[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1400 - June 11, 2004

Sat Jun 12 13:19:58 EDT 2004

Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1400 - June 11,  2004

The following is an advisory and not necessarily for air.  Ladies and 
gentlemen, Amateur Radio Newslines' Support Fund Administrator, Andy 
Jarema, N6TCQ:

--

This is Andy Jarema, N6TCQ, Newsline Support Fund Administrator, getting 
caught up with our supporters.  In the month of August of last year we 
heard from The Reading, PA Radio Club, W3BN; Joseph Bartzi, Jr., KC8DKF 
of Columbus, OH; The North Hills Radio Club in Sacramento, CA; monthly 
contributor William Walters, WA2IBM, of San Jose and monthly contributor 
Scott Hensley of the Area Communications Team, also in San Jose

Thank you to everyone, and we promise to do our best to continue to earn 
your care and support. A reminder that Newsline is a federally chartered 
501c 3 California non-profit corporation.  FCC regulations prohibit us 
from telling you exactly how to support us, but that information is on 
our website at www.arnewsline.org.  That address will be repeated at the 
end of the newscast.  

I'm Andy Jarema, N6TCQ.

--

Thank you Andy.  Now, Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1400 with a 
release date of Friday, June 11 2004 follows in 5-4-3-2-1.   

The following is a Q-S-T.  

Australia to make big changes in its Amateur Radio service, Greece will 
welcome hams at the 2004 Summer Olympics and Amateur Radio Newsline 
celebrates 1400 weeks of service to the world-wide ham radio community.  
It all comes your way, right now!

 (Billboard Cart Here) 

**

RESTRUCTURING:  BIG CHANGES DOWN-UNDER

Big changes are coming to ham radio down-under.  This, as Australia 
announces some sweeping changes that are about to take place in that 
nations Amateur Radio service.  Owen Duffy reports:

--

The ACA has released their report entitled "Outcomes of the Review of 
Amateur Service Regulation". The report contains the ACA's intended 
changes to the Amateur service following stakeholder response to the 
recent discussion paper entitled "A Review of Amateur Service 
Regulation."  

The key changes are removal of the Morse qualification requirements for 
all grades of amateur radio license; introduction of a new entry level 
license (the Foundation License) along the lines of the UK Foundation 
License, although it will be adapted to suit Australian preferences.

A three tier licensing structure: Advanced, Standard, and Foundation; 
translation of Unrestricted, Limited and Intermediate licenses to 
Advanced; translation of Novice and Novice Limited licenses to Standard; 
a privileges package for the Standard License that is much greater than 
enjoyed by Novice Licenses today.

A generous privileges package for the Foundation License allows voice or 
Morse code at low power (10W PEP) using only unmodified commercial 
transmitting equipment on all of 80m, 40m, 15m, 10m, 2m, and most of 
70cm.

Australian participation in CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01 (reciprocal  
licensing) is in progress. The status-quo is essentially preserved in 
respect to higher operating power; interference and interference 
management built on current arrangements. 

Apparatus Licensing as the vehicle for licensing Australian amateur 
stations (though stations licensed under CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01 
would be class licensed).  State significance of callsigns remains.

This has been Owen Duffy for the CQVK project on Q-News Australia.

--

As we go to air, no effective date for these changes to take place has 
been announced by the Australian Communications Agency.  (Q-News)

**

INTERNATIONAL: THE BIG DISPUTE

Two Asian Pacific nations are embroiled in a territorial dispute and 
Amateur Radio appears to be caught right in the middle.  Q-News Graham 
Kemp, VK4BB, is in Brisbane with the details:

--

A centuries-old territorial dispute between Japan and South Korea is 
again escalating with the South Koreans placing a group of amateur  
radio operators on the rocky islets known in Korea as the Lonely  
Islands. To the Japanese they are the Bamboo Islands.

The radio station, licensed by South Korea, was seen as a  provocation 
by the Japanese.  Some amateur radio operators in JA  are said to have 
interfered with the South Korean stations transmissions.

I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of Q-News for the Amateur Radio Newsline.
--

Kemp says that hams around the world were surprised to hear about the 
dispute.  This is because our hobby stresses development of technologic 
skill along with friendly international communications.  (Q-News)

**

RESCUE RADIO: THE NEBRASKA TORNADO AFTERMATH

Back on this side of the Pacific Amateur Radio operators were on duty 
aiding tornado-stricken communities in Nebraska and elsewhere in the 
Midwest.  Norm Seeley, KI7UP, picks up the story from here:

--

As we reported last week, a May 22nd tornado virtually destroyed most 
structures in the small town of Hallam, Nebraska.  Hallam is located 
some 20 miles south of Lincoln and one death there was attributed to the 
storm.    

During and after the tornado ham radio was an important part of the 
overall emergency service effort.  The ARRL Letter quotes Nebraska 
Section Emergency Coordinator Reynolds Davis, K-zero-G-N-D, as saying  
that Lancaster County ARES and SKYWARN spotters were activated that 
evening in response to a report of an approaching front.  Within a half-
hour, W0NWS at the National Weather Service office was receiving tornado 
damage reports via the Lincoln Amateur Radio Club K0KKV repeater.

The storm severely damaged a high school in Norris, Nebraska, and 
plucked the tower supporting the K0RPT repeater's south region receiver 
from the ground.  The tornado went on to demolish  additional homes to 
the northeast.  Its path of destruction finally ended south of the town 
of Bennet.  

Once the SKYWARN Nets closed, the remainder of the K0RPT system was put 
into service to support Red Cross communications between the tornado 
scene, the chapter house and a shelter set up in a Lincoln high school 
for residents displaced by the storm.  Two ARES nets were activated May 
23rd to coordinate damage survey and assessment.  They logged reports 
via K0EOC at the Lancaster County Emergency Operations Center.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Norm Seeley, KI7UP

--

Amateur Radio communications support continued for several days.  (ARRL)

**

Break 1

More news after a break for you to identify your station.  Cue the 
announcer, please:

"From the United States of America, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline, 
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the K2SBD repeater 
serving Long Island. New York."

(5 sec pause here)

**

WITH NEWSLINE:  SEND US YOUR ID - PLEASE

The station I-D you just heard was recorded a few weeks ago at the 
Dayton Hamvention.  And it has lead us to an idea.  

Would you like to I-D your own repeater or bulletin station here on 
Amateur Radio Newsline?  Well here is how you can do it.  

Simply record on a cassette tape the following sentence and include the 
call sign and location you want to honor. 

>From the United States of America, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline, 
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the "xxx" repeater 
serving "yyy zzz."  The "xxx" is the call sign.  The "yyy" and "zzz" are 
the city and state.  

Then, take the tape and mail it to Amateur Radio Newsline, Editorial 
Office, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita, California, 91350.  As time 
permits, we will select an audio I-D and include it in the newscast.  

All tapes submitted become the property of the Amateur Radio Newsline 
and cannot be returned.  

Again, the address to make yourself a part of this bulletin service is 
Amateur Radio Newsline, Editorial Office, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa 
Clarita, California, 91350.  (ARNewsline(tm))

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  FIRST EXPEDITION 9 QSO A BIG SUCCESS

AMSAT reports that the first ARISS contact with the Expedition 9 crew on 
the ISS took place on Tuesday, May 25th.  During his first-ever amateur 
radio contact, Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 18 questions 
asked by the students who gathered at the Erie Planetarium in 
Pennsylvania. 

The contact used the facilities of telebridge station, VK5ZAI, in 
Australia to assure high quality space to ground communications.  It was 
deemed very successful as the children applauded and thanked KE5AIT for 
taking the time to join them from space.  We will have more ham radio 
space related news later on in this weeks newscast.  (AMSAT, ARISS)

**

WORLDBEAT:  HAM RADIO AND THE 2004 SUMMER OLYMPICS

If you are planning to attend the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece, we 
have some good news for you.  Foreign radio amateurs from CEPT  
countries or from countries with reciprocity can use the special prefix 
J42004 from August 1st to  November 15th without any special license 
from Greek Authorities.

Not only that.  Demetre Valaris, SV1UY, says all hams visiting Athens 
for the  Olympics is more than welcome to give a shout on 145.425 MHz 
with a 88.5HZ access tone.  Demetre says that this is so visitors can 
hook up with Greek hams and share hospitality.

What about visiting hams from non CEPT nations?  They will have to 
contact Greek telecommunications regulators for special permission to 
operate.  (Via E-Mail)

**

RADIO RESEARCH:  MCRN TO TEST RADIATION ANGLES

The Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland station VO1MRC will be conducting 
an antenna comparison experiment on the 19th and 20th of June and you 
are invited to take part.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PW, 
has more:

--

Each day during the experiment from 0000 to 2400 UTC station VO1MRC will 
operate a CW beacon on 5269.5 kilohertz.  Its purpose will be to 
determine the relative performance of high and low radiation angles. The 
antenna in use will be identified by a code in each transmission. 

VO1MRC will also be open briefly for 2 way contacts with stations 
authorized to transmit on 60 meters starting 0000 UTC each of these days 
and will operate simplex on 5260.5 kilohertz CW.  Following this it will 
transmit on 5327.5 kilohertz upper sideband and receive 5346.5 kilohertz 
upper sideband and 3807.5 kilohertz on lower sideband.

The experiment was proposed by Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland and is 
endorsed by Radio Amateurs of Canada.  Its operated under an 
authorization issued by Industry Canada which is that nations 
telecommunicastions regulatory body.  

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los 
Angeles.

--

For further information, please check the Marconi Radio Club of 
Newfoundland web site.  That U-R-L is 
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~jcraig/5megex.html  (RAC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  TO MUCH RF

The licensee of FM station KWNZ, located in Carson City, Nevada, has 
been fined $10,000 by the FCC.  This, for creating ground-level 
radiation in excess of the permissible public exposure level at KWNZ's 
McClellan Peak transmitter site.

The CGC Communicator says that the various excuses offered by the 
licensee were not impressive.  For example, KWNZ contended that there 
was no evidence whatsoever of public use of the particularized ten 
square foot area where the station exceeded the RFR permitted radiation 
limits.   

According to the FCC, it is not necessary to establish actual public use 
of the particular unfenced and unmarked]area where excessive power 
density occurs.  The regulatory agency says that public use of an area 
nearby is sufficient.

(DO NOT READ:  More is on-line at 
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-04-1533A1.doc  
(CGC) 

**

ENFORCEMENT:  AMATEUR RADIO ACTIONS

Now with more enforcement news here's the FCC's Daryl Duckworth, NN0W:

--

Audio report only.  Hear it on this weeks newscast at 
http://www.arnewsline.org
--

More on these issues as the FCC releases follow-up information. (FCC, 
RAIN)

**

BEST PRACTICES:  EMERGENCY READINESS GUIDE FOR LOCAL MEDIA

The FCC's Media Security and Reliability Council has published a new 
booklet titled the "Readiness Guide for Local Media on How to Prepare 
for Emergencies."  This colorful pamphlet is good for a quick overview 
of what the media should do in times of emergencies.  Its available on 
the web in both Mocrosoft Word and PDF format. The PDF version is at 
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-244522A1.pdf.   
Download the following doc version at   
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-244391A1.doc. 
Finally, the generic website for the Media Security and Reliability 
Council is http://www.fcc.gov/MSRC/.   (CGC) 

**

ON THE AIR:  THE COLLINS COLLECTORS NETS

And if you own vintage ham gear, you might want to become a member of 
the Collins Collectors Association and join one of their monthly nets.  
The nets are held the first Wednesday of the month on 3.888 MHz 
beginning at 7:30 PM in the Eastern time zone and 8 PM in the Central, 
Mountain and Pacific time zones.  

These nets draw hundreds of vintage stations from across the country and 
are anchored by a "tall ship" AM station in each time zone and you do 
not need to operate Collins gear to take part.  For more information. 
just tune in.  Comments go by e-mail to wa9vrh at mtco.com  (Via e-mail)

**

BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur.  From the United 
States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the 
world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being 
relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  LLOYD "SIG" SIGMON W6LQ - S.K.

A ham radio operator who developed a public warning scheme that 
eventually carried his name, has died.  This, with word that 95 year old 
Lloyd Sigmon, W6LQ, became a silent key on Wednesday, June 2nd, 
following a long illness.  

Known to his ham radio buddies as Sig, in 1955 W6LQ perfected a method 
that allowed the Los Angeles Police Department to issue emergency 
warnings over local radio stations.  At the time Sigmon was an executive 
with radio station KMPC and wanted to boost station ratings by providing 
traffic information.

Then Los Angeles Police Chief William H. Parker permitted use of 
Sigmon's device but only on the condition that it be made available to 
any radio station that wanted to use it.  He also is dubbed the 
bulletins as SigAlerts in honor of W6LQ.  

The first SigAlert was broadcast on Sept. 5, 1955.  It was carried by 
six radio stations and urged medical personnel to respond to a train 
derailment outside Los Angeles Union Station. The California Highway 
Patrol later took over freeway traffic warnings from the Los Angeles 
Police Department and handles SigAlerts, which now are computerized.

Lloyd Sigmon, W6LQ, was born in 1909 in Stigler, Oklahoma.  He was 
fascinated by electronics and received his first Amateur Radio license 
at age 14.  He died at Green County Assisted Living Center in 
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where he had been residing the past four years.  
(Published news stories)

**

RADIOS LEGACY:  THE HISTORIC KGFJ 1230 KHZ TRANSMITTER SITE HAS BEEN 
SHUT DOWN

The CGC Communicator reports the passing of a different sort.  This with 
the announcement that on May 24th a historic AM broadcast transmitting 
site was turned off after 80 years of service.  

In 1924, radio station KGFJ started broadcasting from the Odd Fellows 
Lodge Building on Oak Street near downtown Los Angeles.  In more recent 
years, the station call sign was changed its call letters to KYPA.  

Shortly after 4 PM on May 24th, Marvin Collins, W6OQI, turned on the new 
1230 kHz transmitter.  Its signal is diplexed into a tower at the KBLA 
1580 kHz transmitter site.  

Collins says that the old KGFJ "flat top" antenna had been in continuous 
use by since 1924.  He adds that the old antenna may well have been the 
last full-time use of a flat top antenna anywhere in the country.

Marv took photos of the old KGFJ site and the new diplexed setup at 
KBLA, visit Marvin's web page at http://earthsignals.com/Collins/ and 
scroll to "KGFJ 1230."  You can write to Marv at KFIam640 at aol.com  (CGC)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  BIG LAUNCH DOLLARS RAISED AT DAYTON

AMSAT says that its Launch Fund campaign now has $93,0000 in it.  This, 
thanks to donations received at the recent Dayton Hamvention including 
one anonymous donor who matched every dollar collected with another one. 

AMSAT North America President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, says that now is 
the time to make a final push to reach $110,000 goal.  He adds four 
words that seem to come right out of the Mel Brooks musical the 
Producers.  The four words are - "we can do it."  And Haighton is 
confident that they will.

More about the fund and ham radio space exploration is on-line at 
www.amsat.org.  (AMSAT-NA)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ECHO NEAR COMPLETION

And some more good news from on the ham radio satellite scene.  It comes 
from Jim White, WD0E, who has been testing and performing final 
integration of the ECHO ham-sat.  

White says that as far as he can tell the ECHO team is on track and the 
new satellite is looking good.  He says that there are a few minor items 
have to  be completed before the bird is sent to the Kazakhstan launch 
site.  White says that he is confident that it will be 100% by the time 
it gets there for the launch.  (AMSAT-NA)

**

WORLDBEAT:  HFRADIO.NET TAKES LIGHTNING HIT

Due to a system failure caused by a recent lightning strike, the H-F-
RADIO dot NET Canadian Amateur Radio Bulletin service has lost its 
database of subscribers.  In order to rebuild it and for subscribers  to 
continue receiving those weekly bulletins, hams across Canada  are asked 
to send an e-mail to webmaster at hfradio.net with the word "subscribe" in 
the subject line.  (RAC)

**

DX

IN DX, K8AQM, reports that his trip to Samoa will take place between 
July 7th to the 21st.  While there he will operate as 5W0TR on 160 
through 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK.  Also, look for him as 
KH6BB from Hawaii July 5th and 6th and 22nd through he 24th. QSLs go via 
K-8-A-A as his Callbook address.

And members of the United Kingdoms Wrexham and District Amateur Radio 
Society will be on from the Isle of Man from September 1st to the 8th.  
Station location will be at the discontinued Coast Guard lookout tower 
at Scarlett Point.  Activity will be on all High Frequency bands plus 50 
MHz, 70MHz, 144MHz and 432 MHz, at full UK power on CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK 
and SSTV.  More information is on-line at www.gb4iom.co.uk  (Various DX 
sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  CELEBRATING NEWSCAST 1400

And finally this week its time for a bit of a celebration here at 
Amateur Radio Newsline.  That's because this newscast marks 1,400 
consecutive weeks that we have been bringing you news from the worlds of 
Amateur Radio and personal communications.  With some thoughts on this 
milestone, here's our producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF:

--

If you get out your calculator and do the math, you will find that 1400 
weeks comes out to be 26 point 923 years.  Close enough in our book to 
say 27. And in ham radio news, I guess we can say that's a pretty long 
time. 

Back when we still edited on tape I used to wonder how many splices that 
we made in a year.  One day I sat down and figured out that there were 
about 30 in an average newscast.  That was 120 a month or 1440 a year 
and an awful lot of Scotch splicing tape.  Had we stayed on tape it 
would mean that we would have cut into a piece of audio tape 38,880 
times as of today.  

But we stopped putting the newscast together using tape almost 4 years 
ago.  Now its done in the digital world using computers and programs 
like Goldwave and Cool Edit pro.  Becoming part of the digital age early 
on is something we are kind of proud of.  Being on your favorite 
repeater for the past 27 years and never missing a deadline is another.

As we enter year 27 and begin rolling on toward year 28, we pause and 
renew our simple pledge to you.  The promise we made many years ago and 
which continues to guide our very being. Amateur Radio Newsline will be 
here as long as you want us and as long as you support us.  We exist to 
serve you and we all consider it an honor to do so.  

Speaking for all of the volunteers who make up the world-wide Amateur 
Radio Newsline team, I say - "thank you."  Thank you for sharing your 
lives with us through the magic of Amateur Radio.  Thank you for caring 
about us through your ongoing support.  Most of all, we thank you for 
being a part of what we like to call the Amateur Radio Newsline family.  

To paraphrase a line from the show Chicago.  "We simply could not do it 
alone."  

Again, we thank you. 

I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.  

Jim.

--

As one of the anchors who has been here almost from the start, I add my 
thank-you's as well.

**

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 at 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. 

A reminder that the nominating period for the 2004 Amateur Radio 
Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award is now on.  This program is open to 
any FCC licensed young radio amateur age 18 or younger residing in the 
contiguous 48 states and who has made a significant contribution to the 
community, the nation or ham radio though the United States Amateur 
Radio Service.  

More information and a downloadable on-line nominating form is at our 
website. That's in cyberspace at www.arnewsline.org.  The cutoff for 
nominations this year is midnight on June 30th. 