[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline #1268 - Nov. 30, 2001
Tim Miller
Tmiller at nethawk.com
Mon Dec 3 02:20:19 EST 2001
The following is a Q-S-T. A enforcement issue involving a contest station
and lots of news on ham radio in space are first on this weeks Amateur Radio
Newsline report number 1268 coming your way right now.
ENFORCEMENT: SPLIT FREQUENCY OPERATION BRINGS INTERFERENCE WARNING NOTICE
FROM THE FCC
If you are operating split frequency and another ham calls you on the phone
to tell you that you are interfering with his QSO, listen to what he or she
says. It could save you from getting a citation from the FCC. This advice
comes from many operators after the FCC's chief ham radio rules enforcer
Riley Hollingsworth says he's letting stand a Warning Notice he sent to a
Pennsylvania radio amateur after receiving allegations of deliberate
interference that took place during a contest.
--Hollingsworth: "We reaffirmed our Warning Letter to Joseph Brue, K3NM, of
Pennsylvania in the case of interference he caused when operating split on
40 meters during a recent contest."--
The background on this story is quite complicated and will take a few
minutes to explain it in detail. This is because it is very important to
any ham who operates spit frequency in a contest or while chasing D-X.
The issues involves Joseph Brue, K3NM. He was sent the Warning Notice on
September 12th after a Louisiana ham named John King, K5PGW, officially
complained about a September 9 incident on 40 meter SSB. King claims that
K3NM was operating split mode on during the Worked All Europe Contest. King
says that during part of that contest period he was in QSO with Roy Ezell,
K9ROY, in Kentucky when K3NM came on frequency. King says that K3NM did not
bother to ask if the frequency was clear before beginning to call C-Q contest.
King says that he and K9ROY attempted to contact the operator at K3NM and
alert him about the QRM. Unfortunately. he was listening outside the US
phone band. Since neither King or Ezell could reach K3NM by radio, K9ROY
reverted to an older form of communication. He telephoned Brue, to let him
know that his station was interfering with his contact and asking him to
move. In fact, King claims that there were two calls made to K3NM but that
station never did change frequency.
And here is where it all gets a bit more complex. You see, the person
operating K3NM's station at the time of the incident was not Joseph Brue.
Rather a guest in the person of the Matt Vanni, callsign LU9AY. And it was
Vanni who first responded to the FCC. He said that he could not hear K5PGW
or K9ROY. So, even though he acknowledged the phone calls, he continued
operating the station on the same transmit frequency. He also told the FCC
that he always monitors his transmit frequency whenever he operates split
frequency. Brue later confirmed Vanni's version of what happened to the
FCC. But he also acknowledged receiving the two telephone calls from the
complaining hams.
So why issue a warning letter? Hollingsworth explains it in the
reaffirmation message itself. His key words to Brue are these:
"The fact remains, however, that both you and Vanni had notice, directly
from the complainant operator in two separate telephone calls, that your
station was indeed interfering with specific ongoing communications."
Hollingsworth added that based on the phone calls from Ezell that it was not
good Amateur practice for the K3NM operators to ignore the complainant and
continue operating the station. At least not without a good faith attempt
at compromise or taking corrective action.
And the bottom line for all hams may be what Hollingsworth wrote in the
original September 12th letter to Brue. There he said that Amateurs are
responsible for taking steps to make sure they do not interfere with ongoing
communications, and contest participants have no greater rights to any
specific frequency than other hams. (RAIN, FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: TACOMA BANS NON FCC CERTIFIED CB GEAR
Tacoma Washington may be the first city to prohibit Class D 11 meter C-B
operators from using non-FCC certified transmitting equipment. Adopted last
September 12th but only now becoming widely known, Tacoma City Ordinance
26851 amends Chapter 8.38 of their Municipal Code in two ways. First is
Section 8.38.010 which directly prohibits use of non-approved radio
equipment by CB'ers. And if a CB'er breaks the new law he or she is subject
to Section 8.38.020. This makes using such a radio a misdemeanor
punishable to a fine of up to $500, and/or up to 6 month imprisonment.
Tacoma enacted Ordinance 26851 based on an earlier amendment to the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which was adopted by Congress a
couple of years ago. As this was a Congressional action, not an FCC action,
any challenges by C-B operators to the new Tacoma local law would have to go
through the federal courts. As far as we can determine, the new law is
carefully crafted to affect only C-B operators and no other radio operators
in the Tacoma area. (Various news sources)
**
LEGAL ISSUES: ANTENNA LAWS WILL BITE SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEURS
Ham radio operators in South Africa have something new to worry about.
Expensive antenna regulation and added costs for evaluating an antenna
installation. Q-News Graham Kemp has the details:
--
Following a lecture on Antenna regulation and planning, South African Clubs
in many provinces have been urged to meet and appoint a mutual provincial
representative to work in this field.
Tim Ellam, a Telecommunications lawyer, sketched the situation in Canada
but the hams in ZS land soon discovered they are worse off! Amateurs there
could soon be paying in access of Rand 10 000 to have a scooping study done
before submitting plans for approval.
That is the reason the SARL installed the CPAS committee, a body with
members representing each province to monitor development so that timely
intervention can put the case for Amateur Radio Towers. This was
successfully accomplished in the KwaZulu-Natal.
CPAS now has KZN and Eastern Cape and Western Cape represented. Will the
rest of the country wait till it is too late?
-- According to Kemp, Tim Ellam put forward many useful suggestions and
dealt extensively the South African situation. For our listeners in South
Africa, C.P.A.S. itself is on e-mail at mailto:cpas at intekom.co.za (SARL via
Q-News)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: EXPEDITION 4 CREW ON ITS WAY TO THE ISS
A new crew is headed to the International Space Station and could be there
by the time this newscast goes to air. This time a Russian is in command of
two Americans and all three have an interest in ham radio. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Roy Neal, K6DUE, gives us some insight into the Expedition 4 crew
and what to expect while they are on board the I-S-S.
--
The new crew board the International Space Station plan to work in some
hamming between work sessions of their sixteen hour daily schedule.
Astronauts Dan Bursch and Carl Walz, both Flight Engineers are KD5PNU and
KC5TIE and their commander, Cosmonaut Yuri Onufrienko once spent 193 days on
the Mir Space Station and was on the radio a lot.
They plan to use NA1SS, the amateur station on board the ISS, whenever they
get a chance. If they come close to the records set by Frank Culbertson and
Susan Helms of the last two station crews, it will be surprising. That's
because they have a very ambitious work schedule.
Among other things, they are charged with delivering and installing a huge
356 foot long girder-like truss. They plan at least eight space walks, two
of which will be used to install new ham radio antennas outside the space
stations crew quarters.
Add a few such things as changing out the stations command and control
computers with new, solid state memory units and playing host to two
visiting shuttle flights and a Russian Progress taxi mission, plus more than
400 hours of carrying out scientific experiments, and you begin to get the
idea. When the Expedition 4 crew comes back to Earth next May..they'll need
a rest. Meanwhile, we hams look forward to at least a few contacts with
them on 2 meters, via NA1SS, the ham radio station on board.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Roy Neal. K6DUE.
--
A new crew is not the only ham radio change taking place on board the
International Space Station. According to ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
the new ham radio antenna system mentioned in Roy's report has been approved
for flight and manifested to be flown on the STS-108 flight. Once installed
around the perimeter of the Russian Service Module early next year, the new
I-S-S ham radio antennas will cover the H-F, VHF, UHF and microwave bands up
to 2.4 Gigahertz.
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT THANKS DONAHUE
Newly elected ARRL Southeastern Division Vice Director Sandy Donahue, W4RU,
has received his first award. In fact he got it before the ballots had even
been counted.
The recognition came at the recent 2001 AMSAT Symposium awards which
included a presentation to in grateful appreciation for work as the ARRL
Liaison for the event. W4RU's dedicated service and hard work in this role
was also well noted.
**
CONVENTIONS AND HAMFESTS: RSGB STOPS ORGANIZING TRADE SHOWS
The Radio Society of Great Britain says that its no longer going to organize
ham radio trade shows. Instead it will participate at conventions organized
on a local level. That a major change in policy as we hear from Jeramy
Boot, G4NJH:
--
With the continuing success of the RSGB Regional organization it is becoming
possible for the RSGB to have a presence at an increasing number of amateur
radio events, rallies and trade shows around the country. In view of this
enhanced activity, the RSGB has decided that it will no longer itself
organize amateur radio trade shows.
The RSGB believes that there is a need for more convention-style meetings
where radio amateurs can discuss new techniques and other innovations in
seminar-like events and that such events represent a better use of the
RSGB's resources.
Jeramy Boot, G4NJH.
--
In other words, the moneys saved can go into other projects aimed at
furthering the cause of ham radio in the U-K. (RSGB)
**
CONVENTIONS AND HAMFESTS: GREENFIELD INDIANA
Things are a lot better here in the USA where there's a hamfest almost every
weekend. And Brad Hewson KB9VZL tells Amateur Radio Newsline that the
Hancock County Amateur Radio Club Hamfest December 9th from 8 am to 2 p.m.
It all happens at the Greenfield Indiana at the Greenfield Central High
School with talk-in on the 145.33 MHz W9ATG repeater. For more information
please contact Brad by e-mail to mailto:kb9vzl at excite.com. (KB9VZL)
**
CONVENTIONS AND HAMFESTS: HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY 2002
New Yorkers attention. Mark down Sunday, January 20, 2002, for the next Ham
Radio University session. The first 2002 session will be a part of the
ARRL's New York City and Long Island Section Convention. Sponsored by the
Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club, both events will be held at the Babylon
Town Hall Annex in North Babylon, Long Island. Ham Radio University 2002
will be a technical education forum featuring twenty one-hour presentations
along with special forums geared to the non-ham as well as the experienced
Amateur Radio operator. The focus will be hands on, with many
demonstrations including emergency communications. For more information,
contact Chairman Phil Lewis N2MUN or New York City Long Island Section
Manager George Tranos, N2GA at their callbook address. (K2DO)
**
RADIO AT WAR: SHORTWAVE RETURNS TO AFGHANISTAN
A new shortwave radio station is broadcasting to Afghanistan. According to
the Media Network e-newsletter, the arrival of Radio Voice of Afghanistan
seemed to surprise just about everyone except those behind it. Who are
they? As of airtime, they have chosen not to reveal their identity.
It was Glenn Hauser's DX Listening Digest that broke the news to the world.
Then a Mexican listener to Radio Netherlands Spanish service, Adolfo
Murrieta Gonz lez, claimed credit for the first logging on November 17th.
Clandestine Radio Watch was soon on the chase as well with Takuya Hirayama
of it's Japan Bureau listening in. Hirayama understands Pashto and Dari.
He wrote a summary of the broadcast on November 22nd. Read more in the Media
Network Afghanistan media dossier
at http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/afghanistan.html. If you want to listen
to the audio sample go to
http://www.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/rnw/medianetwork/rvoa011123.rm (Media
Network)
**
RADIO IN THE USA: CLEAR CHANNEL BUYING ACKERLY
The United States largest radio broadcaster, is getting a lot bigger. This
as Clear Channel Communications Inc., announces that it is buying the
Ackerley Group, which owns billboards and other outdoor advertising as well
as radio and television stations.
Clear Channel, operates about 1,180 radio and 18 TV stations in the United
States, already is involved in events promotion and billboard advertising.
It is paying about $500 million in stock to acquire Ackerly. (Broadcast
Weekly)
**
NOAA WEATHER RADIO: CRAIG AND DONNA NOT MUCH BETTER THAN PERFECT PAUL
Two well respected broadcasters who also happen to be ham radio operators
have voiced their opinions on the new voices tapped by the National Weather
Service to replace the not so perfect -- Perfect Paul. For those not aware,
Perfect Paul is the nickname given to that mechanical sounding computerized
voice that currently voices NOAA Weather Radio.
The closest thing to it our world of Amateur Radio are the automated voices
heard on many repeaters. You know, those announcements that say this is the
W-A-3-such and such repeater. The ones that users are always complaining
about.
In the case of Perfect Paul, the NOAA Radio received so many complaints that
he will soon be replaced by two new and far less computer sounding voices
named Craig and Donna. This came after months of evaluating voice
technologies and receiving public input, including over 19,000 Internet
survey comments. Based on this input, NOAA awarded Siemens Information and
Communication Network a $633,615 contract for the voice improvement software
product, known as Speechify. Siemens teamed with SpeechWorks International
of Boston to provide software that combines phonetic sounds with natural
language modeling.
A lot better than Perfect Paul? Some say yes but Richard Rudman, W6TIA, is
not that enthusiastic. Rudman is the chairman of the EAS National Advisory
Committee and the Los Angeles County local emergency committee. He is
quoted in the November 21st issue of the trade publication Radio World as
saying he wished that the committee choosing the new voices for NOAA Weather
Radio would have waited for something better to come along. W6TIA says that
the new voices chosen are an improvement, but still have major shortcomings
with regard to quality and inflection issues that bother him.
Also quoted in the Radio World article is Chris Boone, WB5ITT. He says that
the voices still sound computer-like and canned. Boone says he can hear the
digital artifacts in them and would not put them on a broadcast station.
Even so, the computerized Craig and Donna would be a welcome change to the
automatic I-D voices used on most ham radio repeaters today. (Radio World,
NOAA, NWS, others)
**
HAM RADIO ON THE BOOKSHELF: TUNE IN THE UNIVERSE
"Tune In The Universe" is a new book on CD-ROM by SETI League Director H.
Paul Shuch, N6TX. The book is unique in that it is both interactive with
the reader and because it can be read using any web browser. No special
reader software is required.
Why a book now? N6TX tells Amateur Radio Newsline that its kind of overdue:
--Shuch: "Ive been on the lecture circuit for SETI for the past seven years
and everywhere I go people ask if I have a book about all of this. Well, we
have a website but not everybody has an Internet connection and some other
peoples download speeds are a bit slow. So I took the best material from
seven years of running the SETI League and tried to put it together in one
convenient place."--
And that's exactly what Dr. Shuch has done. Called a ham radio operators
guide to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the book is divided
into six sections that cover every aspect of ham radio's involvement in SETI
as well as the ongoing search itself. Also included are a mix of photos and
even some songs that Dr. Shuch says should educate as well as entertain.
Why music you ask? N6TX says that its a fun way to learn about anything:
--
Shuch: "As any teacher knows, memory is enhanced and multiple learning
styles are accommodated by invoking as many different sensory pathways as
possible. That is, we educators try to stimulate the students auditory,
visual and tactile systems all at once to maximize the learning experience.
Why do you think we are always writing on a chalk-board and asking you to
take notes while we drone on in a monotone?
Somewhere along the line in my teaching career I figured out that music was
another sensory pathway worth stimulating. And, just maybe would make my
lectures a tad less monotonous. So I began introducing songs as learning
aids.
--
Tune In The Universe" is published by the American Radio Relay League and is
priced at under $25. For more information visit the League's website at
http://www.arrl.org. More about the SETI League is also to be found in
cyberspace. It's at http://www.setileague.org. (N6TX, SETI League,
ARNewsline(tm))
**
HAM RADIO AND EDUCATION: FAR ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIPS
Speaking of education, the Foundation for Amateur Radio, in Washington, D.C.
says that it plans to administer 62 scholarships for the 2002 through 2003
academic year. The foundation, which is made up of more than seventy-five
Amateur Radio Clubs fully funds seven of these scholarships using the income
from grants and its annual hamfest. The remaining fifty-five are
administered without cost to the donors. For more information or an
application, please contact the F-A-R Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale,
Maryland. The zipcode is 20783. You can also check the website at
http://www.amateurradio-far.org (FAR elease)
**
HAM RADIO ON THE INTERNET: NEW FLYING HAMS REMAILER
Joe Della Barba, N3HGB says that he has started a new Internet mailing list
for anyone interested in airmobile ham radio. In a web posting, Joe says
that he has been operating 2 meter airmobile for years now and finds it to
be lot of fun. Joe notes that A-P-R-S adds a whole new dimension to
airmobile operations these days as well. To become a part of that discussion
and lots more you sign up by sending an e-mail to
mailto:cqairmobile-subscribe at yahoogroups.com. (CQAIRMOBILE)
**
INTERNATIONAL - CANADA: DISABLED EXAMS
On the international front, word that an Industry Canada document pertaining
to the examination of disabled candidates will be ready for incorporation
into rules by January 31, 2002. This document, based on a proposal from
Radio Amateurs of Canada, will provide guidance to medical doctors when
asked to justify an exemption for disabled candidates for the Canadian
Amateur Radio examination process. (RAC)
**
INTERNATIONAL NEW ZEALAND: RADIO EDUCATION TRUST Amateur Radio Newsline's
South Pacific Bureau correspondent Jim Meachan, ZL2BHF reports that a
charitable foundation called the NZART Radioscience Education Trust, founded
in January 1998 is taking root. Jim explains that the trust was formed to
help and encourage persons wishing to further their education in the science
of radio. ZL2BHF says that the trust is financed from income produced from
invested donations. More information can be obtained from the NZART web
page at http://www.nzart.org.nz/nzart/nzart/trustweb.html (NZART)
**
DX
In the DX department, K5OE reports that OM5CM in the Slovak Republic has
been active the AMSAT Oscar 10 satellite. Also, ZS2ACP in South Africa
recently created a weekend pile-up onAO-40, operating when both Europe and
North America were in hiswindow. (GB2RS)
That was N0JK portable HC8 working the world the weekend of November 24th.
And he was not the only D-X being heard. The VHF Reflector was loaded with
reports from around the world of unexpected F 2 openings as more and more
hams buy radio gear and discover the magic of the Magic Band. (VHF
Reflector - audio supplied by KC6WFS)
And an Internet posting from the ARRL's Wayne Mills N7NG says that an
operation from war torn Afghanistan has been approved for DXCC credit.
Mills post says that The DXCC Desk has received acceptable documentation for
YA5T operated by ON4WW, ON6TT, S53R or SM7PKK. The documentation is for
QSOs made November 20, 2001 and after. No other callsigns or operations have
been approved as of this date. (VHF Reflector, OPDX, other DX remailers)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: A REPEATER CONTACT CONTEST?
And finally this week, while we here in the United States frown on
contesters interfering with repeater contacts, down-under its a different
story. Can you believe that Australia has a contest where only contacts
made over repeaters count toward the final score? Well they do and Q-News
Graham Kemp, VK4BB, is back again with the details:
--
Westlakes unique CQ Repeater Contest where amateurs are encouraged to put a
little life into usually quiet repeaters. The aim of all contests is to
promote good will between amateurs and to encourage on air activity. The big
difference with this CQ Repeater contest is that all contacts MUST be made
on repeaters.
The rules have been even simpler. Contest numbers do not have to be
exchanged - just keep a record of the station spoken to and on which
repeater and at what time the contact was made.
Contest Period is from 0001 local from 1st of January 2001 to 2359 local on
the 7th January. The bands are 10 Meters, 6 Meters, 2 Meters and 70
centimeters. The mode is FM only ad scoring is 1 point for each contact.
It doesn't get any simpler than that!
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of Q-News Australia.--
Could such a contest be successful in North America? Maybe, but we do not
know of any repeater owners who really want to find out. (Q-News)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, Amateur News Weekly, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio
Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB and Australia's Q-News, that's all from the
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is
mailto:newsline at arnewsline.org. More information is available at Amateur
Radio Newsline's(tm) only official website located at
http://www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), P.O. Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. All
amateurs Novice through Extra are eligible. Awards are decided by the Awards
Committee, based partially upon the information received. Magazine articles,
newsletters, newspaper clippings, videos and the like are appreciated but
cannot be returned. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2002.
Nominations can be submitted by US Mail to Post Office Box 964, Dayton Ohio
45401 or by completing the convenient e-form on the web at
http://www.hamvention.org.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jeff Clark,
K8JAC, saying God Bless America, 73, and we thank you for listening."
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.
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