[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1477 - December 2, 2005
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Sat Dec 3 10:35:33 EST 2005
Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1477 - December 2, 2005
The following is a Q-S-T. The governor of Massachusetts dismisses Amateur
Radio's role in Emergency Communications in a televised press conference, a
California ham vows to fight to keep his tower and the debate over
regulation by bandwidth continues. Find out the details on Amateur Radio
Newsline report number 1477 coming your way right now.
**
RESCUE RADIO: MA GOVERNOR ROMNEY DISMISSES HAM RADIOS ROLE IN E-COMMS
It appears as if Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney does not know the role
radio amateurs play in emergencies or maybe he just does not care. At
least that's what hams in New England are saying after Romney dismissed the
role of Amateur Radio operators in emergency communications during a recent
televised "town meeting." Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, has more:
--
The program was WCVB television's "When Disaster Strikes: Segment Two." It
featured public safety and volunteer organization officials from across
Massachusetts among its guests and in the audience.
According to reports, Governor Romney seemed to get agitated when host and
moderator Natalie Jacobson asked questions about communications
interoperability, and communication without commercial power. Based on his
answers, Romney was next asked by Jacobson if in the end it all came down
to depending on ham radio to which the governor replied - quote: "No, we
don't need to deal with ham radio operators..."
Embarrassed public safety officials later tried to put in a good word for
Amateur Radio. The National Weather Service Warning Coordination
Meteorologist Glenn Field was prepared to state the importance of Amateur
Radio. Salvation Army Colonel Fred Van Brunt beat him to the punch talking
about his organization's quest to improve its communications capabilities
and how Amateur Radio has been an important aspect of this.
But it was after the TV show ended that hams in the state went on the
offensive. Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator Rob
Macedo, KD1CY made public that he had submitted a letter to the Governor's
Office,, ARRL Section Manager Mike Neilsen, W1MPN, sent a section-wide
email to all Eastern Massachusetts ARRL members describing the incident
along with actions he and his staff were taking to mitigate the situation.
Neilsen wrote that the Governors attitude about ham radio sets an
unfortunate tone within the state's executive branch. Neilsen added that
as former military officer, he sees this as a failure in leadership.
Neilsen said that he intended to address the Governor's comments as an
urgent matter at a meeting with Don Carlton from the Massachusetts
Emergency Management Agency.
Meantime, Tom Kinahan, N1CPE wrote that Governor Romney's comment has made
a public relations problem in his role as Massachusetts State RACES
Officer. Kinahan asks where it leaves the RACES program when the Governor
has said that he "certainly doesn't need to rely on ham radio."
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Burt Hick, WB6MQV, reporting.
--
While Governor Romney has yet to issue a formal apology to the ham radio
community a representative from the Governor's office has reached out to
the Amateur Radio community in the wake of the perceived "snubbing."
According to Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Rob
Macedo, KD1CY, Pam Hickman from the Governor's Office of External Relations
telephoned has him. The message delivered was that the Governor's would
like to the make the situation right. Macedo told Hickman that he and the
local ARES leadership want to visit with the Romney so that they might
describe Amateur Radio and its benefits to the community. No word on if or
when that meeting might take place.
The television program can be viewed at
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/5334306/detail.html. (EMA ARRL Web,
Handi Hams, others)
**
RADIO LAW: CALIFORNIA TOWN DECIDES TO BUCK PRB-1
A Grand Terrace, California amateur radio operator has lost his latest bid
for permission to have a 75 foot tower and antenna in the back yard of his
property. But Hans Ehlert, AE6TV, has vowed to continue to fight following
the November 17th Planning Commission's decision to deny him a permit.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the latest:
--
In late May, Hans Ehlert, AE6TV, put up a 35-foot-tall radio antenna
without getting city building permits or inspections. City officials
ordered him to take it down or get a permit. He applied for permission to
erect a structure that could extend up to 75 feet tall. But the commission
turned him down on a 4 to 0 vote.
The Federal Communications Commission through PRB dash 1 requires cities to
make reasonable accommodations for ham-radio towers. To comply with state
and federal law, city planning officials recommended allowing Ehlert to
have a 30-foot tower with an antenna that could be extended another 3 feet
so it wouldn't be blocked by the chimney. Officials suggested moving it
from the side of his back yard to behind his home to minimize the visual
impact on a majority of neighbors.
Despite state and federal regulations, commissioners said they have the
authority to deny the project for public safety and aesthetic reasons.
Ehlert's antenna has riled his neighbors, who called the tower a
"monstrosity" that would lead to lower property values. Residents also
said the tower presents a safety hazard because it could fall down in heavy
winds.
Community Development Director Gary Koontz said the city's code enforcement
division likely would seek a court order to remove the structure if Ehlert
refuses to do so. This, even though other California cities such as
Newport Beach have adopted ordinances allowing structures as high as 75
feet and both state and federal law says that the city must reasonably
accommodate Elhert's Amateur Radio station needs.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.
--
Ehlert said after the decision that he was going to sit and wait until I
get a court order to take it down. (San Bernardino Sun, others)
**
RESTRUCTURING: REGULATION BY BANDWIDTH REACTION CONTINUES
Reaction continues to grow to the recently filed ARRL proposal aimed at
restructuring the service to one regulated by bandwidth. While those who
disagree seem to be very vocal in their opposition, the camp that supports
the change is now beginning to make its collective voices heard. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Paul Courson, WA3VJB, spoke with some of them:
--
Audio report only. Download this weeks MP3 newscast at www.arnewsline.org
--
Its obvious that the debate over the ARRL's regulation by bandwidth
proposal will be with us for some time. We will keep following it and have
more for you in future Amateur Radio Newsline reports. (ARNewslineT,
WA3VJB)
**
ENFORCEMENT: GERRITSEN GOES ON TRIAL DECEMBER 6 IN LA
The trial of Jack Gerritsen, the short time licensed KG6IRO, on federal
charges of interfering with essential communications is set to begin on
Tuesday, December 6th in Los Angeles.
Gerritsen was arrested by federal agents back on May 5th after a lengthy
investigation by the FCC. At that time the the agency said it had received
numerous complaints concerning Gerritsen's activities from radio amateurs
as well as various agencies. This included the U-S military, the Coast
Guard, local police departments and the American Red Cross.
He was freed on bond but confined to his home and electronically monitored
until he stood trial and was convicted last July on state charges. He was
found guilty and sentenced to serve 120 days in jail. If convicted on all
of the Federal charges, Gerritsen faces a maximum of 11 years in a federal
prison. (N6USO)
**
STRANGE ENFORCEMENT: THE HANGING TURKEY FINE
What happens when you mix a radio station promotion, a hanging turkey, a
concerned citizen and the FCC? In this case you get a pretty hefty fine.
Sound confusing? Our Evi Simons sorts it all out:
--
The FCC has affirmed a monetary forfeiture of $4,000 against KOFI, Inc.,
licensee of radio station KZMN F-M in Kalispell, Montana. This, for
broadcasting and recording telephone conversation and doing so in violation
of the Commission's rules.
Back on March 17th of this year the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent
Liability for $6,000 based on a complaint from a person identified as Lisa
Simmer. At that time Simmer alleged, and KOFI later acknowledged that the
station broadcast live and recorded for rebroadcast a telephone
conversation between herself and the on-air personality Paul Gray. That
the station did this without providing her prior notice of such recording
and broadcast.
Simmer told the FCC that it all began when she noticed a turkey being
suspended from a second floor window of the station's building and
expressed to a coworker her concern that this action was inhumane. When
her coworker called the station to complain, the person who answered the
phone transferred her call to Gray. He was on-the-air taking phoned-in
donations for a local food bank drive called "Save the Turkey."
Gray then asked to speak with Simmer. He explained that the hanging turkey
was intended to promote the station's charity work. He also told her to
stop complaining and directed her to listen to the station.
Simmer later learned that KZMN had broadcast the conversation live and
later replayed a recording of the incident. Simmer told the FCC that she
was neither aware of nor informed that she was on the air live or that
portions of her conversation with Gray were being recorded for later
broadcast. Nor was she asked her permission to do so.
On April 15, 2005, KOFI responded to the Notice of Apparent Liability. In
its response the station maintained that Gray did not advise Simmer that
her call was being broadcast live or that the station would subsequently
rebroadcast portions of the conversation since he believed the call was
from a listener who wanted to make a donation. Also, that all callers who
participated in the live donations had been advised over the air that such
calls would be broadcast. It did however concede that once Gray realized
Simmer was not calling to make a donation he never should have rebroadcast
a recording of the conversation.
In its decision the FCC refused to clear the station or its owners of wrong
doing. It did opt to lower the amount of the forfeiture to $4000, saying
that a review of KOFI's broadcast record revealed no other sanctions for
violation of Commission rules.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Evi Simons, in New York.
--
Over the years, promotions by radio stations seem to have gotten more and
more outlandish. In this case Lisa Simmer a member of the public felt one
went way to far and did what was needed to bring just such a situation to
the attention of the FCC. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC GRANTS WAIVER FOR NEW SURVEILLANCE TOOL IN THE 902 MHZ HAM
BAND
The FCC has granted a Request for Waiver filed by the Law Enforcement
Technologies Division of the Remington Arms Company. This, seeking to
certify and market its Remington Eyeball R1 Transmitter.
The Eyeball R1 imaging sensor is designed to be thrown like a baseball into
a remote or confined location. Its purpose is to broadcast real-time
images and sound from the surrounding area, and may be sold only to
eligible law enforcement agencies.
The R1 transmits in the 2400 to 2483.5 MHz band using analog modulation.
It provides a color or black and white video of a 55 degree conical field
of view with the direction remotely controlled using a transmitter in the
902 to 928 MHz band. Both of these are allocations shared with other users
including Amateur Radio. (CGC)
**
RADIO LAW: NFL GRANTED WAIVER OF THE CALL SIGN IDENTIFICATION RULE
If you have ever brought a scanner to a sporting event you know that for
some events radio plays a vital role. And now the FCC is giving one sport
some special dispensation from the mandatory station I-D rules. Don
Wilbanks, AE5DW, reports:
--
A radio system that is used exclusively within football stadiums for
communications between coaches on the sideline and their quarterback during
professional football games has been given dispensation from the FCC's
identification rules. This, following complaints that the transmission of
the station identification can be distracting to quarterbacks and disrupt
the game.
On November 18, 2004, the National Football League filed waiver requests
and applications to modify its licenses for Industrial Business Pool
Stations KNNF411 and KNNF412. It took almost a year, but a waiver of the
I.D. rules has now been granted by the FCC.
--
The low power radio systems have been in use by the NFL for many years.
(CGC)
**
RESCUE RADIO: BE DONATES TRANSMITTER TO PAKISTAN QUAKE RELIEF
A broadcast products supplier is jumping in to help fill a communications
gap caused by a natural disaster. This, with word that Broadcast
Electronics has donated and shipped a transmitter to Pakistan in response
to a request by that nations government there after the earthquake of
October 8th.
According to Radio World, the Broadcast Electronics Plug N Play 1000 will
be used by the Volunteer Radio Service to transmit news, weather and
disaster relief information in Neelam Valley, a region close to the
disaster epicenter. The unit is being installed by Engineering Systems &
Services in Islamabad. (RW)
**
RADIO EDUCATION: ARRL FOUNDATION ADDS NEW SCHOLARSHIPS
The ARRL Foundation has announced the addition of two new scholarships for
the 2006-2007 academic year thanks to a generous endowment from the Dayton
Amateur Radio Association.
The ARRL Foundation Board recently approved addition of the $1000
scholarships to the 43 awards it now offers. To be eligible, an applicant
must be an Amateur Radio licensee attending or accepted at an accredited
two or four-year college or university.
Information on all ARRL Foundation-administered scholarships is at the ARRL
Foundation Web site. The application period for ARRL Foundation
scholarships closes February 1, 2006.. That URL is
http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html (ARRL)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: HANDI HAM READER N1BLF RETIREING
Some names in the news. First is Handi Ham volunteer reader Bob Zeida,
N1BLF, who has announced that he will retire from reading the FCC question
pools beginning in 2006.
According to the Handi Hams newsletter, Zeida is the person who has read
all of the current pools onto tape. As a result he is a familiar voice to
those Handiham members studying for their Technician, General, and Extra
Class licenses.
Although N1BLF will not be reading the question pools, he will continue
reading the monthly magazine digests. Bob also reads for blind listeners
via the New England based Massachusetts Talking Information Center. (Handi
Hams)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: FORMER FEMA HEAD BROWN FORMS EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMPANY
The embattled former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is
starting up - what else -- a disaster preparedness consulting firm. This
with a USA Today report on Friday, November 25th, that departed FEMA
Director Michael Brown is starting a business designed to help clients
avoid the sort of errors that cost him his job.
Brown was heavily criticized for his agency's slow response to Hurricane
Katrina. He now says that officials need to "take inventory" of what's
going on in a disaster to be able to answer questions to avoid appearing
unaware of how serious a situation is.
Brown admits that while he was head of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency mistakes were made in the response to Katrina. But in announcing
his new venture Brown told the Rocky Mountain News the former agency head
struck a different chord. He told the paper that if he can help people
focus on how to be better prepared in their homes and businesses then he
hopes he can help the country in some way. (Published reports)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: QUALCOOM HEAD SAYSTIME IS NEAR WHEN CELLPHONES WILL
REPLACE COMPUTERS
Meantime, Qualcomm chairman Irwin Jacobs says the memory and processing
power in today's cellular telephones are the equivalent that of of a
Pentium III computer running at 550 MHz. He also predicts Moore's Law will
soon boost that equation to make cell-phones the personal computers of
tomorrow. Jacobs also thinks most major metropolitan areas of the United
States will offer video on demand by the end of 2006. (CGC)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: PREDICTING QUAKES BY RADIO
Can radio help predict earthquakes? Some researchers believe that it
might. RSGB News Reader Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, has the rest of the story:
--
Scientists are examining the possibility of using radio waves to predict
the location, time and magnitude of earthquakes. Earthquakes such as the
one that struck the Kashmir region of Pakistan last month kill thousands of
people each year but at present there is no method of forecasting when they
might strike.
Now some geophysicists believe that it might be possible to predict
earthquakes by measuring either electromagnetic pulses in the earth's crust
or disturbances in the ionosphere. Such pulses and disturbances have been
detected prior to a number of major earthquakes.
No-one is certain what causes them but Colin Price, a geophysicist at Tel
Aviv University in Israel , has speculated that the ground pulses are
caused by the fracturing of rocks containing magnetic particles. As these
rocks crack in the seismic events prior to an earthquake, they generate
ultra low frequency radio waves.
Interestingly, these radio pulses are generated as much as two weeks before
some earthquakes take place. By detecting these signals, therefore, it
might be possible to develop an earthquake early warning system that would
give people plenty of time to evacuate buildings before an earthquake
strikes, saving thousands of lives every year.
--
It will likely be a number of years before scientists know if radio
prediction of earthquakes is possible. (GB2RS)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: PC SAT IN NORMAL MODE
Turning our eyes to the sky, word that the NO 44 PC Sat 1 satellite went
into normal operational mode on Friday, November 25th and will remain in
that operation through December 9th. Normal Mode is only possible when PC
Sat 1 enters full sun every 2 months or so. Unfortunately, the energy
budget is only high enough during the winter months for full receovery due
to the better sun angles then on its solar panel.
PC Sat 1 was last operating in Normal mode back in January and February.
It operated that way for about a month until it returned to negative-power-
budget mode last February 16th.
Meantime, PC Sat 2 shut down due to low voltage sometime after 18:55 UTC on
November 23rd. This because of high sun angels in relation to its solar
power array. Nothing was heard on the 20:32 UTC pass and the bird is
expected to remain silent until solar angles improve.
.
PC Sat 2 is attached to the outside of the International Space Station and
only gets sun when I-S-S is maintaining an attitude with good sun angle to
PC Sat 2's location. The worst angle is on Saturday, November 26th. (ANS,
WB4APR)
**
WORLDBEAT - UK: RSGB CEEDES RESPONSINILITIES BACK TO OFCOM
British communications regulator Ofcom says that it will take over a series
of Amateur Radio administrative tasks from the Radio Society of Great
Britain on January 1st of 2006. The jobs include managing the repeater and
packet networks, issuing Notices of Variations for special event callsigns,
contest callsigns and operation on 5MHz. Ofcom will also be providing
permits for amateur radio research and Raynet operations after that dates.
These jobs had been undertaken by the Radio Society of Great Britain on
behalf of Ofcom and its predecessor the Radiocommunications Agency. The
Society received an annual subsidy for this work and was therefore able to
issue Notices of Variation's free of charge.
As part of a review of amateur radio procedures, Ofcom has decided to take
these roles back in-house. Management will now be carried out from the
regulatory agency's headquarters in London. (RSGB)
**
WORLDBEAT - NEW ZEALAND: PROMOTING NZART MEMBERSHIP
From down-under, word that the latest membership promotion by the New
Zealand Amateur Transmitting Society has resulted in 140 new and
reactivated members to theat national society. This breaks down to 85 new
members and 55 who have reactivated. I a nation with as small a ham radio
population as New Zealand, that is a great effort by all in the NZART.
(WIA News)
**
DX
In D-X, word that IK1PMR, and K2LE, are operating as 9H3MR and 9H3LEO
respectively from Gozo Island until December 21st. 9H3MR is focusing on
the low band CW while 9H3LEO is concentrating on 20 meters and the WARC
bands using RTTY. QSL both via IK1PMR.
Also F6AUS, is active from Mayotte on 80 through 10 meters until the 7th of
December. QSL via F6AUS
And word that the Holyland DX Group will operate from the middle of the
Dead Sea at the lowest dry point at 411 meters below sea level. The group
will be active December 23rd and 24th in very rare Holyland squares M25BS
and M26BS. The call sign will be 4X4-11-A. The team will run two complete
stations. QSL manager is 4Z4BS.
(Above via various DX sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: THE VK FOUNDATION LICENSE FIRST HAM
Lastly, over the past few weeks we have been reporting on the introduction
of a new entry level license in Australia. Its called the Foundation Class
and is modeled after a similarly named license class in the U-K. Now, the
W-I-A News has caught up with the fist person to obtain an Australian
Foundation Class license. Here's Graham Kemp, VK4BB, with a young woman
named Amanda Gray, who is now also known as VK4FRST:
--
Audio report only. Download this weeks MP3 newscast at www.arnewsline.org
--
According to the WIA News, that very afternoon, Amanda and her husband
Chris, VK4XWD, took a ride out to a near-by desert area from where Amanda
made her first mobile contact using her new H-T. (WIA News)
**
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.
Before we go, a reminder that the 2005 ARRL Toy Drive is nearing a close.
The cuttoff date is December 10th. If you want to take part just send a new
toy with a QSL card or other prominent identification to the ARRL Toy Drive
in care of the Salvation Army, 1775 Moriah Woods Blvd, Suite 12, Memphis,
Tennsessee. The zipcode is 38117-7125. You and some very needy kids will
be glad that you did.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW, saying 73 and we thank you for listening."
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.
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