaps 10,000 of these blasts are happening every day.
Its only a matter of finding them.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
According to researcher Thornton, it's still unknown as to
what these signals are, but at least it's no longer a
mystery that they actually exist. More about these
interesting radio signal from space is on line at
tinyurl.com/powerful-signals-from-space (Various Sources)
**
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 WIA 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 Jeff Clark, K8JAC, in Charleston, West Virginia, saying
73 and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1873 with a release
date of July 5 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Ham radio responds to disasters in
India and the Philippines; an emergency communications drill
in Los Angeles assumes that the wired infrastructure has
broken down; spectrum changes coming in the USA, the UK and
Australia; a new sun watching satellite will aid in
propagation forecasting and a Canadian teen creates the
worlds first human heat powered flashlight. Find out how
she did it on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1873
coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS IN INDIA RESPOND TO FLOODING
Hams in India have again responded as flooding hits that
nation. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, reports:
--
The recent severe flooding in northern India has resulted in
communication links being affected when they are most
needed.
Members of the Indian National Institute of Amateur Radio,
Hyderabad, have been providing emergency communication
facilities in the worst-affected areas of Uttarakhand state,
North India. Reported operating frequencies include 7.073
and 14.160 kHz and callsigns in use include VU2JOS, VU2MCW,
VU3NUG.
As usual, all amateurs are urged to give priority to
emergency communications regardless of any other activities
on the bands.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, in
Nottingham in the U.K..
--
More on this situation as information becomes available.
(GB2RS)
**
RESCUE RADIO: PHILIPPINE HAMS RESPOND TO TYPHOON GORIO
Hams in the Philippines were ready when yet another tropical
storm came their way. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the
newsroom with what we know so far:
--
The Philippine Amateur Radio Association activated its
Emergency Net last week in anticipation of tropical
storm Gorio. At the time the typhoon was crossing the
Eastern Visayas Region in the general direction of the Bicol
area located at the southernmost tip of Luzon Island.
The Philippine Amateur Radio Association spokesman is Ramon
Anquilan DU1UGZ. He was quoted as saying that members of
the Ham Emergency Radio Operations or HERO group are using
7.095 MHZ as an emergency calling frequency. As such the
national society was requesting neighboring ham radio
operators assist by staying clear of the frequency until the
emergency net is was closed down.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in Los Angeles.
--
The latest information on this severe weather event is on-
line at the Philippine Amateur Radio Association website.
Its in cyberspace at www.para.org.ph (PARA)
**
RESCUE RADIO: LOS ANGELES DRILL INCLUDES HAM RADIO
An interesting emergency communications drill on the United
States West coast. This as members of California's Los
Angeles County Disaster Communications Service met at its
Temple Station on June 24th to practice sending data but
doing so without the use of the internet and without the use
of any infrastructure.
Deputy Hector Figueroa, KE6VRL, is the Temple Station
Systems Administrator for Communications. He says that
communications was accomplished via the use of the Amateur
Radio Service and the Narrow Band Emergency Messaging
Software. This software is capable of running on various
computing platforms and operating systems making it easy to
implement especially in a disaster. Figueroa says that
most of the Disaster Communications Service volunteers were
able to install and use the system in less than an hour's
time.
Most used battery power for their computers and battery
powered radios to send messages during the training. These
consisted of message types used in the national Incident
Command System to request support, report damage, and
provide health and welfare traffic.
Members of the City of Rosemead staff also participated in
the demonstration and training while volunteers from San
Dimas, Temple City and Pasadena were on hand to practice
and gain valuable experience. More information is on line
at temple.lasd.org. (Los Angeles County Disaster
Communications Service)
**
RESTRUCTURING: FCC APPROVES OPENING 10 MHZ OF UHF SPECTRUM
TO COMMERCIAL USE
The FCC has adopted a Report and Order that will increase
the Nation's supply of spectrum for flexible use services,
including mobile broadband. This by opening 10 megahertz of
spectrum in the bands 1915 to 1920 MHz and 1995 to 2000 MHz
also known as the H Block for commercial licensing.
According to its June 27th Report and order on WT Docket 12-
357 the FCC says that by enabling 10 megahertz of spectrum
to be used for mobile broadband the Commission's efforts to
ensure that the Nation's wireless networks have the
capacity, speed and ubiquity to keep pace with consumers'
expectations and ever rising demand for mobile services.
The FCC also calls it a step towards meeting its obligation
under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of
2012 to license 65 megahertz, including the 10 megahertz in
the H Block. This, by February of 2015. (FCC)
**
RESTRUCTURING: 915-921 MHZ TO BE LICENSE EXEMPT IN UK
British telecommunications regulator Ofcom has published a
statement setting out its decision to release the 870 to 876
and 915 to 921 MHz spectrum bands on a license exempt basis.
The released spectrum will be used by Short Range Devices
and Radio Frequency Identification. A further rule making
procedure on the technical details of the license exemption
will follow this fall.
Meantime, the adoption of 915 of 921 MHz by the pan-European
CEPT agreement is said to be possible. If it were to happen
it would create the only license exempt spectrum between 41
and 2400 MHz that is available world-wide. Other license
exempt frequency bands for Short Range Devices and Radio
Frequency Identification are only available on a regional or
nation wide basis only. (Southgate, Ofcom)
**
RESTRUCTURING: IMMINENT SPECTRUM SALE BRINGS TENSIONS TO A
HEAD DOWN-UNDER
The second attempt by Australian authorities to sell some
prime spectrum in the 700 MHz band for use in expanding
broadband is meeting with opposition from those who say its
needed for public safety communications. Graham Kemp,
VK4BB, of the WIA News has the details:
--
The (Australian) federal government is resisting calls to
reserve highly sought-after mobile phone spectrum for use
by police and emergency services, in fact they have
released a proposal suggesting it hopes to pull in more than
$900 million from the sale of spectrum it could not sell
earlier this year.
The office of Victoria's Premier Denis Napthine accused
federal Labor of "effectively selling community safety" to
fix an ailing budget, while the Police Federation of
Australia renewed calls for the government to earmark the
spectrum in case it is needed by law enforcement during
terrorist strikes and natural disasters.
Previous Communications Minister Stephen Conroy issued draft
directions for the Australian Communications and Media
Authority to decide by September 1 on the "appropriate
procedures" for allocating the unsold spectrum and said
access charges would have to be at the same reserve price
that failed to attract bidders during the first auction.
A 30 megahertz block of the most sought-after 700MHz band of
the spectrum the "waterfront property" of the cell phone
industry was unsold and the government last month said the
intention was that it would "be returned to the market for
sale at a later date".
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of
the WIA News in Australia.
--
The Australian government feels confident that it can
attract bidders but based on the last attempt to divest
itself of this spectrum, it could turn out to be a hard
sell. (WIA News)
**
WORLDBEAT: ICASA CLARIFIES SOUTH AFRICAN LICENSING PAYMENTS
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa has
informed the South African Radio League that it has now
analyzed all payments for that nations amateur service
licenses. It says that in 2012 some 209 radio amateurs paid
the proper fee for a five year license but failed to notify
the regulatory service of that fact when payment was made.
This year there were an additional 34.
To rectify the situation the regulatory agency says that it
plans on mailing five year licenses to these hams which will
be valid until 2017 and 2018 respectively.
On a more negative note, ICASA says that the same inquiry
revealed that 823 South African radio amateurs did not renew
their licenses. As such, these licenses will be cancelled
and the regulatory agency says that it will make
arrangements for the urgent sealing or confiscation of the
equipment if payment is not made immediately.
The South African Radio League in urging hams in that nation
to check their payment records to make certain that they
have renewed their licenses. If not that they should do so
without any further delay. (ICASA, SARL)
**
BREAK 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the K9OQO repeater serving Appleton, Wisconsin.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: UNLICENSED USE OF HT'S BRINGS $30,000 NAL
The FCC has issued a $30,000 Notice of Apparent liability to
Remel, Inc. and its corporate parent, Thermo Fisher
Scientific, Inc. This for allegedly unlawful operation of
radio frequency devices on a General Mobile Radio Service
frequency for more than nine years without Commission
authority. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeff Clark, K8JAC,
reports:
--
On June 21, 2012, Thermo Fisher filed an application for a
new Public Land Mobile Radio Service license with the
Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. A few weeks
later July 2, 2012, Thermo Fisher filed a request for
Special Temporary Authority to permit the operation of
certain handheld radio transmitting equipment pending the
grant of its Public Land Mobile Radio Service. In its S-T-A
Request, Thermo Fisher indicated that its handheld radios
were used in connection with manufacturing certain products
used by the Center for Disease Control and other health care
facilities. It also stated that the radios were "an
essential communications link" for its factory operations
and for the safety and security of its personnel. At the
time, Thermo Fisher further indicated that it had operated
the handheld radio transmitters for a number of years and
that it discontinued their operation on June 14th, 2012, as
soon as it became aware that the radios were not properly
licensed.
The STA was granted on July 9, 2012 under call sign WQPN622.
Thermo Fisher's application for a new Public Land Mobile
Radio Service license was granted on August 30, 2012 under
call sign WQPW523.
Because it appeared that Thermo Fisher had operated its
handheld radio transmitting equipment without authorization,
the Wireless Bureau referred this matter to the Enforcement
Bureau for investigation and possible enforcement action.
On January 30, 2013, the Enforcement Bureau's Spectrum
Enforcement Division issued a letter of inquiry to Thermo
Fisher, directing the company to submit a response to a
series of questions relating to the unauthorized operation
of the radio transmitting equipment. Thermo Fisher
responded on February 27, 2013 and indicated that Remel
began operating the radio transmitting equipment in
approximately October 2002.
Now, in issuing the $30,000 NAL, the FCC notes that the
companies admit that they operated their radio transmitting
equipment without Commission authorization since
approximately October 2002 and continued for more than nine
years, until June 14, 2012. As such the Commission finds
that the companies apparently violated Section 301 of the
Communications Act and Sections 1.903(a) and 95.3 of the
agency's Rules by failing to obtain Commission authority to
operate their radio transmitting equipment. Therefore based
on the information before it the agency says that a $30,000
fine is warranted in this case.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC.
--
Remel, Inc. and Thermo Fisher Scientific were given the
customary thirty days to pay the proposed fine or to file an
appeal. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FLORIDA UNLICENSED STATION OPERATORS ARRESTED
The owner of an unlicensed radio station in Marion County
Florida and an employee were taken into custody Tuesday,
June 25th by federal authorities and Ocala, Florida
sheriff's deputies. This following a tip about the illegal
operation filed by a radio engineer from a local broadcast
station.
In early April, the Federal Communication Commission
received information that a radio station on 97.7 FM, was
operating without a license. FCC agents came to the area
and T-hunted the station to a location in the city of
Summerfield. They went to the property, where they saw a
double-wide mobile home and a single-wide mobile home with a
radio tower behind it. The station was playing Mexican
music and advertising Hispanic businesses in the area. No
one was home, so the agents left a warning notice and
departed.
However, the Property Crimes Unit of the Marion County
Sheriff's Office began listening to the radio station. They
also observed people entering and leaving the property.
Authorities requested a search warrant, which was granted
Tuesday, June 25th leading to a raid on the unlicensed
broadcast facility. At that time Luis Alfredo Galindo and
Juan Ramon Nieves were arrested and taken to a Sheriff's
Office substation for an interview.
Nieves said he was the owner of the station, for which he
did not have a license but which he admitted had been in
existence for about a year. He was charged under a Florida
statute with operating an unlicensed radio station and was
taken to the Marion County Jail. He has since been released
on $5,000 bond.
Galindo claimed to be employed by Nieves. He was charged
with making unauthorized radio transmissions and interfering
with a radio station. He was remanded to jail in lieu of
$5000 bail and at airtime it's not known if he is still in
custody. (RW, Other news reports)
**
RESTRUCTURING: POST BROADBAND AUCTION BANDPLANNING NOT
GOING WELL
While it may seem hard to believe, two of the nations top
communications industries are acting like hams did some
forty years ago. This in relation to the use of spectrum
when rules get changed to permit broadband more access to
the airwaves. Amateur Radio Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH,
takes a look as history seems ready to repeat itself, but
this time with billions of dollars at stake:
--
Shades of two meter frequency coordination in-fighting some
four decades ago. This as the National Association of
Broadcasters has told the FCC that it cannot reasonably
employ a variable band plan for the post-incentive auction
600 MHz band. This, if it includes broadcasters and
wireless carriers on co-channels and adjacent channels in
neighboring markets.
Soon after the FCC released its post auction plan which
intermixes broadcast and wireless operators, broadcasters
and some major wireless carriers teamed up to oppose it.
Both said that it would cause mutual interference or reduce
the amount of usable spectrum the FCC could recover.
But the FCC counters by stating that this concept is the
only one that will allow it flexibility to recover varying
amounts of bandspace in different markets.
And in another shade of ham radios bandplan fighting of the
past, the National Association of Broadcasters has countered
with its own so-called "Down From 51 Reversed" plan. This
is kind of like the 2 meter inverted tertiary splits adopted
decades ago by Southern California and a few other places
that reverses the inter system uplink and downlink, but on a
much broader basis.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH
--
The FCC is seeking comments on its original plan and others
including the National Association of Broadcasters "Down
From 51 Reversed" plan, but nobody is really happy with any
form of sharing. In its recently comments the NAB said that
none of the other plans adequately address the interference
issue, but that the lesser of the evils would be the "Down
from 51 Reversed" plan. Kind of reminds you of the past,
doesn't it. (Published news reports)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: EMCOMMWEST 2013 CANCELLED
There will be no EMCOMMWEST ham radio convention in 2013.
So says the Board of Directors in a front page posting to
the events website.
According to the post, the board has been discussing the
options for and fate of EMCOMMWEST 2013. It says that there
have been many changes in the volunteer workforce during the
past 12 months. This coupled with the small period of time
between now and the traditional date of the event has led
the Board to decide to forgo 2013.
The Board goes on to say that circumstances leading to this
decision include the loss of several key volunteers; the
continued inability to draw the major vendors and
manufacturers to the show and the fact that little has been
accomplished to make measurable progress toward event
production for this year. It goes on to say that if there
is to be an EMCOMMWEST in 2014 it may require a local club
to take the helm and provide the much-needed volunteer base
for the event.
EMCOMMWEST began in 1999 when a group of Northern Nevada
amateur radio operators interested in improving emergency
communications hosted the very first symposium that lead to
the convention as it is today. More is on-line at
emcommwest.org. (EMCOMMWEST.ORG website)
**
WORLDBEAT: HAM RADIO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN VIDEO NOW ON LINE
Ron Moorefield, W8ILC, who just returned from this years
European Ham Radio Convention in Friedrichshafen, Germany
estimates that around 14,000 or so hams attended this years
offering.
Moorefield was there with a contingent representing the
Dayton Amateur Radio Association which of coarse sponsors
the annual Dayton Hamvention. While at Ham Radio, the
Dayton group live streamed the three day event back to the
United States and also recorded it for anyone to watch at a
later date. The files have now been posted and you can see
this years European amateur radio highlight at
www.ustream.tv/recorded/35112685.
But one suggestion. If you plan to watch all the video at
once that the folks from Dayton sent back, you might want to
make a big bowl of popcorn and have some cold drinks handy.
That's because there is a lot there to see.
Ham Radio 2013 was held June 28th to the 30th at the
convention facility not far from the picturesque shores on
Lake Constance in southern Germany not far from the borders
with Switzerland and Austria. (W8ILC)
**
VIDEO HAPPENINGS: HAM RADIO NOW PRESENTS HAM RADIO - THE
CONVENTION
And speaking about Europe's Ham Radio exposition, you can
find out more about its inner workings in a new video
produced by Gary Pearce, KN4AQ.
In a one on two interview with show planner Petra
Rothgerber who runs Ham Radio and Kelly Hall, K1LLY, the
Dayton Hamvention's Co-chair of International Relations you
can find out the two conventions differ in their planning
and execution.
It should be noted that Petra Rothgerber is not a radio
amateur. By profession she runs trade shows. As such she
explains the way in which Ham Radio is a professionally
managed event. By contrast, the Dayton Hamvention is an
event that's run by a dedicated corps of volunteers. So
listening to the two talk and compare notes is an
interesting experience to say the least.
KN4AQ has titled this show Europe's Biggest Hamfest. It's
Episode 84 of his Ham Radio Now series that can be viewed on-
line at arvideonews.com/hrn. (ARVIDEONEWS)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: YHOTY 2013 ON RAIN
And less we forget, this weeks RAIN Report will feature an
interview with 2013 Amateur Radio Newsline Young ham of the
year Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, conducted by reporter Mark
Abramovich NT3V. Its all on-line right now at
www.therainreport.com. We hope that you will listen in.
(RAIN)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the
United States of America, 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)
**
WORLDBEAT: THE BOGONG HIGH PLAINS ADVENTURE
If you are interested in adventure then this is for toy.
The 2013 Australian Bogong High Plains Winter Trip will take
place from August 5th to 9th. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the cool details:
--
Yes that's right. We said winter because in the Southern
Hemisphere it is the their winter season as a team of radio
amateurs and their friends will be heading out across the
snowy wilderness to ski through some of Australia's most
stunning alpine landscapes.
The group will be led by VK3GT, VK3FMAW and VK3SN and will
venture up onto mountain plateaus which sit well over 1800
meters above sea level.
Using ultra light solar powered gear, these back country
skiers will be active on 40 meters each afternoon and 80
meters every evening their local time. Other High Frequency
bands will be activated according to conditions. And if you
happen to live in Australia, contacts will also be available
over the north-eastern Victoria state 2 meter and 70
centimeter repeaters each day as well.
So if you want to hear and possibly contact this down-under
trekking adventure, keep an ear on 40 and 80 meters for a
signal that will likely be just above the noise. Who knows:
Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones to make contact.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB,
in rather warm Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
More about this Australian winter ham radio adventure is on-
line at www.vk3sn.net (VK3SN, WIA)
**
RADIO TECHNOLOGY: WWVB CELEBRATES ITS 50 YEARS OF SERVICE
Friday, June 5th marked the 50th anniversary of a radio
station whose sole purpose is to keep the nation on time.
Of coarse we are talking about WWVB, the sister station of
WWV that sends out a time-precise signal every night that
many clocks and wristwatches across the U.S. use to make
sure they have the correct time.
WWVB went on the air on July 5, 1963. It broadcast with
7 kilowatts of Effective Reradiated Power signal on a
frequency of precisely 60 kHz. Since then it has become the
standard relied upon for accuracy in automated time keeping.
Now, an interesting article on the stations half century of
service along with a possible projection of its future has
been written by author Joe Hanson for the on-line
publication Wired at tinyurl.com/wwvb-history. (RW, WIRED)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: NEW SUN-WATCHING SATELLITE LAUNCHED
Turning to space related news, word that NASA has launched a
satellite on a two year mission to explore a little-studied
region of the sun. The new bird will help to better
understand and forecast space weather that can disrupt
communications systems on Earth. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:
--
Unlike a traditional liftoff, the Iris sun-observing
satellite rode into Earth orbit late Thursday, June 27th on
board an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus rocket. This
is a booster that is released from a modified Lockheed L-
1011 jet aircraft that carries it to a launch altitude. In
this case the launch carrier took off around sunset from the
Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's central coast. At
an altitude of 39,000 feet it released the Pegasus booster
which ignited its engine for the 13-minute climb to space.
Shortly thereafter NASA confirmed that Iris had successfully
reached its intended orbit and that it had received
confirmation that the satellite deployed its solar panels
and was generating power.
The 7-foot-long Iris, weighing 400 pounds, carries an
ultraviolet telescope that can take high-resolution images
every few seconds. Unlike NASA's Solar Dynamics
Observatory, which observes the entire sun, Iris will focus
on a little-explored region that lies between the surface
and the corona. That's the glowing white ring that's
visible during eclipses.
Iris is being managed by the space agency's Goddard Space
Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Its ultimate goal is
to learn more about how this region of the sun drives solar
wind and to better predict how space weather can cause
disruptions to communications here on Earth. The latter is
something very near and dear to ham radio operators, world-
wide.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
As a historical note the first successful Pegasus launch
occurred on April 5, 1990 with NASA test pilot and former
astronaut Gordon Fullerton in command of the carrier
aircraft. Video coverage of the June 27th Iris launch is on-
line at tinyurl.com/iris-watches-sun.
(NASA, others)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: 2013 AMSAT-UK INTERNATIONAL SPACE
COLLOQUIUM
The 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be
held late Friday, July 19th through Sunday, July 21st at the
Holiday Inn, Guildford, England.
It is anticipated that both the FUNcube-1 and FUNcube-2
missions will be launched later this year. As such the
FUNcube team will be on hand to talk about the missions and
its planned educational outreach. A demonstration of the
Engineering Model, which has been performing flawlessly for
almost a year, will also be provided.
The Space Colloquium will be preceded by a "Hands-On"
CubeSat Workshop. This free workshop will take place at the
nearby University of Surrey earlier in the day, also on
Friday, July 19.
Further details on both events and hotel booking information
is on the web at tinyurl.com/amsat-uk-2013. (AMSAT-UK)
**
RADIOSPORTS: RULE CHANGES FOR 2013 CQ WORLD WIDE VHF
CONTEST
In radiosports news, some new rules are coming to the CQ
World Wide VHF Contest. In order to be considered for an
award, your log must be received by the robot or postmarked
no later than 23:59 UTC on August 4th. Logs received after
that date will still be listed in the results but will not
be eligible for award status.
The 2013 CQ World-Wide VHF Contest starts at 1800 UTC on
Saturday July 20th and concludes at 2100 UTC on Sunday July
21st. Extensions may be granted by the director for a valid
reason if you contact that person before the deadline. A
detailed set of rules can be found beginning on page 56 of
the June 2013 issue of CQ Magazine. (CQ)
**
DX
In DX, EA5RM will be active from Bolivia until July 19th as
CP1XRM. What makes this operation unique is that he will be
on the High Frequency bands using a 100 watt solar powered
station to a vertical antenna. QSL via his home call.
WU2D will be on the air from San Felix Island July 8th to
the 13th signing CE0X stroke WU2D. He will be active on 20,
17 and 15 m mainly using SSB. CE0X is the call issued to
the Southern Cross DX Group but no other information is
available as we go to air.
G3SWH will be active stroke 6Y5 from Jamaica through July
9th. Listen out for him on all of the High Frequency bands.
If you make contact QSL via his home call.
RK4FF will be operational as 6V7S from Senegal through July
16th. His activity will be on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters
using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via his call.
F5SWB as TU5DF will be on the air from the Ivory Coast until
October. His operations are 40 through 6 meters using
mainly CW with some SSB and PSK31. QSL to his home call.
LZ1GC and 3D2DD will be operational from Rotuma Island from
September 27th through October 11thas 3D2GC/P and 3D2DD/P
respectively. 3D2GC/P will be active on 160 through 6
meters using CW , SSB while 3D2DD/P will operate SSB only.
QSL each operator via his home call.
PG5M will be active from Yap Island September 8th to 15th as
V6G. He will be operational on 40 through 10 meters using
CW only. QSL via PG5M.
Lastly, while it may be the start of summer in the northern
latitudes, its always a good time for Christmas. In this
case we are referring to Christmas Island where VK3DAC is
active as VK9DAC. His operation is reported to be holiday
style on 80 to 10 meters using SSB only. QSL as directed on
the air.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: CANADIAN TEEN DEVELOPS BODY POWERED
FLASHLIGHT
And finally this week, the story of a fifteen year old
Canadian student used her knowledge of electronics
to develop an innovative flashlight. One that could
eventually revolutionize portable lighting because all it
needs for power is its owner's body heat. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, has the rest of the story:
--
The UK Daily Mail newspaper says Ann Makosinski is a high
school junior in Victoria, British Columbia. In deciding on
a science project she realized that Peltier tiles, which
produce electricity when one side is heated and the other is
cooled could use body-heat to create energy for a
flashlight. So she set off to do just that.
Te result is a LED flashlight that lights simply by holding
it on the outside. That causes the tiles to heat up on one
side while the ambient air cool down the tile on the inside.
The power created by the tiles was enough so she created a
four component voltage multiplying circuit that would
provide the level she required.
As a result of her efforts, this September Ann will be one
of fifteen finalists presenting their projects at the Google
Science Fair in Mountain View, California. The winner gets
a prize of $50,000 and a trip to the Galapagos Islands.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
You can read the full story and watch the video of Ann
Makosinski explaining and demonstrating her invention on the
web at tinyurl.com/heat-powered-light. An interview with
Ann Makosinski conducted by writer Alexander Baron on how
she actually developed her amazing human powered flashlight
can be read at www.digitaljournal.com/article/353536.
(Southgate, Daily Mail)
**
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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Southern Mississippi, saying 73
and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01107534800975177848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947270047602941542.post-44551255680089263902013-06-28T05:19:00.001-07:002013-06-28T05:19:57.956-07:00Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1872 - June 28 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E481Kw8bQek/Uc1_KBwVx1I/AAAAAAAAA6U/KuVODbVNMck/s956/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E481Kw8bQek/Uc1_KBwVx1I/AAAAAAAAA6U/KuVODbVNMck/s400/arnewsline+banner.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1872 with a release
date of June 28 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Rules change sought to allow
encrypted ham radio communications in limited instances; the
Consumer Electronics Association is forming a standards
group to reduce distracted driving; 5 MHz privileges come to
Samoa; ARES responds to Alberta Canada flooding; FCC sets RF
exposure comment deadline and Amateur Radio Newsline
announces its 2013 Young Ham of the Year. All this and more
on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1872 coming your
way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RADIO LAW: RULES CHANGE SOUGHT TO PERMIT ENCRYPTION OF
SENSITIVE HAM RADIO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
The FCC is inviting public comments on a proposal from a
Massachusetts ham to amend the Part 97 Amateur Service
rules. This to permit the encryption of certain amateur
communications during emergency operations or related
training exercises. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant,
K6PZW, has the details:
--
On June 7 the FCC accepted for filing a Petition for
Rulemaking from Don Rolph, AB1PH, designated as RM-11699 and
put it on public notice. In it Rolph suggests that an
additional exception to Part 97.113 be made to permit
encrypted communications when hams are participating in
emergency services operations or related training exercises
which may involve information covered by medical privacy
requirements or other sensitive data. This could include
logistical information concerning medical supplies,
personnel movement or any other data designated by Federal
authorities managing relief or training efforts.
As you are likely aware, FCC rule 97.113 right now prohibits
hams from transmitting messages encoded for the purpose of
obscuring their meaning. Rolph rule making petition says
that this restriction has impacted the relationship of
amateur radio volunteers and served agencies. Also that it
has significantly limited the effectiveness of amateurs in
supporting emergency communications where secured
communications is required.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
In making his request Rolph notes that there already exists
precedent for this exemption. He notes that Part 97 already
relaxes its encryption prohibitions with respect to
satellite control link communications and model craft radio
control. The deadline for filing comments on RM-11699 is
July 8th. (FCC, ARRL Letter)
**
FCC NEWS: FCC SETS RF EXPOSURE REASSESSMENT COMMENTS
DEADLINES
Ham radio operators and other interested parties have until
September 3rd to file comments on an FCC proceeding to
reassess the limits and policies governing exposure to radio
frequency electromagnetic fields. As previously reported,
the FCC released a First Report and Order, Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry in ET dockets 13-
84 and 03-137 on March 27. They were published in the
Federal Register June 4 starting the clock on the commentary
period.
While the FCC proposals do not alter existing RF exposure
limits, they do call for the elimination of existing special
evaluation ham radio exemptions as outlined in Section
97.13(c) of the Commission's rules.
According to the ARRL Letter, the league plans to submit
comments this issue over summer.
The Commission will also accept reply comments filed after
September 3rd and continuing through November 1st. Other
minor rules changes adopted in the Report and Order section
of the document take effect on August 5th. (FCC, ARRL)
**
RESCUE RADIO: ARES STANDS DOWN AFTER ALBERTA CANADA
FLOODING
Amateur Radio Emergency Service operations in the Canadian
province of Alberta stood down on Monday, May 24th. This
after being called out several days earlier when severe
flooding hit that area.
According to a news release by Curtis Bidulock, VE6AEW, ARES
will remain on standby alert during the recovery process in
the event of a communication failure. Also, a temporary
link put in place between the provincial linking system and
the VE6HAT repeater will remain in place until recovery
operations are complete.
During the height of the callout, VE2MBS reported that
emergency nets were operational on 7.135 and 3.675 MHz in
support of communications for the floods. Unfortunately
both suffered some level of interference from Field Day
stations that were unaware of their operation.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford has promised that the
province will help flood victims put their lives back
together and provide financial aid to communities that need
to rebuild. (VE6AEW, VE2MBS, RAC)
**
RESCUE RADIO: CALIFORNIA CITY EMPHASIZES HAM RADIO
INVOLVEMENT IN TORNADO DRILL
Officials in the city of Roseville, California, are so aware
of the importance of amateur radio for emergency
communications that the ham community was invited to be a
part of a recent emergency preparedness drill.
According to news reports a dozen agencies gathered in
Placer County on Tuesday, June 11th for a mock tornado
drill. The exercise emphasized skilled and reliable
communication and because of this the city brought in a
group of local hams from the Placer County Amateur Radio
Services to assist.
It was noted that amateur radio was a tool used during and
after the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma. Roseville city
officials say an F-3 tornado hit the Sacramento Valley in
the last 50 years, so the potential for a large natural
disaster of that sort remains. More is on-line at
tinyurl.com/roseville-tornado-drill. (Published news
reports)
**
RADIO SAFETY: CEA FORMING STANDARDS GROUP TO TACKLE
DISTRACTED DRIVING
The Consumer Electronics Association is forming a standards
group to reduce distracted driving that results from the use
of consumer electronic products in a mobile environment.
The Associations Portable, Handheld and In-Vehicle
Electronics Committee recently approved the formation of the
Driver Device Interface Working Group. It will provide
recommendations on portable and handheld devices, as well as
other consumer electronics products used in private and
commercial vehicles, boats and aircraft.
Whether or not a representative of the amateur radio
community will be invited to serve on this committee or how
its findings might affect the future design of portable and
mobile ham radio gear are both unknown as we go to air. You
can read more on line at tinyurl.com/distracted-driving-
committee (RW)
**
RADIO LAW: RESIDENT OPERATOR GRANTED 5 MHZ OPERATING
PRIVILEGES ON SAMOA
Atsuo Sakuma, 5W1SA, has become the first resident operator
on the island of Samoa to be issued special permission to
operate 5 MHz. This as the Samoan Office of The Regulator
says that he can operate from 5.250 to 5.450 MHz. Although
60 meter operating permits have been available to visitors
since 2011, these had generally been the 5 United States
allocated channels only. (G4MWO)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: MOONBOUNCE FROM RWANDA THROUGH JULY 7
Several sources are reporting that DL2NUD and PE1L will be
involved in an Moonbounce operation from Rwanda through July
7th. Their main interest will be for EME contacts on the
144, 432, 1296 and 2304 MHz bands. The team also expects to
be on the High Frequency bands and 6 meters as well. The
callsigns mentioned for this operation are 9X0EME, 9X0HP,
9X0L and 9X0MB. QSL all via PE1L. For more information and
updates keep an eye on www.emelogger.com/rwanda. (Various)
**
BREAKING DX NEWS: 6 METER ONLY OPERATION FROM SOUTH KOREA
Some breaking news courtesy of the Ohio Penn DX newsletter.
Look for 17 operators to be active as 6M6M from South Korea
through July 31st. As you might have guessed from their
callsign this will be a 6 meter only operation with four
high power stations using yagis and quad antennas. Modes
mentioned include CW, SSB, FM, several digital and even good
old AM. They will operate mainly from the Korean mainland,
but there is the possibility of a trip to several Islands on
the Air groups. QSL this special operation via HL2UVH and
we will have more DX news later on in this weeks report.
(OPDX)
**
BREAK 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W3UU repeater serving Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania.
(5 sec pause here)
**
HAM HONORS: ARNEWSLINE NAMES PADRAIG LYSANDROU, KC9UUS AS
2013 YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR
A sixteen year old Extra class amateur from Bloomington,
Indiana, has been selected as the 2013 Amateur Radio
Newsline Young Ham of the Year. Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, is
here with the details:
--
"I'm not sure what to think. I'm happy."
And that's how it sounded when Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS,
heard the news he had been selected the Young Ham of the
Year.
He conceded he heard what he called rumors that he was being
nominated for something, but it didn't sink in until getting
the call from our Newsline headquarters that he might be
recognized for his achievements.
Lysandrou was born in Illinois, but has family in Cyprus.
He says his interest in ham radio was actually sparked by
his mom, Carolyn, KC9URR, who was a pretty serious shortwave
radio listener.
His father, is Plato. And, he has two sisters, Helena, who's
17, and Maria, 14.
"When I was little, I used to collect stamps," Lysandrou
recalls. "And, so my mom would show me all the letters and
all the stuff that she got back from shortwave stations -
all these intricate stamps.
"And, so I saw those and I wanted to get interested in
radio. I got into shortwave. And, then the interest grew
bigger and it wasn't just about stamps anymore. And, so, I
got interested in ham. I contacted Neil Rapp at my high
school and I joined the club."
Neil Rapp is WB9VPG, who teaches chemistry at Bloomington
High School South and met Padraig in class.
It was Rapp who invited him to join the school's amateur
radio club.
Rapp, co-nominated Padraig for the Amateur Radio Newsline
award along with Dr. Scott Wright, K0MD, who has taken part
in DX operations from Turks and Caicos, Chile, and China.
It was Rapp who introduced Lysandrou to a whole new world.
And, Lysandrou, who just turned 16, says it didn't take him
long to climb the license ladder.
"I got all three licenses within three months and then I
become president of my amateur radio club at school,"
Lysandrou says.
His Technician was earned in October 2011, General in
December 2011, and Extra in January 2012.
Lysandrou says participation in the School Club Round-up and
a program on the Peter Island DXpedition really sparked his
interest in DX.
"I decided to lead my own little expedition - DXpedition to
Cyprus," Lysandrou says. "I brought a Buddipole, which you
can change for the bands. But, I generally just use it on 20
meters.
"I brought a Yaseu FT-897, and some coax, step-down
transformer, batteries, the whole shebang. And, my mom and I
transmitted in Cyprus and then I decided it would be cool to
write an article for QST."
That was last summer and the article, 'A Crazy Idea, a
DXpedition to Cyprus,' was accepted and published as the QST
cover story in the past May's edition.
"I transmitted on two different mountain regions," Lysandrou
says. "I transmitted on a couple different beaches, I
transmitted in hotels, yes. I transmitted on the top of this
house by the beach that someone let us borrow.
"I transmitted really anywhere I could and I seemed to get
pretty good propogation."
So, what did Lynsandrou set out to do with this 5B
DXpedition? Contacts from the other side of the world and
fun!
"I got people from England all the way through Scandinavia,
to Russia, all the way down to Bulgaria and Dubai,"
Lysandrou recalls. "So, I tried to talk as much as possible
and meet new people. So, I took it slow, I didn't try to get
a million contacts."
He estimates it was slightly more than a hundred, actually,
and his mom was making some as well.
Word of his DXpedition spread before the article was
published and Lysandrou says he was invited to be a
presenter at the Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum this past May
run by Carole Perry WB2MGP.
"To meet other 16-year-olds who are Extras and who read my
article and are really excited to meet me is also really
cool," Lysandrou says. "I'm sort of a role model and I would
like to continue to be one."
Lysandrou was selected by Indiana Section Manager Lou
Everett, WA5LOU as an assistant section manager for youth.
His interests vary from 4-H to electronics, from music to
robotics.
And, yes, he's even played in Carnegie Hall.
But back home in Indiana...
"I've been designing circuits and messing around with a
bunch of high-voltage circuits and transformer drivers and
all sorts of stuff that fuel my interest between amateur
radio, electronics and chemistry," Lysandrou says.
It was an easy selection for the judges.
We here at Amateur Radio Newsline are proud to have Padraig
Lysandrou, KC9UUS, join our distinguished honor roll as the
2013 Young Ham of the Year.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V,
in Philadelphia.
--
Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, will receive the Amateur Radio
Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award at a ceremony to be
held in his honor on Saturday, August 17th, at the
Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama. The Young Ham of
the Year Award was created by the Amateur Radio Newsline
with corporate sponsorship from Yaesu USA, CQ Publishing and
Heil Sound. (ARNewslineT)
**
RADIO ACCIDENTS: KVTK AM LOOSES TOWER IN MOWING ACCIDENT
Listeners to KVTK-AM of Yankton, South Dakota, were recently
without the station for a few days. This is because an
accident caused the stations broadcast tower to fall to the
ground.
The tower, which was 309 feet tall, was situated in the
middle of what was described as a small, grassy field
located about five miles west of the town of Vermillion.
Reportedly, a man cutting the grass Monday afternoon June
10th clipped one of the tower's guy-wires, causing it to
collapse shortly after 4 p.m. local time.
Engineers and other staffers of Five Star Communications,
which also owns KVHT-FM, reportedly worked quickly to find
the best way to begin broadcasting again after their tower
collapsed. According to press reports the station was back
in operation from a temporary site on Friday, June 14th.
A small building located a short distance from the tower's
base was not damaged, as the collapsing metal snaked its way
around the structure without striking it. Thankfully, no
one was injured in the mishap. (RW, All Access Music)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: SINCLAIR BUYS DIELECTRIC
Some good news for United States broadcaster's concerned
about service to their Dielectric brand broadcast towers and
antennas. This with word that the Sinclair Broadcast
Group has announced the purchased of Dielectric from SPX
Corporation.
According to Sinclair President and CEO David Smith,
Dielectric has supplied more than two-thirds of the TV
industry's high power antennas and its name is synonymous
with expert engineering and quality products. Smith added
that should a spectrum repack occurs; Dielectric will be
there to support that effort.
Gary Cavell is with the technical consulting firm Cavell
Mertz. He says that the anticipated upcoming repack of
broadcast outlets in the face of spectrum reallocation to
broadband might prove to be impossible to accomplish in a
three year period without Dielectric. (RW)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: G4HYG RELEASES NEW APRS MESSENGER
ANDROID APP
Chris Moulding, G4HYG, says that he has just released a
new APRS app for Android phones and tablets. This so that
radio amateurs can send APRS position beacons and messages
from an Android equipped phone or tablet over a 3G or Wi-Fi
link to the APRS-IS internet system. It can also link by
Bluetooth to the new Bluetooth version of the APRS TNC Digi
Tracker.
G4HYG notes that there is a small charge for the app to help
pay for the development tool licensing fee. More
information on the web at tinyurl.com/aprs-android-app.
(G4HYG)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: PATRICK STODDARD, WD9EWK, NAMED AMSAT'S
DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS
Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, has been named as AMSAT's new
Director of Field Operations. In his new capacity, Stoddard
is responsible for managing AMSAT's corps of Area
Coordinators who represent AMSAT in their local areas.
For those not aware, Area Coordinators serve as the
"Ambassadors of AMSAT." Their responsibilities include such
activities as manning an AMSAT booth at hamfests, giving
local or regional club presentations on AMSAT and satellite
operations. They also serve as "Elmers" to those looking
for information about operating through satellites. Area
Coordinators are also known to establish local nets and
assist with Field Day satellite activities. (ANS)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the
United States of America, 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: ARNEWSLINE ANCHOR DON CARLSON,
KQ6FM - S.K.
It is with deep sorrow that we report the passing of Amateur
Radio Newsline anchor and reporter Don Carlson, KQ6FM on
Friday morning, June 21st from complications to Pancreatic
Cancer.
A lifelong broadcaster by profession, during his career Don,
at times using the stage name Don Murray, worked at numerous
radio stations throughout California and Nevada. His
favorite jobs were hosting oldies Rock and Roll or jazz
shows.
Don also owned a voice talent company called The Voice Shop.
From there he provided commercials and other announcements
for numerous radio and television stations across the United
States. This included several national spots about ham radio
that he produced for the ARRL.
In the world of ham radio Don's activities included ARRL
appointments in California, Nevada and at the national
level. In Nevada he served as District Emergency
Coordinator for the North West District, Assistant Section
Emergency Coordinator, Section Emergency Coordinator, and
Public Information Coordinator. His most recent position
was as Assistant Section Manager.
KQ6FM was also a member of the ARRL's National Public
Relations Committee. There one of his greatest achievements
was helping to create the Public Information Officers Swiss
Army Knife guide and its associated training program.
Don's passion for ARES and Emergency Service in general led
him to become the voice of the annual EMCOMM West emergency
communications ham radio gathering. Don not only emceed the
event when it was held in Reno but also supported the
convention by serving on the Board of Directors. In
recognition to his many contributions to ham radio, in 2010
he was named as the ARRL Pacific Division "Ham of the Year"
with the award presented to him at that years Pacificon
convention.
Don Carlson, KQ6FM, is survived by his wife Judy and son
Andrew. A Celebration of Life ceremony for Don was to be
held on Saturday, June 29th at Sierra Bible Church in Reno,
Nevada. In lieu of flowers, Judy Carlson asks that
donations be made to a church or other charitable
institution of your choice to help someone less fortunate
than yourself. (AF6PU, N7JEH, June Parsons)
**
RADIO RECORDS: CALIFORNIA HAMS CLAIM NEW 3.7 MM WORLD
DISTANCE RECORD
A pair of California hams are claiming a new world distance
record on the 77 to 81 GHz or 3.7 millimeter band. The
asserted new record was set June 13th between Robert
Johnson, KF6KVG, and Goran Popovic, AD6IW. The two achieved
a distance of 252.49 km with one operating from Mt Hamilton
in grid square CM97 and the other located at Kings Canyon
National Park located in grid DM06. KF6KVG used a one foot
parabolic dish while the one used at AD6IW was twice the
size. Both stations employed what are known as dielectric
resonator oscillator locked frequency control for extreme
stability. (VHF Reflector)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: ILLW CONTINUES TO GROW
Jim Linton, VK3PC, tells Amateur Radio Newsline that
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend continues to
grow. In fact, it seems to have become the biggest and
arguably the world's first fun-filled event for portable
amateur radio stations that takes place in the month of
August.
According to VK3PC, the event continues to promote public
awareness of the old marine navigation and the need for
preservation and restoration of these facilities. It also
promotes amateur radio and fosters international goodwill.
Now in its 16th year, International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend will be held August 17th and 18th. So far some 285
registered sites representing more than 30 countries are on
board. For more details please visit the website
www.illw.net (VK3PC)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: DAYTON HAMVENTION ARISS UPDATE VIDEO
POSTED ON LINE
An update on amateur radio on the International Space
Station or ARISS program given by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, at
the recent Dayton Hamvention can now be viewed on the web.
In his presentation Bauer discusses a number of changes at
NASA that are affecting ARISS manned ham radio in space
program. He also takes a look back at the past 30 years of
amateur radio on the Space Shuttle and now International
Space Station. You will find the 23 minutes, 30 seconds
presentation on-line at tinyurl.com/ariss-dayton-update
(ARISS)
**
ON THE AIR: POLISH CITY COMMEMORATIVE OPERATION HF50WLA
On the air, the city of Wladyslawowo Poland will be
celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer. To
commemorate the event, local amateurs are celebrating using
the callsign HF50WLA until the 21st of July. If you make
contact, please QSL via SP2YWL direct or electronically via
Logbook of the World. (DXNS)
**
DX
In DX, word that HA1YA will be operational from Thassos
Island from July 5th to the 13th as SW8EA. He will be
active on the HF, VHF, UHF bands using CW and SSB. If you
make contact, please QSL via his home call.
DL5YL and DL5YM, will be operating slash H-B-Zero from
Liechtenstein through early July. No bands or operating
times have been mentioned. QSL via their home callsigns.
RU0ZM will be in the village Kamenka in Asiatic Russia until
November operating stroke Zero. He will be running 100
watts into a 2-element beam on 20 and 15 meters and a Windom
antenna for other bands. QSL via UA0ZC, direct only.
OZ1DJJ will be on the air from Ammassalik Island from July
20th to August 1st operating as OX3LX. He will be active on
High Frequency Bands plus 6 and 4 meters. Modes to be used
were not announced. QSL via OZ1PIF.
KK4OYJ will be operational as 9H3RJ from Gozo Island between
June 28th and August. No other details are available. QSL
via his home callsign.
The 4M5DX Group is planning a DXpedition to Aves Island
sometime between November 1st, 2013 and February 28th, 2014.
The callsign mentioned is YW0A. More information on this
one as its made available.
Lastly, members from the Spanish Aitana DX Group will be on
the air from the YN2N radio shack in Nicaragua between
October 1st to the 16th. Operations will be on 160 through
6 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via EB7DX, either direct or
by the bureau.
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: WILL WE SURVIVE IF A SUPER CME HITS THE
EARTH
And finally this week, a kind of rhetorical scientific
question. Can our home planet survive a super Coronal Mass
Ejection from our home star if it was hurled directly at us.
While opinions among researchers are divided, at least some
in South Africa believe it would not be good news. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, takes a close look
at what these scientists believe might happen:
--
Our Sun is a yellow star that consists of a giant ball of
superheated plasma. It's magnetic field oscillates and acts
as a dynamo that creates the sunspots, solar flares and
strong magnetic storms in the solar system. When a Coronal
Mass Ejection or C-M-E is spewed from corona of the Sun and
travels to the Earth the magnetic field of our planet
generally deflects it, and in the process creates auroras
around the magnetic poles.
But a report published by the South African Radio League
notes that some scientists claim that if a super C-M-E
should hit Earth then this level of a magnetic storm could
penetrate the planets magnetic field and cause devastation.
First of all the satellites on-orbit would be destroyed.
This would mean that all satellite telecommunications and
Direct Satellite T-V would go off the air.
On the ground, such a C-M-E could also generate extremely
high voltages in the power lines and destroy most if not all
of the transformers in the substations. This would likely
cause complete blackouts in cities and towns. Since water
pumps won't function, municipalities world-wide dependant on
pumped-in delivery might quickly dry up.
According to the report, scientists are currently keeping a
very close eye on the Sun with a dedicated satellite known
as the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. At the same time
they are trying to develop some form of shielding that could
protect electrical transformers and other electronics during
such an event.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
A massive solar storm that hit Earth in March of 1989 caused
blackouts in the entire province of Quebec, Canada. That
power disruption also closed schools and businesses, kept
the Montreal Metro shut during the morning rush hour, and
closed Dorval Airport. You can read more about it, courtesy
of NASA at tinyurl.com/giant-1989-cme. (SARL)
**
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.</pre>
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<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1871 with a release
date of June 21 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Hams in Poland reach agreement with
government on mutual aid in time of crisis; South Africa ham
radio rules correction remains on hold; Canada makes
powerline interference information contacts available on the
Web; UK hams may soon loose access to several UHF bands and
Major Edwin Armstrong is honored by his hometown. Find out
the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number
1871 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AGREEMENT
IN POLAND
Polish radio amateurs have signed an agreement with that
nation's government regarding emergency radio
communications. Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee,
KB3TZD, has the details:
--
On May 7th, what might best be described as a mutual aid
agreement was signed between Poland's Minister of
Administration and Digitization, Michal Boni, and the
Chairman of The Polish Amateur Radio Union, Jerzy
Jakubowski, SP7CBG. The accord promises cooperation between
that nations amateur radio service and the Polish government
in support of actions that provide information on natural
disasters and other events that threaten public safety.
The new agreement encourages cooperation between the
Ministry and the Polish Amateur Radio Union in the support
of actions relating to the creation of back-up radio
communication in the Republic of Poland. This in emergency
situations or when normal communications methods such as
telephones and the internet are overloaded or have failed.
Cooperation and coordination between The Ministry of
Administration and The Polish Amateur Radio Union will be
the responsibility of The Planning Department of Civil
Emergency Management and Emergency Notification System.
Participation in the agreement is voluntary and financial
investment is not obligatory unless the parties agree to it
at a local level. This could include renting or purchasing
equipment or providing staff during training exercises as
well as in the event of an actual emergency callout.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm heather Embee, KB3TZD,
in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
--
The agreement was first drafted in 2011 by the Polish
Amateur Radio Union with the cooperation of the former
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. (IARU-R1)
**
RADIO RULES: SOUTH AFRICA RADIO RULES CORRECTION STILL ON
HOLD
The long sought after correction to the South African
regulations regarding amateur radio will take a bit longer.
This according that nations national society the South
African Radio League.
In a news release that national society says that the
subject of corrections to the rules published on April 1st
of 2011 is on the agenda of every joint meeting between
itself and regulator the Independent Communications
Authority of South Africa. The problem is that the matter
must remain in limbo pending the outcome of a court case
between the regulatory body and a cellular telephone
company.
The corrected regulations are ready in draft format. They
address the issue of power for both class A and Class B
licenses on certain bands and a few other issues. The draft
still has to be approved at the ICASA council. But until
the pending matter between ICASA and the cellular provider
is adjudicated no progress can be made. (SARL)
**
RADIO LAW: CANADA MAKES POWER LINE INTERFERENCE CONTACT
INFORMATION AVAILABLE
Telecommunications regulator Industry Canada has just posted
contact information on where to report Power Line Radio
Interference. The cyberspace location is tinyurl.com/Canada-
interference-report.
This information at the website covers all the major Power
Line companies in Canada and is being provided with the
cooperation of the Canadian Electricity Association and its
member power utilities. Hams in Canada are encouraged to
use this contact information and report a problem when
confronted with suspected power line interference. (VE3LC)
**
RESTRUCTURING: UK HAMS MAY LOOSE 2310-2450 AND 3450-3475
MHZ BANDS
UK Telecommunications regulator Ofcom has published a Notice
of Proposed Rules Making which in Great Britain is called a
Consultation. In this case relating to amateur use of the
2310 to 2450 and 3400 to 3475 MHz bands.
According to the Consultation document, these frequencies
are within, and adjacent to, spectrum planned for release by
the Ministry of Defense or MoD. The Ministry intends to
free up 40 MHz of spectrum between 2350 and 2390 MHz and an
additional 150 MHz from 3410 to 3600 MHz for new civil uses.
The technical and regulatory aspects of this release will be
the subject of another Consultation in the future, but in
advance of this, Ofcom is looking at proposals to make
changes to the United Kingdom Amateur Radio License for
these bands.
According to Ofcom, it is likely that the released Ministry
of Defense spectrum will be used for wireless broadband
using 4G Long Term Evolution or L-T-E advanced technology.
Based on its technical analysis Ofcom believes that the
impact and likelihood of harmful interference being caused
by amateur uses to new users in the 2350 to 2390 and 3410 to
3600 MHz spectrum is sufficiently severe to preclude
continued ham radio use following the reallocation taking
place.
Ofcom is also looking at proposals for the adjacent bands at
2310 to 2350, 2390 to 2400 and 3400to 3410 MHz. In those
cases Ofcom's current thinking is that amateurs should
continue to be granted access to these adjacent bands
although with additional terms in the license which amend
the current terms of access to these bands. Continued
access would be on the basis that interference may not be
caused to new and existing uses in the release and adjacent
bands and that no protection from interference from those
new uses can be expected.
UK hams have until July 22nd to file in response to the
consultation on this matter. (Southgate)
**
HAM TECHNOLOGY: MOON BOUNCE FROM ANTARCTICA TO ENGLAND
The exploits of Craig Hayhow, VK0JJJ, in bouncing radio
signals off the moon from Antarctica has been written about
in the Australian Antarctic Division science newsletter.
VK0JJJ achieved a 742,000 kilometer hop when he made an EME
contact with Peter Taylor G8BCG at Cornwall in England, on
May 4th. Two nights later he contacted Bo Nilsson, SM7FJE,
in Sweden through another EME contact.
The newsletter hailed these as a first from an Australian
Antarctic station. It also notes that the equipment and
software has now been proven and that more EME contacts will
be made. (VK3PC)
**
DIFFERENT DX: 4 METER UK DXPEDITION TO LA MOYE JERSEY
A DX operation of a different kind. This with word that the
United Kingdom's North Wakefield Radio Club will be active
as GJ4NOK on the pan-European 4 meter band from La Moye in
Jersey on July 5th to the 8th.
The operators will be on for at least 8 hours on July 5th
and 6th and 16 to 18 hours on the 77th and 8th using CW, SSB
and FSK44. The activity also coincides with VHF National
Field Day so the station is sure to be in demand.
The operation is sponsored by The DX shop which is loaning
the DXpedition a yagi antenna and amplifier and HA1YA who
is providing one of their ME4T-PRO 4m High performance
transverters. Operators are M0RCX, M6MWP and G0RUZ. QSL as
directed on the air. We will have more DX news later on in
this weeks newscast, (WRC, Southgate)
**
BREAK 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the KC2DAA repeater serving Mt. Beacon New York.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RESTRUCTURING: NEW USER ON THE 903 MHZ BAND
According to the ARRL, a portion of the 902 to 928 MHz or 33
centimeter band may become less useful to radio amateurs in
urban areas as a result of a recent FCC Order. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Stephen Kinford, N8WB, reports:
--
The FCC as given Progeny LMS, LLC permission to begin
commercial operation of its multilateration location and
monitoring service known as an M-LMS in the upper portion of
the band 33 centimeter band. According to the regulatory
agency, Progeny's location service is designed to operate
using approximately 4 megahertz or about one-half of the M-
LMS portions of the band between 919.750 and 927.750 MHz
where the company holds its licenses.
In its June 6th release, the FCC stated that Progeny is
deploying a wide-area positioning system to provide more
precise location services in areas where Global Positioning
System and other existing services may not work effectively.
This is particularly true of indoor locations or in urban
canyons.
The FCC opened the 33 centimeter band to ham radio on a
secondary basis in 1985, provided hams did not interfere
with the Automatic Vehicle Monitoring service, which the
Commission subsequently expanded into the M-LMS. While M-
LMS operations, at least on paper, have a higher priority
than unlicensed Part 15 devices on the band, Progeny had to
demonstrate through field testing that its network would not
cause unacceptable levels of interference to such Part 15
devices as cordless telephones and baby monitors. This was
a result of an FCC policy to promote co-existence in the
band, while not elevating Part 15 devices to co-equal status
with M-LMS systems.
The FCC says that Part 15 devices will adapt to Progeny's
operations because they are designed for operation in an
interference environment. However the effect on ham radio,
especially any attempts at weak signal operations will
likely be hampered severely by this new entry into the band.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. Im Stephen Kinford, N8WB, in
Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
Progeny LMS, LLC develops technology for homeland security
and first responder communications using the wireless
location and monitoring service spectrum. The company was
founded in 1999 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(ARRL, FCC, Progeny LMS)
**
RESCUE RADIO: FORT LEE N.J. BEGINS CITY EMCOMM ALERT AM
STATION
Fort Lee, New Jersey has launched its own emergency
broadcast radio station for alerting the public in times of
disaster. Put on the air by the mayor Mark Sokolich office
and the Fort Lee City Council, residents can tune into the
new emergency station on 1630 Kilohertz for real-time
updates and safety tips during events like Hurricane Sandy.
The station will operate out of the Fort Lee Municipal
Building with generator backup. Aside from emergency
announcements, city officials may use the station for
traffic updates and to broadcast City Council meetings.
Fort Lee also used a separate $10,000 private donation to
buy more than 250 hand-cranked or wind-up emergency radios.
These will be distribute at municipal buildings, communal
spaces and large residential complexes. (NJ Journal)
**
RESCUE RADIO: NAB HONORS BROADCASTERS ASSISTANCE IN WAKE OF
OK TWISTERS
The National Association of Broadcasters has issued a
special Oklahoma edition of its Licensed to Serve community
service newsletter. This to salute Oklahoma broadcasters
and others who have been assisting in the wake of the
tornadoes that recently struck the state.
According to the newsletter, across Oklahoma stations led
efforts to assist citizens affected by the severe weather.
Some examples include Ponca City's KPNC-FM and KLOR-FM)
raising $27,000 for the Red Cross while the whole town put
together four truckloads of supplies in the wake of the
Moore tornado.
But it was not just stations in Oklahoma that helped out.
Radio broadcasters and broadcast groups across the nation
made special efforts to raise funds or collect supplies.
Cumulus Media put the call out to its 500 plus stations and
received almost $4 million in a variety of efforts,
including involvement in the Healing in the Heartland
concert by its country music formats. Clear Channel
Communications also pitched in on the Healing in the
Heartland benefit.
Other fund raising or direct relief efforts took place in
Dallas Texas, St. Louis Missouri and Terra Haute, Indiana to
name only a few. (RW)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: ICOM TO SPONSOR HAMSTUDY.ORG ON THE WWW
Icom America has announced sponsorship for HamStudy.org.
This is a new website that offers free learning tools for
existing and potential amateur radio operators.
HamStudy.org users studying for an amateur radio license
exam can choose from three online learning modules for each
ham radio license class. These are technician, general or
extra. FCC Commercial Element 1, 3, 5 and 6 study modules
are also available.
Educational materials include flash cards, question lists
and practice tests. Users who register for a free account
can access personalized study history and submit
explanations to amateur radio questions. Website
registrants may also choose to log into their account using
their Google or Facebook credentials.
HamStudy.org was created by Richard Bateman KD7BBC, Rich
Porter and Michael Stufflebeam KV9G. It is optimized for
mobile phones and tablets. Additional features are planned
be integrated to the website in the near future.
Facebook users can receive regular site updates and study
tips by "liking" HamStudy.org at www.Facebook.com/HamStudy.
The website is directly accessible at www.hamstudy.org.
(Icom Release)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: MAJOR ARMSTRONG HONORED BY HIS HOMETOWN
It took nearly 60 years after his death, but the inventor of
FM radio has finally been recognized on the street where he
lived. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
has the details:
--
On Monday, June 17th, city officials of Yonkers, New York in
joined with radio enthusiasts to unveil a new plaque
honoring Major Edwin Howard Armstrong. This for his
numerous accomplishments in the area of radio
communications.
The bronze plaque in Hudson-Fulton Park is just a block away
from the site of Armstrong's home on Warburton Avenue. It
overlooks the Hudson River and across to the unique tower
that Armstrong built in the near by town of Alpine, New
Jersey back in 1937 through 1938.
The plaque was the brainchild of Steve Klose. He is a New
Jersey resident who learned of Armstrong because of their
shared interest in fast motorcycles. Klose became
fascinated by Armstrong's story and ended up leading a
fundraising campaign that generated more than $4,000 in
contributions to pay for the plaque.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and several city council members
were on hand for Monday's ceremony, joined by two Armstrong
descendants. The ceremony was broadcast live on WA2XMN, the
experimental Armstrong Memorial Station that transmits on
Armstrong's old 42.8 MHz frequency from the Armstrong's
Alpine tower.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
This plaque may not be the last commemoration of Armstrong
in his native Yonkers. City officials are now working to
get a replica made of a bust of Armstrong statue now on
display at Columbia University. There is also discussion
ongoing of renaming part of Warburton Avenue in Major
Armstrong's honor. (RW, published news reports)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: RCA SOLICITING NOMINATIONS FOR BOD
If you are a Radio Club of America member, listen up. This
is for you.
The Radio Club of America annually elects eligible club
members to serve as its officers and directors. According
to a news release from the group, as a member of the club,
your help in nominating candidates is appreciated.
You may propose any member in good standing even yourself.
In order to complete the nomination process in time for the
annual fall election, the Nomination Committee needs to
receive all in by July 1st.
If you wish to make a nomination, you are asked to download
the official nominating form available at
www.radioclubofamerica.org. You then must complete it fully
and send it to the Club's Executive Secretary by e-mail to
pat (at) radioclubofamerica (dot) org. Or if you prefer you
can submit it by U-S- mail to 170 Kinnelon Road - Suite 33,
Kinnelon, New Jersey 07405 or fax to 973-838-7124
Again, the cutoff for nominations is July 1st. (RCA)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: TEXAS CITY HAMFEST 2013 JULY 13
The Tidelands Amateur Radio Society will hold its 26th
annual hamfest on July 13th in Texas City, Texas. The venue
will be the Doyle Convention Center with the gathering
running from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM Central Daylight time.
Talk-in 147.14 MHz and requiring a 167.9 Hz CTCSS tone.
Advance registration is welcome at tinyurl.com/tidelands-
hamfest. (Tidelands ARC)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the
United States of America, 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)
**
CHANGING TECHNOLOGY: LAND BASED TELEGRAPH IN INDIA ENDS JULY
15
It's the end of an era for an old but reliable form of
communications in India. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl
Lasek, K9BIK, tells us what's going away:
--
The newspaper the Hindu reports that as of July 15th that
telegraph service will come to an end in India. This is
because of financial constraints that have forced
telecommunications provider B-S-N-L to wind down the
service.
India's first telegraph message was transmitted live between
Calcutta and Diamond Harbor on November 5, 1850. That was a
distance of about 50 kilometers. The service was opened for
use by the general public in February 1855 with a Radio-
telegram system between the UK and India established in
1927.
Over the years, B-S-N-L made several technical upgrades in
the telegraph service, with the latest being the
introduction of a web-based messaging system in 2010.
However, growing Internet penetration and cheaper mobile
phones in the last decade have kept people away from the 182
telegraph offices still in operation across that country.
For the Amateur radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
It appears as if more modern technology such as Instant
Messaging and social media sites have taken their toll on
another communications technology of times gone bye. (The
Hindu)
**
RADIOSPORT: 14TH EUROPEAN YOUTH ARDF CHAMPIONSHIP HELD
93 young people up to 16 years of age attended the European
Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championship held in the
Czech Republic June 12th to the 16th. The Czech national
amateur radio society C-R-C organized this year's
competition that was held in the village Tri Studne or Three
Cold Springs.
Both the 80 and 2 meter were used during the event. A
report on the championship was expected to be featured on
Czech TV on Thursday, June 20th. More on the European Youth
A-R-D-F Championship is on-line at www.eyac2013.com (LZ1US,
Southgate)
**
RADIOSPORT: HAMVENTION 2013 CONTEST UNIVERSITY VIDEOS
Still with contesting news, word that several videos of the
2013 Contest University sessions from this years Dayton
Hamvention now are available on the Word-Wide-Web. Icom, a
Contest University sponsor, posted the videos to YouTube.
To find them simply take tour web browser to
www.youtube.com/user/IcomAmericaInc. Then simply scroll
down to the bottom of the page to Contest University at
Dayton Hamvention and choose the video or videos that you
wish to play. (Various)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT ON FIELD DAY SATELLITE CONTACTS
SaudiSat-Oscar-50 will be the only operational FM
transponder satellite for this years Field Day. AMSAT notes
that if you are considering only FM voice operating for your
space contacts Field Day focus the single uplink and
downlink channels will be extremely challenging.
AMSAT says that as in prior years, this intense congestion
on FM Low Earth Orbit satellites drives the limitation in
the rules allowing their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite.
This includes the International Space Station. You will be
allowed one QSO if the I-S-S is operating Voice. You will
also be allowed one digital QSO with the I-S-S or any other
digital, non-store-and-forward, packet satellite if one is
operational.
This year's AMSAT Field Day will take place from 1800 UTC on
Saturday June 22nd through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 23. They
hope to hear you on the birds. (ANS)
**
ON THE AIR: ORIGINAL 13 COLONIES SPECIAL EVENT 2013
On the air listen out in early this summer for a number of
stations to be operational July 1st to the 6th. This to
commemorate the first thirteen colonies that came together
to form the United States.
Called the 13 Colonies stations, they will be operational
from 1300 UTC on July 1st to 0400 UTC on July 7th. There
will be at least two special event stations per colony
state. Also included will be several super contest
stations, multi-operator Club stations and husband and wife
teams.
The theme for 2013 will be Banners of the Revolution. A
commemorative certificate will be available printed on heavy
card stock. More information including QSL routing is on
the web www.13colonies.info
(Via Press Release)
**
DX
In DX, W6JKV will be active as V31IV from San Pedro Belize
between June 20th and July 1st. Operations will be on 80
through 6 meters and he will probably focus on 6 meters CW.
QSL via his home callsign.
The 4M5DX Group is planning a DXpedition to Aves Island
sometime between November 1st of this year and February
28th, 2014. The callsign mentioned is Y-W-Zero-A. More
information will be released at a future date.
ZS6AYU will on be operational as C91GR from Mozambique
between July 19th and the 23rd. Activity will be holiday
style on CW only. QSL via ZS6AYU, either direct or via the
bureau.
DL4SDW will be active stroke HI3 from the Dominican Republic
between June 17th and July 26th. Operations will be limited
to his spare time on the HF bands, using mainly CW, but some
SSB and digital modes. QSL via his home callsign with cards
sent via the bureau preferred.
ON6DSL will be operational stroke as SV9 from the Island of
Crete between August 12th to the 21st. Activity will be
holiday style on 40 through 15 meters using QRP SSB only
using a Yaesu FT817ND into a homemade multiband dipole. QSL
via his home callsign either direct or via the UBA Bureau.
Lastly, LA8DW will be on the air as JW8DW from the JW5E club
station on Spitsbergen Island. This, between September 25th
and October 3rd. Activity will probably be on 80 through 10
meters using CW and SSB. Also there is the possibility of
some RTTY and PSK31. QSL via his home callsign, direct, via
the Bureau or electronically via Logbook of the World.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: A NEW PSA FOR FIELD DAY AND BEYOND
Lastly, just in case you are wondering about a new ham radio
public service spot being broadcast on some radio stations
this past week, yes that is Newsline's Jim Davis, W2JKD.
Jim and our producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, put it together
in less than 8 hours after reading requests from hams on
Facebook about not having anything new to help publicize
Field Day this year. As it was to close too Field Day
weekend to get national distribution, the decision was made
to keep it a bit generic so that it could be used at any
time of the year. And this was the result:
--
"Amateur Radio, often called "Ham Radio" is really many
hobbies and passions under one name. From studying the
stars to creating new computer applications to practicing
their emergency communications skills every June on Field
Day weekend, hams enjoy serving the community in many ways.
To find an amateur radio group near you, go to
www.arrl.org/find-a-club"
--
No, there is no music bed nor video version and for good
reason. Adding music requires obtaining clearances and in
some cases paying per play use fees. And a video version
would simply have taken to long to produce and even longer
to get any meaningful airplay. With little time to get it
out before Field Day weekend, the decision was made to keep
it simple and that seems to have worked.
The spot was originally distributed over the ARRL's Public
Relations Remailer to those in a position most likely able
to get it on the air quickly. It is currently available on
our website at www.arnewsline.org and will be there for
another couple of days. If you want to download a higher
fidelity copy of it, just go to the site, scroll down a bit
and follow the simple instructions you will find there. We
hope you will find it of use in publicizing the greatest
hobby in the world. (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 Jeff Clark, K8JAC, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.</pre>
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