[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1320 - November 29, 2002

Fri Nov 29 17:53:39 EST 2002

Amateur Radio Newsline 1320 - November 29, 2002

The following is a Q-S-T.  The International space station gets a new 
crew and all are ham radio operators.  Newly licensed Solomon Island 
hams take on an emergency communications challenge and good news for 
a California ham.  These stories and more are coming your way on 
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1320 right now.

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  NEW ALL HAM CREW ARRIVES AT ISS

The international Space Station has a new crew which plans to start 
operating the ARISS Amateur Radio station in about three weeks.  They 
boarded the staton on Monday the 25th of November.  They plan to be 
there for about 6 months.  All three are licensed hams.  

Look for Ken Bowersox KD5JBP, Nikolai Budarin RV3FB and Don Pettit, 
KD6MDT.  They will use the  Space Stations calls ... RS0ISS over 
Europe and NA1SS for the United States.  Contacts can be heard on the 
downlink frequency of 145.80 MHz.

They replace Peggy Whitson, Valerie Korzun and Sergi Treschev.  
Valerie,  RZ3FK, was very active, on the air almost every day, while 
Peggy conducted many memorable school contacts.  (ARISS)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  SOLOMON ISLAND NEWS HAMS PROVIDE DISASTER RELIEF

We reported their graduation last week.  And while the signatures on 
their ham licenses may not yet be dry, a group of Solomon Island hams 
are already off on their first rescue radio adventure to Malaita 
Island:

--

Thats right Roy.  Q-News reports that three graduates from the 
Amateur Radio Training School of the Solomon Islands have gone by 
ship to provide emergency communications for flood affected areas on 
Malaita Island, near Guadalcanal. With them are with 19 tons of rice 
along with officials of the National Disaster Council.

These new Hams will operate a ham radio station at the Red Cross 
clinic on South Malaita island.  They will report on the distribution 
of supplies to the National Disaster Council HQ in the Capital of 
Solomon Islands.  

This is the first humanitarian deployment of the school's initial 
graduates.  It also provides the Solomon Island hams their first real 
experience in helping people with radio knowledge of Amateur Radio.

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

--

The three hams making the trip are identified as H44MKA, H44WSB and 
H44SF.  As we go to air they should be operational from a Red Cross 
clinic set up on the south end of the island.  More information is on 
the web at www.h44A.com  (Q-News)

**

RADIO POLITICS:  HAM CCR BILL DIES AS CONGRESS CONCLUDES SESSION

The 107th Congress has adjourned without taking any action on an ARRL 
sponsored legislative measure to free Amateur Radio of land use 
restrictions commonly known as C-C and R's.  The ARRL indicates it 
plans to try again when the 103rd Congress convenes early in 2003.  
(ARRL)

**

RADIO AND THE LAW:  CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH HAM

Still with antennas and land use, we have an update on the court 
battle of  Mark Abrams, WA6DPB versus the city of Rancho Palos Verdes 
California.  Amateur radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the 
good news:

--

The good news is that the California Supreme Court has upheld the 
right of a California property owner to use antennas on his property 
for any reason he wants.  It did so on  Friday, November 15th when it 
denied the request of the the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to hear an 
appeal of the decision of the California State Court of Appeals in 
the case of The City of Rancho Palos Verdes vs. Mark J. Abrams.  This 
means that the decision of the Court of Appeals is now state law.

The earlier decision of the said that Amateur Radio operators are 
entitled to an "exalted" status, thus giving amateurs new hope for 
getting antenna arrays approved.   And Abrams says that there are 
many precedents that can be extrapolated from this ruling, but he 
says that the case clearly establishes that a city in California 
cannot tell a resident what to do with an antennas once they approve 
the actual array.

According to Abrams, the legal precedent applies only to California.  
But he says that when most states are looking to set a precedent, 
they will look to either California or New York.  And since there is 
no precedent in New York on this subject, it makes California the one 
to serve as a guide to other states.

For the Amateur Radio, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.  
(WA6DPB)
--

Abrams tells Amateur Radio Newsline that he is now going to file with 
the Federal Court of Appeals to declare the City's appeal of his 
injunction against the City of Rancho Palos Verdes as moot.  

**

RESCUE:  ZL1AMO REPORTED ON LIFE SUPPORT
The Radio Society of Great Britain reports that well-known D-
X'peditioner Ron Wright, ZL1AMO, has been taken ill. According to 
Wright's  daughter Terri, her dad suffered collapsed lungs while in 
Fiji.  He was air lifted by an emergency air ambulance to Auckland 
New Zealand where he was initially reported to be in critical 
condition and on life support.  

A later report from Terri Wright says that her father is currently in 
stable but guarded condition.  The RSGB says that Wright had been 
operating from Fiji as 3D2RW.  Regular updates on Wrights condition 
are being posted to the web at www.papays.com/opdx.html  (RSGB, 
ZL2BHF)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  EX-HAM ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED ATTACK ON POLICE OFFICER

A former ham who resigned from Amateur Radio has been arrested in the 
hills of North Carolina following a manhunt that has lasted over a 
year. Steve Anderson, the ex-AA8DP, is accused of shooting at a 
police officer.  

Anderson was a member of the Kentucky State Militia, a civilian 
paramilitary group, until April 2001.  As previously reported, that  
militia group dismissed Anderson because he refused to shut down his 
unlicensed radio operation.  (Published news reports)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  ATT FINED FOR TOWER VIOLATIONS

The Federal Communications Commission has released an order imposing 
a $117,000 fine against AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. for safety-
related violations of the Communications Act and the Commission's 
antenna structure rules.  This action follows routine antenna 
structure inspections and related investigations conducted by 
Commission field offices throughout the country.  

Before issuing the fine the FCC determined that AT&T Wireless 
committed seven separate violations of the antenna structure 
requirements as outlined under Part 17 of the Commission's rules.  
Included were failure to register, light, and paint antenna 
structures, and failure to post antenna structure registration 
numbers at the base of the antenna structures.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  VICTORVILLE CA PIRATE STILL ON THE AIR

Another unlicensed station has been discovered in California.  
According to Chris Compton writing in the CGC Communicator, he 
noticed a pirate operating on 90.9 MHz in Victorville while driving 
through the town not that long ago.  

Compton,  who is a Director of Engineering said that the unlicensed 
transmitter was taking out KGZO on  90.9 MHz in Shafter.  The pirate 
was also heard doing commercials for his Nextel Store in Victorville.

Now here's the best part.  When Compton called the unlicensed 
operator, the person responded that he had a "demonstration license" 
from the FCC and that it was good for one year.  He told Compton that 
the licensed allowed him to "demonstrate" the line of  transmitters 
he was selling along with custom built antennas for the FM band.  He 
then asked Compton if I wanted to buy one.

The first monitoring of the pirate was in September.  Compton said 
that he reported the situation to the FCC.  He adds that he was in 
Victorville not long ago and the pirate was still on-the-air.  (CGC 
Communicator)

**

RADIO POLITICS:  JONATHAN ADELSTEIN SWORN IN AS FCC COMMISSIONER

FCC nominee Jonathan Adelstein has been sworn in to fill the 
Commission's remaining open slot.  Adelstein will finish out the term 
of former Commissioner Gloria Tristani, which ends in June.

According to the ARRL Letter, the White House nominated Adelstein 
last February.  But the nomination of the Democrat and a protg of 
South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle had been held hostage for most of 
this year because of political wrangling over several judicial 
nominations.  (ARRL)

**
CONVENTIONS AND HAMFESTS:  HAM RADIO UNIVERSITY 2003

LIMARC -- The Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club - will hold the 
2003 edition of its very popular Ham Radio University on Sunday, 
January 19th.  Location is the East Woods School in Oyster Bay New 
York with the doors opening at 8 A.M. Eastern Standard Time.

Ham Radio University is a day-long session of intensive training in 
just about every aspect of Amateur Radio.  The focus will be "hands 
on" with many demonstrations.  And this year there will be special 
forums geared to the non-ham as well as the experienced ham radio 
operator. 
There will also be a V-E testing session for those who would like to 
take an FCC exam and a Special Event Station set up and operational 
on the High Frequency bands.  

Ham Radio University  is a cooperative effort between over twenty 
clubs and organizations in the New York City- Long Island area. It is 
also the American Radio Relay League, New York City-Long Island 
Section Convention. For more information about Ham Radio University 
please contact George Tranos  by e-mail to  N2GA at arrl.org.  (LIMARC)

**

GATHERINGS AND MEETINGS: MORSE CAMP IN THE U-K

 A Morse code training camp is planned for the weekend of the 11th 
and 12th of January 2003 in the United Kingdom. The venue will be The 
Beacons, Simons Lane, in the town of Frodsham. For further details 
please contact either Catherine Pearson at RSGB HQ or Kath Wilson, 
the RSGB Regional Manager for North West England. Pearson can be 
contacted on by e-mail: toar.dept at rsgb.org.uk.  Wilson can be reached 
at  dwilson at btinternet.com  (GB2RS)

**

HAMVENTION 2003:  "THE YEAR OF THE YOUNG"

The 2003 Dayton Hamvention will have "The Year of the Young" as its 
overall theme.  Planners say that the show's focus will be on the 
young ham and on bringing 12 to 18 year olds into the Amateur Radio 
hobby.  More information will be posted on-line at www.hamvention.org 
as soon as final plans are made firm.  (Dayton Hamvention)

**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  MICROSOFT EASES RESTRICTIONS ON NEW XP MEDIA 
CENTER

Microsoft says that it will relax restrictions on how users of its 
new multimedia Windows XP Media Center operating system will be able 
to copy and distribute TV programs.  As a result of the changes, 
users will be able to view unprotected TV programs copied onto DVD on 
any PC with Windows XP Media Center Edition.  TV programs with built-
in copyright controls will still prevent users from making copies.  

Originally, Microsoft had developed the software so that users could 
only watch television programs stored on the hard disk or copied onto 
a DVD on only one machine.  That being the PC used to record the 
original content. (Microsoft)

**

OUR HERITAGE:  REMEMBERING THE RADIO OPS OF WWW2

The event that lead to the United States becoming involved in World 
War 2 will be commemorated by Amateur Radio.  This, as a group of 
survivors of the Japanese sneak attack on Perl Harbor visit the USS 
Hornet and take to the air this coming December 7th.  

The SSB Frequencies will be 7.260,  14.320, 21.320  and 28.320 MHz. 
CW operations will be found on 3.530,  7.030,  14.030, 21.030 and 
28.030 Mhz. Operating hours will be from 0900 to  1700 Pacific 
Standard Time.  A special QSL Card will be made available for those 
who make contact.  (KB6SSN)

**

INTERNATIONAL - CANADA:  VC2C ON 60 METERS

An update on whats become an international version of the U-K five 
megs experiment.  Word from Canadian that station VC2C was recently 
given special permission by the Canadian radio authorities to operate 
on the 60 meter band.  It took to the air between the 21st and 25th 
of October. During that time, VC2C made two-way C-W contacts with 
four G stations, one GM and one GI operator.  All contacts took place 
on 5.280 MHz.  (RSGB)

**

INTERNATIONAL - NEW ZEALAND:  NZART CALLS FOR ELECTIONS

New Zealand's national ham radio society, the NZART has placed a call 
for nominations for those who want to serve on the Council and as the 
organizations President.  NZART says that New Zealand hams have until 
December 31st to file their nominations.  (NZART)

**

ON THE AIR: WSWSS 2 METER NET GOES PSK-31

A popular weak signal net is going digital check-in.  David Peters, 
KI6FF, says that the Western States Weak Signal Society 2 meter 
Southern California Technical Roundtable net held Tuesdays at 8:30 PM 
Pacific on 144.130 MHz is going PSK 31 only for check-ins.  Once the 
evenings roster is complete the net will move to SSB and help people 
who need to get their equipment and software setup and checked out.   
(VHF REflector)

**

DX

In D-X, word that G0UIH will be in Australia and active as VK2IAY/P 
until the 15th of December. During this period, Steve will operate 
from several different rare IOTA island groups.  Look for him on or 
around 14.260, 18.145 or 21.260 MHz on SSB only.

And NK3T will be active from McMurdo Station Antarctica as KC4 slash 
NK3T until late January  or early February.  QSL via his home call.

Also, special event station ER60SB will be on the air from the 23rd 
of  January through the 2nd  February 2003.  This to commemorate the  
60th anniversary of  the Battle  of Stalingrad.  QSL via  ER1DA  
either direct to Valery Metaxa, ER1DA, P.O. Box 3000, Chisinau, MD-
2071,  Moldova or via the bureau.  (This weeks DX courtesy GB2RS)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  FIGHTING BACK WITH A PHONE

And finally, here's one from the pages of the French e-magazine La 
Companion that we found surfing the Internet.  Its the story of 
fighting back with a cellular telephone.  Amateur Radio Newsline's 
Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has the curious details:

--

Maybe its all net-lore, but supposedly a female bus rider in a Paris 
suberb was annoyed by a loud-mouthed cellular telephone phone user a 
few rows in front of her.  The fellow so boisterous that she could 
not even hear her companion seated right next to her.

Then the cellular bully supposedly made the mistake of mentioning his 
cellphone number during the conversation.  A few minutes later, the 
lady picked up her own phone, called the man and asked him to: "...be 
quiet please".  

But he refused.  In fact he was so incensed by the call that he 
started to use all kinds of unsightly language.  That is until he 
finally realizing where he was and that everyone on the tram was 
staring directly at him.  

Undaunted, he supposedly stood up, uttered a few more choice words 
and exited at the next stop.  The woman and her companion received a 
round of applause.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Norm Seeley, KI7UP

--

And what else needs be said!  (Tommorrows Technology)

**

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. 