[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1594 - February 29, 2008

Sun Mar 2 10:40:28 EST 2008

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1594 - February 29, 2008

The following is a Q-S-T.  An Australian digital ham radio group is
shutting down, the March Clipperton Island DXpedition is going live to
the web and Japan launches its own emergency communications satellite.
Find out more about it on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1594
coming your way right now.

**

RESCUE RADIO TECHNOLOGY:  VK PACKET GROUP SHUTTING DOWN

The cost of keeping a radio program going has become to much for one
Australian crew.  After many years of service, Australia's Queensland
Digital Group is closing down and transferring its ham radio networks
to that nations Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Service better known
by the acronym WICEN.  With the story behind the story
here's W-I-A newsman Graham Kemp, VK4BB:

--

Brisbane Area WICEN is set to take over the Queensland Digital Group
packet and Voice networks as the QDG Inc. can no longer maintain the
networks and will run out of funds within twelve months.

In order to keep the radio sites for Amateur use QDG reluctantly
decided to close down, this way they are able to pass on the networks
as a going concern, complete with some funds for maintenance and on
going technical support. A number of QDG Inc. members have joined WICEN
to help maintain the equipment.

This decision has taken over three years while they have tried other
means to keep the networks going but this is the only logical choice
left.  The QDG's VK4DGQ packet mail-server will also close, due to the
decline in packet usage.

The Queensland Digital Group has started the slow process of shutting
down feeds to Queensland and interstate packet BBS. Invisible to users,
VK4DGQ has none the less been an integral part of the world wide packet
radio network for twenty years and will be missed by many hams.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB of the WIA News
in Brisbane, Australia.

--

VK4BB also reports that as the era comes to a close, so to does the
VK4TX packet radio Bulletin Board Server run by Neville Mills and
bearing his callsign.  First on line in 1982 the well known Australian
B-B-S was soon attracting packet users in the Brisbane region and was
very popular in the 1980's and 1990's.  Over the  last few years it has
as a packet forwarding gateway.  (WIA News)

**

RESCUE RADIO TECHNOLOGY:  JAPAN LAUNCHES EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DATA
SATELLITE

Japan has  successfully orbited an experimental satellite aimed at
providing high-speed emergency Internet access across Asia.  This, even
if the terrestrial infrastructure were to be destroyed.

The Kizuna satellite was launched at 08:55 GMT on February 23rd from the
Japan Space Center on Tanegashima island using a Japan developed H-2A
rocket.  The 342 million dollar bird will allow super-high speed data
communications of up to 1.2 Gbps.  That rate translates to 150 times
that of the average high-speed ADSL connection rate of 8 Mbps, or 12
times the speed of a fiber-optic communication delivery to an Internet
subscribers premises.

Japan is looking to use the satellite to allow communication when a
ground-based network is severed by a disaster in any Asian country.  It
would be used to transmit data to crisis management offices by
satellite transceiver equipped first response teams in the field.  The
space agency is also hoping to use the satellite  as an educational or
medical communications tool to reach people in remote or mountainous
areas.

The word Kizuna means "bond" in Japanese.  The satellite is expected to
be commissioned to full service  with terrestrial infrastructures this
coming July.  (Space)

**

ON THE AIR:  CLIPPERTON 08 GOING LIVE TO THE WEB

It's a DXpedition that you will be able to take part in, at least
vicariously.  This with news that the upcoming TX5C DXpedition expects
to be active from Clipperton Island March 7th to March 17th has arranged
to bring much of its operation into your shack over the World Wide Web.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of satellite phone dealer Outfitter
Satellite Inc,  the TX5C operation will be able to provide DX'ers with
rich high bandwidth content from the DXpedition including more online
log updates, webcams and live video from Clipperton Atoll.

Bob Grimmick, N6OX, will lead the international team to Clipperton.
The major sponsors include Icom America, SteppIR antennas, Alpha Radio
Products, the Northern California DX Foundation, and the International
DX Association.  Operation will be on all the high frequency bands
using C-W, SSB and RTTY plus 6 meter CW and SSB.

This happens to be the 30th anniversary of the 1978 FO0XA-XH operation
from the atoll and the goal in 2008 is to hold 100,000 or QSO's
worldwide.

More is on-line at http://clipperton2008.org.  We will have more DX
news later on in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.  (Clipperton
2008)

**

DX DISASTER:  BAD WEATHER FORCES XR7W EARLY SHUTDON

Being at the center of a DX pile up not only involves a lot of hard
work, but it can also be dangerous and expensive.  That's the story of
the now concluded Wager Island operation.  Amateur Radio Newsline's
Bruce Tennent, K6PZW, has more:

--

On February 9th, the XR7W Wager Island team experienced some truly
horrible weather conditions.  They were forced to leave the island
after some 24 hours of gale force winds and pouring rain.

Abandoning their DXpedition was bad enough, but once on the mainland
the team suffered a rather serious accident.

They were on their way back to Coyhaique, Chile when their van slipped
of a gravel road.  It hit a rock and flipped upside-down.  Four
operators were hospitalized.  RV1CC was diagnosed with a broken left
upper arm. CE6TBN received cuts, bruises and a broken rib.  RA0FU had a
number of cuts while HA1AG suffered a broken finger, a broken rib and
compression on the thorax bone. Thankfully none of the operators lost
their life.

Despite all the problems, the XR7W operators managed some 2,400 QSO's
from the rare Wager Island location.  The damage in van, to their
equipment and additional costs are estimated in excess of 11,000 Euros.

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

--

Wager Island is off the coast of Chile.  You can read an in depth first
hand account of the accident written by HA1AG on line at
http://dx-is.com/news/?p=197 (Southgate, HA1AG, others)

**

DX NOW:  KOSOVO AND DXCC

The DXCC status of the newly independent nation of Kosovo remains in
question.  In a lengthy press release last week, the ARRL's  DXCC
Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, said he understands that there are many
questions about the DXCC status of Kosovo, but indicated that a
decision on adding it to the approved countries list could be sometime
off .

Moore said the DXCC rules, modified in 2000 to better handle inclusion
to DXCC, are clear on how additions can be made.  He says that for
inclusion in the DXCC List, certain conditions must be met.  He says
that gaining entry on the DXCC List is not contingent upon whether
operation has occurred or will occur, but only upon the qualifications
of the Entity"

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17th.  This set
off new speculation on what this means to Amateur Radio and
specifically, to the DXCC program.  According to Moore, adding Kosovo
to the DXCC List would be considered under the "Political Entity" DXCC
guidelines. These DXCC rules state that Political Entities are those
areas which are separated by reason of government or political
division.  When Kosovo might be put up for such consideration, Moore
did not say.  We will have more DX news near the end of this weeks
newscast.  (ARRL)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAMS TRAIN FOR SKYWARN IN TERRE HAUTE INDIANA

Back in the USA, amateur radio operators and others in Terre Haute,
Indiana took time out on Monday night, February 25th  to learn how to
identify dangerous storms.  This, at a  class where trainee storm
spotters got a lesson in spotting potentially severe weather
formations.

Dave Tucek, KC9CNF, is a meteorologist with the National Weather
Service in Indianapolis.  He spoke to more than 60 amateur radio
operators and other weather spotters gathered for the 2008 Weather
Spotter Class sponsored by Illiana Indiana Skywarn.  He says that storm
spotters are vital in identifying dangerous storms at the ground level.
He said that weather radar often only tells the National Weather
Service what is happening several thousand feet above the ground but
not what's going on down here at ground level. Weather spotters, such
as those in Illiana Skywarn, are vital for issuing correct severe
weather warnings, watches and advisories, Tucek said.

Skywarn, a national organization that works with the National Weather
Service to help identify severe weather at the ground level.  (Terre
Haute Star)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  DEATH CANCELS PIRATE STATION FINE

The FCC has canceled a $10,000 fine against the late Henry Gaye for
operating an unlicensed radio transmitter.  This, because Gaye has
passed on.

The text from the FCC was short and to the point. Dennis Carlton,
regional director of the South Central Region of the Enforcement
Bureau, wrote: "The Tampa Office has since learned that Mr. Gaye passed
away. Because Mr. Gaye is no longer living, we cancel the NAL." (RW)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  U.K. RAID NETS 20 PIRATES OFF THE AIR

Ofcom, the United Kingdoms telecommunications regulator has announced
that it recently carried out enforcement action against over 20 illegal
broadcasters in various parts of London. The operation was carried out
between February 6th and 16th in cooperation with the Boroughs of
Hackney, Haringey, Tower Hamlets and Islington, and the Metropolitan
Police..  This enforcement action resulted in three arrests, one studio
raid, and the removal of 22 transmitters from the airwaves.  Ofcom
estimates that there are still over 150 illegal stations operating in
the UK, with half of those broadcasting across London and the South
East.  (GB2RS)

**

RADIO LAW:  FOR THE BIRDS

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps says that he is pleased with a decision
by a federal appeals court to vacate the commission's denial and
dismissal of the Gulf Coast migratory bird petition.  Instead, the
court ordered the commission to conduct a study of the effect of
communications towers on migratory birds.

The commission has an open proceeding on the issue of whether
communications towers, such as radio, TV, cell and two-way towers,
cause or contribute to migratory bird deaths. Environmentalists say
they do; broadcasters say they do not or that the problem is
overstated.

The FCC has not decided whether to appeal the decision but Copps called
the decision a wake-up cal.  He ays that it is time to stop acting as
if a problem will go away if we just keep kicking it down the road.
(RW)

**

REPEATER PROBLEMS:  UK D-STAR REPEATER GOES OFF DUE TO INTERFERENCE
FROM UNLICENSED DEVICES

A newly operational D-Star repeater in the United Kingdom has been
forced off the air due to interference on its input from unlicensed
devices.  The Radio Society of Great Britain's Emerging Technology Co-
ordination Committee website reports that the GB7YD dash C,  70cm D-
Star system has been removed from service until an alternative
frequency can be found.

According to the coordinating committee, problems have been experienced
at other United Kingdom 70 cm  D-Star repeaters with an input on
433.9125 MHz.  Unfortunately this part of the Amateur Band in the U-K
was made license exempt and is used by a large number of micro power
consumer electronic devices for remote control and telemetry
applications.  This includes automobile key keyless entry systems,
wireless door bells and data links for in-home weather stations.
(Southgate)

**

HAM TECHNOLOGY:  D-STAR GROWING IN THE UK

But its not all bad news from our neighbors across the Atlantic pond.
2 meter D-Star repeaters have been springing up like weeds across the
United Kingdom in recent days.  First was GB7DG in Glasgow on February
15th.  It was soon followed on the air by GB7YD in Yorkshire, GM7MI in
Manchester and GB7DE in Fife.

United Kingdom D-Star repeaters have already become well established in
the 70 cm band. The new 2 meter repeaters make D-Star accessible to
many more U-K Radio Amateurs.  The offer by Icom UK of 2 meter or 70 cm
D-STAR repeaters for œ1000 which is equivalent to about 1900 U-S
dollars has undoubtedly been a factor in the rapid growth of the United
Kingdom's D-Star repeater network.  So even with the interference from
unlicensed devices, D-Star in the United Kingdom is still quickly
gaining in popularity.  (Southgate)

**

HAM HELP WANTED:  PSR LOOKING FOR WRITERS AND ARTICLES

The Tucson Amateur Packet Radio publication Packet Status Register is
looking for a few good writers.  Of particular interest are ham radio
operators working on the digital side of our hobby who would like to
publicize their activities.

Since 1982 Tucson Amateur Packet Radio publishes the Packet Status
Register quarterly as a membership journal featuring both technical and
non-technical articles.   Its editorial staff can handle just about any
text and graphic format. The deadline for the next issue to be released
at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention is March 31st.  Submissions go to WA1LOU
at tapr dot org.  (TAPR)

**

HAM RADIO BUSINESS:  HARBACH PURCHASES RIGHTS TO PETER W DAHL
TRANSFORMERS

The name Peter W. Dahl and the transformers and chokes he designed will
live on.  This with word that Jeff Weinberg, W8CQ of Harbach
Electronics, has purchased the rights to the name, along with the
original transformer and choke specifications and designs, and the
design equipment.

Weinberg e-mailed at least one ham to confirm that the deal had been
made.  In his note he indicated  that the next generation of Dahl
designed transformers will be built by MagCap Engineering using the
original specifications, and sold through Harbach Electronics under the
Peter Dahl name. The transformer and chokes will be shipped FOB Canton,
Massachusetts and shipped directly to the customer from the MagCap
Engineering factory.  (QRZ.com)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  MT BEACON HAMFEST IN NY IN APRIL

Turning to the ham radio social scene, word that the 2008 Mt. Beacon
Amateur Radio Club Hamfest takes place on  Sunday April 13th not April
1st as reported last week.  The venue is still the same.  It's Tymor
Park in LaGrangeville, New York.  More is on-line at www.wr2abb.org.
(WA2BSS)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  KENNEHOOCHEE HAMFEST MARCH 15TH

The 55th Annual Kennehoochee Hamfest, takes place Saturday, March 15th
in Jim R Miller Park, on Marietta, Georgia.  Gates open at 8 a.m. and
close at 3 in the afternoon local time with talk-in on the 146.880 MHz
repeater that requires a 100 hertz access tone.  More about this event
is on-line at www.w4bi.org  (E-mail)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  DX PROGRAMS FOR YOUR CLUB MEETINGS

And if you are looking for a program for your next club meeting word
that movie maker Jim Brooks, 9V1YC has two new DXpedition videos out.
One deals with the 2006  Kermedec Island Zed-L-8-R operation.  The
other chronicles the 2007 B-S-7-H Scarborough Reef operation.  Both are
professionally produced, broadcast-quality documentaries on DVD.  More
about these and Jim's other 8 DXpedition films are on line at
www.dxvideos.com.  (E-mail)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  BOB BEASLEY, K6BJH - S.K.

Some more sad news to report .  This, with the passing of famed ham
radio cartoonist Bob Beasley, K6BJH, of Homeland, California.

Bob Beasley was born and raised in southern California and became a
radio amateur in 1953.  He once said that he had been interested in
comic art ever since he could remember, and decided at an early age
that he wanted to be a cartoonist.

For many years K6BJH was the resident cartoonist for Worldradio
Magazine.  After he retired much of his work was released in the book
The Best of Beasley.

Bob Beasley, K6BJH, died on Saturday, February 16th.  He was 83.
(Worldradio)

**

CHANGING OF THE GUARD:  SWL LEADER DON RICHARD SCHMIDT - SK

And the world of shortwave listening has lost one of its prominent
leaders.  This with the passing of Southern California Area DX'ers club
Vice President Don Richard Schmidt.

According to Stewart MacKenzie, Schmidt died of an apparent heart
Attack on Monday, February 18th.  McKenzie says that the group will
greatly miss Schmidt's services to the hobby of radio listening and to
the two club's that he has put his full energy into all these years.

MacKenzie says that per Schmidt's wishes there are no plans for a
memorial gathering.  (SCADS)

**

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  BOEING MUST PROVE WIRELESS BROADBAND SECURITY OF
787

Boeing Aircraft Company still has something to prove when it comes
to offering safe Internet access on its new 787 jetliner.  This, before
the new jet will be permitted to  carry passengers with their wireless
devices turned on.

Boeing has designed the 787 Dreamliner to allow airlines to offer
passengers more in-flight Internet options than previous planes have
allowed. Those new features and other aspects of 787's computer network
go beyond the scope of existing regulations.  So the Federal Aviation
Administration is requiring Boeing to show the new technology isn't a
safety threat.

According to news reports, Boeing will have to show that Internet
access in the cabin will not  leave the flight controls vulnerable to
hackers and hijackers.  The company claims it has engineered safeguards
to shut out unauthorized users, but some security analysts worry
navigation and communications systems could still be vulnerable.

As to you bringing along your H-T and operating from on-high.  Well
don't hold your breath.  Its doubtful that any major airline will ever
permit hams to talk on the air with their own gear as some  might
please.  (Science OnLine)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  AO-11 COPIED BUT INTERMITTANT

AMSAT reports that its aging OSCAR-11 ham radio satellite was heard
from January 22nd to February 1st and again from February 11th to the
15th.  Signal levels have been very variable in strength sometimes very
strong, and at other time undetectable, even at high elevations.  Low
signal strength was particularly noticeable towards the end of the
transmission periods.

OSCAR-11 is expected to switch back on under control of its on-board
timer around March 7th.  There should be a short period of transmissions
before permanent eclipses start in mid March.  After that time it is
unlikely that the satellite will support any sustained period of
operation, and will only transmit for a short time, possibly less than
a single orbit, every 21 days.

OSCAR-11 has a beacon frequency of 145.826 MHz where it transmits
telemetry.  More information is at
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/   (ANS)

**

WORLDBEAT - ANTARCTICA:  LOGS FINALLY ARRIVE

Some good news for those of you waiting a long time for a confirmation
from Antarctica.  Adam Brown, K2ARB, reports that he has received the
logs for the operation from KC4USV at McMurdo Station for the period
October 2004 through February 2007.  Among the operators during that
period were Mike Poole, KE6ZYK, and Charles Dowdell, N2TYQ. All
stations wishing to confirm a QSO or submit an SWL signal report are
invited to do so via K1IED at   his address as found on QRZ.com. All
QSO's will soon be uploaded to Logbook to the World  as well. (Modern
DX News)

**

WORLDBEAT - AUSTRALIA:  A NEW HAM ON-LINE WIKI

A new amateur radio wiki has been started by Tim Roberts, VK4YEH.
Roberts says that he intends for this new wiki to become an online
encyclopaedia for hams, rather than just pages of links.  Articles of
all sorts are welcome, but be aware that the philosophy of a wiki is
that articles can be, and probably will be, edited by others.  The URL
is www.amateur-radio-wiki.net  (WIA)

**

WORLDBEAT - WORLDWIDE:  INTERNATIONAL MUSEUMS WEEKEND

This years International Museums Weekend special event will take place
on the weekend of June 14th and 15th.  Hams world-wide are encouraged to
participate in this event by setting up stations in their local
museums.

The event organizer is Harry Bloomfield, M1BYT.  He  asks that all
those intending to join in should register their museum on the
International Museums Weekend website at www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/imw
Harry himself can be contacted by email to harry dot m1byt at tiscali
do co dot uk.  (GB2RS)

**

DX

In DX, word that F8CHM will be active as FR5EZ from Reunion Island
until the  21st of March. He expects to be active on the HF bands and 6
meters using CW and SSB.  QSL as directed on the air

And weather permitting, the United Kingdom's Luton VHF Group plan to
activate the Welsh island of Caldey, on 1st and 2nd March.  This,
during the 2 meter and 70cm RSGB contest. The callsign will be GW3SVJ.
The expedition is a precursor to a much longer and larger expedition
planned for the first week of September. Further information is
available at www dot vhfcomm dot co dot uk slash LVG.

Also the 1st and 2nd of March sees the ARRL DX SSB Contest on all HF
bands. It starts at 00.01 on the Saturday and ends at 23.59 on the
Sunday. The exchange is RST and serial number.  As this is a contest
contacts must be kept brief so  please do not ask QSL routing.  Most
major operations will either post this information on the Internet or
supply it to DX and contest newsletter.

The VP6DX operation was slated to leave the island on February 28th.
As this was being written, the VP6DX Web site was reporting around
121,968 QSO's.  The U-R-L is www.vp6dx.com

Lastly, word that the New Zealand's N-Z-A-R-T QSL Bureau Zed-L one
prefix sub-bureau is closed until further notice.  Jack Small, Zed-L-1-
K-Q, has retired from the position he has held since 1980.   The
national society is now looking for a replacement for Small willing to
take on this unpaid volunteer position.

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  UK MAN STEALS TO BUY RADIOS

And finally this week, talk about being addicted to radio. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Jim Damron, N8TMW, reports:

--

The Halifax Evening Courier reports that a 56-year-old man in the
United Kingdom admitted to stealing the equivalent of almost $30,000
from his 71 year old partner and spending it all on receivers.

The newspaper says that the Copley, Halifax man was accused of forging
his partners signature on checks made out to himself while she was a
resident in a nursing home.  He reportedly used the money to purchase
radios with which he surrounded himself often had them all on at once.

Police found about 50 wireless sets in his house. The defense said he
had suffered from an obsessive compulsive disorder for 30 years.

--

The next time your XYL gives you a bad time over your transceiver and
antenna tuner, just tell her about this guy and how lucky she really
is.   (Halifax EC)

**

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.YHOTY.org.

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm David
Black, KB4KCH, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.