No subject

the band to determine whether interlopers are domestic business entities.  
This includes trucking companies, truckers or other individuals who are not 
licensed to be in the band or simply not licensed at all.   

The FCC is not requesting that Auxiliary members provide direction finding.  
Hollingsworth does ask that where possible that Auxiliary members provide 
the names and cities of the operators, and license plate numbers and state 
if the interfering signal is coming from a vehicle. 

The project has been assigned case number 2003-583 and Hollingsworth does 
ask Auxiliary members to use their best judgment as to whether to include 
tape recordings of what they monitor.  Authority to use the ham radio 
volunteers in this investigation comes under the terms of long standing 
agreement between the FCC's Field Operations Bureau and the American Radio 
Relay League.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  11 METER OPERATION BRINGS FCC WRATH TO IDAHO HAMS

Meantime, the FCC has let a trio of Idaho amateurs know that unlicensed 
operation outside Amateur Radio frequencies could lead to revocation of 
their ham tickets.  Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more:

--
The ARRL Letter reports that FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth, 
K4ZDH, recently wrote three Boise amateurs, citing allegations that they 
had transmitted without a license on several frequencies near the 11 meter 
Blass D CB band.

Letters went out March 17 to Dave Every, KD7QAS; John F. Hail, KD7QAW; and 
Tom M. Sjoberg, KD7RCS.  Every holds a General ticket, while Hail and 
Sjoberg are Technician licensees. 

According to Hollingsworth, the Commission has information indicating that 
the three hams transmitted without a license on 26.350, 27.420 and 27.700 
MHz using SSB and SSTV.  These three frequencies involved are above and 
below the 11 meter Citizens Radio Band.

Hollingsworth letter pointed out that in addition to the possibility of  
license revocation proceedings being undertaken, fines for unlicensed 
operation could also be imposed.  These normally range from $7500 to 
$10,000. 

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

--

Hollingsworth says he understands that the unlicensed operations have 
ceased.  (ARRL)

**


ENFORCEMENT:  KANSAS STATION OWNER FINED

The FCC has fined Maria L. Salazar, licensee of Station KTCM - FM in 
Kingman, Kansas, and owner of an antenna structure near Spivey, Kansas,  
thirty-nine thousand dollars.  This, for what the Commission says are 
willful and repeated violations of the Communications Act and of the 
Commission's Rules.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has 
the details:

--
Specifically, the regulatory agency says that Maria L. Salazar operated a 
radio station from an unauthorized location and that she failed to maintain 
prescribed obstruction lighting on an  antenna structure.  But thats not 
all.  Te FCC says that she also failed to install and maintain Emergency 
Alert System equipment at the station, failed to maintain a main studio at 
an authorized location and failed to maintain a public inspection file.

By way of background, on July 18, 2002, the Commission issued a Notice of 
Apparent Liability for Forfeiture -- better known as a fine -- in the 
amount of $39,000 to Salazar.  Although she received a copy of the N-A-L, 
she never filed a response.  So the FCC has now affirmed the fine and 
ordered Salizar to -- pay up.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.

--  

The FCC has instructed its Enforcement Bureau to do a follow-up 
investigation to determine whether Salazar has come into compliance.  If 
not, further enforcement action will be taken.  That could include the 
possibility of a license revocation proceeding.   (FCC)

**

FCC BEGINS INQUIRY REGARDING BROADBAND OVER POWER LINES

The FCC has also launched an inquiry into the use of existing power lines 
to send and receive broadband data by carrier current as some old timers 
might call it.  

According to Bob  Gonsett's CGC Communicator, two different Broadband over 
Power Line or B-P-L techniques are being considered.  "Access B-P-L" uses 
1,000 to 40,000 volt power lines to bring Internet and other broadband data 
to homes and offices.  "In-House B-P-L" uses existing electric utility 
wiring to network computers and printers - as well as smart appliances - 
within a building.

CGC notes  that today's chip sets for this application are capable of 
generating RF out to at least 80 MHz using advanced modulation techniques 
and high data rates.  The question of radio frequency interference to 
authorized spectrum users including Amateur Radio will be an important 
consideration as these systems are looked at by the FCC.  

More is at the FCC's website at: 
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-233537A1.doc
and http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-100A1.doc  
(CGC Communicator)

**

HAM RADIO TESTING:  NCVEC REMOVES PSK31 QUESTION FROM POOL

The NCVEC Question Pool Committee has withdrawn the use of a test question 
has in the Technician pool scheduled for use starting July 1st.  The 
querstion designated number T2B17 deals with PSK-31 communications 
technology.  

Again, this is for the new Technician class exam that goers into service on 
July 1st.  The committee says that it apologizes for any inconvenience.  
(NCVEC)

**

RADIO RULES:  FCC REFUSES TO EXPAND THE NCE FM BAND

The FCC  has declined to expand the Non-Commercial Educational FM or NCE 
broadcast.  This, band beyond its current limits of 88.1 to 91.9 MHz. 

Specifically, the FCC says that television Channel 6 which runs from from 
82 to 88 MHz will not be used for NCE radio.  Nor will the upper end of the 
current NCE band be expanded to 93.9 Mhz.  

That said, the agency has indicated the expansion issue could be revisited 
in another FCC proceeding.  (CGC Communicator)

** 

RADIO LAW:  CALIFORNIA PRB-1 LIKE LAW ON TRACK

ARRL Southwestern Division Director Art Goddard, W6XD, reports that the 
California limited antenna structure protection measure passed the state 
Assembly on a vote of 67 to nothing on April 10th. Writing in the division 
electronic newsletter, Goddars days that the bill, patterned after the 
ferderal P R B One,  was then sent to the state Senate where it received 
its first reading.  It now awaits assignment to a Senate committee and 
further action.  (ARRL SW Div. Newsletter)

**

HAM RADIO IN  CYBERSPACE:  MIZUHO WEBSITE BACK UP

KU4QD says over the VHF Reflector that the unofficial English language 
Mizuho website is back up. This site is dedicated to Mizuho built ham radio 
gear and contains a wealth of reference material that's hard to find 
anywhere else.  

For those of you who don't know about Mizuho, it is a family run business 
started by a former Trio engineer over 30 years ago.  The company is best 
known for its HF and VHF SSB and CW monoband handhelds.  These were 
manufactured from 1981 until 2002.  The company also made some VHF base and 
portable SSB/CW rigs.

KU4QD says that some of the manuals and schematics haven't been uploaded 
yet, but everything else is there, including more new pictures and specs 
for various Mizuho gear.  And , oh yes.  You will find the website at 
www.mizuhoradio.com  (VHF Reflector)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  K8JE TO SPEAK AT MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY ARC

ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, will visit the Murray 
State University Amateur Radio Club at the club's May 6 meeting.  Weaver 
will talk on Amateur Radio today and as it will be in the future and all 
radio amateurs in western Kentucky are invited.  The venue is the Freed 
Curd Auditorium of the I & T Building on the Murray State campus at 7 p.m. 
local time.  Murray State University is located in Murray Kentuckey.  For 
directions contact Ron Ladd by e-mail to  UBX at Webtv.net or visit 
campus.murraystate.edu/org/msuarc  (Via e-mail)

**

CONVENTIONS AND HAMFESTS:  COLORADO IN MAY

The 2003 ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention is slated for May 30, 31 
and June 1st  at the Holiday Inn Estes Park Conference Center.  League 
President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, is slated to be the featured speaker at 
Saturday Night's Banquet. For more information take your web browser to 
www.hamconcolorado.org  (Via e-mail)

**

HAPPENING AT HAMVENTION 2003r - THE AMSAT FORUM

This years Dayton Hamvention AMSAT Forum will place special emphasis on the 
status of new satellite projects such as Phase III E and the Eagle ham 
satellites which are currently being designed.  The speakers list so far 
includes Rick Hambly, W2GPS, Bdale Garbee, KB0G and Gould Smith, WA4SXM, to 
name only a few.  

This years AMSAT Forum will be on will be on Saturday, May 17th from 8:15 
to 9:45 EDT in HARA Arena Meeting Room 1.  The session is always standing 
room only.  More is on the web at   
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/activities/dayton  (AMSAT)

**

HAPPENING AT HAMVENTION 2003r - THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

And Amateur Radio Newsline is again teaming up with the Hamvention to bring 
you another in its ongoing series of Ham Radio Town Meetings.  Ken Lock, 
N8PJN, has the details:  

--

This years topic is how to make Amateur Radio more friendly for kids so 
that they will stay in the hobby.  Our  keynote speaker is Mr. Audio 
himself -- Bob Heil, K9EID.  Bob has been a ham since he was a youngster 
and has some definite ideas on this subject.

Other presenters include New York Educator Carole Perry, WB2MGP,  
Philadelphia KYW Radio personality Mark Abrams, NT3V and his son - 2002 
Young Ham of the Year award recipient Josh Abramowicz,  KB3GWY.  Josh will 
cover scouting and its relationship to ham radio youth.