From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.ssb
Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1409 August 13, 2004
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Note: Ladies and gentlemen This weeks newscast is dedicated to the
memory of the late Roy Neal, K6DUE who passed away a year ago on
August 15, 2003, following heart surgery. Roy was our friend,
teacher and served as the first elected vice-president of Amateur
Radio Newsline after it became a 501(c)(3) nor-for-profit
corportation. We miss him very much. "So Roy old buddy: This one
is for you."
de WA6ITF
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Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1409 with a release date of
Friday, August 13th, 2004 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Australian hams ask for a new ham band at
500 kilohertz, lots of news world wide on the B-P-L front, and the
FCC talks about license processing. Find out the details on Amateur
Radio Newsline report number 1409 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESTRUCTURING: AUSTRALIA TO SEEK NEW 500 KHZ HAM BAND
The old 500 kHz the international maritime distress frequency could
become part of a new ham band down-under. This if the Wireless
Institute of Australia has its way. W-I-A News anchor Graham Kemp,
VK4BB, joins us from Brisbane with the details:
--
The WIA will shortly be writing to the ACA to request the
establishment of an experimental amateur allocation at 500 kHz.
Thats the 600 meter band.
WIA Director Glenn Dunstan VK4DU said "500 kHz was the international
maritime Morse code distress frequency for most of the 20th century."
"It was the frequency used by the RMS Titanic to send her plaintive
cries for help that April night in 1912. It was the frequency used by thousands of merchant ships to signal their plight in times of peace
and war."
"More often than not, 500 kHz was witness to a ship's Radio Officer's
last moments. Many Radio Officers literally died at the key as their
ship fell victim to enemy action or was overwhelmed by the forces of
nature".
Glenn, himself an ex ship's Radio Officer, said. 500 kHz was replaced
in 1999 by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS),
which uses a combination of automated terrestrial and satellite communications.
"Since the introduction of the GMDSS in 1999, 500 kHz use has
declined rapidly. The last official users of the frequency, China,
plan to discontinue operation in 2005. The frequency is no longer
used in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific or the US."
500 kHz has been instrumental in saving tens of thousands of lives in
the last 100-odd years. It is thus fitting that the frequency be
preserved as a 'spectrum national park' to commemorate those who paid
the supreme sacrifice in its use.
"The best way to do this is to establish a small slice of spectrum
around 500 kHz - probably 495 to 510 kHz - as an amateur radio band.
The band would also provide a unique opportunity for experimentation
with antennas, propagation, advanced narrow band modulation
techniques and receiver digital signal processing." Glenn said.
--
It should be noted that 500 kHz is still allocated to the maritime
service so any permanent amateur access in Australia or elsewhere is
some way off. It is worthy of note that the I-A-R-U Region 1 and
various United States Amateur long wave groups are actively pursuing
an experimental allocation at 500 kHz as well. (WIA News)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ECHO ON THE AIR
AMSAT has announced that the F-M voice repeater on the Oscar-51 Echo
satellite is on for a trial period. The transponder was turned on
the 30th July for about three weeks during which command stations
will be watching the power budget and adjusting the transmitter power
for good management of the battery.
For those wanting to give Echo a try, its uplink is on 145.920 MHz F-
M, with 67 Hz CTCSS tone. The downlink is on 435.300 MHz.
A reminder that this is a trial of the F-M voice repeater only.
Please do not send any data through it. AMSAT says that the digital
portion of Echo is not yet ready for use. (ANS)
**
THE BPL FIGHT: ZS AMATEURS SHOULD REPORT BPL TESTING TO THE SARL
Turning to news on the B-P-L front, South Africa AMSAT President Hans
van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, has now spoken out. He is urging
amateurs and short-wave listeners in that nation to report any
unusual but consistent interference to the South African Radio
League. This as the rollout of Broadband over Powerline continues in
that country.
ZS6AKV says that South African hams must continue to be vigilant
about any B-P-L testing taking place in their neighborhoods. Hans
says that following Pretoria's example several other metropolitan
areas have shown an interest and may soon be starting trials. (SARL)
**
THE BPL FIGHT: FOLLOW-UP ON SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC
Back here in the USA, San Diego Gas & Electric has confirmed that it
is considering entering the Broadband Over Powerline business, but
for now that's about all the utility will say.
As reported last week, San Diego Gas & Electric planners are reported
to be seriously considering endorsing and sponsoring Broadband Over
Powerline data transmissions on the company's power distribution
system. The story went on to state that San Diego Gas & Electric is
also considering entertaining proposals to partner with vendors for
one or more field demonstrations of BPL. This, this despite being
advised that B-P-L will cause considerable interference.
Bob Gonsett, W6VR, whose CGC Communicator newsletter was first to
break the story put in a call to the utility to try and get a bit
more information. San Diego Gas & Electric response was brief and
far from insightful. All that the utility would tell Bob is -- and
we quote: "Like many utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric is
assessing B-P-L technologies."
W6VR says that while we are all temporarily left in the dark as to
San Diego Gas & Electric plans, those plans will eventually surface.
As soon as they do, we will let you know. (CGC)
**
THE BPL FIGHT: NORTH CAROLINA UTILITY ENDING BPL FIELD TRIAL
Meantime, North Carolina's Progress Energy Corporation says it's
completed Phase II of its B-P-L field trial in the Raleigh, and will
be closing down the experiment. In an August 4th internal
memorandum reported by the ARRL Letter, the company said its program
to test the viability of providing broadband service to communities
it serves will wrap up by the end of August. The company reportedly
will shut down the system once it's able to move its BPL customers to
other broadband providers. Progress Energy's decision comes on the
heels of announced shutdowns of B-P-L field trials in Penn Yan, New
York, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (ARRL)
**
Break 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the Broward
Amateur Radio Club net serving Ft. Lauderdale Florida.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO LAW: HAM RADIO EXEMPT FROM CONTROVERSIAL SAN DIEGO WIRELESS
SITING ORDINANCE
Wireless communication antennas would be allowed in San Diego,
California's residential areas only as a last resort under a new
policy recently approved by the City Council. By a vote of 7 to 1,
the council has approved a new policy governing the design and
placement of wireless antennas, making it more difficult for cellular
carriers and others to erect towers in or near residential areas.
Under the new regulations, the process will differ according to
location. Some approvals would be made at the staff level, while
others would require an okay from a planning group, a hearing officer
or the full Planning Commission.
In the past 20 years San Diego has processed over 1,400 applications
for cellular telephone towers but the the city has not tracked how
many were actually built but there is some good news for hams on this
one. ARRL Southwestern Division Vice Director Tuck Miller, NZ6T,
reports that amateur radio is specifically exempted from the terms of
this new ordinance
More about the ordinance itself is on-line at
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040728/news_1m28wireless.htm
l (CGC with further information from NZ6T)
**
RESCUE RADIO: COMMISSION SEEKS COMMENTS ON RULE CHANGES FOR EAS
The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning
possible revisions to the Emergency Alert System or E-A-S system.
The agency is seeking comment on how E-A-S can become a more
effective tool for warning the American public of an emergency. It
is also a chance for radio amateurs to suggest new ways that the E-A-
S might be interfaced with our hobby to better serve the public in
time of need. More information is at
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-250534A1.doc
(CGC)
**
WITH THE FCC: MANAGING THE DATA PROCESSING OF LICENSES
The FCC has a lot to say about the Universal Licensing System and
some of the problems it faces in administering it. Especially those
dealing with paper filings from the ham radio community.
Donna Scott, a Program Analyst with the Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. And in a recent interview with
Rain, he outlined just one of the most common situations that her
office runs into. This one dealing with applicants who faili to
provide their FCC Identification Number better known as an F-R-N:
--
Scott: "I believe that one of the biggest problems that we encounter
are paper filings coming here to Gettysburg with no F-R-N on the
application. The F-R-N is mandatory. This is the registration
number that you obtain through the CORES database and without that
number wee really can't accept that application. And we do have a
high volume of paper applications that still come in without that
number."
--
Probably the second highest volume of amateur applications that need
to be returned are those from hams who do not read what's right in
front of them. These are hams who insist on sending form 605 V-E-C
to the agency. This even though the form 605 V-E-C is only for use
by those who give the tests and not for the ham in the street filing
paperwork with the agency:
--
Scott: "It clearly states that it is a 605 VEC form. It says do not
send to the FCC on the top and on the bottom. Yet amateurs continue
to send them here to Gettysburg and we cannot accept them."
--
According to Scott, the only version of Form 605 the FCC will accept
from the ham community is the one that contains the approval
statement from the governments Office of Management and Budget and
that carries a current issue date.
This is only a fraction of the information that Donna Scott
described about managing the nuts and bolts of the FCC's licensing
system. There's lots more with her on this weeks RAIN Report. Its
on line right now at www.rainreport.com or on the phone at 847-827-
7246. (RAIN)
**
ENFORCEMENT: ELECTRIC UTILITY WARNED AGAIN ABOUT INTERFERENCE TO HAM
RADIO
A Tennessee power company has been told that its response to an
earlier RFI complaint is inadequate. The FCC's Daryl Duckworth,
NN0W, explains:
--
Audio report only. Download the MP3 newscast audio file at
www.arnewsline.org
--
The FCC told the utility that the it knows of no powerline noise
problem associated in any way with guy wires. (FCC, RAIN)
**
ENFORCEMENT: $3000 FINE FOR UNLICENSED OPERATION
The FCC has issued Donald Donovan Jackson of St. Petersburg, Florida
a monetary forfeiture in the amount of $3,000. This, for operating
an FM broadcast station on the frequency 102.1 MHz without Commission authorization.
On November 23, 2002, agents from the Tampa Office observed a
broadcast station operating on the frequency 102.1 MHz. A search of
Commission records revealed no FM radio station licensed to operate
on 102.1 MHz in that area. The agents then used direction-finding
techniques and determined that the broadcasts originated from a
commercial office building located in St. Petersburg. Field strength measurements taken near the sight of the broadcast indicated that the
signal strength exceeded the permissible limits for a non-licensed
station.
The agents interviewed the owner of the building who provided them
with a copy of the lease for suite. He also informed them that a
person named Donald Donovan Jackson operated the radio station from
the premisis.
On January 15, 2003, agents from the Tampa Office interviewed Jackson
and conducted an inspection of the station after again observing a
radio station operating on 102.1 MHz. During the interview, Jackson
admitted to leasing the property and operating the radio station from
that location. He was given the usual 30 days to pay the fine or to
file an appeal. (FCC)
**
RADIO LAW: DOJ WANTS MANDATED DIGITAL WIRETAP ABILITY
The Department of Justice says that technology companies should be
mandated to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install taps on
Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications
devices. This as the D-O-J and other agencies press for a digital
expansion to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act is a 1994 law
that requires the telecommunications industry to build into its
products tools that U.S. investigators can use to eavesdrop on
conversations with a court order. The investigatory agencys are
worried that federal agents would not be able to install court
ordered wiretaps against criminals who communicate using the latest
digitally encrypted technologies. Lawyers for the Justice
Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration say that this
need requires immediate attention and resolution by the Federal
Communications Commission. (Published news reports)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
Eastern Massachusetts ARES was activated to support Public Service
Agencies during the Democratic National Convention which concluded
Friday, July 30th. The ARRL reports the Salvation Army, that the
American Red Cross, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
all helped out. ARES was ready to provide any needed support in case
of catastrophic loss of the communication infrastructure that had
been installed for the event. (ARRL)
**
RADIO IN SERVICE: FITTEST SEEKING ASSISTANCE
Those involved with Rescue Radio may find some appeal in this. The
United Nations World Food Program's FITTEST operation is currently
seeking Telecommunications Specialists for 3 to 6 month contracts.
FITTEST stands for the Fast Internet and Telecoms Emergency Support
Team and it offers constant travel, constant pressure, constant
challenges in a job that still allows you to combine a family life
and a professional life in a two or three months on one month off
duty regime.
Typically, FITTEST hires people with non-conventional career paths to
provide emergency deployment of VHF and HF networks, Satellite and
Telephone systems. They are looking only at people with direct hands-
on experience willing to work under harsh circumstances.
To get an idea of the work they do in Iraq and Afghanistan have a
look at their web sites. They are in cyberspace at
http://www.hiciraq.org/mediacentre/gallery/FITTEST/
http://www.qsl.net/ya5t. Applications to
mark.tell@wfp.org and
martin.kristensson@wfp.org (WIA News)
**
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)
**
ON THE WEB: BIG CHANGES AT THE QRZ.COM WEBSITE
Some major changes are taking place at the very popular QRZ.com ham
radio website. We have more in this report:
--
Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ, who runs the QRZ.com website has announced major
changes in access to posting access site. This, for registered users
whose login user name is not the same as their ham radio callsign.
Basically, Lloyd says that only contributors who have legitimate ham
radio calls will be permitted to post material to most areas of the
website. To accomplish this Llloyd says that he has created two
levels of membership. One called Ham is for those who want to use
their call sign as registration login. The other will be the Guest
member for those who may not have a call or who simply prefer not to
use it.
Those who have a call and use it for login purposes will have full
read and write access to all public Q-R-Z forums, plus the ability to
make changes and/or additions to listings in the callsign database.
Guest level members will be limited to posting on the sites Help
Forum, the For Sale Forums, and the Questions and Answers Forum.
These people will have no access to callsign database editing
functions.
QRZ.com has also instituted several rules to help keep order and
decorum at the site to make it enjoyable for the majority of those
signing on. Among these are the right to terminate the current and
future membership status of any user who engages in the harassment of
any other user, staff member, or volunteer of this system or the use
of any information derived from the website that contributes in any
way to unsolicited e-mail of any kind. Also banned is the posting
of obscene or offensive material on the site and QRZ managers say
that they reserve the sole right to determine what is either
offensive or obscene.
Lloyd says that the site will shortly begin converting current
members to the new system. If you are currently signed up using your
call sign as your logon I-D you need do nothing. For those who are
not, QRZ we will be assigning new login names to those current
members who are apparently licensed amateurs. The new logon name
will be the same as the callsign that is listed in the QRZ call sign
database as the 'Primary Callsign' for that account. Each user who
is subjected to a name change will be notified via e-mail at the
address we have on file for that user. Names that cannot be
associated with a callsign will be assigned to the Guest level of
membership.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los
Angeles.
--
Lots more about the changes are on the QRZ.com website under the
title QRZ System Announcement. Lloyd and the managers at QRZ say
that they hope that these hanges will improve the website for
everybody. (QRZ.com)
**
HELPING HAND: THE AUDIO NETWORK
The U-K Audio Network is a website for the blind using audio web
pages, controlled by standard keyboard navigation. It is the first
site in the world that needs no adaptive technology to be accessible
by blind and partially sighted users.
There are many resources on the Audio Network. For example, it is
the only place on the Internet where you can listen to BBC Radio
schedules for the forthcoming week in audio. And speaking of radio,
there is a whole section of radio stations where you can change
channels at the touch of a button, without having to worry about
annoying pop ups or filling out a registrations.
Best of all this website is free. Its located in cyberspace at
http://www.yrguk.com (RSGB)
**
THE SOCIAL SCENE: DENVER IN AUGUST
Turning to the ham radio social scene, the Denver Radio Club Hamfest
is scheduled for Sunday, August 22nd at the Jefferson County
Fairgrounds in Golden. Doors open at 8:30 AM with door prizes
awarded throughout the fest. For more information contact Bryan
Steinberg by e-mail to
kc0cua@arrl.net or visit the clubs website at www.qsl.net/q0tx (KCØCUA)
**
THE SOCIAL SCENE: CFMC IN ILLINOIS IN SEPTEMBER
And the Chicago F-M Club will hold its annual Hamfest and Flea Market
on the weekend of September 18th and 19th. The venue is the Lake
County Fairgrounds in the city of Grasyslake, Illinois. More
information is on-line at wwwchicagofmclub.org. (E-mail)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISS AT HAM FAIR JAPAN
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station will be represented
at the upcoming Ham Fair 2004 on Saturday and Sunday, August 21st and
22nd in Tokyo, Japan. The ARISS U.S. team provided photographs of the
radio equipment in the Service Module to J-J-one-L-Y-U. He will
display some of them along with a modified Kenwood D 700 E
transceiver which looks like the flight radio. Other photos will be
used in a slide show as part of an exhibit in the Kenwood Booth. Ham
Fair is sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League with about 28,000
people is expected at the event. (ARISS)
**
SPACE: NASA APPROVES NEW DESIGN FOR SHUTTLE EXTERNAL TANK FITTING
NASA is moving ahead with plans to redesign a part of the Space
Shuttle external fuel tank that investigators believe played a
critical role in the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
The Space Shuttle program will soon begin installing an improved
bipod fitting that connects the external fuel tank to the Shuttle
during launch. Investigators believe that during Columbia's launch
in
January 2003, insulating foam from the bipod area fell off the
external tank and damaged the left wing of the Space Shuttle. (NASA)
**
WORLDBEAT - BELGIUM: GALILEO GPS SYSTEM APPROVED BY EU
Officials in Brussels, Belgium say the satellite navigation system
the European Union is planning will not clash with one already in
operation by the United States. This, as an agreement signed in that
European nation will make sure that the proposed Galileo system will
be compatible with the U-S owned Global Positioning System.
Galileo is slated to begin operation 2008. Together the two systems
are expected to become a single world standard for positioning and
radio navigation. (ANS)
**
DX
In D-X, keep an ear open for GB6LOG. This is a special events
station on the air through August 18th to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of the Liberation of Guam during World War 2. The
station will operate on all modes. QSL via the RSARS QSL Bureau to
receive the special QSL from this station. For further information
contact G0SWY by e-mail to
G0SWY@aol.com (GB2RS)
And hams on Gibraltar have been granted permission to use the special
prefix ZB300 during the month of August. This to celebrate the
colony's three hundred years of British sovereignty. If you work
ZB300, QSL as directed on the air. (GB2RS)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: SIGHTLESS UK NEWSREADER TAKES TO THE AIR
And finally this week the story of a U-K ham who has overcome
physical disability to become a news anchor for the Radio Society of
Great Britains GB2RS News. Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham has the
rest of the story:
--
Now news about a new GB2RS newsreader. Annick Morris, M0HDE, of
Wigan, Lancashire, became a GB2RS newsreader two when she read the
news through the GB3MR repeater. What makes this special is that 18-
year old Annick has been blind from birth.
She has a specially-adapted laptop computer which accepts Word files,
and which has a single-line display consisting of raiseable dots
which form characters in Braille. Annick can read Braille fast enough
to read out loud from this, although she can only 'see' one character
at a time.
In the future Annick will be newsreading on 6 metres, 2 meters and 70 centimetres and it is hoped that she may also transmit on two bands
at once.
Jeramy Boot, G4NJH.
--
This is not the volunteer first job that M0HDE has been successful
in. At age 14 Annick attended the "Child of Achievement Awards" in
central London after impressing organizers with her determination to
overcome obstacles presented by her disability. This award recognizes
the efforts of young people under the age of 16 who make special
efforts to overcome personal disability or illness while also
managing to help others. We at Amateur Radio Newsline welcome Annick
Morris, M0HDE, to the worlds ever growing ham radio news reporting
teams.
**
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 W-I-A 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.
And this note. Because our staff will be in Huntsville to present
the Young Ham of ther Year Award there will be no update on the 661-
296-2407 line on Friday, August 20th. Phone users are asked to
utilize another of the automated phone lines operating in other
regions. Our 661-2407 line will update to the latest newscast on
Monday, August 23rd.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim
Damron, N8TMW, and I'm Jeff Clark, K8JAC, saying 73 and we thank you
for listening. Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2004. All
rights reserved.
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