[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1366 - October 17 2003

Sat Oct 18 03:24:18 EDT 2003

Amateur Radio Newsline 1366 - October 17 2003

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Note date correction in PNG GOES CODE FREE story.  Our thanks to Dave 
Sumner, K1ZZ, for bringing it to our attention.

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Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1366 with a release date of Friday, 
October 17th 2003 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   

The following is a QST.  A chance for pro-code to speak out to the FCC 
and a warning to firefighting officials about  the hazard of BPL.  Find 
out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1366  coming 
your way right now.

**

RESTRUCTURING:  MORSE CODE AND THE FCC - ROUND II

Well we told you it was going to happen and it has.  We are talking 
about the next round of rule making requests to the FCC on the topic of 
what to do about Morse code testing.  Most of this group want to keep 
some form of CW test.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, 
takes a look at what the FCC wants you to read and comment on:

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If you were not happy with the first round of Morse code rule making 
requests, maybe you will find something more to your liking in this 
latest batch of seven that the FCC has released for public comment.  

We have already covered the most prominent of them.  That being the one 
from FISTS -- the international Morse code preservation society.  FISTS 
wants the code retained and all aspects of the ham radio exam process 
made allot tougher.  And in this area, FISTS is not alone.  

In is petition, Frank Napurano, K2OKA, calls Morse the purest, most 
accurate, efficient, reliable and economical form of radio 
communications ever devised.  He tells the FCC that its essential to 
keep at least the current 5 word per minute CW test in the interest of 
public safety, the preservation of a radio art and as a tribute of 
support for a prized and respected avocation.

Also in favor of keeping some form of Morse exam is the Puerto Rico 
Amateur Radio League.  While it wants the FCC to do away with the 
current 5 word per minute test for General class it says to keep it for  
those going for an Extra ticket.

James Roux, W4YA, wants the FCC to eliminate the 5 word per minute code 
test for a General class license, but like the Puerto Rico Amateur Radio 
League would require Extra class applicants prove they can do Morse at 
15 words per minute.  Roux also wants to cut the number of licenses to 
only two.  Under his proposal nobody would loose current privileges but 
only the General and Extra class would continue to be issued.  

Meantime, Robert Rightsell, AE4FA and Harry Kholer, NZ0PU also want 5 
word per minute Morse testing continued but would institute a points 
score system for passing a ham radio exam.  Under the Rightsell / Kholer 
plan, an applicant could earn up to 24 points on Morse testing.  

And Joseph Speroni, AH0A, has a novel idea.  Only test hams in Morse who 
want to use the mode.  Speroni would have the FCC delete the CW exam for 
those who want to operate only phone.  If  a ham wants to operate High 
Frequency Morse, Speroni says they should pass the current 5 word per 
minute exam.

Last but by no means least comes Charles Young Jr, AG4YO.  He is asking 
the FCC to delete the 5 word per minute Morse exam for the Technician 
Plus license, but keep it as a requirement for General and Amateur Extra 
exams.  And like the other petitioners, Young has some specific ideas 
regarding other aspects of ham radio licensing as well.

These seven petitions have been designated as RM 10805 through 10811.  
Commentary cutoff on all of them is Friday, November 7th.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, reporting.

--

You can comment on one or all of these rule making petitions by taking 
your browser to the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System.  Its in 
cyberspace at www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs.  (ARNewsline™ from FCC website)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  QRZ SAYS KEEP THE DISCUSSION ON TRACK

In a related story, the operators of the QRZ.com website have drawn a 
proverbial line in the sand.  They say that any attempts to take a Forum 
discussion that is not directly related to the code versus  no code 
debate and turn it into such will result in those posting being removed.  
The operators of the website say that this is not a stance by QRZ.com 
either for or against Morse code.  Rather it is a their way to keep a 
given subject being discussed on track. The QRZed website is in 
cyberspace at www.qrz.com.  (QRZ)

**

RESTRUCTURING: PNG GOES CODE-FREE

I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, with breaking news out of the South Pacific.  
Dateline Papua New Guinea where that nations Telecommunications 
Administration, PANGTEL, has declared Papua New Guinea to be the latest 
nation to become code free.  This as it orders the deletion of Morse 
Code from the qualifications necessary for its amateurs to have access 
to the High Frequency bands.

According to Rick Warnett, P29KFS, the decision to drop Morse was 
actually made back on October 6th. Warnett, who is the IARU 
representative for the Papua New Guinea Amateur Radio Society says that 
the official announcement will take place within the next few days.   
When it comes, Warnett says that some 30 to 40 new Papua New Guinea full 
call hams will have international communication available to them.  (Q-
News)

**

DX PROBLEMS:  A FOLLOW-UP ON ANNOBON ISLAND - 3C0V

A little more information has surfaced on why a long awaited Dxpedition 
suddenly left the air.  Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, has the details:

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The Spanish and German group that had been operating as 3C0V from 
Annobon Island off the West Coast of Africa were forced to close down 
early in the morning of last Saturday, the 4th of October. The 
DXpedition was scheduled to have continued until the 10th of October.  

Gabriel 'Gaby' Mardiros, OD5NJ, the 'pilot' for the 3C0V DXpedition, 
says that the group is "fine" but that they had received "a serious 
warning not to use any of their radios". The reason for the enforced 
closure was not yet known."

--

Some reports indicated that local authorities had given the 
DXpeditioners less than 24 hours to pack up and get off the island.   
More on this story as information is made available.   (GB2RS)

**

WRTC: 2006 GAMES IN BRAZIL

It has been announced that the next World Radiosport Team Championship, 
or 'WRTC', will be held in Brazil in 2006.  The last WRTC event took 
place in Finland in July last year.

WRTC brings together the top HF contesters from all over the world to 
compete on - as far as is possible - a 'level playing field'.  WRTC 2006 
will take place in Florianopolis, capital of Santa Catarina State in 
southern Brazil. The event is open to everyone: competitors and 
spectators alike.

I'm Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham.  (GB2RS)

**

RADIO RULES:  WORLD'S BROADCASTERS JOIN ANTI-BPL CHORUS

A subcommittee of an International Telecommunication Union panel of 
technical experts responsible for terrestrial broadcasting issues has 
joined a growing chorus of concerned parties about the interference 
potential of power line telecommunication.   According to the ARRL 
Letter, ITU  Radiocommunication Sector Sub Working Group 6E1 has been 
looking at BPL.  Now it has expressed the view that interference 
produced by systems employing powerline data transmission as well as by 
Industrial, Scientific and Medical  equipment and short-range devices, 
will compromise broadcast reception.  (ARRL, CGC)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  BPL VS. FIRE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

Meantime, hams who are also firefighters or have access to the local 
fire Department should consider enlisting their help in fighting the 
rollout of Broadband over Powerlines.  This, due to the heavy use of the 
33 and 45 MHz radio bands by fire departments.  

Writing to the QRZ.com super site, Jim Walsh, K3JIM, says that some fire 
departments are not technically savvy and think that interference is 
really blind spots in the radio coverage.  Walsh, who is a firefighter 
and truck engineer Red Lion, Pennsylvania, says that broadband 
interference is not easily recognizable to fire personnel as say an 
interfering DX station may be to the trained ear of a ham radio 
operator.  He says that the fire service is used to dead spots and may 
not know why they exist.  

Walsh cites one situation in the area where he lives and works.  He says 
that it is well known that when in the vicinity of certain gas station 
convenience stores in his area that one cannot use the radio for a few 
hundred meters.  He says that in this case the problem is the Point of 
Sale system that records the gas transactions and that the lines running 
to the pumps are not shielded and radiate computer hash like an antenna.

K3JIM has lots more to say about the problem BPL can be to low-band fire 
radio systems.  You can read it all on line at www.qrz.com
(K3JIM via qrz.com) 

**

ENFORCEMENT:  YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPERATE THERE

In regulatory news, two hams have been asked to explain why they have 
been heard operating on law enforcement frequencies.  The FC's Daryl 
Duckworth, NN0W, has more:

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Duckworth: "Tom Christman, KB2NAV, of Albany New York, has received an 
inquirey as to operations on the Albany County Sheriff's Department 
emergency frequencies without legitimate purpose last December.

Along similar lines, Joseph Hutchins, KG4SXD, of Swannanoa, North 
Carolina, is being asked about operations on police frequencies in 
February of this year.  That of the Black Mountain Police Department in 
Black Mountain North Carolina."

--

Both hams were given 20 days to respond to the FCC's query.  If the 
agency finds that rules have been violated, each ham could face a fine 
of $7,500 to $10,000, license suspension and revocation.  

**

ENFORCEMENT:  AMATEUR TOLD TO KEEP HAM GEAR OFF CB

The FCC has written to James Perryman, KC8KOU, of Toledo Ohio.  This, 
regarding continued complaints involving his alleged  operation of non 
type accepted radio gear on the 11 meter band.  Again, the FCC's Daryl 
Duckworth, NN0W:

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Duckworth: "The letter went on to say that the operation of non-
certified equipment on CB frequencies, such as Amateur equipment and 
linear amplifiers will result in a monetary forfeiture in the $7500 to 
$10,000 area, as well as the in-reim seizure of all non-certified 
equipment in cooperation with the United States Attorney in his 
jurisdiction."

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The FCC also told Perryman that his station is subject to inspection at 
any time by Commission personnel.

**

ENFORCEMENT:  YOU CANNOT SAY THAT ON THE RADIO

Meantime, Federal regulators have announced plans to fine a Detroit 
radio station $27,500.  This,  for an allegedly indecent broadcast on a 
popular afterboon show back in January of 2002.

In a Notice of Apparent Liability to Monetary Forfeiture,  the FCC said 
a broadcast on Infinity Broadcasting's WKRK-FM included explicit and 
graphic sexual and excretory references during separate discussions with 
nine separate people.  Such language is banned under FCC  rules.

Infinity was given 30 days to contest the notice.  In earlier filings 
with the FCC, the company argued that no penalty could be assessed.  
This is because Infinity believes that the FCC's definition of indecency 
is unconstitutional. 

**

ENFORCEMENT:  LA REPEATER OWNERS ORGANIZE AGAINST ALLEGED UNLICENSED 
OPERATOR

Repeater owner operators in the Los Angeles Californias area are taking 
action to keep transmissions allegedly coming from Jack Gerritsen, the 
former KG6IRO, from being retransmitted.  In are rare show of 
cooperation, system owners and their control operators are taking 
repeaters off of the air rather than permit the signals from a station 
identifying with the call sign KG6IRO call sign from being rebroadcast.

If the name Jack Gerritsen sounds familiar its because we have reported 
on hin several times before.  Gerritsen was licensed for a very brief 
period back in 2001.  His ham ticket was set aside by the FCC's Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau after the agency learned that Gerritsen had 
been convicted in 2000 on charges of interfering with Los Angeles Police 
Department radio transmissions.  Gerritsen recieved a jail term for the 
interference conviction.  He was paroled but sent back to prison after 
allegations surfaced that he had been operating a radio transmitter 
without a license.  He was released before serving his full sentence as 
the result of a Federal court order dealing with overcrowding in 
California state prisons. His application for a ham radio license 
remains in the FCC's pending file and a hearing on the matter will be 
scheduled at some future date.

Be that as it may, Los Angeles area repeater owners are not waiting for 
the FCC to move in the matter.  They have taken matters into their own 
hands and are acting to keep the signal claiming to be KG6IRO from being 
repeated.  (ARNewsline™)

**

HAM RADIO BUSINESS:  73 MAGAZINE FOLDS

73 Magazine is the latest casulty in the weak world-wide ham radio 
business economy.  On Monday, October 6th, founder Wayne Green, W2NSD, 
e-mail several friends to tell them that 73 Magazine has ceased 
publication after completing 43 years.  

The reason for 73 going away?  Green claims that the hobby is slowly 
dying as a result of a lack of new hams.  In turn the the industry that 
supports Amateur Radio is fading away as well.  Green says that without 
sufficient advertising the magazine couldn't continue. 

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Green:  "The book sales have kept 73 going for the last few years, but 
book sales have dwindeled way, way down and there was no way to keep 73 
going.  The ad sales are down and the reciepts from the ad sales are 
down even weorse than the ads."

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W2NSD says that it was an interesting 43 years and that he hopes to 
write about it some time.  In the meantime he plans to continuing his 
essays on his website for those subscribers who mainly bought the 
magazine to read them.  Thats in cyberspace at www.waynegreen.com.  

No word what will happen to those with outstanding subscriptions to 73, 
especially hams who bought lifetime subs at a bargain price when the 
magazine first started up.  Green always said it would last through his 
lifetime or that of the purchaser, but it looks as if W2NSD and a number 
of lifetime subscribers may have outlived 73.  We expected it of Green.  
His phonetics are W-2-Never-Say-Die.

You can hear W2NSD talk about the demise of 73 on this weeks RAIN 
Report.  Its available on-line at www dot rainreport dot com or by 
telephone at 847-827-7246. (ARNewsline™)

**

HAM RADIO BUSINESS:  NEW KIDS HAM RADIO MAGAZINE TO BE PUBLISHED

If the ham business is as bad as Wayne Green says, you would not know it 
by Larry Mahlberg AA0BY.  As 73 sails into the sunset, Mahlberg has 
announced his own new ham radio magazine targeting the younger 
generation.

According to Mahlberg, he and his crew are  putting together a brand new 
monthly publication called "Hamtastic Kids" that will debuet on November 
15th and be available by subscription.  To get it started, AA0BY is 
asking your help by submitting material for publicatoon such as Amateur 
Radfio poems, stories, puzzles and even ham radio recipes.  He is also 
looking for articles written by kids on such topics as Morse code, 
DX'ing, ragchewing, fox hunting, contesting and hamfests.  

But thats not all.  The Hamtastic Kids is offering a free years 
subscription for best logo that a youngster submits for use in the 
Magazine.  Submissions of logos, articles and information requests go to 
Hamtastic Kids, in care of Larry Mahlberg, AA0BY, P.O Box 1634 Eugene, 
Oregon, 97440  (W8HDU)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  APRS JOINS THE CHARLES REGATTA

Almost two decades after it was developed by an Amateur Radio  operator, 
Automatic Position Reporting System equipment is being used for the 
first time by the hams on board the rescue launches at the Head of the 
Charles Regatta.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, reports:

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Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, is considered the father of the Automatic Position 
Reporting System thats known in ham radio circles by the acronym of four 
letters APRS.  And from October 17th through the 19th a team of up to 30 
operators will be on the air using it and other modes to operate a 
safety communications net for the annual Head of the Charles Regatta.  

According to Bruce Pigott, KC1US, the addition of APRS is  very 
significant because it allows automatic tracking of a ham radio station 
by sending Global Positioning Satellite information along with the voice 
or other data on the radio signal.  This should permit precise dispatch 
of land and river emergency units to rendezvous with the launches.

KC1US says that communications coverage begins three hours before the 
first race on Saturday and an hour before the first race on Sunday.  
This, will  allow medical and public safety communications coverage of 
practice runs and gathering crowds of spectators.  

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

--

This year's communications support covers all aspects of the regatta.  
This includes preparations, practice and competition for all three days 
of the event.  (KC1US)

**

HAM RADIO CONFERENCES:  SVHFS IN GEORGIA IN 2004

The 8th Annual Southeastern VHF Society Conference will be held in 
Georgia on April 23 and 24, 2004. This, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & 
Suites in Marietta on the outskirts of Atlanta.  More information will 
be posted the  Society webpage. The u-r-l is www.svhfs.org.  Qustions go 
by e-mail to rover at wireco.netb (SEVHFS)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  VU-SAT LAUNCH DELAYED

Turning to ham radio in space, the expected launch of India's VU-Sat has 
been delayed indefinitely.  The AMSAT News Service quoting a release 
from the launch agency says that during the thermo vacuum test 
deviations in the performance of the ham radio payload were.  Because of 
the need to correct these abnormalities, the launch will take place at 
some later date.  VU-Sat was to be a passenger with a remote sensing 
satellite being orbited onboard from Sriharikota launch range later this 
month.  (AMSAT)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY AO-40

AMSAT is sponsoring an AO40 Birthday Bash to celebrate the satellites 
3rd Birthday.  The party continues through  November 17th.  Email Bruce 
Paige, KK5DO, for more details. His e-mail address kk5do at amsat.org  
(AMSAT)

**

INTERNATIONAL - GERMANY:  DL3KWF RESIGNS AS DARC VP

On the international scene, word from Germany that Hardy Zenker, DL3KWF 
has resigned from his post as Deutscher Amateur Radio Club vice 
president   He has been replaced by Ingobert Dittrich, DK9MD, who was 
elected to the post.  Dittrich is well known as a former representative 
of the broadcasters to numerous committees across Europe.  The Deutscher 
Amateur Radio Club which is Germany's natioonal ham radio society holds 
elections every two years.  (DARC)

**

INTERNATIONAL - HOLLAND:  ARTIFICIAL BROADCAST ISLAND TO DISAPPEAR

A significant piece of Dutch broadcasting history may soon cease to 
exist.  Media Network reports that the Hollands Department of Public 
Works has announced its decision to dismantle the artificial platform in 
the North Sea known as R-E-M Island.  The island was constructed in 1964 
at a cost of 9 million guilders by a team of entrepreneurs who used it 
to broadcast radio and television programs to the Netherlands under the 
name Radio Noordzee and TV Noordzee.
The full story is on-line at 
http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/rem031009.html  (Media 
Network)

**

INTERNATIONAL - BRAZIL:  CELEBRATING SCOUTING ON THE AIR

And Brazillian club station PY3ARD is on the air as ZW90S for the 
renmainder 2003.  This, to celebrate the  90th anniversary of the Gerge 
Black Scout Group which happens to be the oldest Scout Group in Brazil.  
According to the RSGB,  the ZW90S call will be aired for the first time 
during the upcoming CQ World Wide contest.  If you work it, QSL via 
PY3ARD.  (G2RS)

**

ON THE AIR:  W6AQ AND K6IPV TO RAROTONGA OCT. 21

Hollywood producer Dave Bell, W6AQ and his close friend Don Lisle, K6IPV 
are headed to Rarotomga.  This for a combined mini-D-Xpedition and 
contest operation.  The pair will arrive on the island at about 9:00 PM 
local time on October 20th.  They hope to be on the air by the afternoon 
of the 21st operating mostly SSB with some CW and possibly RTTY and PSK-
31.:

--

Bell:  "They will hear us calling CQ on whatever the highest frequency 
where there is propagation which is going to be during the daytime 
perhapps 10 meters; 15 meters hopefully and 20 meters certainly.  
Nighttime we will probably be dealing with 20 meters, 40 meters, 80 
meters and perhapps even 160 meters.  We will see if we can talk to 
anybody on that band."

--

Bell will operate as ZK1AQT and Lisle will be on using ZK1IPV.  Both 
will be on as ZK1SSB for the CQ World Wide SSB Contest and will tear 
everything down on the afternoon of October 28th.  Their QSL Manager is 
Norm Friedman W6ORD whose address is good in just about any Callbook.  
(ARNewsline™)

**

DX

In D-X, TM9AF will be on the air through October 26th to celebrate the 
25rh anniversary of the Auxerre Ham-Expo.  About 20 operators will be on 
the air with the special callsign on 160 to 6 metres using CW, SSB, PSK, 
RTTY, and Slow Scan TV.  They will also operate 2 meters to 1.2GHz on 
CW, SSB FM, RTTY, and ATV.  If you make contact, Q-S-L as directed on 
the air.  (GB2RS)

Stefano Frau, IS0WBT, says by way of e-mail that special event station 
ISZ0A will be on air during the upcoming CQ World Wide SSB contest.  
This on the on 25th and 26th of October.  Stefano says that the 
operation will take place from Mt. Cresia in grid square JM49QG.  
Operation will be in the multi-multi catagory and the operators will be 
looking to talk to all of you.  QSL direct to IS0MYN.  (GB2RS)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  DUTCH STUDY SUGGESTS ISSUES ACCOMPANY 3G CELL STATIONS

And finally, can cellular telephones make you more alert?  Some 
researchers in the Netherlands think so.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has 
more:

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A study by Dutch researchers has found some interesting side effects 
from certain cellular telephone base station radiation.  Initial results 
show that  electromagnetic energy transmitted by base stations for the 
new third generation or 3 G  wireless networks caused subjects in 
double-blind test groups to experience tingling sensations, get 
headaches and have feelings of nausea.   On the other hand, when the 
same subjects were exposed to signals from current mobile networks, no 
negative impacts were found.  

But here's the kicker.  When the same people  were exposed to both types 
of fields -- that being 3 G plus current networks --  cognitive 
functions including memory and response times showed measurable 
improvement.  Put simply, the subjects became more alert when exposed to 
both fields. The report did not discuss the modulation schemes nor the 
specific RF power densities that were involved in the study, and 
obviously allot more research needs to be done before anything 
conclusive can be known.

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

--

Now it has to be pointed out that these are early results.  As such, 
while they are interesting, are yet to be confirmed.  You can read more 
in cyberspace at www.msnbc.com/news/974005.asp   (CGC)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, 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. 