[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1419 - October 22, 2004

Sat Oct 23 12:06:25 EDT 2004

Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1419 -  October 22, 2004

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1419 with a release date of Friday, 
October 22, 2004 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   

The following is a Q-S-T.  A ham down-under finds a way to evaluate the 
effect of B-P-L on your station while hams in California keep a hospital 
in contact with the outside world.  Find out the details on Amateur 
Radio Newsline report number 1419 coming your way right now.

**

THE BPL FIGHT:  AUSTRALIAN HAM DEVELOPS ON-LINE BPL IMPACT EVALUATION 
TOOL

A new tool to help hams evaluate the impact of Broadband over Powerline 
has just been made available on the Internet by an Australian radio 
amateur.  Its based on the work of a European consortium that's trying 
to set a world standard for B-P-L radiation limits.  Owen Duffy, VK1OD, 
is the ham who made it happen:

--

 Current BPL technology works by conduction of signals in the radio  
frequency spectrum up to about 100 MHz.  Existing power lines networks 
are  not ideal RF transmission networks, they will radiate radio 
frequency  energy causing interference to radio communications services, 
and they  will be susceptible to interference from nearby transmitters -
- radio or  otherwise.

The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, CENELEC,  
are developing a standard for "Electromagnetic emissions from access  
powerline communications networks". Access powerline communications  
networks are commonly termed Broadband over Power Lines or B-P-L.

The proposed CENELEC standard does not automatically apply globally,  
though countries like Australia draw heavily on international standards,  
such as CENELEC's for their own jurisdiction.

This proposed standard would set limits for the conducted energy and  
radiated energy of B-P-L systems.  The radiation limit is specified for  
example as a field strength in dBuA/m in a measurement bandwidth at a  
specified distance on particular frequency, and its impact will not be  
immediately apparent to most radio users.

Do you know what the impact of +4dBuA/m in 9KHz at 3m is on your 
receiver?

The B-P-L Interference Evaluation Tool allows evaluation of the impact 
of B-P-L interference under the proposed CENELEC standard given a set of 
location / application specific parameters.

Go to the BPL Interference Evaluation Tool at www.vk1od.net/bpl and  
enter the details for your site and discover the impact. The URL again 
is www.vk1od.net/bpl .

--

Again, the VK1OD  B-P-L Interference Evaluation Tool is on the web at 
www.vk1od.net/bpl.  (WIA News)

**

THE BPL FIGHT:  FCC RULE CHANGES TO PROMOTE BROADBAND

Back here in the United States, very little attention appears to have 
been paid to two other FCC actions amid last weeks FCC decision on BPL.  
But both are designed to help promote different forms of broadband 
Internet access.   This is important because they will be giving 
Broadband Over Powerline a run for the corporate dollar profit.  Amateur 
Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more:

--

In another vote taken at their October 14th meeting, the FCC loosened 
restrictions on fiber-optic networks built by local phone companies, 
encouraging them to make greater investments in so-called "fiber-to-the-
curb" and "fiber-to-the-home" networks.  According to the Commission, 
and as reported in a bulletin from C-Q, the ruling will encourage 
deployment of fiber optic broadband networks capable of delivering 
advanced data, video and voice service" by local telephone companies.

Prompted by the decision, several big telephone companies said they 
would move more rapidly to build fiber networks to homes.  S-B-C says it 
now plans to provide 18 million households higher speed Internet 
services in two to three years, rather than five years as previously 
announced. .  So far, Verizon Communications has been the most active in 
building residential fiber networks.

And there is more.  The day after the BPL vote was taken, the FCC's 
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announced a joint effort with the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service.  This, to 
advance the deployment of broadband wireless telecommunications across 
rural America.

Its called the "Rural Wireless Community VISION Program.  Its purpose is 
to bring experts from both agencies into rural communities selected as 
models to help provide technical, financial and other assistance in 
launching wireless broadband services in those areas. 

All of this adds up to a lot of competition for B-P-L from the day it 
gets going.  

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

--

As we go to air, it is unclear whether either of these actions are 
efforts to promote multiple types of broadband, or, possibly a no 
confidence vote in the long-term potential of B-P-L.  

More information on the program is available online at 
http://wireless.fcc.gov/outreach/ruralvision/index.html.  (CQ)

**

RESTRUTURING:  NEW UK INTERNET LINKING RULES

Across the Atlantic, some new procedures have been announced by United 
Kingdom radio regulator Ofcom.  This, for the issuing Internet-linking 
Notices of Variation for U-K hams.  Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, is in Nottingham 
with more.

--

Following a period of consultation, the following new procedures have 
been agreed between Ofcom and the RSGB. All current Internet linking 
NoVs will expire on 31st December 2004. Existing NoV-holders and new 
applicants will be able to apply for new NoVs from 1st October. The 
three-month period between 1st October and 31st December will allow for 
the continuity of the present 
network to be maintained.

If you currently hold an Internet linking NoV and you wish to continue 
providing an Internet gateway beyond 31st December now is the time to 
apply for your new NoV. If you do not apply for a new NoV, the service 
you currently provide to the amateur radio community must cease on 31st 
December.

The method of application is totally web-based, and further details and 
a series of 'FAQs' can also be found on the RSGB website. 

Jeramy Boot, G4NJH

--

Here in the U-S-A we take Voice over I P interconnects for granted.  In 
most other nations hams are required to get special permission to 
connect their stations to the Internet.  (GB2RS)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS SUB FOR PHONES IN SOCAL HOSPITAL OUTAGE

Its ham radio to the rescue once again.  This, when a construction 
accident takes out telephones, faxes, Internet and all other outside 
wireline communications at a southern California hospital.  Amateur 
Radio Newsline's Joe Moell K0OV has the details.

--

Imagine that you're a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital.  
You need to contact a doctor at his home or office, but you can't get an 
outside line on the phone at your nurses' station.  That's what happened 
on October 6 at Tustin Hospital Medical Center in southern California.  
At a construction site next to the hospital, earthmoving equipment dug 
up 50 feet of telephone trunk lines, severing a 400-pair cable and 
damaging a 200-pair cable.

Following its previously-drilled procedures, the hospital's Director of 
Safety contacted the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System -- 
HDSCS -- an ARES group dedicated to the support of medical facilities in 
Orange County.  In 30 minutes, the first ham had gotten through rush-
hour traffic and arrived at the hospital to set up a communications link 
to the outside.

As more hams arrived, they deployed to the emergency Command Post, 
switchboard, Medical/Surgical unit, Pediatric unit, Intensive Care Unit, 
and the new Emergency Department.  Meanwhile, the group's leader, April 
Moell WA6OPS, and two other base station operators prepared to make and 
receive phone calls in behalf of the THMC.  Message traffic began to 
flow immediately after the operators got on station, as hospital staff 
members re-established links with their patients' physicians on the 
outside.

--

WA6OPS:  "Go ahead, W6KOS."  

"Please advise ICU, I got the service, it was a message machine.  I put 
a message on that machine to call the number that you gave.  I also gave 
it my number.  If there's any other way they want us to try to get hold 
of him, we'll do it.  Please advise them that we have called."  

W6KOS:  "Will do, W6KOS."

--

When phone company workers stated that repairs would take at least six 
hours, HDSCS began calling more members to provide relief to the first 
responders.  By 9:30 AM the next morning, when the last telephone pair 
was spliced and the outage was declared to be over, four shifts of HDSCS 
operators had worked within the facility.  Twenty-four hams participated 
in all.

This was the 85th time that HDSCS has activated to provide support when 
telephones failed or overloaded at hospitals, for reasons ranging from 
equipment failure, to cut cables, to natural disasters such as 
earthquakes, floods, and wildfires.  It was the fifth activation so far 
in 2004.  Each of the 80 members has his or her own Go-Kit, ready to 
take to any of the 34 supported hospitals to establish communications.

For more information on HDSCS -- and how hams in your community can 
organize to provide rapid response like this to hospitals -- point your 
Web browser to www.hdscs.org.  Those are the initials for Hospital 
Disaster Support Communications System, followed by dot-org.  From 
southern California, this is Joe Moell K-zero-Oscar-Victor, for Amateur 
Radio Newsline.

--

Among the hams responding to this emergency were Newsline's 2003 Young 
Ham of the Year Jay Thompson W6JAY and his father Richard, WA6NOL.  
They, and all of the others who volunteered are another good example of 
Amateur Radio ready and able to step in when commercial lines of 
communications fail. (K0OV, ARNewsline™)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  STUDY SAYS THAT CELL PHONES IN HOSPITALS MAY PRESENT 
RELATIVELY FEW RFI HAZARDS

Cellular telephones may not pose the big risk in hospitals that was once 
thought.  At least according to  Dr. John Halamka who is the chief 
medical information officer for the Harvard Medical School.

According to Dr. Halamka, three years ago the school held a conference 
on the subject of hospital versus cellular telephone RFI issue.  
Attending were some 100 engineers, the Food and Drug Administration, 
wireless providers and businesses.  

At that meeting the group determined that cell phones only pose a threat 
if they are within three feet of medical equipment.  So, says Dr. 
Halamka, the current widespread hospital restrictions on cell phone use 
are probably greatly overblown except at locations where phones may 
audibly disturb patients or staff.

So will this report ease restrictions against cellular phone use in 
hospitals?  Probably not because no study can cover all eventualities 
and most hospital administrators feel it better to safe than sorry.  

The full story is on-line at  
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2004-09-27-hospital-phone-
use_x.htm  (CGC)

**

COORDINATION:   SERA RESCINDS MANDATORY TONE POLICY

According to the Repeater Users Internet remailer, the South Eastern 
Repeater Association has rescinded a controversial mandatory tone access 
policy enacted last summer.  One that would have required tone receive 
and transmit on all new FM voice repeaters now, and on existing 
repeaters by July of 2006.  Postings to the remailer say that numerous 
complaints lead the SERA Board of Directors to repeal the policy at a 
meeting on October 4th.  (Repeater Owners / Users Remaler)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FLAT SCREEN TV FOOLS RESCUE SATELLITE

An Oregon resident has been told he could face a $10,000 fine if he 
continues to use a new flat screen television set that is radiating a 
high power spur on the International Distress Channel of 121.5 MHz.  
This, after an October 2nd visit by a contingent of local police, civil 
air patrol and search and rescue personnel.

Chris van Rossmann of Corvallis owns the year old Toshiba flat screen T-
V.  Unknown to him, the set was radiating a signal that was strong 
enough to be heard by the orbiting Sarsat - Cospas search and rescue 
satellite. From there it was relayed the Air Force Rescue Center at 
Langley Air Base in Virginia which activated a search.  

Van Rossmann found out about his broken television set when the search 
team knocked on his door.  They were expecting to find a malfunctioning 
portable emergency transponder like those carried on boats and in light 
plans.  Instead their T-hunting gear lead them to the college students 
T-V.  

This is not the first time that an errant piece of ground based 
electronic gear has fooled the Sarsat - Cospas rescue satellite.  About 
12 years ago the crystal oscillator in an inadequately shielded 
broadcast graphics machine brought a similar response to a production 
studio in New Jersey.  In that case the Ampex Digital Optics unit was 
quickly retired from service.  

Van Rossmann is faring a lot better.  Toshiba has contacted him and 
offered to provide him with a replacement set, for free of charge.  
(Published reports)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  SANTA CRUZ PIRATE SHUT DOWN BY FORCE

Government agents have shut down another unlicensed broadcaster.  On 
September 29th agents of the U.S. Marshals Service served a warrant on a 
Santa Cruz, California pirate radio station.

The target was Free Radio Santa Cruz, an FM station running 35 to 40 
watts of power while offering round-the-clock music, activism and other 
local programming.

The marshals, along with agents of the Federal Communications 
Commission, dismantled the station's equipment and carted it away in a 
pickup truck.  The warrant bore no names, listing as defendant any and 
all radio station equipment used in connection with the transmissions.

Those running the station face the possibility of further punitive 
action in the form of hefty fines and even time in jail.  The search 
warrant gave the station operators 20 days to respond in court.  The 
value of the equipment seized is estimated at $5,000, including the 
antenna agents removed from the roof.

More on this raid is on-line at 
www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/9797653.htm?1c (CGC, Mercury 
News)

**

COMMUNICATIONS LAW:  TELEMARKETERS LOOSE IN SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court has turned away a challenge to the federal do-not-call 
registry.  The ruling came on Monday, October 4th and upholds the lower 
court ruling that says the list does not in any way violate 
telemarketers rights to freedom of speech. 

Under a federal law passed in 2003, telemarketers face fines of up to 
$11,000 if they call people who sign up for the registry unless 
they have recently done business with them.  Charities, those conducting 
polls and callers on behalf of politicians are exempt. (Published 
reports)

**

ALERT:  POSSIBLE E-MAIL SCAM TARGETING HAM RADIO

If you get an e-mail with a subject line saying Golden Trust telling you 
that you have won a lot of money, and its from hamemergency at some 
unknown dot com, toss it.  It may well be another Internet scam targeted 
to Amateur radio.

Ray Shatzel, W2XC, says over the Internet that he received such a 
solicitation recently.  It told him that he had won $1,500,000 in the 
Lottery Winners International program held on the July 7th of this year.

Curious, Ray checked it out on the fraud watch international dot com 
website.  There he found out that it is nothing more than another of the 
many e-mail scams aimed at getting people like you and me to part with 
personally identifiable information that could be used in an identity 
theft scheme.  They will also ask for payment of taxes, legal fees or 
other charges before the winnings can be released.  People who fall for 
it loose what they send in and maybe a lot more.

Our thanks to W2XC for posting this warning to the Internet .  He's one 
of the good guys who took the time to find out and to pass along the 
information so that nobody in the ham radio community gets stung.  (via 
Internet)

**

ON THE AIR:  HAM RADIO TO CELEBRATE DEDICATION OF CLINTON MUSEUM

Turning to the ham radio happenings, word that special event station W5C 
will take to the airwaves on November 13th and 14th from the Historic 
Arkansas Museum.  This, to help celebrate the dedication of the William 
Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library.  Operation will be on 40 through 
15 meters using various modes including PSK 31.  Those making contact 
will receive a special certificate in exchange for their Q-S-L card sent 
to Dennis Schaefer, W5RZ, 181 Schaefer Drive, Dover, Arkansas, 72837.  
(Via E-mail)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  GREAT LAKES SUPER SWAP IN MICHIGAN IN NOVEMBER

And the combined 2004 Great Lakes Super Swap and ARRL Michigan State 
Convention takes place November 5th and 6th at the Harbor Lights School 
in Holland, Michigan.  This years special guest is League President Jim 
Haynie, W5JBP, who will speak both at the ARRL forum and at the Saturday 
night banquet.  For more information on this fun event take your web 
browser over to www.hollandarc.org and click on the words swap info.  
(Via E-mail)

**

HAM RADIO HELP:  ARRL JOINS HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE

The ARRL is joining with the United Way in a project to brighten the 
lives of kids who lost everything in the recent hurricanes that ravaged 
Florida.

--

Thats right Don.  The ARRL is joing forces with a special United Way 
drive aimed at brightening the coming holidays for kids in central 
Florida who might not otherwise be able to enjoy the season.  They are 
the youngest victims of the fall hurricanes that ravaged the area.  
Suddenly living out of a tent or car.

To help these kids, hams nationwide are being asked to purchase a 
new child's toy and send it to this special United Way campaign. Be sure 
to include a QSL card or 3x5 file card showing your name and callsign.  

Send your donated toy before Thanksgiving to Ham Radio in care of the 
The United Way White Dove Project at  50 Kindred Street, Suite 207 in 
Stuart, Florida.  The zipcode is 34994.  

As we have often said, children are the future of the nation and the 
world.  They, more than any others, really deserve your support.

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

--

Again, between now and Thanksgiving, purchase a new child's toy.  Send 
it with a QSL card or 3x5 showing your callsign to Ham Radio, in care of 
The United Way White Dove Project, 50 Kindred Street, Suite 207, Stuart, 
FL  34994.  We will and we hope that you will too.  (ARRL)

**

ON THE AIR:  HZ1AB PERMANENTLY QRT

The Dhahran Amateur Radio Club has been permanently shut down.  This, as 
the result of telecommunications regulatory changes in Saudi Arabia.

For close to sixty years the Dhahran Amateur Radio Club operated station 
HZ1AB.  Club Secretary Thomas Carlsson, AB5CQ reported that due to 
revisions made in Amateur Service licensing requirements by the Saudi 
Arabia Communications and Information Technology Commission, operations 
were no longer possible.  

The HZ1AB callsign has already been reissued to Bandar Salah AL-Harby.  
Carlsson says that the clubs QSL manager, Leo Fry, K8PYD still has all 
the logs and will process any outstanding QSL card  requests.  (WIA 
News)

**

CONTESTS:  RCA QSO PARTY - NOVEMBER 6TH

>From the contest calendar, word that Saturday, November 6th is the date 
for this years Radio Club of America 20 and 75 meter QSO Party.  The 
event will start at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 14 point 280 MHz 
upper sideband and at 8 p.m. E-S-T move to 3 point 910  lower sideband.  
Both frequencies are plus or minus any Q-R-M.  During the party, W2RCA 
which is the club station of the Radio Club of America will also  be 
activated.  Logs and suggestions for this contest go to W2ZE by e-mail 
to mrraide at cbs.com  (W2ZM)

**

CONTESTS:  FISTS COAST TO COAST ON NOVEMBER 24

The 4th annual Fists Coast to Coast contest takes place October 24th 
from 0000 U-T-C to 2400 UTC.   This is a CW only event with the object 
being to contact as many Fist affiliated clubs on as many bands as you 
can.  The contest is sponsored by Northwest Fists club K7FFF.  Full 
rules and certificate information may be found at 
//www.tomochka.com/k7fff/fnw_c2c04.html (FISTS)

**

DX

In D-X, OH2BH and OH2PM will be in Albania from October 26th to the 31 
finalizing Project Goodwill Albania and related activities with the hope 
of bringing a number of new students on the air.  Both operators will be 
on the air from Albania during the C-Q World Wide SSB contest on October 
30th and 31st signing portable Zed A.  During this trip the two will be 
accompanied by representatives of the I-A-R-U folks assisting Albanian 
Telecom in variety of regulatory issues.  QSL cards for contacts made go 
to the operators home call address.  (N4GN)

Also on for the CQ Word Wide SSB contest will be eight operators from 
the North-East calling themselves Team Antigua.   will again activate as 
V-26-B from Antigua and Barbuda on October 30th and 31st and plan to 
enter the multi-operator two-transmitter category. Operation will be on 
all bands with a possibility of some satellite contacts on AO-7 and AO-
51  More information is on line at http://n3oc.dyndns.org/v26b/   
(KA2AEV) 

**

WITH THE YOUNG:  THE NORTH AMERICAN YOUTH NET

The North American Youth Net meets every Friday at 23: 00 UTC on 14.329 
MHz.  According to Steve Anness, KD5OWO, the purpose of this on the air 
gathering is to get young hams together for technical discussions or 
just a chance to meet and get to know one another.  If you are 
interested in becoming a Net Control for this gathering e-mail  Steve at 
kd5owo at arrl.net.  You can also visit the groups website at  
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nayn  (KD5OWO)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  HAMVENTION 2004 THROUGH TEENAGE EYES

And finally this week, its the Dayton Hamvention as you have never seen 
it before.  This is because its through the eyes of the young.  And 
while we can't show you the pictures here, we can bring you some of the 
sound:

--

Sara K3OOO: "So you are probably thinking, OK I'm into this, but how do 
I get my license?  Well, there lots of stuff.  There's study guides.  
Real cheap.  Real easy.  You go home.  You study for a while and do take 
your test and you pass and you get your license.  No Internet.  No wires 
required."

--

That's 15 year old Sara Saeger, K3OOO, who, along with 18 year old 
Trevor Conroy, W7TDC, are hosts of a new video about Hamvention 2004 
produced for Icom America by of John Webb, W7NWH.  But this show is not 
a commercial for Icom brand ham radio gear.  In fact, its as if John 
borrowed a bit from Cole Porter's grand old Broadway musical.  The one 
whose title is "Anything Goes":

--

Trevor W7TDC:  "Right over here we have DX Engineering, a manufacturer 
of components that actually allows you to build your own antenna.  
Antennas can be big.  Antennas can be small.  But theres one thing thats 
true about all of them.  They all get your signal in the air."

--

Thats the other half of the anchor team and if Trevor sounds excited 
about building antennas it's because he knows just how much fun it can 
be.  And while Sara and Trevor are our guides, they are not only young 
people in the new Icom show.  Meet Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y, of Alabaster, 
Alabama:  

--

Rebekah W4GY:  "Ive been a ham since I was 8.  I got my Tech when I was 
8, my Extra when I was 9 and then I got my DXCC when I was 10 and then I 
got appointed as the Assistant Section Manager this year."

--

The bottom line.  This is a new world of Amateur Radio and a lot of 
young people are getting excited about it once they find out just how 
much fun it can be.  Thats because it gets you away from a computer 
screen and gives you new friends all over the world:

--

Unidentified youngster:  "Hopefully I will get my license today and I 
will finally be able to talk to Russia."

--

If you are one of those who really care about the future of ham radio  
and want to see what it looks like through Sara and Trevor eyes,  then 
go to www.icomamerica.com/amateur/video and have a look for yourself.  
Better yet, have your kids -- or your friends kids watch the show with 
you.  Once you do, we guarantee that none of you will ever view ham 
radio the same way -- ever again.  

Our thanks to Ray Novak, N9JA, and the fine folks at Icom America for 
funding this important new ham radio video and making it available on-
line.  Again that URL is www.icomamerica.com/amateur/video on the World 
Wide Web.  (ARNewsline™)

**

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 WIA 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. 