[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1412 - September 3, 2004

Sat Sep 4 10:58:12 EDT 2004

Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1412 -  September 3, 2004

The following is a message from the Amateur Radio Newsline Support Fund.  
Here's the funds administrator, Andy Jarema, N6TCQ.

--

Well,  here I am again, so theres obviously another financial crisis 
that Amateur Radio Newsline is facing.  And this time its a real doozie.  
Let me explain it to you.

During the summer many of you are away and donations dwindle to a mere 
trickle.  At the same time, some of our biggest yearly expenses occur 
during July and August.  This includes the Young Ham of the Year Award 
presentation that we host every year in Huntsville, Alabama.  While we 
had planned ahead, we did not know exactly how much we would need and we 
were caught short.  The price of airfares was up as was the cost of 
hosting the mini banquet for our recipient, her family and friends.

Added to that were higher than anticipated telephone costs to cover the 
breaking news stories we brought you over the summer.  And right now 
that leaves us with less than $50 in the bank and several hundred 
dollars in outstanding bills that must be paid right now to keep Amateur 
Radio Newsline coming your way.

As we have said before, Amateur Radio Newsline is a federally charted 
501(C)( 3) and California state not-for-profit corporation.  For most 
United States residents it means that your donation is tax deductible.

So please help keep the news on your local net, on your repeater and on 
your computer by making a donation to the Amateur Radio Newsline Support 
Fund.  Its address is Post Office Box 660937, Arcadia, California.  The 
zipcode is 91066.  

Again that's the Amateur Radio Newsline Support Fund at Post Office Box 
660937, Arcadia, California, 91066.

On behalf of the entire all volunteer world-wide Amateur Radio Newsline 
team, I thank you for listening to this appeal and for your ongoing 
support that keeps the news of Amateur Radio coming your way.

I'm Andy Jarema, N6TCQ.  Now Amateur Radio Newsline report 1412.

--

The following is a Q-S-T.  The ARRL bandwidth based restructuring 
proposal causes controversy and maybe some reconsideration.  Find out 
more on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1412 coming your way right 
now.

**

RESTRUCTURING:  REACTING TO THE ARRL BANDWIDTH PROPOSAL 

An ARRL proposal to restructure Amateur Radio along bandwidth lines has 
caused a lot of discussion in the nations ham community.  And it may 
cause the League to rethink its position.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark 
Abramowicz, NT3V, is in Philadelphia, and has the rest of the story:

--

Shortly after the ARRL began circulating the proposal and posted it on 
its website, the e-mails, phone calls, HF, VHF, and digital-mode traffic 
took off.

And now, Amateur Radio Newsline has learned the bandwidth proposal may 
be tabled for more study when the ARRL's executive committee meets next 
month.

That confirmation comes from W6OBB in Nevada. If the call sign isn't 
familiar, the name behind it might be. He's Art Bell, host of the 
weekend edition of "Coast to Coast AM" heard on more than 500 commercial 
radio stations across the nation.

Bell, who joined the fight against Broadband Over Powerlines several 
months ago, and featured the subject on his radio program, expressed  
concern about what he called a Draconian proposal that would over-
regulate the ham bands. Bell tells me he relayed that concern in a phone 
call to ARRL President Jim Haynie W5JBP. 

Bell characterizes the discussion as cordial and at the end, he says 
Haynie related he was re-evaluating the proposal based on many comments 
he had received.

"He indicated to me and told me I could pass on to you that they're 
looking into pulling this whole thing back and taking a harder look at 
it," Bell says.

While Bell says he believes the ARRL had good intentions with the 
proposal, it may have gone too far.

"What began as an examination by the League of how we could possibly 
encourage the digital mode, it went a little too far and began to over-
regulate," Bell says. "I'd kind of like to see it go the other way and 
I'd like to see our bands freed up."

Haynie says he's gotten a lot of feedback on the proposal. He says it 
came from the League's desire to promote - not restrict - innovation and 
experimentation. He says it was also a response the Federal 
Communications Commission's desire to see more innovation from the ham 
community.  

"I think we rose to the challenge," Haynie says. "We have demonstrated 
Software Defined Radio that just knocked their socks off, in my view. 

"We have come up with some other stuff - Joe Taylor and some of his 
things for moon bounce. And I think the Amateur Radio community needed a 
wake-up call is what they needed and I think that's what we've gotten 
and were given." 

Haynie says it's clear the digital modes like RTTY and PSK 31 need 
attention.

"Where do we want to go to the future?" Haynie asks. "And, as I 
mentioned a couple of years ago, I took my model 28ASR  and took it to 
the scrap man. But that's the standard that's used today is 850Hz shift 
at 45 baud.

"Well, we don't do too much of that. I'm not saying there's not RTTY 
enthusiasts out there, there are and I appreciate that and I know that 
and I want to protect their rights to do those things."

Art Bell says he and others don't object to digital innovation. But he 
doesn't think the proposal hits the mark.

"There are many with differing interests who are not too pleased with 
the proposal and, on the face of it, it simply does not make sense," 
Bell says. "I agree that we should encourage the digital modes and 
development, but we shouldn't try to push something into place that is 
not techincally ready to happen yet."

Restricting bandwidth, Bell says, won't promote innovation.

"Why do we have to cut and slice and dice and regulate," Bell says. Why 
not just let anybody virtually go anywhere and let all of us just live 
together with some gentlemen's agreements which we have now and which 
work very, very well on most bands?

"So with that in mind, look at the Canadians. The Canadians have a 6khz 
limit and they can go anywhere on the band they want from the bottom to 
the top. And I don't see why that would not apply and work well in 
America."

Haynie says he wants to hear more from hams and he's encouraging all of 
us to get into the FCC's Part 97 rules and share input on the proposal 
at the ARRL's website, that's ARRL-dot-org. 

"Look at the rule book and see what's there now, "Haynie says. "And, is 
there something that could be changed that would allow a new technology 
to be developed, then that's what we want to know."

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in 
Philadelphia. 

--

More on the ARRL proposal and reaction to it in upcoming Amateur Radio 
Newsline reports.  (ARNewsline(tm))

**

RESTRUCTURING:  DROPPING CW TESTING IN CANADA

Meantime, to the north, another form of restructuring proposal is being 
considered by hams in Canada.  This as telecommunications regulator  
Industry Canada publishes a Gazette Notice called "Recommendations from 
Radio Amateurs of Canada to Industry Canada Concerning Morse Code and 
Related Matters".

The Radio Amateurs of Canada proposal deals with the WRC-2003 decisions 
concerning Morse as a compulsory qualification for High Frequency 
operation in the Amateur Service.  Radio Amateurs of Canada has 
recommended that Industry Canada delete the mandatory aspect of the 
requirement for Morse testing but leave it as a voluntary qualification.  
This, because knowledge of code  may be required for reciprocal 
operation in those countries retaining a Morse requirement.

The notice was published on Saturday, August 28th and gives Canadian  
radio amateurs sixty days in which to respond.  Radio Amateurs of Canada 
recommends that the nations ham community endorse this proposal.  (RAC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  10 METER INTRUDER WARNED

Here in the United States a commercial business has been warned to stay 
of the 10 meter ham band.  The FCC's Daryl Duckworth, N-N-Zero-W, 
explains:

--

Duckworth:"Dandy Service Corporation of Warrendale, Pennsylvania, was 
issued a warning notice fot unlicensed radio operations on 28.085 Mhz.  
Two of their vehicles were the source of transmissions on August 5th of 
this year in Michigan on Interstate 94 at mile-marker 262."

--

Dandy Service was told to advise its drivers that operation of radio 
transmitting equipment without a license is a violation of the 
Communications Act of 1934.  That it could subject the operator to fine 
or imprisonment, as well as an seizure of any non-certified radio 
transmitting equipment.  Monetary forfeitures normally range from $7,500 
to $10,000.  (FCC, RAIN)

**

THE BPL FIGHT:  IT MAY BE COMING TO SO. CAL.

A heads up warning to hams living in the California counties of Los 
Angeles, San Diego and Riverside.  According to ARRL officials in the 
Southwestern Division, Broadband over Powerline may be coming your way.

Writing in the latest issue of the division electronic newsletter, 
Director Art Goddard, W-6-X-D, and Vice Director Tuck Miller, N-ed-6-T, 
say that power companies in these areas may be considering BPL as a new 
business venture.  The two officials add that the regions Amateur 
community needs to work together to see if they can head off these B-P-L 
flirtations before they become entrenched on the ham radio bands. 

The report goes on to say that local ARRL Section Managers are already 
on top of the situation. The S-M's are reportedly forming Local Action 
Teams to work on all levels in handling the B-P-L threat to the area.  
(ARRL Southweestern Divisioon Communicator)

**

OPERATIONAL NEWS:  TO PL OR NOT TO PL - THATS THE SERA QUESTION

Repeaters in eight states and the hams that operate through them may 
soon face mandatory use of continuous tone coded squelch.  Then again, 
they may not.  Amateur Radio Newslines Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, is in 
Raleigh, North Carolina, trying to sort it all out:

-- 

SERA, the SouthEastern Repeater Association, ignitied a furious debate 
when its Board of Directors voted to require the use of tone as a 
condition for frequency coordination for all repeaters in its territory.  
SERA is the frequency coordinating group for eight southeastern states:  
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North and South Carolina,| Tennessee, 
and parts of  Virginia and West Virginia.

The SERA Board voted at its June meeting that some form of tone access 
will be a condition of coordination for all new repeaters effective 
immediately.  Existing repeaters will need to adopt tone within two 
years, by July 2006.  The board was acting on a motion by Steve Grantham 
AA5SG, the Director from Mississippi.  The goal of the policy was to 
reduce the number of complaints that SERA coordinators receive from 
repeater owners whose carrier access repeaters are keyed up by users of 
a co-channel neighbor.

In discussion at the meeting, the new policy was softened some when 
coordinators asked if this meant that repeaters would be automatically 
decoordinated if they decided not to use tone.  The answer, according to 
an article in SERA's magazine the Repeater Journal, was "no, but_"  SERA 
would not entertain an interference complaint from repeater owners who 
remained carrier access.  

The debate began in earnest when the August issue of the Repeater 
Journal began arriving and the ARRL published a story about it on their 
web site.  Repeater owners argued the merits of tone itself, along with 
complaints that SERA didn't poll its members, and non-member repeaters, 
before making the decision.

The decision may not be final, according to SERA President Roger Gregory 
W4WRG:

--

Gregory: I've received, and we have received a lot of comments pro and 
con about this policy.  And all I can say right now is that we're taking 
a second look at it and it's not really written in stone at this time as 
to what kind of decision we're going to make one way or the other."

--

SERA's next Board meeting takes place in January, but the group can 
reach an earlier decision at any time through an e-mail ballot.

Reporting for Newsline, this is Gary Pearce KN4AQ in Raleigh, North 
Carolina.

--

So will the hams in SERA coordinated states have to use tone access on 
every repeater?  Right now, the answer seems up in the air.  (KN4AQ, 
ARNewsline(tm))

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ISS GOES CROSS-BAND REPEAT

Speaking of repeaters. there's a new cross-band F-M system in space and 
its home is on the International Space Station.  This, as the ARISS 
program announces that the amateur radio equipment aboard the orbiting 
outpost is now on the air in repeater mode.  

The downlink frequency remains 145.80 MHz.  The new uplink frequency is 
437.80 MHz and all frequencies are subject to Doppler shifting. 

ARISS leaders say that they realize that many hams will miss the packet 
station that the cross-band F-M voice repeater replaces.  Burt the 
groups leaders say that the cross-band repeater will allow further 
experimentation of the ISS amateur radio system.

For further information on working satellites and adjusting for Doppler 
shift, please review Emily Clark's (W0EEC) excellent presentation on 
AMSAT's website, http://www.amsat.org/amsat-
new/information/faqs/Intro_sats.pdf  (ARISS)

**

RADIO LAW:  FCC ADOPTS RULES TO ENHANCE NETWORK OUTAGE REPORTING

Back on mother Earth in Washington, the Federal Communications 
Commission has adopted new rules requiring wireless, wireline, cable, 
and satellite telecommunications providers to report information about 
significant disruptions or outages to their systems to the Commission.  
The FCC says that these reports must be filed electronically.  The 
Commission also ruled that all sensitive information collected as a 
result of these new rules will be protected from public disclosure.  The 
full story is on-line at   
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-250543A1.doc  
(FCC)

**

RADIO LAW:  FCC REDEFINES DTV CONVERSION SCHEDULE

The FCC has also taken steps toward deciding exactly which channels 
broadcasters will end up with when they switch to digital television.  
By unanimous vote, the Commissioners have set up a timetable that will 
decide by June 2006 which channels people will tune in on to see their 
favorite programs.  . 

FCC chairman Michael Powell says that the vote signals that substantial 
progress has been made in switching television from its current analog 
transmission system to digital.  He adds that the national dialogue has 
shifted from wondering if the DTV transition would ever end to exploring 
when it should end.  (FCC)

**

RADIO LAW:  CANADIAN GROUPS CHARGE THAT HD RADIO WILL HARM RECEPTION

Meantime, Canada charges that High Definition or Hi Fi digital Radio 
will harm reception of Canadian stations inside its own border.  At 
least that's the headline from the August 30, 2004 edition of Inside 
Radio.

According to the story that follows, both the Canadian Boadcasting 
Corporation and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters have asked the 
country's technical regulatory agency to protest iBiquity's In-Band On-
Channel digital radio system.  They allege harmful effects on current A-
M reception, especially during nighttime hours.  The whole story is on-
line at  http://tinyurl.com/6uubn and  www.insideradio.com  (CGC)

**

HAM AWARDS:  THE RCC IS BACK AND ITS FREE

Some good news.  The Rag Chewers Club or R-C-C award is back, but it 
will not be sponsored by the American Radio Relay League.  Bill 
Pasternak, WA6ITF, has the details:

--

Its the Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio -- better known by 
the acronym SPAR that will be sponsoring the new R-C-C.  The group has 
announced that as of September 1st it will adnminister this fun award 
and will do so following the old ARRL rules.

According to SPAR, all a ham has to do to get an R-C-C is to present 
evidence of having had an actual one on one Q-S-O that lasted at least 
30 minutes. The QSO can be made on any legal amateur frequency.

In early 2004 the ARRL announced it was discontinuing the Rag Chewers' 
Club Award due to a lack of interest.  Conversations SPAR held with hams 
seemed to indicate that the lack of interest was due mainly to the cost 
of the award.  So SPAR says that the award will be available free of 
charge to all licensed radio amateurs.  

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in Los 
Angeles.  Jim.

--

All certificates will be distributed by e-mail as Adobe P-D-F files that 
you can print and frame.  The awards are numbered and endorseable by 
mode.  Complete rules and an on-line application are on the SPAR website 
at www.spar-hams.org.   (SPAR, QRZ.com)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  HAPPY 104 BIRTHDAY TO KJ6KQ

And less we forget, a belated birthday greeting goes out to Bill Diaper, 
KJ6KQ who turned 104 on August 12th.  That's right, we said 104, and 
probably making him the oldest living radio amateur in the United 
States, if not the world.

According to a posting on the Q-R-Zed dot com by Tom Ferguson, N6SSQ, 
website, Bill is a member of the Pacific Amateur Radio Guild and these 
days resides in the Masonic Homes in Union City, California.  Tom says 
that there is a radio shack in the basement that Bill used up till a 
year ago but is very difficult for him to access now.  That's because 
the station is in the basement next to the laundry room.  Bill says it 
is dark and damp down there and must get assistance to get there and 
have someone tune and adjust the frequency on the rig for him.

N6SSQ adds that the Pacific Amateur Radio sent Bill a flurry of letters 
and cards on his birthday and that he was very pleased to get them.  
(QRZ.com)

**

HAM FAIR JAPAN ATTRACTS 30000 ATTENDEES

Turning to the ham radio social scene, Japan's largest hamfest, the JAIA 
Ham Fair, was held the weekend of August 21st and 22nd.  The venue was 
Tokyo's Big Sight International Convention Center.  Among the highlights 
of gear being shown were Yaesu and Icom both showcasing their high end 
$10,000 H-F transceivers.  Kenwood did not match in the super high end 
radio category but had a well attend ongoing demonstration of their 
ARCP-480 Radio Control Program.

But the manufacturers and dealers were only a small part of the show.  
Over 170 radio clubs also had booth space at the show.  These ranged 
from large organizations like JAMSAT, the Japan Shortwave Club, and 
SEANET down to local organizations who use their booth for flea market 
sales.  

Also present were a wide variety of organizations promoting every aspect  
of Amateur Radio.  This included mountain-topping operators, microwave 
activity enthusiasts and antenna construction experimenters.  Operations 
represented included facsimile, SSTV, ATV, RTTY, 10M FM, 6 Meters, CW 
devotees, QRP, homebrewing, classic rigs, military surplus and even a 
contingent from the A-M community.

Ham Fair is Japan's largest annual gathering of radio amateurs from the 
Pacific Rim.  An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 attended this years event.  
(WIA News)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  WSWSS 2004 FALL CONFERENCE IN FRESNO CA 

Back on this side of the Pacific, the Western States Weak Signal Society 
tenth annual VHF and UHF Conference takes place Saturday, October 9th. 
The venue is the M2 Antenna System Facility, at 4402 N. Selland Ave in 
Fresno, California.  Registration starts at 8 AM with the conference 
program slated to begin at 9 AM.  For more information write to David 
Peters, KI6FF, 14291 Middletown Lane, Westminster, California, 92683.  
You can also e-mail David to ki6ff at juno.com  (VHF Reflector)

**

HAM RADIO BUSINESS:  OAL NO LONGER REPPING DEM

In news from the ham radio business world, David Clingerman, W-6-O-A-L 
says over the V-H-F Reflector that his company known as the Olde Antenna 
Lab of Denver, Colorado is no longer representing Down East Microwave, 
Inc.  Dave says to please refer your help questions, pricing information 
and orders directly to Down East Microwave in New Jersey.  (VHF 
Reflector)

**

HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE:  UK BALLOON LAUNCH LICENSED FOR SEPT. 12

G3ZHI reports that a license has been granted for a United Kingdom high 
altitude ham radio balloon flight.  The project is now authorized for 
operation on 2.500 GHz on Sunday, September 12th.  The license has 
special permission to operate at up to 50,000 feet instead of the usual 
flight ceiling of 2,000 or 5,000 feet. 

The launch is scheduled to take place at about 1.30.  Plans are still 
afoot to relay pictures via the new 13 centimeter GB3FT repeater if the 
system is completed and on the air in time for the flight.  More 
information on this experiment as it becomes available.  (G3ZHI)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK::  NEW RSGB ON -LINE

There's a new ham radio promotional video out and it has a definitely 
British flair.  And in an effort to help to promote amateur radio, the 
recently-created Essex Amateur Radio Club has started streaming the new 
RSGB video "What is Amateur Radio" on the Internet.

The Essex group is providing it at speeds of 26 kb and 57 kb so it can 
be viewed by those using dial-up as well as broadband.  If you want to 
take a peak it is available in cyberspace at 
www.essexamateurradio.org.uk  (RSGB)

**

WORLDBEAT - NORWAY:  HACKER DEFEATS AIRPORT EXPRESS

Meantime on the European mainland the same Norwegian hacker known for 
developing D-V-D encryption-cracking software has apparently struck 
again.  This time  his target is the security system that protects Apple 
Computer's wireless music streaming technology.

Jon Johansen has released a hacking system on his website that provides 
a key to unlock the encryption Apple uses for its AirPort Express.  The 
unit lets users broadcast digital music from Apple's on-line iTunes 
Music Store on a stereo that's not plugged into an Apple computer.  This 
permits other software applications from competitors to work with the 
proprioritary AirPort Express codec.  Apple is reportedly considering 
taking legal action in the case.  (Published reports)

**

RADIOSPORTS:  HOST STILL NEEDED FOR 2005 ARDF GAMES

Turning to the world of radiosports, a reminder from Joe Mell, KZ0OV, 
that a group is still meeded to host the fifth U-S-A Amateur Radio 
Direction Finding Championship games.  This, in the summer of 2005. 

Some prerequisites for being the host include having suitable sites for 
2 meter and 80 meter hunts along with the ability to provide foxhunting 
courses.  There are also the organizational aspects to consider.  These 
include providing registration services, housing for the contestants, 
meeting rooms, transportation to and from the hunt areas and lots more.

If your club is interested in hosting this event, please contact Joe by 
e-mail before September 15th to homingin at aol.com.  Full details about 
the games and how to become the 2005 host is on line at www.homingin.com  
(ARNewsline(tm))

**

DX

In D-X, word that K3GV portable VY2 is active on 15 and 20 meters as 
from Prince Edward through the 12th of  September. The island counts as 
NA-029 for the RSGB Islands on the Air award program.  QSL's go to K3GV 
at his callbook address.  (RSGB)

And while this is short notice, the All Asian SSB contest will take  
place beginning at 00.01 U-T-C on Saturday, September 4th and will run 
for 48 hours.  Operation is on 160 through 10 meters with stations in 
Asia trying to work the rest of the world.  The official exchange for 
this one is a signal report and the operator's age.  (WIA News)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: NRC MEETS IN BATAVIA NY

And finally this week, a big meeting of broadcast band SWL's is taking 
place as we go to air.  Here's Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, with the details:

--

Audio report only.  Download the newscast at www.arnerwsline.org

--

Fred has promised to be here net week with a full wrap-up on this years 
gathering.  (W8HDU)

**

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 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. 