Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1855 with a release date of March 1 2013 to follow in 5-4- 3-2-1. The following is a QST. A smart-phone powered satellite is now on-orbit, the FCC proposes a new set of broadband that will impact ham radio; amateur radio created varicode is now an ITU recommendation; Canada launches Mototrbo- based ham radio interconnect and a new 6 meter propagation beacon takes to the air from near the South Pole. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1855 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here) ** HAM RADIO IN SPACE: STRAND ONE CELLPHONE BASED HAMSAT NOW ONORBIT A new ham radio satellite based on a smart phone is now onorbit as we hear in this report: -- The United Kingdom first CubeSat named STRaND-1 was launched on Monday, February 25 on the PSLV- C20 booster. This from the Indian Space Research Organization Space Launch Center. Successful deployment from the STRaND-1 into a 785 km orbit took place about 20 minutes later. Signals from STRaND-1 were received by Nader Omer, ST2NH, in the Sudan at 15:55 UTC and by the Surrey Space Centre later in the day. Soon afterward on Hector Martinez, CO6CBF, in Cuba used an AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle to receive the satellite. STRaND stands for Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstration. STRaND 1 and was built in only three months using a Google Nexus One smartphone with an Android operating system. This to demonstrate the feasibility of using such an inexpensive device to control a spacecraft. STRaND-1 carries an amateur radio AX.25 packet radio downlink on 437.568 MHz. It also uses a 9k6 bps Frequency Shift Keying in an High Level Data Control frame and NonReturn-to-Zero Inverted encoding. The overall STRaND program is intended to be a long-term arrangement between the space company SSTL and academic researchers at the Surrey Space Centre. STRaND-1 is the first of a long line of STRaND smartphone based nanosatellites. According to the latest reports hams around the world have responded to the request for telemetry data from the STRaND1 satellite controllers. Information on how to receive the satellites telemetry data is available at tinyurl.com/hearing-strand-one. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the Newsroom in Los Angeles. -- The STRaND-1 team has asked if radio amateurs can assist in collecting telemetry from around the world to help them determine the health and attitude of the spacecraft. Again, the downlink uses amateur radio AX.25 packet radio on 437.568 MHz using 9600 bps FSK modulated data with an HDLC frame and NRZI encoding. Reports go by e-mail to Dr. Chris Bridges at C (dot) P (dot) Bridges (at) surrey (dot) ac (dot) uk. (AMSAT-UK, STRaND) ** RADIO LAW: FCC PROPOSES MORE SPECTRUM AT 5 GHZ FOR UNLICENSED BROADBAND The FCC has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking or NPRM in ET Docket No. 13-49, seeking to revise the Part 15 rules governing unlicensed national information infrastructure devices in the 5 GHz band. These devices presently operate in the frequency bands 5.15- 5.35 GHz and 5.47 to 5.825 GHz. They use wideband digital modulation techniques to provide a wide array of high data rate mobile and fixed communications for individuals, businesses and institutions. Slightly different rules apply to 5.825 through 5.85 GHz. Among the changes being proposed in the February 20th document are the creation of two additional bands totaling 195 MHz for unlicensed operation. These are 5.35 to 5.47 GHz and 5.85 to 5.925 GHz. It should be noted that the Amateur Radio Service has a secondary allocation at 5.65 to 5.925 GHz. This includes an Amateur Satellite Service uplink from 5.65 to 5.67 GHz and a downlink from 5.83 to 5.85 GHz. The FCC will be accepting comments on its NPRM due no later than 45 days after publication in the Federal Register, as well as reply comments due 30 days later. No date has yet been set for the Federal Register release. The NPRM can be found on the web at tinyurl.com/fcc-broadband- five. (ARRL, VHF Reflector, W0WOI) ** WORLDBEAT: AMATEUR-CREATED 'VARICODE' ADOPTED AS ITU RECOMMENDATION The ARRL report that Varicode, developed by Peter Martinez, G3PLX, has been adopted as an International Telecommunications Union Recommendation. On Tuesday, February 19th, Francois Rancy who is the Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau of the I-T-U announced the simultaneous adoption and approval of the Recommendation entitled Telegraphic Alphabet for Data Communication by Phase Shift Keying at 31 Baud in the Amateur and AmateurSatellite Services. This digital mode alphabet is commonly called "Varicode" because the more frequently used characters in the English language occupy fewer bits. It was developed by G3PLX in the 1990's. For his effort Martinez was awarded the ARRL Technical Innovation Award for the year 2000 for his development of PSK31, which uses Varicode for transmission efficiency. Varicode now becomes Recommendation ITU-R M.2034. More on it is on the web at www.arrl.org/psk31-spec (ARRL) ** WORLDBEAT: CANADA LAUNCHES MOTOTRBO DIGITAL AUDIO C BRIDGE INTERCONNECT Hams in Canada have taken their first step toward the creation of a national amateur radio Division Multiple Access or DMR network. This with the launch of the first inter-provincial DMR networking server on Saturday, February 23rd. Amateur Radio Newslines Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the details: -- The server, more commonly known as a "c-Bridge" was manufactured by Rayfield Communications and will serve as a network hub for Canadian amateur radio DMR repeaters. It will not only allow them to reliably link to one another but also to the growing DMR-MARC global network using Internet connectivity. The DMR-MARC global network is an all-digital group of Mototrbo DMR repeaters in the USA, Germany, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Finland, Sweden and of coarse Canada. The backbone networking is being created by amateur radio operators many of whom are Motorola Solutions employees, Motorola Service Station employees, dealers, system installers, and just plain Motorola equipment aficionados. Repeaters on this network are connected around the clock. And for those listeners who are unfamiliar with Mototrbo system, this is a Motorola digital radio product marketed primarily to business and industrial users, but which has found its way into some public safety uses and now to ham radio. The format is based on and compatible with the European 2-slot DMR standard and uses Time Division Multiple Access to accommodate two simultaneous users. Therefore a single 12.5 kHz channel is able to carry two simultaneous and independent conversations or simultaneous and independent voice and data paths each with 6.25 kHz equivalency. More about the world-wide DMR- MARC global ham radio network is on-line at www.dmr-marc.net. The Canadian c-Bridge is located in Montreal and is currently supporting several DMR repeaters in Ontario and Quebec, including the VA3XPR digital DMR repeater located in downtown Toronto. For more information on the new Canadian digital interconnect and how your organization can connect their DMR system to it, please visit tinyurl.com/canada-cbridge. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan, Kinford, N8WB, in Wadsworth, Ohio. -- And before you ask, Mototrbo and D-Star radios cannot talk directly to one another. This is because each uses a different and incompatible digital voice encode and decode technology. (VA3FXT via QRZ.com, DMR-MARC) ** WORLDBEAT: THE VK0RTM 6M BEACON ON AIR FROM NEAR THE SOUTH POLE A new 6 meter propagation should now be on the air from near to the South Pole. Craig Hayhow who is signing VK0JJJ from Mawson Base in Antarctica is reported to have brought with him a beacon transmitter with the call VK0RTM that is now operational on 50.300 MHz. The VK0RTM transmitter runs 50 watts. It was donated for this very special operation by David Craig, N3DB, who is the Secretary and Treasurer of The 6 Meter Beacon Project. But the beacon will not be the only 6 meter signal coming to the air. While at Mawson Station for about 12 months, Hayhow plans to be active on all bands from 80 through 6 with priority given to 6 meter operation. VK0JJJ is a senior telecommunications engineer from West Australia. He is a member of the Antarctica Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition due to return home in January 2014. (VK3PC, QRZ.com) ** BREAK 1 From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the KF4ADM repeater serving Williamsburg Virginia. (5 sec pause here) ** ENFORCEMENT: UNLICENSED BROADCASTER SUED BY GOVERNMENT TO COLLECT $20000 FINE A Florida resident whose unlicensed radio station interfered with air traffic control at Palm Beach International Airport is being sued for collection of a $20,000 fine by the federal government. This as Federal prosecutors file documents in federal court instructing Robins Cheriza, to respond to action demanding that he pay the fine issued against him last year by the FCC. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, reports: -- According to the February 9th court filing Robins Cheriza has ignored the Federal Communications Commission's order to pay the fine since last April. This after the regulatory agency found that he had willfully and repeatedly transmitted a radio signal without a license in the spring of 2011. According to FCC records, the sounds of a party being broadcast from Cheriza's home interrupted air traffic control at Palm Beach International Airport on April 1, 2011. That incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to file a complaint with the FCC. Agents with the FCC's Miami Enforcement Bureau used direction finding to locate an antenna mounted to the West Palm Beach home of Cheriza. The agents performed a station inspection and found a complete broadcast facility on an enclosed patio connected to the antenna. At that point Cheriza told agents he owned the studio and its equipment. He also admitted to having operated the station on 107.3 MHz for about a month even though he was aware that operating an unlicensed FM station was illegal. That lead to his being issued a $20,000 Notice of Apparent Liability which was affirmed on April 3rd of 2012. At that time he was given 30 days to pay or to appeal. But the FCC says that Cheriza ignored the notice, leading to the Federal suit for collection. The litigation which was filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida directs that Cheriza pay the $20,000 fine plus court costs and interest and that he does so within 21 days. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale, Arizona. -- Whether or not Cheriza has paid the $20,000 fine is unknown as we go to air. (FCC, published news reports) ** RESCUE RADIO: AMERICAN RED CROSS TO PHASE-OUT ECRV OPERATIONS The ARRL reports the American Red Cross will be phasing out out its Emergency Communication Response Vehicles also known as ECRV's. According to American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology Manager Keith Robertory, KG4UIR, every communication capability of the Emergency Communication Response Vehicles already exists, or will soon exist as a rapidly deployable kit. These says Robertory can be loaded on any vehicle that is owned or rented by the American Red Cross, providing more flexibility in shaping its response to match the disaster. Robertory told the ARRL that retrofitting the decade old vehicles with new equipment is not a good use of donated funds, as the long-term strategy is to move to more portable systems. This says KG4UIR is consistent with the trends in the telecommunications and technology industries. As to the ham radio gear currently installed in these vehicles, it is not going away. Rather it will be removed and will either become part of the deployable inventory or provided to the local American Red Cross chapter to build local capacity. A more in-depth look at this decision by the Red Cross and its impact on ham radio can be found on line at tinyurl.com/b84tn88 (ARRL) ** RESCUE RADIO: HAMS HELP TRAIN EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN CONNECTICUT The Ridgefield Press in Connecticut says that amateur radio operators from the city's volunteer disaster communications team have been assisting in the development of a communications training video. This for use by fire, police and emergency medical first responders. The new training video will focus on the importance of including ham radio in emergency planning and operations. It will also demonstrate the capabilities of amateur radio equipment and disaster-trained ham radio operators. Ridgefield's Emergency Operations Center and many other centers and hospitals throughout the region are equipped with amateur radio equipment that provides backup communications when normal channels are out of service. The complete story on this new video can be found at tinyurl.com/rescue-radio-video (RP.com) ** HAM HAPPENINGS: HAM RADIO CLUB TO CELEBRATE LEGION BIRTHDAY The American Legion Amateur Radio Club will operate special event station N9L on March 15, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and March 16 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This to commemorate the 94th birthday of The American Legion The primary frequency to look for N9L will be 14.270 MHz on 20 meters and locally on 146.46 in Central Indiana. The station will also be available via IRLP Node 4816. A full-color certificate will be sent upon receipt of a 9-by12-inch self-addressed stamped envelope to the American Legion National Headquarters, Attn: TALARC, 700 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. More is on-line at www.legion.org/hamradio. (TALARC) ** HAM HAPPENINGS: HAM RADIO COMMEMORATES THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH The Mesilla Valley Radio Club of Las Cruces, New Mexico will be operating Special Events Station K5B on March 17th. This in conjunction with the 24th annual Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon event to be held at the White Sands Missile Range. K5B will operate from 1000 UTC to 2300 UTC on or near 21.337, 14.330, 7.225, and 3.893 megahertz. A commemorative QSL card will be available by request. If you make contact send your QSL with a self addressed stamped business sized envelope to Special Events Station K5B in care of the Mesilla Valley Radio Club, P. O. Box 1443, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88004. All QSL requests must be received by Friday, April 26th. More information about this special operation is on line at www.n5bl.org/bataan. (Mesilla Valley Radio Club) ** HAM HAPPENINGS: ST PATRICK'S DAY SPECIAL EVENT Irelands West Tyrone Amateur Radio Club will be taking part in the St. Patrick's Day celebration on Monday March 18th in the city of Omagh by operating special event station GB1SPD. This from the Strule Arts Centre in the Heart of Omagh Town during the Omagh District Council St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival. You can listen out for GB1SPD world-wide on the High Frequency bands as well as Echolink. Commemorative QSL cards will be available to those who wish to have a conformation of the QSO. More details available at www.wtarc.org (WTARC, Southgate) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: WIND UP RADIO DEVELOPER SEEKING UK GOVERNMENT PROTECTION FOR ALL INVENTORS Some names in the news. The developer of the famed FreePlay wind-up radio is calling on the British government to step-in to protect the interests of inventors. The Daily Telegraph reports that inventor Trevor Baylis says he faces having to sell his house after failing to make money from his wind-up radio that many say helped to revolutionize public emergency notifications and there-by save lives in emerging nations. The full story on how Baylis' situation came about and the intellectual rights protection he is seeking for all inventors is on-line at tinyurl.com/baylisradio (UK Telegraph) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: YOUNG BOY SCOUT RECEIVES AMATEUR RADIO PATCH The Jamestown New York Post-Journal reports that Robert Miles, KD2BWZ, is one of the youngest scouts to receive the Boy Scouts of America's Amateur Radio Operating Patch. Robert and his father Aaron Miles KD2BWY both received these patches at an event attended by Wayne Schuver Jr. who is the senior district executive of the Boy Scouts of America's Alleghany Highlands District. John Mueller K2BT, who is the Western New York section manager for the American Radio Relay League. As previously reported the Amateur Radio Operating Patch is a recent addition for the Boy Scouts and recognizes the scout's availability as an amateur radio operator for communications services for events and activities as well as in emergencies. All registered youth and adult members who also hold a valid FCC issued amateur radio license of any class are eligible to earn and wear the patch. The full PostJournal story along with a photo of the presentation is at tinyurl.com/scouting-patch (Post-Journal) ** NAMES IN THE NEWS: W2TRR LEAVING WOR FOR CONSULTANT BUSINESS Noted Broadcast Engineer Tom Ray, W2TRR, is leaving WOR - AM, in New York City after more than 15 years with the station. Ray had been Chief Engineer of WOR and Director of Engineering of Buckley Broadcasting until the station was sold to Clear Channel late last year. His current title is AM Chief Engineer. During Ray's tenure at WOR, he had taken the station from an older analog facility into the digital world, culminating in the move of the WOR studio to a new locality in Manhattan. He next built WOR a new transmitter facility in the New Jersey Meadowlands, retiring the former Lyndhurst, New Jersey facility that had served WOR for 40 years. Ray will now head up his own broadcast consultancy firm. (RW, QRZ.com) ** 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 OF THE GUARD: PAT HAWKER MBE G3VA SILENT KEY Pat Hawker, MBE, G3VA, who for 50 years wrote the Technical Topics column in the RSGB publication RadCom, passed away on February 21st at age 90. Hawker was first awarded a UK an 'artificial aerial' license and call sign 2BUH in 1936. He received his transmitting license and the call G3VA in 1938. During his lifetime Pat Hawker was involved in many aspects of radio. Tis ranged from World War 2 with the United Kingdom's military intelligence organizations through to his time working for the RSGB, then as the editor of Electronics Weekly and the Royal Television Society Journal. The extraordinary career of Pat Hawker, G3VA, is described in a book by Steve White, G3ZVW, titled A Bit of Controversy, Pat Hawker - A Radio Life. And for those not aware, the title MBE stands for Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. (GB2RS) ** WORLDBEAT: CANADA'S BRIT FADER SCHOLARSHIP Canadian hams in need of educational financial assistance listen up. The Brit Fader Scholarship established in 1993 by the Halifax Amateur Radio Club is now accepting applications for the 2013 to 2014 educational year. This Scholarship will be provided for attendance at an accredited Canadian post-secondary technical school, college or university, with preference given to applicants who have been accepted into a program in the field of electronics, electrical engineering, or a related area. An applicant for this scholarship must be a Canadian citizen and hold an active Basic Class or higher grade of Canadian Amateur Radio license. A zipped application package is available for down-loading from the Halifax Amateur Radio website at www.Halifaxarc.org. Follow the link to the Brit Fader Scholarship from the home page under Education. Application submissions must be postmarked no later than July 12th. The amount of the 2013 award will be $1000. (HARC) ** WORLDBEAT: INTERNATIONAL RADIO FESTIVAL SEPT 4 - 8 IN ZURICH The 2013 International Radio Festival will be held September 4th to the 8th at the famed Schloss Sihlberg Castle in Zurich, Switzerland. Participating broadcasters so far include the BBC, Switzerland's DRS3, Portugal's Antena 3, Raadio 2 of Estonia and the Czech Republic's Radio Wave. Planners say that this years event will feature industry speakers flying in from all parts of the world. You can follow developments by joining their page at facebook.com/internationalradiofestival. (RW, others) ** WORLDBEAT: INTERNATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE AND LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND GROWS An update on pre-registration for the 2013 International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend operating event. So far there have been some 150 registrations from 25 countries. Germany has the most with 35 closely followed by Australia accounting for 34. This years International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is on August the 17th and 18th. More information on this fun event along with registration details is on line at www.illw.net. (VK3PC) ** HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT AND VIRGINIA TECH SIGN COLLABORATION AGREEMENT AMSAT and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute have signed a Collaboration Agreement that establishes a relationship for future projects. This in the development of space hardware, software, algorithms, documentation of same and an agreement to protect each other by protecting International Traffic in Arms Regulations or ITAR-covered materials and identifying same for the other. The agreement was signed on February 4th by AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW and Virginia Tech Assistant Vice President for Sponsored Programs Administration John Rudd. (ANS) ** SCIENCE AND SPACE: METEOR THAT HIT RUSSIA TRAJECTORY IDENTIFIED Scientists from Colombia believe they have pinpointed the origin of the giant meteor that smashed into a remote region of Russia last month. Using some of the dozens, if not hundreds, of videos that captured the once-in-a- century event, the scientists have calculated the Chelyabinsk meteor's trajectory, tracing it back to a group of Earthcrossing objects known as Apollo asteroids. Researchers Jorge Zuluaga and Ignacio Ferrin, from the University of Antioquia then used trigonometry to calculate the height, speed and position of the rock as it fell to Earth. To reconstruct the meteor's original orbit around the sun, they used six different properties of its trajectory through Earth's atmosphere. They then plugged all of that data into specialized astronomy software developed by the U.S. Naval Observatory. The computers then confirmed that it was from the Apollo group. Unlike the more stable objects in the Asteroid Belt which lies between Mars and Jupiter, Apollo asteroids tend to sideswipe Earth's orbit, posing a risk of collision like the one I Russia. According to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, more than 4,800 Apollo asteroid close approaches that have been identified to date. (Science Now) ** RADIO IN SPACE: NEW LANDSAT SATELLITE NOW ON- ORBIT A new satellite to keep an eye on our planets changing landscape was launched into orbit on Monday, February 11th. This eighth and most sophisticated Landsat spacecraft blasted off at 1802 GMT aboard an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission will join the sole operational fourteen year old Landsat 7 spacecraft in providing visible and infrared images from an orbital perch 438 miles above Earth. The new satellite circle the planet every 99 minutes, relaying pictures by radio that show details down to about the size of a baseball diamond. The images, which are distributed at no charge, are used by federal, state and local governments and planning boards worldwide to monitor crops, assess damage from fires, floods and other natural disasters. They also track changing coastlines, glaciers and other areas impacted by global warming. (Science OnLine) ** ON THE AIR: SPECIAL EVENT N4WIS DURING WISCONSIN QSO PARTY On the air, word that K9UTQ will activate the USS Wisconsin Battleship station N4WIS. This during the Wisconsin QSO Party on March 9th. QSL's go via N4WIS. For more details and updated information, please visit www.n4wis.org on the World Wide Web. (OPDX) ** DX In DX, W0FK will be active from Longboat Key between March 2nd and the 16th. No word on times or frequencies. If you work him QSL via his home callsign, direct or by the Bureau. EI7CC will be operational from Lesotho as 7P8PB from March 6th to the 26th. Activity will be limited because he will be on a family holiday and will operate when circumstances permit. QSL via EI7CC either direct or via the bureau. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World immediately upon his return to Ireland. N6MW and N6TQ, who were expected to be on the air stroke KH8 from March 19th to the 28th from American Samoa have postponed this operation indefinitely. No reason for the cancellation was given. KV1J will once again be operating stroke FP from Miquelon Island between July 6th to the 16th. His activity will be on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31 generally be on the highest frequency band that is open. Also, look for him on the satellites, weather permitting. QSL via KV1J, direct, via the bureau or electronically using Logbook of the World. JL1UTS and L3PFH will be active as KH0TH and KH0TG, respectively, from the Saipan between May 2nd to the 5th. Their operation will encompass all of the High Frequency bands and modes. QSL via their home callsigns, either direct or the JARL Bureau. AE1C will be active stroke VE9 from Grand Manan Island between August 18th to the 25th. Activity will be holiday style on the HF bands using 200 watts and a vertical antenna. QSL via his home callsign using Logbook of the World, eQSL or direct. Lastly, word that the Sri Lanka 4S7DXG and Maldives 8Q7VR operations in 2008 and 2011 have been approved for DXCC credit. If you had request rejected for contacts with these dates only, send an e-mail to dxccrules@arrl.org to be put on the list for an update. Contacts before or after these periods cannot be accepted. (Above from various DX News Sources) ** THAT FINAL ITEM: RESCUE RADIO: FOLLOW-UP - NPR LABS EMERGENCY ALERT FOR THE DEAF EXPERIMENT TO GO FORWARD A follow up to our recent report on an Emergency Alerting system being proposed for the deaf and hart of hearing using radio. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW. is here with the details: -- NPR Labs has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to demonstrate the delivery of emergency alerts to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in the Gulf Coast states. This through local public radio stations and the Public Radio Satellite System. This pilot system is intended to demonstrate that all individuals, including those who are deaf or hard-ofhearing, can rely on battery- powered radios to stay informed in emergencies when electricity, Internet and other communications channels are unavailable. NPR Labs is the technology research and development group of National Public Radio. It will work with DHS and FEMA to identify 25 public radio outlets in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to participate in the pilot. The distribution network of the Public Radio Satellite System will be used to test the effectiveness of the message delivery system. The Gulf region was chosen because it is frequently subjected to extreme and sudden weather conditions. Once proven, the system could be rolled out nationwide on the public radio stations served by the Public Radio Satellite System, which reach 95% of the United States population. In the demonstration project, FEMA will transmit emergency alert messages using the Common Alerting Protocol. The Public Radio Satellite System network operations center will re- transmit the warning via the Radio Broadcast Data System on the participating 25 public radio stations on a dedicated digital alerting channel. The stations will broadcast the emergency alert to receivers capable of displaying text messages. Deaf or hard-of- hearing project volunteers will be alerted to the message by a flashing indicator on their radios or a bed-shaker triggered by their radios, to ensure the message is received day and night. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW in Los Angeles. -- NPR Labs plans to identify 500 individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in the listening areas of the 25 participating stations. The volunteers will be surveyed periodically to determine the efficacy of the warnings. This is the first effort to deliver real-time accessibilitytargeted emergency messages, such as weather alerts, via radio broadcast texts. (RadioOnLine, 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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Southern Mississippi, saying 73 and we thank you for listening. Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
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