[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1568 - August 31, 2007

Mon Sep 3 00:10:45 EDT 2007

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1568 - August 31, 2007

(Note to readers:  This weeks newscast is highly audio intensive and
trying to reproduce certain aspects as a printed ocument does it no
justice. Therefore we did not to transcribe the text of the various
emergency communications sound bites included this week.  Instead we
urge you to download the MP3 audio version of this weeks newscast
available at http:\\www.arnewsline.org.  Also, please remember that all
Newsline reports are written for the "spoken word" as we are primarily
an audio news service.  -- ARNewsline)

The following is a Q-S-T.  Ham radio relief efforts continue in
Minnesota, Wisconson, and southern California as Mother Natures rampage
winds down   Find out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline report
number 1568 coming your way right now.

**

RESCUE RADIO:  NEW AUDIO FROM THE WINONA FLOODS

As relief efforts continue following flooding in Minnesota and
Wisconsin, new audio has surfaced of ham radio in action.  Most of it
deals with the  flood and relief efforts in and around Winona,
Minnesota.  Here, hams were  coordinating the delivery of cots to a
shelter for evacuees:

--

Actuality audio.  Hams discussing transfer of supplies with the Red
Cross.  Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this newscast
available at www.arnewsline.org.
--

Hams were also involved in coordinating logistics for other first
responders.  In this clip a ham reports that a sheriffs command post is
on the move:

--

Actuality audio.  Ham describes relocation of command post.  Hear it by
downloading the MP3 version of this newscast available at
www.arnewsline.org.

--

And of coarse there were the hundreds of health and welfare messages.
Especially those involving the elderly:

--

Actuality audio.  Hams passing Health and welfare traffic dealing with
the elderly.  Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this newscast
available at www.arnewsline.org.

--

As we go to air, some ARES and RACES volunteers are still on alert.
Others are on stand-by in case more severe weather hits the area once
again.

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS CONTINUE TO ASSIST  AT THE ZACA WILDFIRE

Ham radio operators continue to assist firefighters and other emergency
services at the giant California Zaca wildfire.  The blaze which has
blackened 336 square miles og Santa Barbara and Ventura counties since
starting July 4th is now considered the third-largest wildfire in modern
state history.

As previously reported, Fire Department Public Information Officer Eli
Eskow has heaped praise on the hams who are backing up his fire
fighting teams.

While the fire is considered to be 75 percent contained, it is far from
out.  The 3000 men and women fighting it continue to face rugged
terrain, temperatures in the 90's and extremely low humidity.  This, in
an area that has not burned in over 75 years.

As we go to air the latest reports say that residents of 30 to 40
ranches in the two counties have been advised to move large animals out
of the area and be prepared to evacuate themselves.  A 45 mile stretch
of one highway through the burn area was closed.  And ham radio
volunteers are still on the job.

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HURRICANE DEAN VIOP NET REPORTS RESCUE

More new audio also from the Caribbean.  This as hurricane Dean made
its way toward the Mexican coastline.  Much off the communications took
place over the VoIP hurricane Net.  In this clip, Julio Ripoll, WD4R
operating the National Hurricane Center station WX4NHC asks net members
for reports from Martinique.  This, after the automated reporting
station on that island gets blown away:

--

Actuality audio.  WX4NHC asks net for reports from Martinique.  Hear it
by downloading the MP3 version of this newscast available at
www.arnewsline.org.

--

And there was a bit of drama when word went out from Jamaica that a
group of fishermen had been spotted riding out the storm on Middlle
Keys off bthe Federal Banks. 9Z4FW flashed the word that they were in
danger and rescue was needed:

--

Actuality audio.  9Z4FW alerts Notional Hurricane Center of pending
rescue.  Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this newscast
available at www.arnewsline.org.

--

The story had a happy ending that was also relayed via ham radio.

--

Actuality audio.  Word passed by ham radio that rescue was successful.
Hear it by downloading the MP3 version of this newscast available at
www.arnewsline.org.

--

As reported last week, hurricane Dean eventually made landfall on
Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before heading out across the Baja straits.
It eventually became a squall line brought needed moisture to Southern
California and flash storms across the South-West.  (KD1CY)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  ALERT FM TO GET GSS TECHNOLOGY

An update on the new ALERT emergency broadcast system we mentioned
several weeks ago.  Global Security Systems and 3 N are now
collaborating on integrating 3 N's mass notification technology with
Alert FM.

The GSS Alert FM uses RDS to send digital information over FM radio
infrastructure.  With Alert FM, targeted messages are delivered by
satellite to FM tations and can be received on Alert FM receivers and
mobile devices such as PDAs, cell phones and other specialized
receivers with FM chips.

For its part, 3N's technology enables one person, with one call, to
communicate with thousands of people on wired and wireless devices
including telephones phones, fax, computers, PDA's and pagers.  It does
so using voice and text communications such as e-mail, SMS and IM.
Customers of the joint offering will also be able to receive weather
alerts and updates through a direct feed from NOAA.  (RW)

**

GAREC-07 CELEBRATES EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IN HUNTSVILLE

The third Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference took
place August 16th and 17th  in Huntsville, Alabama.  This, just prior toi
the opening of the combined Huntsville Hamfest and 2007 ARRL National
Convention.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, reports:

--

The ARRL Letter says that some 100 delegates from around the globe came
to Huntsville, Alabama, for this global emergency communications
gathering.. GAREC as it was called had a prevailing theme of how to
apply advanced technologies to emergency communications.  As such
attendees were provided a sampling of just about everything pertaining
to the Emergency Communications arena.

ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, said many large and
essential organizations that work with Emergency Communications sent
representatives to Huntsville.  This included representatives from the
IARU, the ARRL, Army MARS, the American Red Cross, Southern Baptist
Disaster Relief, the Department of Homeland Security, The Salvation
Army, industry and others.  Also on hand were many Section Emergency
Coordinators, District Emergency Coordinators and Emergency
Coordinators from the ARRL field organization.

The League's Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, and
its new Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD,
were among the presenters.. Pitts spoke about the need for a Public
Information Officer to be in the Joint Information Center at any ARES
deployment. Dura talked about using VoIP, EchoLink and IRLP for
establishing and maintaining communications during hurricanes.

The session spent time discussing the methods of combining RF links to
the Internet.  This, to establish a cohesive network. The Voice over I
P Hurricane Net is another tool that was discussed. Amateur Radio
operators, the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center
and emergency managers use it jointly to gather detailed information on
local conditions.  Other presentations included the use of new
technologies such as ALE, D-Star, Winlink 2000 and TSSG.  TSSG is an
advanced system being developed in Ireland.

The conference made a number of recommendation.  Among this is to
introduce the call sign suffix "/D."  This would be used by those in
the Amateur Radio Service who handle traffic related to emergency and
disaster situations.  This recommendation was made by Willem Visch,
PG9W.  He believes that it would let anyone listening immediately know
there was emergency traffic and lessen the chances of someone
unintentionally breaking in on an emergency net.

Another recommendation included the extension of "EmComm Party on-the-
Air."  These are Emergency Communications exercises already in place in
ITU Region 1.

Seppo Sisatto, OH1VR, is the Region 1 representative.  He proposed
holding two annual international drills, lasting only 4 hours,
beginning November 11. This, he said, recognizes that major calamities
can and do cross international borders, and hams need to practice for
such eventualities.

GAREC delegates also suggested that the IARU initiate studies in
cooperation with its member societies and with specialized emergency
communication groups.  These investigations would focus on the
development and possible introduction of standard codes for use in
international emergency communications.  They would also look at the
need for the development of a list of standard resource types.

They delegates also  appealed to all of the IARU Member Societies, as
well as specialized emergency communications groups, encouraging the
acceptance to and ratification of the Tampere Convention on the
Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and
Response Operations.  That's a fancy way of saying that its time for
all of the worlds radio oriented emergency communications providers to
work hand in hand.

Other procedural issues were also covered at GAREC 2007.  All attending
consider the gathering to have been a major success.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennent, K6PZW, in Los
Angeles.

--

While GAREC is not a decision-making body, its ideas and proposals will
be submitted to the IARU to be included for discussion at their next
Administrative Council meeting, scheduled for June 2008.  These and
other ideas may also be discussed at each of the three IARU Regions'
upcoming meetings.  (ARRL, WB9QZB)

**

PUBLIC SERVICE:  AMATEUR RADIO GUIDES MS BIKERS

 From New Mexico comes word that members of New Mexico's Sandoval County
Amateur Radio Emergency Service, with the assistance of other ham radio
operators form Albuquerque and Los Alamos, have once again provided
critical communications services for the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society M S 150 bike tour.  This year's tour began on Saturday, August
11 at 7 am from the Santa Ana Star Casino parking lot. The riders then
travel along highway US 550 to NM 4. They then rode through the Valles
Caldera to Los Alamos. On Sunday, the riders returned along the same
route to Bernalillo.

Ed Ricco, N5LI, who helped to coordinate the ham radio operations
reported that the event went very well. The only problems of any
consequence involved two riders who went down in the oil slick before
hams could get the word out.  Both were scraped and bruised but are ok.

Maggie Schold, M S Society Development Coordinato said that there is no
way to do this event without the communications support provided by the
Amateur Radio community. Jay Miller, WA5WHN, noted that the benefits
here flow in both directions because events like this provide training
opportunities for amateurs interested in emergency communications and
emergency management.

Hams have been providing communications for this event for almost 20
years.  The MS society expects to raise around $100,000 from this
year's tour.  (K5CEC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FLORIDA TEEN BUSTED FOR FALSE MAY DAY CALLS

A teenage Florida CB operator is in big trouble after authorities
accuse him of being the source of a string of false distress calls made
with stolen marine radio gear.

The fraudulent calls were allegedly made by 15 year old Maurice
Hutchinson described as a Freshman at Clearwater High School.  Both the
FCC and Coast Guard had been searching for the source of fake distress
calls in Florida after four such requests resulted in four searches
that turned up nothing.  Hutchinson was finally located when his
stepmother received a call from a relative asking about the false
calls.  The stepmother checked the boys room where she knew he had
several C-B radio sets.  There she also found a marine radio and other
communications equipment that she knew didn't belong to him.  Thats
when she called local police.

Now Maurice Hutchinson has been charged by with two counts of burglary
after being accused of stealing the marine communications equipment.
Authorities say he used the gear to make at least four fake mayday
calls that caused the Coast Guard to send helicopters out on search
missions.

At airtime its not known what action the FCC may take regarding the
Hutchinson's unlicensed operations.  He could face a hefty fine or even
prison if the regulatory agency decides to press such a case. More is
on-line at
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/28/Northpinellas/Fake_maydays_traced_t.s
html    (St. Petersburg Times)

**

REGULATORY:  POLITICIANS OPPOSE XM AND SIRIUS MERGER

Approximately 70 members of Congress urged federal antitrust
authorities  to block the satellite merger between Sirius and X-M
satellite radio.  Jim Davis, W2JKD, reports:

--

According to Radio World, the lawmakers signed a letter to FCC Chairman
Kevin Martin and Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Deborah Platt
Majoras asking that they reject the proposed $13.6 billion merger of
Sirius and XM.  This,  because they see the  marriage of the two
entities as creating a monopoly which would be devastating to
consumers.

The chief authors of the bi-partisan letter are Texas Democrat
Representatives Gene Green and Wisconsin Republican Jim Sensenbrenner.
Other lawmakers signing include former Speaker of the House Dennis
Hastert, former broadcaster Greg Walden, R-Wash., House Minority Whip
Roy Blount,  and Louis Slaughter, of New York.

--

Senator Herb Kohl, of Wisconsin is the chairman of the Senate Antitrust
subcommittee.,  He also opposes the merger.  (RW)

**

RADIO SAFETY:  HAM INJURED IN TOWER FALL

A Ohio ham is reported to be in critical condition after falling over
the from a 45-foot tower.

According to a report on eHAM dot net, Terry Liken, KC8YCM, of
Lancaster, Ohio, was helping a friend mount an antenna atop the tower
Saturday evening, August 11th.  The safety belt Liken was wearing broke,
and before the friend could get another one to him, he fell.

Liken was taken by helicopter to Ohio State University Medical Center
in Columbus, where he remains hospitalized.  More information is on
line at http://www.whiznews.com/article.php?articleId=18773  and
http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070811/UPD
ATES01/70811008/1002/NEWS01 (eHam.net)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  17 YEAR OLD MAKES IPHONE WORK ON T-MOBILE

A 17 year old New Jersey teen has broken the code that locks owners of
Apple's new I Phone to the AT&T Network.  After hundreds of hours and
with the help of a few online friends George Hotz was able to hack his
I Phone to operate on the T-Mobile network.

According to Hotz, he bought an I Phone the day it came out and was
determined to get it to work on the T-Mobile network because that's the
one his family used.  What he came up with is a hack that is fairly
complicated.  It involves rewiring the iPhone's circuit board, erasing
its firmware and reprogramming the device's flash memory.

But it apparently works. In his YouTube video, Hotz showed off an
iPhone that indicated it was on the T-Mobile network and used it to
make a phone call to his home phone.  He also termed the I Phone hack
as a really fun summer project thats now at an end.  He has left I
Phone hacking behind and has gone off Rochester Institute of Technology
to study engineering.

And for those of you wondering, George Hotz is not a ham radio
operator.  At least not yet.  (Published reports)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  JOYBUBBLES, WB0RPA - S.K.

He was blind.  At one time in his life he was a famed telephone hacker
who later devoted his life to bringing youth back to the world. And
most of all he was a ham radio operator with only one name.  And now,
the man known only as Joybubbles and the call letters WB0RPA has become
a silent key

Joybubbles was only 58 when he died on August 8th in Minneapolis. Up
until 1991 he had two names like the rest of. us.  He was Joe Engressia
and described in the media as a blind genius with perfect pitch.  The
first person who accidentally found he could make free phone calls by
whistling tones.

Because of this, he went on to play a pivotal role in the 1970's
subculture known as "phone phreaks."  The folks who were forerunners of
today's computer hackers.  And like some of them, Joybubbles ran afoul
of the law.  News accounts of his suspension from college in 1968 and
conviction for phone violations in 1971 he made him a nerve center of
the Phone Phreak movement.

Well before the mid-1970's Joybubbles had stopped his phone Phreaking
activities.  By then he was already a legend, having phoned around the
world, talking into one phone and listening to himself on another.

But WB0RPA never lost his love of telephones.  One news report said
that  he regularly reported telephone security problems that he
discovered to telephone service providers.  He had become one of the
good guys as far as the phone companies were concerned.

So why only one name?  According to his friend and estate executor
Stevem Gibb,  Joybubbles felt that being abused at a school for the
blind and being pushed by his mother to live up to his 172 I.Q. had
robbed him of childhood.  So in 1988 he decided to go back ion time and
remain forever at age 5.

To do this Joe Engressia amassed piles of toys, Jacyouth magazines and
imaginary friends.  Then he took the name Joybubbles which he said made
people smile.  And he spent the rest of his life doing just that.

His second life as a perennial youngster included becoming a minister
in his own Church of Eternal Childhood and collecting tapes of every
"Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" episode.  He also was an active member of the
Minneapolis children's community, giving readings at the local library
and setting up phone calls to terminally ill children around the world.
He also was a regular contributor to the Bulletin Board section of the
St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper.

In the world of Amateur Radio, Joybubbles was one of our unseen
supporters.  He Ran a low profile set of phone machines in the
Minneapolis area that featured both Amateur Radio Newsline and The Rain
Report.  This as a part of his own service of audio mailboxes available
to those in need in the Minneapolis area.

Joybubbles is survived by his mother, Esther Engressia, and his sister,
Toni, both of Homestead, Fla.  At airtime, the cause of death has not
been announced.  (KC0DGY)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  MEL SHAVELON, W6VLH - SK AT AGE 90

Famed Hollywood writer, producer and director Melville Shavelson,
W6VLH, has become a Silent Key.  Shavelson, who was 90 passed away at
his Studio City, California home on Wednesday August 8th.

Shavelson was a legend around Hollywood.  He wrote, directed and
produced dozens of films with such stars as Lucille Ball, Jimmy Cagney
and Frank Sinatra and was twice nominated for Academy Awards.  Mel as
he was known to his ham radio friends started his career as a gag
writer for Bob Hope's radio show in the 1930s before going on to write
or co-write more than 35 movies and direct a dozen films.  He also
served three terms as president of the Writers Guild of America, West,
and was on the writing program faculty at the University of Southern
California.

In his personal life Mel was very active in Amateur Radio.  He was an
ardent DX'er but also involved in public service communications.  That
aspect of his ham radio career was highlighted in the 1986 ARRL film
"The New World of Amateur Radio."  There, Shavelson is shown using his
station to let a worried person speak to a relative in Mexico shortly
after an earthquake had hit that nations capital.

Mel Shavelson, W6VLH, is survived by his wife, Ruth; a son, Richard,
daughter, Lynne Joiner; and three grandchildren.  Ironically, his
autobiography titled "How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really
Trying, P.S. -- You Can't!" was published on April 1st.  That was the
date of his 90th birthday.  (ARNewsline, Published reports)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  DEMO ASSISTANCE NEEDED FOR EXHIBIT

AMSAT is looking for a few good hams in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
area to assist at a presentation at the upcoming 2007 AMSAT Space
Symposium.  Planners want operators to help with an operating satellite
ground station will be available for use and demonstration.  This
station will have the capability to automatically track satellites
using 2-meter and 70cm circular polarized antennas tied to a Yaesu FT-
847 under computer controlled.  Plans are to  demonstrate communication
with digital satellites like GO-32 and AO-51. If any Pittsburgh area
amateurs have the expertise and the time to help please contact Kevin
Smith, N3HKQ at n3hkq at amsat.org or call 412-953-4957.  (ANS )

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  EASIER TO PROCESS REPEATER LICENSES

U-K telecommunicatiopns regulator Ofcom has announced that it intends
to end the National Frequency Assignment Panel for frequency
coordination and the Working Group on Radio Site Clearance processes.
 From an Amateur Service aspect this should mean that the processing for
repeater and similar applications in Amateur primary bands should be
reduced by some weeks.  However, Ofcom will continue to carry out
coordination on bands such as 70 cm and 23 cm in which the Amateur
Service is a secondary user. (GB2RS)

**

WORLDBEAT - WORLDWIDE:  LOTS OF LIGHTHOUSE ACTIVITY

More than 380 lighthouses in over 48 countries were on the air for the
2007 International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.  This, on 18th and
19th August.

This annual event is more of a QSO party and Amateur Radio
demonstration than a contest.  Its aim is to raise public awareness of
lighthouses and lightships while at the same time promoting Amateur
Radio and foster international goodwill.

The event, now in its ninth year, is organized by the Ayr Amateur Radio
Group. (GB2RS)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  NEW 24 GHZ BEACON ON THE AIR

A new 24 GHz propagation beacon is now operational in the United
Kingdom.  Located in the city of Manchester the GB3MAN beacon operates
on 24048.850800 MHz with an estimated effective radiated power of  3
watts.  The new beacon became operational at 09:00 U-T-C on Sunday,
August 26th.  (Southgate)

**

DX

In D-X, listen out for Liechtenstein with IZ2DPX and IW2NEF active as
portable HB0 as IZ2DPX and IW2NEF.  The pair will be on from the city
of Malbun froom eptember 1st to the 3rd and all H-F annds and 2 meters.
QSL direct or via the bureau.

And the 3B7C St. Brandon Island DXpedition is getting close.  This,
with the advance party of G3NUG, G3BJ and G3XTT flying out as we go to
air.
On arrival they will supervise the unloading of the shipping container
loaded with 6 tons of gear onto a converted trawler which will take
equipment and team to the operating site on the Isle du Sud.  First
signals are expected on the air by midnight U-T-C on Friday September
7th.

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  MORE THANK-YOU'S WITH ANDY JAREMA, N6TCQ

And finally this week, some more thank you's to those listeners who
help to keep these newscasts coming your way.  Here's our Support Fund
Administrator, Andy Jarema, N-6-T-C-Q:

--

In the month of July 2006 we heard from monthly contributor Joseph
Bartzi, Jr., KC8DKF of Columbus, OH, William Smith, W7GHT of Boise, ID;
monthly contributor Scott Hensley of the Area Communications Team,  San
Jose, CA; Chris Jacob, KC6TOD and the Western Amateur Radio
Association, Fullerton And the South Orange Amateur Radio Association
in Mission Viejo

Via Pay Pal there were Ken Mak, K2MAK of Brooklyn, NY, Ann Huff, W4JHK
of Hanover, VA, Stephen Schwarm, W3EVE of Wrentham, MA regular
Contributor Stuart Cole, N5LBZ of Gulfport, MS, Edwar Schaub of
Hattiesburg, MS, Matt Sturtz and the Colorado Repeater Association,
KB0KZR George Morgan of Murray, UT, Lou Ann Keogh, KB6HP of Sacramento,
CA, Michael Johnson and Famcom of Orange County, CA

Thanks for your help.  I'm Andy Jarema. N6TCQ.

--

More with Andy, next week.  (ARNewsline Support Fund)

**

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 Burt
Hicks, WB6MQV, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.