info
Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
This Week in Amateur Radio News for Saturday 29 July 2017
0 views
Skip to first unread message
TWIAR via rec.radio.info Admin
Jul 29, 2017, 11:16:57 PM7/29/17
to
TWIAR News Feed
///////////////////////////////////////////
Traditional ham radio leaves youngsters uninterested
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:32 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tSga6z
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, expressed his surprise when he
discovered his usual amateur radio talk didn't impress young people
In the 2016 ARRL Annual Report Rick writes:
"I prepared my usual talk about some interesting ham radio stories over my
50 years as a ham, how we can talk all over the world, and I brought some
QSL cards from rare places to show the group. I have given that talk many
times, and it usually impresses people — but not this time. I was surprised
to see flat, uninterested faces."
"I realized that I had to change my approach to the presentation if I was
going to keep the attention of these young people. After all, what could
ham radio offer people who grew up in homes that had computers hooked up to
the internet? Today’s young people are used to riding down the interstate
at 70 MPH as a passenger while watching high-definition videos on their
iPhones."
///////////////////////////////////////////
Law enforcement radio encryption draws backlash (Washington)
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:30 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2w9pHCI
Pushback from the public regarding the encryption of law enforcement radio
traffic has led to discussions about the decision, though it’s not likely
that those channels will go back to being clear any time soon.
Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency completed a switch to an
all-digital radio system in June, which among other things involved the
encryption of all law enforcement channels for agencies that use CRESA for
dispatch services.
The Law Enforcement Council of Clark and Skamania Counties made the
decision to encrypt law enforcement channels, citing officer safety as the
chief concern that led to it. Members of the public have spoken out about
the decision, citing transparency among other concerns.
One local amateur radio enthusiast, Ryan Todd, sent a letter to different
local government officials last week listing reasons why full encryption
was a bad idea in his mind. Apart from having some police operations
available for the public to monitor, managing the keys needed to access the
encrypted channels can become costly, the letter read, and in the case of
departments that do not have the encryption, the relay of communication
could be delayed, compromising the usefulness of the system.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Ofcom fines Kanshi Radio Limited
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:20 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2v706gU
Ofcom has imposed a £17,500 fine on Kanshi Radio Limited for failing to
provide adequate protection for viewers, after it aired potentially
offensive and harmful content on its Kanshi Radio station.
Under Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, all licensees must apply
generally-accepted standards to the content on their TV and radio services,
so that audiences are adequately protected from offensive and harmful
material.
After an investigation, Ofcom found that a song broadcast on the radio
station included hate speech, which could have resulted in serious risk of
harm and caused unjustified offence to audiences.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Longtime ham radio operator gets lifetime recognition (North Carolina)
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:19 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vT2ohn
Any licensed ham radio operator in the Carolinas, and across the country
for that matter, likely knows the name of 99-year-old Oscar Norris.
Norris, who lives in Gastonia, first became a ham radio operator in 1949,
transmitting through his unique call sign W40XH on an old military radio.
His interest in the subject piqued when a friend shared with him a magazine
article in which a blind man received his amateur radio license. Norris,
who is also blind, received his license and began a passion that he has
practiced for almost seven decades.
Norris recalls a memorable early transmission where he chatted with a
couple doing missionary work in South America who recently had given birth.
The couple asked Norris via amateur radio to share the exciting news with
their parents whom lived in California and New York.
“I made two telephone calls to announce the birth of the grandchild to the
couples’ parents,” said Norris. “They just thanked me and acted like they
were well-pleased to get the message.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
Breakthrough lofts the smallest satellites ever
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:12 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vgPFbf
In 2015, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner established Breakthrough
Initiatives, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the search
for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). In April of the following year,
he and the organization be founded announced the creation of Breakthrough
Starshot, a program to create a lightsail-driven "wafercraft" that would
make the journey to the nearest star system – Alpha Centauri – within our
lifetime.
This past June, the organization took a major step towards achieving this
goal. After hitching a ride on some satellites being deployed to Low Earth
Orbit (LEO), Breakthrough conducted a successful test flight of its first
spacecraft. Known as "Sprites", these are not only the smallest spacecraft
ever launched, but prototypes for the eventual wafercraft Starshot hopes to
send to Alpha Centauri.
The concept for a wafercraft is simple. By leveraging recent developments
in computing and miniaturization, spacecraft that are the size of a credit
card could be created. These would be capable of carrying all the necessary
sensors, microprocessors and microthrusters, but would be so small and
light that it would take much less energy to accelerate them to
relativistic speeds – in the case of Starshot, up to 20 percent the speed
of light.
"The radio frequency at which the Sprites that were just launched operate
is 437.24 MHz, corresponding to a wavelength of roughly 69 cm," he said. So
if you've got a ham radio and feel like tuning in, this is where to set
your dials.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Students experience the thrill of Ham operation
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:09 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vg7G9g
It was a thrilling experience for 70-odd students from the Electronics and
Communications departments in Potti Sriramulu College of Engineering and
Technology. They carefully observed as a group of Ham operators made swift
arrangements to capture the signals from their college premises to help
them see pictures transmitted by members of Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS), to mark its 20th anniversary.
Ham operators A. Ramesh Babu (VU2RDM), Prabhu Das Ankala (VU2DOS) from
Hyderabad, Subba Reddy (VU3OUA), B.Y. Prasad (VU3XOH) and B. Umakanth
(VU3UBU) took the lead in conducting the event. The college Principal K.
Nageswara Rao, faculty Ranga Rao and others were present. The Hams made a
special three-element Yagi VHF uni-directional antenna and fixed it on a
tripod so it could work from all directions with the orbiting International
Space Station (ISS) at latitude 48.330, longitude 114.210, altitude 406.66
KM and speed of 27624 KMPH. This space station takes about three hours to
complete one cycle around the globe.http://bit.ly/2vg7G9g
///////////////////////////////////////////
Old Weather Radio Technology Still Most Trusted For Tracking Monsoons In
Arizona
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:07 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2u6DV5S
Weather Radio is the steady stream of rough messages broadcast 24/7 and
picked up by your favorite radio stations when the weather turns.
They’re a nearly daily occurrence in Arizona right now, warning of flash
flooding in Douglas, winds in Tucson, and severe storms just outside
Phoenix.
This recent broadcast in Nogales warned people to move to the first floor
of whatever building they were in. And if it sounds a little garbled,
there’s a reason for that. Dan Leins is a meteorologist with the National
Weather Service in Tucson.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Dialed in: Amateur radio association keeping the other wireless alive
(Alaska)
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:05 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2v84gEK
The Matanuska Amateur Radio Association is a general interest amateur radio
club with approximately 100 members. You may not see them, but if you have
a scanner, chances are you’ve heard them.
According to MARA secretary Tabitha Sherman, the group is comprised of
folks from every walk of life with at least one thing in common, the love
of amateur, or ham radio. Group officers said MARA members are involved in
every aspect of amateur radio. The organization makes a special effort to
participate in providing communications support for public service events,
field days, marathons, sled dog and snow machine races—local and statewide,
avalanche rescues, and wildland fires.
Sherman said the group works closely with Mat-Su Borough emergency services
and emergency preparedness, as needed. MARA members also lend themselves to
civic groups. Sherman said MARA works with both Valley Boys and Girls
Scouts of America not only sharing their knowledge, but also allowing the
Scouts to earn merit badges.
///////////////////////////////////////////
How to make sure you can communicate with family during a disaster
(Washington)
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:03 PM PDT
http://kng5.tv/2v8ppP7
Keeping everyone connected when disaster strikes in a key component at the
Snohomish County Emergency Coordination Center.
Without communication, everything else breaks down.
“Everything from knowing which roads are open, which ones are jammed or
damaged in some way, all of that stuff,” said Scott Honaker, communications
coordinator for Snohomish County Emergency Management.
Emergency responders have all sorts of tools at their disposal to make sure
first responders know what’s going on, but what about your family?
///////////////////////////////////////////
Hams heroes (Colorado)
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:59 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uKOgGE
When the zombie apocalypse hits, what will you do?
Will you scramble to arm yourself, or collect supplies and hunker down in a
remote location? What about finding other survivors? How will you reach
them?
A common characteristic of zombie invasions is the destruction and total
failure of communication systems: cell phones, land lines, Wi-Fi,
everything.
That’s where the Montrose Amateur Radio Club comes in. In case of any
emergency (undead or otherwise), the club is capable of operating outside
the power grid, making it the only plausible communication system this side
of messenger pigeons.
///////////////////////////////////////////
via the ARRL: ARRL President Issues Call for Members to Reach Out to their
Senators to Support S. 1534
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:35 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tLO5cK
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, is calling on League members to urge
their US Senators to support the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017, S. 1534.
ARRL has opened a RallyCongress page to simplify the task.
“[W]e are at a crossroad in our efforts to obtain passage of The Amateur
Radio Parity Act,” Roderick said. He said the campaign to secure passage of
the bill scored a major victory earlier this year when H.R. 555 passed
unanimously in the US House of Representatives. Obtaining passage of the
companion Senate bill, S. 1534, is the final legislative hurdle.
“Now is the time for all hams to get involved in the process!” Roderick
said. “Many of you already live in deed-restricted communities, and that
number grows daily.”
He urged radio amateurs now restricted by a Homeowners Association from
installing effective outdoor antennas to visit the RallyCongress site and
e-mail their two US Senators. He also encouraged those not now affected by
deed covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) to support their
fellow radio amateurs by doing the same.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Motorola Files Additional Patent Infringement Complaints against Hytera
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tLoLUb
Motorola Solutions this week ratcheted up its legal battle with competitor
Hytera, filing new patent infringement complaints in Germany against both
Hytera Communications Corporation Ltd of Shenzhen, China, and Hytera
Mobilfunk of Bad Münder, Germany. The latest legal actions, announced on
June 24, are in addition to Motorola’s previously filed patent infringement
complaints in Germany.
“With these additional patent infringement actions in Germany, Motorola
Solutions now has five pending [patent infringement] litigations against
Hytera,” Motorola said in a news release. These include complaints filed
with the US International Trade Commission and separate patent infringement
and trade secret misappropriation complaints filed last March in the US
District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The complaints filed this week in Germany assert that Hytera’s two-way
wireless communication devices with improved squelch functionality infringe
on a Motorola Solutions patent. Motorola says the focus of the new cases
differs from earlier cases and represents the second patent covering
acoustic performance of two-way radio devices.
///////////////////////////////////////////
via the ARRL: ARRL Contest Rule Changes, Clarifications Reflect "Best
Practices" in Radiosport
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2v8bZD3
Just ahead of the 2017-2018 contest season, ARRL has announced rule changes
and clarifications to League-sponsored contests. These include an improved
process for submitting logs and reporting scores. Unless otherwise noted,
these changes become effective starting with the September VHF Contest.
“These changes reflect current ‘best practices’ in the contest community
and help us improve the quality of the competition and reporting of
results,” ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, said. “For
example, getting the log data into log checking more quickly will allow us
to post preliminary results online for nearly all contests.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
Homelessness Not a Bar to Enjoying Amateur Radio, Hawaii Ham Demonstrates
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uGObVT
Not having a permanent roof over his head has not hindered Alex Stengel,
KH7CX, of Honolulu from enjoying Amateur Radio and indulging his passion
for SSB QRP DXing, which he calls “very rewarding.” As ARRL Pacific Section
PIO Stacy Holbrook, KH6OWL, explained, Stengel sleeps on a bench, gets his
mail and showers at a local church, and stows his personal items in a
storage facility. Stengel shies away from attention to his “non-housing
conditions,” as he calls it, and would rather talk about his ham radio
accomplishments.
“All my HF antennas and parts like baluns and ununs are made by me, and the
antennas are very efficient — SWR around 1.06,” Stengel told ARRL. He uses
type N connectors and RG-8X as feed line, which he described as “a
compromise in portability and weight,” since the voltage balun and unun
already make his temporary antenna system heavy enough when it’s hauled
aloft into some coconut palms.
///////////////////////////////////////////
via HACKADAY: Rapidly Prototyping RF Filters
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uH9Tt6
RF filters are really just a handful of strategically placed inductors and
capacitors. Yes, you can make a 1 GHz filter out of through-hole
components, but the leads on the parts turn into inductors at those
frequencies, completely ruining the expected results in a design.
The solution to this is microstrip antennas, or carefully arranged tracks
and pads on a PCB. Anyone can build one of these with Eagle or KiCad, but
that means waiting for an order from a board house to verify your design.
[VK2SEB] has a better idea for prototyping PCB filters: use copper tape on
blank FR4 sheets.
The first, and simplest, filter demonstrated is a simple bandstop filter.
This is really just a piece of fiberglass with copper laminated to one
side. Two RF connectors are soldered to the edges and a strip of copper
tape strung between them. Somewhere around the middle of this copper tape,
[VK2SEB] put another strip of copper tape in a ‘T’ configuration. This is
the simplest bandstop filter you can make, and the beauty of this
construction is that it can be tuned with a razor blade.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Oklahoma Radio Amateur is First to Score Satellite VUCC from Greenland
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vRKQC0
It took just 4 days — some of that time without much sleep — but ARRL
member Gabe Zeifman, NJ7H/VE6NJH, of Oklahoma City recently became the
first radio amateur to earn VUCC — working 100 grid squares — by satellite
from Greenland. In fact, his is the first VUCC award of any kind from
Greenland. A relatively new licensee, Zeifman, 22, has managed to activate
more than 300 grid squares via satellite as well as nearly 20 DXCC
entities. Apart from the operating accomplishment, Zeifman told ARRL, he
was attempting to inspire newcomers.
“I thought it could get more people interested in satellites in general —
VUCC is very achievable for anyone — and could also get more people
interested in roving,” said Zeifman, who began training this week to become
an air traffic controller. “I was overwhelmed by the support I got; it was
really astonishing the number of people that helped!” He said one operator
activated eight grids for him, while others who don’t typically rove,
visited at least one neighboring grid square to give him a new one.
“It was really cool to see our community throughout the world come together
to help in this goal,” he said. “I really first envisioned this idea when I
realized I had nearly 70 grids confirmed from Iceland, and I thought ‘hmm,
OX is an even better location, I bet it’s possible.’”
///////////////////////////////////////////
Hams Project Amelia Earhart Flight Nears End
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:52 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tRnTSk
The Amelia Earhart commemorative round-the-world flight by pilot Brian
Lloyd, WB6RQN, has begun heading over the Pacific Ocean, landing first on
July 23 at Pago Pago in American Samoa, and then in Hawaii via a symbolic
flyover of Howland Island. Lloyd has contacted hundreds of other radio
amateurs from Spirit, his Mooney M20K 231, with expanded fuel capacity and
modern avionics gear. Lloyd’s “Project Amelia Earhart” — funded by The
Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum and other donations — is retracing the
route taken by the famous aviator in June 1937.
Lloyd predicted that the next stage, over the Pacific to the Continental
US, would be the most difficult leg of the trip and would “push both the
plane and me to the limit of our abilities.” He explained that the
single-engine propeller-driven Spirit was fully fueled to include 3 hours
reserve flying time, since “there are scant alternatives should problems
mount up for any reason.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
CQ Announces Rule Changes for 2017 CQ World Wide SSB and CW Events
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:38 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tLtQfn
CQ has announced updates to its rules for the CQ World Wide SSB and CW
contests, effective this fall, and said complete rules will be published
soon. The changes clarify the definition of multioperator, single
transmitter (MS); spell out club definitions and residency requirements;
restrict ITU Region 1 stations transmitting frequencies on 40 and 160
meters; address audio recording requirements, and impose greater penalties
for so-called “rubber clocking.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
RSGB : 146-147 MHz digital TV progress
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:38 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uGKxvd
Slides and video are now available on the Ofcom website from the latest
RSGB and BATC presentation to Ofcom’s Business Radio Interest Group.
The meeting was held on 30 June 2017.
Ongoing advances in Reduced Bandwidth TV by radio amateurs at 146 to 147MHz
were presented by VHF Manager John Regnault, G4SWX.
The video clip shows robust reception of colour digital video transmissions
over 15km on 146.5MHz with a reduced bandwidth of just 470kHz.
///////////////////////////////////////////
One Radio Amateur is Part of New Crew Increment Heading to ISS
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vS21Dy
European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA, NASA astronaut
Randy Bresnik, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy will head to the
International Space Station (ISS) on July 28. They will launch from
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Expedition 52/53 crew will spend
more than 4 months together aboard the orbital complex before returning to
Earth in December.
After launching in their Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft, the trio will travel for 6
hours before docking. Once the hatches between the Soyuz and ISS open,
Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Flight Engineers
Peggy Whitson, ex-KC5ZTD, and Jack Fischer, K2FSH, will welcome the new
crew members aboard. Their arrival will double the population of the ISS.
Expedition 52 will continue work on hundreds of experiments in biology,
biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the ISS, NASA said.
///////////////////////////////////////////
New 222 MHz and Up Contest Debuts August 5-6 Weekend
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2eV2nW6
ARRL’s new 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest will debut on August 5 at 1800
UTC and continue until the next day. This 24-hour contest offers a wide
range of entry categories, from FM, CW, and SSB to digital modes.
The object is to work as many stations as possible on the 222 MHz through
241 GHz bands, using any allowable mode. A station in a specific grid
locator may be contacted from the same location only once on each band,
regardless of mode. Contacts on higher frequencies earn more points, so
expect plenty of activity from locations that offer a height advantage.
Check the rules update for Club and Team competitions, and requirements to
register Teams before the contest. The deadline to submit logs is 14 days
following the contest — August 20 at 1800 UTC in the case of this year’s
event.
///////////////////////////////////////////
ARISS Reports ISS Packet System is Down
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vS2PIA
The aging Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) packet
system on 145.825 MHz appears to have stopped functioning altogether, after
experiencing some recent problems, and restoring it to operation could take
months. ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said the packet
system, located in the Columbus module, started to act up late last week,
sending only a beacon.
“The ARISS team requested a power recycle by the crew, and with that power
recycle, the packet system appears to have stopped functioning completely,”
Bauer said in a news release. “Note that this unit has been on orbit for 17
years. It was launched on the STS-106 Space Shuttle Atlantis mission in
September 2000 and was built, tested and certified for flight about 20
years ago.”
Bauer said the ARISS team has had extensive discussions on how to resolve
the problem, starting with some additional troubleshooting with the
existing packet module. He said it would take weeks just to develop the
required troubleshooting procedures and have NASA approve them, before
conducting tests with the ISS crew. This would include an additional power
cycle, he said.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Arecibo Observatory Ionospheric Heating Campaign Under Way
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tRv1xM
Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is conducting an ionospheric heating
campaign July 24-31, using HF.
“The new Arecibo ionosphere HF heater nominally transmits 600 kW net power
and has a unique Cassegrain dual-array antenna design that increases gain
of three crossed dipoles for each band, using the signature 1000-foot
spherical dish reflector,” explained Chris Fallen, KL3WX, a researcher at
the University of Alaska-Fairbanks HAARP facility. He has reported that
Arecibo would use 5.125 or 8.175 MHz, depending upon ionospheric
conditions, but emphasized that these are estimates and frequencies may be
adjusted slightly. On July 25, Arecibo was transmitting on 5.095 MHz.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Friedrichshafens Ham Radio Attendance Holds Steady
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2u6RAtz
Despite being held in a different month and at the height of the tourist
season, Germany’s Ham Radio 2017 — more popularly known by its location,
Friedrichshafen — remained as popular as ever this year. This marked the
42nd annual Ham Radio, and the Friedrichshafen Fairground reported that Ham
Radio and the concurrent Maker Faire Bodensee (Lake Constance) attracted
17,110 visitors this year, compared to 17,230 last year. Heading up the
ARRL contingent were President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and International
Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB. ARRL Marketing Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, said the League puts in an appearance at Friedrichshafen
each year, greeting international members, which number more than 9,000,
and networking with other national radio societies.
“ARRL is held in high regard by the international Amateur Radio community,
and there were many, many compliments shared with our team for ARRL’s good
work,” Inderbitzen reported. He said a German radio amateur donated to the
ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund, citing the League’s spectrum advocacy efforts.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Traditional ham radio leaves youngsters uninterested
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:32 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tSga6z
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, expressed his surprise when he
discovered his usual amateur radio talk didn't impress young people
In the 2016 ARRL Annual Report Rick writes:
"I prepared my usual talk about some interesting ham radio stories over my
50 years as a ham, how we can talk all over the world, and I brought some
QSL cards from rare places to show the group. I have given that talk many
times, and it usually impresses people — but not this time. I was surprised
to see flat, uninterested faces."
"I realized that I had to change my approach to the presentation if I was
going to keep the attention of these young people. After all, what could
ham radio offer people who grew up in homes that had computers hooked up to
the internet? Today’s young people are used to riding down the interstate
at 70 MPH as a passenger while watching high-definition videos on their
iPhones."
///////////////////////////////////////////
Law enforcement radio encryption draws backlash (Washington)
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:30 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2w9pHCI
Pushback from the public regarding the encryption of law enforcement radio
traffic has led to discussions about the decision, though it’s not likely
that those channels will go back to being clear any time soon.
Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency completed a switch to an
all-digital radio system in June, which among other things involved the
encryption of all law enforcement channels for agencies that use CRESA for
dispatch services.
The Law Enforcement Council of Clark and Skamania Counties made the
decision to encrypt law enforcement channels, citing officer safety as the
chief concern that led to it. Members of the public have spoken out about
the decision, citing transparency among other concerns.
One local amateur radio enthusiast, Ryan Todd, sent a letter to different
local government officials last week listing reasons why full encryption
was a bad idea in his mind. Apart from having some police operations
available for the public to monitor, managing the keys needed to access the
encrypted channels can become costly, the letter read, and in the case of
departments that do not have the encryption, the relay of communication
could be delayed, compromising the usefulness of the system.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Ofcom fines Kanshi Radio Limited
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:20 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2v706gU
Ofcom has imposed a £17,500 fine on Kanshi Radio Limited for failing to
provide adequate protection for viewers, after it aired potentially
offensive and harmful content on its Kanshi Radio station.
Under Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, all licensees must apply
generally-accepted standards to the content on their TV and radio services,
so that audiences are adequately protected from offensive and harmful
material.
After an investigation, Ofcom found that a song broadcast on the radio
station included hate speech, which could have resulted in serious risk of
harm and caused unjustified offence to audiences.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Longtime ham radio operator gets lifetime recognition (North Carolina)
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:19 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vT2ohn
Any licensed ham radio operator in the Carolinas, and across the country
for that matter, likely knows the name of 99-year-old Oscar Norris.
Norris, who lives in Gastonia, first became a ham radio operator in 1949,
transmitting through his unique call sign W40XH on an old military radio.
His interest in the subject piqued when a friend shared with him a magazine
article in which a blind man received his amateur radio license. Norris,
who is also blind, received his license and began a passion that he has
practiced for almost seven decades.
Norris recalls a memorable early transmission where he chatted with a
couple doing missionary work in South America who recently had given birth.
The couple asked Norris via amateur radio to share the exciting news with
their parents whom lived in California and New York.
“I made two telephone calls to announce the birth of the grandchild to the
couples’ parents,” said Norris. “They just thanked me and acted like they
were well-pleased to get the message.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
Breakthrough lofts the smallest satellites ever
Posted: 29 Jul 2017 10:12 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vgPFbf
In 2015, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner established Breakthrough
Initiatives, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the search
for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). In April of the following year,
he and the organization be founded announced the creation of Breakthrough
Starshot, a program to create a lightsail-driven "wafercraft" that would
make the journey to the nearest star system – Alpha Centauri – within our
lifetime.
This past June, the organization took a major step towards achieving this
goal. After hitching a ride on some satellites being deployed to Low Earth
Orbit (LEO), Breakthrough conducted a successful test flight of its first
spacecraft. Known as "Sprites", these are not only the smallest spacecraft
ever launched, but prototypes for the eventual wafercraft Starshot hopes to
send to Alpha Centauri.
The concept for a wafercraft is simple. By leveraging recent developments
in computing and miniaturization, spacecraft that are the size of a credit
card could be created. These would be capable of carrying all the necessary
sensors, microprocessors and microthrusters, but would be so small and
light that it would take much less energy to accelerate them to
relativistic speeds – in the case of Starshot, up to 20 percent the speed
of light.
"The radio frequency at which the Sprites that were just launched operate
is 437.24 MHz, corresponding to a wavelength of roughly 69 cm," he said. So
if you've got a ham radio and feel like tuning in, this is where to set
your dials.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Students experience the thrill of Ham operation
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:09 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vg7G9g
It was a thrilling experience for 70-odd students from the Electronics and
Communications departments in Potti Sriramulu College of Engineering and
Technology. They carefully observed as a group of Ham operators made swift
arrangements to capture the signals from their college premises to help
them see pictures transmitted by members of Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS), to mark its 20th anniversary.
Ham operators A. Ramesh Babu (VU2RDM), Prabhu Das Ankala (VU2DOS) from
Hyderabad, Subba Reddy (VU3OUA), B.Y. Prasad (VU3XOH) and B. Umakanth
(VU3UBU) took the lead in conducting the event. The college Principal K.
Nageswara Rao, faculty Ranga Rao and others were present. The Hams made a
special three-element Yagi VHF uni-directional antenna and fixed it on a
tripod so it could work from all directions with the orbiting International
Space Station (ISS) at latitude 48.330, longitude 114.210, altitude 406.66
KM and speed of 27624 KMPH. This space station takes about three hours to
complete one cycle around the globe.http://bit.ly/2vg7G9g
///////////////////////////////////////////
Old Weather Radio Technology Still Most Trusted For Tracking Monsoons In
Arizona
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:07 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2u6DV5S
Weather Radio is the steady stream of rough messages broadcast 24/7 and
picked up by your favorite radio stations when the weather turns.
They’re a nearly daily occurrence in Arizona right now, warning of flash
flooding in Douglas, winds in Tucson, and severe storms just outside
Phoenix.
This recent broadcast in Nogales warned people to move to the first floor
of whatever building they were in. And if it sounds a little garbled,
there’s a reason for that. Dan Leins is a meteorologist with the National
Weather Service in Tucson.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Dialed in: Amateur radio association keeping the other wireless alive
(Alaska)
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:05 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2v84gEK
The Matanuska Amateur Radio Association is a general interest amateur radio
club with approximately 100 members. You may not see them, but if you have
a scanner, chances are you’ve heard them.
According to MARA secretary Tabitha Sherman, the group is comprised of
folks from every walk of life with at least one thing in common, the love
of amateur, or ham radio. Group officers said MARA members are involved in
every aspect of amateur radio. The organization makes a special effort to
participate in providing communications support for public service events,
field days, marathons, sled dog and snow machine races—local and statewide,
avalanche rescues, and wildland fires.
Sherman said the group works closely with Mat-Su Borough emergency services
and emergency preparedness, as needed. MARA members also lend themselves to
civic groups. Sherman said MARA works with both Valley Boys and Girls
Scouts of America not only sharing their knowledge, but also allowing the
Scouts to earn merit badges.
///////////////////////////////////////////
How to make sure you can communicate with family during a disaster
(Washington)
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 10:03 PM PDT
http://kng5.tv/2v8ppP7
Keeping everyone connected when disaster strikes in a key component at the
Snohomish County Emergency Coordination Center.
Without communication, everything else breaks down.
“Everything from knowing which roads are open, which ones are jammed or
damaged in some way, all of that stuff,” said Scott Honaker, communications
coordinator for Snohomish County Emergency Management.
Emergency responders have all sorts of tools at their disposal to make sure
first responders know what’s going on, but what about your family?
///////////////////////////////////////////
Hams heroes (Colorado)
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:59 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uKOgGE
When the zombie apocalypse hits, what will you do?
Will you scramble to arm yourself, or collect supplies and hunker down in a
remote location? What about finding other survivors? How will you reach
them?
A common characteristic of zombie invasions is the destruction and total
failure of communication systems: cell phones, land lines, Wi-Fi,
everything.
That’s where the Montrose Amateur Radio Club comes in. In case of any
emergency (undead or otherwise), the club is capable of operating outside
the power grid, making it the only plausible communication system this side
of messenger pigeons.
///////////////////////////////////////////
via the ARRL: ARRL President Issues Call for Members to Reach Out to their
Senators to Support S. 1534
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:35 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tLO5cK
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, is calling on League members to urge
their US Senators to support the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017, S. 1534.
ARRL has opened a RallyCongress page to simplify the task.
“[W]e are at a crossroad in our efforts to obtain passage of The Amateur
Radio Parity Act,” Roderick said. He said the campaign to secure passage of
the bill scored a major victory earlier this year when H.R. 555 passed
unanimously in the US House of Representatives. Obtaining passage of the
companion Senate bill, S. 1534, is the final legislative hurdle.
“Now is the time for all hams to get involved in the process!” Roderick
said. “Many of you already live in deed-restricted communities, and that
number grows daily.”
He urged radio amateurs now restricted by a Homeowners Association from
installing effective outdoor antennas to visit the RallyCongress site and
e-mail their two US Senators. He also encouraged those not now affected by
deed covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) to support their
fellow radio amateurs by doing the same.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Motorola Files Additional Patent Infringement Complaints against Hytera
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tLoLUb
Motorola Solutions this week ratcheted up its legal battle with competitor
Hytera, filing new patent infringement complaints in Germany against both
Hytera Communications Corporation Ltd of Shenzhen, China, and Hytera
Mobilfunk of Bad Münder, Germany. The latest legal actions, announced on
June 24, are in addition to Motorola’s previously filed patent infringement
complaints in Germany.
“With these additional patent infringement actions in Germany, Motorola
Solutions now has five pending [patent infringement] litigations against
Hytera,” Motorola said in a news release. These include complaints filed
with the US International Trade Commission and separate patent infringement
and trade secret misappropriation complaints filed last March in the US
District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The complaints filed this week in Germany assert that Hytera’s two-way
wireless communication devices with improved squelch functionality infringe
on a Motorola Solutions patent. Motorola says the focus of the new cases
differs from earlier cases and represents the second patent covering
acoustic performance of two-way radio devices.
///////////////////////////////////////////
via the ARRL: ARRL Contest Rule Changes, Clarifications Reflect "Best
Practices" in Radiosport
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2v8bZD3
Just ahead of the 2017-2018 contest season, ARRL has announced rule changes
and clarifications to League-sponsored contests. These include an improved
process for submitting logs and reporting scores. Unless otherwise noted,
these changes become effective starting with the September VHF Contest.
“These changes reflect current ‘best practices’ in the contest community
and help us improve the quality of the competition and reporting of
results,” ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, said. “For
example, getting the log data into log checking more quickly will allow us
to post preliminary results online for nearly all contests.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
Homelessness Not a Bar to Enjoying Amateur Radio, Hawaii Ham Demonstrates
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uGObVT
Not having a permanent roof over his head has not hindered Alex Stengel,
KH7CX, of Honolulu from enjoying Amateur Radio and indulging his passion
for SSB QRP DXing, which he calls “very rewarding.” As ARRL Pacific Section
PIO Stacy Holbrook, KH6OWL, explained, Stengel sleeps on a bench, gets his
mail and showers at a local church, and stows his personal items in a
storage facility. Stengel shies away from attention to his “non-housing
conditions,” as he calls it, and would rather talk about his ham radio
accomplishments.
“All my HF antennas and parts like baluns and ununs are made by me, and the
antennas are very efficient — SWR around 1.06,” Stengel told ARRL. He uses
type N connectors and RG-8X as feed line, which he described as “a
compromise in portability and weight,” since the voltage balun and unun
already make his temporary antenna system heavy enough when it’s hauled
aloft into some coconut palms.
///////////////////////////////////////////
via HACKADAY: Rapidly Prototyping RF Filters
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uH9Tt6
RF filters are really just a handful of strategically placed inductors and
capacitors. Yes, you can make a 1 GHz filter out of through-hole
components, but the leads on the parts turn into inductors at those
frequencies, completely ruining the expected results in a design.
The solution to this is microstrip antennas, or carefully arranged tracks
and pads on a PCB. Anyone can build one of these with Eagle or KiCad, but
that means waiting for an order from a board house to verify your design.
[VK2SEB] has a better idea for prototyping PCB filters: use copper tape on
blank FR4 sheets.
The first, and simplest, filter demonstrated is a simple bandstop filter.
This is really just a piece of fiberglass with copper laminated to one
side. Two RF connectors are soldered to the edges and a strip of copper
tape strung between them. Somewhere around the middle of this copper tape,
[VK2SEB] put another strip of copper tape in a ‘T’ configuration. This is
the simplest bandstop filter you can make, and the beauty of this
construction is that it can be tuned with a razor blade.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Oklahoma Radio Amateur is First to Score Satellite VUCC from Greenland
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 09:15 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vRKQC0
It took just 4 days — some of that time without much sleep — but ARRL
member Gabe Zeifman, NJ7H/VE6NJH, of Oklahoma City recently became the
first radio amateur to earn VUCC — working 100 grid squares — by satellite
from Greenland. In fact, his is the first VUCC award of any kind from
Greenland. A relatively new licensee, Zeifman, 22, has managed to activate
more than 300 grid squares via satellite as well as nearly 20 DXCC
entities. Apart from the operating accomplishment, Zeifman told ARRL, he
was attempting to inspire newcomers.
“I thought it could get more people interested in satellites in general —
VUCC is very achievable for anyone — and could also get more people
interested in roving,” said Zeifman, who began training this week to become
an air traffic controller. “I was overwhelmed by the support I got; it was
really astonishing the number of people that helped!” He said one operator
activated eight grids for him, while others who don’t typically rove,
visited at least one neighboring grid square to give him a new one.
“It was really cool to see our community throughout the world come together
to help in this goal,” he said. “I really first envisioned this idea when I
realized I had nearly 70 grids confirmed from Iceland, and I thought ‘hmm,
OX is an even better location, I bet it’s possible.’”
///////////////////////////////////////////
Hams Project Amelia Earhart Flight Nears End
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:52 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tRnTSk
The Amelia Earhart commemorative round-the-world flight by pilot Brian
Lloyd, WB6RQN, has begun heading over the Pacific Ocean, landing first on
July 23 at Pago Pago in American Samoa, and then in Hawaii via a symbolic
flyover of Howland Island. Lloyd has contacted hundreds of other radio
amateurs from Spirit, his Mooney M20K 231, with expanded fuel capacity and
modern avionics gear. Lloyd’s “Project Amelia Earhart” — funded by The
Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum and other donations — is retracing the
route taken by the famous aviator in June 1937.
Lloyd predicted that the next stage, over the Pacific to the Continental
US, would be the most difficult leg of the trip and would “push both the
plane and me to the limit of our abilities.” He explained that the
single-engine propeller-driven Spirit was fully fueled to include 3 hours
reserve flying time, since “there are scant alternatives should problems
mount up for any reason.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
CQ Announces Rule Changes for 2017 CQ World Wide SSB and CW Events
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:38 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tLtQfn
CQ has announced updates to its rules for the CQ World Wide SSB and CW
contests, effective this fall, and said complete rules will be published
soon. The changes clarify the definition of multioperator, single
transmitter (MS); spell out club definitions and residency requirements;
restrict ITU Region 1 stations transmitting frequencies on 40 and 160
meters; address audio recording requirements, and impose greater penalties
for so-called “rubber clocking.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
RSGB : 146-147 MHz digital TV progress
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:38 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2uGKxvd
Slides and video are now available on the Ofcom website from the latest
RSGB and BATC presentation to Ofcom’s Business Radio Interest Group.
The meeting was held on 30 June 2017.
Ongoing advances in Reduced Bandwidth TV by radio amateurs at 146 to 147MHz
were presented by VHF Manager John Regnault, G4SWX.
The video clip shows robust reception of colour digital video transmissions
over 15km on 146.5MHz with a reduced bandwidth of just 470kHz.
///////////////////////////////////////////
One Radio Amateur is Part of New Crew Increment Heading to ISS
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vS21Dy
European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA, NASA astronaut
Randy Bresnik, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy will head to the
International Space Station (ISS) on July 28. They will launch from
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Expedition 52/53 crew will spend
more than 4 months together aboard the orbital complex before returning to
Earth in December.
After launching in their Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft, the trio will travel for 6
hours before docking. Once the hatches between the Soyuz and ISS open,
Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Flight Engineers
Peggy Whitson, ex-KC5ZTD, and Jack Fischer, K2FSH, will welcome the new
crew members aboard. Their arrival will double the population of the ISS.
Expedition 52 will continue work on hundreds of experiments in biology,
biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the ISS, NASA said.
///////////////////////////////////////////
New 222 MHz and Up Contest Debuts August 5-6 Weekend
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2eV2nW6
ARRL’s new 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest will debut on August 5 at 1800
UTC and continue until the next day. This 24-hour contest offers a wide
range of entry categories, from FM, CW, and SSB to digital modes.
The object is to work as many stations as possible on the 222 MHz through
241 GHz bands, using any allowable mode. A station in a specific grid
locator may be contacted from the same location only once on each band,
regardless of mode. Contacts on higher frequencies earn more points, so
expect plenty of activity from locations that offer a height advantage.
Check the rules update for Club and Team competitions, and requirements to
register Teams before the contest. The deadline to submit logs is 14 days
following the contest — August 20 at 1800 UTC in the case of this year’s
event.
///////////////////////////////////////////
ARISS Reports ISS Packet System is Down
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2vS2PIA
The aging Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) packet
system on 145.825 MHz appears to have stopped functioning altogether, after
experiencing some recent problems, and restoring it to operation could take
months. ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said the packet
system, located in the Columbus module, started to act up late last week,
sending only a beacon.
“The ARISS team requested a power recycle by the crew, and with that power
recycle, the packet system appears to have stopped functioning completely,”
Bauer said in a news release. “Note that this unit has been on orbit for 17
years. It was launched on the STS-106 Space Shuttle Atlantis mission in
September 2000 and was built, tested and certified for flight about 20
years ago.”
Bauer said the ARISS team has had extensive discussions on how to resolve
the problem, starting with some additional troubleshooting with the
existing packet module. He said it would take weeks just to develop the
required troubleshooting procedures and have NASA approve them, before
conducting tests with the ISS crew. This would include an additional power
cycle, he said.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Arecibo Observatory Ionospheric Heating Campaign Under Way
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2tRv1xM
Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is conducting an ionospheric heating
campaign July 24-31, using HF.
“The new Arecibo ionosphere HF heater nominally transmits 600 kW net power
and has a unique Cassegrain dual-array antenna design that increases gain
of three crossed dipoles for each band, using the signature 1000-foot
spherical dish reflector,” explained Chris Fallen, KL3WX, a researcher at
the University of Alaska-Fairbanks HAARP facility. He has reported that
Arecibo would use 5.125 or 8.175 MHz, depending upon ionospheric
conditions, but emphasized that these are estimates and frequencies may be
adjusted slightly. On July 25, Arecibo was transmitting on 5.095 MHz.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Friedrichshafens Ham Radio Attendance Holds Steady
Posted: 28 Jul 2017 08:31 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2u6RAtz
Despite being held in a different month and at the height of the tourist
season, Germany’s Ham Radio 2017 — more popularly known by its location,
Friedrichshafen — remained as popular as ever this year. This marked the
42nd annual Ham Radio, and the Friedrichshafen Fairground reported that Ham
Radio and the concurrent Maker Faire Bodensee (Lake Constance) attracted
17,110 visitors this year, compared to 17,230 last year. Heading up the
ARRL contingent were President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and International
Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB. ARRL Marketing Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, said the League puts in an appearance at Friedrichshafen
each year, greeting international members, which number more than 9,000,
and networking with other national radio societies.
“ARRL is held in high regard by the international Amateur Radio community,
and there were many, many compliments shared with our team for ARRL’s good
work,” Inderbitzen reported. He said a German radio amateur donated to the
ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund, citing the League’s spectrum advocacy efforts.
0 new messages