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.
