[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1433 - January 28, 2005

Sat Jan 29 11:43:43 EST 2005

Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1433 -  January 28, 2005

The following is a Q-S-T.  

A big loss for those pushing B-P-L down-under, a big win for hams of 
Southern California in an ongoing interference case and a big change is 
coming to the FCC.  Find out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline 
report number 1433 coming your way right now.

**

THE BPL FIGHT:  AUSTRALIA RESTRICTS BPL ROLLOUT

Some good news for ham radio down-under.  The Australian Communications 
Authority has just issued new restrictions and requirements for the 
tracking of Broadband over Powerline operations.  This, as the agency 
considers its regulatory approach to the technology.  Jim Linton VK3PC 
is here with the rest of the story. 

--

The ACA now requires BPL operators to make publicly known their 
intentions to trial the technology, by publishing site and technical 
details in advance and writing to certain radio licensees to alert them 
of the possibility of interference.

The radio and telecommunications regulatory authority has also reminded 
BPL operators that harmful interference to any licensed radio service, 
is a breach of the Australian Radiocommunications Act, and worst case 
situations may require the BPL equipment to be turned off.

Separate guidelines have been issued for Access BPL, that is public 
access to broadband services via powerlines, and In-house BPL delivering 
services via the internal wiring of a building.

ACA acting chairman, Dr Bob Horton said the ACA is continuing to develop 
Australia's regulatory approach to BPL and is monitoring developments in 
Europe, America and elsewhere. 

Dr Horton said the ACA acknowledges it faces a challenge to establish a 
regulatory regime that does not unnecessarily block the use of BPL, 
while at the same time protecting radiocommunication services.

The ACA's new guidelines came after the Wireless Institute of Australia 
expressed its concern about harmful interference on amateur radio bands, 
from a recent BPL trial. The WIA asked that the ACA take action to avoid 
a repeat of that occurring.

The new guidelines require BPL operators to avoid specified frequencies 
and bands including 12 aeronautic service bands and 27 maritime distress 
frequencies.

They must also notify the licensees using those bands or frequencies who 
are within one kilometre of a proposed BPL trial and them of the 
possibility of interference.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Linton VK3PC, in Melbourne 
Australia.

--

Both the Australian Communications Authority and the Wireless Institute 
of Australia seem to believe that a wide-scale roll out of B-P-L across 
Australia is uncertain.  Rather, they both feel it is more likely for it 
to become another of many means to enable public access of broadband 
services.  (Jim Linton VK3PC Amateur Radio Victoria amateurradio.com.au)

**

RESTRUCTURING:  INDUSTRY CANADA LOOKS AT NO-CODE

Closer to home, Industry Canada, the Canadian telecommunications 
regulator, says its time for that nation to become code free.  At least 
in regard to the use of Morse testing as the singular criteria defining 
which Canadian hams should and should not have access to the High 
Frequency Amateur service bands.  And the agency appears to favor doing 
away with Morse testing.

Radio Amateurs of Canada is that nations recognized Amateur Radio 
society.  In a press release it says Industry Canada still has to make a 
decision on whether to keep Morse testing or do away with it.  RAC says 
that until it does no-code Canadian hams are still barred from operating 
on the High Frequency bands.  

A complete comment summary was released on the Industry Canada website.  
Its in cyberspace at  http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-
gst.nsf/en/sf08280e.html  (RAC)

**

WITH THE FCC:  CHAIRMAN POWELL TO LEAVE IN MARCH

A change of leadership is coming to the FCC.  This with news that its 
current chairman will soon be leaving.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has 
more:

--

FCC Chairman Michael Powell says that he will step down from this post 
sometime in March.   His surprise resignation came only one day after 
President George W. Bush was inaugurated for a second term in the White 
House. 

As FCC Chairman, Michael Powell never gained much favor in the Amateur 
Radio  community who looked at him as championing big business over the 
little guy.  Hams seemed to view him with trepadation and it was not 
uncommon to see negative comments about him posted to the various 
Amateur Radio Internet chat groups and boards especially in relation to 
his pushing the introduction of Broadband Over Powerline Internet 
access.  When he announced his imminent departure late last week, 
comments like: "It is too bad that Powell did not leave before the FCC 
decided to allow BPL trials without tough controls on interference" 
began to show up across ham radio cyberspace including the Q-R-Zed dot 
com on-line discussion groups.

The ARRL Letter gave the Leagues view on Powell imminent departure.   
Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, called Powell's performance 
a deep disappointment after some initial optimism.  The Letter went on 
to say that while the League is not unhappy about Powell's departure -- 
especially given his unabashed cheerleading on behalf of the FCC's 
broadband over power line initiative that there is also concern about 
whom President Bush might call upon to replace him.

Michael Powell is the son of outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell.  
He joined the FCC in 1997 and became its chairman two days after 
President Bush was sworn in for his first term in 2001.  He is best 
known for his position fostering advanced wireless technology and his 
hard stand against indecency on the broadcast airwaves.  

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

--

There are already a number of names being bandied about Washington 
circles as possible nominees to replace Chairman Powell.  These include 
Becky Klein who is a former Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission 
of Texas, and current FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin, who worked on the 
first Bush campaign.  (ARNewsline(tm), QRZ.com, ARRL, others)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HDSCS TO THE RESCUE AGAIN

Meantime, a California rescue radio group has been busy again.  This, as 
the Hospital Disaster Support Communication System gets another call-up 
hot on the heels of the one we described last week.  Newsline's Joe 
Moell K0OV has more:

--

For the second week in a row, a hospital in Orange County, California 
has been helped by hams.  Last week, I told you about the Hospital 
Disaster Support Communication System (abbreviated HDSCS) providing help 
to a Kaiser Permanente hospital downstream from a leaking dam after 
heavy rains.  Six days later, it was a car accident that resulted in the 
87th activation of HDSCS.  Downed overhead lines led to a power outage 
at Huntington Beach Hospital.  Emergency generators took over quickly, 
but the glitch caused failure of the 134-bed facility's phone system, 
including some paging.  Landline calls could not be made between 
hospital units, nor between the hospital and the outside.

Following established procedures, the hospital notified HDSCS via cell 
phone at 4:45 PM.  The first member arrived 25 minutes after the call 
and began external communications from the hospital Command Post.  
Within an hour after the call, five hams were in place.  At the peak of 
the activation, seven operators were deployed throughout the facility at 
locations including general patient care, Emergency Department, Cardiac 
Telemetry, Intensive Care, Transitional Care, and "shadowing" the House 
Supervisor.  Operations continued until complete service was restored 
and all systems were stable at 8:30 PM.

Communications failures happen among the 34 hospitals in Orange County 
four to five times a year, on average.  They have lasted from a half 
hour to over 23 hours.  Our hospitals remember to notify us immediately, 
by a variety of methods, because we meet and drill regularly with all of 
their emergency planners, and we have served them for 25 years.  Yes, 
the hospitals do have cell phones, walkie-talkies, computers and county 
radios.  But they still use us because we provide additional internal 
and external communications paths, and we are dedicated to 
communications so they can continue to go about their patient care 
duties.

>From southern California, this is Joe Moell K0OV, for Amateur Radio 
Newsline.

--

To find out more about how hams could be providing this kind of service 
to hospitals in your area please visit www.hdscs.org on the World Wide 
Web.  (K0OV, ARNewsline)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  RADIO AMATEUR KILLED IN LOS ANGELES RAIL CRASH

A ham was aming 11 people killed in a collision of two Los Angeles 
commuter trains on Wednesday, January 26th.  This, after one struck an 
automobile left on the tracks in what authorities have called an aborted 
suicide attempt by a deranged man.  

The accident happened at dawn in the suburb of Glendale. The impact sent 
passengers flying through the trains and landing on top of one another.  
At least 200 people were injured.   Among those who did not survive was 
Scott McKeown, KE6EMI.  

According to Dino Darling, K6RIX, McKeown was a former employee of the 
City of Glendale.  More recently had taken a position with the 
communications group of the City of Pasadena.  

KE6EMI was also an ongoing communications volunteer with the Angeles 
Crest 100-Mile Endurance Run for which Darling is Communications Race 
Director.  McKewon worked  positions at Mt Hillyer and was the leader at 
Chilao in 2004. 

Scott McKeown, KE6EMI is survived by his wife and two young children.  
Funeral arrangements are pending. (K6RIX)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  ALLEGED COAST GUARD JAMMER FINED $21,000

A former ham who the FCC says jammed other communications during a 
declared Coast Guard emergency has been issued a rather hefty fine.  And 
its not his first.  Bruce Tennant, K6PZdW, has the latest on the saga of 
Jack Gerritsen, the ex-KG6IRO..

--

The FCC has fined Jack Gerritsen, the ex-KG6IRO, another $21,000 for 
what the agency calls his willfull and malicious interfering with the 
radio communications of a Coast Guard Auxiliary Officer.  This,  while 
the officer attempted to use amateur frequencies to contact a sailing 
vessel in distress.

As previosly reported here on Newsline, the episode took place back last 
October.  Thats when Al Geiger, KG6FB, was sailing solo to Guadalupe 
Island on his 36 ft. sloop, following another boat which was about 20 
miles ahead of him.  On Tuesday night, October 26th they were caught in 
a bad storm.  Al turned back when he lost his Jib sail in the high 
winds.  Both his VHF marine radio and his 2 meter ham radio amplifier 
had failed.  Without his radio, Geiger lost contact with the other boat.

The jamming incident happened on the Catalina repeater on Friday 
morning, October 29th.  The Coast Guard group in Los Angeles was 
interested in obtaining any information that KG6FB had about the other 
boat.  So it had Bill Scholz, W1HIJ, who is the District Communications 
Officer for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, try to contact Geiger on the 
Catalina Repeater.

The QSO between KG6FB and W1HIJ  started at 10:02 AM and continued  off 
and on through about 11:40.  The person alleged to be Jack Gerritsen 
showed up after the traffic began and refused to clear the frequency.  
Luckily, a tape recorder was going and here is a small part of what 
happened.  The first voice you hear is that of Bill Scholz, W1HIJ 
followed by that alleged to be former ham Jack Gerritsen. This was 
recorded using VOX, so any dead air is missing.

--

W1HIJ:   Wiskey One Hotel India Juliet, Coast Guard Auxiliary Upland 
Radio 1.  This frequency is in use for emergency communications.  This 
frequency in use for emergency communications.  Please remain off he 
frequency.  This is W1HIJ, Upland Radio 1 out."

Unidentified Transmission:  "Yeah whats your phone number.  Ive never 
heard any emergencies on this damn frequency. You ever heard of 911 
stupid?"

--

As the jamming was going on the Los Angelkes FCC office was notified.  
Los Angeles Office agents located the source of a signal on 147.690 MHz, 
the input frequency to the Catalina repeater and traced it to 
Gerritsen's home.  At approximately 11:35 AM, the agents approached 
Gerritsen's residence.  After several failed attempts to gain the 
attention of anyone inside failed, one of the agents called Gerritsen's 
residential telephone using his cellular telephone.  The call was 
answered by someone who would not speak.  The Los Angeles agent then 
requested a face to face interview with Gerritsen.  Shortly thereafter 
the phone line went dead.  Subsequent attempts to reach Gerritsen over 
the phone resulted in busy signals. 

At approximately 4:38 PM the agents returned to Gerritsen's residence.  
As they approached the front door they heard a male voice coming from 
inside which synchronized with the voice heard on the agents' handheld 
scanner tuned to 147.810 MHz.  The voice was familiar to the agents as 
Gerritsen's.  

No one answered the door.  The agents requested information concerning 
Gerritsen's involvement in a Coast Guard rescue earlier that day, and 
requested an inspection and an interview.  There was no response to the 
requests.

On November 3, 2004, the Commission's Los Angeles Office received 
information from the President of the Catalina Amateur Radio 
Association.  He reported that he had monitored and recorded the 
communications between Gerritsen and the Coast Guard Auxiliary Officer 
on October 29th,  The recording reveals that for approximately 40 
minutes, Gerritsen is speaking and playing a recorded message while the 
Officer asks him to cease transmissions and vacate the frequency because 
of the emergency. 

In its order issuing the proposed fine to Gerritsen, the FCC indicates 
that there is no doubt that he was the source of the interference,  It  
says that on October 29, 2004, Gerritsen, clearly identifying himself by 
his cancelled callsign of "KG6IRO," began transmitting on the Catalina 
repeater input frequency even though it had been cleared for emergency 
communications.  It says that Gerritsen refused to clear the channel, 
and refused to cease transmitting while  obstructing the communications 
of the authorized users during the emergency. This says the FCC wannants 
at least the base forfeiture amount of $7000.

But says the FCC, Gerritsen's refusal to clear the frequency, and his 
continual use of the frequency during the emergency, and his 
interference with a Coast Guard Auxiliary Officer's ability to hear 
radio communications from the ship in distress makes this a far more 
egregous offense.  As such, and considering the entire record in the 
case, the FCC concludes that Jack Gerritsen is apparently liable for a 
forfeiture in the amount of $21,000.  

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

--

Gerritsen already has a confirmed $10,000 fine and a Notice of Apparent 
Liability for another $21,000 pending against him.  Adding in the latest 
N-A-L, that's a total of $52,000 so far.  As is normal when a Notice of 
Apparent Liability is issued, Gerritsen was given the customary time to 
pay or to file an appeal.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  MASSIVE CALIFORNIA RETEST ORDERED

Letters ordering retests have been sent to twenty Technician class 
license holders in Southern California.  All were originally tested by a 
W5YI V-E team in Yucaipa from July of 1999 to February of 2000.  They 
have until March 20th to be restested.  The FCC says that by the time 
its over, about 200 or so retests will have been ordered for those who 
took exams from this V-E group.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  STAY OFF THAT REPEATER

A Florida ham has been told by the FCC to stay off of a local repeater 
where his presence appears to be unwelcome,.  This in a January 12 
warning notice sent to Rod A. Sherman, KB9ECA. of Saint Cloud. 

In its notification to Sherman, the FCC says that the trustee of the 
K4OSC repeater, operated by the Osceola Amateur Radio Emergency Services 
club, had requested in writing that KB9ECA  refrain from use of their 
repeater.  A similar request was sent to Sherman by the Operations 
Coordinator of the Osceola County Office of Emergency Management. The 
FCC says that these written requests were issued as a result of 
Sherman's failure to follow operational rules set forth by the licensee 
and control operators of the repeater system for its users.  

But says the FCC, Sherman has apparently ignored the demands by the 
system controllers.  Now the regulatory agency is telling him that he 
must abide by the requests to stay off the K4OSC system and any other 
such request by a repeater licensee, control operator or trustee.  If he 
uses the repeater again the FCC says that it will initiate enforcement 
action against Sherman's Amateur Radio license.  This says the agency 
may include a modification proceeding to restrict the frequencies on 
which he may operate, actual license revocation or a fine.  (FCC)

**

HAM RADIO TECHNOLOGY:  A CALL FOR PAPERS FOR THE 2005 DCC

Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the 24th Annual ARRL 
and Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Digital Communications Conference.  
According to a posting by Steve Ford, WB8IMY to the VHF Reflector, the 
event will be held September 23rd to the 25th in Santa Ana, California.  
That's where the papers will be presented before they are published in 
the Conference Proceedings. 

Presentation at the conference is not required for publication.  
Submission of papers are due by August 9th to Maty Weinberg, ARRL 
Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington, Connecticut, 06111 or via e-
mail to maty at arrl.org.  More information is on the web at 
www.tapr.org/dcc.  (TAPR, ARRL, VHF Reflector)

**

RADIO GROUPS:  AMERICAN VICTORY ARC IN FEBRUARY

Greg Grambor, WB2GMK, tells us that a new and very special radio club is 
having it's first meeting on February 10, at 7:00 p.m.  What makes it 
special is that the gathering takes place on a US Merchant Marine ship 
named the USS American Victory.

The American Victory is now moored at the dock behind the Tampa Aquarium 
in Florida.  It is now a permanent museum, and there
are a group of us who are organizing the American Victory Amateur Radio 
Club.  

They already hold the call sign W-4-A-V-M and a number in the group have 
has brought some of their own equipment on board and have the gear 
operating from the ship's radio room.  As the ship is restored they hope 
to get the maritime equipment restored to operating condition and 
operational on the Amateur bands.  For more information please e-maim 
wb2gmk at arrl.net.  (WB2GMK)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  HAM RADIO AS THE CES

As reported last week, the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show 
in Las Vegas, Nevada, had a lot to interest radio hobbyists including 
hams.  In this weeks report, Gordon West, WB6NOA, takes a look at stuff 
that use R-F and the batteries that carry the power to make them 
operate:

--

Audio report only.  To hear it download the MP3 newscast at 
www.arnewsline.org

--

Next week Gordo concludes his report with a look at touch screen control 
and the user end of BPL gear.  Be sure to be with us then.  (WB6NOA)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  NASA BUILDS WORLDS FASTEST SUPERCOMPUTER

The builders of a new NASA supercomputer claim the 10,240 processor 
machine is the fastest in the world.  Called Project Columbia, the 
cluster of 20 computers working as one will be used to speed up 
spacecraft design, environmental prediction and other research. 

Project Columbia was named for the space shuttle that was destroyed in 
early 2003.  It was built in less than 120 days  researchers at the 
space agency's Ames Research Center located at Moffett Field in northern 
California.  (NASA)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  PROBLEMS FOR THE ISS PACKET BBS

The RS0ISS packet BBS of the Kenwood D-700E transceiver on board the 
International Space Station has not been operational.  According to Ken 
Ransom, N5VHO, efforts have been made to try and restore this capability 
but they have been  unsuccessful.  At this point it is unknown if this 
is a temporary or permanent state. 

Ransom says that the I-S-S control team hopes that Packet BBS operation 
can be restored in the future once a computer becomes available.  A new 
laptop was  tentatively scheduled to be delivered this year but could be 
pushed back for higher priority items.  Once a computer is available, 
troubleshooting of both packet systems can be performed.

Ransom also has word on the I-S-S packet digipeater.  He says that it is 
functioning but has continued to exhibit difficulties in relaying data.  
The digipeater appears to be listening for long periods of time and then 
transmitting all of the buffered information at once.  This duration of 
this issue seems to vary depending on your location in relation to the 
I-S-S.  (AMSAT-BB)

**

SCIENCE AND SPACE:  INDIAN OCEAN QUAKE AFFECTS EARTHS AXIS

The deadly Asian earthquake of late December may have permanently 
accelerated the Earth's rotation, shortening days by a fraction of a 
second.  Richard Gross, a geophysicist with NASA's Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory in California, theorizes that a shift of mass toward the 
Earth's center during the quake caused the planet to spin 3 microseconds 
faster and to tilt about an inch  on its axis.  He says that when one 
tectonic plate beneath the Indian Ocean was forced below the edge of 
another it had the effect of making the Earth more compact and to spin a 
tiny fraction of a second faster.  Gross also admits that changes 
predicted by his model probably are too minuscule to be detected by a 
global positioning satellite network that routinely measures changes in 
Earth's spin, but said the data may reveal a slight wobble on the 
planets axis.  (published news reports)

**

RADIOSPORTS:  IARU REGION 3 ARDF CHAMPIONSHIP IN SEPTEMBER

The Japan Amateur Radio League, is organizing the 6th IARU Region 3 
Amateur Radio Direction Finding championships.  The games are slated for 
September 19th to the 24th at the Gozu Spa, Agano City in Niigata 
prefecture. The closing date for letters of intent to participate is 
March 1st.  Full details are available on the JARL website at 
www.jarl.or.jp/2005r3ardf  (GB2RS)

**

DX

In D-X, The long-awaited major multi-national DXpedition to Peter 1st 
Island which was due to start operation on 21st January, has been 
postponed for two or three weeks. The ship that was to take the team to 
the island is undergoing renovation in Chile and is behind schedule.  
(GB2RS)

Meantime, ST2PN is back in Sudan.  He says that this time around he is 
likely to have more time to spend on the amateur bands than during his 
previous visits.  He is expected also to try some RTTY operation in the 
not to distant future.  QSL  ST2PN as directed on the air.  (GB2RS)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  FRANCE TO THE ISS

Tuesday the 19th of January was a good one for a group of students at a 
school near Paris, France. This is because a number of them got the 
chance to question ham radio Astronaut Leroy Chiao, KE5BR-W, about life 
on board the International Space Station.  The contact went like this:

--

Audio report only.  To hear it download the MP3 newscast at 
www.arnewsline.org

--

The signals from space were loud and clear and astronaut Chiao answered 
15 questions prepared by the students.  Amateur radio ground station 
F6KFA made the actual contact.  It was operated by Joseph Lemoine, 
F6ICS.  Christophe Riviere, F5IWN was in charge of the tracking antennas 
while Christophe Mercier, secretary AMSAT-France introduced the event 
and provided information on amateur radio and the technical aspects 
involved in making the contact happen.  (Tnx to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, 
ARISS-Europe chairman)

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. 

A reminder that the nominating period for the 2005 Amateur Radio 
Newsline Young Ham of the Year Awaed is now open.  Full details along 
with downloadable and on-line nominating forms are at the awards website 
at www.yhoty.org.  Just click on 2005 Nominations at the top of the 
page.  