[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1447 - May 6, 2005

Sat May 7 09:22:11 EDT 2005

Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1447 -  May 6, 2005

Now, Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1447 with a release date of 
Friday, May 6th, 2005 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   

The following is a Q-S-T.  Amateur Radio may be on its way out at the 
Vatican, new hams in Malaysia get High Frequency privileges and an ex-
ham is arrested by the FBI.  All this and more on Amateur Radio Newsline 
report number 1447 coming your way right now.

***

WORLDBEAT:  HAM RADIO DYING IN THE VATICAN

Ham radio could soon be a thing of the past in the Vatican. This is 
because there are no longer any H-V  prefix stations to man the 
controls.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramovich, N-T-3-V, was in 
Rome covering the selection of the Catholic Church's new pontiff  when 
he discovered that ham radio operations from all three Vatican stations 
may soon be Q-R-T for good:

--

This was one of those stories I really didn't expect to find. I knew the 
challenge of going over to Rome to cover the election and installation 
of a new pope would be enormous. I had been there in 2000 to cover the 
elevation of St. Katharine Drexel from Philadelphia. This time, this ham 
was determined to take a little bit of personal time to investigate the 
status of amateur radio at the Vatican and also to look into the 
possibility of visiting one of the few Vatican ham radio stations.

Much to my surprise, e-mails sent a week in advance of the visit to some 
of the call signs I managed to find went unanswered. A quick call to the 
American Radio Relay League for an assist produced a call sign at 
Vatican Radio, but there was no response to an email sent there, either. 

When I finally got to Rome, the days were long and the story of the 
papal conclave and the elevation of the new pope kept all of us in the 
news media busy. It wasn't until near the end of my eight days covering 
the story that I learned the shocking news - ham radio may be 
disappearing from the Vatican.

It came at the end of a briefing from the director of the Vatican's TV 
operations about the papal installation Mass. I approached one of the 
engineers handling sound for the news briefing and asked him about ham 
radio. He pointed me to Monsignor Lombardi, who handles communications 
for Vatican TV and Radio. 

I asked Monsignor Lombardi about the Vatican's ham stations and was 
shocked to learn that they had all fallen silent. That's right, he says 
HV1CN - assigned to Vatican Radio - as well as HV5PUL, operated out of 
the Pontifical Lateran University, and HV3SJ, held by the Jesuit house 
in the Vatican City - were all inactive/>

Now I had learned just days earlier that the North American College 
located on Vatican territory on the Geniculum Hill above St. Peter's 
Square had a ham station - I spotted the beam on a trip up there to meet 
seminarians studying there who are from the Camden area just across the 
Delaware River from Philadelphia.

Monsignor Lombardi said as far as he knew, that was the only station 
left in Vatican territory. But the seminarians and another monsignor who 
was responsible for clearing communications with the North American 
College, were unable to tell me anything about it. One said he heard it 
was going to be dismantled because there were problems.

I was unable to learn more about those problems due to the press of my 
work covering the installation Mass for the new Pope Benedict XVI and 
the aftermath for my commercial news station in Philadelphia. However, 
emails are going back and forth to find out the status of the North 
American College's station and to press for more information about 
getting it re-activated. At this point, I don't even know whether it has 
an active call sign.

If Vatican ham radio is to survive, it looks like it will take an 
experienced DXer with some good diplomatic skills to get in touch with 
the Vatican or the North American College to offer an assist in keeping 
it alive.

In the meantime, Amateur Radio Newsline will stay on top of developments 
and report them to you here. For now, making ready to depart from Rome, 
I'm Mark Abramowicz NT3V signing /HV from St. Peter's Square for Amateur 
Radio Newsline.

--

If all this comes to pass as Mark says, then the only way you will ever 
again hear H-V stations I if a Dxpedition is mounted to put the Vatican 
back on the air.  According to the 425 DX Newsletter, stations in the 
Vatican are among the most wanted contacts, worldwide.  (ARNewsline(tm))

** 

ENFORCEMENT:  FBI ARRESTS EX-HAM JACK GERRITSEN, KG6IRO FOR JAMMING 
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, with late breaking news.  

Dateline Bell, California where former ham Jack Gerritsen has been 
arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This, on federal 
charges of jamming radio frequencies being used by the United States 
military, the United States Coast Guard, law enforcement and public 
safety agencies.  

According to a announcement by the United States Attorney's office, the 
ex-KG6IRO was taken into custody at about 6 a.m. on Thursday, May 5th by 
agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigating who were  accompanied by 
FCC personnel. 

According to a criminal complaint filed in this case, an ongoing FCC 
investigation revealed that Gerritsen transmitted prerecorded political 
messages, real-time harassment and profanity, for hours at a time.  
Often this made it impossible for licensed radio operators to use the 
public frequencies.

Five years ago, Gerritsen was convicted in a California state court of 
interfering with a police radio transmidsions.  He was sentenced to 38 
months in prison but was released early from prison on July 28, 2003.  
Soon after the FCC began receiving complaints about his activity on the 
airwaves. Because of his continued unlicensed radio transmissions, the 
FCC issued three "notices of apparent liability for forfeiture" for a 
total of $52,000.  

Instead of deterring him, he seemed to escalate his harassment 
activities.  The FCC continued to received complaints concerning 
Gerrisen's activities from Ham radio operators and various agencies, 
including the military, the Coast Guard, local police departments and 
the American Red Cross.  The complaints leading to his arrest 
specifically allege several instances where Gerritsen interfered with, 
or jammed, a radio frequency being used by the Bell Gardens Police 
Department on November 6, 2003.  That he interfered with a radio 
frequency being used by the Los Angeles City Fire Department Auxiliary 
Communications during a training exercise on July 24, 2004.  That he 
interfered with a Coast Guard Auxiliary amateur operator, who was 
assisting the Coast Guard during a search and rescue operation on 
October 29, 2004.  That he interfered with American Red Cross radio 
transmissions on January 14, 2005, while the agency was preparing for 
disaster relief operations at the Prado Dam  and that he caused the 
cancellation of Army Reserve homeland security training events on March 
10, 2005 when he interfered with the Military Affiliate Radio System.

A criminal complaint filed Wednesday May 4th charges Gerritsen with a 
felony charge of malicious interference with a communications system 
operated by the United States and a misdemeanor count of transmitting 
radio signals without a license. The two charges carry a combined 
penalty of up to 11 years in federal prison.

The government says that the case against Gerritsen is the product of an 
investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received 
substantial assistance from the Federal Communications Commission.  Not 
credited but likely the reason that Gerritsen is now behind bars are the 
thousands of hams who followed the request of Southern California area 
repeater owners and barraged the United States Attorney with letters and 
Q-S-L cards the past several weeks.  Each one containing a demand that 
the government act to take Jack Gerritsen off the radio, and off the 
streets.  (Information provided by the office of the United States 
Attorney - Los Angeles and ARNewsline archives)

**

WORLDBEAT - MALAYSA:  HF PRIVELEGES GRANTED NEW HAMS

Some good news for hams in Malaysia who have been waiting all their 
lives to receive High Frequency operating privileges.  9W2JAR reports 
that this  dream has finally comes true for some of them. 

Jaja says over qrz.com that a total of 19 "B license" hams passed the 
Morse Test held at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia 
Commission headquarters from March  29th to the 31st.  They were granted 
the 9-M-2 prefix callsign as new Malaysian ham radio ambassadors. 

This was the first time the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia 
Commission has organize the Morse Test since it took over the management 
of Amateur Radio hobby from Department of Telecommunication a few years 
ago. The last time a Morse Test was held was in the year 1997.  (9W2JAR)

**

RADIO LAW:  REACTION TO ARRL BANDWIDTH PROPOSAL MOUNTS

Its taken a few weeks, but the lines are now being drawn in the United 
States ham radio community over the ARRL proposal to re- regulate the 
hobby by bandwidth.  Currently, regulation is by mode assigned to 
specific spectrum as either exclusive or shared subbands.  As reported, 
the ARRL is thinking of asking the FCC to limit most communications on 
the high frequency bands to 3 kilohertz or less, regardless if its 
today's analog or tomorrow's digital.  

This has traditional experimenters upset.  They say that not everything 
falls nicely into 3 kilohertz including improving current modes like the 
sound of single sideband.  One of those who oppose the ARRL's idea is 
nationally syndicated talk show host Art Bell, W6OBB.  And on his 
Saturday, April 30th edition of Coast to Coast A-M, Art gave his 
audience a rather graphic demonstration of why he feels the ARRL's 
position is wrong:

--

Bell demonstration.  Audio courtesy of W6OBB

--

After finishing the demonstration, Bell noted that ham radio is supposed 
to be a hobby to promote experimentation.  He said that enhanced single 
sideband is a development that came from this kind of experimentation by 
radio amateurs and has now been approved for use by U-S based 
international short-wave broadcasters.  W-6-Oh-B-B urged the hams in his 
audience to write the ARRL and request that they reconsider the 
bandwidth proposal as currently written.  With about 10 million people 
listening in, it is likely that the League heard from quite a few.

The other growing bone of contention is the ARRL position on  High 
Frequency robot digital mailboxes.  We will have that part of the story, 
next week.  (ARNewsline (tm) - Demonstration audio courtesy W6OBB)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  DISABLED MAN BLAMED FOR CRANK 911 CALLS

A disabled man in San Carlos, California is being blamed for thousands 
of phony  calls to the city's 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatch Center.  

The C-G-C Communicator reports that since last October, someone had 
inundated the 9-1-1 dispatch center with more than 2,000 crank phone 
calls.  Many of the calls came at around 8 p.m., but some occurred in 
the early very morning, sometimes starting at 3 and not ending until 
about 7.

Another news report says that on April 20th alone the dispatch center 
received more than 120 crank calls in 11/2 hours.  Police finally 
tracked down the caller on Monday, April 25th.  He turned out to be  a 
developmentally disabled man who admitted to making them but didn't 
understand the consequences of his actions.  

San Carlos police Commander Rich Cinfio said that authorities did 
confiscate the person's cell phone but owing to the circumstances they 
did not place him under arrest.  (CGC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  NYC ARES CALL TRUSTEE CHANGE LEGAL 

The FCC has turned away a challenge to a change of trustee's of a well 
known Big Apple radio club call sign.  The call in question is W-C-2-W-
T-C and it belongs to New York City District A-R-E-S.  

Back on May 27th 2004, Charles C. Hargrove, N-2-N-Oh-V,  of Staten 
Island, New York, filed a complaint to the F-C-C.  At that time Hargrove 
asserted that the trusteeship of the New York City A-R-E-S station W-C-
2-W-T-C had been changed without his permission.  Hargrove claimed that 
he was the trustee for the club station and that the change had occurred 
without his knowledge or consent.

But in turning away Hargrove's complaint the FCC noted that the 
application for trustee change was filed by the person that succeeded 
him as District Emergency Coordinator for New York City.  Also, that the 
application was co-signed by the Emergency Coordinator for the borough 
of Brooklyn.  

The FCC noted that a club trustees serve at the pleasure of the club.  
Based on this, the request to change trustees appears to be legitimate 
as it was meant to reflect the change in A-R-E-S leadership.  The agency 
concluded that  based on the facts at hand,  that there appears to be no 
impropriety in the filing of the trusteeship change away from Hargrove 
and over to whomever the group chose as his successor.   (FCC)

**

COMMUNICATIONS LAW:  FCC PROPOSES BROADBAND SATELLITE SERVICES ON 
AIRPLANES

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed rules that address 
the growing demand for two-way broadband data and communications 
capabilities onboard aircraft.  In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 
designated as IB Docket 05-20, the Commission proposes a regulatory 
framework for licensing the operation of Aeronautical Mobile Satellite 
Service or A-M-S-S systems to communicate with fixed-satellite service 
networks in the Ku-band frequencies.  
The FCC says that A-M-S-S potentially offers consumers the benefits of 
broadband services while traveling by air, both domestically and 
internationally.  Aircraft Earth stations in the A-M-S-S could be used 
to provide broadband telecommunications services to passengers and crew 
on commercial,  government, executive and even private aircraft.  
The Notice responds to an emerging marketplace need by potentially 
permitting more flexible use of the Ku-band while protecting existing 
fixed terrestrial and satellite services from harmful interference.  
(FCC)
**

COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS:  AMERICAN TOWER BUYS SPECTRASITE

American Tower Corporation is expanding once again.  On Wednesday, May 
4th, American agreed to pay $3.1 billion to acquire rival site owner 
SpectraSite Incorporated.  

The deal will create a network of 22,600 wireless and broadcast towers.  
Its also expected to accelerate further consolidation in the 
communications tower industry.   (K7CD)

**

HAM AWARENESS:  THE NORTH AMERICA YOUTH NET EXPANDING

The North American Youth Net has recently added a new session and is 
considering a third. Steve Anness, KD5OWO, advises that a P-S-K net has 
now been established that is driven towards youth involvement in digital 
modes.  It meets every Sunday evening at 2300UTC on 14.075 MHz.

The North American Youth Net has also decided to bring in a new C-W net.  
The net will be held in the novice sub-bands of the 40 meters.  The time 
and frequency has not been announced.  

Meantime, the groups SSB net is still going strong.  Youngsters and 
oldsters alike can join in every Friday at 2300UTC on or about 
14.329Mhz. And Steve says to be sure to bring the kids!  

For more information and updates on the youth net visit us on the web at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nayn or contact Steve
Anness, KD5OWO at kd5owo at arrl.net.  (KD5OWO)

**

HAM HONORS:  THE HOGMASTER OF THE YEAR AWATD 

The Hogmasters Association will again host it's annual Hogmaster of the 
Year awards presentation in conjunction with this years Dayton, 
Hamvention.  This year's recipient of the H-M-A award is Ton Provensa, 
N-3-L-H-D.  Provenza is very active in emergency radio communications 
with his local Police Department, and designed the agency's mobile 
emergency command center last year.  This state of the art unit has been 
used in many emergency situations over the last year, including the 
University of Maryland student riots that followed a major sporting 
event. 

The venue for the gathering will be the Holiday Inn on I-75 Wagoner Ford 
Road, Dayton on Friday evening, May 20th.  It will take place in the 
meeting area next to the atrium pool. 

The Hogmaters, located in College Park, Maryland is a group of radio 
amateurs who also have some sort of connection to local police and fire 
departments.  Many members work in local public safety organizations, 
government, or volunteer with such agencies in the area.  More 
information is available from Bruce Conley, W-B-3-J-P-B at 
xcopbruce at aol.com.

And, oh yes.  In case you are wondering where the clubs name comes from, 
Hogmaster is a local term in their area given to the operator of a large 
fire response truck.  (WB3JPB)

**

RADIO OPEN HOUSE: THE NEW LA 911 DISPATCH CENTER

Talk about state of the art in two way radio communications.  The Los 
Angeles Police Department recently held a public open house to show off 
its new 15,000-square-foot 9-1-1 center.  Located adjacent to Parker 
Center, the 80-position facility and its identical twin in the western 
San Fernando Valley features ergonomic $60,000 workstations. 

The 59,000-square-foot building is more of a fortress than a call 
center.  It features bulletproof glass, cement barricades and can 
withstand an 8.3 magnitude earthquake.  This, thanks to 54 spring-like 
devices beneath the structure.  There are no gas lines into the 
structure and the building has emergency generators that can power all 
operations for up to four days.  A redundancy feature automatically 
transfers operations to the western San Fernando Valley facility if the 
downtown center loses its ability to function.  

Los Angeles receives 3.3 million emergency calls each year, half of 
which go through the Downtown center.  (Published news reports)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  BILL MCGRANNAHAN, N0ZL - SK

Past ARRL Midwest Division Vice Director and Director Bill McGrannahan, 
N0ZL of Kansas City, Missouri, died April 24. He was 83. 

Originally licensed as K0ORB, McGrannahan was a Charter Life Member of 
the ARRL and was serving as vice director of the Midwest Division when, 
in 1993, then Director Paul Grauer, W0FIR, resigned for health reasons.  
McGrannahan assumed the directorship for the next six months.

An Army Air Corps veteran, McGrannahan went on to become a dental 
surgeon. He retired in 1986, although he continued to lecture and 
present continuing education courses for dental schools and societies 
until 1990. He was a member of American Mensa, served on the volunteer 
staff of Children's Mercy Hospital and was a member of the Research 
Hospital oral surgery staff. He also served on the Quarter Century 
Wireless Association Board of Directors.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made in 
Bill's name to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation or to Children's Mercy 
Hospital.  (ARRL, QCWA)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  RON BROADBENT, G3AAJ - S.K.

The man known to many in the United Kingdom and to his friends worldwide 
as Mr. AMSAT has passed from the scene.   This with the sad news that 
Ron Broadbent M.B.E.; callsign G-3-A-A-J died the morning of  Sunday 
24th April of a heart attack following a fall the previous week in which 
he broke his leg.  

Broadbent was the Honorary Secretary of AMSAT-UK between 1978 and 1994.  
His close friend Martin Sweeting, G3YJO, described Broadbent as a person 
whose energy and robust character was a driving force in AMSAT as well 
as the RSGB and IARU.  G3AAJ was 80 years of age.  (RSGB)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  2005 AMSAT U.K. COLLOQUIUM

And the event that Ron Boardbent will always be remembered for -- the 
AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium will take place July 29th through the 31st.   
As in previous years, the venue for this years outing is at the 
University of Surrey in Guildford, England.

2005 also marks the 20th anniversary of the AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium, 
and as usual, planners hope to hope an interesting program.  Special 
this year will be the ARISS International Meeting which will be held on 
the 2 days immediately after the Colloquium concludes.  Although 
primarily for ARISS delegates, like everything else this meeting is open 
for anyone to attend as an observer. More information is on-line at 
www.amsat-uk.org  (RSGB)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  NASA ANNOUNCES NEW WINDOW FOR SHUTTLE RETURN TO 
FLIGHT 

Two hams instead of three will have to man the International Space 
Station a bit longer.  This, as NASA announces a new launch window for 
the return of Space Shuttles to flight of July 13th  to the 31st.

The new dates gives the agency time to do additional work to ensure a 
safe return to flight for the space ship s crew.  Managers had earlier 
identified the need to do more work to validate engineering analyses of 
potential debris hazards and to make some additional modifications to 
the external fuel tank.  (NASA)

**

WORLDBEAT - CANADA:  RAC ALBERTA ELECTION 

Turning to news from around the world, first we head North.  That's 
where Thomas Martens, V-E-6-T-R-M has been re-elected Section Manager in 
Radio Amateurs of Canada's Alberta Section.  This, for a two-year term 
that will begin on July 1st..  Martens ran unopposed, eliminating the 
need for a balloted election.  (RAC)

**

WORLDBEAT - CANADAL  VE0 CALLS ARE LEGAL AT SEA

V-E-Zero prefix calls are legitimate.  This, according to Jim Dean, 
VE3IQ the Radio Amateurs of Canada Vice President Regulatory  Affairs.  

In response to a question from VK2UW, Dean explains that radio amateurs 
who sail in international waters may obtain a V-E-Zero prefix calls for 
their boats.  To use the High Frequency bands below 30 MHz the holder of 
the V-E-Zero call sign must have passed the Canadian Basic and Morse 
Qualification exams.  Also, the V-E-Zero call signs are not to be used 
ashore. (RAC)

**
WORLDBEAT - NEW ZEALAND:  DRM DOWN UNDER

Radio New Zealand has demonstrated the Digital Radio Mondiale system at 
a symposium for 75 broadcasters.  An in-country Web site carries the 
government's announcement, which adds that "Radio New Zealand has been 
investigating the potential of using DRM on medium wave in the Southern 
Hemisphere, where there is twice the bandwidth that is currently 
available to European broadcasters.  If adopted by New Zealand and 
others in the Pacific Rim it could make D-R-M a true world standard 
leaving those nations considering competing systems out to dry.  More is 
on-line at www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0504/S00539.htm  (RW On-Line)

**

DX

In D-X, word that Eyee-V-3-S-B-E, will be returning to Kenya and plans 
to be active as 5-Zed-4-E-S.  He will stay there through 2007 but his 
activity will mostly be during the weekends.  QSL via the Kenyan Bureau.  
(OPDX)

And V-E-3-Zed-I-K will be active from Bilice, on the Croatian coast 
through May 17th.  Listen for him on all High Frequency bands on CW and 
SSB.  He will also try for contacts on 29.6 MHz on F-M.  QSL via DL3PS 
or the D-A-R-C Bureau only.  (OPDX)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: REPEATER FOR SALE

And finally this week, another story about the notorious Los Angeles 
repeater.  This one involves not only the repeater, but also a famed on-
line auction site.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has 
the rest of the story:

--

The bidding ended at 7:45 in the evening -- Pacific time -- on April 
13th at $50,100 without meeting the reserve price.  What was on the eBAY 
auction block was the  notorious 147.435 Repeater System in Los Angeles.  
.  

A reserve price is the minimum amount that a seller is willing to 
accept.  The seller was a person known only by the screen named 
stieglitz. Bidding began on April 6th,  Bids over $1,000 required a 
certified credit card to back them up and the site said that Pay Pal was 
accepted for payment.  

Specifically being offered was a Kenwood V-H-F repeater, a TE Systems 
amplifier, phone patch, antennas, a  custom circulator, and tuned 
cavities.  Not included was the 1.2 Ghz control link radio.  

Bidders were required to hold an  FCC amateur radio license and be 
willing to pick up the equipment in person.  Whomever might win was told 
that he or she  would be responsible for arranging changes in 
coordination.  Also that there was no guarantee that the coordinator 
would accept them.

When asked on-line why would anyone want to spend $20,000 -- the bid at 
the time -- on a repeater,the person offering the system for sale e 
reply.  Stieglitz replied that the opportunity to have an unjammable 
input has caused some to spend years buying equipment and selecting 
locations for remote relay devices.  As such, buying the repeater 
outright could be a real time saver, enabling you to get a job, move out 
of granny's garage, and develop significant human relationships. The 
other option would be to use the repeater and continually complain about 
willful and malacious interference -- end quote.

Was this just another of the pranks that the .435 repeater is famous 
for?  Well eBAY did not stop the auction even when the selling price 
went into the 10's of thousands of dollars.  Rather, whatever the 
reserve as never was reached.  That figure was not made public but users 
were included.  

Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, reporting.

--

If the offer was for real then the seller turned down a lot of money for 
some ham radio gear.  Then again, who can put a price on any aspect of 
the 2 meter Fun Mode.  (ARNewsline (TM))

**

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 Award 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.  