From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.ssb
Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1372 – November 28, 2003
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1372 with a release date of Friday, November 28, 2003 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. Australia plans a celebration to welcome no-code, a New Zealand ham plans an Amateur Radio replacement for a frequency standard station and the U-S-A is on the verge of banning unsolicited junk e-mail. Find out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1372 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
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RESTRUCTURING: WELCOMING NO CODE “DOWN-UNDER”
Last week Australia’s decided to abolish code exams on the 1st of January. Now its planning a world-wide on-the-air celebration as 2003 gives way to 2004 and Morse testing disappears. Jim Linton, VK3PC, has the story and an invitation for you to take part:
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On New Year's Day 2004 Australian radio amateurs will gain access to the High Frequency bands using licenses that don't require the passing of Morse code telegraphy tests. The Wireless Institute of Australia invites the world's amateur radio fraternity to join an on-air celebration of this special occasion.
To celebrate the event, there will be a "WIA Welcome to HF QSO Party" beginning at 0001 Australian Eastern Daylight Time and conclude at 2400 UTC on New Year's Day - a total of 35 hours. The VK radio amateurs appearing on HF bands for the first time can be identified by three-letter VK callsign suffixes that begin with the letters H, T, U, X, Y and Z.
WIA amateur stations will be on air to join the HF QSO Party, and these have two-letter callsign suffixes "WI" or three letter suffixes starting with "WI." Listen for the call "CQ WIA Welcome to HF QSO Party".
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Jim Linton VK3PC.
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Many in Amateur Radio have been campaigning for years to have code tests removed as a license requirement to operate on amateur bands below 30 MHz. For Australia this will happen on the 1st of January, 2004 with this very special on-the-air celebration.
(DO NOT READ. Find out more by e-mailing
hfqsoparty@wiavic.org.au (Q-News))
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INTERNATIONAL - NEW ZEALAND: A PROPOSAL TO REPLACE VNG
Still down-under, word that well known "Digital Modes" Amateur, Murray Greenman, ZL1BPU, has proposed that New Zealand and Australian hams put together a network of simple and inexpensive transmitters. This, to provide a high accuracy Standard Frequency Service to replace the VNG standards station that has now gone QRT. Amateur Radio Newslines Jim Meachen ZL2BHF is in Auckland with the details:
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Amateurs in the South Pacific have for many years relied on VNG transmissions as a prime source of accurate frequency reference. With the closure of VNG in December 2002, the sole remaining precision signal source in our area is WWVH, in Hawaii. Unfortunately the WWVH signal quality in the South Pacific is generally too poor for reliable use, either to zero beat a simple calibrator, or using more sophisticated computer based techniques.
ZL1BPU says that a series of tests over the last two years has shown that simple low power carrier transmissions on the 80m band would fulfill most of the requirements of a Standard Frequency Service:
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Greenman: “Using simple HF transmitters that I've designed, we have confirmed that low power transmissions are very useful, for both calibration and propagation study, up to at least 3000 km range.
Anyone can monitor these signals, using a stable receiver and freely available software to look for small frequency shifts that accompany each propagation path. Classic effects such as multiple paths with different refractive indices for different signal polarization’s are easily observable.
Doppler shift is particularly marked around sunrise and sunset. Observing these signals gives a better understanding of propagation, which is the key to accurate on-air frequency measurement.”
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The Service now operates on a test basis with transmissions from a high precision local reference on an exact kHz point 80m frequency using a carrier power of 1-5W. The Transmissions are identified in Morse every 30 minutes. Operation is from a different geographical location each weekend. Transmission times are announced and coordinated beforehand by e-mail.
Reporting from Auckland New Zealand I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF for Newsline
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ZL1BPU adds that these are privately owned, operated and attended test transmissions, not beacons. Establishing a Standard Frequency Service formally, perhaps under the auspices of the NZART, might be considered in the future. (NZART News)
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COMMUNICATIONS LAW: HOUSE PASSES ANTI-SPAM LAW
Here in the U-S-A, Congress has moved closer to passing the first-ever federal protections against unwanted commercial e-mails. This, with the House passing a bill on Saturday, November 22nd that would impose new limits on sending direct advertising offers -- commonly called spam mail.
Approved on a 392 to 5 vote, the measure would prohibit senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail from disguising their identity by using a false return address or misleading subject line. It would also prohibit bulk mailers from harvesting addresses off websites and require such e-mails to include a mechanism so recipients can indicate they do not want future mass mailings. Penalties for failure to comply could be up to five years in prison in some circumstances.
The House bill largely mirrors ant-Spam legislation the Senate approved last month. Supporters hope that slight differences between the two measures can be resolved before Congress adjourns for the year. The Bush administration says that it supports the anti-spam efforts. (Published news reports)
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Break 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club repeater serving Rockville Maryland.
(5 sec pause here)
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RADIO LAW: THE FCC ON PRIVACY OF INFORMATION
The FCC has put in place a temporary policy that will keep the public from knowing who is facing enforcement action by that agency. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, picks up the story:
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Don’t look for names and call signs of alleged regulatory violators to be released by the FCC anymore. At least not for a while. This is because the agency has revised the format in which it's supplying the media and the public with information regarding alleged regulatory scofflaws, including those in the Amateur Radio service.
The revised temporary policy is based on privacy concerns within the FCC. Until further notice, the agency says that it will only provide the location where a violator lives along with a very brief synopsis of the action taken.
Following a policy review now taking place the FCC says it will announce a new privacy policy for all future information releases.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, reporting.
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No timetable has been announced for the privacy policy review to be completed. (FCC)
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ENFORCEMENT: NO MORE ADS AND WE RENEW YOUR LICENSE
And without mentioning any name or callsign, the FCC has acted in a pending non-certified radio equipment marketing case. This, as a Tomah, Wisconsin, licensee is informed that renewal of his Technician license would be granted on the condition that he permanently remove from the World-Wide-Web certain information.
The FCC says what it wants removed includes any advertisements for, or references to, the sale of transmitting equipment that operates, or is intended to operate, on frequencies in the Citizens Band service. Also references to gear for any other radio service requiring the use of certified transmitting equipment but which has not been certificated by the regulatory agency.
If he says O-K, he gets his ticket renewed. If he refuses to comply, the FCC says that his renewal will be designated for hearing before Administrative Law judge. (FCC)
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ENFORCEMENT: PA REPEATER PROBLEM
The FCC has also warned a Lewistown, Pennsylvania, Extra class licensee that he must heed the request by a repeater owner to stay off that system and that technical problems with his own repeater must be corrected immediately.
And in an Order issued by Philadelphia FCC office that licensee was told that his repeater could not operate under automatic control until further notice. He was also requested to provide operational information about the repeater, including names and addresses of control operators. (FCC)
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ENFORCEMENT: TOWER VANDAL FACES 27 MONTHS IN PRISON
And you can just about write the words “the end” to the case of a Washington man accused of tampering with more than 20 high voltage power towers in four western states that we have been reporting on. 62-year-old Michael Poulin has admitted the charges and has entered a plea bargain agreement with federal prosecutors. As a result, he will serve no more than 27 months in prison. He also faces a possible fine of $500,000. Without the plea agreement he could have been sentenced to jail for up to 10 years. (CGC)
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RADIO LAW FOLLOW-UP: THE NEVADA HIGHWAY PATROL VS THE FCC
Some enforcement news of a different kind by way of the Reno Gazzette Journal and the C-G-C Communicator. Both bring word that the Nevada Highway Patrol has turned over a 255 page investigative report and 2,500 pages of supporting documentation to that states Attorney General's office. The Attorney General will now consider the possibility of criminal charges will be determined in connection with the police agency’s use of a radio system on frequencies for which it holds no licenses.
As previously reported, the highway patrol launched the investigation earlier this year when it was discovered that it didn’t have the proper licenses to operate the $14 million communications system built for it in 2000. The FCC has threatened to fine Nevada and block the states future license requests if the Nevada Highway Patrol does not quickly abandon use of the unauthorized frequencies. (CGC)
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WITH THE ARRL: 2004 ELECTION RESULTS
The ARRL has announced that Frank Fallon, N2FF, retained his seat as Director of the League's Hudson Division. This, by defeating Vice Director Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML, by a vote of 1933 to 1470.
Ballots were counted November 21 at ARRL Headquarters. The Hudson Division's was the sole contested seat in the current director-vice director election cycle.
Incumbents running in the Central, New England, Northwestern and Roanoke Divisions ran unopposed and were declared elected. Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF, was the lone candidate for the vice director's seat that W2ML vacated to run for the division's top spot ad was also declared as elected.
And don’t look for as many League elections to take place in the future as in years past. These candidates were elected to serve three-year terms of office that begin at noon on January 1, 2004. The change from two year to three year terms was instituted by the ARRL Board a few years ago. (ARRL)
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REQUIRED READING: SURGE PROTECTION - SEPARATING MYTH FROM FACT
If you think that $2.98 bargain basement power strip will protect your ham gear from power line spikes, you could be in for a rude and very expensive awakening. This is the gist of a feature article in the December issue of Popular Communications Magazine titled Surge Protection: Separating Myth From Fact.
The author is Popcom Editor Harold Ort, N2RLL. In it, Ort takes you on a mind boggling journey into the world of powerline surge protectors. He tells you why power surges take place and what really works to protect your station -- and -- what does not.
The article is must reading for any ham that operates his station from mains power. You can find Popular Communications on many newsstands worldwide or subscribe over the web at www dot popular dash communications dot com. (ARNewsline(tm))
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INDUSTRY NEWS: ROHN ANNOUNCES ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Amateur Radio and telecommunications industry tower manufacturer ROHN Industries has announced that it's entered into an asset purchase agreement. This with SPX Corporation which is described as a global, multi-industry company.
According to the ARRL Letter, ROHN filed for Chapter 11 debtor-in-possession relief in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana on September 16. The deal, if approved by the court would include ROHN subsidiaries that are party to the bankruptcy proceeding. (WA6KLA, ARRL)
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BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today’s radio amateur. From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:
(5 sec pause here)
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WITH ARNEWSLINE: YOUR INPUT NEEDED
Amateur Radio Newsline will be holding its annual Board of Directors meeting in early December and those in charge want to find out what you would like from us in 2004 and beyond. If you have any ideas on how to improve the newscast, the Young Ham of the Year Award, funding, or any aspect of our operation, we welcome your thoughts. E-mail is best. You reach us at
newsline@arnewsline.org. (ARNewsline(tm))
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HAM HELP: DX SOUND BITE NEEDED
Did you have a tape recorder running the weekend of the CQ World Wide SSB contest? If you did then Glen Lowery, K2FF needs to hear what you have.
The reason? Well, it seems that Daryl Goldman, KD5CQT, and Randy Becnel, W5UE , spent a week in Suriname in October. Goldman operated as PZ5CQ while Becnel was on as PZ5UE. The duo also activated PZ5A in the contest.
Anyhow, when the team got back home they realized that they had recorded everyone on tape except PZ5UE. And now there is a presentation planned for early December and audio of Becnel in QSO is needed to complete the show.
If you happened to be listening in and have the one missing station recorded, please contact Glen Lowery by e-mail to
k2ff@aol.ccm Everyone involved will be very appreciative if one of you can help out.
More is on the web at www.mdxa.org/pz_2003.html (OPDX)
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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: CELL PHONES WILL POSSESS LOCATION-BASED BEHAVIOR
According to a report on the National Institute of Standards and Technology website, your cell phone may one day be able to adjust its behavior or call handling based upon where it determines you are located. Such phones could, for example, advise you of the closest bank, dial the nearest emergency specialist or automatically forward your calls while you're in a conference room. The N-I-S-T website carries many other interesting stories too. Its updated regularly and is in cyberspace at www.nist.gov (CGC)
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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISS GEAR PASSES PREFLIGHT TEST
Some exciting news on new ham radio hardware slated to be carried to the International Space Station. We have more in this report:
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ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, reports that he and other members of the USA team just returned from Russia where we they were supporting a series of meetings and tests at the Energia facility.
According to Bauer, the primary reason for the US team visit was to complete the testing of the Phase 1 Ericsson 2 meter and 70 cm radios, along with the Phase 2 Kenwood D 700 radio system using a set of flight identical ARISS antenna systems.
The tests were performed in the KIS facility at Energia that houses all their flight equipment. Inside the KIS is a flight equivalent Service Module. The good news is that the group not only successfully completed the end-to-end testing of the Kenwood and Ericsson radio systems but the SSTV system as well.
The successful completion of these end-to-end tests was a requirement by the Russian team. This, to clear these radio systems for use in the on-orbit Service Module.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Norm Seeley, KI7UP.
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By the way, the International Space Station celebrated its fifth anniversary in Earth orbit on November 20th. (ARISS)
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ON THE AIR: NEW SPANISH LANGUAGE IRLP REFLECTOR
A Spanish language reflector has come to the Internet Repeater Linking Project.
This, with word that Reflector 9201 is in full operation and all users with Spanish skills are invited to join in the fun.
Jay Santiago, KP4EOP, is the operator of node 7040. He and the Chicago based Asociacion Iberoamericana de Radio Aficionados are the people behind the project. They say that 9201 is not closed to non-Spanish speakers. Rather it is a place in ham radio cyberspace where the Spanish language will be primary.
Up until now, IRLP- has been dominated English and French speaking nodes and reflectors. This left a large portion of the worlds Spanish only speakers out of communications over the very popular repeater linking system -- a problem that’s now been corrected thanks to the Asociacion Iberoamericana de Radio Aficionados. (K9DC)
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PROPAGATION TECHNOLOGY: NEW SOLAR FLARE THEORY
The recent series of solar storms to hit Earth may be caused by the sun's iron-rich interior. So says one solar researcher who theorizes that the sun's core is made of iron rather than hydrogen.
Dr. Oliver Manuel is a professor of nuclear chemistry. He believes that iron, not hydrogen, is the sun's most abundant element. And, in a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Fusion Energy, Manuel asserts that the standard solar model which assumes that the sun's core is made of hydrogen has led to misunderstandings of how such solar flares occur.
As ever ham knows, these flares can play havoc with high frequency communications while turning some VHF frequencies into world-wide D-X bands. (ANS and Space Daily)
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DX
And speaking about DX, word that OK1TN will operate portable KP2 from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands through the 13th of December. If you make contact, QSL as directed on the air.
Also, K3JT is active as 5X1X from Uganda for the five or six weeks. Sorry. No other information on this operation is available at this time.
Lastly, the Council of Europe Radio Amateur Club, has launched a competition open to all radio amateurs. This, to commemorate the 18th anniversary of its establishment in June 1986. The challenge involves sending a list of all contacts made with their club station TP2CE using its various special prefixes before the end of June 2004. Complete rules can be found on the Internet at ewwa.free.fr
(This weeks DX news provided by OPDX, GB2RS and Modern DX’er)
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THAT FINAL ITEM: T-HUNT TIME AGAIN
And finally this week, whether you're young or old, you could become a champion at hidden transmitter hunting. It's time to start training now, as you'll hear in this report from Amateur Radio Newsline's Joe Moell K-Zero-Oh-V
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USA's best on-foot hidden transmitter hunters will be heading west next summer.
The fourth annual USA ARDF Championships will begin June 16 near Santa Barbara, California. Get ready for practice sessions followed by separate days of intense competition on the two meter and 80 meter bands. Medals will be awarded in nine age and gender categories, following the rules of the International Amateur Radio Union.
The competitive courses are open to anyone of any age, experienced or not. Here's your chance to learn from experts like Jay Thompson W6JAY, Newsline's Young ham of the year. He was a medal winner at this year's Championships in Ohio.
These USA Championships will take place just in time for final selection of Team USA members who will travel to the Czech Republic for the ARDF World Championships in September.
Event sponsor for 2004 is the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio club. General Chair is Marvin Johnston KE6HTS, a member of USA's first team to the World Championships back in 1998 and winner of medals at the last two USA Championships.
The official Web site of the 2004 Championships is now being prepared, announcing the location of event headquarters, rules and technical details. Meanwhile, you can find out all about championship direction finding, and how your can have events in your home town, at the "Homing In" Web site, www.homingin.com
You'll learn the rules for this fast-growing sport, meet some of the current champions, get equipment suggestions and find out how to get on an e-mail list for the latest radio-orienteering news. That's homingin, one word, homingin.com
From southern California, where we have regular on-foot foxhunts and everyone is invited, this is Joe Moell K-Zero-Oscar-Victor for Amateur Radio Newsline.
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Again, for more information take your web browser to www.homingin.com (K0OV, ARNewsline(tm))
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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 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 Jim Damron, N8TMW and I’m Jeff Clark, K8JAC, saying we hope you had a great Thanksgiving, 73 and we thank you for listening." Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.
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