[TCARC-NTx] Fw: ARNewsline 1272 - Dec 28 2001
David Johnson
[email protected]
Fri, 28 Dec 2001 18:50:31 -0600
----- Original Message -----
From: "Radionews" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.space
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 1:10 PM
Subject: ARNewsline 1272 - Dec 28 2001
AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE(tm) REPORT #1272 - DECEMBER 28 2001
==========================================
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de
The Newsline Production Team
==========================================
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1272 with a release date of
Friday, December 28th, 2001 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T.
A not so welcome FCC Christmas present for several hams and an ARRL survey
says
that most hams no longer want the novice bands. These stories are first on
this New Years week edition of the Amateur Radio Newsline coming your way
right
now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC DESIGNATES KEVIN MITNICK, N6NHG, LICENSE RENEWAL
APPLICATION
TO PUBLIC HEARING
A convicted computer hacker now has to face an FCC if he wants to keep his
ham
radio license. This, as the regulatory agency designates the Amateur Radio
license renewal application of Kevin David Mitnick, N6NHG, for hearing. We
have this report:
--
According to the FCC, Kevin David Mitnick is best known to the world as a
hacker who admitted that he broke into a number of computer systems and
stole
proprietary software belonging to Motorola, Novell, Fujitsu, Sun
Microsystems
and other companies. He has also admitted using a number of means to commit
his crimes including social engineering, cloned cellular phones ad sniffer
programs placed on a victims computer system. Mitnick even acknowledged
altering the programming of computer systems belonging to the University of
Southern California and using these computers to store programs that he had
misappropriated.
Mitnick was sentenced to forty six months in federal prison for his August
9th
1999 conviction. He had previously been sentenced to twenty-two months in
prison for possessing cloned cellular phones after his arrest in North
Carolina
in 1995 and for violating his supervised release that had been imposed after
his conviction for unrelated computer fraud in 1989. He is currently on
probation following his release from prison in January of 2001. And in
December of 1999, Kevin David Mitnick, N6NHG, applied for renewal of his
Amateur Radio Station and his General Class Operators License.
His license expired on December 12th 1999. The FCC put the renewal
application
on hold pending further inquiry. Now the agency has made public that it
intends to challenge Mitnick’s right to hold a ham radio license and has
issued a Hearing Designation Order. In plain English, that means Kevin
David
Mitnick has to prove to the government why it should renew his ham ticket or
have his license cancelled.
The FCC is challenging Mitnick’s license renewal request on the ground that
his past criminal behavior raises a substantial and material question as to
whether Mitnick possesses what the it terms as the requisite character
qualifications to remain a Commission licensee. The FCC says that in the
context of broadcasting licenses, it has long held that evidence of any
conviction for misconduct constituting a felony will be considered as
relevant
to its evaluation of an applicant’s character. It also says that the
broadcast character qualifications standards have been used as guidelines in
the evaluation of non broadcast licenses including those in the Amateur
Service
and that the courts have upheld the Commission’s right to do this.
The agency cites two recent cases. That of Herbert L. Schoenbohm, the
ex-KV4FZ
and Leslie Brewer who used to be KC4HAZ. Brewer, also known as the Tampa
Party
Pirate lost his ticket because of his unlicensed broadcasting in the
commercial F-M band . Schoenbohm lost his based on a fraud conviction of
using
an unauthorized telephone access device. And the FCC says that any
conviction
for fraudulent conduct calls in question a licensee’s ability to act in a
manner consistent with FCC regulations.
And so the FCC has ordered that a hearing be held before an Administrative
Law
Judge to determine the effect of the criminal convictions of Kevin David
Mitnick on his qualifications to be a Commission licensee. It also says
that
pursuant to provisions of the Communications Act, the burden will be on
Kevin
David Mitnick, N6NHG, to provide proof that his license renewal application
should be granted. Mitnick was given 20 days of the mailing of the Hearing
Designation Order to file a response.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I’m Andy Jarema, N6TCQ.
--
The hearing designation order on Mitnick’s license was adopted by the
Commission on December 11th but not released until Friday, December 21st.
Ironically, less than twenty-four hours earlier, Mitnick had made a guest
appearance on Art Bell’s Coast to Coast A-M where he discussed his future
plans. At that time he was apparently unaware that the FCC had some plans
of
its own in regard to whether or not N6NHG will remain a radio amateur and
Commission licensee.
The complete text of the Mitnick FCC Hearing Designation Order is on the web
at:
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2001/db1221/fcc01359.txt
(FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: GERRITSON LICENSE PLACED ON HOLD PENDING POSSIBLE HEARING
Kevin Mitnick, N6NHG, is not the only person hearing from the FCC in recent
days. So have a number of others including another Southern California
resident who could face the same kind of a hearing. Riley Hollingsworth,
K4ZDH, is the FCC’s Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement:
--
Hollingsworth: “We notified a Bell California licensee; Jack Gerritson,
ex-KG6IRO, that the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, had set aside his
Technician grant so that a recent conviction for radio interference could be
evaluated. Now, he has no authority to operate Amateur Radio equipment
until
the matter is resolved.”
--
The action to place Gerritson's license up for hearing was taken November
14,
2001 and is based in part upon complaints about the operation of his station
and questions regarding Gerritson's qualifications to be a Commission
licensee.
The FCC says that both issues were raised as the result of Gerritson's 1999
arrest and year 2000 conviction for interference to police radio
communications. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC REOPENS KY-W.VA REPEATER CASE
The FCC is also continuing its crackdown in the area of repeater
interference
issues. In fact it is taking a second look at a coordinated versus
uncoordinated issue in the Tennessee and West Virginia border area. Again,
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH:
--
Hollingsworth: “We notified parties in a repeater dispute in West Virginia
that we would be reopening that case after information that one of the
repeaters is coordinated after all. We had declined to intervene earlier
this
year in that case.”
--
The letter stating that the FCC is reopening that case went to Michael Horn,
KB8GDF, of Lenore West Virginia, Kenneth Brown KF8HL of Davin West Virginia
and
Carl Tussey, KB4UCE of South Williamson Kentucky. Back on January 24, 2001,
had notified the three that it had received a complaint that they were
operating an uncoordinated repeater on 145.390 MHz in Mingo County, West
Virginia, and that this repeater was causing interference to the coordinated
KC8FKP repeater operated by the Portsmouth Radio Club that uses the same
frequency. The matter was closed when the FCC interpreted a notation in the
South-Eastern Repeater Associations Repeater Journal that the status of the
KC8FKP repeater was not known and interpreted this as meaning that the
repeater
was also was not coordinated.
But now the FCC says that it has recently come to it’s attention that
although in the SERA Repeater Journal says that the KC8FKP repeater may be
listed as unknown, it is still a coordinated system. Therefore, the FCC is
re-opening its review of the issues in this matter. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: IS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY RUNNING A HAM REPEATER?
Is a government agency operating ham radio repeaters in violation of Part 97
rules? Specifically, the FCC wants to know who is really running the KD6LSO
and W6SON repeaters in Sonoma County California.
The FCC says that it has received allegations that the county is in charge
not
the hams whose call signs appear on the machines. Since a county
governmental
entity cannot be an Amateur licensee, the FCC is collecting information in
order to determine if there are breach of its rules. (FCC)
**
BREAK 1
This is ham radio news coming to you from the United States of America. We
are
the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world,
including Rocky Mountain Radio League repeaters serving Denver and
Bloomfield
Colorado.
(5 Sec Pause Here)
**
RESTRUCTURING: ARRL STUDY SAYS NOVICE BANDS MAY NOT BE NEEDED
An ARRL study group has recommended doing away with the current novice bands
and divvying them up among the remaining licenses classes. Amateur Radio
Newsline’s Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has the details:
--
An ARRL Novice Spectrum Study Committee has recommended that the League
petition the FCC to eliminate the CW novice subbands. It also wants a rules
change that will allow Novice and Technician licensees with element 1 credit
to
be permitted to operate Morse code on the General 80, 40, 15 and 10 meter
C-W
allocations at up to 200 watts power out.
These are just two of the suggestions contained in a report that will be
presented to the Leagues Board of Directors when that group convenes in mid
January. The study committee will also suggest recognizing portions of the
80, 40, 15 and 10 meter Morse bands for what it calls ''slow CW operation.''
The committee says that this would aid new operators in enhancing their
Morse
code skills.
Finally, the panel also recommends re-farming -- that’s another way of
saying
reapportioning -- reapportioning the current Novice and Tech Plus subbands
in
part. This, to allow expansion of the phone allocations on 80, 40 and 15
meters.
What will the ARRL Board of Directors do? We should know in less then a
month.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Norm Seeley, KI7UP
--
The committee's determinations were based on opinions expressed by 4744 hams
who respond to an ARRL Novice Spectrum Study survey launched last June.
Those
expressing their opinions included ARRL members and also non-members. What’
s
really interesting is that nearly 61% of those responding were Extra class
licensees. (ARRL bulletin)
**
FCC INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT: THE NAMES THE SAME
The latest report of the FCC's Office of the Inspector General contained
very
few items of intrigue. But according to the C-G-C Communicator, one of the
more colorful incidents involved a person who allegedly used the name of an
FCC
employee to obtain the government-rate for a hotel room in conjunction with
a
government-sponsored event.
Well, it turns out that the subject was legitimately attending the event,
was
entitled to the government room rate and just happened to have the same name
as
the FCC employee. The bottom line: Case dismissed.
The complete report is on the FCC website at
http://www.fcc.gov/oig/Semiannual093001-1101.pdf (CGC Communicator)
**
AMERICA AT WAR: NYC PHONE SERVICE STILL SPOTTY
It's been almost four months since the attack on the World Trade Center, and
telephone service near ground zero in lower Manhattan is anything but
normal.
According to news reports, repair people have restored service to most
customers, but thousands of lines still aren't working. As a result,
customers
complain that some business lines can call out, but customers can't call in.
The collapse of Seven World Trade Center crushed thousands of underground
cables at Verizon's nearby switching station. About 200-thousand telephone
lines and three-point-five million data circuits were affected. The company
says it'll spend as much as one-point-nine billion dollars to repair the
damage. (Telecommunications Online)
**
INTERNET SECURITY: PROBLEMS WITH XP
If you just bought a new computer equipped with the Microsoft X-P operating
system, or have upgraded your old one, listen up. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation says that you should take certain steps to protect yourself
against hackers who might try to take advantage of major flaws that have
been
found in X-P.
The bureau's National Infrastructure Protection Center says that in addition
to
installing a free software fix offered by Microsoft on the company's Web
site,
consumers and corporations using Windows XP should disable the product's
universal plug and play features as well. The FBI also warned computer
system
administrators to actively monitor for specific types of Internet traffic
that
might indicate an attack was under way.
The FBI did not provide detailed instructions how to disable plug and play.
Outside experts also caution that disabling the affected Windows XP features
threatens to render unusable an entire category of high-tech devices about
to
go on the market. This includes a new class of computer printers that are
easier to set up. But the same experts also acknowledge that disabling
plug
and play in X-P could afford some protection against similar flaws
discovered
in the future.
Microsoft considers disabling plug and play options as being unnecessary but
the company does acknowledge that Windows X-P suffers from serious problems
that can let hackers steal or destroy data files across the Internet or
implant
their own unwanted software. The FBI says that the glitches were unusually
serious because they allow hackers to seize control of all Windows X-P
operating system software without requiring a computer user to do anything
except connect to the Internet. (Published news reports)
**
THE LAW: A FIGHT AGAINST GRAY MARKET ELECTRONICS
A group of American high-tech companies is opening the year 2002 with a
campaign to protect consumers from unwittingly buying consumer electronic
products intended for foreign markets. Electronics that the manufacturers
claim may not work in the United States.
Compaq Computer is one of the companies involved in the campaign. It says
that
the group will warn consumers about the dangers of buying such products, and
how to avoid getting duped. The other companies in the group are
Hewlett-Packard, 3 Com, Nortel Networks, and Xerox. The effort may prompt
more
lawsuits against distributors who resell so called gray market items in the
United States. (Computer Products Daily)
**
SPECIAL EVENTS: USS ARIZONA K7A A SUCCESS
Steve Gurley, KJ7WK the coordinator of the USS Arizona Special Events
Station
K7A tells the Amateur Radio Newsline that the event was an overwhelming
success. Gurley says that the memorial station contacted amateurs in all 50
states, and 8 other countries while handling over 2600 QSO's. In fact says
KJ7WK, the sponsoring group has already received certificate requests from
609
stations as we go to air. There were ten operators in three counties in the
Phoenix Arizona metroplex operational during most of the three days K7A was
on
the air. (KJ7WK)
**
SCHOLARSHIPS: DARA SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2002
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association says that the nominating period for its
annual scholarship program is now open. The deadline to receive
applications
is June 1, 2002 and the announcement of winners will occur around June 15,
2002. Applications are available from the DARA Scholarship Committee, 9873
Lower Valley Pike, Medway, Ohio 45341. Please note that this is a new
address
from years past. Again it is the DARA Scholarship Committee, 9873 Lower
Valley Pike, Medway, Ohio 45341. Also, for more information on the Dayton
Amateur Radio Association and its programs, please visit www.dara-w8bi.com
on
the world wide web. (DARA)
**
AWARDS: DARA OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR HAM OF THE YEAR
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association also asks that we remind you that the
nominating period for the 2002 Dayton Hamvention Awards is now open. There
are
three awards presented each year. They are the Radio Amateur of the Year,
Special Achievement, and Technical Excellence.
All amateurs Novice through Extra are eligible. Awards are decided by the
Awards Committee, based partially upon the information received. Magazine
articles, newsletters, newspaper clippings, videos and the like are
appreciated
but cannot be returned. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2002.
Nominations should be sent to Post Office Box 964, Dayton Ohio 45401. They
can
also be submitted by completing the e-form on the web at www.hamvention.org.
(DARA)
**
BREAK 2
News never takes a holiday and neither do we. Ringing in the New Year from
the
United States of America, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline, with links to
the
world from our only official website - www.arnewsline.org.
(5 sec pause here)
**
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: BADGER STATE SMOKE SIGNALS EDITOR JIM ROMALFANGER,
K9ZZ
- SK
I’m Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.
The ham who put the state of Wisconsin on the ham radio map has passed away.
This, with word that Jim Romelfanger, K9ZZ died Saturday evening December
22nd
of an apparent heart attack..
According to Romalfanger’s close friend Ken Ebneter, K9EN, Jim has been in
declining health for some time. Romalfanger had a stroke a few weeks ago,
affecting his right arm which was already weakened by polio. But Ebneter
says
that K9ZZ seemed to be improving until just recently. Ebneter says that
Romalfanger had been in the hospital early last week but was home when he
passed away of an apparent heart attack. In fact, K9ZZ had stopped by to
visit
a ham radio friend that afternoon. Another friend found him dead that
evening
when he stopped by to visit.
His full name was Arthur James Louis Romelfanger but to the world of ham
radio
he was Jim, K9ZZ. And Jim Romalfanger made Wisconsin a ham radio household
word by editing as three decade state-wide ham radio monthly newspaper
called
Badger State Smoke Signals -- and doing so as a volunteer.
Notice we said newspaper and not newsletter. This is because Smoke Signals
is
just that. A newspaper that at its peak ran up to 40 pages filled with
articles about ham radio in the Badger State. In addition to being the 32
year
editor of Smoke Signals, Romalfanger was nationally published over the years
in
CQ, QST, 73, Ham Radio, Popular Electronics, and other magazines.
Jim Romalfanger was first licensed January 1958 in Pacific Beach,
California,
as KN6LWB. Upgraded to General in May of 1958. He returned to Wisconsin
that
summer and became K9PKQ. In 1977, changed call to K9ZZ and held that call
sign
the rest of his life. Funeral services were scheduled for Friday, December
27th
at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Baraboo Wisconsin.
Jim, from all of your friends at the Amateur Radio Newsline: We are going
to
miss you. (The Baraboo News Republic, K9EN, WB9QZB, and other friends of
K9ZZ
contributed to this report.)
**
AMAZING DISCOVERIES: CIRCLES WITHIN A CIRCLE
One of the most curious pure mathematical discoveries for 2001 was announced
in
the easy-to-read article at an incredibly long website. In brief the
article
says that research has led to some remarkable geometric findings involving
interrelationships between tangent circles and spheres. In other words,
mysterious circles within a circle.
As one researcher put it, "Where do these numbers come from? What's going
on
here?" Find out by going to www.sciencenews.org/20010421/bob18.asp (CGC
Communicator)
**
INTERENATIONAL - CANADA: NEW ALBERTA SM
On the international front, word that Thomas Martens, VE6TRM, has been
appointed the new Radio Amateurs of Canada Section Manager for the province
of
Alberta and the North West Territories. Martens replaces Alan Faint VE6QQ
will
be stepping down from the position due to personal reasons. Martens will
serve
the remainder of Faint’s term which runs through June 30th, 2003. (RAC)
**
INTERNATIONAL-AUSTRALIA: CSIRO MICROTURBINES
Australian hospitals, restaurants and schools could soon source clean,
reliable
energy from mini power generators that operate independent of the main grid.
This as CSIRO has installed Australia's first commercial microturbine, at
their
North Ryde Laboratory, Sydney.
The size of a small refrigerator, the turbine produces 30 kilowatts of
power,
independent of the electricity grid. And it does this with reduced
greenhouse
and other gas emissions. Thirty kilowatts is enough to power a medium
commercial building such as a restaurant.
Along with fuel cells, gas engines, storage technologies and some renewable
technologies, microturbines can be used to generate power close to the
end-user
and provide major gains in reliability and power quality. Once the design
can
trickle down to the home user level and price range, it could offer hams a
way
of always having emergency power always at hand. (Q-News)
**
SHORTWAVE MONITORING : RADIO NORWAY CLOSES
The Board of Directors of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation has decided
to
stop its own programs by Radio Norway International. This is effective as
of
December 31st of 2001.
According to DF5SX and G3VGW, Radio Norway’s final show was hosted by
veteran
broadcaster Einar Lie on New Years Eve. Also, the 1200 kilowatt Medium Wave
transmitter on 1314 kHz on Kvitsoy was supposed to cease operation by
December
the 31st as well.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation will have to negotiate with
transmitter
providers Norkring and Radio Denmark to close down as well. The Norwegian
Broadcasting Corporation and Norkring have a contract for running the
transmissions that goes through December 31st, 2003. The agency also has a
leasing agreement with Radio Denmark for the same period. (Media Network)
**
DX
In D-X, keep an ear open for King George Island in the South Shetland group.
HFZ0POL is reported on all H-F bands, including the newer ones, using CW,
SSB,
RTTY and PSK31. QSL HF0POL via SQ5TA.
And the United Arab Emerates has been heard lately A61AJ. He has been QRV
on
40 meters CW around 1400 UTC. Q-S-L A61AJ via N4QB. (Various DX sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: RILEY SAYS THANKS
And finally as the year 2001 comes to an end, the FCC’s Chief Rules
enforcer,
Riley Hollingsworth has some words of praise for the ham radio community.
He
passed them along through his bi-weekly Enforcement Log at
www.rainreport.com,
and thanks to them, we have is words for you:
--
Hollingsworth: “I would like to point out Hap, that this is the end of the
third year of Amateur Radio enforcement and I will honestly say that the
overall level of compliance in the Amateur Radio Service is outstanding.
The
Amateur licensees do a great job and they do a great job of showing that the
Amateur Radio Service is -- indeed -- the only fail-safe communications
system
in the world and we are very proud of them.”
--
And if I can take off my reporters hat for a moment and editorialize a bit,
I
guess I speak for many who truly appreciate what you have done to return the
Amateur Radio bands to the law abiding members of the nations ham radio
community. (ARNewsline(tm), RAIN)
**
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 newsline @arnewsline.org. 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.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don Wilbanks,
KC5MFA, saying Happy 2002, God Bless America, and we thank you for
listening."
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.
_________________________________________________________
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