[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1349 - June 20, 2003

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Amateur Radio Newsline 1349 - June 20, 2003

The following is a Q-S-T.  A petition to end High Fidelity S-S-B
transmissions is filed with the F-C-C, severe interference knocks out
ham satellite operations ion Perth Australia and an update on W-R-C
2003.  All this and more on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1349
coming your way right now.

**

RADIO LAW:  HAMS PETITION TO OUTLAW HI-FI SSB

On-air experimentation with so-called High Fidelity or Enhanced Single
Sideband transmissions could be outlawed if thr FCC adopts a proposed
rules change requested by two radio amateurs on opposite sides of the
country.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Paul Courson, WA3VJB, reports from
the nations capital:

--

A petition for rulemaking was sent to the FCC and accepted by the agency
May 27th. It was not immediately issued a Rulemaking Number so it was
hard to find in the public record. However, Newsline has talked with two
sources who have seen the proposal, and it calls for what many would
consider severe bandwidth limitations on HF phone.

The petition asks for a federally mandated bandwidth limit of 2.8
kilohertz for SSB, well below the extended bandwidth needed for what has
been called enhanced audio.

One of the two hams who submitted the petition told the FCC they are
motivated by interference problems caused by two groups of single
sideband operators. These groups are portrayed by the petitioners as, in
both cases, having cast aside traditional voluntary limits on bandwidth
of roughly three kilohertz. The petition therefore asks that these
voluntary limits be made mandatory to provide a clear enforcement
mechanism for regulators.

The petitioners, Michael Lonneke WOYR of Virginia, and Melvin Ladisky
W6FDR of California, said hams from one of the groups come on during
radio contests, and are found tweaking their transmitters to splatter
purposely to provide elbowroom on a very crowded band. The two men
characterize the other group as those who experiment with high-fidelity
audio, apparently trying to replicate the sound of FM Broadcast
stations.

Newsline has recently reported on advisory letters sent out by FCC
Enforcement Counsel Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, who wrote to several
members of the enhanced SSB group telling them the agency had received
interference complaints. The letters did not validate nor dispute the
complaints, but warned the stations that if such complaints continued,
the unresolved friction could trigger petitions for rulemaking.  One
such petition is now at hand.

A Newsline reporter spoke with Lonneke, who declined to provide a copy
of his petition for this report. He said he and Ladisky hold the same
views on the matter of excessive bandwidth causing interference, and
that they teamed up on the petition to add strength to their call for
regulatory intervention. Lonneke declined further comment, and said the
petition will speak for itself if the FCC chooses to assign it a
rulemaking number and put it to public comment.

Members of the enhanced SSB group have told Newsline they believe their
experimentation with improved audio is totally in line with the spirit
of ham radio, and thet when conducted under appropriate conditions, is
every bit as justified in bandwidth consumption as any other spectrum-
intensive activity, including contesting. But the FCC's Hollingsworth,
reacting to such comments, disagreed, suggesting the mode of SSB was
commissioned for the amateur service as a spectrum conservation mode,
counter to the idea of high-fidelity audio and the bandwidth it
requires.

Hollingsworth could not be reached to comment on the proposed Petition,
and another FCC official declined to comment.

The petition also mentions the legacy mode of AM, and said it, quote,
does not create the same problems that the burgeoning use of so-called
'Hi-Fi Single Sideband' creates. Nonetheless, the petition asks the FCC
to impose a 5.6 kilohertz bandwith limitation on AM, with the
restrictions asked for on all HF allocations below 28.8 megahertz.

Previous regulatory proposals based on bandwidth have failed, including
Docket 20777 from the mid 1970s. The conclusion then was that having
loosely-defined technical standards allowed the greatest range of
experimentation in ham radio, as long as such signals are clean. Indeed,
many present-day violations of splatter, overdriven amplifiers, and
poorly administered audio lashups can already trigger enforcement action
under existing FCC rules governing the purity of signal.

Reporting for Newsline, Paul Courson, WA3VJB, in Washington

--

As we go to air, the ten page petition by W0YR and W6FDR has not been
been assigned a Rule Making number designation.  More on this story in
future amateur Radio Newsline reports.  (ARNewsline, W5YI)

**

ON THE AIR:  PERTH HAMS JAMMED OFF 2.4 GHZ

A cloud of radio frequency interference has settled in on the 2 point 4
Gigahertz in the city of Perth Australia.  For many hams it is making
satellite operations impossible.  Felix Scerri, VK4FUQ, reports from the
city of Ingham - down under:

--
You may not hear many VK6 hams on AO40 for a while. Many are suffering
from interference from some form of wide band data transmission centred
on 2.4GHz.  The signal covers much of the Perth metro area and is very
strong. So strong in fact that it does not matter where you beam you can
still hear it - mainly from reflections.

The signal, which runs continuously, sounds like a 100Hz buzzing  sound
and has a bandwidth of about MHz.  Looking at the signal on a  spectrum
analyzer it has a flat top and very steep sides.  The signal  started
about 6 weeks ago and one suggestion is that it might be an  image
response of S band down converters to the 2.1GHz  G3 mobile  phone
service that have just started tests.

--

At airtime, the interference is still there and hams in Perth are
wondering what to do to make the problem, go away.  (Q-News)

**

WRC 2003: AN UPDATE

Radio regulators from around the world are still gathered in Geneva
Switzerland trying to work out numerous spectrum issues including some
dealing with Amateur Radio.  Q-News Graham Kemp, VK4BB, is here with the
latest:

--

The International Telecommunication Union's 2003 World
Radiocommunication Conference got under way June 9th in Geneva
Switzerland.  Amateur Radio is only a small part of the conference which
is trying to complete work on more than 40 agenda items.

Amateur Radio is but a small part of the conference, which is trying to
complete work on more than 40 agenda items. Three are especially
important  to us: realignment of 7 MHz allocations (agenda item 1.23),
revision of  the regulations governing the amateur and amateur-satellite
services  (agenda item 1.7), and consideration of an allocation for
satellite-borne  synthetic aperture radars (SARs) in the 70-cm band
(agenda item 1.38).

Two other agenda items that could potentially have a great impact are
the  drafting of an agenda for the next WRC scheduled for 2007 (agenda
item 7.2)  and the revision of footnotes to the Table of Frequency
Allocations  (agenda item 1.1). A member of the IARU core team has been
assigned to  follow each of these five items, with the most focus being
on 7 MHz.

It is the intention of the IARU core team to send timely and accurate
reports of final decisions reached on Amateur Radio issues.  It is
important to remember that nothing is final until the second reading  of
a document in the Plenary, which in the case of controversial issues
 will not take place until the final week of the conference,  30 June to
4 July.
--

Look for up to date briefings on the ARRL website at www.arrl.org and
weekly summaries here on Amateur Radio Newsline.  (ARRL, Q-News)

**

IN THE MEDIA:  HAM RADIO HIGHLIGHTED ON WBUR RADIO

Ham radio was the featured guest when WBUR radio in Boston
Massachusettes devoted its show titled "The Connection" to the hobby on
Thursday, June 12th.   Hosted by Dick Gordon, the show's theme was that
ham radio is alive and vital with close to two-and-a-half million hams
world wide still consider ham radio their preferred way to fly.

The program was also centered around the new book titled "Hello World: A
Life in Ham Radio" by Danny Gregory and Paul Sahre.  A book based on the
collection of QSL cards of silent key W2OJW.  And while neither of the
authors was there, Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC was.  Hoskins is Director of the
Computer Center at Cooper Union University in New York and played a key
role in the books development:

--

Hopkins:  "Hello World is a wonderful book, and where I work over at
Cooper Union I have collegues that do many things.  We have an
engineering school, an art school and an arcetecture school.  Because of
the archecture aspect, a collegue of mine who works at the Princeton
Archecture Press as well as Cooper Union contacted me and said that he
had a couple of friends who were thinking of putting together a book on
ham radio post cards and wanted to do the graphic design and would I be
interested in having a conversation with them.  I said -- oh sure --
fine -- bring them in.  These guys came in with these fabulous cards
dating back to 1927 up to the present."

--

Also appearing on the program were were Moody Law, WQ6I in Claremont
California, Joe Leto, W0ANT from Ankeny Iowa, and Harry Han, BG4AGY, in
Shanghai.  Each spoke on the way ham radio has affected their personal
lives and those around them.

Even though its well over a week since the perogram aired, it is
archived as a Real Audio stream at the WBUR website.  To hear it take
your web browser to
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/06/20030612_b_main.asp

Our thanks to Daron Manoogian who is the Manager of National Program
Marketing at WBUR for permission to use the audio you heard in this
report. (K1TW)

**

RADIO LAW:  NY HAM CITED UNDER STATE SCANNER LAW

A New York ham has been cited for having radio gear in his car even
though the state law governing scanner radios exempts licensed Amateur
Radio operators.  On May 31st Richard C. Lalone II, KC5GAX, of Calcium,
says that he was stopped while driving well under the posted speed limit
by a New York State Trooper and given a ticket for having Icom IC 1500
and IC 706 radios in his vehicle.

Lalone says via the qrz.com website that he did try to explain that that
he was an Amateur Radio Operator and even provided his Amateur license
for the officer's review.  Apparently, this was not good enough and the
ticket was issued.

Lalone appeared in court on June 10th to answer the summons.  At that
time he approached the judge with both his license and a copy of New
York Traffic Law 397 a copy of PR Docket 91-36.  But the Court Recorder
immediately took the documentation from the judge and returned it to
KC5GAX.  The judge then conferred with the Court Recorder after which he
told Lalone that he was entering a plea of innocent for him.  He then
instructed Lalone to seek an attorney and be present in court July 9th.
They court then offered KC5GAX paperwork to obtain a public defender,
and returned the citation with the new court date.

Its not clear as to what will transpire on July 9th.  Lalone's posting
did not state if this was a trial date or other type of preliminary
hearing.  If he is convicted of violating New York's scanner control law
Lalone faces a fine of $1000,  6 months in jail, or both.  (W6EM,
qrz.com)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC WRITES PART 15 DEVICE USERS ABOUT ALLEGED INTERFERENCE
TO AMATEUR RADIO

Turning to enforcement issues, the  FCC has written two Northern
Virginia residents to follow up on complaints from a local amateur.  A
ham who alleges that he's on the receiving end of harmful interference
from telephone devices with the capability to support multiple cordless
remotes.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has more:

--

According to the ARRL Letter both units interfereing with Bernie Keiser,
W4SW, of Vienna, Virginia, are unlicensed Part 15 consumer electronics
made by a well-known manufacturer.  In separate June 2nd letters to the
two users, the FCC's Sharon Bowers pointed out that if their units are
the cause of harmful interference to a licensed spectrum user, they are
responsible for solving the problem.  Also, that the operator of the
device is responsible for correcting the interference or ceasing
operation whenever such interference occurs.

Bowers is the deputy chief of the Consumer Inquiries and Complaint
Division of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.  She
explained in her letters that the equipment was classified as an
intentional radiator and noted that harmful interference to a licensed
radio service from such a device is a violation of FCC rules.  She
advised the consumers that the alleged harmful interference must be
corrected before they may use the devices legally.  She suggested they
contact the manufacturer or retailer of the equipment to see if they'd
either allow them to return them or exchange them for devices that don't
cause interference.

The interference to W4SW's ham radio operation took the form of
broadband noise from 2400 to 2450 Mhz.  This made it it difficult for
him to hear the AO-40 downlink and beacon in the 2.4 Ghz band.

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

--

The complaints against the two Vienna Virginia consumers represent a bit
of a turnabout from the typical interference scenario.  Usually its the
ham who generates complaints of RFI to consumer electronic gear and
hears from the FCC.  (ARRL)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  HAM ACCUSED OF FALSE DISTRESS CALLS ORDERED OFF THE AIR

A California ham has lost his right to operate an Amateur Radio station.
This, based on allegations by the FCC that he may have been the source
of a number of phony distress calls made by radio.

On June 3rd the agency's  Riley Hollingsworth notified Michael V. Swift,
the now former KG6QOB to inform him that his license had been cancelled.
This, based on evidence that the San Ramon ham had made numerous false
distress calls on Marine Channels 16 and 22A.

In his letter Hollingsworth said that in view of the agency's action
that Swift no longer has authority to operate Amateur Radio transmitting
equipment.  He also warned that any continued on-air operation by Swift
could lead to a fine or criminal prosecution.  (FCC, RAIN)

**

SPECTRUM REALLOCATION:  FCC PROPOSES UNLICENSED DEVICES IN THE 5 GHZ
BAND

Still with regulatory matters, the FCC has proposed making 5.47 to 5.725
Gigahertz available to National Information Infrastructure devices,
including Radio Local Area Networks, on an unlicensed basis.  If
adopted, this plan will increase the spectrum available to license-free
devices in the 5 GHz region by nearly 80%.

The complete story is on the web at the FCC's website.  A direct link to
it is http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-110A1.doc
(CGC)

**


WITH THE HANDI HAMS:  NEW BLIND FRIENDLY WEB THEME FOR WWW.HANDIHAM.ORG

Phil Temples, K9HI, has created a blind-friendly theme for the Handi Ham
System website.  The reorganized site eliminates the complicated page
structure that works well for sighted users but was difficult for blind
users employing audio programs like JAWS or Window-Eyes to navigate.  To
take advantage of the new navigation system visit www.handiham.org and
choose the "Courage" theme for easy blind navigation.  (HandiHams)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  WA8SME NEW COORDINATOR OF ARRL'S "THE BIG PROJECT"

Mark Spencer, WA8SME, has joined the ARRL Headquarters staff as the new
coordinator of the ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology program.
That program is better known in ham radio circles "The Big Project."
Spencer succeeds Jerry Hill, KH6HU, who has returned to Hawaii.  (ARRL)

**

FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE: HEATHKIT - A GUIDE TO THE AMATEUR RADIO
PRODUCTS

If you've ever owned a piece of Heathkit amateur radio gear, or wish you
had, the Second Edition of Heathkit - A Guide to the Amateur Radio
Products, by Chuck Penson, WA7ZZE, is a must for your library.  Greatly
expanded and updated, this 328-page collection of facts, photos and
Heathkit history offers a terrific trip down memory lane for anyone who
has built or has owned Heathkit gear.   Its published by CQ and
available for order on-line at www.cq-amateur-radio.com or by phone at
1-800-853-9797 Monday to Friday from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Eastern U-S. time.
(CQ)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  THE TRUE UNIVERSAL REMOTE

A true universal remote unit that will literally help to control your
entire lifestyle is now under development.  Researchers on the project
say that the all-in-one controller that would choreograph not just home
entertainment systems but also intelligent appliances all around the
house.

Maya Designs Inc. in cooperation with Pennsylvania's Carnegie Mellon
University has created a prototype based on a Compaq iPAQ portable
digital assistant.  The experimental handheld has so far been used to
control two lamps, a fan and a stereo with a five-CD changer.
Researchers say that more is on the way once standardization of remote
control codes for various appliances is achieved.

The Consumer Electronics Association is working on this aspect of the
problem.  It estimates the average household has at least four remote
control units.  It also understand why the consumer electronics industry
considers a universal remote an important device for the marketplace.
(Science Today)

**

RADIO AND SPACE:  MOUNTAIN PEAK NAMED IN HONOR OF ILL FATED COLUMBIA
CREW

A Colorado mountain peak has been named Columbia Point.  This, in honor
of the seven astronauts who died when the space shuttle Columbia broke
up over Texas on Februay 1st.

The peak on Kit Carson Mountain in the Sangre de Cristo Range near
Colorado Springs is close to the 14,081-foot Challenger Point.  That
peak was named in honor of the seven crew members who died in the
Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986.  The newly cvhristened
Columbia Point also is roughly 14,000 feet.  (ANS)

**

INTERNATIONAL - EUROPE:  PMR446 MEANS FUN