[GVARC] April Newsletter

[Tony]

************************* Garlic Valley ******************************
Volume 18                                                     Apr 2003
******************* Amateur Radio Club Newsletter ********************
GVARC OFFICERS
   President                   Frank Fahrlander, N7FF
   Vice President              Ed Vines, KG6WU
   Secretary                   Mark Deger, KG6IFQ
   Treasurer                   Tony Armendariz, AD6ID
   Newsletter Editor           Tony Armendariz, AD6ID
   WEBster                     Claud Furnare, NA6W

   Web Site                    http://www.qsl.net/gvarc

FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE:
   NEXT CLUB MEETING
   GVARC MEMBERSHIP
   CA ANTENNA BILL ZIPS THRU ASSEMBLY
   ENHANCED SSB "EXTREMELY INCONSIDERATE"
   IARU CELEBRATES WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY
   IRAQI AMATEUR OPERATION REPORTED
   NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR RADIO HISTORY
   CONTESTS MAY 2003
   COMING EVENTS

***NEXT CLUB MEETING -  Saturday, 26-Apr-2003
--------------------  =20
   GVARC usually meets on the LAST Saturday of each month, at the
Sunrise Restaurant in Gilroy on Monterey Avenue (near the car dealers in
front of Motel  6). From the North or South, take the Monterey St. exit
from highway 101 (south  end of Gilroy) and head north. We trickle in
about 8 a.m. and eat at 8:30ish.     The South County ARES net is held
each Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on W6GGF/R (147.825 -.600, no PL 100Hz).
 =20
***GVARC MEMBERSHIP
-------------------
   Dues for all members become payable each January. The annual cost is
only $20 per person and $10 for each family member in the same
household. Membership dues helps such things as the W6GGF/R repeater,
this newsletter, emergency readiness, etc. Membership, not required for
general use of the repeater, adds autopatch and autodial privileges.
   GVARC is a non-profit organization per IRS section 501(c)(4) - we
don't make any money, do service for the community, but are not a
charity.
   To join or for more information, please contact the treasurer:
   Tony Armendariz, AD6ID
   11950 New Avenue
   Gilroy, CA 95020
   408-683-2025 home
   Internet: ad6id@qsl.net

***CA ANTENNA BILL ZIPS THRU ASSEMBLY
-------------------------------------
Just eight days after being voted out of committee, California's latest
effort to pass an Amateur Radio antenna bill--Assembly Bill 1228--this
week got the approval of the California Assembly on a 67-0 vote on April
10. The measure's had its first reading in the Senate. The next major
step will be a hearing--as yet unscheduled--before the Senate Local
Government Committee.

"Excellent news!" was the reaction of ARRL Southwestern Division
Director Art Goddard, W6XD. The bill, introduced February 21 by
Assemblyman Bob Dutton (R-63rd), got a unanimous 9-0 favorable vote at
an April 2 hearing of the Assembly Committee on Local Government at
which ARRL staffer and antenna expert Dean Straw, N6BV--a California
resident--testified on behalf of the measure. ARRL Pacific Division
Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG, also spoke at the hearing.

Mike Mitchell, W6RW, who's spearheading the Amateur Radio community's
effort to promote the bill says AB 1228, now is seeking witnesses for
the Senate committee hearing. Straw already has volunteered to appear.
AB 1228 marks the first bill sponsored by Dutton--who was elected last
November--to reach the Assembly floor.

AB 1228 would incorporate the language of PRB-1 into the statutes of
California. The state is home to some 100,000 Amateur Radio
licensees--by far the greatest number of any other state and nearly 15
percent of total US licensees. The measure would require any ordinance
regulating Amateur Radio antenna structures to not preclude but to
"reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communications, to allow amateur
station antenna structures "at heights and dimensions sufficient to
accommodate Amateur Radio Service communications" and to constitute "the
minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the legitimate purpose of
the city or county."

The California legislature approved a nearly identical PRB-1 measure
three years ago, but Gov Gray Davis vetoed it. Davis said at the time
that he did so because funds for required studies were not included in
his budget. The new bill does not carry a price tag.

A copy of the proposed legislation is available on the California
Legislature Web site
<http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1201-1250/ab_1228_bill_200302
21 _introduced.html>. Utah recently became the latest of 17 states to
incorporate the essence of PRB-1 into their laws.

***ENHANCED SSB "EXTREMELY INCONSIDERATE"
-----------------------------------------
The FCC has sent advisory notices to four enthusiasts of what's become
known as "enhanced SSB"--the practice of engineering transmitted
single-sideband audio to approach broadcast quality. Letters went out
earlier this month to amateurs in Illinois, Florida and New Jersey who
are aficionados of enhanced SSB, also known as "upper wideband" and
"lower wideband."

"The Commission has received numerous complaints regarding the operation
of your station," FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth wrote Paul
Christensen, W9AC, John Anning, NU9N, Anthony Latin, W4NSG, and Sareno
Salerno, W2ONV, on April 3. Hollingsworth said complaints to the FCC
alleged that the bandwidths of the stations' enhanced SSB emissions were
"wider than necessary and contrary to good engineering practice."

"Wideband overly-processed audio, especially when coupled with the high
intermodulation levels of certain amplifiers, results in the use of
bandwidths extremely inconsiderate of other operators," Hollingsworth
said. Such transmissions may violate FCC rules and may be at odds with
what Hollingsworth described as "the expectation that the Amateur
Service be largely self-regulated."

Occupying more bandwidth than necessary in a heavily used amateur band,
Hollingsworth wrote, not only could generate ill will among operators
but lead to petitions asking the FCC to establish bandwidth limits for
amateur emissions. At present, the FCC imposes no specific bandwidth
limits on various amateur modes.

Hollingsworth cited =A797.307(a) of the Amateur Service rules that
requires the signal of an amateur station not occupy "more bandwidth
than necessary for the information rate and emission type being
transmitted, in accordance with good amateur practice." Some amateurs
have complained that enhanced SSB signals can take up 8 kHz or more of
spectrum, cause splatter and unnecessarily interfere with other
stations.

"The Amateur Service is not a substitute for the Broadcast Service,"
Hollingsworth said, "and the frequencies allocated to the Amateur
Service were not allocated for a 'broadcast quality' audio emission or
sound." Hollingsworth suggested the enhanced SSBers operate when the
bands are less busy or on bands that are not heavily used.

The many complaints the FCC has been getting--20 or so per week--leads
to the conclusion that the stations' enhanced SSB operation is having "a
negative impact" on the Amateur Service, Hollingsworth said. He
requested that the four amateurs "fully review the rules" and make sure
their stations conform to them.

***IARU CELEBRATES WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY
------------------------------------------
Friday, April 18, is World Amateur Radio Day, celebrated each year on
the anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU). The IARU is the worldwide federation of national Amateur Radio
organizations representing radio amateurs in 158 countries. On this, the
78th anniversary of its inaugural meeting in Paris, the IARU dedicates
World Amateur Radio Day to the radio amateurs, educators, and
administrators who use Amateur Radio to support technology education in
the classroom.

Such programs are not confined to the developed countries. They are even
more valuable in countries where telecommunications technology is not
yet commonplace and where natural disasters and other calamaties can
overload or even disrupt regular communications circuits.

Radio technology offers a wide array of tools for teachers to use as
they integrate technology into the curriculum. In schools without an
Internet connection, Amateur Radio can fill that void through
interactive communications and shortwave reception. Elementary school
teachers using AM radios can interject fun while helping students learn
basic electricity and regional geography. Social studies teachers can
use Amateur Radio and shortwave receivers to teach about different
cultures the world over, as well as advancing deeper into geopolitics
and geography. Earth science and physics teachers can use radio to teach
electricity and electronics, radio wave propagation, weather and
atmospheric science. Language arts teachers may use radio to supplement
writing, speaking and listening skills while providing access to
numerous foreign languages from the lips of native speakers.

With almost three million licensees in nearly every country on Earth,
the amateur service provides an ample reservoir of expertise for use in
classrooms throughout the world.
  --IARU news release

***IRAQI AMATEUR OPERATION REPORTED
-----------------------------------
The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com> this week reported that Jim
Dunkerton, KT4CK, of Tennessee, has been active from the Middle East on
15 meters SSB. On April 6, he was giving his location as somewhere in
the desert of the Middle East, but the following day, he was identifying
as YI/KT4CK and saying he was in the desert of Southern Iraq. The Daily
DX says that John Shelton, K1XN, has confirmed that Dunkerton is--or has
been--with the 101st Airborne, reported by CNN this week as being near
Karbala in Central Iraq.

Several stations have reported working or hearing YI/KT4CK between 1400
and 1600 UTC. SV1GRH spotted YI/KT4CK at 1438 UTC on April 7 on 21.312.5
MHz and noted that he was looking for US stations but, The Daily DX
quoted SV1GRH as saying that YI/KT4CK was not getting many replies.

Meanwhile, The Daily DX says Ed Giorgadze, 4L4FN, now is in the Middle
East after wrapping up his North Korean (P5) operation. He has been in
Turkey, very close to the Turkish/Iraqi border, for the last month and
awaits his next UN World Food Program assignment--which could be inside
war-torn Iraq.

***NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR RADIO HISTORY
------------------------------------
New Zealand Ham History moves on into solid state, DX, and international
progress.

1967
First mention of FETs in Break-In.
Establishment of beacons on 144, 432 and 1215 MHz approved.
Slowscan TV on HF bands approved.
Reciprocal licensing starts.
Roy Needham ZL1KG sets top world score in YL ISSB contest.

1968
NZART team attends foundation meeting of IARU Region 3 Association,
Sydney.

1969
ZM prefix permitted for first time as alternative to ZL, to celebrate
Cook Bi-centenary.
Post Office adopts use of Hertz.
World record 144 MHz E-M-E contact between John Morgan ZL1AZR and Kjell
Rasmusson SM7BAE.
Bruce Rowlings ZL1WB appointed command station for OSCAR 5, later also
for OSCARs 6 and 7.

1970
New Radio Regulations introduced, Grades I, II and III replacing the
former two grades and the HF permit system.
'Bandplan Committee' formed for two-metre repeater coordination.
Christchurch amateurs commission first amateur beacon and first
repeater.

1971
Roy Needham ZL1KG first amateur outside USA to receive US Counties
Award.
Two-metre FM repeaters established at Whangarei and Waikato.
ITU Space Conference in Geneva, the birth of the Amateur Satellite
Service.
NZART team attends Second IARU Region III Conference, Tokyo.

1972
All grades of operators allowed to work through OSCAR-6 and subsequent
satellites.

1973
Morse speed reduced to 12 wpm for Grade One operator=92s certificate.

1974
ZM prefix permitted for Commonwealth Games.
First full-colour ATV test-pattern transmitted, by Doug Ingham ZL2TAR.

1975
Wellington VHF Group 3300 MHz world record contact between Mt Murchison
and Mt Ruapehu.
NZART team attends Third IARU Region III Conference, Hong Kong.

1976
Golden Jubilee of NZART celebrated, Sir William Pickering guest speaker
at conference.
Use of 1803 to 1813 kHz authorized.
  --  http://www.nzart.org.nz

***CONTESTS  MAY 2003
---------------------
------- (From-to) --------  -------------------------------------------
DATE   WEEKDAY - TIME UTC   CONTEST NAME - MODE
-----  -------------------  -------------------------------------------
 1     Thu 1300 - 1900      AGCW QRP/QRP Party - CW
 3     Sat 0000 - 2359      IPA Contest - CW
 3- 4  Sat 0000 - Sun 2400  MARAC County Hunters CW Contest - CW
 3- 4  Sat 0001 - Sun 2400  Ten-Ten Int. Spring QSO Party - CW/RTTY
 3- 4  Sat 1300 - Sun 0500  Indiana QSO Party - CW/Phone
 3- 4  Sat 2000 - Sun 2000  ARI Int. DX Contest - CW/SSB/DIGI
 3- 4  Sat 2000 - Sun 0500  New England QSO Party (1) - All
 4-10  Sun 0000 - Sat 2400  Danish SSTV Contest - SSTV
    4  Sun 0000 - 2359      IPA Contest - SSB
    4  Sun 1300 - 2400      New England QSO Party (2) - All
10-11  Sat 0000 - Sun 0600  Nevada QSO Party - All
10     Sat 1100 - 1200      SL Contest - CW
10-11  Sat 1200 - Sun 1200  A. Volta RTTY DX Contest - RTTY
10     Sat 1230 - 1330      SL Contest - SSB
10-11  Sat 1400 - Sun 0200  Oregon QSO Party - All
10     Sat 1700 - 2100      FISTS Spring Sprint - CW
10-11  Sat 2100 - Sun 2100  CQ-M Int. DX Contest - CW/SSB/SSTV
17-18  Sat 1500 - Sun 2400  Manchester Mineira CW Contest - CW
17-18  Sat 1800 - Sun 2100  Anatolian WW RTTY Contest - RTTY
17-18  Sat 1800 - Sun 1800  H. M. The King of Spain Contest - CW
17-18  Sat 2100 - Sun 0200  Baltic Contest - CW/SSB
   18  Sun 0700 - 1100      SSA Portabeltest V=E5romg. - CW
   18  Sun 1400 - 1500      SSA M=E5nadstest nr 5 - CW
   18  Sun 1515 - 1615      SSA M=E5nadstest nr 5 - SSB
24-25  Sat 0000 - Sun 2400  CQ WW WPX Contest - CW
26-27  Mon 2300 - Tue 0300  MI-QRP Club Mem. Day CW Sprint - CW
31- 1  Sat 0000 - Sun 2359  Great Lakes QSO Party - CW/Phone/RTTY/PSK31
 -- Jan-Eric Rehn - sm3cer@contesting.com
    http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/text/c2003May.txt

***COMING EVENTS
----------------
   - Livermore Swap Meet - 1st Sunday of each month at Las Positas
College in Livermore, 7:00 AM to noon, all year. Talk in 147.045 from
the west, 145.35 from the east. Contact Noel Anklam, KC6QZK, (510)
447-3857 eves.

   - Foothill Flea Market - 2nd Saturday of each month from March to
October at Foothill College, Los Altos Hills. FARS NET on 145.23
repeater Thursday nights at 8 PM.

***GVARC EMAIL LIST SUMMARY
---------------------------
   gvarc@mailman.qth.net   is the official list of GVARC members with
e-mail addresses. This is a closed list; Joining GVARC gets you on the
list. Anyone on the list can send to the list; no one else can.

   gvarc_cc@mailman.qth.net   is a list of those interested in gvarc.
Anyone can join (with confirmation message) and any member may
unsubscribe freely. Members of the gvarc_cc list can send to the list.
No one else can send to the list.    List administrators, Tony, AD6ID,
and Frank, N7FF. The list's web site is http://www.qth.net.
______________________________________

To leave GVARC list, Contact Tony Armendariz, ad6id@qsl.net. If you're
a GVARC member with email, you must be on the list.