This Week in Amateur Radio News for Friday 2 March 2018

[TWIAR via rec.radio.info Admin]

TWIAR News Feed

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NCC Set to Licence Amateur Radio Services, 60GHz Band in Nigeria

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 03:12 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2taZfMi

In line with global best practice, the Nigerian Communcations Commission
(NCC), the telecons industry regulator, said on Tuesday it would licence
the amateur radio services and the 60GHz band designed to open up spectrum
licences that have been relatively scarce.

Addressing stakeholders at a consultative forum in Lagos to announce the
opening of the 60GHz spectrum and presentation of the draft guideline for
the deployment of amateur radio in Nigeria, the Executive Vice Chairman of
NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented by the Director,
Research and Development at the NCC, Mrs. Abigail Sholanke, said radio
frequency spectrum is the fundamental resource for the provision of
wireless communication services and has increasingly become scarce due to
the emergence of new technologies and the growing demand for wireless
services.

“In order to facilitate strategic collaboration and partnership with
relevant stakeholders, facilitate broadband penetration, optimise spectrum
usage and its benefits, as well as ensure regulatory excellence and
operational efficiency among others, the Commission has decided to yet
again to provide an avenue for stakeholders and users of telecommunication
resources, to converge and make inputs to be considered in the opening up
of the 60GHz spectrum bond and draft regulatory framework for amateur
radio.,” Danbatta said.

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First Tunisian individual ham radio licenses issued

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 03:05 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2CU0Aa2

Ashraf 3V8/KF5EYY reports on the IARU Region 1 site that Tunisia has
started issuing individual amateur radio licenses

After issuing the ministerial decree allowing for Tunisians to acquire
their individual licenses in September, and after arranging for the first
amateur radio exam on December 20th 2017, ANF (the Tunisian Regulator) has
delivered last Friday the first licenses of amateur radio.

That happened in ANF offices in Tunis with presence of ANF director and
employees, representatives from the TIC ministry and some ARAT members.

It was a nice opportunity to thank ANF Director for his efforts leading
this project to success and offer him and his employees "Contact Sport"
Book on behalf of all ARAT members.

IARU Region 1 http://iaru-r1.org/

Association des Radio Amateurs Tunisiens
http://www.arat.tn/

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MARS Team Provides HF and Amateur Radio Communication Training on USNS Mercy

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 03:00 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2Fg0VJh

On February 21, contractor Tim Millea, AJ7UU, and MARS Volunteer Doug Smith
embarked on the USNS Mercy from San Diego to Hawaii. Their mission during
the first leg of the voyage has been to conduct Technician and General
class Amateur Radio classes for more than a dozen military and civilian
personnel crewing the Mercy; and to provide training in military HF
communication procedures.

The pair has been providing two or three training classes a day for the
crew, who take the classes following their work shifts. Classroom training
has been interspersed with on-air activities in the ship’s Amateur Radio
room. The Mercy is also utilizing the Weak Signal Propagation Reporting
(WSPR) tool, using K6MRC.

On March 3, the Mercy is scheduled to dock in Hawaii, where the crew will
pick up a group of local Volunteer Examiners to administer Technician and
General license exams to the students.

After a weekend of shore leave, the Mercy crew will deploy on a
humanitarian assistance exercise called “Pacific Partnership 18,” which
will take them to a number of countries throughout the Pacific region. —
Thanks to Robert Mims, WA1OEZ, Region 1 US Army MARS Director

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FCC must act to avoid a grave threat to GPS

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 02:55 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2HZcXVV

If you like your GPS, you should be worried.

A proposal before the Federal Communications Commission would allow
transmissions that will block or degrade GPS service for millions of
Americans.

Over the past 20 years, GPS has become a silent utility upon which most of
our infrastructure — as well as daily life — now depends. The benefits of
GPS run deep throughout our society and economy.

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Will the FCC Sink Pirate Radio in Colorado?

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 02:49 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2FfOe1c

Word spread quickly about the mysterious unmarked black SUV parked at a
highway exit just outside the town of Ward on January 24. In the
self-sufficient mountain community perched at 9,500 feet, strangers always
attract attention. But the strangers in the SUV weren’t just a curiosity;
they were enforcement agents with the Federal Communications Commission,
and they presented a real threat to a beloved community resource.

Since 1997, Ward had played host to an unlicensed FM radio station called
Way High Radio. Colloquially known as “pirate” stations, radio operations
such as Way High Radio are expressly forbidden by the FCC, which regulates
America’s airwaves. That the station had been able to illegally broadcast
from 90.5 FM for so many years was largely thanks to the isolation of the
mountain town, roughly an hour-and-a-half drive from the FCC’s enforcement
office in Denver.

When DJ Willy (not his real name) heard about the federal agents parked
near town, he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. This was a
moment he’d been dreading for a long time. But he’d also studied up on FCC
enforcement, and knew the agents would want to catch someone actually
inside the radio station’s studio, a small trailer located next to Ward’s
town hall with an antenna on top and a wooden sign that proclaimed “Office
of Human Rights.”

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Alan Thompson is still a ham (California)

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 02:45 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2t9m4A9

Often in life people find themselves coming full circle. In Alan Thompson’s
case he came full circuit in the world of ham radio.

When Thompson was 11 years old growing up in his family home in Placerville
he earned his novice-class amateur ham radio license, giving him the
distinction at the time of being the second-youngest ham radio operator in
the United States according to a story from the Mountain Democrat and
Placerville Times published on Aug. 2, 1962.

Once he became a student at El Dorado High School he soon became more
interested in cars and girls than radios and quickly lost interest in ham
radio, letting his amateur radio license expire.

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Spies, Morse Code, Clandestine Radio in Hamilton, Scotland

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 01:44 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2GUOLCT

Children from two Hamilton schools had a fun time February 20th building a
Morse code sender and learning Morse at the Whitehill Community Centre.
This was the fourth session learning basic electronics and building an
electronic project, with help from the CQScotland Group.

Guest radio amateur (ham) Roy, radio callsign GM4VKI, shared with the
children his knowledge and collection of clandestine radio equipment. This
really brought to life Morse, secret codes, spying and communication
methods, still relevant today.

The Scottish Region 1 Manager of the RSGB, Mr Tony Miles MM0TMZ explained
his father and grandfather used similar equipment whilst working for the UK
clandestine Special Operations Executive in WW1 and WW2.

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via the ARRL: Youngsters on the Air Spawns Nordics On The Air Camp

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 01:37 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2FM9yJH

The successful Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) program in International
Amateur Radio Union Region 1 has given rise to its first sub-regional YOTA
camp — Nordics On The Air (NOTA), now under way until March 4 near
Sundsvall/Härnösand in central Sweden.

SSA, Sweden’s IARU member society, is hosting the camp for young radio
amateurs, being held inside an old military base in a mountain on an island
connected to the mainland by ferry.

The camp features three HF stations covering 20, 40, and 80 meters plus
VHF, using the call sign SK8YOTA.

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Two Ham Astronauts Return Safely to Earth

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 01:37 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2CO22Lf

Two ham astronauts were among three members of the International Space
Station (ISS) Expedition 54 crew that returned to Earth on February 27
after about 6 months in space. Astronauts Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, and Joe
Acaba, KE5DAR, landed in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz spacecraft, along with
cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. Their time on station marked the beginning of
the first long-term increase in crew size on the US segment, enabling NASA
to double the time dedicated to science.

Research highlights included investigations into the manufacturing of fiber
optic filaments in microgravity, improving the accuracy of an implantable
glucose biosensor, and measuring the Sun’s energy input to Earth.

Vande Hei logged 168 days in space on his first mission and conducted four
spacewalks. Acaba completed one spacewalk and has now accrued 306 days in
space on three missions. Both participated in Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts and other educational
events.

Now operating the station are Expedition 55 Commander Anton Shkaplerov and
Flight Engineers Scott Tingle, KG5NZA, and Norishige Kanai.
Astronauts Ricky Arnold, KE5DAU, and Drew Feustel and cosmonaut Oleg
Artemyev head to the ISS on March 21.

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via HACKADAY: Finding Noise with an Antenna

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 01:29 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2FdN8CZ

[K5ACL], aka [SignalSearch], recently brought his active receive loop
antenna in off the roof to give it a checkup and perform any necessary
maintenance. While it was in the shack, he took the opportunity to discuss
how well it would perform indoors. The verdict? Not ideal. He’d mount it 50
feet away from the house if the HOA would let him.

Houses, and subsequently most ham shacks, are filled with noise sources
that interfere badly with HF. So after spending a minute or so listening on
an SDR, [K5ACL] demonstrates another use for this type of tightly-tuned
antenna—as a noise detector.

The main culprit in [K5ACL]’s house is the ceiling light that’s right there
in the shack. You can see the noise striping the waterfall as he turns it
on and off. But the noise from the light is small potatoes compared to some
other common household items, like those power line adapters that turn
house wiring into networking cable. Those produce so much noise that even
an active loop is really no match. Stay tuned after the break to watch
[K5ACL] work the bands through the noise.

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via the ARRL: ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 01:29 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2ou9vL1

ARRL has asked the FCC to expand HF privileges for Technician licensees to
include limited phone privileges on 75, 40, and 15 meters, plus RTTY and
digital mode privileges on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters. The FCC has not yet
invited public comment on the proposals, which stem from recommendations
put forth by the ARRL Board of Directors’ Entry-Level License Committee,
which explored various initiatives and gauged member opinions in 2016 and
2017.

“This action will enhance the available license operating privileges in
what has become the principal entry-level license class in the Amateur
Service,” ARRL said in its Petition. “It will attract more newcomers to
Amateur Radio, it will result in increased retention of licensees who hold
Technician Class licenses, and it will provide an improved incentive for
entry-level licensees to increase technical self-training and pursue higher
license class achievement and development of communications skills.”

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via HACKADAY: Quantifying Latency in Cheap RC Transmitters

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:43 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2F5ONuh

For those just starting out in the world of RC, a low cost transmitter like
the Flysky FS-i6S can be very compelling. But is buying a cheap transmitter
setting yourself up for failure down the line? The general feel in the RC
community has been that cheaper transmitters have higher latency or “lag”
on their inputs, which is precisely the kind of thing you want to avoid
when flying along at 40+ MPH. As such, the general wisdom has been that
your transmitter is one area where you don’t want to cheap out.

Wanting to put that theory to the test, [Marek Baczynski] set out to
compare the response time between the Flysky FS-i6S and the more
established Taranis X9D. In the video after the break, he uses his Saleae
logic analyzer to time how long it takes movement on the transmitter sticks
to get interpreted as servo commands at the receiver.

[Marek] connects the logic analyzer directly to the gimbals of both
transmitters, allowing him to see user input before any processing is done
by the electronics. It’s particularly interesting to see how the smooth
analog curves of the gimbals are converted to a “staircase” digital output.

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Second beta version of WSJT-X released

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:43 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2t8IeT3

A second beta version of WSJT-X version 1.9.0 has been released.

This is to allow further field testing of the new FT8 DXpedition mode,
designed to enable DXpeditions to make FT8 contacts at very high rates.

The team is inviting the amateur radio community to participate in a public
test run of FT8 DXpedition mode.

Test times and frequencies are Tuesday, 6 March 2018 at 2300UTC on
14.080MHz; on the 7th at 0000UTC on 10.141MHz, at 0100UTC on 7.080MHz, and
0200UTC on 3.585MHz.

Frequencies are not the conventional FT8 operating frequencies and are
subject to change, subject to conditions.

Last-minute changes will be posted on the internet.

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via the RSGB: Major SOTA activations next Saturday

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:43 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2oKxFQN

The Summits on the Air (SOTA) event Summit to Summit Europe to Australia
and Beyond takes place on 10 March 2018.

Over 30 SOTA activators are planning to climb to summits in Europe, Canada,
South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The event will start around 0630UTC next Saturday.

For any one wanting to join in, either as an activator on a summit or from
a home station, discussions can be found at reflector.sota.org.uk.

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via HACKADAY: Teardown Of An UWB Location Beacon

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2t51wc5

Outdoor navigation is a problem that can be considered solved for decades
or maybe even centuries, depending on the levels of accuracy, speed and
accessibility required. Indoor navigation and location, on the other hand,
is a relatively new field and we are still figuring it out. Currently there
are at least four competing technologies pushed by different manufacturers.
One is ultra wide band radio and [Marco van Nieuwenhoven] shows us what a
beacon using this technology is made of.

In his thorough tear down of an Estimote location beacon, he comes up with
a complete parts list and schematics for each of the four PCB layers. The
beacons are controlled by a Cortex M4 and feature Bluetooth radio in
addition to the UWB part. They also come with a three-axis accelerometer,
temperature, ambient light and pressure sensors and NFC capability. These
boards combine a lot of functionality in a compact package and [Marco]’s
stated intent is to create an open source firmware for them.

Hacking proprietary hardware, especially when doing so in public may get
you in legal trouble, but in this case [Marco] has contacted the
manufacturer, and the relationship seems to be friendly so far. Let’s hope
it stays that way; these things look like a promising platform and may
become a lower cost alternative to the evaluation kit running the same UWB
radio we featured earlier. Alternatively you could ditch the UWB and use
WiFi for indoor location.

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via the RSGB: Nominations for President

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2t1Mt2z

Our Society has open elections for its President. Unfortunately no
nominations have been received for 2018-20 and the post is now being
re-advertised. The closing date is 2359 on 26 April.

If an election is required, details will be published in the June edition
of RadCom, available in mid-May. The current President Nick Henwood, G3RWF
has agreed to continue until the process is complete.

We have just released a new video featuring Nick talking about the role of
President – what it is, what it isn’t and how it can be shaped to an
individual’s strengths and amateur radio interests. On our new President’s
page you can also find out what three former Presidents gained from the
role.

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Saint Brandon Island 3B7A DXpedition Will Field Five Operating Positions

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2Fbmtqs

Plans appear to be on track for the upcoming 3B7A DXpedition to Saint
Brandon Island, expected to kick off in early to mid-April. The DXpedition
initially was planned for last fall. In a news release this week, the 3B7A
team said the past year of preparations has been intense, and 700 kilograms
of gear is now on its way to Mauritius, where it will join the generators
and stock of fuel on the boat to Saint Brandon Island on April 3 with two
team members.

A second vessel departing on April 5 will transport the other operators.
The “pre-team” will oversee transit operations and identify sites to
install stations and equipment, but no contacts will be made until the
entire team is on site, the DXpedition’s organizers said.

Once 3B7A is on the air, priority will be given systematically to the most
difficult regions with the shortest band openings. The five identical
stations are capable of working all modes available to the eight operators.
3B7A will not be active on 60 meters nor on 6-meter EME.

The DXCC entity of Agalega and Saint Brandon Islands is the 28th most
wanted.

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Latest Z60A Operation from Kosovo to Include ARRL International DX Contest
SSB

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2t4xtBe

Z60A organizers Pertti Turunen, OG2M; Martti Laine, OH2BH, and Henri
Olander, OH3JR, will reactivate Z60A from Kosovo, the newest DXCC entity,
starting on February 28, on the low bands and in the ARRL International DX
Contest (SSB) March 3 – 4 (UTC). The previous Z60A operating sites are
still equipped with antennas.

In the prior Z60A activation, operators were disappointed that high noise
levels hampered reception on the low bands. Several local radio amateurs
have been working to pin down noise sources, and, while 80 and 40 meters
are “relatively clean” 160 meters “is still a challenge.” The operators
plan to set out Beverage antennas as far as possible from noise sources.

The Finnish visitors will carry two complete stations for Kosovo’s IARU
Member-Society SHRAK, which local operators will put on the air. Meanwhile,
a Czech DXpedition group has announced plans for its Z66D DXpedition from
April 14 – 22. The first few days will be “limited” as the station is built
up, and “full-bore activity” is expected by April 17. Operation will be on
HF on SSB, CW, RTTY, and FT8 with seven radios and four amps. QSL will be
via OK6DJ. — Thanks to Martti Laine, OH2BH, and The Daily DX

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NTIA Targets Portion of 3.4 GHz Band for Potential Wireless Broadband Use

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2oDOjRP

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has
identified 3450 to 3550 MHz for potential wireless broadband use. Amateur
Radio has a secondary allocation of 3300 to 3500 MHz, sharing the spectrum
with government radars; the popular “weak-signal” frequency is 3456.1 MHz.
The NTIA oversees the use of spectrum by federal government agencies.

“America is the world’s leader in Wi-Fi and 4G LTE, and we have claimed an
early lead in bringing 5G to reality,” NTIA Administrator David J. Redl
said in making the announcement. “It’s essential to American
competitiveness that we maintain our leadership in all of these areas.”

The NTIA announcement is “great news,” according to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
“The Commission, working together with NTIA, has already made the 3.5 GHz
band available for wireless services, and we recently initiated a process
to consider whether all or parts of the adjacent satellite spectrum can
also be made available” Pai said. “Altogether, this could unleash a
contiguous block of hundreds of megahertz of valuable spectrum for new
technologies and services, including 5G.”

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via the RSGB: Radioclubs.net closedown

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2oytffP

The RSGB’s web-hosting service for clubs radioclubs.net will be closing
down for good on 29 March 2018 when the hosting company we use discontinue
their services.

We emailed clubs using the service on 6 January 2016 to explain our plans
and to give them sufficient notice to arrange a different way of hosting
their club website. Only a small number of clubs still use radioclubs.net,
which now requires extensive redevelopment to bring it up to modern web
design standards.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but hope that having two
years’ notice will have helped clubs that are affected to have put
something else in place.

If your club is still operating a radioclubs.net website please read the
Q&A on the closedown we have placed on the RSGB website at
rsgb.org/radioclubs-closedown. This provides guidance on how to migrate a
radioclubs.net website and how to contact us for further help and advice.

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via HACKADAY: Power Supply Choices

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2EMTTfE

Unless you are building a crystal radio or you’ve finally invented that
infinite energy machine, any project you do is going to need some sort of
power supply. There was a time when a battery was enough, but these days
you probably need some sort of regulation. But there are many kinds to
choose. Linear, switching, SEPIC, LDO… how do you pick? [Andreas Spiess]
has some practical advice in his recent video, which you can see below.

[Andreas] calls the video “Voltage Regulator Cheat Sheet” and that’s an apt
name. He covers the major architectures and even points out why you can’t
always trust the vendor’s information on certain types of supplies.

Even though it is billed as a cheat sheet, the video also covers a good bit
of theory on how the different regulators work and their efficiency and
thermal characteristics. He punctuates his theory with practical
demonstrations, as always. He even releases a little magic smoke in the
name of explaining things.

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via the ARRL: Hamvention Online Flea Market and Inside Exhibit Reservations
Open

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2BQ89BM

Online reservations for Hamvention® 2018 flea market and inside exhibit
spaces are now available. Vendors who had spaces last year are being
encouraged to log into their accounts to reserve them for this year’s
event. Online sales were delayed after it became apparent that an
additional building would not be built before Hamvention, prompting
scheduling and planning adjustments. The addition of Building 4, which not
available last year, also has made room for more inside exhibits.
Hamvention organizers said this week that both the flea market and inside
exhibits committees have been working hard to respond to vendors as quickly
as possible. Hamvention General Chairman Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, asked vendors
to be patient once they have entered their information for 2018.

“The staff is working to confirm requests as quickly as possible,” Cramer
said. “Additional e-mails or information requests will only slow the
process.”

Inside exhibits Chairman Brian Markland, N8UDQ, said that any exhibitor who
completes an online order for the same spaces by April 15 will be
guaranteed those spaces. Vendors who were in tents during Hamvention 2017
will have the option of keeping tent space or entering the pool for the
additional spots in Building 4 — the former furniture store.

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via HACKADAY: Bye Bye, Maplin

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2CQA6pI

Well, that was quick. Four days ago we mentioned that the British
electronics retail chain Maplin was being offered for sale, and today it
has been announced that no buyer has been found and the company is going
into administration.

We dealt with all the nostalgia for what was roughly a British equivalent
to Radio Shack in our previous post. Perhaps now it’s time to look beyond
the jumpers-for-goalposts reminiscences about spaceships on the catalogues
for a moment, and consider what this means for us in 2018.

It’s fairly obvious that a retail model for selling either electronic tat
or components is no longer viable in an age of online ordering and
availability of almost anything at knock-down prices for anyone prepared to
wait for a packet from China. This applies on both sides of the Atlantic,
but for British retailers, the killer combination of very high rents and
local business taxes makes it particularly difficult. Maplin were extremely
convenient when you needed a part immediately, but the universal reaction
from Hackaday readers was that they were overpriced. It’s the same story
that has cleared away numerous chains in other sectors, and the toxic view
that retail property is still the goldmine it might have been in decades
past is largely responsible.

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via the ARRL: 3Y0I Bouvet DXpedition Invites 3Y0Z Team to Join Forces

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST
http://ift.tt/2os2Uk1

The 3Y0I Bouvet Island DXpedition team this week publicly invited the
members of the ill-fated 3Y0Z team to join forces as part of “rebooted
preparations” for the venture, but 3Y0Z team co-leader Bob Allphin, K4UEE,
told ARRL that his group has other plans. Dates for the 3Y0I DXpedition,
meanwhile, remain up in the air at this point, but the team said it would
announce its expected dates of operation soon.

“Our preparations…are taking place in extraordinary times and under unusual
conditions,” the 3Y0I team said on its website over the weekend, noting
that it had suspended its initial plans to activate Bouvet Island late last
year at the request of the 3Y0Z DXpedition, which subsequently was forced
to abort its landing and head home.

In its announcement, the 3Y0I team, headed by Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, said a
joint DXpedition would give the 3Y0Z team members a chance to realize their
initial plans and that the 3Y0I team’s “unprecedented decision” opens “new
fantastic opportunities.” Preparations for the 3Y0I DXpedition continue.

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Sony likely to cease production of shortwave radios

Posted: 17 Feb 2018 05:55 PM PST
http://bit.ly/2EOEsCM

SONY Japan declared in January that they ended the production of ICF-SW35
shortwave receiver. They also declared in February that they end the sales
of another shortwave receiver ICF-7600GR at their on-line store. Probably
they will declare the end of its production soon.

ICF-SW35 has been on sale since 2000, ICF-7600GR since 2001. This means
SONY will completely withdraw from the shortwave receiver market.

Remaining SONY shortwave receivers are ICF-EX5MK2 and ICF-M780N, both are
exclusively for the reception of Radio Nikkei, tunable to only 6 fixed
shortwave frequencies of Radio Nikkei, Japan. (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo,
Japan via WOR ml)