[TCARC-NTx] Fw: ARNewsline 1271 - Dec 21 2001
David Johnson
[email protected]
Sun, 23 Dec 2001 01:26:53 -0600
----- Original Message -----
From: "Radionews" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.antenna
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2001 9:59 PM
Subject: ARNewsline 1271 - Dec 21 2001
AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE(tm) REPORT #1271 - DEC 21, 2001
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1271 with a release date of Friday,
December 21st, 2001 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. A national ham radio society is asked to train
new
hams for government service. This story is first on this weeks Amateur
Radio
Newsline report number 1271 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
THE EDUCATION SCENE: HAM TRAINING LEADS TO SA GOVERNMENT JOBS
A government agency has asked a national ham radio society to help train new
hams. The reason. careers with that agency. Its happened in South Africa
as
we hear from Q-News Graham Kemp, VK4BB:
--
In South Africa, their Department of Communications contacted the SARL with
the
request to train seventeen post graduate students as amateur radio
operators.
These students had already qualified in different fields, some technical and
some in the Information Technology fields. There were nine ladies and eight
men. From next year they will be employed by the Department of
Communications,
and the idea was to give them some experience in the field of radio
communications.
Training was done by Henry Chamberlain, ZS1AAZ, over a period of one full
month. In addition to lectures, the students could see practical
demonstrations
of amateur radio and they spent one period building and testing a Morse Code
practice oscillator. They also visited ZS1AAZ's home shack. The seventeen
students had already proved their ability by passing their previous studies
successfully. It was therefore no surprise that they ALL passed the amateur
examination.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Graham Kemp. VK4BB, of Q-News.
--
The seventeen will be assigned specific jobs with the South African
Department
of Communications in early 2002. (SARL, Q-News)
**
SPECTRUM SHARING: FCC SAYS YES TO HIGHER POWER UNLICENSED TRANSMITTERS AT
2.4
GHZ
The FCC has approved issued new rules permitting certain unlicensed Part 15
devices operating between 2405 and 2450 MHz to use higher power, but under
significant restrictions. The band is allocated to amateurs on a
co-secondary
basis. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Norm Seeley, KI7UP, takes a look at the FCC
action:
--
According to the C-Q Magazine website, the decision was adopted on December
11Th. In it, the FCC approved a petition by Sierra Digital Communications,
Inc. to permit unlicensed fixed point-to-point transmitters in the band to
operate at field strengths of up to 2500 millivolts per meter. This is a
tenfold increase over past power limitations.
Sierra Digital Communications manufactures and sells equipment for wireless
data communications, including high-speed wireless computer networks and
Internet links. The ARRL had opposed Sierra’s petition on the basis of
increased risk of interference to amateur and amateur satellite operations.
This is because the downlink from the AO-40 satellite is in the 24 GHz band.
But the FCC said it believed the restrictions it is imposing on the
higher-power transmitters will provide sufficient protection to other users.
This includes industrial/scientific/medical equipment, radar and Earth
exploration satellites, in addition to amateur radio. The new rules require
highly directional antennas and high frequency stability of transmitters.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Norm Seeley, KI7UP.
--
In its decision, the FCC singled out an ARRL comment where the League clamed
that Part 15 devices are permitted by the Communications Act of 1934 only
where
they have no interference potential to licensed services. The Commission
called the League’s interpretation of the law overly conservative. It said
that its rulings to date appropriately provide a means for allowing
unlicensed
devices to share spectrum with licensed services with little risk of
interference and adequate protection to licensed service. (CQ)
**
HAM RADIO AND THE WAR: MARS ON THE AIR FROM THE WAR ON TERROR
Ham radio is making it possible for those fighting the war against terrorism
to
phone home. This as the ARRL Letter announces that Army Special Forces on
duty
in Islamabad, Pakistan, and in other undisclosed locations have begun
keeping
in touch with home via MARS -- the Military Affiliate Radio System.
Phone patches provided by the Military Affiliate Radio System make it
possible
for troops to call their families in the US from areas where commercial
communications channels are not available. Amateur Radio operators enrolled
in
MARS provide the connection between the Military Affiliate Radio System
stations deployed overseas and the telephone system back home.
During the Vietnam War, phone patches were a major source of comfort to
families and service members alike. MARS also responded during Operation
Desert Storm. (ARRL)
**
BREAK 1
Wishing you a Happy Holiday from the United States of America, we are the
Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world,
including
the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club repeater, W2GSB, serving West Babylon
New York.
(5 Sec Pause Here)
**
HAM RADIO AND THE WAR: GODDARD ARC FEELS THE PINCH
The Goddard Amateur Radio Club says that it has been having serious problems
with manpower lately and the war on terrorism is partly to blame. This is
because new security restrictions imposed after September 11th require all
visitors to Goddard to be escorted by a badged employee at all times.
According to Dan Schultz, N8FGV writing to the Amsat Bulletin Board, the
clubs
WA3NAN ham shack is located on government property we are bound by the new
restrictions. This says Schultz makes it much harder to bring in control
operators who are not Goddard employees. As a result, WA3NAN which for
years
has been the primary rebroadcaster of shuttle communications on the ham
bands
is not there as often as it would like to be.
Schultz also notes that the Goddard Amateur Radio Club currently has no
president because no one has stepped forward to accept the job. The
position
of Shuttle Retransmission Director is also vacant, this is the person who
makes
the phone calls to get operators lined up to pull shifts at the
retransmission
facility.
Schultz says that the long term technical solution will be to automate the
station with remote controls and telemetry for the transmitters so that the
retransmission operator can operate from his home. But adds N8FGV, but
that
is still a little ways off in the future. As a result, WA3NAN is not there
as
much as it used to be. (AMSAT-BB)
**
AMERICA AT WAR: NEW HOMELAND TERRORIST ALERT SYSTEM PROPOSED
Homeland security chief Tom Ridge is considering a multistage system for
terrorism alerts. Ridge is also weighing how to reimburse states for the
costs
of increased security since the terror attacks.
Since the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, Ridge
has issued three general warnings. None of the alerts identified specific
targets.
Now, according to news reports, Ridge will propose a four-stage Threat Alert
Network similar to the military's DEFCON'' system. DEFCON alerts military
personnel to the seriousness of a threat. A private sector version would be
aimed at helping state and local law enforcement personnel determine the
level
to react to a Federal government issued terror warning.
The proposal came to light after California Governor Gray Davis met with
Ridge
about a week and a half ago. Davis told Ridge he had proposed such a
similar
system for California, and said Ridge had asked him to wait pending a
national
model. Ridge told Davis that he hopes to unveil the national system by
January
15th of 2002. Whether or not ham radio will play any part in such an alert
system is not known as we go to air. (Published news reports)
**
AMERICA AT WAR: CONFERENCE HELD ON ALERTING THE PUBLIC
Still in there area of alerting the public, more than 120 leaders from the
emergency warning community met November 30th and unanimously called for the
creation of a public-private partnership. This, aimed at improving the
delivery of timely and accurate emergency information to people at risk.
Don
Wilbanks, KC5MFA reports:
--
The group came together at a special conference arranged by the National
Warning Organizing Committee. This is a group of emergency warning
advocates
representing the public and private sectors.
Those attending included federal, state and local government officials,
not-for-profit organizations, and representatives from the private sector.
And
in the end the group has tasked itself to improve the delivery of warnings
and
emergency information to the public. This, through better education,
research, standards creation and policy recommendations.
The Committee Chairman is David Liebersbach, Director of the Alaska Division
of
Emergency Services. He has appointed Peter Ward, formerly of the U.S.
Geological Survey and chair of a White House-appointed working group on
natural
disaster information systems, to head up a committee to determine the new
organization's structure and governance. Ward also serves as the new
organization's spokesman. More news on the work of this committee as
information is released.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Don Wilbanks, KC5MFA, in New Orleans.
--
The conference was hosted by The MITRE Corporation in McLean, Va. MITRE is
a
not-for-profit national technology resource that provides systems
engineering,
research and development, and information technology support to the
government.
(MITRE)
**
HAM RADIO AND EDUCATION: HAM RADIO MASS BALLOON LAUNCH
The Timberlane Regional High School, in Plaistow New Hampshire will be
taking
part in a high altitude experiment next spring. This with an announcement
that
the Coordinated Algebra II and Physics classes taught by Lorainne Mascioli,
N1VYQ, and Lou Broad, N1RCA, are planning thier third year of ham radio and
high altitude balloons in May of 2002.
Six student teams will attempt to launch their balloons at the Hosstraders
Ham
Fest at the Hopkington Fair Grounds in New Hampshire. Each team is
responsible
for design, construction, and operation of their system. Each balloon will
carry a GPS receiver, a packet reporting system and several experimental
payloads. This could include cameras, video, amateur television and cross
band
repeaters. At maximum altitude such systems will have a range of 300 miles
and
should easily cover all of New England and more.
The class has grown to 34 students and they are planning to launch six
balloons
in a two day period! This could make it a record breaking event in both ham
radio and high altitude ballooning. For more information check out the
CAPSAT
Website located in cyberspace at
http://www.mv.com/ipusers/llb/capsat.html (Via Internet)
**
HAM RADIO SPOTLIGHTED IN POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL
New York’s Poughkeepsie Journal has highlighted ham radio in a December 6th
front page article. The piece focused on the public service aspects ham
radio
with quotes and pictures.
According to Andrew Schmidt, N2FTR, who is an ARRL Assistant Director in the
League’s Hudson Division, many Poughkeepsie area local hams spent time at
Ground Zero or at the Red Cross centers in the greater NYC area following
the
September 12th terrorist attacks. Andrew says that their work is well
highlighted in the article. The link is:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/thursday/community/stories/co120601s12.
shtml. (Via Internet)
**
A SPECIAL AM EVENT: THE HEAVY METAL RALLYE
This is Paul Courson WA3VJB with news of an operating event Saturday night,
December 22nd. It's the Heavy Metal Rally, featuring big iron, vacuum
tubes,
and the warm and inviting sound of AM on the shortwave ham bands.
Starting around local sunset listen for rigs in the 250 watt or 250 pound
category to populate AM gathering points on 160, 75 and 40 meters.
Jim, W8MAQ was testing HIS 1947 Collins 300-G a few days ahead of the Heavy
Metal Rally. The retired broadcast transmitter re-tuned to 75 meters sounded
like this:
In-Q: it's been great to get on... 300-G..
Out-Q: forward to that
--
Prizes include a trophy, pictured as a posting on QRZ.com, for the best
sounding station.
Last year more than a hundred stations took part -- and the winner was Mike,
WN3B, on a Gates 250-C. He gave Jim an audio report the other night:
--
In-Q: It's got more highs....
Out-Q: Shure 55
--
The Heavy Metal Rally is sponsored by Electric Radio, a magazine featuring
vintage ham radio, and published by Barry N6CSW. The event was pioneered by
Bill, KD0HG of Colorado, a broadcast engineer with a knack for big homebrew
rigs that sound great.
Frequencies and a website are listed on the news page of QRZ.com.
Paul Courson, WA3VJB, Annapolis Maryland.
**
HAM RADIO HISTORY: COLLINS RADIO CENTER NOW OPEN
The new Collins Radio Center which is the headquarters for the Collins Radio
Association is now officially open for guests and visitors. Located near
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the Collins Radio Center includes a representative
collection of Collins radio equipment, from the 1930's to the present.
There
are other classic and antique radios on display as well. More information
is
on the web at www.collinsra.com. (Collins RA Press release)
**
HAM RADIO BUSINESS: CITY ELECTRONICS - RIP
Alex Stalinsky, WA5UHT, who owns City Electronics, a small parts outlet in
Houston for almost 50 years, has decided to call it quits. According to
Chris
Boone, WB5ITT, this place was one of the main sources of parts, components
in
Houston long before the likes of Mouser and Digikey took off in mail order
sales.
Chris tell Amateur Radio Newsline that he bought many parts from City
Electronics in his early days of repeater building. In fact, Chris says his
mother claimed that he owned half of the local Radio Shack but she was
wrong.
It was really like he was a part of City Electronics as were many other
young
Houston area hams and Chris tells Amateur Radio Newsline, it will be missed.
(WB5ITT)
**
BREAK 2
By telephone, satellite and the World Wide Web, we are the amateur Radio
Newsline with links to the world at our only official website -
www.arnewsline.org.
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: INTELS NEW WARP SPEED CHIP
In another step toward faster computers, Intel Corp. has developed two new
technologies that will help the tiny transistors inside microprocessors run
cooler, use less power and operate more efficiently. The new designs
complement several recent breakthroughs in building minuscule transistors
that
form the basis of all modern computing as they switch on and off billions of
times a second. Earlier this year, Intel unveiled transistors just 20
nanometers wide. Today's Pentium 4 has 42 million transistors, each about
180
nanometers. For reference, a manometer is about 10,000 times narrower than
a
human hair. (Intel)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: DTV ROLLOUT UPDATE
Roughly two-thirds of commercial television stations plan to broadcast a
digital signal by a federal government deadline of May 1, 2002. This,
according to the National Association of Broadcasters.
In a report to the Federal Communications Commission, the industry group
said
that many of those that won't make the deadline are waiting for equipment to
be
delivered and expect to have digital broadcasts on the air in the months
afterward. But some stations in smaller markets are having a hard time
paying
for the upgrade, the association says.
Right now, most home television sets in use receive only analog signals.
But
congress has mandated that broadcasters must give up their analog channels
to
the government by 2006. As a result, there are concerns that consumers
won't
have made the costly upgrade to televisions that can receive digital signals
by
that date. (Broadcasting Daily)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: EXPEDITION 4 CREW NOW ON THE ISS
An all ham crew is now in charge of the International Space Station and will
be
for the next six months.
Three astronauts and cosmonauts now running the ISS. They are Russian
Commander Yuri Onufrienko, RK3DUO, along with American Flight Engineers Dan
Bursch, KD5PNU, and Carl Walz, KC5TIE. They make up what is called the
Expedition 4 crew and all three are expected to be on the air regularly for
school contacts and possible open QSO times made available to talk with hams
worldwide, as time permits.
The Expedition 3 crew comprised of United States Commander Frank Culbertson,
KD5OPQ, along with Russian Flight Specialists Mikhal Tyurin and Vladimir
Dezhurov is now back on good old Mother Earth. They returned on Monday,
December the 17th aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. (AMSAT-NA, ARISS)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FROM VK5ZAI
Attention educators. If you are thinking about teaching the International
Space Station, here is a bit of assistance.
Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI has updated his web pages with links to help schools
in
obtaining educational programs associated with the I-S-S and space science
in
general. Hutchison says that this should be of interest students and
teachers
alike especially if they are contemplating applying for a ham radio contact
with the astronauts on the station.
Hutchison is the Australian ARISS Coordinator. His website in cyberspace at
www.electric-web.org (VK5ZAI)
**
SPACE AND SCIENCE: CHINA ON THE BRINK
Space Daily reports that China is getting ready to launch its third unmanned
spaceship. This, to pave the way for sending that nations first astronaut
into space sometime next year. China is reportedly also in final testing
and
preparation to launch a new satellite dedicated to study ocean colors and
related phenomena. (Space Dailey)
**
DX
In DX, 9V1YC reports that he and eleven other hams will be activating South
Georgia and South Sandwich Islands in January and February of 2002. The
operation will be strictly on the high frequency bands. Exact dates, call
signs and QSL managers are not being made public until the group is actually
on
the air. The New Zealand registered vessel "Braveheart" of ZL9CI fame will
be
supporting this team for the entire 30 day trip. (RSGB)
A bit higher in frequency, Jeff Klein, K1TEO reports that December 6th was
another great D-X day on the 6 meter band. Jeff who lives in Connecticut
says
over the VHFReflector that the band was open for a solid two hours beginning
at
7:30 am local. And talk about D-X. On his very first C-Q he landed HB9QQ
who
was operating portable HB0. Even better, Jeff says that the fifth caller was
4X1RF. (VHF Reflector)
Over in Great Britain hams are actually D-Xing for charity. Jeramy Boot
G4NJH,
reports from Nottingham in the U-K.
--
Every year in September, the British Wireless Fund for the Blind -- a
registered charity - organises a fund-raising event in which amateur radio
clubs and individuals are sponsored for the number and distance of the
contacts
that they make. As of the 11th of December, the British Wireless for the
Blind
Fund reported that 'Transmission 2001' had raised £6681.48, with more coming
in every day. They say that they hope the final total will reach £7000. The
charity offers prizes to the club and individual raising the greatest
amounts.
This year the Cray Valley Radio Society operating as GB2FB and taking part
for
the first time, won the prizes for the club raising the most money and for
making the most contacts. Robert Guscott, M5GUS, operating as GB0WB, won the
prize for the leading individual.
Jeramy Boot, G4NJH.
--
The bottom line. This is another way that hams can not only enjoy their
hobby,
but can help others at the same time. (G4NJH)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: A HAM RADIO CHRISTMAS STORY
And finally this week, the story that we wait all year to tell you. Its the
ongoing story of hams who care about hospitalized children and what they do
to
bring a bit of holiday cheer to those kids who cannot make it to the mall to
spend a few moments with old Saint Nick. Here’s Amateur Radio Newsline’s
Joe Moell, K0OV:
--
As most hams know, propagation is very good this time of year. It's so good
that it's easy to make contact with the North Pole. Many clubs around the
country are taking advantage of these propagation conditions to set up QSOs
with a very special North Pole station. They're making these contacts from
hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and they sound like this:
--
Santa and Kids Audio Here
--
That's what the North Pole Network sounds like in southern California, where
it's celebrating its 25th anniversary at Childrens Hospital of Orange
County.
In the past few days, I've heard from other clubs in the North Pole Network,
including the AkSarBen ARC in Omaha and the Southwest Missouri ARC in
Springfield. And YOUR club could bring holiday joy to hospital patients.
There's a how-to article on the subject, with a dozen suggestions for your
best
North Pole Network ever, currently running on ARRL's Web site. That's
arrl.org, of course. And there's even more about North Pole Network in
southern California, plus lots of photos showing a quarter century of
holiday
fun, at the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System Web site,
www.hdscs.org. Check it out, and start planning for your own North Pole
Network joy.
--
Santa And Kids Audio Here
--
Joe Moell K-zero-Oscar-Victor for Amateur Radio Newsline.
--
>From us here at Amateur Radio Newsline: A Merry Christmas to those very
special kids and a Merry Christmas to all of you.
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, Amateur News Weekly, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio
Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB and Australia's Q-News, that's all from the
Amateur
Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is [email protected]. More
information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) only official
website
located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), P.O. Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066.
Before we go, some get well wishes to our longtime friend Ron Broadbent,
G3AAJ.
Ron is the former Secretary of AMSAT-UK. He is in the hospital in the U-K
and
will be undergoing surgery. AMSAT says that he hopes to be home by
Christmas.
Get well wishes can be sent by e-mail to [email protected].
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jeff Clark,
K8JAC and I’m Jim Damron, N8TMW, saying Happy Holidays, God Bless America,
73, and we thank you for listening." Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is
Copyright
2001. All rights reserved.
**
End Newscast
**
RAIN PROMO HERE
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