[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1481 - December 30, 2005

[ham-news at mailman.qth.net]

Amateur Radio Newsline 1481 - December 30, 2005

--

We try to keep these things as subtle as we can, and you responded so 
wonderfully to our plea last April.  And we have not really asked for 
anything much since.  Unfortunately, the flow of support has ebbed in the 
past months but the expenses of bringing you the up to date news about 
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We would really like to hear from you.  We would like to hear from the 
repeater clubs out there as well.  These are the wonderful folks who 
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giving your members the latest in Amateur Radio related news and 
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The address help keep these newscasts coming your way is the Amateur Radio 
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I know I have said it before, but I will again. We, the volunteers on this 
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thank you for your kindness and generosity.

For the support fund, I'm Andy Jarema, N6TCQ

--

The following is a Q-S-T.  The FCC says vanity call processing resumes 
January 4th, AMSAT says that S-D-X will fly on Phase 3 E and the B-P-L war 
continues on both sides of the Pacific.  Find out the details on Amateur 
Radio Newsline's year end  report number 1481 coming your way right now.

**

REGULATORY:  AMATEUR RADIO VANITY CALL SIGN PROCESSING WILL RESUME JANUARY 
4

Good news for those waiting for a vanity callsign.  The FCC has announced 
that routine processing of Amateur Radio vanity call sign applications will 
resume Wednesday, January 4, 2006.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, 
K6PZW, has more:

--

According to a report in the ARRL Letter, the FCC's Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau suspended vanity processing in September.  This, 
as an indirect result of its hurricane related extensions of certain 
regulatory and filing deadlines. 

Earlier in 2005, the FCC announced it would extend filing and regulatory 
deadlines for licensees in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas 
and Florida directly affected by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.  
During the extension periods, the Bureau  temporarily suspended certain 
automated licensing functions. These included dismissing applications that 
are returned and not amended on a timely basis, changing the status of a 
call sign from active to expired if a license is not renewed within the 
two-year 
grace period for Amateur Radio licensees, and issuing vanity call signs.

In September, the FCC said it had to suspend routine vanity call sign 
processing because the extensions included the two-year grace period and 
could conceivably affect the vanity program.  It has been that way ever 
since.

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


--

The Commission said licensees or applicants needing relief beyond the 
initial extension periods should follow the process for submitting waiver 
requests provided in Section1.925 of the Commission's rules  (ARRL)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  SDX TO FLY ON P3E

Digital ham radio appears to be headed into space.  This with word that 
AMSAT Germany's Board of Directors has made the decision to fly the 
Software Defined or S-D-X Transponder  on their Phase 3-E Express spacecraft. 

According to the AMSAT News Service, this decision to fly S-D-X was made at 
a recent  board meeting in Marburg, Germany.  The transponder will use the 
space that was originally planned for the Rudak Modem Module.  

S-D-X features AMSAT North America's implementation of Software Defined 
Radio based on Quadrature Sampling Detector technology.  With the use of 
the SDX processor, significantly improved linearity and efficiency in the 
UHF VHF transponder can be achieved compared to the all analog operations.

No specific launch date for Phase 3 E has been announced.  We will ham more 
ham radio space related news later on in this weeks newscast.  (ANS)

** 

THE BPL WAR:  POWER SUPPLIER DENIES ITS CAUSES BPL INTERFERENCE

The B-P-L war continues on several fronts.  Its really hot down-under in 
Tasmania where the electrical service supplier is denying that the system 
is responsible for any interference.  Trevor Taege, VK4BAT, reports:

--

Tasmania, and  we have already had reports from the Burnie that strong  
interference has been heard along Malonga Drive and amateurs are keeping a 
close ear and eye on activities.

Conrad, VK7HCK even invited technical representatives from Aurora Energy in  
to his home to experience first hand the level of interference he has to 
put  up with.

Conrad demonstrated to the Aurora engineer and technician the interference  
across the HF amateur bands showing them the S9+ noise level experienced.

To prove it was BPL, Conrad also showed them the spectrogram of the  
interference using the Spectran which showed the regular carrier pattern 
across the spectrum being monitored.

What was their reaction, I hear you ask?  The Aurora engineer denied that 
the interference was caused by BPL even  after being shown the spectrogram 
of regular carriers.

Suffice to say, the meeting ended abruptly after this!

The matter was put in the hands of the ACMA and it is understood that  a 
representative from the ACMA took another round of measurements a day after 
the Aurora meeting.

I'm Trevor, VK4BAT.

--

No word yet from the ACMA on what the regulatory agency found or what 
action they might take against Aurora Energy.  (WIA News)

**

THE BPL WAR:  ARRL AGAIN DEMANDS MANASSAS VA BPL SHUTDOWN


Back in the USA, the ARRL says that it has sent a  strongly worded letter 
to the FCC once again asking the Commission to shut down the Manassas, 
Virginia, BPL system because it's still causing harmful interference to 
Amateur Radio and otherwise does not comply with FCC Part 15 rules.  The 
December 19th  note from ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, was in 
response to a November 30 letter from Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief 
Joseph Casey, who suggested further cooperation between the complaining 
radio amateurs and the city-owned BPL system.  Imlay says that more 
meetings and discussions about ongoing interference are no longer 
productive while this hopelessly flawed BPL system is allowed to continue 
operating.  (ARRL)

**

HAM ACCOLADES:  NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR ANNUAL DARA AWARDS

The nominating period is now open for the Dayton Hamvention's Radio Amateur 
of the Year, Special Achievement and Technical Excellence awards.  Bill 
Pasternak, WA6ITF, is here with the details:

--

The Dayton accolades are presented annually to three individuals who have 
excelled in specific areas within Amateur Radio.  

The Radio Amateur of the Year Award goes to an individual who has made a 
long-term, outstanding commitment to the advancement of Amateur Radio.  The 
Special Achievement Award honors someone who has made an outstanding 
contribution to the advancement of Amateur Radio.  This is usually someone 
who has spearheaded a significant project.  Last but by no means least, the 
Technical Excellence Award is for the person who has made an outstanding 
technical contribution to ham radio. 

All nominations must be accompanied by documentation that informs the 
Awards Committee of a candidate's accomplishments.  This can take the form 
of magazine articles, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and even videos.  
All materials become the property of the Dayton Hamvention and will not be 
returned.

The closing date for nominations is February 20th with the winners 
recognized at the 2006 Dayton Hamvention this coming May 19th to the 21st at 
the Hara Arena in Dayton Ohio.  We'll see you there.

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


--

Nominations can be filed electronically at the Hamvention website.  Its at 
www.hamvention.org/nominations.htm.  They can also be submitted by U-S mail 
to the Dayton Hamvention Awards, PO Box 964, Dayton, Ohio, 45401.

Again that's electronically at www.hamvention.org/nominations.htm or by U-S 
mail to the Dayton Hamvention Awards, PO Box 964, Dayton, Ohio, 45401.  
(Dayton Hamvention)

**

RADIO POLITICS: SENATE CONFIRMS FCC APPOINTEES

The US Senate has confirmed the White House nomination of Republican 
Deborah T. Tate and the re-appointment of Democrat Michael J. Copps to the 
FCC.  The ARRL News reports that the Senate approved the nominations of 
Tate and Copps by voice vote during a late-night session on December 21st.

Tate, 49, most recently served as director of the Tennessee Regulatory 
Authority.  She will fill out the remainder of the term of former FCC 
Chairman Michael K. Powell, which expires June 30, 2007. Powell departed 
the FCC last March.

Copps, who is a  former Senate staffer has been on the Commission since 
2001.  His new term will expire in 2010.  (ARRL, published reports)

**

RADIO TECHNOLOGY:  THREE DETROIT STATIONS GO IBOC

Three Detroit area F-M stations owned by Greater Media have been converted 
In Band On Channel digital operation and multicasting.  Converted to HD 
Radio are WRIF, WCSX and WMGC. Their companion multicast stations are 
designated as WRIF-2, WCSX Deep Trax and More Magic respectively.  The 
supplemental channels will be heard online and on multicast High Definition 
radio receivers.  Manufacturers are expected to ship these products in 
August of 2006.   (RW On-Line)

**

RADIO TECHNOLOGY:  SWEEDEN EXPECTED TO STOP  DIGITAL AUDIO BROADCASTING

The people who market the Eureka-147 digital radio technology believe the 
Swedish government will slow down or completely stop that country's digital 
radio expansion.  This by ceasing to approve the installation of digital 
radio transmitters and curtauiling the issuance of new digital licenses.

According to a report in Radio World On-Line and credited to the World 
Digital Audio Broadcasting Forum, there is no national FM spectrum 
available in Sweden for new services.  Instead, the Swedish government 
hopes listeners will use the Internet, digital TV and podcasting for new 
digital content.

It has to be noted that the Swedish government has not said there's no 
place for Digital Audio Broadcasting in Sweden's future, but, it believes 
this is not the time to expand the D-A-B network or to consider switching 
off analog.  Swedish broadcasters had hoped to see coverage expand from the 
current 35% to national Digital Audio Broadcasting coverage.  (RW On-Line)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  MASS GOV. ROMNEY SAYS NO TO SECOND TERM

Some names in the news.  First up is word that a politician who dismissed 
the role of Amateur Radio in emergencies will not be standing for re-
election.  This as Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will not seek a 
second term next year.  

It was about 6 weeks ago that Romney, appearing on WCVB television's "When 
Disaster Strikes" said that his office did not need to deal with ham radio 
operators in emergency situations.  This sparked a reaction from radio 
amateurs all across New England calling on the Governor to issue a formal 
apology.  No    expression of regret for his remarks has yet been issued by 
the Governor but his staff has worked to try to bridge the gap that 
developed after his appearance on the show.  

In making his December 12th announcement, Romney said that he is in a four 
year term in which he has accomplished just about everything he had hoped 
to.  His decision not to seek another term has fueled speculation that he 
may seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.  (The Guardian)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  9 YEAR OLD EARNS VK TICKET

On a more positive note, a nine-year-old has become the youngest to qualify 
for an Australian amateur radio license.  According to Amateur Radio 
Victoria, Janice Ampt attended  training and assessment conducted by 
Melbourne's  North East Radio Group.  This lead to her passing the exam and 
she is now awaiting   her callsign.  

Janice will be a third generation ham.  She is the daughter of Mike 
Ampt,VK3CH, and grand-daughter of VK3IV.  (Amateur Radio Victoria)

**

ON THE AIR:  KEEP AN EAR ON THE MAGIC BAND

Its looking like a good winter V-H-F season may be upon us.  At least on 6 
meters.  Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, reports:

--

The winter VHF E-Skip season has arrived, this with reports on the 50 MHz 
Prop Logger and the VHF Reflector of some good E-skip contacts being made 
the weekend of December 3rd through the 6th.

For example, Dave Bernhardt, N7DB, is a 6 meter operator in Boring, 
Oregon's grid square CN-85. He said he checked for 10 meter Beacons on 
December 3rd, but none were E-skip distance.  

No matter. Dave took a chance and tuned to the Magic Band. Sure enough, a 
bit before 8 PM local time Dave heard N6NHK with an S9++ signal. Dave went 
on to make contacts with him, as well as AC6WY, WA6MBL, K6GXO, K6LIG, and 
KR6Z.  He heard but did not contact K6MU and KE6QBV. Also heard was the 
XE2ED beacon in grid D-M-10.

The bottom line? 6 meters truly is the Magic Band -- one where you never 
know what you might hear next. 

Im Burt Hicks, WB6MQV.
--

It a good idea if you have one to keep a receiver on 50.125 SSB or 52.525 
MHz FM.  Those are the primary domestic calling frequencies on the Magic 
Band.   (VHF Reflector)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  ELECTRONICS LETS YOU DRIVE IF YOU PAY

Automobile dealers specializing in sales to high-risk customers are turning 
to dash-mounted electrical devices to ensure that monthly payments are 
made.  For example, the PayTeck Smart Box, uses a monthly five-digit 
operator code in exchange for each payment.  No payment ad the cars 
ignition is locked preventing the vehicle from starting.  One dealer says 
the system has cut the repossession rate from 45% to just 15%.  (CGC)

**

RADIO IN SPACE:  MARS ROVERS SENDS BACK CONFUSING INFO

Nearly two years after NASA's twin Mars rovers parachuted to the surface of 
the red planet, a confusing picture is emerging about the planet's past and 
whether it could have supported life. Rovers Spirit and Opportunity 
uncovered geologic evidence of a wet past, a sign that ancient Mars may 
have been hospitable to life. But the latest findings reveal the planet was 
also once so hostile that the environment may have prevented life from 
developing. 
 
Scientists stress that the rovers are investigating a snapshot in geologic 
time that were radioed back from the two rovers. They add that it is quite 
possible that other regions of Mars could have had a different 
environmental make-up. The new analyses were presented at a recent American 
Geophysical Union meeting in California.  (space.com)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  AO-51 DIGI TEST UNDER WAY

The Digipeater function on the AO-51 satellite has been turned on for a 
trial test session.  The uplink is on 145.860 Mhz using FM at 9600 baud.  
Downlink is 435.300 FM at 9600 baud  using the call designator PACB 1.  
Please note that this test may be paused at any time.  Also, please keep 
your digi-packets down to a reasonable level as this is a shared resource.  
(ANS)

**

WORLDBEAT - AUSTRALIA:  THE SEARCH IS ON FOR A VK TV FIRST

A search is on to find Australia's historic North Ipswich house that 
received  Australia's first television signal.   Contrary to popular 
belief, the first television broadcast in Australia was not in 1956 when 
Bruce Gyngell welcomed viewers to television.  It was much earlier, when a 
group of enthusiastic amateurs beamed a  transmission from Brisbane to a 
house in Ipswich, lived in by electronics  lecturer Tom Biddle. 

The Ipswich amateur broadcast took place on April 10, 1934.  It featured a 
flickering black and white picture of American movie actress Janet Gaynor.  
The signal was transmitted 40 kilometers from a locality known as the Old 
Windmill Observatory in Wickham Terrace in the city of  Brisbane.  (WIA 
News)

**

WORLDBEAT - SOUTH AFRICA:  HUNTING LIONS ON THE AIR

The annual Hunting Lions in the Air contest is planned for the weekend of 
14 and 15 January 2006.  This is a combined activity between radio amateurs 
and members of the Lions organization. The rules can be found on the SARL 
web site at www.sarl.org.za and under contests. Contact your local Lions 
Club and  start making the necessary arrangements.  (GB2RS)

**

ON THE AIR:  A SCHEDULE IF YOU PLEASE

And word that the K3EOD Contest Team is looking for schedules on 6 meters 
through the microwave bands.  This, for the January 21st and 22nd contest 
period.  

The K3EOD Contest Team is located in Southern New Jersey grid  FM-29-LL.  
Please send all schedule requests to k3eod at juno.com.  6 meter WSJT schedule 
requests go to crawford at UDel.edu  (Press release)

**

DX

In DX keep an ear or both ears open for the SP DX Club which will operate 
special event station SP0TPAX through April 2006.  This, to commemorate the 
first Polish amateur radio transmissions. Expect activity on all bands and 
modes.  QSL as directed on the air.

KM1E, is active as C6AGN from Green Turtle Cay on Little Bahama Bank, until 
March 8, 2006.  Activity will be on all HF bands.  QSL via his home 
callsign address.

And  SM5GMZ, will be active as HS0ZFI in Thailand until 31st December. 
Operations will be on CW, SSB, PSK31 and RTTY. Also, look for Pete to be 
active as XU7ADI for at least two months starting 6th January.

Also GM4CXP, will be active portable EA8 from the Canary Islands to the  
4th of January.  Look for him around the usual CW QRP calling frequencies, 
particularly 14. 060 and 21.060 MHz during daylight hours  Oce again, QSL 
as directed on the air..

(From various DX sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  A RADIO IN CELEBRATION - FESSENDEN SPANS THE ATLANTIC - A 
LONG TIME AGO

And finally as we ring out the month and the year we take a look back in 
time.  December 2005 marked  the 100th anniversary of one of the most 
significant events in the history of amateur radio.  Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, 
reports from Nottinham, in the U-K:


--

One day in December 1905, an engineer at a receiving station based at 
Machrihanish in Scotland was listening in when, to his astonishment, he 
heard the voice of Reginald Fessenden.  What made this so special was that 
Fessenden was at the time in North America - this was the first time that a 
voice transmission had been copied across the Atlantic.

Remarkably, it was purely by accident. Fessenden, a talented if eccentric 
Canadian scientist, had actually been talking to another station in 
Maryland, USA but, thanks to the wonder of propagation, his signal made its 
way across the Atlantic.

This was not the only first achieved jointly by Fessenden and the 
Machrihanish station. A month later, after the Scottish station had been 
readied for transmission, it and Fessenden undertook the first ever two way 
CW radio contact across the Atlantic. In this respect, Fessenden was ahead 
of his great rival Marconi who at that point had only achieved a one-way 
crossing.

Fessenden was also in 1900 the first to use HF alternators and first to 
superimpose the human voice on radio transmissions.  He also made the first 
radio music broadcast, on Christmas Eve 1906.  His other achievements 
include inventing AM and writing over 500 patents.  And yet, despite his 
great contribution to radio, he rarely received the credit he deserved, and 
died in 1932 a largely forgotten man.  Meanwhile, his arch competitor 
Marconi had become a legend.

There was also to be a sad ending for the Machrihanish station with which 
Fessenden achieved his pioneering radio contacts. The station was closed 
down in December 1906, less than a year after the first two-way CW contacts 
across the Atlantic, after severe gales blew down its mast.

I'm G4NJH, in Nottingham.

--

To mark Fessenden's pioneering work with the Machrihanish station, the 
special event callsign GB1FVT will be activated during the first week in 
January from the Machrihanish site in the U-K.  Operation will be on all of 
the HF bands on CW and SSB.  Another special event station with the call 
letters AA1A slash BO will be aired from Brant Rock in the U S A.  (GB2RS)

**

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, for this week and this year, that's all 
from the Amateur Radio Newsline(tm).  Our e-mail address is 
newsline at 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. 

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim Davis, 
W2JKD,  saying 73, best wishes for a great 2006,  and we thank you for 
listening.    Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2005 and 2006.  All 
rights reserved.