[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1332 - February 21, 2003

Sat Feb 22 01:58:43 EST 2003

Amateur Radio Newsline 1332 - February 21, 2003

The following is a Q-S-T.  Snow causes outages in the East and ham radio 
comes to the reascue.  Hear the details on Amateur Radio Newsline 
report number 1332 coming your way right now.

**

RESCUE RADIO:  THE NORTH-EASTER OF 2003

Snow plowing crews struggled to clear roads and airport runways on 
Tuesday February 18th.  This after one of the worst storms in decades 
buried parts of the United States eastern states in 2 to 4 feet of snow.  
And in some areas ham radio was called out as we hear in this report:

--
Snowdrifts were piled high from the Ohio Valley to New England, 
mudslides and floods wreaked havoc in the southern Appalachians, and 
layers of ice snapped trees and power lines. At least 47 deaths had been 
blamed on the storm since it charged out of the mid-West Plains states 
over the previous weekend. Schools were closed from West Virginia to 
Connecticut and more than 250,000 homes and businesses lost power and 
telephone service.  Enter ham radio.

During the height of the storm on the 17th, two communications 
emergencies were declared by the  Federal Communications Commission in 
conjunction with the ARRL.  The first was in Virginia to protect amateur 
emergency communications on 3.947  and 7.243 Mhz -- plus or minus 3 Khz.  
Also included were 145.430 MHz and 146.880 MHz repeaters in Richmond, 
the 147.360 MHz machine near Chesterfield and the 146.760 Mhz repeater 
serving Williamsburg at times when each was handling  emergency traffic.  
It was only in effect for a few hours and terminated at 19:00 hours UTC 
the same day.

The second communications emergency was declared for Kentucky. Former 
ARRL President George Wilson, W4OYI, lives in the city of Owensboro.  He  
says that his area recieved about 2 inches of glare ice and quite a bit 
of sleet on top of it.

But the big problem was in Fayetteville near the city of Lexington.  
Again the problem was mainly ice related and radio amateurs were ordered 
to keep from using repeaters on 146.760 Mhz, 147.165 and 444.125, MHz 
unless they were specifically taking part in the handling of emergency 
traffic

Further to the North, Bob Josuwait, WA3PZO tells ARNewsline that 
Montgomery County in suburban Philadelphia Pennsylvania had about 20 
inches of snow.  Montgomery County RACES was activated at 1800 on 
Sunday, February 16 th.  

Bob Lees, W3ZQN, is Montgomery County RACES Radio Officer.  He reports 
that members with four wheel drive vehicles were told to help, as 
possible, by providing transportation for essential hospital and nursing 
within the county.  

The Radio Officer sent an alert via the pagers carried by over 50 
members, convened a net on the county two meter repeater and began 
making phone calls to determine specific needs.  
RACES responded or attempted to respond to 17 different requests for 
transportation services until about 10 P.M. local on February 17th.  A 
total of 21 people were transported by six different drivers in their 
personal vehicles.  Each vehicle was in constant contact with net 
control by radio as they traveled. 

Lees says that six hams acted as net control stations from their homes.  
Another 14 who did not have four wheel drive vehicles checked into a net 
called at noon on February 17th.  Each operator indicated that they were 
monitoring and could possibly help in other jobs if requested.  In all 
it was a good job done by RACES and ARES in the face of one of the worst 
North-Easter's of the past hundred years.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Blair Alper, KA9SEQ.
--

For the region as a whole, it was the worst snowstorm since the blizzard 
of 1996.   In that one at least 80 deaths were blamed on the weather.  
(ARNewsline, ARRL, WA3PZO, W4OYI, VHF Reflector, Repeater Owners 
Remailer, published news reports.)

**

INTRUDERS:  DRUG RUNNERS ALONG THE VK COASTLINE

What appear to be illegal drug runners have taken to the ham bands along 
the Australian coastline.  Q-News Graham Kemp, VK4BB and Chris Wright, 
VK2UW, have the latest details:

--

"14.044 daily at 08:30 U-S-B are "Big Voice" -- must be thee HQ Stn.. 
and "Low Voice" Supply Boat ??  On the 23rd January "Big Voice" was 
joined by another Big Voice  -- signal 59+ --  also in the same 
direction...

The N.T.News carried an article about the "roadside drug distribution 
points in Western Australia.  Maybe these two 'Big Voices' are running 
the distribution points and the 'smaller Voice' keeps up the supply to 
the Distributors ??

There was a video report on Darwin TV picturing  an 'abandoned' Chinese 
Fishing Boat along the West Aust. Coast tied up to the Shore.  No Crew 
and No Cargo.  And there are some Indonesian Voices 'Hopping' in on the 
Frequency when it is not in use. Maybe they have a part to play in the 
business?

If my bearing of 250 degrees and VK6XW bearing of 360 degrees were used, 
they would cross in the vicinity of Broome.
--

According to Q-News, Australian hams are being encouraged to report 
anything they hear to the nations Intruder Watch Coordinator.  (Q-News)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  JAPAN ARISS CONTACT TO THE ISS

Ham radio contacts with the International Space Station continue.  One 
of the latest took place on Tuesday February 18th when 8N3HES at the 
Hirano Elementary School in Kobe Japan succeeded in connecting its 
students with the ISS crew using Amateur Radio curcuits.  One of the 
first questions answered had to do with ecology.  How do you dump your 
garbage in space?

--
CONTACT AUDIO
--

That recording was made by JN1GKZ and you can only hear the I-S-S side 
of the contact.  And some of the questions brought more information than 
many needed to know like when one student asked: "How do you take a bath 
in space?

--
CONTACT AUDIO HERE
--

This is the 3rd ARISS School contact with a school in Japan. To see a 
list of questions and herar all of the answers you only need to take 
your web browser over to the JN1GKZ website.  You will find it at:     
http://www.qsl.net/jn1gkz/sound/ariss/8n3hes.htm  (ARNewsline with 
sound from JN1GKZ))

**

ENFORCEMENT:  PIRATES CANNOT EVER HOLD RADIO LICENSES

Pirate radio operators cannot ever get licenses to operate a legitimate 
radio station.  So says a court of appeals.  Amateur Radio Newsline's 
Ken Locke, N8PJN, has more:

--

A United States appeals court has upheld as constitutional a law that 
bans a pirate broadcaster from ever obtaining a license for a low-power 
FM radio station.  In fact, it bars a current or former pirate 
broadcaster from even being involved with a station. 

In its action, the full court reversed a ruling last year by a three-
judge panel of a court that had struck the law down.  By a 7 to 1 vote 
it ruled the law and the government regulations implementing it do not 
violate free speech rights under the First Amendment.

Back in 2001 Congress mandated that the FCC adopt rules to ban anyone 
who had been a pirate broadcaster or currently was broadcasting 
illegally from obtaining a license for a new low-power station.  The 
appeals court appears to have taken this one step further in banning any 
affiliation bu current or former pirates with a legitimate FCC licensed 
broadcast operation.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ken Locke, N8PJN, reporting.

--

Thanks Ken.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  NO TWO METER SETS FOR HUNTING SEASON

The FCC has written to the manager of a Radio Shack store to warn 
against selling ham gear to unlicensed persons.  

The letter went to Dennis Wilfong who manages the Radio Shack at the 
Valley point Shopping Center in Elkins West Virginia.  In it the FCC 
says that it has information indicating that numerous individuals are 
purchasing Amateur radio Service Two-Meter radio units from that store 
for use during hunting season and the purchasers are using them without 
the required license.  

But thats not all.  The FCC says that those purchasing the radios are 
either not being told that the units require a license, or are being 
misinformed as to the licensing requirements.  

The FCC tells Wilfong that he should advise purchasers of Amateur Radio 
transmitting equipment that unlicensed radio operation is a violation of 
Section 301 of the Communications Act.  That using the transceivers 
without first obtaining an Amateur Service license may result in a 
monetary fine of $7,500 to $10,000.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FLORIDA UPGRADE SET ASIDE

John S. Gregory, W3ATE, of Lake Worth Florida has had his General class 
upgrade set aside.  This, based on complaints about the operation of his 
station on frequencies not authorized by his Technician class license.  

According to the FCC, at various times in 2002 Gregory apparently 
checked into a net on 14.300 Mhz while still a Technician class license 
holder.  He was issued two warning letters but the FCC says that both 
were returned as unclaimed.  (FCC, W5YI Report)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC ISSUES A RASH OF FINES

Hams are not the only ones hearing from the FCC.  The Commission is 
continuing to flex its enforcement muscle by issuing a number of 
monetary forfeitures.  Here are some recent examples courtesy of the CGC 
Communicator:  

How about $2,500 to a telephone company for failing to exhibit 
prescribed tower painting.  Or $4,000 to a CATV operator for failing to 
retransmit the EAS required monthly test.  

But those are small in compariason to a $10,000 fine issued to a 
communications operator for failing to exhibit prescribed obstruction 
lighting on its antenna structure.  Another $10,000 was issued to to an 
FM pirate while a $15,000 fine was issued to to an AM radio station for 
failing to maintain operational E-A-S equipment, and for failing to 
enclose the station's antenna tower within an effective locked fence.  
The whole story is in cyberspacve at 
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Digest/2003/dd030204.ht  (CGC 
Communicator)

**

RADIO POLITICS:  ARRL TRYING AGAIN WITH SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT

If at first you don't succeed, try try again may be an old addage, but 
it applies in the case of te 2003 Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act.  
This is a bill that has been introduced in the US House of 
Representatives by Michael Bilirakis of Florida.  

According to the ARRL. Bilirakis filed the latest version of the bill, 
HR 713, on February 12th. It has been referred to the House Committee on 
Energy and Commerce.  Like its predecessor,  HR 713 is aimed at ensuring 
the availability of spectrum to Amateur Radio operators. It would 
protect existing Amateur Radio spectrum against reallocations to or 
sharing with other services unless the FCC provides equivalent 
replacement spectrum elsewhere.

The previous version of the Spectrum Protection Act attracted more than 
50 cosponsors. An effort will be made to encourage additional House 
members to sign onto HR 713 as cosponsors. Additional details are on the 
web at www.arrl.org.  (ARRL)

**

RADIO LAW:  HAM PETITIONS TO KEEP EQUIPMENT ASALES DATE ON FILE

Dale Reich, K8AD, of Seville Ohio,  has petitioned the FCC to require 
sellers of two-way voice or data equipment to keep on file a buyer's 
name, address, telephone number and any future information.  This, when 
selling a radio that required licensing under the current FCC rules.

Accordiong to an ARRL bulletin, the information collected would remain 
private, available only to the FCC or law enforcement.  Reich said in 
his petition that any retail vendor would be able to ask local police 
for an investigation if the retailer suspected the radios were not going 
to be used in compliance with the law.

Included in the petition is a requirement for "ownership and license 
tagging" for gear operating under Parts 5, 15, 18, 74, 80, 90, 95 and 
97.  In his petition, Reich said such tagging used to be an FCC 
requirement and that his proposed change was a needed tool for local law 
enforcement.

The full text of Reich's petitions is available on the FCC Web site.  
Search for petition number RM-1064.  Comments are due no later than 
February 28th.  (K8AD, ARRL Letter)

**

HAM RADIO ENTERTAINMENT:  WRTC 2002 VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE IN THE USA

The World Radiosport Team Championship 2002 video had its United States 
premiere on Wednesday, February 5th.  This, before a standing-room-only 
crowd in Washington state hosted by the Western Washington DX Club.

With photography by James Brooks, 9V1YC, and Dave Bell, W6AQ, the video 
covers WRTC 2002 from the perspective of a professional sporting event.  
The show begins with the arrival of competitors from more than 30 
countries.  It then takes the viewer behind the scenes for the various 
pre-competition activities and into the actual competition.

The video is available on VHS tape and DVD with extra material on the 
DVD.  You can place your order on-line at 
http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~jamesb  (WRTC)

**

CONVENTIONS AND CONFERENCES:  SEVHFS IN HUNTSVILLE IN APRIL

If you have been trying to register on-line for the upcoming 
Southeastern VHF Society conference and getting a reply of no such 
website, try again.  It will work the way its supposed to.

The problem was caused by an Internet Service Provider outage at the 
most inoportune time.  The repair:  Everything was moved to different 
server but that took a few days to accomplish.  And now that its all 
back up and collecting bits and bytes in cyberspace, you will want to 
visit www.sevhfs.org for the latest conference update.  This includes 
word that Steve Kostro,  N2CEI of Down East Microwave Incorporated will 
be hosdting a surface mount soldering class on the opening Friday 
morning of the gathering.

The when and the where?  This is the 7th Annual Southeastern VHF 
Conference.  It is slated for April 25th and 26th at the Huntsville 
Marriott in Huntsville, Alabama.  For further information and to 
register, visit that now up and running website at www.sevhfs.org.  
(SEVHFS)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  THIS IS HDSCS

Last week Amateur Radio Newsline's Joe Moell, K0OV told you that members 
of the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System of Orange County, 
California had been included in a new documentary series on the 
Discovery Channel.  The show is called "Critical Rescue" and it aired on 
Thursday February 20th and on Saturday February 22nd.  But what is the 
the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System or HDSCS and how 
does it work?  Back with the answers is Joe Moell, K0OV:

--

HDSCS is a specialty group of ARES.  It was formed in 1979 with the 
specific mission of providing backup communications that are critical to 
patient care.  Since then, HDSCS has responded in 75 communications 
emergencies, ranging from single-hospital telephone system failures to 
area-wide disasters.

For its service, HDSCS has received awards and commendations from many 
hospitals and agencies, including FEMA.  The most recent is the National 
Certificate of Merit from ARRL, awarded at the Board of Directors 
meeting in January 2003.