[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1591 - February 8, 2008
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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1591 - February 8, 2008
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ARNewsline
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is a Q-S-T. Amsat Oscar 16 is reported to be alive and well
and operating on-orbit. Also, Serbia clears a repeater off of the I-S-S
ham radio channels. Greenland gives its hams 5 MHz and radio amateurs
assist as flooding hits parts of Australia. Find out the details on
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1591 coming your way right now. **
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AO-16 REPORTED ALIVE AND WELL
The AMSAT News Service says that the AO-16 is now alive and well. This,
according to the ham radio space agency that notes many voice contacts are
now going through the previously packet only satellite. Jeramy Boot, G4NJH
has the details:
--
Vintage amateur satellite AMSAT Oscar 16 has been given a new lease of
life. Launched in 1990, the successful digital store and forward system
eventually failed.
Now, AMSAT controllers have reconfigured the satellite as a voice repeater.
Its 2m FM receiver has been connected to the 70cm double sideband
transmitter. Uplink signals on 145.920 MHz are relayed on 437.026 MHz.
Results so far have been surprisingly good, although there is no way to
forecast how long the satellite will function.
I'm Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, and you are listening to the Amateur Radio
Newsline.
--
Drew Glassbrenner, KO4MA, is AMSAT-NA Vice President for Operations. He
says we should all thank that unknown someone that assisted in assembling
this satellite software for remembering to include a simple command. That
being to link the transmitter to the receiver to permit direct
communications not using a failed onboard computer needed for the store and
forward data operations. (GB2RS)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SERBIA CLEARS REPEATER FROM ARISS FREQUENCIES
Some good news on the interference front. Gene Zivkovix, YU1SU, reports
that a repeater that had set up shop on the European frequencies used for
communications to and from the hams on the International Space Station is
now off the air. In an e-mail Gene says that it was taken off after few
complains and some talks with telecommunications officials in
Serbia. YU1SU says that the frequencies are free and clean. (YU1SU)
**
RESTRUCTURING: GREENLAND GETS 5 MHZ ALLOCATION
Hams in Greenland should soon be on 5 MHz. This, following reports
that government regulators in Greenland has approved the use by radio
amateurs of seven spot frequencies in that band.
Peter Thulesen is OX3XR. He reports that the Greenland Telecom
Administration has approved the use by hams of these center frequencies of
5260, 5280, 5290, 5368, 5373, 5400, 5405 kHz.
No effective date was included in Thulesen's information. More should be
available at www dot tele dot gl/uk/index.htm (Southgate)
**
RESTRUCTURING: CEPT SAYS NO TO US TECH AND GENERAL
U-S hams who want to operate in countries that have CEPT universal
licensing and want to use that reciprocal system had better hold an
Advanced or Extra class license.
I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, with word that the European Conference of
Postal and Telecommunications Administrations which administers the CEPT
licensing scheme feels that the United States Technician and General class
licenses no longer meet the requirements to permit reciprocal operating
CEPT agreement nations.
The CEPT license was created to minimize the need for hams licensed in one
nation to operate from another without requesting a reciprocal license in
each country. The decision to disenfranchise United States General and
Technician class hams from CEPT licensing came at a January 29th meeting
held in Basel, Switzerland. At that gathering the CEPT's Radio Regulatory
Working Group re-evaluated current United States license standards versus
those of the other CEPT signatories. It apparently found the recently
revised US licensing standards for Technician and General no longer have
any equivalent in the European community of nations.
This change dopes not mean that United States Technician and General class
license holders cannot operate from Europe. It does however require that a
US Tech or General may have to apply for a reciprocal operating permit in
that nation. Its also suggested that this be done well in advance of
departing on that trip because some administrations are very slow in
responding.
One last note. The decision by the United States to drop all Morse testing
had nothing to do with the CEPT decision. Most CEPT signatories dropped
Morse testing long before we did here in the USA. (AR News Extra - DL,
ARRL, QRZ.com, eHam.net, others)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS ASSIST COMMUNICATIONS IN AUSTRALIA FLOODS
When flooding hit parts of Queensland state in Australia in the past few
weeks it was a special group of ham radio operators that were called up to
assist in relief efforts. Jim Linton, VK3PC, has more:
--
A flying squad of radio amateurs, members of the RECOM Red Cross Emergency
Communications have completed a six day assignment in flood hit Emerald in
central Queensland.
Some six months ago RECOM was asked by the Red Cross to form a core group
that could be on call should the need arise anywhere in
Australia. Although RECOM which began in Victoria has been involved in
various natural disasters, this was the first occasion that its newly
formed flying squad was put to the test.
Starting on early Monday January the 21st, RECOM set up in the Emerald
Relief Centre primarily to record details of 3,000 evacuees and then upload
that information to the Red Cross national database.
Apart from the information being used to provide relatives with a means of
finding out about their loved ones via the national call center phone line,
the information was also used by a range of stake-holders in disaster
management and recovery.
At the height of the flood, the worst since 1950, more than a thousand
homes were evacuated and businesses were flood when the Nogoa River which
divides the township, broke its banks.
While the RECOM crew have returned home after a job well done, the Red
Cross still has a contingent in the field assisting those who affected by
the flood.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Linton VK3PC.
--
By the way, for those not familiar with the name RECOM, it is the
Australian communications branch of that nations Red Cross. (WIA News)
**
RADIO LAW: CALIFORNIA TO ELIMINATE UNWANTED SPACE ON HAM LICENSE PLATES
Back in the United States. some good news for California hams regarding
those call letter license plates with an unwanted space in them. Cliff
Cheng, WW6CC, says he has received word from California state Assemblyman
Mike Feuer's office that he Department of Motor Vehicles is supposed to
reverse its policy of inserting an unwanted space into ham radio call
letter plates.
In an e-mail to Newsline Cheng says that its his understanding that those
of who ordered and paid for callsign license plates from the D-M-V and
instead received plates which have a space in the callsign may exchange
them at no charge. He also suggests checking the California Department of
Motor Vehicles website to make certain that the change has actually taken
place before applying sine no firm date for the change was known. (WW6CC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: OPERATING FROM UNAUTHORIZED LOCATOON BRINGS $4000 FINE
The FCC has affirmed a $4000 monetary forfeiture issued to Discovery
Transportation of New York City, New York. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce
Tennant, K6PZW, has more:
---
The fine levied against Discovery Transportation is for willfully and
repeatedly operating radio transmitting equipment on the frequency 463.350
MHz from an unauthorized location. It also covers an FCC claim that the
company operated on this frequency with an antenna that exceeded the
authorized height.
On February 26, 2007, the Commission's New York Field Office issued a
$4,000 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture to Discovery
Transportation for the violations. In its reply, the company did not
dispute the findings in the notice. Instead it requested cancellation of
the forfeiture based on the corrective actions it took after the inspection
by the FCC agents and the fact that the proposed forfeiture would place a
heavy burden on Discovery's small business.
In refusing to dismiss the forfeiture order, the FCC said that it declined
to cancel or reduce the amount based on the actions Discovery took after
the agent's inspection. It says that it has routinely held that corrective
action taken to come into compliance with the Rules is expected, and does
not nullify or mitigate any prior forfeitures or violations. It also said
that Discovery Transportation failed to provide the proper documentation to
prove that the amount of the fine would be a hardship.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.
--
Discovery Transportation was given the customary 30 days from the January
30th release of the notice to pay or to file an apparel. (FCC)
**
NEWSLINE FOLLOW-UP: KREX FIRE CAUSED BY FAULTY HEATER
A follow-up now to a story we brought you two weeks ago. Investigators are
confident the cause of the fire that completely destroyed KREX television
in Grand Junction, Colorado, was accidental. After a long forensic
inspection, fire officials say the cause of the fire may have been a space
heater that was used to heat the basement, which was once the center of the
news organization. (RW)
**
HAM RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE: OPS NEEDED FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON
The 2008 Boston Marathon needs you. The Marathon Amateur Radio
Communications consortium, is looking for ham radio operators to assist at
the marathon which is held annually on Patriots Day. This year that's
Monday, April 21.
According to recruitment coordinator Bob De Mattia, K1IW, radio amateurs
are needed to provide communications support at the start line, along the
course and at the finish. If you plan to be in Boston for the race and
interested in volunteering to the communications effort, please sign up at
the Marathon Amateur Radio Communications website. Its in cyberspace at
marc dot amateur hyphen radio dot net. (K1IW)
**
THE SOCIAL SCENE: TAPR/ARRL DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE SEPT IN
CHICAGO
Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation has announced that the 2008 joint
ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference will take place September
26th to the 28th. The venue id the Holiday Inn hotel in Elk Grove Village,
Illinois. Elk Grove Village is a suburb of Chicago, not all that far
frpm O'Hare International Airport and giving easy access to the
gathering.. The conference is an international forum for radio amateurs to
meet, publish their work and present new ideas and techniques. Presenters
and attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about
recent hardware and software advances, theories, experimental results and
practical applications. Forums will feature the latest developments in
Amateur Radio digital communications, as well as demonstrations of emerging
digital technology.
More information is available on tline at www dot tapr.org slash dcc dot
html (TAPR)
**
THE SOCIAL SCENE: EMCOMMWEST 2008 IN RENO IN MAY
Emcommwest 2008, is billed as "The Biggest Little Ham Convention in the
World" and dedicated to emergency preparedness. It will take place May
2nd to the 4th at the at Circus Circus Hotel, in Reno, Nevada.
Two names that you will immediately recognize will be there this
year. Planners have announced that Dennis Dura, K2DCD, the Emergency
Response Manager for the American Radio Relay League will be the events
keynote speaker. The Saturday night banquet speaker will be FCC ham radio
rules enforcer Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH. Hollingsworth will also host a
forum on at Emcommwest..
More information and pre-registration are available at the events
website. Its in cyberspace at www dot emcommwest dot org (WA6CBA)
**
THE SOCIAL SCENE: WELLINGTON RADIO EXPO 08
Meantime, here down-under, the Combined Amateur Radio Clubs of Wellington
will be welcoming a pair of special guests to Wellington Radio EXPO '08.
That event takes place on Saturday March 15th and those guests are none
other than Heil Sound's Chip Margelli K7JA, and his wife Janet KL7MF. Both
are well known to New Zealand amateurs. Chip as the new Vice-President of
Heil Sound Amateur Radio and former head of Anateur Radio for Yaesu. Janet
is the Manager of the Ham Radio Outlet store in Anaheim, California.
Chip will be doing presentations on Heil Sound products, while Janet will
be working at the Andrews Communications booth. Doors open to the public
at 10 a.m.. If you are here in Wellington on March 15th, stop by the Knox
Church in Lower Hutt and say hello. (NZART News)
**
RADIO MOVIES: NEW MARCONI DOCUMENTARY FROM MOONCUSSER FILMS
A new 16 minute movie about the life of famed inventor Guglielmo Marconi
has been released by Mooncusser Films of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Chatham Radio - The Untold Story is narrated by Walter Cronkite,
KB2GSD. It traces Marconi's career from his the first transatlantic
transmission from his wireless station at Chatham on Cape Cod, to its life
saving emergence as a life-saving tool at sea and though his creation of
the business of wireless communication.
The film was produced by Barbara Cotnam, directed and edited by Christopher
Seufert. You can see a sample of it on line at the company website at www
dot MooncusserFilms dot com (Mooncusser release)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: KA3HDO NAMED CHIED ENGINEER OF NASA'S ESMD
And congratulation to Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. This, after he is
named as the NASA Headquarters Chief Engineer for the Exploration Systems
Mission Directorate.
The ESMD as it is called is NASA's initiative to develop a sustained human
presence on the moon, promote space exploration and serve as a stepping
stone to Mars and beyond. As Chief Engineer, Bauer provides systems
engineering advice and consultation to resolve some of the most demanding
and complex technical and organizational challenges within this exploration
program. (AMSAT News Service)
**
RADIO HONORS: NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR PUBLIC RADIO ENGINEER ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD
The Association of Professional Radio Engineers is accepting nominations
for the second annual APRE Engineering Achievement Award. The honor is to
be given to an individual for his or her outstanding contributions to the
art and/or science of radio engineering that has made a significant impact
on, or improvement in the state of the public radio industry.
To suggest a public radio engineer use the award nomination form found
on-line at www dot nprlabs dot org slah apre. The site also lists
information about the 2008 Public Radio Engineering Conference. The award
will be presented at the annual NPR Labs and APRE Engineering Dinner in Las
Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, April 11. (E-mail)
**
RADIO HONORS: 2008 YHOTY AWARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT
The nominating period for the 2008 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the
Year is now open. Any licensed radio amateur age 18 or younger residing in
the United States or Canada is eligible for the award. We have put the
full details and both downloadable and on-line nominating forms at the
Young Ham of the Year website Its in cyberspace at www dot YHOTY dot
org. Again that's www dot YHOTY dot org. (ARNewsline)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: AOL ADOPTS AMAZON'S UNBOX
Another telecommunications giant is bailing out of on-line video. This
time it's America Online and amateur Radio Newsline's David Black, KB4KCH,
is at our South-East bureau with the details:
--
America Online says that it is ending its one year old pay-for-download
service. This, in favor of Web retailer Amazon.com Inc.'s technology for
selling movies and TV shows online.
AOL started selling video online last October. Company spokesman Fred
McIntyre told the press that the reason for walking away from its initial
offering was based on A-O-L shifting its focus for its primary business and
everything it does towards an advertising business." Amazon launched its
Unbox in September 2006. It offers thousands of television shows, movies
and other videos from more than 30 studios and networks at what industry
observers cite as a very reasonable cost.
--
Terms of the deal were not available, but Amazon says that it does plan to
share revenue with America Online. (WebNews)
**
RADIO RESEARCH: CELLPHONES VS. SLEEP
According to a new scientific study into the impact of mobile phones impact
on human rest, the phones disrupt sleep patterns
The latest research funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Association used 884
MHz GSM phones. It purports to show that participants took longer to reach
stage 3 deep sleep and had shorter stage 4 deep sleep after actual exposure
to mobile signals. This, compared to when they had no exposure.
These stages of sleep are believed to be important for helping to recover
from daily wear and tear on the human body.
The news article is on-line at
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94715.php with the scientific
abstract at http://tinyurl.com/2jv2js) (CGC)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: MULTIPSK 4.7 RELEASED BY F6CTE
Patrick Lindecker F6CTE has release a new version of the popular MULTIPSK
data modes software. The latest upgrade provides Automatic Repetition
Request and Fast Acknowledged Exchange when operating in A-L-E and A-L-E
400 modes. It also features an improvement of the Outlook Express or
equivalent outgoing mails handling, and automatic transfer of received ARQ
FAE messages to Internet addresses via Outlook Express e-mail. The new
release called MULTIPSK 4.7 is on line at f6cte dot free dot
fr (Southgate)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: SPY-SAT TO DE-ORBIT IN FREBRUARY
Get ready for another Chicken Little contest. Maybe. Chicken Little as in
the asky is falling. And as usual its another large satellite that is
about to de-orbit. Jeff Clark, K8JAC, reports:
--
A dying American spy satellite is likely to plunge to Earth by late
February or early March. Specialists who follow spy satellite operations
suspect it is an experimental imagery satellite built by Lockheed Martin
and launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in December 2006
aboard a Delta II rocket. Shortly after the satellite reached orbit,
ground controllers lost the ability to control it by radio and were never
able to regain communication. Officials said that they had no control over
the nonfunctioning satellite and that it was unknown where the debris might
land.
It is fairly common for satellites to drop out of orbit and enter Earth's
atmosphere, but most break up before they reach the
surface. These incidents occur every few months, and it is often
difficult to control the satellite's trajectory or its re-entry into the
atmosphere. The debris, if any survives the fiery descent, typically lands
in remote areas and causes little or no harm.
--
The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was that of Skylab,
the 78-ton abandoned space station that fell from orbit in
1979. (published reports)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING THE NIKE HERCULES MISSEL
On the air, listen out for special event station II3NIK. Andrea Zecchinato,
IZ3JJD, has been on the air as of January 1st using that call and will
continue until June 30th to celebrate the Nike Hercules Memorial Year.
For those to young to remember, the Nike Hercules missile was one of the
last symbols of the 20th century's Cold War. According to IZ3JJD, the Nike
Hercules system was considered to be a silent guardian of the European
N.A.T.O. alliance and of some Asian States.
Andrea says to look for II3NIK to be active on 80, 40, 30m and 20 meters
using CW, SSB and PSK31. All contacts made can be confirmed via the bureau
or by direct to IZ3JJD. (IZ3JJD)
**
DX
In DX word that TU5KG, who will be maritime mobile in the Southern Indian
Ocean over the next few months may be active as FT5XR. This, from Port aux
Francais, on Kerguelen Island around March 15th. If you work him QSL via
F4EFI, direct or by the bureau.
Also, VE4GV, will be active as portable 6Y5 from Ocho Rios betweenFebruary
1th and the 18th. Listen out for him on 80 though 10 meters including 30,
17 and 12 meters on meters, CW, SSB and possibly the digital modes. His
operations will also include the ARRL DX CW Contest on February 16th and
17th. QSLs to VE4GV.
A major expedition to Isla de Coco is expected to run until February
14th. TI9K should be operating six or seven stations for 24 hours a day on
all High Frequency bands, plus 60 metres and 6 meters. Modes are SSB, CW,
RTTY and PSK31. Full details can be found at www dot ti9 dot eu dot com.
Lastly, KL7QZ will be operational from St. Paul Island, in the Probilof
Islands, Alaska through February 20th. He plans to use low power on the
various High Frequency bands with an effective radiated level of around 50
watts using a Windom antenna. John tells Newsline that he also will try to
operate the A0-51 and SO-50 satellites if their footprints look
hopeful. QSL direct or e-QSL. Check KL7QZ on QRZ.com for information
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: POLLS AND MORE POLLS
And finally this week, some 284 of you took part in our most recent poll
that asked if you got the ham radio goodie that you had asked Santa to
bring you. Of that number, 22.2% said yes, 16.5% of you said no and 8.8%
of you reported back that you no longer believe in Santa.
But the largest response of all was from those of you who said that you had
not asked for a ham radio gift this past Christmas. In fact some 52.5%
responded in just that way.
And now for a new poll. It deals with D-Star and the fact that some
putting up D-Star repeaters believe that they can put them anywhere on any
of the VHF and UHF bands because the tiny built in analog to digital and
digital to analog conversions mean it does not operate in real time. And
for now at least it appears as if the FCC is on their side. So its now
time for you to voice your opinion. The question we are asking the next
four weeks is whether or not D-Star repeaters should be confined to
designated repeater subbands in the same way that analog FM machines are.
To take part, simply take your web browser to www dot ARNewsline dot org
and scroll down until you see the poll area on the left side of the
page. Then simply click on your choice of yes or no. The software
immediately adds you to the tally and displays the results. We believe
that this is an important issue that affects everyone who operates on 2
meters and the frequency bands above and that's the reason this poll is now
on line. We thank you in advance for taking part. (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.
Before we go we want to remind you that the nominating period for the 2008
Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year is now open. Any licensed
radio amateur age 18 or younger residing in the United States or Canada is
eligible for the award. Full details and both downloadable and on-line
nominating forms are in cyberspace at www dot YHOTY dot org.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim Meachen,
ZL2BHF, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline is Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
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