No subject

heard on bulletin stations around the world including the N8JFA X-WARN 
Repeater serving Xenia Ohio.

**


ENFORCEMENT:  FCC INVESTIGATES "PERFECT FIT"

Back here in the United States, the GCC Communicator reports that the 
FCC has launched an investigation into mattress warmer switching power 
supplies manufactured by Perfect Fit Industries.  According to CGC, 
these supplies were never Part 15 RFI tested and have been shown to 
create large amounts of problems to radio reception.  (CGC)

**

CB NEWS:  VK CB TELNET NODES ON THE AIR

Some interesting news about C-B -- Citizens Band radio -- down-under.  
Unlike the United States where C-B operation is hap-hazard with no 
structure, Australia has a CB Packet Radio System that rivals anything 
that ham radio has ever set up.  And now, it is being linked over the 
Internet to C-B operations in other nations including many Europe.  This 
is making it possible for Australian C-B'ers to  connect with numerous 
other C-B stations throughout the world using radio and Telnet.  Q-News 
Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has the nodes and the frequencies:

--

AUS002 Warren reports in Australia there are so far several CB Packet 
Radio Nodes and BBS's.  These are AU4BNE Node  27.225 Usb Brisbane Q'ld,  
AUS011 BBS   27.225 Usb Brisbane, AU6PER Node 476.950 Fm Perth W.A and  
AU6BBS BBS  476.950 Fm Perth.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, In Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of Q-News 
Australia.

--

So if you are scanning the 11 meter Citizens Band and hear digital 
signals, now you know exactly what they are.  (Q-News)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  NEW NYC ARES WEBSITE

Some good news out of the Big Apple.  The Public Information Officer for 
New York City District ARES reports that the group has a new web site up 
and running.  Among its features are links to each of the city's 5 
borough ARES operations, a contact list of borough District Emergency 
Coordinators, a news page and much more.  

Want to see it?  You can.  Its in cyberspace at www.aresnyc.org  (K2VMR)

**

RADIO LAW:  CABLE MAKES DECENCY OFFER

The cable television industry says that it will provide free equipment 
to allow subscribers to block unwanted channels.  This in reaction to 
efforts on Capitol Hill to curb indecent programming. 
   
Robert Sachs, president of the National Cable and Telecommunications 
Association, announced the plan at a recent gathering of cable industry 
executives.  The offer is directed to about half the nation's 70.5 
million cable subscribers who don't have cable boxes that can be 
programmed to block certain channels or programs. 

The companies agreeing to the plan include the 10 largest in the country 
and reach 85 percent of all cable subscribers.  (Published reports)

**

RADIO ON THE MOVE:  WWVA MAY LEAVE WEST VA

Famed AM broadcast station WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia may soon be 
heading to a new QTH.  This, as Clear Channel Communications confirms 
that the company has filed an application with the FCC to move long-time 
1170 KHz Wheeling radio station out of the state of West Virginia.  

According to a report in the Wheeling News-Register, Clear Channel 
Communications Wheeling Vice President Scott Miller said the company has 
submitted an application to move the radio station to Stow, Ohio.  This 
is a town located just north of Akron.  Miller said it has not been 
determined whether WWVA will actually be leaving Wheeling, and noted 
that approval of such applications are extensive.  

Broadcast pioneer John Stroebel brought WWVA on the air on December 
13th, 1926 using home built 50 watt transmitter set up in the basement 
of his Wheeling home.  By 1929 WWVA had increased power to 5000 watts 
and became one of the most listened to stations in the East.  And, for 
many years before Clear Channel Communications bought it, WWVA held the 
honor of being one of the last clear channel coast to coast broadcasters 
left in the United States.  It also helped to make the city of Wheeling 
famous, worldwide.  (Listener reports confirmed by NRCDXAS)

**

HAMFESTS AND CONVENTIONS:  VISALIA INTERNATIONAL DX CONVENTION 

On the convention circuit, the 55th Annual International DX Convention 
sponsored this year by the Southern California DX Club will be held 
April 23 to the 25th.  This is the worlds premiere gathering of hams 
interested in DX and DXing on any band from DC to light.  A show that 
attracts attendees from Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania as well as from 
across the United States. 

Scheduled events include a contest forum, antenna forum, DX forum along 
with  seminars for everyone from the newcomer to DXing to the seasoned 
pro.  The top of the line manufacturers will be there on their own 
display midway where you can talk to the people who design and use the 
best of DX equipment made.  

As in previous years, the venue is the Holiday Inn in the city of 
Visalia, California.  For full details visit www.scdxc.org/visalia/ on 
the World Wide Web.  (SCDXC)

**

HAMVENTION 2004:  AMSAT EVENTS

Two more special events timed to coincide with Hamvention 2004 to report 
this week. The Third Annual AMSAT "Pizza 'n' Suds" party will be held 
Thursday evening May 13th.  Again this year the venue will be Marion's 
Pizza at 1320 North Fairfield Rd.  The party will begin at 1830 and go 
until the last pizza is gone! Food will be ordered from the menu and 
drinks are available at the bar.

Also, the AMSAT Banquet will be held Friday evening at 1800.  Location 
is the Amber Rose Restaurant at 1400 Valley St. in old north Dayton.   
As with past years the meal will be a buffet with a price of $25.00 per 
person.  Reservations are required and the banquet is limited to 90 
people maximum.  Please contact Nancy Makley for reservations.  Her e-
mail is KC8GYW at amsat.org.  (N8NUY)

**

HAMVENTION 2004:  MEDIA CREDENTIALS

Still with Hamvention 2004, this to members of the working press who are 
planning to cover the event for commercial television, radio,  
newspapers or magazines.  Media credentials are available to those 
organizations planning to send reporters.  Complete information and a 
downloadable electronic application are on line at www.hamvention.org.  
Just scroll down on the left side of the page and click on the word 
Media.  When the page loads, click on the word Media Credentials and 
follow the instructions that appear.  (Hamvention(r))  

**

WITH NEWSLINE:  NEW SEATTLE ACCESS NUMBER

This note to listeners who get Newsline by telephone access from 
Seattle.  Joybubbles, WB0RPA, tells us he has a new easy to remember 
number for that line.  Its area code 206-333-6397.  How is that easier 
to rember?  Try it this way:  206-333-NEWS.  And we thank WB0RPA for the 
information and for sponsoring the line.  (WB0RPA)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  ECHO STILL NEEDS $48,000 

Turning to ham radio in space, AMSAT reports that as of March 30th it 
has raised $61,988 of the $110,000 needed to launch the new Echo ham 
radio satellite.  That leaves about $48,000 still needed before the 
current target launch date of this coming June 29th.  Go to 
www.amsat.org to find out how to donate to this very worthy project.  
(AMSAT)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  PC-SAT 2 READY TO FLY

Also word that PCSAT 2 has passed its final outgassing tests putting it 
one step closer to launch.  These outgassing tests are some of the most 
stringent in the space program.  They are designed to protest crew 
members from fumes that might arise out of materials used to construct 
anything going into space.  

Commercial manufacturers who spend millions of dollars to develop space 
safe materials might want to take a lesson from the hams.  All the parts 
in PCSAT 2  are off-the-shelf ham radio items.  The new bird uses 
Kantronics TNC's and Hamtronics transmitter and receiver boards that 
include all of the original plastic parts.  

PCSAT 2  will go into orbit on the first shuttle when they return to 
flight next year.   Additional information about the PCSAT 2 mission is 
available at http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/pcsat2.html (ANS, WB4APR)

**

WORLDBEAT - URUNGA - UGANDA:  NO IT WASN'T APRIL FOOLS

Turning to news from  around the world we have a correction on a sound-
alike from last week.  No, it wasn't an April Fools joke.  Again, here's 
Q-News Graham Kemp, VK4BB:

--
Audio report only.  Hear it in the audio newscast at www.arnewsline.org
--

So how did this one happen?  Here is a clue.  Try typing Urunga into 
your spell checker and see what it spits out.  This one simply got away 
in the wee hours of the morning.  (Q-News)

**

WORLDBEAT - HOLLAND:  SKED CHANGES AT RADIO NETHERLANDS

This for Radio Netherlands listeners in North America.  As of Sunday 4th 
April the station has dropped its 1200 UTC shortwave transmission on 
11.675 MHz.  Also, last week the station broadcast its morning program 
on shortwave at both 1100 and 1200 UTC due to the discrepancy in the 
starting dates for daylight saving time.  From Sunday it will be on 
shortwave for one hour at 1100-1200 UTC on the afore mentioned 11.675 
Mhz. (Radio Netherlands)

**

WORLDBEAT - EUROPE:  THE 2004 SIX METER MARATHON 

The Rientola Radio Amateur Club, operators of station OH3AG is inviting 
hams world wide to participate into the first Global Six Meter  
Marathon.  The objective of the contest is to work as many DXCC 
countries as possible between May 8th at 0000 UTC and August 8th at 2400 
UTC, doing so on six meters band. The results of this contest will be 
published during Tampere Six Meters Forum on August 14th when the Magic 
Band enthusiasts abroad will meet. You can follow this contest and get 
more information on-line at www.50mc.tk  (RSGB) 

**

DX

In DX, F5NQL says that he has been receiving many QSLs for the 5V7C Togo 
Dxpedition, but he is not the QSL manager for this operation. The 
correct QSL manager is Franck Savoldi, F5TVG, whose address is PO Box 
92, 94223 Charenton Cedex, France. F5NQL is the DX editor for the French 
magazine Megahertz.  (RSGB)

On the air, SM1TDE will operate from Tanzania mainly on CW, RTTY and 
SSB.  He will be signing his call portable 5H3 through the 18th of 
April.  QSL as directed by the operator.  (RSGB)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  HAM RADIO AND THE AMBER ALERTS REVISITED

And finally, an update to our story two weeks ago about  AMBER Alerts.  
We mentioned that for the most part ham radio seemed to have little 
interest in this important public notification system designed to help 
find the victims of kidnappings.  Now we learn of at least one Amateur 
Radio club that's at work preparing to handle AMBER Alerts.  It's 
located in Eastern Pennsylvania where our own Amateur Radio Newsline's 
Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, is based:

--

Mel Salzman, W-3-M-E-L is the force behind the Dauberville DX 
Association in Reading, Pennsylvania, getting connected to the AMBER 
Alert system.

Salzman, Dauberville's president, says he first became interested in 
AMBER Alert about a year ago and began searching the Internet for 
information.
The system enables law enforcement to issue bulletins to the public 
about missing or abducted children.

In some states, messages are transmitted by commercial radio stations 
similar to an Emergency Broadcast System message. AMBER Alert also 
relies on highway message boards and cable-television systems to get out 
information.

Its goal: To enlist thousands of pairs of eyes - whether they be 
motorists or truckers or neighborhood and community residents - to be on 
the lookout for the kidnapper of a child.

Salzman says he convinced the Dauberville group to put up a "ticker" or 
scrolling message on the club's website - D-D-X-A dot o-r-g, to display 
AMBER Alert information.
Salzman also says he has his home computer hooked up to receive instant 
AMBER Alert notifications, paying particular attention to Pennsylvania, 
New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.

Salzman says his next step in connecting the Amateur Radio service to 
this effort was getting clearance from the club and the blessing of the 
FCC to transmit AMBER Alert information as a Q-S-T over the Dauberville 
group's repeaters.
"We have three repeaters," Salzman explains. "We can link all three 
repeaters if necessary and actually read the description, license plate 
number, whose been taken, what the guy looks like, whatever information 
comes through on my e-mail. That's what I'll put out on the air."

Salzman says the instructions are clear to any ham operator receiving 
the information and making a possible sighting.

"Call your local police, call 9-1-1 and give them the information," 
Salzman says. "If you happen to see that car or whatever description is 
out there, the car, what the driver looks like, call the police 
immediately."

Salzman says the Dauberville club has a modest, active membership, but 
many others in the region as well as those passing through the area use 
its repeaters and are supportive.

"We do have an active membership of, I would say, 20-25, and then people 
that they talk to," Salzman says. "You know how that could just 
snowballs. Like I said, the more people hear it, the more people are 
going to be looking, too."

Salzman says he hasn't publicized the Dauberville club's involvement 
with AMBER Alert. But Salzman says he's now preparing to reach out to 
other local clubs in the region as well as the Berks County ARES/RACES 
unit.

Salzman says he's also working to contact local law enforcement 
officials in greater Reading area to let them know ham operators are 
prepared to help by relaying AMBER Alert information. 

So far, he says, the AMBER Alert system hasn't been activated much in 
this region. Salzman says that's a good thing. But, he says, the hams 
are ready if needed.  Salzman says February's abduction and murder of 
11-year-old Carlie Brucia in Sarasota, Florida affected him and others. 
Auto mechanic Joseph Smith is awaiting trial in connection with her 
death. 

"I'd just like to really see this get going because it is extremely 
important. It just tears your heart out when you see these kids being 
abducted, especially with Carlie (Brucia), like when you find them and 
they're gone already. So, the more people involved, the better the 
results are going to be."

AMBER Alert was created seven years ago in memory of Amber Hagerman of 
Arlington, Texas. The 9-year-old was kidnapped while riding her bicycle 
near her home and later found murdered.

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

--  

If you want to know more about how you can involve the Amateur Radio 
service in your area in America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response 
- what AMBER stands for - take your web browser to www.missingkids.com. 
Then click on the words AMBER Plan.  Getting a ham-radio assisted AMBER 
Alert plan started in your town could eventually save a child's life. 
(ARNewsline(tm))

**

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 Q-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 
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 that the nominating period for the 2004 Amateur Radio 
Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award is now on.  This program is open to 
any FCC licensed young radio amateur age 18 or younger residing in the 
contiguous 48 states and who has made a significant contribution to the 
community, the nation or ham radio though the United States Amateur 
Radio Service.  

More information and a downloadable on-line nominating form is at our 
website. That's in cyberspace at www.arnewsline.org.  The cutoff for 
nominations this year is midnight on Tuesday, June 31st. 

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don 
Wilbanks. AE5DW, saying 73, a happy holiday and we thank you for 
listening."  Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2004.  All rights 
reserved.