[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1478 - December 9, 2005

Sat Dec 10 10:15:09 EST 2005

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1478 - December 9, 2005

The following is a Q-S-T.  Digital ham radio spans 2200 meters across 
Canada.  The FCC affirms another 42,000 in fines against former ham Jack 
Gerritsen and a poll to find out how you feel about the ARRL's Regulation 
by Bandwidth proposal to the FCC.  All this and more on Amateur Radio 
Newsline report number 1478 coming your way right now.

**

RADIO RECORDS:  BRITISH COLUMBIA TO QUEBEC SPANNED DIGITALLY ON 2200 METERS

A new ham radio record has been set on a very low frequency.  This with 
word of the first confirmed long distance reception of a weak signal 
digital signal between two Canadian amateurs operating on the 2200 meter 
band.  It took place on the morning of November 23rd.  Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, 
is here with the rest of the story:

--

The receiving station was Bill de Carle, VE2IQ in Westmeth, Ontario, 
Canada.  Transmitting to him from the other side of that nation was Lorne 
Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, in Vancouver British Columbia.  The operating mode 
the two used is a fairly new digital system known as Weak-signal Operation 
on Low Frequency or WOLF for short.  

WOLF is described by its proponents as a very robust experimental weak 
signal mode developed by Stewart Nelson, KK7KA.  It  uses forward error 
correction encoding techniques similar to those used by deep space probes 
but has been adapted to the rigors of weak signal low frequency operation. 

Unlike other modes commonly used on 2200 meters, WOLF sends data at a 
relativity fast rate.  This can allow reception of a 15-character packet of 
text in as little as 24 seconds under ideal conditions.

What makes this contact truly remarkable is that VE7TIL was transmitting 
with an input power of only 50 Watts into a very inefficient antenna 
system.  This resulted in his radiating less then 25 milliwatts of 
Effective Radiated Power to span the 3400 kilometer path.

VE2IQ's reception of VE7TIL's complete message occurred after 14 minutes 
with 100% certainty.  Other modes such as slow speed CW that are normally 
employed to span such distances on 2200 meters would have taken in excess 
of an hour to send the same amount of data .  And that without any 
assurance of error free reception at the decoding station receive point.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Burt Hicks, WB6MQV.

--

Observers say that this transmission clearly demonstrates that trans-
Canadian and trans-North-America digital communication should be possible 
in reasonable time frames on this very, very low frequency band.  (Radio 
Amateurs of Canada, Southgate AR News)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  NA1SS MAKING RANDOM CONTACTS

Meantime,  ham radio activity overhead on the International Space Station 
is at one of its highest levels in years.  This, according to Ken Ransom, 
N5VHO, who writes that since November 23rd, the NA1SS ham radio station on 
board the I-S-S has made over 50 contact during brief operating 
opportunities. 

Ransom says that on Monday, November 28th the reports from around the world 
said that Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, was calling CQ and 
making lots of contacts.  And in addition to the one-on-one QSO's McArthur 
has been holding at least two school contacts a week as his work schedule 
permits.  Contacts like this one with the Ralph McCall school in Alberta, 
Canada that took place on Friday, December 2nd:

--

Contact audio here

--

Yes, the little girls name is Brooklyn and not since Expedition 3 has a 
crew member been as active on the ham bands on a regular basis as is Bill 
McArthur, KC5ACR.  More information is on line at www.issfanclub.com or 
oscar.dcarr.org  Our thanks to Aaron Elekes, VE6YTV, for supplying the 
audio of  little Brooklyn talking to the ISS.   (N5VHO, VE6YTV, ARISS)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC AFFIRMS $42,000 IN FINES AGAINST JACK GERRITSEN

The FCC has certified another $42,000 in fines against alleged radio jammer 
Jack Gerritsen, the short time licensed KG6IRO, who is now on trial in a 
Los Angeles Federal Court on charges related to these fines.  Amateur Radio 
Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the details:

--

The FCC released the notice affirming the pair of $21,000 Forfeiture Orders 
on Friday, Novemver 2nd.  In approving the sanction, the FCC dismissed 
Gerritsen's argument that this was a freedom of speech issue and that his 
transmissions fell under the category of political protest.  

The FCC noted that one of the $21,000 forfeitures involved alleged willful 
and repeated malicious interference with Los Angeles area Amateur Radio 
communications. The second other deals with Gerritsen's alleged 
interference with the radio communications of a US Coast Guard Auxiliary 
officer attempting to use Amateur Radio frequencies to assist a sailboat in 
distress. 

Last March, the FCC upheld a $10,000 fine against Gerritsen also for 
interfering with area ham radio communications.  Added to the additional 
$42,000 he now owes it means that $52,000 in fines have been affirmed 
against him this year.  It also is likely that Gerritsen may now hold the 
record for the largest monetary forfeitures ever imposed for interference 
with the Amateur Radio Service.   And if convicted at trial on all counts, 
he could spend the up to 11 years behind federal prison bars.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.

--

 (FCC Releases, ARNewslineT)

**

BREAKING NEWS:  GERRITSEN CONVICTED - FACES PRISON

I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, with some late breaking news.  Datline Los 
Angeles where a jury deliberating the fate of accused radio jammer Jack 
Gerritsen has found him guilty on all six counts.

The conviction was announced Friday morning, September 9th.  Gerritsen, who 
held an amateur license briefly before it was set aside had been charged 
with interfereing with a declared emergency as well as various 
communications services including Amateur Radio.

He was immediately taken into custody and is being held pending sentencing 
on March 6.  Depending on what the judge decides, Gerritsen now faces the 
prospect of spending up to 11 years of his life behind prison bars. 

More next week  (Various)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  LA 147.435 REPEATER HAS AUTOMIC CONTROL PRIVELEGES SUSPENDED

The FCC has suspended the automatic remote control priveleges of a repeater 
that Jack Gerritson used to operate on without an Amateur Radio license.  
This, as the Los Angeles District Office informs Jeffrey Stieglitz, AE6NZ, 
of Torrance, California that until further notice his 147.435 MHz repeater 
has to have control operators present at all times, or go off the air.

In her letter to Steiglitz, District Director Catherine Deaton alleged 
inadequate station control, deliberate interference, failure of users to 
identify and use by unlicensed operators as the primary reason for 
suspension of the automatic control priveleges.  She also noted that 
Steiglitz amateur station AE6NZ is under review by the Enforcement Bureau 
for numerous and continued apparent violations of the Commissions rules.  

But for all of its problems, the same repeater is also legendary for its 
involvement in local public service.  Back in the 1970's under its first 
owner the idea of sending hams to hospitals at Christmastime to permit kids 
to talk to old Saint Nick was born.  Operation Santa Clause as it 
eventually became known is now an important part of seasonal ham radio club 
services performed nation wide.  More recently, the repeater raised in 
excess of $3000 to assist in relief efforts following hurricanes Katrina 
and Rita.  It has also sponsored a "Hams for Tots" operation for the past 
decade and a half.  

None the less, the FCC sys that it will not permit the system to resume 
automatic remote control while the investigation of its longtime operation 
is ongoing, or until the agency says otherwise.  Nor is this the first time 
that automatic control priveleges have been pulled from it in its 40 plus 
years of operation.    (FCC, ARNewslineT)

**

SECURETY ALERT: PHONY E-MAIL FROM THE FBI

It may not be delivered by radio, but another form of communications is out 
to get your personal information.  Jim Damron, N8TMW, has the details:

--

If you get an unsolicited e-mail from an F-B-I or Central Intellegence 
Agency agent calling himself Steven Allison and charging you with having 
visited illegal websites, do not open the attachment.  It's not a list of 
questions but a Trojan Horse virus called W32.Sober.X that will open up 
your computer to hackers and cyber thieves.

This latest attempt at cyber-trickery began showing up the weekend of 
November 19th and 20th.  While the message header text of the message varies 
a bit, it reads something like this:

"We have logged your IP-address on more than 30 illegal Websites.  
Important: Please answer our questions! The list of questions are 
attached."

The very first questions that you should ask yourself on seeing this 
unsolicited garbage mail is --  how would the FBI know my web surfing 
habits and why would they be interested in the first place?  The answer is 
that they are not interested, but a lot of Internet crooks are.  They want 
access to your computer and will seemingly stop at nothing to get at it.

The solution to this one is the same as any other piece of unsolicited e-
mail.  Delete it, and do not even consider opening the attached file.  It 
contains noting but computer grief.

I'm Jim Damron, N8TMW

--

One more thing.  To date nobody we know of has ever defined in legal 
terminology what an illegal website really is, if one exists at all.  
(Published reports)

**

REGULATION BY BANDWIDTH: FIRST DIGITAL E-COMMS OPERATOR REACTION

The editor of CQ Magazine's Digital Dimension column says that the ARRL's 
"Regulation by Bandwidth" proposal cannot provide for the needs of 
emergency data communications on the High Frequency bands.  Writing in the 
December issue of CQ, Don Rotolo, N2RIZ, says that the flat bandwidth 
maximum of 3.5 KHz for all modes other than AM is raising quite a ruckus 
within the digital community.

Because of the lead time involved in print magazines, Rotolo's column was 
written at least a month prior to the ARRL filing its bandwidth regulation 
rule making proposal with the FCC.  None the less he notes that with a 
maximum  bandwidth that small it will not be possible to send data at any 
appreciably high rate.  

Rotolo says that emergency responders need the ability to transmit and 
receive error free a two page text message in about a minute and a small 50 
kilobit image in less than 2 minutes.  This means a transmission speed of 4 
to 5 kilobits per second.  Figuring in such things as error correction to 
produce the required 100% error free copy, he sees the need for about 25 
Khz of spectrum for such a contact.  

How Rotolo comes up with that number, why error free copy is mandatory and 
the need to restrict such operation to specific locations on the High 
Frequency bands makes up the bulk of the article.  You can find it 
beginning on  page 50 of the December issue of CQ Magazine.   (CQ, 
ARNewslineT)

**

REGULATION BY BANDWIDTH: A AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINET CYBERSPACE POLL

Still with the regulation by bandwidth issue, we at the Amateur Radio 
Newsline want to know how the general ham radio public feels about the ARRL 
proposal to the FCC on this issue.  So we had our Webmaster prepare a very 
simple click to vote poll to find out.

To take part, all you need to do is to go to our website at 
www.arnewsline.org and scroll down until you see the word "Polls" on the 
left side of the page.  There you will find options in favor of the ARRL 
regulation by bandwidth proposal and opposing it.  Just click on the one 
you feel is best for the future of the hobby.  Your vote will be instantly 
added in and the results to date immediately displayed.

Admittedly, this is a far from scientific way to measure the sentiment of 
the ham community on this issue.  None the less it should give all of us an 
indication of what the silent majority in ham radio really wants as the 
century and the hobby progresses.  

Again the URL of our website is www.arnewsline.org and you will find the 
poll on the left side of the page.  (ARNewslineT)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC SETS ASIDE GENERAL CLASS GRANT OF ATLANTA GA HAM

The FCC has set aside the application Andrew Ojwang, KI4LTH, for a General 
class license.  The FCC says that its October 24th action is based on 
complaints about the operation of Ojwang's Atlanta, Georgia, area station 
since the grant of his General class license was made.  

While the agency does not elaborate on the exact nature of the allegations 
it does note that the trustee of the N4CLA repeater requested in writing 
that KI4LTH refrain from use of the system or operating on the 144.870 
slash 145.470 MHz frequency pair.   The FCC notes that the letter was 
issued as a result of Ojwang's alleged failure to follow operational rules 
set forth by the operators of the repeater system for its users to abide 
by. 

The Commission's letter notes that repeater control operators may take 
whatever steps are appropriate to ensure compliance with FCC rules.  This 
includes limiting the repeater use to certain users.  It then tells him to 
stay off the repeater or face enforcement action against his license.

As to Ojwang's status with the FCC?  The agency says that in view of the 
action by its Wireless Bureau, his application reverts to a pending status, 
and he has  no authority to operate on General class frequencies.  He may 
continue to operate using Technician class license privileges, but not on 
the N4CLA repeater  The agency also tells Ojwang that it will contact him 
regarding what additional information may be needed before making a 
decision on his General class  application.   (FCC) 

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC ORDERS CB RETAILER TO PAY $7000 FINE

The FCC has denied a petition for reconsideration filed by a Jacksonville, 
Florida radio retailer and has ordered the company to pay a $7000 fine .  
This, for selling a transceiver that could be easily modified to operate in 
the 11 meter band. 

In a Memorandum, Order and Opinion adopted on November 30th, the FCC 
rejected the claims by counsel for the Hightech CB Shop that a Connex  
brand model 3300  HP was actually a piece of ham radio gear.  The FCC says 
that the radio falls into the category of it being a unit designed for easy 
modification to operate in the Class D Citizens Radio spectrum and as such 
requires certification from the agency to be legally sold.

The case dates back to May of 2001 when the Commission's  Tampa  Office  of  
the  Enforcement  Bureau  issued  a  Citation  to  Hightech for offering  
for  sale  RF  linear  amplifiers  and  non- certified  CB  transceivers.  
This, following a sting where FCC agents posed as customers offering to 
purchase one of the radios.  Its not known if High Tech plans any further 
appeals in this case.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  THE GUARD SHACK CAPER BRINGS $18,000 FINE

Missouri station KNSX  FM owes the FCC $18,000.  This after the regulatory  
agency fined the station, owned by Twenty-One Sound Communications, for not 
keeping its Emergency Activation System or E-A-S equipment operating and 
not maintaining a proper main studio.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, reports:

--

As the FCC tells the story, a Kansas City field agent inspected the main 
studio of KNSX FM.  He reported that it consisted of an unmarked guard 
shack located at the entrance to a gated residential area not far from the 
transmitter. The community paid for the guards, so the shack was staffed 24 
hours a day.

The agency said the shack had no microphone, production or transmission 
equipment, and that the guard on duty said he couldn't control the 
transmitter from that location.  During the inspection of the unattended 
transmitter site, the FCC agent also found the E-A-S encoder - decoder set 
on manual mode and not able to automatically re-transmit the required 
weekly tests.

In its own defense, Twenty-One Sound alleged it didn't break the E-A-S 
rules because its system was not functional for less than 60 days.  But the 
FCC said in its decision there is no "free 60-day pass" to operate without 
functional EAS equipment.

As far as the guard shack studio, the broadcaster said the guard on duty 
during the inspection was the station manager and knew how to work the 
transmitter but was flustered at the time.   Although the guard shack 
studio had only one phone line, Twenty-One Sound argued, the guards had 
cell phones and could use those and also make calls from a nearby building.

But the FCC said the company did not provide proof that it maintained the 
additional phone capacity and the main studio.  As such, the fine was 
upheld.

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

--

KNSX FM was given the usual time to pay or to file a further appeal.  (RW 
On Line)

**

RADIO ACCIDENTS:  TOWER DOWN IN NEBRASKA

Another radio tower has been hit by a light plane and has fallen.  The 
incident happened on Sunday, November 27th near Atlanta, Nebraska.  That's 
where a n aircraft flying in marginal weather hit the structure collapsing 
the tower and killing the three occupants of the plane. There were no 
injuries to persons on the ground.

The downed 1000 foot high tower was used primerally by the Public 
Broadcasting System and supported several installations. Because of frigid 
weather in Nebraska, Newsline's Joe Eisenberg, K0NEB, in Lincoln says he 
doubts that clean-up can begin before springtime.  This means that the 
public television and radio stations are likely to be off the air for some 
time to come.  Joe adds that to his knowledge there were no Amateur Radio 
repeaters or other ham installations on the felled tower or at that site.
(Doug Herman, CGC, K0NEB)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS: EASTERN VHF/UHF CONFERENCE IN APRIL 2006

The next Eastern VHF and UHF Conference will take place April 21st through 
the 23rd in Enfield, Connecticut.  Planners say that they are looking for 
presentations and papers for the upcoming event.  If you want to take part, 
please contact Bruce Woods, N2LIV by e-mail to bwood at erols.com or call him 
dayside, Eastern U-S time at 516-938-6938 and ask for Bill at extension 
210.  (VHF Reflector)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  SOUTHEASTERN VHFS CONFERENCE IN APRIL 2006

And the Southeastern VHF Society is calling for the submission of papers 
and presentations for the upcoming 10th annual conference.  It will be held 
on April 28th and 29th 2006 in Greenville, South Carolina.  

Papers and presentations can be on a wide variety of the technical and 
operational aspects of VHF, UHF and Microwave weak signal amateur radio.  
This includes such special interests as transmitters, receivers, preamps, 
test gear, contesting, DX operations, rover stations and anything else 
found on the VHF and UHF bands other than routine repeater and FM 
operations.  

The deadline for the submission of papers and presentations is March 3, 
2006 with all submissions in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat file foirmats. 
Questions, comments and submissions go to Jim Worsham, W4KXY at 
w4kxy at bellsouth.net. Papers and presentations will be published in bound 
proceedings by the ARRL.  (VHF Reflector)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  SUIT-SAT DEPLOIYMENT DELAY EXPLAINED

Russian Space agency officials have explainewd the postponement of a 
"Spacewalk" during which the ham radio Suit-Sat was supposed to be put into 
orbit.  A spokesman says that a delay in the next United States space 
shuttle mission to the ISS has prompted the delay.

On Thursday, December 1st, Russia's Mission Control Center spokesman Valery 
Lyndin told the Tass News Agency that the scheduled December 8th  spacewalk 
by the ISS crew will not take place.  NASA officials say the shuttle will 
not be launched earlier than May or July and have set February 2, 2006 as 
the date for the postponed space walk to take place.  Suit-Sat will be 
deployed  at that time.  (ANS)

**

WORLDBEAT - SOUTH AFRICA:  NEW SOUND FOR AMATEUR RADIO MIRROR

Meanwhile, in the Southern hemisphere, the producers of South Africa's 
Mirror amateur radio news magazine will be giving  the program what amounts 
to a new on the air sound.  Ronnie Meachen, VK4CO, has more from her 
listening post in Toewnsville, Australia:

--

Audio report only.  Hear it n the mp3 version downloadable at 
www.arnewsline.org

--

No word on when the new Mirror format will be in place.

**

DX

InDX, word that K6KO and K6TA, will operate SSB, CW and RTTY as P40K and 
P40TA from Aruba through the 21st of December. QSL for both via WM6A.

And look for HA7TM active portable 6W from Senegal from the QTH of 6W7RV.  
Operation will be from the town of Le Caola from December 15th to the 22nd 
on the H-F bands mainly CW and SSB.  QSL via home call, direct or via the 
bureau.  

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: "POLAR BEARS" PLAN FULL-MOON EXPEDITION 

A nd finally this week, a group of hams from the Eastern Pennsylvania QRP 
club will be trekking out to one of the highest points on a Pennsylvania 
section of the Appalachian trail on Saturday, Dec. 17th to set up portable 
operations coinciding with this month's full moon. Amateur Radio Newsline's 
Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, has the story:

--

This intrepid group of dedicated amateurs is heading out to a spot called 
the Pinnacle. The contingent is led by Ron Polityka, WB3AAL, the driving 
force behind the EPA QRP group's Polar Bear Moonlight Madness.

Polityka, who lives just outside the town of Reading, Pennsylvania - about 
55 miles north and west of Philadelphia - says the event was born out of 
his love of hiking and ham radio. He says it was a fellow QRP'er and hiker, 
Ed Breneiser, WA3WSJ, who convinced him to bring along  his friends and 
their radios. too.  

"I like to go out once a month, all the time and it doesn't matter if it's 
snowing, sleeting or raining, I go out," Polityka says. "This past February 
of 2005, Ed organized a bunch of us to go out at night, during the full 
moon and we called ourselves the Polar Bears and it also became known as 
the Polar Bear Moonlight Madness Event."

Polityka says it has become a monthly event - but only during those months 
when the air is crisp, clear and cold.

"It's mostly the cold weather, we won't go out in the summer time, trust 
me," Polityka says. "Since it was in February we went out and that's how it 
became the Polar Bears because it's cold, it's snowing and with the full 
moon. In March, when we were up there, there's a lot of snow on the ground 
and we heard coyotes in the distant valley."

Polityka says the radios and power source the operators use are basic.

"Elecraft radios, the K1, the K2s, we usually use gell cells, small, seven-
and-a-half amp gel cells," Polityka says.

And, what about antennas?

 "We'll use a home-brew vertical that Ed makes and we make most of the 
contacts with verticals, QRP, 5 watts and we're usually up there for about 
4 to 5 hours every time when we go out every month," Politkya says.

Polityka says while there is some sideband operation, the primary mode of 
communication is Morse Code.

"We'll usually run CW, usually around the QRP frequencies like 14.060 Mhz 
and 7.040 Mhz," Polityka says. "It's mostly CW, we do some sideband. We 
talk all over, the last time we were out on 30 meters, I contacted OO4ON 
from Belgium. And, then I also worked an EA5 station from Spain from the 
Pinnacle with 5 watts."

Polityka says there are a lot of stateside contacts, too. He says the Polar 
Bears log all of their contacts and reward those who make the effort to put 
a Polar Bear in the log. Each of the members of the group has a Polar Bear 
number.

"If you work us, we will send you a nice certificate usually it changes 
month-to-month from different activities we do and we try and correlate it 
with the different type of the names of the moon for the fall moon like the 
harvest moon," Polityka says. "In December, it's the cold, winter moon. 
And, we'll send you a nice certificate no charge."

Up until now, Polityka says, the group has been promoting its operating 
events by way of the internet and QRP listings. Polityka says you don't 
have to be a QRP operator to take part. The whole idea behind the Polar 
Bear events, he says, is to promote radio activity and fun.

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

--

For more information about the Polar Bear plans, go to www.n3epa.org and 
follow the Polar Bear link.  (NT3V, ARNewslineT)

**

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 to not forget our website poll regarding the ARRL"s regulation 
by bandwidth proposal.  Go to www.arnewsline.org to make your voice heard.  