[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1294 - May 31 2002

[Tim Miller]

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1294 - May 31 2002
The following is a Q-S-T.  An airline pilot playing pirate radio 
operator finally gets caught and a tank you from the FCC to those who 
solved an R-F-I case.  These stories are first on Amateur Radio Newsline 
report number 1294 coming your way right now.

**

ENFORCEMENT:  AIRBORNE UNLICENSED STATION BUSTED

Hams down-under have busted an unlicensed operator who was not only on 
the air, but also in the air.  Rick Wornett, P29KFS, reports from Port 
Morsby:

--

For many years a non-qualified person has used the callsign P29VS from
locations all over Australia. When you find this unlicensed operation 
extending to aeronautical mobile  mode and being used all over 
Australia, even the most un-informed amateur must start to ask 
questions.

But no.  For years this pirate operation has gone un-reported by VK 
amateurs, many of whom talked daily with P29VS at either a fixed 
location in Victoria or aeromobile from various jet routes across 
Australia.  None of these licensed amateurs, supposedly aware of the 
terms of their license and the limitations of operating with a foreign 
call, ever queried the use of a P29 call in Australia.

In view of his long and un-challenged operating history, it is only  
fitting that the pirate should be closed down by P29 amateurs 
monitoring,  providing evidence and insisting that something be done by 
your ACA. 

First heard some years ago while mobile over Western Australia, the 
callsign was monitored recently and consistently on Tony's net on 14mHz.  
The P29 radio society queried PNG's administration and was informed that 
the call had never been issued. In fact this had been determined long 
ago  when an attempt was made to have a PNG license issued.  Further 
work including recordings of callsigns and place names identified  the 
operation as being within Australia. Action taken by the ACA in Victoria 
has now terminated the operation.

 For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm P29KFS Rick Warnett, IARU chairman P29.
--

The airline that the unlicensed operator works for was not revealed.  
(Q-News)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  A BIG THANK YOU FROM THE FCC

Back on this side of the Pacific, FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio 
Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth is saying thanks to some ham radio 
operators, some corporations and the ARRL.  He says that they all worked 
together to solve a long standing interference issue in the Cincinnati 
Ohio area:

--
AUDIO REPORT ONLY:  Hear it by downmloadingf the MP3 version at 
www.arnewsline.org.
--

Hollingsworth says that this was a very complex case and that everyone 
worked very diligently to resolve it.

**

RADIO RULES:  FCC WILL HEAR PETITION FOR REVIEW ON CC&R"S

Lee McVey, W6EM, tells Amateur Radio Newsline that the FCC has decided 
to consider his Petition for Review of the Dismissal of the ARRL 
Application for Review of RM-8763 which he filed in January.  The 
Bradenton, Florida ham says that this will offer the Commission to take 
another look at the CC&R issue now that preemption has also been 
extended to two-way Internet services.  This, because many such services 
cannot function effectively without an outside antenna.  

McVey says that although the regulations only permit opposition comments 
on his Petition, he would appreciate receiving any and all replies to 
opposition comments.  Send them by e-mail to lee.mcvey at prodigy.net.  
More information is at 
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-222345A1.doc

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS ON THE FIRE LINES IN NEW MEXICO

Ham radio has been aiding with communications as a wildfire -- dubbed 
the Borrego fire -- races across the New Mexico highlands.  According to 
Amateur Radio Newsline's Jay Miller, WA5WHN, in Albuquerque, the 145.19 
repeater atop Pajarito Mountain played a key role during evacuations of 
the towns of Cordova and Truchas.  This is the very same repeater used 
during the fire in Los Alamos. 

Jay reports that at one time over 40 members of New Mexico Search & 
Rescue has been placed on standby for this fire.  Almost all are hams 
with equipped with mobile High Frequency, VHF and UHF voice as well as 
A-P-R-S capabilities.

Bill Kauffman, W5YEJ, was is the New Mexico Emergency Coordinator.  He 
has been on the 145.19 MHz repeater assisting in communications and 
logistics.  Meantime, Lonnie Scott, AH2AZ, from Santa Fe coordinated 
efforts at the Emergency Operations Center that was opened in the town 
of Espanola with Dave Clark, KJ5KG, and  Terry Morton, N5XDF, at the 
Chimayo Elementary School.  The evacuation order for Truchas was finally 
lifted on Thursday May  23rd.  (WA5WHN)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  ARRL ATLANTIC DIVISION NAMES AWARD WINNERS

Hams from three ARRL Divisions will be honored for their volunteerism 
following the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and 
Washington D.C.

According to the ARRL Letter the 2002 Atlantic Division Amateur of the 
Year Award will be jointly presented to the amateurs of the Maryland-
District of Columbia Section, the Western Pennsylvania Section and the 
ARRL Hudson Division.  All three activated their emergency 
communications systems immediately following the attacks.  The 
Pennsylvania group handled communications where a jet that was 
highjacked crashed when passengers decided to act against the 
terrorists.  

The Atlantic Division awards committee has also named Bob Arnold, N2JEU, 
to be recipient of it's Technical Achievement Award.  As previously 
reported here on Amateur Radio Newsline, Bob Arnold operates the 
"N2JEU's Web Controlled Shortwave Receivers" from its home in cyberspace 
at www.ralabs.com/webradio.  (ARRL Letter)

**

RADIO RULES:  VEC'S TO MEET - YOUR INPUT WANTED

John Creel WB3GXW tells Amateur Radio Newsline that the annual 
conference of the nations Volunteer Examination Coordinators is 
scheduled for July 26th in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. This is the annual 
gathering where the majority of the VEC' meet with the FCC to discuss 
the all volunteer testing system and the way it can be improved.   
(WB3GXW)

**

CONVENTIONS:  DAYTON AND THE APRS GANG

APRS was a big hit at the recent Dayton Hamvention and the man who made 
the mode happen was there to talk about it.  A-P-R-S developer Bob 
Bruninga, WB4APR, talked with Amateur News Weekly's Jack Parker, W8ISH:

--

The APRS booths at the Dayton Hamvention were always crowded with 
amateurs seeking new information on the fast growing automatic position 
reporting system.    Bob Bruninga-WB4APR has been refining the 
technology for more than a decade.  With public service in mind Bruninga 
says DTMF tones can be used to further expand the APRS system.

Bruninga:  "What we are introducing this year is APRs using touch tones.  
So you can do that with any walkie talkie.  So show up at your event and 
want to report that you are at mile 13 in the marathon you enter a 
couple of digits and 13 and that tells everybody.  The computer will 
receive and convert that to an APRS position report showing you at mile 
marker 13."

At special events, voice nets often become busy.  APRS can relieve 
congestion. 

Bruninga:  "We hope by having the touch tone capability that everyone 
out there can enter data.  And that keeps traffic off the voice net 
which could be handled with a couple of key presses."

Bruninga has the DOS version ready to go.  He's now looking for help on 
other versions.

Bruninga:  "I am writing it in DOS to show people what it can do and am 
encouraging anybody to write it for a soundcard software because then 
it's totally software."  

Newly developed software and the growing popularity of APRS style radios 
are helping to expand the automatic position reporting system.  Bruninga 
says the marriage of aprs digipeaters and the Internet make it a global 
communications and information system.  

Bruninga:  "So, really what aprs is these days is a world wide packet 
distribution system for real time communications."  

Reporting from the 2002 Dayton Hamvention, this is Jack Parker, W8ISH.  


--

More on Hamvention 2002 in future Amateur Radio Newsline reports.  (ANW)

**

HANDI HAMS:  NEW PROMOTIONAL TAPE AVAILABLE

The Courage Hamdi Ham System says that it now has a ham radio tape 
available to blind members who want to promote amateur radio in the 
blind community.  The presentation covers the basics of what ham radio 
is and why it is a fun and useful activity. The tape is free to Handi 
Ham members for the asking.  For more information contact Handi Ham 
director Pat Tice by e-mail to wa0tda at arrl.net.  To get on the text-only 
Handi Ham Newsletter distribution list send and e-mail to handiham-
request at cs.vassar.edu.  In the subject line simply put the word 
"subscribe."  (Handi Hams)

**

RADIO RULES:  PART 15 AMENDED TO PROMOTE THE   DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH SPEED 
WIRELESS DEVICES

Turning to regulatory matters, the FCC has amended its rules to promote 
new digital transmission technologies for high-speed wireless 
communications.  Specifically, the Commission has modified Part 15 of 
its rules to permit new digital transmission technologies to operate in 
the 902 to 928 MHz, 2400 to 2483.5 MHz and 5725 to 5850 MHz bands.

(DO NOT READ:  The complete document is on the FCC website at 
fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-222567A1.doc  (Tnx CGC 
Communicator))

**

RADIO RULES:  TV "CARS BAND" TO BE SHARED

The FCC has also adopted a Report and Order that has expanded the 
eligibility for licenses in the Cable Television Relay or CARS service 
to all Multichannel Video Programming Distributors.  Now, Private Cable 
Operators, Direct Broadcast Satellite Operators, Open Video Systems, and 
others who provide multiple channels of video programming can join Cable 
Television Systems and Wireless Cable Systems in using CARS microwave 
frequencies to support their video programming distribution needs. This 
one can be found at 
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-222569A1.doc  (CGC 
Communicator)

**

SCIENCE NEWS: PERIODIC EARTHQUAKES DETECTED BY RADIO GPS

Turning to the radio science page.  Were you aware that once every 14 
months or so, portions of coastal British Columbia and northwestern 
Washington State experience an ultra-slow ground motion?  Or,  that if 
released all at once, this motion would generate an earthquake measuring 
more than 6 on the Richter scale?

Well that's what data from a network of G-P-S equipment spanning the 
region show, say scientists who presented their findings in the April 
meeting of the Seismological Society of America, held in Victoria, 
British Columbia.  Thankfully, these "silent earthquakes" are so slow 
that no one notices them, and no structural damage occurs.
More information is on the web at 
http://www.sciencenews.org/20020427/fob4ref.asp  (CGC Communicator)

**

SPACE AND SCIENCE:  AQUASAT LAUNCHED

NASA's Aqua spacecraft, which will orbit the Earth for six years and use 
a JPL-managed package to collect water cycle data has been launched from 
Vanderberg Air Force Base in California.  The 6,248-pound spacecraft was 
lifted into space on board a Boeing Delta II rocket.  The satellite is 
equipped with JPL's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument and will 
provide scientists with information on changes in ocean circulation, 
global precipitation and how clouds and surface water processes affect 
the Earth's climate.  (ANS)

**

INTERNATIONAL-UK:  HAM RADIO WILL HELP CELEBRATE QUEEN ELIZABETH'S 
GOLDEN JUBILEE

United Kingdom Amateur Radio operators will help to celebrate Queen 
Elizabeth's golden jubilee.  Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, has more:

--
Commencing next Saturday the 1st of June, the Scarborough Special Events 
Group will be on the air for 30 days as GQ0OOO to commemorate the 
Queen's Golden Jubilee. Activity will be on all HF bands, two metres and 
70 centimetres, using SSB, CW and PSK31. A special full-colour souvenir 
QSL will be issued to mark the occasion. Cards may be sent via the 
bureau or direct to club call G0OOO.  Jeramy Boot, G4NJH 

--

But that's not all.  According to the R-S-G-B, all U-K amateurs will be 
permitted to use the G-Q prefix " during the month of June to 
commemorate the Queen Elizabeth's accession to the royal throne.  
(GB2RS)

**

SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS:  AM ON THE AIR FROM HAMCOM

If you are one of those hams who still gets a thrill when you hear full 
carrier A-M transmissions, listen up.  This one is for you.  

Bob Peters, K1J, reports that Chapter 207 of the Quarter Century 
Wireless Association  is sponsoring an A-M special event station.  This, 
at the HAMCOM convention in Arlington, Texas on June  7 and 8. 

Peters says that station W-5-A will be located in the commercial 
exhibits area and will operate on 3.880 MHz and 7.290 daily from early 
morning until about 5 P-M both days.  He says that anyone attending 
HAMCOM is welcome to drop by and operate.  If you can't but do make 
contact on the air, a joint Q-C-W-A and HAMCOM  QSL will be available 
for an S-A-S-E.  Follow the Q-S-L directions given on the air.

Again that's station W-5-A on A-M from the Arlington Convention Center 
June 7 and 8.  (QCWA)

**

ON THE AIR:  VHF/UHF REPEATER QSO PARTY

Bob McHugh, N4BM, says that the Wichita Amateur Radio Club in Kansas is 
trying something new.  At least new to the United States.  It is an 
operating event in the form of a VHF and UHF Repeater QSO Party which 
has already met with great success down-under.  

According to McHugh, the rationale behind the repeater QSO Party  is to 
get newer hams and more experienced hams on the air at the same time and 
in the same place.  This, to exchange ideas and operation techniques.

McHugh sent along a copy of the rules for the event.  We have no way to 
list them here but if this idea interests you, contact him by e-mail to 
n4bm at arrl.net  (N4BM)

**

DX

In D-X, VK8HA says that the war in Afghanistan may have removed an 
irritant from the air.  According to Henry, when the first bunkerbuster 
bombs were dropped near Kabul, a rather strong signal on 14.180 appears 
to have been blown off the air.   And V-U-2-U-R adds that that a 
broadcast station on 7.085 MHz also went off the air at the same time.  
This leads to speculation that the two transmitters were at the same 
location.  

A lot higher in frequency, there is a new 432.300 Mhz CW beacon now in 
operation near Sausalito, California.  It signs the call K-6-E-R and 
runs 2 watts into a horizontally polarized antenna.  The K-6-E-R Beacon 
is located in grid square C-M 87 at 1125 feet above sea level.

Lastly, word that G-4-H-C-L who was due to travel to Yemen, on Wednesday 
the 22nd of May, has postponed his trip.  This, due to illness in his 
family.  G-B-2-R-S reports that he was slated to operate from Yemen as 
7-O-1-C-L.   (From various DX sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  HAM RADIO LICENSING IN ZL

And finally this week, we take another look at the new simplified path 
to becoming a ham radio operator in New Zealand.  We take another look 
through the eyes of Q-News Graham Kemp, V-K-4-B-B:

--

In ZL from October 2001 there were only two grades of  amateur radio 
licence, Limited and General.  In the early 1990's, the New Zealand 
administration devolved the examining and testing for the Amateur Radio 
Examination to NZART, the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters 
(Inc.)

The examination paper has 60 multiple-choice questions taken from a 600-
question public-domain question-bank.  Seventy of the 600 questions are 
devoted to the Radio Regulations, twenty to the Frequency bands and ten 
to the Q-code.  The remaining five hundred are about electronics, radio 
communications and operating.  The results are given before the 
candidate leaves the examination site.

--

Kind of sounds a bit like the way we in the United States have been 
testing candidates since the introduction of the all volunteer testing 
scheme, well over a decade ago.  (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 newsline 
@arnewsline.org.  More information is available at Amateur Radio 
Newsline's(tm) only official website located at 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 Jim 
Damron N8TMW and Im Jeff Clark K8JAC saying 73, and we thank you for 
listening."  Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright  2002.  All rights 
reserved.