[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1273 - January 4 2004

[Tim Miller]

AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE(tm) REPORT #1273 - January 4 2004

The following is a Q-S-T.  A "V-E team" finds a way to test kids in one of 
the most remote regions of the country and the FCC again says no to 
expanding PRB-.  These stories are first on Amateur Radio Newsline report 
number 1273 coming your way right now.

**

HAM RADIO TESTING REACHES WHITE MOUNTAIN ALASKA

Ham radio examinations have finally come to one of the remotest areas of 
the nation.  This, after a team of examiners from the W5YI VEC perform a 
fly-in examination session in White Mountain Alaska.  Amateur Radio 
Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has the details:

--

White Mountain is a remote fishing village in the far North- West of 
Alaska.  It's major claim to fame is that its the next to the last 
checkpoint for the famed Iditarod dog sled race.  And it wanted someone to 
come in and give ham radio exams.

The closest big city is Nome.  White Mountain is only about sixty miles 
from Nome but its over some rather treacherous terrain.  There are no roads 
in or out and all supplies to White Mountain have to be delivered by plane 
or boat.

But White Mountain does ham a ham radio operator for its mayor.  He is 
reindeer farmer Tom Gray KL0CQ.  And one of its school board members is 
Eric Morris KL7HT.  Both will tell you that a temperature of minus 40 
degrees Fahrenheit and a wind-chill factor of minus 100 degrees is not 
uncommon in winter.  These were the conditions faced by a four member W5YI 
VEC test team when it chartered a plane and flew in on December 11th to 
administer exams to four adults and fourteen youngsters who were determined 
to make ham radio a part of their life.

The trip which cost $800 for the flight alone was sponsored by the Seward 
Peninsula Amateur Radio Club.  Braving the weather were examiners Ramon 
Gandia AL7X, Michael Nurse KL7UJ, Scott Webber AL7RJ and Thomas Busch 
NL7H.  Al four are from Nome.  Most of those to be tested came from the 
Bearing Strait School District's only inland school.   They had all been 
studying for their Amateur license as part of a search and rescue 
course.  Neither the applicant or the VE team were disappointed.  All 
eighteen passed the Technician class exam.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP.

--

Those involved in ham radio testing are keenly aware of the problems faced 
by remote areas of Alaska.  At last July's VEC Conference in Gettysburg 
Pennsylvania Jim Wiley KL7CC told the group that many applicants in Alaska 
are denied n Amateur Radio license exam due to the inaccessibility of their 
locations or the high cost of travel in that state. (W5YI)

**

HAM RADIO AND THE LAW:  FCC SAYS NO ON PRB-1 EXPANSION REQUEST

Ham radio has lost yet another battle against deed restrictions, but the 
war is not over yet.  At least that's what the ARRL appears to be saying in 
a bulletin that describes the latest skirmish with the FCC over this 
politically volatile issue.

In the latest round, the FCC has affirmed a November 2000 staff-level 
decision that declined to include privately imposed deed covenants, 
conditions and restrictions under the limited federal preemption known as 
PRB-1.  That's the federal government policy requires municipalities to 
''reasonably accommodate'' amateur communication in antenna- related zoning 
and regulation.

The ARRL last year appealed to have the full FCC review the earlier denial. 
The Commission turned down the League's Application for Review December 18 
in a Memorandum Opinion and Order released December 26.  As a result, it 
now looks as if the ARRL will bypass any further dealings on this issue 
with the FCC and will look for congressional relief instead.

The FCC itself even hinted that Congressional action by the ham community 
might be a next logical step.  Its memorandum, opinion and order of 
dismissal did note that if Congress were to see fit to enact a statutory 
directive mandating the expansion of the FCC's  reasonable accommodation 
policy that the Commission would expeditiously act to fulfill its 
obligation there under.  Translated:  If Congress tells the FCC to include 
deed restrictions under the provisions of PRB-1, it will be more than happy 
to do so.  (ARRL)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  PROJECT JJ - HE EAGLE HAS LANDED

AMSAT-NA's newest satellite project, known as Project JJ for the past year, 
now has a new and official name.  This, as AMSAT North America President 
Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, announces that effective January 1, 2002, the 
satellite will officially be known as 'Eagle'.

The name Eagle was submitted by Bill Allen, W7US, of Tucson, Arizona.  It 
was selected from a list of forty-five names submitted by twenty-nine 
satellite operators.

For his winning suggestion, W7US will receive a free dinner at the annual 
AMSAT dinner held during the Dayton Hamvention.  We will have more ham 
radio space related news later on in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline 
report.  (AMSAT-NA, ANS)

**

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:  NORTHERN CAL TOWN CHOOSES HAM RADIO

Ham radio started the year with some very positive public exposure in the 
Los Angeles Times.  The January 1st edition featured an in depth article 
about a Northern California town that will tap into older  technology to 
prepare for future emergencies.

Worried that a disaster will knock out e-mail and cell phones, Los Altos 
Hills has decided to turn to its local ham radio community and make it the 
primary back-up to normal disaster preparedness communications.  And as you 
might expect, the hams are more than ready to oblige

The complete story can be read at the Los Angeles Times website.  The 
complex URL is http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000000203jan01.story. 
(Highlighted by ARNewsline)

**

AMERICA AT WAR:  POPCOMM COLUMNISTS SAYS "DONT TURN THE OTHER CHEEK"

Popular Communications writer Eric Force has some strong words that are 
obviously aimed at the pacifists who oppose the United States military 
retaliation against Osuma bin Laden and his al-Quida terrorist network.  As 
a response to those he calls the "do-gooders of the world" who promote 
turning the other cheek, Force says to look, really look at the attack that 
brought down New York City's World Trade Center twin towers.  He then says 
that it could have struck a lot closer to them.

Force says and we quote:  "Consider that it could have been you, your mom, 
dad, brother, sister other relative or a close friend in those planes and 
buildings who were terrorized, murdered and buried in the rubble."  He adds 
that just thinking about the incomprehensible terror, suffering and losses 
incurred by innocent human beings a the cowardly hands of international 
thugs continues to tear at his heart.

Force has dedicated his latest I-Waves column to the sights and sounds of 
September 11th that are available on the Internet and to the victims of the 
tragedy.  Its a very compelling article.  You can find it starting on page 
66 of the January edition of Popular Communications Magazine that's on 
newsstands right now.  (PopComm)

**

AMERICA AT WAR:  FEDS TO AID NYC TV STATION REBUILD

New York television stations will be getting federal help rebuilding 
transmitters that were destroyed in the September 11th terrorist attack on 
the World Trade Center.  A total of ten New York area stations will receive 
eight point two million to offset the thirty million to forty million 
dollar price tag for purchasing and constructing a new transmission facility.

According to the Broadcasting and Cable newsletter, Senator 
Charles  Schumer managed to secure the funding as addition to emergency aid 
appropriation for victims of the attacks. As previously reported, there is 
some speculation that the replacement transmitting facility could be a 1500 
to 2000 foot high stand-alone tower constructed near the former site of the 
Twin Towers.  (Broadcasting & Cable)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  NAL CANCELED

The FCC has canceled a proposed ten thousand dollar fine that it had issued 
to Jeffrey Alan Pettrey,  This, for his apparent violation of Section 301 
of the Communications Act involving operation of an unlicensed radio 
transmitter.

Back on July 30, 2001, the District Director of the Commission's Columbia, 
Maryland Field Office issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture 
in the amount of $10,000 to Pettrey for the infraction. Pettrey filed a 
response to the N-A-L on August 7, 2001 accompanied by documentation 
regarding his inability to pay the proposed fine.  After reviewing 
Pettrey's response, the FCC conclude that cancellation of the proposed 
$10,000 forfeiture is warranted based on Pettrey's inability to pay.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC CANCELS CONVICTED HAMS LICENSE

The FCC has canceled the Amateur license of Kenneth P. Kelly, WT2FBI,  of 
Greensboro North Carolina after Kelly failed to show up for a 
re-examination.  But at the time of the FCC retest order Kelly was 
otherwise occupied.  He was fighting criminal charges in relation to a 
jamming case in Ohio.  We have this report:

-- On November 30, 2001, Kenneth Kelly, the ex-WT2FBI was sentenced to 5 
years probation by the Judge H. J. Bressler in a Butler County Ohio 
court.  He had previously been indicted on a 4 th degree felony charge of 
disrupting public service by his jamming and talking on the Middletown Ohio 
police radio system.

At his hearing, Kelly agreed to a plea bargain.  He admitted his guilt to a 
reduced charge attempted disrupting public services.  At the time the FCC 
pulled his ham radio ticket Kelly was being held in the Butler County Ohio 
Jail pending sentencing.

By way of background, a person later proven to be Kelly was first noticed 
on the Middletown police radio channel the third week of July 
2001.  Initially the police dispatch radio system was not recording him but 
that was soon remedied by city radio technicians. After several days of 
taping, it was observed that the voice on the police radio was similar to 
one heard on the local 2 meter Amateur frequencies.

Several members of the Dial Radio Club then assisted police by monitoring 
and taping Kelly on the 2 meter band. Tapes from 2 meters and from the 
police were then voice printed the aid of computers to check 
similarities.  Dial club members also tried to direction find and locate 
the signal both on 2 meters and on the police channel.

Through some luck, detectives working with a metro housing police officer 
and discovered that Kelly was now living in their jurisdiction.  After they 
interviewed him, they felt that he was the person interfering.   As the 
investigation progressed, he admitted to detectives that he may have 
accidentally transmitted on their frequency by accident.  He claimed that 
his signal may have been mixing with an FM broadcast station and another 
ham repeater.

But Police did not believe it was accidental, because he was taped trying 
to talk directly to the police dispatcher and the cars.  Later Kelly did 
admit his guilt and entered into the plea bargain.  Now sentence has been 
passed by both the local court and the FCC.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, reporting.

--

When he was finally caught Kelly had a Yaesu VX-5 hand held in his 
possession that had been modified to transmit out of band.  The assistance 
of the Dial Radio Club members is credited with helping to  solve this case.

Note: Information and documents from the case can be obtained from the 
Butler County Ohio Clerk's office or online 
at:  http://www.butlercountyclerk.org/ Click on Butler County Court Records 
Search. Then enter Kenneth Kelly. (FCC, Dial ARC, others)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  MITNICK TO FIGHT TO KEEP HIS HAM LICENSE

Another ham who appears to be getting ready to do battle with the FCC is 
former computer hacker turned talk show host Kevin David Mitnick, 
N6NHG.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF has the latest:

--

As reported last week, the FCC is challenging Kevin David Mitnick's request 
to renew his ham radio license.  The agency claims that his criminal 
background raises a substantial and material question of fact as to whether 
Mitnick possesses the requisite character qualifications to be and remain a 
commission licensee.

Now, N6NHG has told the U-K Newspaper the Register: "It's just another 
example of them trying to harass me.  Now I've got to spend money to keep a 
ham license."

Mitnick insists that he has totally abandoned his former ways.  The 
Register article notes that that he was recently called to testify before 
Congress on federal computer security matters.  Also that he spent two days 
briefing the U-S Commission on National Security on these issues. Mitnick 
tells the Register that he cannot understand why the government is now 
questioning his character.

Mitnick is currently the host of the radio program called The Dark Side of 
the Internet.  It airs in the Los Angeles area from 5 to 7 a.m. Sunday 
mornings over radio station KFI 640 AM.  And in a recent appearance on 
Coast to Coast A-M hosted by Art Bell, W6OBB, Mitnick said that he is 
hoping for a career in computer security once his term of supervised 
release from prison has been completed.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.

--

The complete Register story and interview with Mitnick is on the web at a 
rather long and complex U-R-L.  You will find it at 
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/23494.html (Adapted from the Register)

**

INTERNET SECURITY:  CIA GOES OUT OF ENCRYPTION COMPANY FUNDING

And speaking of Internet security, word that a Central Intelligence Agency 
funded company that allowed Web surfers to browse anonymously has 
closed.  According to news reports, Emeryville California based SafeWeb 
enabled Internet users to gain access to the World Wide Web and browse 
sites through its encrypted service. This made their on-line habits and 
history untraceable.  In the 2000 - 2001 fiscal year,  SafeWeb received one 
million dollars in funding from the U-S Central Intelligence Agency's 
venture capital arm.  (published reports)

**

HAM RADIO BUSINESS:  AMATEUR RADIO TRADER CEASES PUBLICATION

Ham radio Internet auction sites may be responsible for a twice a month ham 
radio equipment sales magazine going away. This, after Amateur Radio Trader 
magazine announces that it has ceased publication.

According to Editor Barbara Patterson, KF4MMV, the Amateur Radio Trader was 
no longer a viable product.  She says that the firm will be redirecting its 
resources into other areas.

Meantime, the company has also pulled its amateuradiotrader.com website off 
line.  But unlike other publications which have gone under, in this case 
subscribers are being reimbursed for any outstanding issues.  In addition 
to handling buy and sell ads, Amateur Radio Trader also donated page space 
to advertising the annual Newsline Young Ham of the Year award.  (ARNewsline)

**

HAM RADIO HERITAGE:  MAKING WCC A PART OF THE FUTURE

A ham is campaigning to preserve part of radios past and have it become a 
part of the future.  This as Lewis Masson, K1LJ-S, says that the town of 
Chatham Massachusetts should convert the site of radio station WCC into an 
Amateur Radio station along with a training curriculum to teach the kids in 
the area about communications technology.

WCC is one of the original Marconi Marine Radio Stations. Masson is an 
ex-marine telex operator at WCC. The site was recently turned over to the 
town of Chatham and Masson believes it is important to preserve the 
operations building as an operating amateur radio station and keep the 
hotel building as a museum to preserve and display memorabilia.

Masson says over the Internet that he has formed a committee to work on 
this project and that they are looking for nationwide support for this 
campaign.  If preserving the past as an investment in the future is of 
interest to you, please contact K1LJS by e-mail to lemasson at juno.com. 
(Internet)

**

SPECIAL EVENTS:  HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY 2002

A reminder the third annual Ham Radio University event takes place on 
January 20, 2002.  Location is the Babylon Long Island New York Town Hall 
Annex with the doors opening at 9 a-m Eastern time.

Ham Radio University  is a day of education about Amateur Radio. This there 
will be twenty, one-hour presentations 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.  Besides the forums, there will be 
tables set up with information about the different groups, ham radio 
classes, exam session schedules, public service and other activities.

For more information about Ham Radio University, please contact its 
Chairman Phil Lewis N2MUN by e-mail to n2mun at optonline.net.  You can also 
get in touch with ARRL New York and Long Island Section Manager, George 
Tranos N2GA by e-mail to n2ga at arrl.org.  Also check the Ham Radio 
University website for a full list of forums, directions and talk-in 
information.  Its in cyberspace at 
http://www.arrlhudson.org/nli/hru2002.htm  (N2DO)

**

HAM RADIO RECORDS:  BEST OF THE WEST AND VHF CONTEST HONOR ROLLS

Tim Marek, K7XC, says that he has updated W6 / W7 & "Best In The West" 
VHF  Contest Honor Rolls.  They are now available at the following web sites.

http://k7xc.tripod.com/VHF_Records/index.html s the stand alone records 
page.  http://k7xc.tripod.com/K7XCweaksignal/ is where individual links can 
be found to each contest. (VHF Reflector)

**

HAM RADIO SCIENCE:  NEW 6 METER PROPAGATION BEACON IN WASHINGTON STATE

Rich Ewing, KO7N reports over the VHF Reflector that Bruce Shurtz, W7BAS, 
has installed a propagation beacon in gridsquare CN87TG near Kennmore 
Washington.  It operates on 50.069 MHz putting out 10 watts to a 5 element 
yagi pointing 90 degrees.  The beacon is operational 24 hours a day, seven 
days a week.  QSN reports go to W7BAS, at his callbook address.  (VHF 
Reflector)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  VERY FEW LAUNCHES

Peter Guezlow, DB2OS, reported that 2001 has turned out to be the slowest 
year for space launches in nearly 40 years. Ham radio or 
otherwise.  According to DB2OS, only 58 flights reached orbit, and there 
was one complete failure.

Guezlow says that historians note that we must look back to 1963 to find a 
year that produced fewer launches.  He says that in 2000 there were 82 
launches to orbit plus three failures.  By contrast the most productive 
year was 1984 when 129 launches delivered payloads into orbit.

But there is at least one bright note.  Russia successfully placed five 
satellites into orbit recently after launching them aboard a Zenit rocket. 
The cargo rocket, carrying three Russian, one Moroccan and one Pakistani 
satellite, took off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.  (AMSAT, ANS)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  NEW INDIA WEBSITE

The AMSAT-India website has been officially launched recently by the 
government of India and the Department of Space.  VU2POP says that you can 
check it out by taking your browser over to http://www.amsatindia.org.  (ANS)

**

CONTESTS:  HUNTING LIONS ON THE AIR

The 31st annual Hunting Lions in the Air contest will take place on 
the  weekend January 12th to the 13th. The contest period will be 48 hours 
and will run from midnight UTC Friday night to midnight UTC Sunday night, 
and all hams are welcome to participate.

According to its sponsors, the objective of this operating event is to 
create and foster a spirit of international understanding and cooperation 
among radio amateurs and members of the Lions Clubs through the use of 
world-wide radio communication.  The contest also commemorates the birthday 
of Melvin Jones, the founder of the Association of Lions Clubs who was born 
at Ft. Thomas, Arizona on January 13, 1879.  (Q-News)

**

DX

In DX, word that the recently postponed Ducie Island Dxpedition is on again 
for March.  Ducie Island became a DXCC entity last November and it 
immediately jumped to the top of the most wanted contact list.  But rough 
seas scuttle the first attempt to put it on the air.  (RSGB)

Meantime 6 meters continues to be the V-H-F D-X band of choice.  On Monday 
December 31st, Kevin Bishop WB8XX, says that he started hearing O-H-1-X-T 
at 1300 U-T-C on a backscatter path.   From then on until 1620 U-T-C he 
worked 8 new countries and over thirty new grids in Europe and Asia.  (VHF 
Reflector)

**

STRANGE TECHNOLOGY:  ARE CELLPHONES KILLING GHOSTS?

Now, from radio communications to the effect of radio communications on 
supernatural communications.  This, as a British expert who has spent years 
researching the occult says that cellular and other mobile phones are 
killing off ghosts.  Don Wilbanks KC5MFA has the details:

--

No, we are not kidding you.  In fact, Tony Cornell, of the Society for 
Psychical Research, has told the London Sunday Express that reports of 
ghost sightings started to decline when mobile phones were introduced 15 
years ago.

According to Cornell, ghost sightings had remained consistent for 
centuries.  In fact, until three years ago the society received one or two 
new ghost sighting reports every week.  But with the introduction of mobile 
phones 15 years ago, ghost sightings began to decline to the point where 
they are not receiving any.

And why are there no longer any ghosts being observed? Apparently 
paranormal events, which many scientists attribute to unusual electrical 
activity, my be drowned out by the electronic noise produced by cellular 
telephones and text messaging pager transmitters.  And according to the 
newspaper, the lack of ghost sightings could adversely impact on the 
nations economy.  It says that haunted tourist attractions in Britain could 
be under threat if the number of cellphones continues to grow from the 
present figure of about 39 million now in use in the U-K.

Don Wilbanks, KC5MFA.

--

And all of this begs that one question be asked.  If ghosts are the spirits 
of the dead, how can anything actually kill them?  (Science Today)

**

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 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 Mert 
Garlick, N6AWE, saying welcome to the year 2002, 73 and we thank you for 
listening."  Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright  2002.  All rights are 
reserved.

**