[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1554 - May 25, 2007

Sat May 26 08:49:58 EDT 2007

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1554 - May 25, 2007

The following is a Q-S-T.  Two mayors say that the Hamvention will 
remain in Dayton while thousands flock to the HARA Arena for three 
days of mid-West ham radio fun.  Hear more on Amateur Radio NewslineT 
report number 1554 coming your way right now.

**

HAMVENTION 2007:  TWO MAYORS SAY IT WILL STAY IN THE DAYTON AREA

The Dayton Hamvention will remain in the Dayton, Ohio, area for a long, 
long time.  This, if two well respected politicians have anything to 
say about it.  

Speaking at the awards presentation ceremony, Dayton mayor Rhine McLin 
and Trotwood, Ohio, mayor Donald McLaurin, both pledged the support of 
their respective cities to keep the Hamvention at its long time home at 
the Hara Arena.  Mayor McLaurin made it very clear that the annual ham 
radio gathering in a very important to the region and its economy:

--

Mayor McLaurin:  "Our pledge to you all is to work as hard as we have 
in the past to keep you here in the Dayton region.  We believe that it 
is important for the economy.  We believe it is important for our 
friends who come in from around the world.  And we want you here."

--

Over the years there have been rumors that the Hamvention was seeking 
to move to a new venue.  None of these have ever proven true.  Most of 
the more recent ones were traced to the Chicago area, where the trail 
went cold.  No matter.  The Hamvention and the local political leaders 
have put the matter to rest once and for all.  And Mayor McLauren had 
these words of welcome for all who travel to the Dayton area to attend 
Hamvention:
--

Mayor McLaurin:  "We want you to continue to come here and talk about 
this region because we will love to continue to have you (here).  And 
on behalf of the City of Trotwood, my colleagues and the City od 
Dayton, we welcome you here and we want you back next year.  Thank you 
so much."

--

So please pay no attention to what you might read on some Internet 
rumor blog or hear on the air.  The real word is that the Hamvention is 
keeping its home in Dayton, and it likely there to stay.  (ARNewslineT)

**

HAMVENTION 2007:  THE AWARDS CEREMONY

As we said, Mayor McLaurin's remarks regarding keeping the Hamvention 
in the Dayton area came at a banquet held to honor this years award 
recipients.  It took place on Saturday night, May 19th.  This year saw 
three of the worlds best known radio amateurs receiving accolades for 
their personal contributions to Amateur Radio.  First up was Technical 
Achievement award winner David Cameron, VE7LTD.  Cameron is the force 
behind the Internet Radio Linking Project better known simply as IRLP.  
In his acceptance speech he paid homage to the youth of the hobby:

--

Dave Cameron, VE7LTD:  "One thing that really got to me today was the 
Youth Forum.  I at there and one of the speakers -- actually the first 
speaker whose name was Sam from Syracuse.and he talked to me about how 
it was that IRLP got him into ham radio.and that actually almost 
brought a tear to my eye because looking at him at the age of 17 caused 
me to turn around and look at myself 14 years ago and that's exactly 
where I would have been if I had my license at the time.  So I was 
really glad that we got to him and he had a whole group of 
friends.there were about 4 or 5 hams ranging in age from 14 to 18 that 
were all there because of the IRLP and it certainly msde me feel good 
inside to know that my contribution..my technical contribution to 
Amateur Radio albeit targeted the people I had aimed at being the 
young."

--

Cameron was followed by Special Achievement Award winner Ed Hare, 
W1RFI.  Among other things, Hare was honored for his role in building 
the case against permitting Broadband over Powerline communications to 
take root in the High Frequency Amateur bands.  Hare, who runs the ARRL 
lab, said he was sharing the award with Many hams who were all a part 
of the B-P-L fight:

--

Ed Hare, W1RFI:  To me this recognizes the strength of Amateur Radio.  
Many who helped are just as deserving if not more so.  I think of the 
hams who went out every day and checked out the BPL systems and 
listening.  They did not have a boss telling them 'hey.you done good' 
when they went out and did it.  They went out.  They did what they did 
and they gave of themselves for no more than their love of Amateur 
Radio."

--

The love of Amateur Radio was something also quite evident in the 
remarks of the 2007 Radio Amateur of the Year, Jim Haynie, W5JBP.  In 
his acceptance speech, Haynie, a former president of the American Radio 
Relay League, paused to relate a story detailing the success of the 
ARRL's Amateur Radio Educational and Technology program better known as 
the Big Project.  A big project that helped to create:

--

Jim Haynie, W5JBP:  "The day that Colonel McArthur made a contact from 
the space station I sat out in the audience with the families.  They 
did not know who I was nor what I had to do with it.  They had no clue.  
But what I heard them say was hoe excited they were that their kids 
were getting interested in science.

Now I know that some of you know K1JT, Joe Taylor, a Nobel Peize winner 
in Physics.  If our work at the League can inspire one Joe Taylor every 
10 years, then its been a success and I would be extremely happy."

--

All three winners received a rounds of applause along with a special 
surprise from Dayton Mayor, Rhine Lin:

--

Mayor Lin:  "At this time I would like to take mayoral privileges and I 
would like to have the 3 honorees come up because I have Mayors 
Greetings  for them and then I would like to have a picture taken with 
all three of these gentlemen. (audience laughter)."

--

All in all, its likely an evening that neither Dave Cameron, VE7LTD, Ed 
Hare, W1RFI nor Jim Hayne, W5JBP, will ever forget.  (ARNewslineT)

**

HAMVENTION 2007:  THE SHOW

While it will be a few weeks before the official Hamvention attendance 
figures are in, nobody is complaining.  

--

Carl Simonow WA6JOW/7:  "I haven't been here in 5 or 6 years and its 
just a great as ever."

--

That's Carl Siminow, WA6JOW, who traveled all the way from Coos Bay, 
Oregon to attend Hamvention 2007.  Another ham who flew many miles was 
Californian Dick Mc Kay, K6VGP.  McKay has attended many of the Dayton 
shows over the years.  He says that this year was at least as good as 
2006 and the great weather outside may have made for less crowding 
indoors:

--

Dick Mc Kay, K6VGP:  "Its about the same as last year.  The weather is 
better and there's a few new toys.  Possibly one or two less vendors 
but it is a good show."

--

Yes, Mother Nature smiled on Dayton this year with three days of 
sunshine and comfortable temperatures.  This got many to go outside and 
visit the Flea Market making for more room for those prowling for 
bargains among the inside exhibitors.  Hamvention attendee Charlie 
Gilliland, WA0KDC of Hiawatha, Kansas is a 35 year veteran attendee and 
he says that less crowding was fine with him:

--

Charlie Gilliland, WA0KDC:  "I would say that it appear to have a few 
less people and it is a little less crowded than it has been because 
they have spread it out a little bit.  So its kind of hard to tell but 
I like it a little more elbow room."

--

But the size of a crowd is really relative to where you are at any 
given time.  And if your name happens to be Chip Margelli, your 
callsign K7JA and you are working at the Heil Sound booth, you get a 
completely different perspective:

--

Chip Margelli, K7JA:   "Its actually been an incredible weekend so far.  
Its now Saturday afternoon and the crowd has been significantly 
improved over recent years.  We have seen a lot of interest in new 
products and we have quite a few new items coming out.  But overall, 
there's just been more excitement this year than I have seen in a lot 
of years and I think this bodes well for the future of Amateur Radio.

--

More on Hamvention 2007 after this.  Right now its time for you to 
identify your station.  (ARNewslineT)

--

DAYTON HAMVENTION:  NEW PRODUCTS

What about this years hot new products.  Over the next several weeks 
Newsline's Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, will be highlighting a number of them.  
One of the first to catch his eye was at the Vertex Standard booth.  
The folks who make Yaesu brand products:

--

Fred Vobbe, W8HDU:  Were here at the Yaesu booth with Dennis.  Tell us, 
what is the new hot procuct that Yaesu has come out with this year?, 

Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV:  "We have two very interesting products 
and both are very unique.  Its been quite a while since we had a good 
HF radio for entry level and we have developed our FT-450 which a radio 
with a goal being to be in (priced) at under $1000, weigh under 10 
pounds with 100 watts.  It came out to be a really good radio because 
we had the learning curve from the FT-2000 and we were able to drop 
that IF DSP into that radio.  O, in a very small package that only 
weighs 8 pounds, it's a heck of a (good) receiver and its going to be a 
good radio for the desktop as well as  being able to go mobile."  
(ARNewslineT)

--

HAMVENTION 2007:  THE FORUMS

More product release news next week, but right now we turn our 
attention to the forums.  And according to Forums Chair Ron Moorefield, 
W8ILC, this may have been a record year for people who attended the 
sessions:

--

Ron Moorefield, W8ILC:   "Last year we had about 4700 people attend the 
forums.  I think that by midday on Saturday we were up almost to that 
point.  Se were are probably well above 5000."

--

One of the forums that's always packed solid is that of the FCC.  This 
year was no exception with the probable reason being the man that many 
came to hear -- the chief rules enforcer Rieley Hollingsworth, K-4-Zed-
D-H.  His message this year seemed to be one of our all needing to 
respect one another, no matter what mode we choose to operate:

--

Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH:   To the Nets:   Just because you have been 
on the same frequency for 75 years-that doesn't mean you own it.  All 
frequencies are shared.  If you vary your frequency, or even if you 
don't have a net one night, the radio world isn't going to end.

To the widebanders:  If you want to be a Broadcaster, apply for a 
broadcast license.  Using extraordinarily wide bandwidth on crowded 
frequencies at peak operating time is rude and selfish and 
inconsiderate.

To the contesters:  Be more courteous.  You are responsible for the 
frequency you are operating on and realize that's true even when you 
operate split.  All frequencies are shared.

To those who don't like contesters: Lighten up!!  Contests are short 
lived.  Use the WARC bands. Wash the car. Cut the grass.  

Learn from the contesters-and this applies to you Traffic net folks 
too-learn from the contesters-they pass information a lot faster and 
more efficiently than you do.  Contesters are some of the best radio 
operators on planet Earth.  If  the contesters operated at the same 
pace as some of the emergency traffic nets, the contest would be over 
after the first few dozen signal strengths were exchanged!

To repeater owners:   Just because you are coordinated doesn't mean you 
own the frequency. Coordination is a recommendation, not a frequency 
assignment. Nobody asked you to start a repeater. If you shut it down 
tomorrow, what would happen? People would use OTHER repeaters!

It's no different than leaving your den door open, if that's where your 
station happens to be. If you let people in and they misuse it, lock 
the door!  Don't ask us to be baby-sitters:  That's what control 
operators are for. 

--

The bottom line to Hollingsworth's message:  We all share one world of 
Amateur Radio and it is up to all of us to make it a fun place to be.  
(ARNewslineT with Hollingsworth audio supplied by RAIN)

**

HAMVENTION 2007 - THE RAIN PROMO

There's lots more to cover in regard to Hamvention 2007, and we will 
have all that for you, next week.  But if you cant wait to hear more 
with Riley Hollingsworth, all you need to do is to tune into this weeks 
RAIN Report.  That's because Part 1 of Riley's Hamvention presentation 
is now on-line at www.therainreport.com.  Or if you prefer, you can 
dial it up on the phone at area code 773-249-0720.  Its definitely a 
talk that all of you will want to hear.  (ARNewslineT)

**

REGULATORY NEWS:  ARRL SUBMITS INTERFERENCE MITIGATION PLAN

The ARRL says that it has submitted a radio interference mitigation 
plan to the US Department of Defense.  This, as part of an effort to 
resolve reported interference from dozens of 70 cm amateur repeaters to 
a pair of U-S military radar systems on the East and West coasts. 

As reported in the ARRL Letter a few weeks ago, earlier this year, the 
Air Force asked the FCC to order dozens of repeater systems to either 
eliminate interference to its "PAVE PAWS" missile and satellite 
detection and tracking radar installations, or to shut them all down. 

The situation affects 15 repeaters within less than 100 miles of Otis 
Air Force Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and more than 100 repeaters 
within some 140 miles of Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento, 
California. 

PAVE PAWS radar occupy essentially the entire 70 cm band and is one 
factor that makes mitigation difficult.  Feeding upward of 1800 active 
antenna elements, the broadband radar transmitters emit an average 
power output of more than 145 kilowatts. 

ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, says that 
the League is waiting for a response of the Department of Defense 
representative to its proposal.  Henderson also says that the ARRL  
will continue to provide information as to its status when it becomes 
available.  (ARRL)

**

ENFORCEMENT NEWS:  PRETEXTING OUTLAWED

The FCC has approved new privacy rules that require telephone customers 
to provide a password before they can get account information. This, in 
a move against pretexting, which is the practice of impersonating a 
phone customer to gain access to his or her phone records. 

Pretexting first came to light last year when Hewlett-Packard 
executives were accused of hiring private detectives to investigate 
board members.  The move by the Federal Communications Commission comes 
months after President Bush signed a law criminalizing pretexting and 
imposing prison sentences and other penalties.  (FCC)

**

PUBLIC SERVICE:  HAM RADIO AND IRELANDS ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Hams will be helping at the National Under-23 Road Racing Championship.  
This event is scheduled to be held in Waterford, Ireland, on July 1st. 

The race will feature over 160 riders taking part.  Radio amateurs and 
Civil Defense volunteers will help with marshalling and numerous other 
event related duties including communications. 

This year there will be an even heavier reliance on Amateur Radio 
networks than in the past.  As a result, Ireland's Amateur Radio 
Emergency Network is also providing the communications for traffic 
management and accident reporting.  (Southgate)

**

RADIO POLITICS:  SM ELECTION RESUL:TS ANNOUNCED

Back in the U-S-An and on in the only contested ARRL Section Manager 
race in the spring election cycle, Sterling Eanes, AK1K, has been re-
elected to a second term as ARRL New Hampshire Section Manager. Eanes 
received 277 votes, while challenger Russell Santos, K1TSV, polled 236 
votes.  Ballots were counted May 22 at ARRL Headquarters.

Elsewhere, John Dyer, AE5B, will be returning to the West Texas Section 
Manager's post he once held when he succeeds outgoing S-M Bill Lawless, 
W5WRL, who did not run for a new term.  Dyer, who ran unopposed in the 
current election cycle, served as West Texas Section Manager from 
October 2002 through June 2005.

Several incumbent SMs faced no opposition in their bids for new terms 
and were declared elected.  They include  Bob Beaudet, W1YRC, in Rhode 
Island; Jim Cross, WI3N, for Maryland-DC; Dick Flanagan, K7VC, of 
Nevada; Charles McConnell, W6DPD, of California's San Joaquin Valley; 
and Mel Parkes, NM7P, representing Utah.

Terms for all successful candidates in the current election cycle begin 
July 1st.  A re-solicitation for nominations for Section Manager in 
Northern  New Jersey will be announced in July and August editions of 
QST magazine.  (ARRL)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  CQ ANNOUNCES HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

CQ Amateur Radio magazine has announced this year's inductees into its  
CQ Amateur Radio, CQ Contest and CQ DX Halls of Fame. 

This year there are 15 inductees into the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.  
We do not have time to list all of them, but there are several that 
will be easily recognizable.  These include such well known hams as 
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, NR3A, Swan Electronics founder Herb 
Johnson W6QKI, along with S-S-T-V pioneers Copthorne MacDonald, VY2CM, 
Don Miller W9NTP and Farrell Winder, W8ZCF.  

Also being honored this year is ARRL Senior News Editor Rick Lindquist, 
N1RL.  Maybe best known as the voice of the ARRL Audio News, Lindquist 
has also been responsible the past decade for keeping the amateur 
community updated on new developments, via the ARRL Letter and the ARRL 
Web news pages.  The honor comes at a very special time since Rick will 
retire from the  Headquarters staff on Friday, June 1.  We at Amateur 
Radio Newsline wish him well along with a lot of good D-X in the days, 
months and years ahead.  

There are three new inductees this year into the CQ DX Hall of Fame.  
Roger Western, G3SXW, and Nigel Cawthorne, G3TXF, were nominated 
together. Both are avid DXpeditioners and have activated many rare 
locations with their two-man, CW-only, expeditions.  Also inducted was 
Mauro Pregliasco, I1JQJ, the co-editor of Europes 425 DX News.

The CQ Contest Hall of Fame inducts three new members this year as 
well.  They are Fred Capossela, K6SSS, Tom Taormina, K5RC, and the late 
Phil Goetz, N6ZZ.

The announcement of this years lists of inductees was made public at 
the Dayton Hamvention on Saturday, May 19th.  Check www.cq-amateur-
radio.com for more.  (CQ, ARNewslineT)

**

HAM HISTORY:  WW2 HAM URVIVORS MEET IN THE U-K

Surviving World War II radio operators who intercepted the highly 
secret traffic from the German Secret Service attended a reunion at the 
Bletchley Park monitoring post in the United Kingdom on April 29th.  
Hams who attended were previously involved with Ultra, the top secret 
operation which was deciphered at Bletchley Park and disseminated only 
to those who had direct responsibility for directing the war.

Mike Coleman, G1YVR, gave the group an illuminating history of 
Direction Finding from before WWI to the present day.  Direction 
Finding was a vital part of the WW II operations and was directed by 
Major Dick Keen with assistance from G5RV, G6LL, G8LT and G6CJ working 
on aerial systems and distribution wideband amplifiers. Another well-
known Direction Finding operator was G2BTO, who unfortunately could not 
attend the reunion.

The 1,500 hams who became Voluntary Interceptors during the war were 
recruited by various, sometimes bizarre, means.  The RSGB was called 
upon to help but due to the sensitive nature of the work it could not 
be advertised.  The T-hunters who came to Bletchley Park were mostly 
selected via the word of mouth old boys  network.  (GB2RS)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  AGRREMENT ON DTV CONVERTERS

In a rare alliance, the National Association of Broadcasters, the 
Association for Maximum Service Television and the Consumer Electronics 
Association have actually agreed on something.  The three have filed 
joint comments with the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration regarding the $1.5 billion federal program under which 
consumers will get coupons for low-cost converter boxes that will 
display DTV programming on their current analog sets.  

The move was described as groundbreaking by members of both industries.  
This is particularly true since the comments include recommended 
receiver-performance standards for the digital-to-analog converter 
boxes.  That is something the manufacturing community has opposed for 
full-fledged D-T-V sets. 

Until now, broadcasters and consumer electronics manufacturers have 
often been at odds in regard to the total digitalization of 
broadcasting.  But the two industries have now found common ground in 
the challenge of how an estimated 70 million sets will continue to 
receive TV when analog broadcasts cease on Feb. 17,th of  2009.  That's 
the date that all television in the United States goes digital and 
analog is relegated to the scrap heap.  (Technology OnLine)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  AMSAT SYMPOSIUM SEEKS PAPERS

A  first call has gone out for papers to be presented at the 2007 AMSAT 
Space Symposium and Annual Meeting.  Its slated for October 25th to the 
28th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Proposals for papers, symposium presentations, and poster presentations 
are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite program. 
An emphasis for this year is an educational outreach to middle and high 
School students.

AMSAT does request a one-page abstract to be submitted by June 1st.  
Camera ready copy on paper or in electronic form will be due by 
September 1st for inclusion in the printed symposium proceedings.  
Abstracts and papers should be sent to Daniel Schultz by e-mail to 
n8fgv at amsat.org.  (ANS)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: OSCAR 11 RECEPTION REPORTS REQUESTED!

OSCAR-11 might switch itself on between now and the 8th or 9th of June.  
However, due to solar eclipses the satellite is likely to switch itself 
off, almost immediately.   Probably after less that one orbit.  This 
brief period of activity could occur when the satellite is over any 
part of the world.  As such AMSAT is requesting anyone hearing the bird 
to report its presence.  Send reports via the AMSAT Bulletin Board or 
direct to G3CWV.  (ANS)

**

WORLDBEATT - AUSTRALIA:  BIG SHOW PLANNED DOWN-UNDER

While Dayton may be the big show here in America, another is getting 
ready foe a fall opening. The 2007 North Queensland Amateur Radio 
Convention will be taking place in twin cities of Thuringowa and 
Townsville from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd  of September. For an 
electronic copy of the Venue and Events notes and a Registration Form 
send a message to 
vk4wit at wia.org.au  (WIA News)

**

DX

In DX, word that the West Lancashire Scouts' Expedition to Renland, 
East Greenland will be taking place from the 23rd July to 20th August.  
A party of 50 Scouts and Leaders from West Lancashire in the U-K will 
be exploring the ice cap and mountains of Renland.  As well as mountain 
exploration a number of scientific and wildlife studies and experiments 
are being carried for various academic bodies.  The Expedition will 
also be operating an amateur radio station for a considerable period of 
time. Operation will be on the 40, 30 and 20 meter bands using SSB, 
data and some CW, under the call sign G3WGU portable OX.  QSL as 
directed on the air.

Special station LZ07KM will be active on 1st to 31st May to celebrate 
Ss Kiril and Methodius' Day.  QSL via LZ1PJ direct, or bureau requests 
can be sent to lz1pj at qsl.net.

Lastly, HF750C, which will be active through the 30th of June.  This, to 
celebrate  the 750th anniversary of Krakow Poland's city rights.  QSL 
via SP9BRP.  Also, you can expect also a large number of local 
operators to use special prefix SN0 during the year.

(Above from variou DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  MORSE A HIT A HAMVENTION 2007

And finally this week, we return to the 2007 for a story about the 
Morse code.  Not a sad story of how hams are mourning its demise as a 
test element.  Rather it's the good news we received from Nany Kott, W-
Zed-8-C of the FISTS Morse preservation society.  She says that the 
code is now growing in popularity as almost never before:

--

Nancy Kott, WZ8C:  "Its been wonderful!  People have been coming 
through like crazy and I think the interest in code has absolutely 
skyrocketed.  Its just amazing.  People are seeing it as a challenge 
now, rather than an obstacle and we have been very busy."

ARNewsline:  "So the doom-sayers were wrong?"

Kott: "Absolutely."

--

Needless to say that Nancy Kott and many other Morse aficionados are 
rather elated with this turn of events.  So, the only question left:  
Now that Morse is rapidly growing in popularity, what will all of the 
hams without radios who live only on Internet chat rooms have to argue 
about now?  Well, I guess they will find something.  They also do.  
(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, the Southgate News and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all 
from the Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is 
newsline at arnewsline.org.  More information is available at Amateur 
Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.  
You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, P.O. 
Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. 

Two reminders before we go.  First about our on-line poll regarding 
upgrading now that Morse is no longer an issue.   To take part,  take 
your web browser to  www.arnewsline.org. Scroll down and watch for the 
word "Polls" on the left hand side of the page.  Then click on the box 
that is closest to your view.  As soon as you cast your vote you will 
see the current results.  

Also, this is the very last call to nominate a youngster for this years 
Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award.  The cutoff date is 
midnight on May 30th.  That's only a few days away.  If the Award 
Judging Committee does not have a nomination in hand by midnight on May 
30th its to late.

By way of background, any radio amateur age 18 or younger residing in 
all 50 United States, plus Puerto Rico and all 13 Canadian Provinces 
can qualify.  Full details and nominating forms are on our special 
website at www,yhoty.org.  Also see the Vertex-Standard sponsored ad  
on page 8 of the March issue of QST Magazine.  

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don 
Wilbanks, AE5DW, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.  