[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1409 - August 13, 2004
ham-news at mailman.qth.net
ham-news at mailman.qth.net
Sat Aug 14 10:39:41 EDT 2004
Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1409 - August 13, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Ladies and gentlemen This weeks newscast is dedicated to the
memory of the late Roy Neal, K6DUE who passed away a year ago on August
15, 2003, following heart surgery. Roy was our friend, teacher and
served as the first elected vice-president of Amateur Radio Newsline
after it became a 501(c)(3) nor-for-profit corportation. We miss him
very much. "So Roy old buddy: This one is for you."
de WA6ITF
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1409 with a release date of Friday,
August 13th, 2004 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Australian hams ask for a new ham band at 500
kilohertz, lots of news world wide on the B-P-L front, and the FCC talks
about license processing. Find out the details on Amateur Radio
Newsline report number 1409 coming your way right now.
**
RESTRUCTURING: AUSTRALIA TO SEEK NEW 500 KHZ HAM BAND
The old 500 kHz the international maritime distress frequency could
become part of a new ham band down-under. This if the Wireless
Institute of Australia has its way. W-I-A News anchor Graham Kemp,
VK4BB, joins us from Brisbane with the details:
--
The WIA will shortly be writing to the ACA to request the establishment
of an experimental amateur allocation at 500 kHz. Thats the 600 meter
band.
WIA Director Glenn Dunstan VK4DU said "500 kHz was the international
maritime Morse code distress frequency for most of the 20th century."
"It was the frequency used by the RMS Titanic to send her plaintive
cries for help that April night in 1912. It was the frequency used by
thousands of merchant ships to signal their plight in times of peace and
war."
"More often than not, 500 kHz was witness to a ship's Radio Officer's
last moments. Many Radio Officers literally died at the key as their
ship fell victim to enemy action or was overwhelmed by the forces of
nature".
Glenn, himself an ex ship's Radio Officer, said. 500 kHz was replaced in
1999 by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), which
uses a combination of automated terrestrial and satellite
communications.
"Since the introduction of the GMDSS in 1999, 500 kHz use has declined
rapidly. The last official users of the frequency, China, plan to
discontinue operation in 2005. The frequency is no longer used in
Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific or the US."
500 kHz has been instrumental in saving tens of thousands of lives in
the last 100-odd years. It is thus fitting that the frequency be
preserved as a 'spectrum national park' to commemorate those who paid
the supreme sacrifice in its use.
"The best way to do this is to establish a small slice of spectrum
around 500 kHz - probably 495 to 510 kHz - as an amateur radio band. The
band would also provide a unique opportunity for experimentation with
antennas, propagation, advanced narrow band modulation techniques and
receiver digital signal processing." Glenn said.
--
It should be noted that 500 kHz is still allocated to the maritime
service so any permanent amateur access in Australia or elsewhere is
some way off. It is worthy of note that the I-A-R-U Region 1 and
various United States Amateur long wave groups are actively pursuing an
experimental allocation at 500 kHz as well. (WIA News)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ECHO ON THE AIR
AMSAT has announced that the F-M voice repeater on the Oscar-51 Echo
satellite is on for a trial period. The transponder was turned on the
30th July for about three weeks during which command stations will be
watching the power budget and adjusting the transmitter power for good
management of the battery.
For those wanting to give Echo a try, its uplink is on 145.920 MHz F-M,
with 67 Hz CTCSS tone. The downlink is on 435.300 MHz.
A reminder that this is a trial of the F-M voice repeater only. Please
do not send any data through it. AMSAT says that the digital portion of
Echo is not yet ready for use. (ANS)
**
THE BPL FIGHT: ZS AMATEURS SHOULD REPORT BPL TESTING TO THE SARL
Turning to news on the B-P-L front, South Africa AMSAT President Hans
van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, has now spoken out. He is urging amateurs
and short-wave listeners in that nation to report any unusual but
consistent interference to the South African Radio League. This as the
rollout of Broadband over Powerline continues in that country.
ZS6AKV says that South African hams must continue to be vigilant about
any B-P-L testing taking place in their neighborhoods. Hans says that
following Pretoria's example several other metropolitan areas have shown
an interest and may soon be starting trials. (SARL)
**
THE BPL FIGHT: FOLLOW-UP ON SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC
Back here in the USA, San Diego Gas & Electric has confirmed that it is
considering entering the Broadband Over Powerline business, but for now
that's about all the utility will say.
As reported last week, San Diego Gas & Electric planners are reported to
be seriously considering endorsing and sponsoring Broadband Over
Powerline data transmissions on the company's power distribution system.
The story went on to state that San Diego Gas & Electric is also
considering entertaining proposals to partner with vendors for one or
more field demonstrations of BPL. This, this despite being advised that
B-P-L will cause considerable interference.
Bob Gonsett, W6VR, whose CGC Communicator newsletter was first to break
the story put in a call to the utility to try and get a bit more
information. San Diego Gas & Electric response was brief and far from
insightful. All that the utility would tell Bob is -- and we quote:
"Like many utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric is assessing B-P-L
technologies."
W6VR says that while we are all temporarily left in the dark as to San
Diego Gas & Electric plans, those plans will eventually surface. As
soon as they do, we will let you know. (CGC)
**
THE BPL FIGHT: NORTH CAROLINA UTILITY ENDING BPL FIELD TRIAL
Meantime, North Carolina's Progress Energy Corporation says it's
completed Phase II of its B-P-L field trial in the Raleigh, and will be
closing down the experiment. In an August 4th internal memorandum
reported by the ARRL Letter, the company said its program to test the
viability of providing broadband service to communities it serves will
wrap up by the end of August. The company reportedly will shut down the
system once it's able to move its BPL customers to other broadband
providers. Progress Energy's decision comes on the heels of announced
shutdowns of B-P-L field trials in Penn Yan, New York, and Cedar Rapids,
Iowa. (ARRL)
**
RADIO LAW: HAM RADIO EXEMPT FROM CONTROVERSIAL SAN DIEGO WIRELESS
SITING ORDINANCE
Wireless communication antennas would be allowed in San Diego,
California's residential areas only as a last resort under a new policy
recently approved by the City Council. By a vote of 7 to 1, the council
has approved a new policy governing the design and placement of wireless
antennas, making it more difficult for cellular carriers and others to
erect towers in or near residential areas.
Under the new regulations, the process will differ according to
location. Some approvals would be made at the staff level, while others
would require an okay from a planning group, a hearing officer or the
full Planning Commission.
In the past 20 years San Diego has processed over 1,400 applications for
cellular telephone towers but the the city has not tracked how many were
actually built but there is some good news for hams on this one. ARRL
Southwestern Division Vice Director Tuck Miller, NZ6T, reports that
amateur radio is specifically exempted from the terms of this new
ordinance
More about the ordinance itself is on-line at
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040728/news_1m28wireless.html
(CGC with further information from NZ6T)
**
RESCUE RADIO: COMMISSION SEEKS COMMENTS ON RULE CHANGES FOR EAS
The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning possible
revisions to the Emergency Alert System or E-A-S system. The agency is
seeking comment on how E-A-S can become a more effective tool for
warning the American public of an emergency. It is also a chance for
radio amateurs to suggest new ways that the E-A-S might be interfaced
with our hobby to better serve the public in time of need. More
information is at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-
250534A1.doc (CGC)
**
WITH THE FCC: MANAGING THE DATA PROCESSING OF LICENSES
The FCC has a lot to say about the Universal Licensing System and some
of the problems it faces in administering it. Especially those dealing
with paper filings from the ham radio community.
Donna Scott, a Program Analyst with the Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. And in a recent interview with
Rain, he outlined just one of the most common situations that her office
runs into. This one dealing with applicants who faili to provide their
FCC Identification Number better known as an F-R-N:
--
Scott: "I believe that one of the biggest problems that we encounter are
paper filings coming here to Gettysburg with no F-R-N on the
application. The F-R-N is mandatory. This is the registration number
that you obtain through the CORES database and without that number wee
really can't accept that application. And we do have a high volume of
paper applications that still come in without that number."
--
Probably the second highest volume of amateur applications that need to
be returned are those from hams who do not read what's right in front of
them. These are hams who insist on sending form 605 V-E-C to the
agency. This even though the form 605 V-E-C is only for use by those
who give the tests and not for the ham in the street filing paperwork
with the agency:
--
Scott: "It clearly states that it is a 605 VEC form. It says do not
send to the FCC on the top and on the bottom. Yet amateurs continue to
send them here to Gettysburg and we cannot accept them."
--
According to Scott, the only version of Form 605 the FCC will accept
from the ham community is the one that contains the approval statement
from the governments Office of Management and Budget and that carries a
current issue date.
This is only a fraction of the information that Donna Scott described
about managing the nuts and bolts of the FCC's licensing system.
There's lots more with her on this weeks RAIN Report. Its on line right
now at www.rainreport.com or on the phone at 847-827-7246. (RAIN)
**
ENFORCEMENT: ELECTRIC UTILITY WARNED AGAIN ABOUT INTERFERENCE TO HAM
RADIO
A Tennessee power company has been told that its response to an earlier
RFI complaint is inadequate. The FCC's Daryl Duckworth, NN0W, explains:
--
Audio report only. Download the MP3 newscast audio file at
www.arnewsline.org
--
The FCC told the utility that the it knows of no powerline noise problem
associated in any way with guy wires. (FCC, RAIN)
**
ENFORCEMENT: $3000 FINE FOR UNLICENSED OPERATION
The FCC has issued Donald Donovan Jackson of St. Petersburg, Florida a
monetary forfeiture in the amount of $3,000. This, for operating an FM
broadcast station on the frequency 102.1 MHz without Commission
authorization.
On November 23, 2002, agents from the Tampa Office observed a broadcast
station operating on the frequency 102.1 MHz. A search of Commission
records revealed no FM radio station licensed to operate on 102.1 MHz in
that area. The agents then used direction-finding techniques and
determined that the broadcasts originated from a commercial office
building located in St. Petersburg. Field strength measurements taken
near the sight of the broadcast indicated that the signal strength
exceeded the permissible limits for a non-licensed station.
The agents interviewed the owner of the building who provided them with
a copy of the lease for suite. He also informed them that a person
named Donald Donovan Jackson operated the radio station from the
premisis.
On January 15, 2003, agents from the Tampa Office interviewed Jackson
and conducted an inspection of the station after again observing a radio
station operating on 102.1 MHz. During the interview, Jackson admitted
to leasing the property and operating the radio station from that
location. He was given the usual 30 days to pay the fine or to file an
appeal. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: DOJ WANTS MANDATED DIGITAL WIRETAP ABILITY
The Department of Justice says that technology companies should be
mandated to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install taps on
Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications devices.
This as the D-O-J and other agencies press for a digital expansion to
the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act is a 1994 law that
requires the telecommunications industry to build into its products
tools that U.S. investigators can use to eavesdrop on conversations with
a court order. The investigatory agencys are worried that federal
agents would not be able to install court ordered wiretaps against
criminals who communicate using the latest digitally encrypted
technologies. Lawyers for the Justice Department, FBI and Drug
Enforcement Administration say that this need requires immediate
attention and resolution by the Federal Communications Commission.
(Published news reports)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
Eastern Massachusetts ARES was activated to support Public Service
Agencies during the Democratic National Convention which concluded
Friday, July 30th. The ARRL reports the Salvation Army, that the
American Red Cross, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
all helped out. ARES was ready to provide any needed support in case of
catastrophic loss of the communication infrastructure that had been
installed for the event. (ARRL)
**
RADIO IN SERVICE: FITTEST SEEKING ASSISTANCE
Those involved with Rescue Radio may find some appeal in this. The
United Nations World Food Program's FITTEST operation is currently
seeking Telecommunications Specialists for 3 to 6 month contracts.
FITTEST stands for the Fast Internet and Telecoms Emergency Support Team
and it offers constant travel, constant pressure, constant challenges in
a job that still allows you to combine a family life and a professional
life in a two or three months on one month off duty regime.
Typically, FITTEST hires people with non-conventional career paths to
provide emergency deployment of VHF and HF networks, Satellite and
Telephone systems. They are looking only at people with direct hands-on
experience willing to work under harsh circumstances.
To get an idea of the work they do in Iraq and Afghanistan have a look
at their web sites. They are in cyberspace at
http://www.hiciraq.org/mediacentre/gallery/FITTEST/
http://www.qsl.net/ya5t. Applications to mark.tell at wfp.org and
martin.kristensson at wfp.org (WIA News)
**
ON THE WEB: BIG CHANGES AT THE QRZ.COM WEBSITE
Some major changes are taking place at the very popular QRZ.com ham
radio website. We have more in this report:
--
Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ, who runs the QRZ.com website has announced major
changes in access to posting access site. This, for registered users
whose login user name is not the same as their ham radio callsign.
Basically, Lloyd says that only contributors who have legitimate ham
radio calls will be permitted to post material to most areas of the
website. To accomplish this Llloyd says that he has created two levels
of membership. One called Ham is for those who want to use their call
sign as registration login. The other will be the Guest member for
those who may not have a call or who simply prefer not to use it.
Those who have a call and use it for login purposes will have full read
and write access to all public Q-R-Z forums, plus the ability to make
changes and/or additions to listings in the callsign database. Guest
level members will be limited to posting on the sites Help Forum, the
For Sale Forums, and the Questions and Answers Forum. These people will
have no access to callsign database editing functions.
QRZ.com has also instituted several rules to help keep order and decorum
at the site to make it enjoyable for the majority of those signing on.
Among these are the right to terminate the current and future membership
status of any user who engages in the harassment of any other user,
staff member, or volunteer of this system or the use of any information
derived from the website that contributes in any way to unsolicited e-
mail of any kind. Also banned is the posting of obscene or offensive
material on the site and QRZ managers say that they reserve the sole
right to determine what is either offensive or obscene.
Lloyd says that the site will shortly begin converting current members
to the new system. If you are currently signed up using your call sign
as your logon I-D you need do nothing. For those who are not, QRZ we
will be assigning new login names to those current members who are
apparently licensed amateurs. The new logon name will be the same as
the callsign that is listed in the QRZ call sign database as the
'Primary Callsign' for that account. Each user who is subjected to a
name change will be notified via e-mail at the address we have on file
for that user. Names that cannot be associated with a callsign will be
assigned to the Guest level of membership.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los
Angeles.
--
Lots more about the changes are on the QRZ.com website under the title
QRZ System Announcement. Lloyd and the managers at QRZ say that they
hope that these hanges will improve the website for everybody.
(QRZ.com)
**
HELPING HAND: THE AUDIO NETWORK
The U-K Audio Network is a website for the blind using audio web
pages, controlled by standard keyboard navigation. It is the first site
in the world that needs no adaptive technology to be accessible by blind
and partially sighted users.
There are many resources on the Audio Network. For example, it is the
only place on the Internet where you can listen to BBC Radio schedules
for the forthcoming week in audio. And speaking of radio, there is a
whole section of radio stations where you can change channels at the
touch of a button, without having to worry about
annoying pop ups or filling out a registrations.
Best of all this website is free. Its located in cyberspace at
http://www.yrguk.com (RSGB)
**
THE SOCIAL SCENE: DENVER IN AUGUST
Turning to the ham radio social scene, the Denver Radio Club Hamfest is
scheduled for Sunday, August 22nd at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in
Golden. Doors open at 8:30 AM with door prizes awarded throughout the
fest. For more information contact Bryan Steinberg by e-mail to
kc0cua at arrl.net or visit the clubs website at www.qsl.net/q0tx (KCOCUA)
**
THE SOCIAL SCENE: CFMC IN ILLINOIS IN SEPTEMBER
And the Chicago F-M Club will hold its annual Hamfest and Flea Market on
the weekend of September 18th and 19th. The venue is the Lake County
Fairgrounds in the city of Grasyslake, Illinois. More information is
on-line at wwwchicagofmclub.org. (E-mail)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISS AT HAM FAIR JAPAN
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station will be represented at
the upcoming Ham Fair 2004 on Saturday and Sunday, August 21st and 22nd
in Tokyo, Japan. The ARISS U.S. team provided photographs of the radio
equipment in the Service Module to J-J-one-L-Y-U. He will display some
of them along with a modified Kenwood D 700 E transceiver which looks
like the flight radio. Other photos will be used in a slide show as
part of an exhibit in the Kenwood Booth. Ham Fair is sponsored by the
Japan Amateur Radio League with about 28,000 people is expected at the
event. (ARISS)
**
SPACE: NASA APPROVES NEW DESIGN FOR SHUTTLE EXTERNAL TANK FITTING
NASA is moving ahead with plans to redesign a part of the Space Shuttle
external fuel tank that investigators believe played a critical role in
the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
The Space Shuttle program will soon begin installing an improved bipod
fitting that connects the external fuel tank to the Shuttle during
launch. Investigators believe that during Columbia's launch in
January 2003, insulating foam from the bipod area fell off the external
tank and damaged the left wing of the Space Shuttle. (NASA)
**
WORLDBEAT - BELGIUM: GALILEO GPS SYSTEM APPROVED BY EU
Officials in Brussels, Belgium say the satellite navigation system the
European Union is planning will not clash with one already in operation
by the United States. This, as an agreement signed in that European
nation will make sure that the proposed Galileo system will be
compatible with the U-S owned Global Positioning System.
Galileo is slated to begin operation 2008. Together the two systems are
expected to become a single world standard for positioning and radio
navigation. (ANS)
**
DX
In D-X, keep an ear open for GB6LOG. This is a special events station
on the air through August 18th to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the
Liberation of Guam during World War 2. The station will operate on all
modes. QSL via the RSARS QSL Bureau to receive the special QSL from
this station. For further information contact G0SWY by e-mail to
G0SWY at aol.com (GB2RS)
And hams on Gibraltar have been granted permission to use the special
prefix ZB300 during the month of August. This to celebrate the colony's
three hundred years of British sovereignty. If you work ZB300, QSL as
directed on the air. (GB2RS)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: SIGHTLESS UK NEWSREADER TAKES TO THE AIR
And finally this week the story of a U-K ham who has overcome physical
disability to become a news anchor for the Radio Society of Great
Britains GB2RS News. Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham has the rest of
the story:
--
Now news about a new GB2RS newsreader. Annick Morris, M0HDE, of Wigan,
Lancashire, became a GB2RS newsreader two when she read the news through
the GB3MR repeater. What makes this special is that 18-year old Annick
has been blind from birth.
She has a specially-adapted laptop computer which accepts Word files,
and which has a single-line display consisting of raiseable dots which
form characters in Braille. Annick can read Braille fast enough to read
out loud from this, although she can only 'see' one character at a time.
In the future Annick will be newsreading on 6 metres, 2 meters and 70
centimetres and it is hoped that she may also transmit on two bands at
once.
Jeramy Boot, G4NJH.
--
This is not the volunteer first job that M0HDE has been successful in.
At age 14 Annick attended the "Child of Achievement Awards" in central
London after impressing organizers with her determination to overcome
obstacles presented by her disability. This award recognizes the efforts
of young people under the age of 16 who make special efforts to overcome
personal disability or illness while also managing to help others. We
at Amateur Radio Newsline welcome Annick Morris, M0HDE, to the worlds
ever growing ham radio news reporting teams.
**
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 W-I-A 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.
And this note. Because our staff will be in Huntsville to present the
Young Ham of ther Year Award there will be no update on the 661-296-2407
line on Friday, August 20th. Phone users are asked to utilize another
of the automated phone lines operating in other regions. Our 661-2407
line will update to the latest newscast on Monday, August 23rd.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim
Damron, N8TMW, and I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC, saying 73 and we thank you
for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2004. All
rights reserved.
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