[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1272 - Dec 28, 2001
Tim Miller
tmiller at nethawk.com
Sun Dec 30 12:27:31 EST 2001
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de
The Newsline Production Team
==========================================
The following is a Q-S-T.
A not so welcome FCC Christmas present for several hams and an ARRL
survey says that most hams no longer want the novice bands. These
stories are first on this New Years week edition of the Amateur Radio
Newsline coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC DESIGNATES KEVIN MITNICK, N6NHG, LICENSE RENEWAL
APPLICATION TO PUBLIC HEARING
A convicted computer hacker now has to face an FCC if he wants to keep
his ham radio license. This, as the regulatory agency designates the
Amateur Radio license renewal application of Kevin David Mitnick, N6NHG,
for hearing. We have this report:
--
According to the FCC, Kevin David Mitnick is best known to the world as
a hacker who admitted that he broke into a number of computer systems
and stole proprietary software belonging to Motorola, Novell, Fujitsu,
Sun Microsystems and other companies. He has also admitted using a
number of means to commit his crimes including social engineering,
cloned cellular phones ad sniffer programs placed on a victims computer
system. Mitnick even acknowledged altering the programming of computer
systems belonging to the University of Southern California and using
these computers to store programs that he had misappropriated.
Mitnick was sentenced to forty six months in federal prison for his
August 9th 1999 conviction. He had previously been sentenced to twenty-
two months in prison for possessing cloned cellular phones after his
arrest in North Carolina in 1995 and for violating his supervised
release that had been imposed after his conviction for unrelated
computer fraud in 1989. He is currently on probation following his
release from prison in January of 2001. And in December of 1999, Kevin
David Mitnick, N6NHG, applied for renewal of his Amateur Radio Station
and his General Class Operators License.
His license expired on December 12th 1999. The FCC put the renewal
application on hold pending further inquiry. Now the agency has made
public that it intends to challenge Mitnick's right to hold a ham radio
license and has issued a Hearing Designation Order. In plain English,
that means Kevin David Mitnick has to prove to the government why it
should renew his ham ticket or have his license cancelled.
The FCC is challenging Mitnick's license renewal request on the ground
that his past criminal behavior raises a substantial and material
question as to whether Mitnick possesses what the it terms as the
requisite character qualifications to remain a Commission licensee. The
FCC says that in the context of broadcasting licenses, it has long held
that evidence of any conviction for misconduct constituting a felony
will be considered as relevant to its evaluation of an applicant's
character. It also says that the broadcast character qualifications
standards have been used as guidelines in the evaluation of non
broadcast licenses including those in the Amateur Service and that the
courts have upheld the Commission's right to do this.
The agency cites two recent cases. That of Herbert L. Schoenbohm, the
ex-KV4FZ and Leslie Brewer who used to be KC4HAZ. Brewer, also known as
the Tampa Party Pirate lost his ticket because of his unlicensed
broadcasting in the commercial F-M band . Schoenbohm lost his based on a
fraud conviction of using an unauthorized telephone access device. And
the FCC says that any conviction for fraudulent conduct calls in
question a licensee's ability to act in a manner consistent with FCC
regulations.
And so the FCC has ordered that a hearing be held before an
Administrative Law Judge to determine the effect of the criminal
convictions of Kevin David Mitnick on his qualifications to be a
Commission licensee. It also says that pursuant to provisions of the
Communications Act, the burden will be on Kevin David Mitnick, N6NHG, to
provide proof that his license renewal application should be granted.
Mitnick was given 20 days of the mailing of the Hearing Designation
Order to file a response.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Andy Jarema, N6TCQ.
--
The hearing designation order on Mitnick's license was adopted by the
Commission on December 11th but not released until Friday, December
21st. Ironically, less than twenty-four hours earlier, Mitnick had made
a guest appearance on Art Bell's Coast to Coast A-M where he discussed
his future plans. At that time he was apparently unaware that the FCC
had some plans of its own in regard to whether or not N6NHG will remain
a radio amateur and Commission licensee.
The complete text of the Mitnick FCC Hearing Designation Order is on the
web at:
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2001/db1221/fcc01359.txt
(FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: GERRITSON LICENSE PLACED ON HOLD PENDING POSSIBLE HEARING
Kevin Mitnick, N6NHG, is not the only person hearing from the FCC in
recent days. So have a number of others including another Southern
California resident who could face the same kind of a hearing. Riley
Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, is the FCC's Special Counsel for Amateur Radio
Enforcement:
--
Hollingsworth: "We notified a Bell California licensee; Jack
Gerritson, ex-KG6IRO, that the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, had
set aside his Technician grant so that a recent conviction for radio
interference could be evaluated. Now, he has no authority to operate
Amateur Radio equipment until the matter is resolved."
--
The action to place Gerritson's license up for hearing was taken
November 14, 2001 and is based in part upon complaints about the
operation of his station and questions regarding Gerritson's
qualifications to be a Commission licensee. The FCC says that both
issues were raised as the result of Gerritson's 1999 arrest and year
2000 conviction for interference to police radio communications. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC REOPENS KY-W.VA REPEATER CASE
The FCC is also continuing its crackdown in the area of repeater
interference issues. In fact it is taking a second look at a
coordinated versus uncoordinated issue in the Tennessee and West
Virginia border area. Again, Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH:
--
Hollingsworth: "We notified parties in a repeater dispute in West
Virginia that we would be reopening that case after information that one
of the repeaters is coordinated after all. We had declined to intervene
earlier this year in that case."
--
The letter stating that the FCC is reopening that case went to Michael
Horn, KB8GDF, of Lenore West Virginia, Kenneth Brown KF8HL of Davin West
Virginia and Carl Tussey, KB4UCE of South Williamson Kentucky. Back on
January 24, 2001, had notified the three that it had received a
complaint that they were operating an uncoordinated repeater on 145.390
MHz in Mingo County, West Virginia, and that this repeater was causing
interference to the coordinated KC8FKP repeater operated by the
Portsmouth Radio Club that uses the same frequency. The matter was
closed when the FCC interpreted a notation in the South-Eastern Repeater
Associations Repeater Journal that the status of the KC8FKP repeater was
not known and interpreted this as meaning that the repeater was also was
not coordinated.
But now the FCC says that it has recently come to it's attention that
although in the SERA Repeater Journal says that the KC8FKP repeater may
be listed as unknown, it is still a coordinated system. Therefore, the
FCC is re-opening its review of the issues in this matter. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: IS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY RUNNING A HAM REPEATER?
Is a government agency operating ham radio repeaters in violation of
Part 97 rules? Specifically, the FCC wants to know who is really
running the KD6LSO and W6SON repeaters in Sonoma County California.
The FCC says that it has received allegations that the county is in
charge not the hams whose call signs appear on the machines. Since a
county governmental entity cannot be an Amateur licensee, the FCC is
collecting information in order to determine if there are breach of its
rules. (FCC)
**
RESTRUCTURING: ARRL STUDY SAYS NOVICE BANDS MAY NOT BE NEEDED
An ARRL study group has recommended doing away with the current novice
bands and divvying them up among the remaining licenses classes.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has the details:
--
An ARRL Novice Spectrum Study Committee has recommended that the League
petition the FCC to eliminate the CW novice subbands. It also wants a
rules change that will allow Novice and Technician licensees with
element 1 credit to be permitted to operate Morse code on the General
80, 40, 15 and 10 meter C-W allocations at up to 200 watts power out.
These are just two of the suggestions contained in a report that will be
presented to the Leagues Board of Directors when that group convenes in
mid January. The study committee will also suggest recognizing
portions of the 80, 40, 15 and 10 meter Morse bands for what it calls
''slow CW operation.'' The committee says that this would aid new
operators in enhancing their Morse code skills.
Finally, the panel also recommends re-farming -- that's another way of
saying reapportioning -- reapportioning the current Novice and Tech Plus
subbands in part. This, to allow expansion of the phone allocations on
80, 40 and 15 meters.
What will the ARRL Board of Directors do? We should know in less then a
month.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP
--
The committee's determinations were based on opinions expressed by 4744
hams who respond to an ARRL Novice Spectrum Study survey launched last
June. Those expressing their opinions included ARRL members and also
non-members. What's really interesting is that nearly 61% of those
responding were Extra class licensees. (ARRL bulletin)
**
FCC INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT: THE NAMES THE SAME
The latest report of the FCC's Office of the Inspector General contained
very few items of intrigue. But according to the C-G-C Communicator,
one of the more colorful incidents involved a person who allegedly used
the name of an FCC employee to obtain the government-rate for a hotel
room in conjunction with a government-sponsored event.
Well, it turns out that the subject was legitimately attending the
event, was entitled to the government room rate and just happened to
have the same name as the FCC employee. The bottom line: Case
dismissed.
The complete report is on the FCC website at
http://www.fcc.gov/oig/Semiannual093001-1101.pdf (CGC Communicator)
**
AMERICA AT WAR: NYC PHONE SERVICE STILL SPOTTY
It's been almost four months since the attack on the World Trade Center,
and telephone service near ground zero in lower Manhattan is anything
but normal.
According to news reports, repair people have restored service to most
customers, but thousands of lines still aren't working. As a result,
customers complain that some business lines can call out, but customers
can't call in.
The collapse of Seven World Trade Center crushed thousands of
underground cables at Verizon's nearby switching station. About 200-
thousand telephone lines and three-point-five million data circuits were
affected. The company says it'll spend as much as one-point-nine
billion dollars to repair the damage. (Telecommunications Online)
**
INTERNET SECURITY: PROBLEMS WITH XP
If you just bought a new computer equipped with the Microsoft X-P
operating system, or have upgraded your old one, listen up. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation says that you should take certain steps to
protect yourself against hackers who might try to take advantage of
major flaws that have been found in X-P.
The bureau's National Infrastructure Protection Center says that in
addition to installing a free software fix offered by Microsoft on the
company's Web site, consumers and corporations using Windows XP should
disable the product's universal plug and play features as well. The FBI
also warned computer system administrators to actively monitor for
specific types of Internet traffic that might indicate an attack was
under way.
The FBI did not provide detailed instructions how to disable plug and
play. Outside experts also caution that disabling the affected Windows
XP features threatens to render unusable an entire category of high-tech
devices about to go on the market. This includes a new class of
computer printers that are easier to set up. But the same experts also
acknowledge that disabling plug and play in X-P could afford some
protection against similar flaws discovered in the future.
Microsoft considers disabling plug and play options as being unnecessary
but the company does acknowledge that Windows X-P suffers from serious
problems that can let hackers steal or destroy data files across the
Internet or implant their own unwanted software. The FBI says that the
glitches were unusually serious because they allow hackers to seize
control of all Windows X-P operating system software without requiring a
computer user to do anything except connect to the Internet. (Published
news reports)
**
THE LAW: A FIGHT AGAINST GRAY MARKET ELECTRONICS
A group of American high-tech companies is opening the year 2002 with a
campaign to protect consumers from unwittingly buying consumer
electronic products intended for foreign markets. Electronics that the
manufacturers claim may not work in the United States.
Compaq Computer is one of the companies involved in the campaign. It
says that the group will warn consumers about the dangers of buying such
products, and how to avoid getting duped. The other companies in the
group are Hewlett-Packard, 3 Com, Nortel Networks, and Xerox. The
effort may prompt more lawsuits against distributors who resell so
called gray market items in the United States. (Computer Products
Daily)
**
SPECIAL EVENTS: USS ARIZONA K7A A SUCCESS
Steve Gurley, KJ7WK the coordinator of the USS Arizona Special Events
Station K7A tells the Amateur Radio Newsline that the event was an
overwhelming success. Gurley says that the memorial station contacted
amateurs in all 50 states, and 8 other countries while handling over
2600 QSO's. In fact says KJ7WK, the sponsoring group has already
received certificate requests from 609 stations as we go to air. There
were ten operators in three counties in the Phoenix Arizona metroplex
operational during most of the three days K7A was on the air. (KJ7WK)
**
SCHOLARSHIPS: DARA SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2002
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association says that the nominating period for
its annual scholarship program is now open. The deadline to receive
applications is June 1, 2002 and the announcement of winners will occur
around June 15, 2002. Applications are available from the DARA
Scholarship Committee, 9873 Lower Valley Pike, Medway, Ohio 45341.
Please note that this is a new address from years past. Again it is the
DARA Scholarship Committee, 9873 Lower Valley Pike, Medway, Ohio
45341. Also, for more information on the Dayton Amateur Radio
Association and its programs, please visit http://www.dara-w8bi.com on
the world wide web. (DARA)
**
AWARDS: DARA OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR HAM OF THE YEAR
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association also asks that we remind you that
the nominating period for the 2002 Dayton Hamvention Awards is now open.
There are three awards presented each year. They are the Radio Amateur
of the Year, Special Achievement, and Technical Excellence.
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 should be sent to Post Office Box 964,
Dayton Ohio 45401. They can also be submitted by completing the e-form
on the web at http://www.hamvention.org. (DARA)
**
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: BADGER STATE SMOKE SIGNALS EDITOR JIM
ROMALFANGER, K9ZZ - SK
I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.
The ham who put the state of Wisconsin on the ham radio map has passed
away. This, with word that Jim Romelfanger, K9ZZ died Saturday evening
December 22nd of an apparent heart attack..
According to Romalfanger's close friend Ken Ebneter, K9EN, Jim has been
in declining health for some time. Romalfanger had a stroke a few weeks
ago, affecting his right arm which was already weakened by polio. But
Ebneter says that K9ZZ seemed to be improving until just recently.
Ebneter says that Romalfanger had been in the hospital early last week
but was home when he passed away of an apparent heart attack. In fact,
K9ZZ had stopped by to visit a ham radio friend that afternoon. Another
friend found him dead that evening when he stopped by to visit.
His full name was Arthur James Louis Romelfanger but to the world of ham
radio he was Jim, K9ZZ. And Jim Romalfanger made Wisconsin a ham radio
household word by editing as three decade state-wide ham radio monthly
newspaper called Badger State Smoke Signals -- and doing so as a
volunteer.
Notice we said newspaper and not newsletter. This is because Smoke
Signals is just that. A newspaper that at its peak ran up to 40 pages
filled with articles about ham radio in the Badger State. In addition
to being the 32 year editor of Smoke Signals, Romalfanger was nationally
published over the years in CQ, QST, 73, Ham Radio, Popular Electronics,
and other magazines.
Jim Romalfanger was first licensed January 1958 in Pacific Beach,
California, as KN6LWB. Upgraded to General in May of 1958. He returned
to Wisconsin that summer and became K9PKQ. In 1977, changed call to
K9ZZ and held that call sign the rest of his life. Funeral services were
scheduled for Friday, December 27th at St. Joseph Catholic Church in
Baraboo Wisconsin.
Jim, from all of your friends at the Amateur Radio Newsline: We are
going to miss you. (The Baraboo News Republic, K9EN, WB9QZB, and other
friends of K9ZZ contributed to this report.)
**
AMAZING DISCOVERIES: CIRCLES WITHIN A CIRCLE
One of the most curious pure mathematical discoveries for 2001 was
announced in the easy-to-read article at an incredibly long website. In
brief the article says that research has led to some remarkable
geometric findings involving interrelationships between tangent circles
and spheres. In other words, mysterious circles within a circle.
As one researcher put it, "Where do these numbers come from? What's
going on here?" Find out by going to
http://www.sciencenews.org/20010421/bob18.asp (CGC Communicator)
**
INTERNATIONAL - CANADA: NEW ALBERTA SM
On the international front, word that Thomas Martens, VE6TRM, has been
appointed the new Radio Amateurs of Canada Section Manager for the
province of Alberta and the North West Territories. Martens replaces
Alan Faint VE6QQ will be stepping down from the position due to personal
reasons. Martens will serve the remainder of Faint's term which runs
through June 30th, 2003. (RAC)
**
INTERNATIONAL-AUSTRALIA: CSIRO MICROTURBINES
Australian hospitals, restaurants and schools could soon source clean,
reliable energy from mini power generators that operate independent of
the main grid. This as CSIRO has installed Australia's first commercial
microturbine, at their North Ryde Laboratory, Sydney.
The size of a small refrigerator, the turbine produces 30 kilowatts of
power, independent of the electricity grid. And it does this with
reduced greenhouse and other gas emissions. Thirty kilowatts is enough
to power a medium commercial building such as a restaurant.
Along with fuel cells, gas engines, storage technologies and some
renewable technologies, microturbines can be used to generate power
close to the end-user and provide major gains in reliability and power
quality. Once the design can trickle down to the home user level and
price range, it could offer hams a way of always having emergency power
always at hand. (Q-News)
**
SHORTWAVE MONITORING : RADIO NORWAY CLOSES
The Board of Directors of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation has
decided to stop its own programs by Radio Norway International. This is
effective as of December 31st of 2001.
According to DF5SX and G3VGW, Radio Norway's final show was hosted by
veteran broadcaster Einar Lie on New Years Eve. Also, the 1200 kilowatt
Medium Wave transmitter on 1314 kHz on Kvitsoy was supposed to cease
operation by December the 31st as well.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation will have to negotiate with
transmitter providers Norkring and Radio Denmark to close down as well.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and Norkring have a contract for
running the transmissions that goes through December 31st, 2003. The
agency also has a leasing agreement with Radio Denmark for the same
period. (Media Network)
**
DX
In D-X, keep an ear open for King George Island in the South Shetland
group. HFZ0POL is reported on all H-F bands, including the newer ones,
using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31. QSL HF0POL via SQ5TA.
And the United Arab Emerates has been heard lately A61AJ. He has been
QRV on 40 meters CW around 1400 UTC. Q-S-L A61AJ via N4QB. (Various
DX sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: RILEY SAYS THANKS
And finally as the year 2001 comes to an end, the FCC's Chief Rules
enforcer, Riley Hollingsworth has some words of praise for the ham radio
community. He passed them along through his bi-weekly Enforcement Log
at http://www.rainreport.com, and thanks to them, we have is words for
you:
--
Hollingsworth: "I would like to point out Hap, that this is the end of
the third year of Amateur Radio enforcement and I will honestly say that
the overall level of compliance in the Amateur Radio Service is
outstanding. The Amateur licensees do a great job and they do a great
job of showing that the Amateur Radio Service is -- indeed -- the only
fail-safe communications system in the world and we are very proud of
them."
--
And if I can take off my reporters hat for a moment and editorialize a
bit, I guess I speak for many who truly appreciate what you have done to
return the Amateur Radio bands to the law abiding members of the nations
ham radio community. (ARNewsline(tm), RAIN)
**
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.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don
Wilbanks, KC5MFA, saying Happy 2002, God Bless America, and we thank you
for listening." Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2001. All
rights reserved.
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