[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1370 - November 14, 2003

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Amateur Radio Newsline 1370 - November 14, 2003

The following is a Q-S-T. 

Internationally sponsored ham radio training begins in Albania, UOSat-14 
goes QRT for good and ARISS honors the late Roy Neal, K6DUE, with an on 
the air -- space to ground event.  The details on Amateur Radio Newsline 
report number 1370 coming your way right now.
 
**

 BREAKING NEWS: AUSTRALIA TO BE CODE FREE

The Australian Communications Authority has announced to QNEWS that as 
of January First 2004 CW will no longer be a requirement for Amateurs to 
operate on the HF bands.  From Monday November 17th, the ACA website 
will have the press release under the signature of Dr. Bob Horton. Full 
details on next weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.  (Q-News)


**

RADIO EDUCATION:   AMATEUR RADIO PROGRAM OPENS IN ALBANIA

We told you a few weeks ago that it was going to happen and now it has.  
Ham radio training is now available in Albania.  Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, in 
the U.K. takes an in-depth look at the new internationally sponsored 
training program:

--

A unique amateur radio program started in Tirana, Albania the 9th of 
November. Thirty-four third and fourth-year university students began a 
five-week amateur radio course using RSGB study material as the 
reference books.

The course will culminate in CEPT license examinations. It is being run 
in cooperation with Mr. Spartak Poci, the Albanian Minister of 
Telecommunications, and the Polytechnic University of Tirana. 

A unique part of the program is the way in which amateur radio is being 
integrated into the regular university courses.  The course will not 
only teach amateur radio up to the RAE Full-license standard, but also 
the role of amateur radio in society, QSL'ing practices and successful 
Dxpeditioning.

During the five-week period, ZA1A will be active on many bands and modes 
while demonstrating amateur radio to local telecom and education  
administrators, as well as to the students. Multiple locations will be 
used and several stations may be active at the same time. After the 
course, all the donated equipment will serve the amateur community.

Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham, the U.K.
--

This unique, one-of-a-kind ham radio training program is supported by 
Region 1 of the International Amateur Radio Union.  Additional 
assistance comes from several national ham radio societies, the Northern 
California D-X Foundation, Vertex Standard,  Fluidmotion Corporation, 
Malev Airlines and the Rogner Europark Hotel in Tirana Albania.  (RSGB, 
OH2BH)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  SWEDEN MAY GO CODEFREE

Sweden could be next nation to drop the Morse requirement for ham radio 
licensing and end C-W testing.  

The November issue of the Swedish national amateur radio society's 
magazine, QTC, says -- and we quote:  "Soon - very soon - the 
requirement for knowledge of C-W for High Frequency band access will be 
dropped for the country's would-be amateurs and current Class 2 
amateurs". 

SM0SMK is the President of the Swedish national society.  He says that 
they hope the Morse code test requirement will be removed at the end of 
the year.  (GB2RS)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  OSCAR 14 GOES SILENT

One of ham radios most popular emergency communications Easy Sats has 
gone Q-R-T.  This with word from the Surrey Space Center that U-Oh-Sat 
Oscar 14 has finally reached the end of its mission after an amazing 14 
years in day to day service.  

Launched in January of 1990, U-Oh-14 was the first 9.6 kilobit per 
second amateur digital communications satellite.  It literally pioneered 
the packet satellite or PacSat concept.  

After about 14 months on-orbit, U-Oh-14 was switched to commercial 
frequencies for humanitarian service by an organization called Satelife.  
It was used by them until 1997 when it was returned to Amateur Radio 
service and configured as an F-M repeater in space.  

A failure of one of the cells of its on-board battery supply is keeping 
the entire pack from recharging from the satellites solar array.  This 
causes the transmitter to shut down shortly after it is commanded on.  
This situation lead to the decision by controllers to terminate the 
micro satellites mission after more than 72,000 orbits of the planet.  
(RSGB)

**

RADIO HONORS:  ARISS TO CELEBRATE THE LEGACY OF ROY NEAL, K6DUE

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station team will be 
honoring the memory and the legacy of the late Roy Neal, K6DUE.  This, 
with an operating event involving the crew on the orbiting outpost and 
hams on the ground.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley is here with 
the details:

--  

In a joint release, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO and Sergej Samburov, RV3DR of 
the ARISS International team say that the event is being held to 
commemorate Roy Neal's vision and dedication.  This, in the development 
of manned Amateur Radio space communications.  

And as a celebration of Roy's contributions ARISS has requested that the 
current I-S-S crew take to the airwaves the weekend of November 29th and 
30th to  communicate with as many ground based amateur radio operators 
as they can.  After the initial two days, the operation will continue 
through the month of December using both voice and packet.  

Ham radio from the International Space Station signals will be on the 
usual frequencies.  These are 145.80 MHz as the worldwide voice and 
packet downlink.  That's where you listen.  

The worldwide packet radio uplink channel is 145.99 MHz.  144.49 MHz is 
the voice uplink for the America's and the Pacific while 145.20 MHz is 
where to call if you are in Europe, Central Asia and Africa.

Roy Neal, K6DUE, died last August 15th due to complications following 
heart valve replacement surgery.  He is very much missed by everyone in 
the world wide ham radio community especially by us here it the Amateur 
Radio Newsline where he was a friend and colleague.

The full text of the ARISS International release about this special 
operation commemorating Roy Neal's contributions to manned ham radio in 
space is now at our website.  That URL is www.arnewsline.org.  Scroll 
down to the new "This Just In" area and you will find it there.

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

--

According to Bauer and Samburov hams making contact with the Roy Neal 
Commemorative Operation will be eligible for a special certificate.  
More ham radio in space news later on in this weeks report.  (ARISS)

**

AN ARNEWSLINE(tm) EDITORIAL:  AN ANONYMOUS NOTES OR E-MAIL PLEASE  

I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, with a short editorial comment.  Actually, 
its more of a reminder that the Amateur Radio Newsline does not accept 
anonymous letters and e-mail as valid information or story leads.  

Every so often, a letter or e-mail will arrive making all sorts of 
claims.  It might deal will allegations that a ham radio test session is 
corrupt, or identifying someone as the purported jammer of a net or that 
a ham is doing business over a local repeater.  This past week we 
received two such notes.  One claimed that a repeater was discriminating 
against a group of individuals.  The other claimed corruption in the 
management of a ham radio convention.  Both had something  in common -- 
they were unsigned.  And here's our policy in dealing with unsigned 
correspondence.  Ready?

(Sound of actual letters being torn up and toss in the trash basket.)

That's right, you just heard me rip it up and toss it in the garbage 
can.  And the reason is simple.  If the person sending the letter or the 
e-mail does not have the courage to sign it, then the chances are that 
he or she is attempting to use us and you in a personal vendetta.  And 
friends, we are not going to let ourselves or you to be used in 
someone's private war.  That's been our policy since our days as the 
Westlink Radio Network and it is still our policy today.

The bottom line.  If you are going to send us information you must 
provide identification and be ready to take responsibility for your 
words and actions.  I you are not willing to do so, please save us the 
time and effort of doing this -- and tossing it in the trash.  

This has been an infrequent Amateur Radio Newsline editorial.  In Los 
Angeles, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.  (ARNewsline(tm))  

**

ENFORCEMENT:  ALLEGED TOWER UNBOLTER CAUGHT

A follow-up to a story we aired two weeks ago about a man trying to 
unbolt power transmission towers in three western states.  He has now 
been captured.

According to news reports, the suspect is identified as Michael Poulin.  
He claims that his actions illustrate how vulnerable the power grid 
might be to acts of terrorism.  At airtime, charges against him are 
pending.  (Published news reports)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  IRLP HARASSMENT

A pair of mid-West hams are being asked to explain their actions their 
on the air activities.  The FCC's Daryl Duckworth, NN0W, tells us who 
and why:

--

Duckworth: "Two Oklahoma amateurs; Johnny Adams, KD5QJG, of Dell City 
and Jack Stokes, KE5KR, of Oklahoma City have been queried regarding 
complaints of deliberate interference and harassment of repeater users 
on W5QO, 144.650 and 145.250 MHz." 

--

The FCC says that at the time the incident occurred, the W5QO repeater 
was functioning as an IRLP node.  Adams and Stokes were given 20 days 
from the day that they received the FCC's letter to answer the charges.  
They were also warned that failure to respond could result in the 
revocation of Amateur station license and suspension of operator 
privileges.  (FCC, RAIN)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  HEY YOU LEFT THE RADIO ON

The FCC also wants to know why a ham may have walked away from his car 
with his rig running as a cross band repeater.  Again, the FCC's Daryl 
Duckworth, NN0V:

--

Duckworth: "A complaint of two hours of interference on September 16th, 
coming from an amateur transceiver unit, in a car, unidentified, 
unattended, and operating in crossband mode has prompted the Enforcement 
Bureau to inquire of the vehicle's owner, KG6QKR, Angel Carballo, of 
Freemont California.  The vehicles was located at Hamilton and Bascon 
Avenue's in San Jose (California) at the time of the interference to 
145.23 and 146.94 MHz."

--

Like Adams and Stokes, Carballo was also given 20 days from the date he 
received the FCC's letter to file a response.  (FCC, RAIN)
 
**

RADIO LAW:  A CLARIFICATION ON EQUIPMENT SEIZURES

Phil Kane, K2ASP,  says in the CGC Communicator that the FCC does not 
confiscate equipment.   

Kane, now an attorney in Oregon is the retired District Director of the 
FCC in San Francisco California.  He says that he served many times as 
an on-scene supervisor during events such as the recent raid on an 
unlicensed broadcaster where equipment was taken.  According to Kane, 
seizures are made by the U.S. Marshal Service executing an order of the 
Federal District Court.  Any items taken are held pending court action 
of forfeiture of the equipment to the Government.  

According to Kane, the FCC agents on scene are there only as technical 
experts.  They identify to the Marshals what equipment falls under the 
purview of the seizure warrant.   (CGC)

**

RADIO RULES:  THE FEDS ON FRS

Federal government entities have been authorized to purchase and operate 
radios certified by the FCC in the Family Radio Service.  This, 
according to the May 2003 Manual of Regulations and Procedures for 
Federal Radio Frequency Management.

The manual says that pursuant to Part 95 Subpart B of the FCC Rules and 
Regulations, government users will be accorded the same privileges as 
non-federal users.  Also, since FRS users must share each channel and no 
user is assured protection from interference caused by another 
authorized user, federal entities may not purchase and operate F-R-S 
radios for planned communications operations that safeguard human life 
or property.

The Manual of Regulations and Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency 
Management is a great publication that has a ton of useful information.  
The only drawback is that it costs $342.00 new.  However it is available 
for viewing and download, chapter by chapter, at 
www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/redbook/redbook.html   (CGC)

**

HAM EDUCATION:  NEW ON-LINE HELP FOR INSTRUCTORS

The American Radio Relay League's Field and Educational Services branch 
has announced a new resource for active Volunteer Instructors.  Titled 
the Online Instructor Primer, it's a new compilation by Linda Mullally, 
KB1HSV, that's jam-packed with helpful tips, links, and tutorials sure 
to help instructors eager to try new ideas and approaches.  More 
information about it is at the ARRL website.  Just take the link to 
www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/instructor/oip  (ARRL)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  PATRIOT NAME CHANGE

Turning to this weeks names in the news.  Word that the Patriot DX 
Association has changed its name to the New England DXCC with a new 
mission.  That of fostering participation in DX'ing and the DXCC 
program.  

The group has also announced the creation of a new operating event 
called the N-E-D-X-C-C Challenge.  According to an October 27th press 
release the purpose of the Challenge is to stimulate on-the-air 
operating activity among club members to make contact with many DXCC 
countries as possible during the prescribed activity periods.  More 
information is on the web at www.nedxcc.org (Via e-mail)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: SOUND OF A BLACK HOLE