[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1561 - July 13, 2007

Sat Jul 14 08:53:45 EDT 2007

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1561 - July 13, 2007

The following is a Q-S-T.  Hams down-under respond as flood waters 
rise, wildfires won't stop the fall Amateur Radio Direction Finding 
Championship and the FCC says no to special military call sign 
designators requeasted by the QCWA.  Find out the details on Amateur 
Radio Newsline report number 1561 coming your way right now.

**

RESCUE RADIO:  VK HAMS VS. THE GIPPSLAND FLOODS

Ham radio proved to be an important channel of communications as flood 
waters ravaged the Gippsland area of Australia's Victoria state.  Jim 
Linton, VK3PC, of the WIA News has the details:

--

Providing communications support during the flood disaster in eastern 
Victoria were seven radio amateurs, members of RECOM the communications 
arm of the Australian Red Cross. 

John Patterson VK3ATQ of RECOM reports its role was centered on 
emergency relief centers at Paynesville, Sale, Bairnsdale and Lakes 
Entrance. 

There the team registered 361 flood evacuees and transmitted this 
information back to the Red Cross Headquarters in Melbourne using data 
communications. 

RECOM also provided other reliable communications of administrative 
traffic for the Red Cross.  The operators involved included VK3ATQ, 
VK3AUO, VK3BQS, VK3BPD, VK3EK, VK3GBJ and VK3XSW. 

The floods at some locations cut power or put it at risk and RECOM was 
fully prepared with self-reliant auxiliary power. 

John VK3ATQ found himself being interviewed numerous times by the ABC 
as part of its public information coverage as the flood disaster 
unfolded. 

The RECOM guys with their communications 'go-kits' and four wheel drive 
vehicles were activated for five-days in the flood areas. 

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Linton, VK3PC.

--

According to VK3PC, RECOM began in Australia's Victoria state.  Its is 
now grown to become a nation-wide service group with ever  increasing 
recognition.  (WIA News)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  EAS MISTAKE IN ILLINOIS

Several hundred radio and television stations in Illinois were affected 
by an E-A-S mistake the morning of June 26th.  This, when the Illinois 
Emergency Management Agency was testing new equipment in what was 
supposed to be a closed-circuit test of the 10-minute presidential 
alert message from FEMA.

Between 7:30 and 8 a.m., depending on when each station in the chain 
got the message, their programming was taken over for 10 minutes. A 
monthly test would have lasted for two minutes, as opposed to the 10-
minute presidential alert.  

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency said it had no advance warning 
of the test and that the federal government used a hot or active code 
rather than a test code for the test message.  Chicago, Rockford, 
Quincy, and Springfield were among the affected areas.

FEMA says it's trying to upgrade EAS with satellite delivery, and the 
snafu occurred in Illinois because a contractor improperly installed 
equipment and  basically created an open loop. The system was not 
supposed to be on line at the time.  (RW, listerner reports)

**

RADIOSPORTS:  WILDFIRES WONT HAMPER ARDF CHAMPIONSHIPS

The recent wildfire near Lake Tahoe on the Nevada and California border 
has not put an end to the planning for this year's hidden transmitter 
hunting championship games.  They will take place as planned.  Amateur 
Radio Newsline's Joe Moell K0OV, has the story.

--

It's full speed ahead with preparations for the Seventh Annual 
Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding, or ARDF.  This year's 
championships will take place on the weekend of September 14 through 16 
in the El Dorado Forest near Lake Tahoe.  That's in the Sierra 
Mountains near the California/Nevada border.  Primary sponsor is the 
Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club.  Marvin Johnston KE6HTS is General 
Chair of the organizers.

Most of the competitors will be staying at Camp Concord, a rustic but 
comfortable facility that's two miles west of the city of South Lake 
Tahoe, near the shore of Fallen Leaf Lake.  Camp staff will provide 
meals during the events, and everyone can walk to the competition 
courses from there.

Registration opened in early June and plans for the championships were 
proceeding.  Then on the afternoon of June 24, a forest fire broke out 
south of Fallen Leaf Lake.  Fanned by high winds, it moved rapidly 
northeast into a nearby residential area.  Over 550 firefighters worked 
diligently around the clock to slow the expansion of the burn area and 
prevent further structure damage.

Full containment of the Angora fire, as it was called, was achieved 
just before Independence Day.  It destroyed 3100 acres, 242 homes and 
67 commercial buildings.  Total loss has been estimated at 11.7 million 
dollars.

Camp Concord is 1.6 miles from the edge of the burn area and has 
reopened for the summer camping season.  The entire burn area is closed 
until at least November 30 to protect the fragile environment.  But the 
forest land near the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake has mostly been spared.

With a few minor map revisions, everything looks good to go.  Early 
Bird registration was scheduled to end on July 14, but because of the 
delay, that deadline has been extended to July 31

You and your family are invited to the championships this year.  Anyone 
with reasonable physical abilities can participate.  A ham license is 
not required and there are no age limits, but you must be able to run 
or walk through the forest and carry your DF gear for five to ten 
kilometers.  You might even win a spot on USA's team to the next ARDF 
World Championships.  Read more about the championships, and 
international-style transmitter hunting, at the usual place:  
homingin.com.  Homing In is entered as one word, homingin.com.

>From southern California, this Joe Moell, K-zero-O-V for Amateur Radio 
Newsline.

--

Again, this year's ARDF Championship games will take place on the 
weekend of September 14 through 16 in the El Dorado Forest near Lake 
Tahoe.  And as Joe said, more is on-line at www.homingin.com.  (K0OV, 
ARNewsline)

**

RADIO SPORTS:  IARU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The International Amateur Radio Union's High Frequency World 
Championship operating event is taking place as this newscast goes to 
air.  RSGB News Reader Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, has some background on the 
event and how its scoring security is enforced:

--

Participation in the IARU HF World Championship due to take place on 14 
to 15 July has grown steadily for the past four years,  despite solar 
activity trending in the wrong direction. The creation of Low Power and 
QRP categories has contributed to increasing both the popularity and 
the competitiveness of the event.

A condition of entry in the IARU HF World Championship is that each 
entrant agrees to be bound by the provisions of the announced rules, by 
the regulations of his or her licensing authority. Also by the 
decisions of the ARRL Awards Committee acting for the IARU 
International Secretariat. 

Leading competitors should expect their entries to be carefully 
scrutinised. If exceptional results are claimed, entrants must be 
prepared to explain how they were achieved.

Im Jeramy Boot, G4NJH

--

According to the ARRL Letter, the League administers the High Frequency 
World Championship on behalf of the IARU.  (GB2RS)

**

REGULATORY NEWS:  FCC TO RESCIND E-MAIL FILING SYSTEM

Starting this September, there will be no filing at the FCC by fax or 
e-mail.  Radio World reports that the regulatory agency is doing away 
with interim procedures it adopted in 2001 to allow electronic filing 
of certain pleadings. 

The procedure in question came into being following an anthrax scare on 
Capitol Hill and some U.S. Postal Service processing facilities.  This 
disrupted mail delivery and required certain documents to be filed via 
fax or e-mail, by an overnight delivery service other than the U.S. 
Postal Service, or by hand-delivery to the commission's Capitol 
Heights, Maryland  location.  Since that time, mail delivery in the 
Washington areas has improved and the FCC has implemented its own 
processes to combat the threat of contamination of incoming mail. The 
commission also has expanded its online filing capabilities.

Based on this, the agency decided to rescind the interim procedures 
effective September 25th.  After that date, filings will no longer be 
accepted by facsimile or e-mail unless otherwise authorized by the 
FCC's rules.   Its not clear if this decision to revert back to the old 
system will affect ham radio operators filing of rules change requests 
or those making comments on them.  (Published reports)

**

RERGULATORY NEWS:  VEC MISTAKE LEADS TO PROPOSED 
LICENSE DOWNGRADE

The FCC says that a clerical error made by the W5YI VEC has resulted in 
Joseph K. Lewis, N1LNV, being granted an un-earned upgrade.  Now the 
agency wants to take it back.  And it will do so unless Joseph K. Lewis 
files an objection to the regulatory agency within the next several 
days.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Henry Feinberg, K2SSQ, has more:

--

According to an FCC release, back on April 10th of this year the W5YI 
Volunteer Examiner Coordinator sent an electronic data file to the 
Commission,  One requesting that Joseph K. Lewis's operator license  
for station N1LNV be upgrade to General Class operator privileges.  
Based on this application, the Commission granted the request the same 
day. 

Then on dated May 16th, the W5YI  V-E-C notified the Commission that it 
had made a typographical error in the April 10th data filing and that 
Lewis had not qualified for a General Class operator license.  It urged 
the FCC to modify Lewis's license to correct the Technician Class 
operator privileges for which he was actually authorized.  

The FCC says that right now the W5YI V-E-C's request is most properly 
characterized as an informal request for Commission action under 
Section 1.41 of the Commission's Rules.   However, based on the 
information now before it now, the FCC says that it appears to it that 
the grant of General Class operator privileges to Lewis was erroneous.  
This is because he did not pass the examination necessary to qualify 
for a General Class operator license.  Rather, he appears to be 
currently authorized to operate with General Class operator privileges 
only due to a typographical error made during the application process.   

So here's what happens now.  The FCC says that it believes that a 
modification of the license for amateur station N1LNV to Technician is  
appropriate.  That said, it is giving Lewis 30 days to file a statement 
opposing this action.  If no objection is forthcoming from Lewis, he 
will be considered having waived his right to protest and will be 
deemed to have given the FCC his consent for the FCC action to change 
his license to Technician class to proceed.

For the Amateur radio Newsline, I'm Henry Feinberg, K2SSQ, reporting 
from New York.

--

The FCC order proposing the license modification was issued on July 9th.  
We will let you know the outcome of this one in about a month.  (FCC)

**

RADIO LAW:  QCWA MILITARY CALL SIGN PETITION DISMISED

The FCC has dismissed a rules change request asked by the Quarter 
Century Wireless Association.  One that would have permitted hams who 
were currently a member of, or those who have been honorably discharged 
member of the United States military to include a unique indicator with 
the station's call sign identification announcement.

In  saying no to this one, the FCC noted that its rules already permit 
the inclusion of indicators with the call sign during station 
identification.  This, provided that no self-assigned indicator 
conflicts with any indicator specified by the Commission's rules or 
with any prefix assigned to another country.  As such, the FCC says 
that  Amateur Radio operators who are in current service or who have 
been honorably discharged already are permitted to identify their 
stations in the way that the QCWA suggests.  As such, it deems this 
rule change as unnecessary.  (FCC)

**

REGULATIORY NEWS:  FCC WILL NOT CHANGE ID TIME PERIOD RULES

The FCC has said no to a pair of hams who sought to change the time 
period in which it requires an Amateur station to identify.   Bill 
Pasternak, WA6ITF, has more:

--

There were two I-D time limit filings.  In the first, Glen Zook, K9STH, 
of Richardson, Texas, had asked the regulatory agency require that hams 
transmit their callsign at the beginning and end of each single 
transmission and at other times involving short interval 
communications.  

On the other side of the call sign issues was Murray Green, K3BEQ, of 
Cheverly, Maryland.  Green had petitioned the FCC to reduce the 
required frequency of station identification period to every 30 
minutes, rather than once every 10 minutes as it is now.  

In denying both petitions the FCC said that the present rule has not 
been shown to be burdensome or unreasonable. The agency said that it 
agreed with the comments that say that the problem of operators who do 
not comply with the current identification rule is better addressed by 
enforcement rather than another rules change.  

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

--

The bottom line:  The FCC sees nothing wrong with the current 10 minute 
I-D requirement and plans to keep it that way.  (FCC)

**

RADIO LAW:  A NEW PUSH FOR LPFM

Low Power FM station backers in Congress are pushing again to make the 
FCC ease restrictions on low-power stations.  Proponents want the 
commission to eliminate third-adjacent minimum distance separation 
requirements between L-P-F-Ms and other full power F-M stations.

Backers say that when Congress authorized the FCC to issue L-P-F-M 
licenses in 2000, it attached an unnecessary rule that limited these 
stations to rural areas. Since then, thousands who submitted 
applications with the FCC to operate their own stations have been 
blocked. 

But proponents point out that the FCC's own MITRE Study.  In 2003 the 
Commission found that increasing the number of Low Power FM stations 
would not cause significant interference and that the FCC then urged 
Congress to repeal the restrictions.   (RW)

**

RADIO HELP:  NEW SHORTWAVE TRANSMITTER USERS REMAILER

Stephen Lockwood of Hatfield and Dawson Consulting Engineers has set up 
e-mail list servers on the Society of Broadcast Engineers  Chapter 16 
server to help shortwave transmitter users.  According to the National 
Association of Shortwave Broadcasters, the servers are a forum for 
suggestions for maintenance and operation of Continental 418 and Harris 
SW 100 transmitters.  For questions e-mail lockwood at hatdaw.com.  (Radio 
Remailer)

**

SPECIAL EVENTS:  AIR VENTURE 2007 FROM WISCONSIN

Ham radio and flight will be coming together later this month in 
Wisconsin.  This, at one of the worlds largest and best known fly-in 
events.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeff Clark, K8JAC, has more:

--

The Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club station ,W9ZL. will once again run a 
special event station.  This. from Thursday July 26th through Sunday 
July 29th from the grounds of the AirVenture 2007 fly-in in Oskosh, 
Wisconsin. 

The station will run from 1300 to  2100 U-T-C each day on 14.270 and 
7.250, as well as locally on 146.520 and over the 146.760 repeater.  
The latter requires a 100 hertz access tone.  All hams attending 
AirVenture are encouraged to stop by to visit and be a guest operator 
at our station

A certificate will be sent to all High Frequency  contacts who QSL 
first with a 9" x 12" Self Addressed Stamped Envelope.  Send your QSL 
info to Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club, Attn: N9YMC at PO Box 5233, 
Appleton, Wisconsin, 54912.  

--

Details about AirVenture 2007 are on-line at www.airventure.org  
Information about the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club is in cyberspace at 
www.fcarc.us   (N9MYC)

**

COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS: BLOCKBUSTER SAYS YES TO BLU RAY DVD

Blockbuster Video rentals has chosen the Sony backed Blu Ray high 
definition DVD as its next generation video rental product. The move 
gives significant weight to predictions that stores and other retail 
outlets would begin to have a say in the Blu Ray versus HD DVD format 
war.

Blockbuster came to its decision after test marketing both emerging DVD 
formats in 250 of its stores.  After analyzing consumer response, it 
decided to stock only Blu Ray disks in its next 1,450 stores to get 
high-def movies. HD DVD will still be available online and at the 
locations that Blockbuster used in testing rentals of both formats. 

So far, the new high definition video disks account for less than 1 
percent of today's DVD sales.  (Future Trends)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  AMSAT-UK SPACE COLLOQUIUM - JULY 20 - 22

AMSAT-UK will be holding its 22nd annual International Space Colloquium 
at the University of Surrey, Guildford, from July 20th to the 22nd.  This 
years keynote speaker is Pat Norris.  Norris is the Chairman of the 
Royal Aeronautical Society Space Group.  His talk is titled "Spies in 
the Sky: Surveillance Satellites in War and Peace." 

Also, a Satellite Beginners Workshop will be held on July 20th  For 
further details take your web browser to  www.uk.amsat.org/Colloquium/.  
(GB2RS)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  DCC PAPERS DEADLINE JULY 31ST

Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the 26th Annual ARRL 
and TAPR Digital Communications Conference.  That event is slated to be 
held September 28th to the 30th in Hartford, Connecticut.  These papers 
will also be published in the Conference Proceedings.  Papers will be 
published exactly as submitted and authors will retain all rights.

The submission deadline is July 31st.   Please send papers to Maty 
Weinberg, ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, Connecticut, 06111.  Or you 
can make your submission via e-mail to: maty at arrl.org  (ARRL, TAPR)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  NEW HIGH SENSITIVITY CAMERA CHIPS 

A new image sensor could revolutionize the way you take pictures.  Even 
those you send via A-T-V.  Jim Davis, W2JKD, has more:

--

Eastman Kodak says it's developed a color filter technology that will 
at least double the sensitivity to sensors used in digital cameras.  
Kodak expects to provide samples of the new chips to a variety of 
camera manufacturers in the first quarter of 2008.  

The new technology is likely to be quickly incorporated into mass-
market point-and-shoot cameras and camera-equipped cellular  telephones 
phones beginning sometime next year.

I'm Jim Davis, W2JKD.

--

The new sensors are not quite see in the dark devices, but are the next 
step in getting there.  (Science On-Line)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  AMSAT TO ELECT NEW LEADERS

Nominations for the 2007 AMSAT Board of Directors have closed. The list 
of qualified candidates includes Barry Baines, WD4ASW, Drew 
Glasbrenner, KO4MA, Rick Hambly, W2GPS, Lee McLamb, KU4OS and Gunther 
Meisse, W8GSM.

The terms of four directors are up this year.  Ballots and biographical 
information submitted by each candidate will be in the mail to current 
AMSAT members by July 15th.   Return ballots are due back at the AMSAT 
office in Silver Spring, Maryland no later than the close of business 
on  the 15th of September. 

The winners names will be announced shortly thereafter.  Terms of the 
new directors start upon certification of the election. AMSAT Directors 
serve a two year term.  (ANS)

**

WORLDBEAT - SWITZERLAND:  HD RADIO DAYS IN OCTOBER 

The second HD Radio Days event is taking place in Lucerne, Switzerland 
in October.  The gathering, at Hotel Radisson SAS Lakefront, will 
include a presentation of the final report on the Swiss HD Radio field 
trial reported above. A variety of test vehicles equipped with HD 
Radios will be on hand for participants to drive.  Separate workshops 
will demonstrate a frequency assignment simulation, plus receivers. A 
detailed program and registration information will be posted in August.  
(Media Net)

**

WORLDBEAT - SOUTH AFRICA:  NEW LOWER HAM TEST FEES

The cost of taking a ham radio test in South Africa is going down,  
This, according to South African Radio League President Graham 
Hartlett, ZS6GJH who has announced a substantial reduction in the cost 
of taking that nations Radio Amateur Exam.

According to Hartlett, the reduction has been made possible because the 
nations telecommunications regulator has agreed that the South African 
Radio League, as the national body for Amateur Radio, will be 
authorized to issue the Radio Amateur Exam certificates.  This takes a 
major expense off the governments shoulders.  The new lower fee will 
include one re-test should the candidate fail the first attempt at the 
examination.  (Southgate)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  NEW IOTA WEBSITE OPENS

The RSGB's premier DX award program has launched its new website.  
Devoted entirely to the Islands on the Air or IOTA program, the spot in 
cyberspace came on-line on Thursday, June 21st.  

The new web pages  feature many innovative improvements including the 
ability to view one's own record of island groups confirmed.  In the 
near future it will be possible for participants to claim additional 
credits on-line and even to claim credit for IOTA Contest QSOs without 
the need for QSL card verification.

The site is located at  www.rsgbiota.org. It was developed by Dominic 
Smith, M0BLF, with Martin Atherton, G3ZAY, acting as the liaison 
between the project team and the IOTA Committee.  (GB2RS)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  ANALONG MAY END IN 2015

According to an article in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, commercial 
radio companies in the United Kingdom are looking to set a firm end 
date for analog radio.

The industry body RadioCentre was expected to approach the British 
broadcast regulator, Ofcom, about setting a shutoff date for analog 
radio that could be as early as 2015.

An analog shutdown would mirror the transition path being followed by 
the U-K television industry, which will see an end to terrestrial 
analog broadcasting in 2012.

There is a concern, according to the Telegraph report, that only a firm 
analog shutoff date will ensure continued investment and development of 
digital radio, although there are political concerns about making 
millions of analog receivers obsolete.  (RW)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  NEW IOTA WEBSITE OPENS

In other news from around the world, word that the RSGB's premier D-X 
award program has launched a new website.  Devoted entirely to the 
Islands on the Air or IOTA program, the spot in cyberspace came on-line 
on Thursday, June 21st.  

The new web pages  feature many innovative improvements including the 
ability to view one's own record of island groups confirmed.  In the 
near future it will be possible for participants to claim additional 
credits on-line and even to claim credit for IOTA Contest QSOs without 
the need for QSL card verification.

The site is located at  www.rsgbiota.org. It was developed by Dominic 
Smith, M0BLF, with Martin Atherton, G3ZAY, acting as the liaison 
between the project team and the IOTA Committee.  (Southgate)

**

DX

In DX, word that A multinational team lead by Francesco, IK0FVC, will 
activate 1A0KM from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta between July 
12th to the 22nd.  Activity is planned for 160 meters
through 23 centimeters on all modes.  There will be a possibility of 
some EME activity during the first weekend of operations.  QSL via 
IK0FTA.

Also, A25CF, and his team of operators are active from Botswana until 
July the 20th. Activity is on 160 through 6 meters on CW and SSB, with 
operations also on 6 and 2 meters along with 70 centimeter  EME.  QSL 
as directed by each operator.

Worldradio magazine editor Nancy Kott, WZ8C, and several others are 
operating from the island of Tortola through July 18th. The group is 
participating in the FISTS CW Club summer sprint on Friday July 13 and 
the IARU contest the weekend of the 14th.  Operation during the rest of 
the time will be on SSB, RTTY and CW with an emphasis on straight key 
operation.  QSL via the FISTS bureau or W5PF

Lastly, listen out for EA1FCH, will be active portable CU2 from Sao 
Miguel in the Eastern Island Group from July 27th through August 5th.  
Activity will be on the lower bands and WARC bands, mainly CW and the 
Digital modes.  QSL EA1FCH direct or via the bureau.  

(Above from various DX newsletters and other sources)

**

THE NEWSLINE ON-LINE SURVEY: JUNE RESULTS AND A NEW ONE FOR JULY

And finally this week, we have the results of the past months on-line 
Newsline website survey that asked you what your favorite ham radio 
magazine is.  Coming in as the most read was the ARRL's Q-S-T Magazine 
with 63.3% of the vote.  In second  place among our listeners is 
Worldradio.  It garnered 18% of the vote.  Third place in went to CQ 
with 13.5%.  The rest of you voted "other" and accounted for 5.2% of 
those who responded.

As we have said in the past, these surveys are not meant to be a 
scientific sampling.  Rather, it's a fun way for those of you 
interested to tell the rest of the world your choice.  

And in keeping with the fun theme of our surveys, the new one now on-
line asks a follow up question.  This one asks where in your home do 
you read your favorite ham magazine.  

Again, you have four choices.  Please go to www.arnewsline.org and cast 
your vote right now.   (ARNewsline)

**

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 Newsline.  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 Newsline, P.O. 
Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. 

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