Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1814 with a release
date of May 18th, 2012 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Hams in Canada take a first step
toward gaining access to 60 meters; amateur radio gets drawn
into the argument over whop really owns Scarborough Reef,
entry level hams in Belgium get a power upgrade and the 2012
Dayton Hamvention is here. Find out the details are on
Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1814 coming your way
right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESTRUCTURING: CANADIAN HAMS MAY SOON GET 60 METER
PRIVELEGES
Canadian hams may soon be heard on the 5 MHz band. This as
telecommunications regulator Industry Canada has posted the
request from Radio Amateurs of Canada for access to 60
Meters and opened a window for anyone to file comments on
the proposal. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW,
reports:
--
By way of background, back in 2010, Radio Amateurs of Canada
approached Industry Canada and requested the use of five
center frequencies in the 5 MHz band. Specifically 5332,
5348, 5358.5, 5373 and 5405 kHz.
The national society stated that the use of these
frequencies would allow for more reliable communications
during emergency operations. It noted that the propagation
characteristics in the 5 MHz frequency range allow for both
local and inter-provincial communications.
Radio Amateurs of Canada also noted that the U.S. amateur
radio community has access to these frequencies and that
harmonizing frequency use would allow Canadian radio
amateurs to conduct regional emergency communications on a
coordinated basis with U.S. radio amateurs. The society
noted that many administrations around the world have
authorized radio amateurs to use the frequency 5405 kHz.
At the same time, Radio Amateurs of Canada also requested
the use of two additional frequencies, 5319 and 5329 kHz,
for Canadian domestic use. However, after conducting a
review of domestic and international use of 5319 kHz,
Industry Canada determined that this frequency is
unavailable for use by the amateur radio service in Canada.
The proposal still needs to complete the entire Canadian
rule making process. Canadian hams and other citizens have
until June 12th to file comments on this matter.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in
Los Angeles.
--
Bill Unger, VE3XT, is Radio Amateurs of Canada's North -
East Ontario Regional Director. He says that this has been
a long hard go and has taken a lot of time and effort on the
part of the national society, doing so on behalf of all
Canadian radio amateurs. (RAC)
**
RADIO RELATIONS: HAM RADIO BEING DRAWN INTO DISPUTE OVER
OWNERSHIP OF SCARBOROUGH REEF
Ham radio is being drawn into a dispute over the territorial
ownership of Scarborough Reef. This as a website pops up
claiming correspondence between the Philippine Amateur Radio
Association and the ARRL supports mainland China's
territorial claim in regard to the land mass that's also
known as as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.
The report on the Sina website relating to amateur radio
says that back in 1990, the then Philippine ambassador to
Germany indicated clearly in his letter to a German radio
amateur on February 5th that, Scarborough was not within the
Philippine territory and sovereignty. This, according to
the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of
the Philippines.
The documents issued by the National Mapping and Resource
Information Authority of the Philippines and the Philippine
amateur radio organization to the American Radio Relay
League on October 18 and November 18, 1994 had also are
claimed to confirm that the Philippine territorial limits
and sovereignty was stipulated by the Article 3 of the
Treaty of Paris way back in the year 1889.
Scarborough Reef is located between the Macclesfield Bank
and Luzon Island of the Philippines. Over the years it has
seen seen several major DXpeditions and still ranks high as
a wanted entity by DXers world wide. .
You can read the entire claim for yourself on-line at
tinyurl.com/Scarborough-Reef.
(Sina.com, Southgate)
**
RESTRUCTURING: BELGIUM ENTRY LEVEL HAMS GET POWER UPGRADE
In a very strange turnabout of events, Belgium, which only
recently threw a paperwork logjam into the lives of hams
with antenna registration based on hours on the air and
power output has suddenly granted a major power increase to
its entry level Foundation Class license holders. We have
more in this report:
--
On May 4th, the Flemish government's telecommunications
regulator B-I-P-T announced power increases that could
permit entry level amateur radio Foundation holders to run
100 watt transceivers on the High Frequency bands. Well,
more accurately run 100 watt out transceivers at about half
power output level.
The new maximum output power for Flemish Foundation class
license holders is 50 watts. That's up from the 10 watts
out previously permitted.
But its not all good news for the Belgium based ham radio
newcomers. This is because that nations Foundation class H-
F allocations are being reduced slightly on most bands but
the changes are far to many to list here.
There were also some modifications made for holders of
higher class Belgium Amateur Radio Licenses. Those along
with the major changes for the Foundation class are on line
as a .pdf document in the Flemish language at
tinyurl.com/belgium-power-upgrade.
And don't rely on Google or any other on-line language
translator to convert this document into truly
understandable English. Flemish is one of those languages
that really require a human being to translate into
understandable form.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
The change in power level for Belgium Foundation level hams
came as the result of a lobbying effort by the Belgium
national amateur radio society, the UBA. Meantime there is
no word on any hope of easing the antenna paperwork
requirement now faced by all classes of Flemish hams. (UBA,
Southgate)
**
RADIO POLITICS: ROSENWORCEL AND PAI CONFIRMED AS FCC
COMMISSIONERS
The United States Senate has voted to confirm Jessica
Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai as FCC Commissioners and they
likely will have been sworn in by the time this newscast
goes to air. Rosenworcel is senior communications counsel
for the Senate Commerce Committee and also has FCC
experience. Pai has worked at the law firm of Jenner and
Block since April 2011, and is a former FCC attorney and
Senate staffer. Once they take their Commission seats it
will bring the agency up to its full complement of five
commissioners.
(Published news reports)
**
BREAK 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the Hamvention repeater, W8BI, serving Dayton,
Ohio.
(5 sec pause here)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: HAMVENTION 2012 OPENS INTERNATIONALLY
CONNECTED
As we go to air, the gates at the Hara Arena should be
opening for the 2012 Dayton Hamvention. This is the
gathering that's considered as being the show of shows in
amateur radio.
Michael Kalter, W8CI, is the General Chairman of this 60th
anniversary Hamvention and he recently told Hap Holly,
KC9RP, of Rain that 2012 is dedicated to the concept that
radio amateurs are internationally connected:
--
W8CI: "We have a new committee this year that is working
with people that are coming from all over the world that is
working to try to make them feel comfortable in Dayton,
Ohio, and to be comfortable at Hamvention. They had a
welcoming evening at the Mariott Hotel from about 4 to 6.
The Mariott is South of Dayton. So we could meet and
connect to more of our foreign visitors and make them feel
welcome because they certainly are.
--
Kalter also says it looks to be a good year for both
merchants and those hams attending Hamvention 2012 to get
some new goodies. He says that that inside booth space is
close to a sellout:
--
W8CI: "We are doing really well on indoors and if you were
to look at our website (www.hamvention.org) and connect to a
couple of liks you can see who is where and how many spaces
are left. And there sure aren't very many spaces left.
"There are lots of different exhibitors from all over the
world.
"We are pleased to have so many back this year and some new
ones as well."
--
And what about this years prizes?
--
W8CI: "We are ahead on prizes this year from what we had
last year in terms of dollar value. Our Prize Chairman and
Prize Committee worked very hard to bring in some major
prizes and our hourly prizes that start when Hamvention
doors open.
"We have flat screens (displays) around the facility to make
it a little bit easier and a little bit sharper to be able
to see if your ticket stub has won."
--
If Michael Kalter's predictions are correct, 2012 should be
a banner year for the Dayton Hamvention. We'll let you know
more in next Weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.
(ARNewslineT, Audio courtsy of RAIN)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: HAM NATION DAYTON BROADCAST TO BE AIRED BY
THE TECH GUY ON THE PREMIERE RADIO NETWORK
And speaking of Hamvention 2012, Bob Heil, K9EID, of Heil
Sound tells us that satellite service Via Sat is installing
its new Exede high speed internet service on site at the
Hara Arena for the entire Hamvention weekend.
Bob that the plan is to initially site the equipment at Tom
Medlin, W5KUB's streaming video booth in the Flea Market for
all to use.
On Saturday, the 19th Via Sat will move the system outside
the doors of the Hamvention's Audio Alley for a live
broadcast into Leo Laporte, W6TWT's "The Tech Guy" radio
show from around 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. This means that
170 stations on the Premiere Network will have a live report
form the Dayton Hamvention with Bob, along with co-hosts
Gordon West, WB6NOA and George Thomas, W5JDX, originating
from the Ham Nation booth for that broadcast.
Leo Laporte's "The Tech Guy" airs from 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern
Time every Saturday. To find a station airing it where you
live please visit techguylabs.com on the World-Wide-Web.
(K9EID)
**
RESCUE RADIO: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN REPORTING
EMERGENCIES TO THE PUBLIC
"Emergency Management Without Social Media.Fail" is the
title of a very interesting op-ed article by author Tim
Burrows posted across several social media websites. In it,
Burrows looks at both the positive and negative effects on
the public that social media can have in attempting to
disseminate and update information of a disaster, accident
or other event that the public needs to know.
Whether you agree or disagree with Burrows assessment of the
role of social media in regard to the accuracy of the
information being made public, his article is a very
interesting evaluation for anyone involved in the world of
emergency communications. You can read the entire story on-
line at tinyurl.com/emergency-social-media. (Wordpress.com)
**
ENFORCEMENT: CONNECTICUT HAM RADIO OPERATOR HELPS LOCATE
AND CONVICT PERSON WHO STOLE FROM NATIONAL ARCHIVES
J. David Goldin ,WB1EZA, is being hailed as a hero by the
United States National Archives. This after helping to
solve exposed what authorities have called one of the most
egregious instances of theft of historic materials from
where the government preserves its historic documents,
photographs and recordings. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl
Lasek, K9BIK, has the details:
--
According to news reports when J. David Goldin, WB1EZA, saw
a recorded interview of baseball great Babe Ruth for sale on
eBay he knew something was wrong. That's because there was
only one original record of that 1937 interview of Ruth on a
hunting trip, and Goldin had donated it to a government
archive more than 30 years ago.
So Goldin, who is described as an avid record collector,
launched his own investigation that lead directly to
uncovering the person now believed responsible for stealing
close to 1000 artifacts from the National Archives.
Goldin began his sleuthing by purchasing a different
recording from the same on-line seller. When the deal was
complete he recognized the name of the seller as being the
same National Archives employee who had received the Babe
Ruth and other historic recording that Goldin had donated
thirty years earlier.
Goldin then took his findings to federal investigators.
They in turn obtained a search warrant and raided the home
of retired National Archives employee Leslie Waffen. There
authorities carted away two truckloads of materials. Now,
after pleading guilty, a judge in Maryland has sentenced
Waffen, to an 18 month prison term and fined him $10,000.
Before retiring, Waffen had worked at the National Archives
for 40 years.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
United Stares Inspector General, Paul Brachfeld, whose
office investigated the theft, says that he plans to honor
Goldin. He told the press that there are some people who
give tips who are just passive. He said that J. David
Golden wasn't like that. He called Goldin a sentinel.
(QRZ.com, other media reports)
**
ENFORCEMENT: TRANSLATOR FINED $10000 FOR IMPROPER OPERATION
Ace of Hearts DJ service and its owner Randy Bennett have
been dinged $10,000 by the FCC. This for operating an FM
translator near Cape Canaveral, Florida with improper
equipment and at more than authorized power levels. Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, has more:
--
By way of background, in March 2011, the Enforcement
Bureau's Tampa office issued a proposed $13,000 fine to Ace
of Hearts DJ Service for using an unauthorized transmitting
antenna system and operating at more than its authorized
transmitter power output. In its investigation FCC agents
from the Tampa office measured the field strength for
station W277AN at almost twice its authorized level. An
inspection showed that the translator was also operating
with a two-antenna array rather than the single bay system
for which it was authorized. ,
In its reply to the Notice of Apparent Liability, Ace
claimed it was now operating within its authorized power
levels and with an authorized antenna system. The company
asked for the penalty to be waived or reduced, arguing that
the higher power levels may have been caused by an unknown
third party tampering with the transmission equipment. Also
that the antenna issue was the result of a typo on an
application.
But the commission was not persuaded that someone tampered
with the transmitter and caused the power output to be too
high. The commission also said it was up to Ace to have
reviewed its license application and make sure it was
specifying the proper antenna array.
The FCC did however note that after the original N-A-L was
levied, Ace filed an application to modify its license to a
two-antenna array so the commission cut the fine by $2,000.
Hence the reduction of the fine to the $10,000 level.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the studio in Los Angeles.
--
Bennett and the Ace of Hearts DJ service were given the
customary 30 days to pay the fine or to file a further
appeal. In addition Bennett was instructed to submit a
statement that the translator is now operating consistent
with its license authorization. (FCC)
**
RADIO READING: SPRING 2012 TAPR OSR JOURNAL NOW ON LINE
The spring issue of the free TAPR P-S-R Journal edited by
Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, is now available to download. This
quarterly Journal is full of technical, non-technical and
user supplied digital information and articles. Previous
issues are also available free from the TAPR website. Its
all in cyberspace at www.tapr.org. (TAPR)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: DIGIFEST 2012 - JUNE 2-3
The annual "Digifest" will be held the weekend of June 2nd
and 3rd. The popularity and peculiarity of this contest is
the great variety of different categories of the
participants using various digital modes. These include
RTTY, BPSK, MFSK, HELLSCHREIBER, OLIVIA. Complete rules are
on line at tinyurl.com/digifest-2012. (Digifest)
**
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)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: TRACKING MANTA RAYS BY SATELLITE
An international team of researchers have used radio beacon
transmitters and satellite technology to track the movements
of giant Manta Rays.
According to a Times news report, a team headed by Rachel
Graham of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Punta Gorda,
Belize, attached transmitters to six Rays off the coast of
Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. They reported in the journal
PLoS One that they monitored the rays for periods ranging
from 27 to 64 days. Their preliminary findings for the
Atlantic mantas showed that they traveled as far as 680
miles over a one to two month period searching for food most
of the time staying close to the coastline. They also found
that Rays spent considerable time in shipping lanes, which
rendered them vulnerable to being hit by freighters.
The full in-depth text of this very interesting use of radio
tracking can be found on-line at tinyurl.com/manta-ray-
tracking (Science Times)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FM INTERFERENCE TO SSB/CW SATELLITES
INCREASING
Interference by terrestrial FM operators to ham radio
satellites is a growing problem. This according to
Alexandru Csete, OZ9AEC who made this recording of FM
interference to the FO-9 ham radio bird on Saturday, May
5th. A QSO that seemed to revolve around chocolate:
--
Actual interference QSO recorded off FO-29
--
OZ9AEC says that to an FM operator, the spectrum from 145.8
to 146.0 MHz may seem empty, but it isn't. These
frequencies are used by weak signal SSB and CW satellite
transponders and even a few watts of FM can cause severe
interference.
Some FM operators are unaware that if they use these
frequencies their local chat across town will be heard
thousands of miles away. Nor do they realize that in
holding their point to point terrestrial FM chats in this
spectrum that they block the satellite from others to use.
The use of FM on an SSB/CW linear transponder satellite also
reduces the lifetime of both the satellite's batteries and
the transponder itself. (OZ9AEC, Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: THREE MORE HAMS LAUNCH TOWARD THE ISS
If all went as planned, several new ham radio operators
should now be on board the International Space Station.
NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba, KE5DAR, and his two
Russian Cosmonaut crewmates, Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, and
Sergei Revin, RN3BS, were scheduled to launch toward the ISS
on May 14th.
The new crew members should have arrived at the I-S-S on May
16th. They will join Expedition 31 Commander Oleg
Kononenko, RN3DX, Flight Engineer Don Pettit, KD5MDT, and
Flight Engineer Andrei Kuipers, PI9ISS.
Padalka, Acaba and Revin will transition to the Expedition
32 crew in July and return to Earth this coming September.
(NASA, ESA)
**
WORLDBEAT: SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO DAY JUNE 16
In news from around the globe, the South Africa Radio League
has selected June 16th as National Amateur Radio Day. This
holiday will celebrate amateur radio as a national resource
and its diversity as the most exciting of all scientific
hobbies.
National Ham Radio Day in South Africa will run from 09:00
to 14:00 local time. The objective is to take amateur radio
to the public by exhibiting and doing live demonstrations of
the various aspects of the hobby and as such a great and a
fun thing to be part of. Both individual hams and clubs in
South Africa are invited to take part. (SARL)
**
WORLDBEAT: THE ERIC JAMIESON AWARD CREATED IN VK
The Wireless Institute of Australia Board has accepted the
offer of Eric Jamieson, VK5LP, to sponsor awards for first
amateur radio contacts on the two meter band spanning the
Indian Ocean between Australia and Africa. There will be
three honors given. One each for voice, for CW and for the
digital modes. More on this is on line at www.wia.org.au.
(WIA)
**
WORLDBEAT: GB0BON COMMEMORATES BATTLE OF NASBY
The United Kingdom's Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society
will again be hosting amateur radio special event station
GB0BON on June 16th and 17th. This is in celebration of the
367th anniversary of the Battle of Naseby and the third
anniversary of station GB0BON. QSL this operation as
directed on the air. (GB2RS)
**
DX
In DX, word that XX9E is the callsign for the 17th-23rd May
DXpedition to Coloane Island, Macau. A large team will be
active on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY with
at least three stations. QSL to EB7DX, direct or
electronically via Logbook of the World.
VE1AWW is on the air stroke CY0 from Sable Island. He will
be there for at least the next two months and operational on
30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters. He will also be coming to
6 meters as soon as he completes installing an antenna for
that band. QSL to his home callsign, direct or via the
bureau.
Lastly, MM0SSG is now operational from Angola as D2SG.
While he will be there through the end of October his
operating time is limited because he is there on a work
assignment on an off-shore oil platform. Operations will
only take place when he is on land. If you work him, QSL
via GM4FDM, direct or by the bureau.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: LENORE JENSEN, W6NAZ, PHONE PATCHING TO
VIETNAM VIA MARS
And finally this week, a piece of ham radio history that you
can enjoy and share with friends. While perusing the latest
ham radio videos posted to YouTube, our producer Biull
Pasternak, WA6ITF, came across one featuring the late radio,
television and film actress Lenore Jensen, W6NAZ, running
phone patches to Vietnam.
These phone patches were done through the Military Affiliate
Radio System which often used frequencies just outside the
regular High Frequency ham bands. Overseas telephone calls
were difficult to make decades ago and sometimes impossible
depending on location, so for U.S. service men stationed
around the world, ham radio filled the void. This was an
all with volunteer effort and Lenore Jensen, W6NAZ, was at
the forefront of the activity.
--
Audio bite from film
--
The film is titled "A Visit to Mars" and was part of the
United States Army produced series "The Big Picture." Bill
dates the documentary to the late 60s and notes that the
phone patch was obviously simulated for filming. He asks:
Did you ever hear noise-free audio on High Frequency DX, or
the public always remembering to say "over?"
These details aside, the film appears to be accurate
overall. It depicts the way things were done about 50 years
ago and is a trip back in time. You can see it yourself on-
line at tinyurl.com/LenorePatchingToVietnam. And
LenorePatchingToVietnam is spelled as one word. (CGC,
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 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
A reminder that the nominating period for the 2012 Amateur
Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award is now open.
Full details and a downloadable nominating form are on our
website at arnewsline.org/yhoty.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, this week representing
Newsline at the Dayton Hamvention, I'm Jim Davis, W2JKD,
saying 73 and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2012. All rights
reserved.
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