[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline 1482 - January 6, 2006

Sat Jan 7 07:38:53 EST 2006

Amateur Radio Newsline 1482 - January 6, 2006

The following is a Q-S-T.  Austria looks at BPL interference in that 
nation, the ARRL says B-P-L has to leave Manassas Virginia and ham radio 
saves lives on the air and in cyberspace.  Find out the details on Amateur 
Radio Newsline report number 1482 coming your way right now.

**

THE BPL WAR:  AUSTRIA REPORTS HIGH LEVEL BPL INTERFERENCE

Austria's telecommunications regulators say that Broadband Over Powerline -
- called Powerline Communications in that nation -- is a hazard to Amateur 
Radio.  But the agency has not decided what action if any that it will take 
to bring B-P-L providers into compliance with that nations rules.  Owen 
Duffy, VK1OD, of the WIA News has more:

--

>From a recent publication by the Austrian Federal  Ministry for Transport,  
Innovation and Technology, Telecommunications Authority:

"In Austria, broadband services via PLC are being provided in one region  
(approx. 250000 inhabitants). Since the first trials of this technology in  
this region, which commenced in 2001, the radio amateurs, and various 
public safety organizations using radio services in the HF band in this 
region, periodically reported disturbances in the frequency bands below 30 
MHz, which were, according to the opinion of the spectrum users, caused by 
PLC operation in the concerned region.

In order to verify the complaints of the various spectrum users, the  
competent Austrian authority (i. e. the Federal  Ministry for Transport, 
Innovation and Technology, Telecommunications Authority) investigated the 
reported disturbances. The measurements carried out in May 2004, April 2005 
and November 2005 clearly showed that the cause of the disturbance reported  
by users of the HF band in the concerned region is the operation of PLC.

In particular, the measurement proved that the emission of PLC 
installations  is up to 16,000 times (42 dB) higher than the relevant limit 
(according to CEPT ECC/REC/(05)04). Details of the measurement results are 
available in the annex to this document."

 Analysis of Figure 2 of the report shows reported field strengths of 
70dBuV/m, 65dBuV/m and 60dBuV/m on the 80m. 40m, and 20m bands. These field  
strengths would be expected to result in signal levels of S9+28dB, S9+17dB 
and S9+6dB in a 2kHz wide SSB receiver on 80m. 40m, and 20m bands using a 
dipole at 10m from the powerlines.

I'm Owen Duffy, VK1OD, for the WIA weblog.

--

The actual number of Austrian hams affected by this high level of B-P-L 
interference is unknown, but its believed to be substantial.  (WIA)

**

THE BPL WAR:  ARRL SAYS FCC RESPONSE TO BPL COMPLAINTS AN "ILLUSION" OF 
RESOLUTION

Back on this side of the Pacific the ARRL is saying that enough is enough 
on the BPL front.  This, in a strongly worded letter to the FCC where the 
League is 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.  
Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more:

--

According to the ARRL Letter, the letter from General Counsel Christopher 
D. Imlay, W3KD, was in response to a November 30 communication from 
Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief Joseph Casey.  Casey had suggested 
further cooperation between the complaining radio amateurs and the city-
owned BPL system. 

But in his response Imlay said more meetings and discussions about ongoing 
interference are no longer productive.  This, while what Imlay described as 
a  hopelessly flawed BPL system is allowed to continue operating.  Attorney 
Imlay added that the Manassas BPL system should have been taken off the air 
long ago, pending reconfiguration or re-engineering and only permitted to 
operate for purposes of interference testing.

Communication Technologies operates the Manassas BPL system over the 
municipally owned electric power grid using Main.net equipment on 
frequencies between 4 MHz and 30 MHz.  The ARRL says that the FCC has not 
discharged its most fundamental obligation which is to prevent or resolve 
interference issues involving the system.  The League also charges that the 
FCC permits the Manassas BPL operation to remain on for political reasons.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, reporting.

--

The ARRL says that field tests conducted by Manassas radio amateurs 
established that the city's BPL system was an interference generator at 
distances of hundreds of feet from the modems on overhead power lines.  
(ARRL)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAM SURVIVES COAL MINE EXPLOSION

I'm Paul Courson, WA3VJB with breaking news.  Dateline Sago, West Virginia 
where the lone survivor of a coal mine explosion appears to be a ham radio 
operator.  According to news reports, Randal McCloy Jr, KC8VKZ, is in 
critical condition and receiving Oxygen Therapy in a Pennsylvania 
hospital's Hyperbaric Chamber. 

An explosion early Monday, January 2nd trapped the 26 year old McCloy and 
12 other miners more than two miles inside a mountain.  The blast also 
released toxic carbon monoxide that prevented rescuers from reaching them 
for more than 40 hours. 

Only Mr. McCloy survived but doctors fear that he has suffered damage to 
his heart, kidneys, lungs and possibly his brain.  He is listed in critical 
condition and is expected to remain at  Allegheny General Hospital in 
Pittsburgh until further notice.  

The bodies of the other 12 men were removed from the mine on Wednesday, 
January 4th.  Lightning is believed to have caused the blast.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Courson, WA3VJB, reporting.  
(WA3VJB, WA6KLA, W6VR, others)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  ECHOLINK SAVES A HAMS LIFE

Echolink has helped to save the life of a United Kingdom ham radio 
operator.  This, according to a posting on the QRZ.com webisite which 
describes the recent incident in detail.

It began on December 29th when Reg Rapson, KC8YCZ, in Deckerville Michigan  
and Stephen Smith, WA4VWV, of Pawcatuck, connecticut received an urgent 
relay over the Missing Lynk Echolink interconnect from J. E. Caldwell, 
G4WDI that simply said "Help."  It seems that Caldwell was suffering a 
heart attack while talking on the radio from his home .  

KC8YCZ says that the group had the paramedics dispatched to G4WDI's Q-T-H. 
Several operators on Missing Lynk who were located in  Indiana, Arizona and 
Washington were directly involved with the rescue.  Late word is that G4WDI 
is recovering nicely from the ordeal.  (QRZ.com)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  TECHNICAL CHANGES TO REPEATER BRING WARNING LETTER FROM THE 
FCC

The FCC appears to be getting into an area that up until now it has 
avoided.  That of the technical area of repeater coordination as it relates 
to on-channel interference with other near-by repeaters.  

Case in point is a December 6, 2005 letter to Richard L. Roznoy, K1OF, of 
Westport, Connecticut where-in the agency alleges that Roznoy's repeater is 
operating without coordination on 147.390 MHz and causing interference to 
the coordinated WA2ZPX machine.  This, as the result Roznoy failing to 
first get permission from the Connecticut Spectrum management Association 
before changing  the location and antenna height of the K1OF repeater to 
increase its coverage area.  

The coordinator says that all of these changes are contrary to the systems 
original sanction that was granted back in 1993.  The FCC says that an 
uncoordinated repeater has the primary responsibility for clearing up any 
interference it might cause to a coordinated system.  

This appears to be the first time its being applied to a formerly 
coordinated machine that went uncoordinated based on technical changes to 
its operation.  It also means that other repeater owners may want to think 
twice before expanding their systems coverage without getting written 
permission from their local repeater coordinator and any other co-channel 
systems to do so.   (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  YOU GOTTA TAKE CONTROL AND WATCH WHAT THEY SAY

The FCC has sent a letter to a repeater trustee regarding the on the air 
language used by some of the systems users.  Receiving the notice was Jeff 
Jurenka, KD6GDB, of Santa Monica, California who the FCC identifies as the 
trustee for the K6HOG system.  

The complaint against the K6HOG alleges language violations and lack of 
control of the repeater.  The FCC says that repeaters and every other type 
of Amateur station must have a control operator to ensure compliance with 
Commission rules.  The letter did not elaborate on the exact nature of the 
language content that the complainant found to be objectionable.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC RELEASES YUCAIPA EXAM AUDIT STATS

The FCC has released some statistics regarding the restesting of hams who 
first took their exams at W5YI VEC test sessions in Yucaipa, California.  
This in a period from 1999 and 2001.  

As of December 30, 2005 the FCC had recalled 162 people.  Of these only 7 
passed their retest, 150 failed to appear and 5 requested that the 
regulatory agency cancel their licenses.  

The retests are the result of  an audit of sessions where irregularities in 
the administration of exams were alleged.  As previously reported, the 
Volunteer Examiners who participated in these sessions were removed from 
service by the W5YI VEC.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  GET THAT TV OFF THE HAM BANDS

The Federal Communications Commission has written to an unnamed resident of 
Flower Mound, Texas..  This after receiving reports that a defective 
television at the persons  residence is causing harmful radio interference 
to a near-by ham radio operator in the same city.

In its letter, the FCC notes that it has the responsibility to require that 
such problems be rectified within a reasonable time if the interference is 
caused by faulty consumer equipment.  It notes that under its rules that 
such equipment is classified as an "incidental radiator," meaning equipment 
that does not intentionally generate any radio-frequency energy, but that 
may create such energy as an incidental part of its intended operation.  As 
such its owner is responsible for elimimnating any harmful interference the 
unit might cause.

The owner of the defective television set was given 30 days to effect 
repairs.  If he can't he was told to contact the FCC and explain why not.  
Late word is that this situation has been resolved.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT OF A DIFFERENT SORT:  PUBLIC BROADCASTER SUED OVER FORMAT 
CHANGE

And you can call this one enforcement of a different sort.  This, as 
listeners who pledged money in a recent fund drive for Detroit public 
broadcaster WDET FM have sued the station for fraud over a format change.  

Seven listeners have filed the litigation in the local Circuit Court.  They 
claim that the station management planned to kill daytime music programming 
before the October 2005 fundraiser. 

Wayne State University operates the station.  A representative told the 
Detroit Free Press the school plans to defend the station and its 
programming decisions in court.  (RW)

**

RADIO LAW:  HOUSE AND SENATE SET DIGITAL TV CHANGEOVER DATE

The House of Representatives has backed a plan to require television 
broadcasters to switch to all-digital transmissions by Dec. 31, 2008.  This 
is three months earlier than they would have to under provisions of a 
Senate bill.   House lawmakers have also voted to set aside $830 million to 
help millions of Americans with older, non-digital sets to pay for 
converter boxes so they'll continue to get service in the digital era.  

Differences in both bills will have to be worked out by House and Senate 
negotiators.  About 21 million households rely on free, over-the-air TV and 
will need the converter to keep receiving their television service after 
the switch to all-digital.  Cable and satellite customers would not be 
affected.  (RW)

**

ON THE AIR:  HEAVY HITTERS TRAFFIC NET ON MMRA

As of January 1st, the Heavy Hitters Traffic Net began operating nightly on 
the Minute Man Repeater Associations linked repeater network. The Eastern 
Massachusetts based net begins at 10 PM Eastern and generally run about 30 
minutes.  

Heavy Hitters is a National Traffic System affiliated net for passing 
formal written messages between hams and non-hams.  Its host, The Minuteman 
Repeater Association is a New England area non-profit communications 
organization serving the public in times of emergency.  More information 
about this group is on-line at www.mmra.org  (E-mail)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  QCWA HAMVENTION DINNER MAY 19th

On the ham radio social calander, the 2006 QCWA Hamvention Banquet, will be 
held on Friday, May 19th.  The venue is Alex's Continental Restaurant, on 
Monarch Lane near the Dayton suberb Miamisburg and advanced reservation 
required with the event hosted by Southwest Ohio Chapter 9 of the Quarter 
Century Wireless Association.  Information requests go to Jerry Ragland, 
409 Park Avenue, Franklin. Ohio 45005 or by e-mail to Jerryrx at erinet.com.  
The program for the evening will be announced in the near future.  (E-Mail)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  K6CDO JOINS SAN DIEGO COUNTY RCS

Some names in the news.  First up is Don Root, K6CDO, who will be leaving 
the California Office of Emergency Services on January 13th to  become the 
Assistant Manager for the Wireless Services Division of the San Diego 
County Sheriff's Department.   Beginning on  February 17, Root  will be 
overseeing a 35 member team providing public safety voice and data services 
to over 20 agencies who participate in the San Diego and Imperial County 
Regional Communications System.  Formerlly WB6UCK, Don Root has been 
involved in California's emergency communications scene since the 1970's 
both as a radio amateur and professionally.  (CGC, ARNewsline, PARC)

** 

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  WI3N NEW SM FOR MARYLAND - DC

The Maryland and DC Section of the American Radio Relay League has a new 
Section Manager.  This with word that Jim Cross, WI3N, of Laurel, Maryland, 
to succeed Tom Abernethy, W3TOM, in that post.

Cross is described as a member and a past president of the Laurel Amateur 
Radio Club.  He has also served as the Prince Georges County ARES Emergency 
Coordinator and RACES Radio Officer.

The ARRL Letters says Cross  appointment comes as the result of Abernethy 
being elected ARRL Atlantic Division Vice Director last November.  Both 
Abernethy and Cross assumed their new offices on January 1st.   (ARRL)

**

ON THE AIR:  INFINITY BECOMES CBS RADIO

And CBS plans to re-brand its Infinity Broadcasting radio division under 
the CBS corporate name.  This as the media giant becomes two separate 
companies.  According to Media News, CBS is separating from parent company 
Viacom, and says the Infinity division will be re-named CBS Radio.  (RW)

**

THE "MOSQUITO" - A STRANGE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES TO TEENS

Talk about a strange way to communicate with the junior set.  This as a 
report of a British inventor's sound emmiting device intended to discourage 
unwanted teenagers from gathering in convenience store parking lots has 
resulted in an abundance of interest and press in the U-K.  Amateur Radio 
Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF has more on this rather bizarre 
discovery:

--

The story goes this way.  Howard Stapleton when he was 12 and visiting a 
factory with his father in London.  Opening the door to a room where 
workers were using high-frequency welding equipment, he found he could not 
bear to go inside.  

When he complained about the noise his father the elder Stapleton responded 
that he could not hear it.  That's when the younger Stapleton developed his 
theory that teens could hear frequencies that adults could not.  

Years passed.  Stapleton grew up.  Now, using what he learned way back 
then, the researcher has invented a device he calls "The Mosquito."  It 
emits an irritating 75 decibel sound which is inaudible to most adults.

So far, the Mosquito has been tested in only at the entrance to the one  
convenience store in this town in South Wales.  Observers say that 
teenagers who used to plant themselves on the railings just outside the 
door no longer are there.  

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

--

More about the Mosquito is on-line at 
www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1128teenbuzz-ON.html (CGC) 

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  GPS TRACKING CHALLANGED IN NEVADA BURGLARY CASE

Use of a global positioning system by Reno police to track movements of a 
man now facing multiple burglary counts is being challenged by his lawyer.  
This on grounds the Global Positioning System devices are unreliable. 

Attorney Carter King, represents the man charged with committing the 
crimes. 
King contends that Reno police installed a GPS device under the hood of his 
clients truck and under the fuel tank of his car.  In both cases, King says 
that authorities lacked a court order authorizing the devices. 

The attorney also cited a 2002 state Supreme Court ruling that authorized 
electronic monitoring devices on the exterior or bumper of vehicles but 
said the locations of the devices on his clients vehicles went beyond that 
ruling. King also said that any evidence collected by investigators by 
using the tracking devices demonstrate a high degree of unreliability, 
inaccuracy and inconsistency.  King says that he will file a motion to 
suppress the GPS evidence in the case.  (FutureTechOn-Line)

**

RADIO IN SPACE:  THE AURORAS OF MARS

Scientists studying bright auroras on Mars say they are surprised by the 
number of flashes the planet experiences.  Using six years of data radioed 
back from the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor, researchers found evidence of 
at least 13 thousand auroras during that time.  

The scientists found that the larger the aurora, the higher the solar wind 
activity.  They say that it is important to understand Martian auroras and 
the effect they  might have on communications by future attempts to explore 
to the red planet.  (Observer)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  BRAZILLIAN ASTRO-HAM BEING TAUGHT ARISS OPS

Turning to news of ham radio in space, first comes word that Brazilian 
Astronaut Marcos Pontes is tentatively scheduled for a ham radio training 
session at the Johnson Space Center on Monday, January 9th.  At that time he 
will be introduced to ARISS operations and shown how to make school 
contacts.  Pontes is scheduled to fly on a taxi flight to the International 
Space Station this spring.  (ANS)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ASTRO-HAM MAKES WAC

Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, continues to work stations around the world from his 
perch aboard the I-S-S and now can file for an honor to prove it.  On 
Saturday, December 17, Bill made a contact with Palmer Station in 
Antarctica, which  qualifies the astro-ham for the famed Worked All 
Continents award.  (ANS)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  LAWMAKERS WARN OF SHUTTLE CUTBACKS

Meantime, on the ground several lawmakers have warned President Bush that 
if NASA doesn't get the budget it seeks for 2007 to 2010, it would have to 
retire shuttle Atlantis immediately.  This says their letter will also mean 
cutting jobs and gutting the vision for space exploration.  

According to Florida Today, the Office of Management and Budget's plan for 
NASA would under-fund the Shuttle program by $3 billion to $6 billion.  
This would lead to the immediate retirement of the Shuttle Atlantis and a 
cut from the needed 19 Shuttle missions to between 8 and 11 missions at the 
most.  This would mean that NASA couldn't honor its international 
commitments. Nor would it be able to affect repairs to the Hubble Space 
Telescope or finish the International Space Station.  

Lawmakers say that such a scenario would gravely upset the United States 
international partners in the exploration of space.  Some legislator 
believe that this could push current partnerships to dissolve with nations 
instead allying  themselves with China's space program, which is aiming for 
moon landings and beyond.

What affect such a cutback might have on the future of manned Amateur Radio 
operations from space has yet to be assessed.  (Published reports)

**

DX

In D-X, word that KM1E, is active as C6AGN from Green Turtle Cay on 
Little Bahama Bank until March 8th.  Activity will be on all H-F bands. QSL 
direct to KM1E.

And two special event stations with the call letters UP1SAT and UP2SAT will 
be active through the 15th January.  This is in celebration of the launch 
of Kazakhstan's first "KazSat" broadcasting satellite.  Operation will be 
on all modes and all bands.  QSL as directed on the air.  

Last but by no means least, PA0RRS, will be active from Penang Island 
through March 8th.  His current plans are to operate with his call portable 
9M2, but hopes to get an official 9M2 callsign while there.  A trip to 
Langkawi Island  may also be possible.  QSL to his home call via the bureau 
or direct.

(Above from various DX publications)
**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  THE YEAR OF THE EASY-SATS

And finally this week, its beginning to look as if 2006 could be the year 
that more hams leave terrestrial repeaters for a new generation of the easy 
to operate  orbital transponders.  Jim Linton, VK3PC, reports:

--

Using amateur satellites has become easier in recent years due to so-called  
'Easy-Sats'that are FM satellites that act like an orbiting voice repeater.  
They need little or no extra equipment than most already have for the VHF  
and UHF bands. 

A dual band FM transceiver which has cross-band transmit capabilities, or 
separate transceivers for 2m and 70cm can do it.  Satellites are configured 
with uplink and downlink bands, such as 2m up and 70cm down. 

There are some basic things to learn about satellites.  How to know they're 
going to be within communication range.  The Doppler Shift that causes an 
apparent frequency change during an orbit pass.  The operating style to 
allow maximise the number of contacts during a pass. 

The first step is to listen for a satellite's continuous beacon that will 
be  heard as it comes into range, getting louder and then minutes later 
fading away as it drops out of range.     

 Enjoy being a radio amateur and what the hobby has to offer.  I'm Jim 
Linton, VK3PC, for the Amateur Radio Newsline.

--

More information on the Easy-Sats is on-line at 
www.amsat.org/amsat/features/ymzintro.html  (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 at arnewsline.org.  More 
information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) only official 
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us at Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), P.O. Box 660937, Arcadia, California 
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