ARNewsline(tm) 1263 - Oct 26 2001
Radionews
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1263 with a release date of
Friday, October 26th, 2001 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T.
The ARRL says to get ready to fight to protect the 70 centimeter band and the
FCC says to stop sending paper to its Washington office. These stories are
first on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1263 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
FORCED SPECTRUM SHARING: BATTLE LOOMS OVER PART 15 ACCESS TO 425-435 MHZ
The American Radio Relay League says that a battle is looming with the FCC over
the agency’s proposes changes to its Part 15 rules governing unlicensed
devices. Changes that would allow operation of advanced radio frequency
identification devices between 425 and 435 MHz. And it could spell the word
trouble for ham radio as we hear from our South-East Bureau Chief, David Black,
KB4KCH.
--
The ARRL Letter explains the League's position. The FCC has decided to grant a
request made earlier this year by SAVI Technology Inc. SAVI wants to us the
spectrum for radio frequency package identification tags. To help make that
happen, the FCC is issuing a Notice of Proposed Rule Making.
In comments on the VHF Reflector, Russ Pillsbury, K2TXB, discusses SAVI. He
describes it as a big, multi-national company with significant worldwide
funding. Pillsbury also says SAVI has large United States defense department
contracts as well.
SAVI Technology sells radiolocation and wireless inventory control products.
SAVI says it needs the rules change to meet customer demand for increased radio
frequency identification system capabilities. And the FCC says it agrees with
SAVI. The Commission says changes
to its Part 15 rules would allow more advanced radio frequency ID systems on
the 433 MHz band and would serve the public interest.
The Commission proposes creating a new section to Part 15. It would allow
operating radio frequency ID systems between 425 and 435 MHz. Transmissions
could be up to two minutes at a time. Maximum field strengths would be at the
level now permitted only for extremely short-duration, intermittent control
signals. And that's what ham radio operators don't like. They see that as a
high potential for interference to Amateur Radio operations nationwide. And
it's why the ARRL fiercely opposes the rules change.
The League takes a strong stand. The ARRL says the FCC has set the stage for
another battle between amateur and commercial interests. League Executive Vice
President Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, accuses the FCC of not having thought this one
through. Sumner normally expresses ARRL Board policy. He says the Part 15
radio frequency identification proposal is: "contrary to the whole philosophy
of the Part 15 rules."
Sumner says the radio identification devices SAVI proposes belong on other
frequencies--specifically, those authorized for use by devices regulated by FCC
Part 18 rules. Those regulations cover Industrial, Scientific and Medical
devices. The FCC counters, saying the proposed rules change dealing with the
ID systems is to harmonize its own rules with those in other parts of the
world.
But Sumner fires back. He says 433.9 MHz is allocated for Industrial,
Scientific and Medical devices only in ten European countries but not in the
rest of the world. And it is not permitted in North and South America which
make up I-T-U Region 2.
From the South East Bureau in Birmingham Alabama, I'm David Black, KB4KCH, for
the Amateur Radio Newsline.
--
Another portion of the proposed rules change involves the Industrial,
Scientific and Medical frequency allocation at 13.56 MHz. Dave Sumner says at
first glance that proposal might permit increased emissions in the bottom 10
kHz of the 20-meter amateur band. Sumner adds that the ARRL will take a closer
look at this section of the overall proposal before assessing its interference
potential. The entire Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order is contained in
ET Docket 01-278 is available on the FCC website at www.fcc.gov and the ARRL
Website at www.arrl.org. (ARRL, K2TXB, VHF Reflector)
**
FORCED SPECTRUM SHARING: FCC ISSUES 430 MHZ EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE FOR SOCAL
Hams in Southern California are on alert after the FCC issues an Experimental
License to Digital Wireless Corporation in Los Angeles to test its systems in
the 420 to 430 MHz Amateur Radio band. Digital Wireless Corporation is a
manufacturer of secure, all-digital, Internet-linked trunked and non-trunked
dispatch radio equipment that provides secure conversations and seamless
network coverage for business, government and military users. The license with
the call sign W-C-2-X-K-K permits holder Brent Jaybush and Digital wireless to
operate within 5 km of their factory in Los Angeles through February 01, 2003.
(FCC, ARNewsline(tm))
**
FORCED SPECTRUM SHARING: ARRL - NO COMMERCIAL USERS AT 2390-2400 MHz.
The ARRL says that it urges the FCC -- ‘in the strongest possible terms' --
to make no commercial allocations in the 2390 to 2400 MHz primary Amateur Radio
Service allocation. In a bulletin to its members released on Wednesday,
October 24th the League did however tentatively suggest hams might be willing
to share the band with compatible government services that are displaced to
make room for advanced wireless systems.
In its communication to the regulatory agency, the ARRL tells the FCC that
advanced wireless systems are fundamentally incompatible with continued amateur
access to the band.' The ARRL says the federal government 'has historically
been a compatible sharing partner and that government uses would offer 'the
least disruptive opportunities for sharing' in the band. (ARRL Bulletin)
**
RESTRUCTURING: NEW LICENSING REGS IN NEW ZEALAND
It’s a nation that now only has two license classes and a 5 word per minute
code test. This as New Zealand joins the worldwide move toward simplifying the
entry to ham radio. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Jim Meachen ZL2BHF has more:
--
The introduction of New Zealand’s Radiocommunications Regulations 2001 has
brought changes for Amateur Radio Licensing in New Zealand. Forthwith there
are only two classes of Amateur Radio Licence available -- The Limited and The
General. The Novice and the Novice/Limited licences grades have been removed.
The Limited licensing procedure remains unchanged and the General licensing
procedure is changed by the lowering of the Morse Code test to 5
words-per-minute. Novice and Novice/Limited licences will no longer be
granted. Existing licences in these categories will remain valid under the new
Regulations and with their original licence provisions.
New Zealand’s Licensing Authority the Ministry of Economic Development is
encouraging existing Novice and Novice/Limited licensees to review their
qualifications to see if they now meet the requirements of the new General
Licence.
Amateur who have passed the previous Novice Morse test of 6 wpm and attained a
pass of 50% or more in the theory and regulations examination, or 66% or more
in the new multiple-choice computer-generated examination now meet the
requirement for a General Licence and can immediately submit an application for
an upgrade.
The existing ZL callsign grouping that indicates the class of licence of the
holder will remain in force. This will require all licensees upgrading to a
General licence to obtain a new callsign.
Included in the new Regulations is a long awaited provision for variation to
the manner in which an amateur examination is carried out if there is need to
vary the examination process for a candidate with a particular disability.
Variation will be at the Chief Executive's discretion and the Ministry will
deal with each case as it arises.
It is expected that the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitter Morse
Examiners will test at 12 wpm on request for those who may wish to meet this
higher operating standard for overseas travel.
From Auckland New Zealand I’m Jim Meachen ZL2BHF for Newsline.
--
With more and more nations turning to 5 words per minute Morse testing, it
appears as if it will soon be the standard -- worldwide. (NZART, ZL2BHF)
**
BREAK 1
This is ham radio news coming to you from the United States of America. We are
the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world,
including the Las Vegas Amateur Radio Club net serving Las Vegas Nevada.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO AND THE WAR: FCC STOPS ACCEPTING FILINGS IN ENVELOPES
If you are planning to write to the FCC in Washinton D-C – the word is –
don’t. This as the agency issues a public notice saying that filings
enclosed in envelopes will not be accepted until further notice.
The reason is the same as the one CQ Magazine stated last week when it said it
will no longer accept mailed in paper logs – the possibility of bio
contamination. And while the FCC notice makes no direct reference to the
anthrax scare, the Broadcasting and Cable newsletter says most view it at as a
precautionary.
In a nutshell, heres what the FCC says to do. Document filers and messengers
delivering paper communications to the agency will be asked to dispose of
envelopes in a receptacle outside of its Washington, D.C., headquarters. Mail
and packages delivered to the agency will be opened at an off-site location.
If you must send a paper filing to the FCC, the only way it can be done is by
clipping the papers together with a rubber band or other fastener with no
envelope. Then you either hand carry it or courier it to 9300 East Hampton
Drive, in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Those requesting confidential treatment
of their documents must have materials placed in commission-provided envelopes.
The FCC also says that filers have the option of submitting any document
electronically.
And what about filings by U-S Mail to the Gettysburg Licensing facility in
Pennslvania? Items like ham radio license renewals and the like? According to
the ARRL Letter, the public notice on FCC mail makes no mention of any change
in procedures regarding filings in envelopes to Gettysburg, but that could
change at any time. (Broadcasting & Cable, ARRL)
**
RADIO AND THE WAR: RADIO SOLO HEARD IN THE USA
Last week we reported that the United States has been air dropping Bay Gen wind
up radios into Afghanistan. We also said that the government six EC-130 planes
that make up the Air National Guard's Commando Solo fleet serve as flying radio
stations. Now we can give you an idea of what the airborn transmission to the
Afghan populations sounds like. Take a listen:
--
Audio here
--
That signal was reportedly recorded by a shortwave listener on the U-S East
coast on October 18th and posted to the Internet. And while we do not know
exactly what’s being said, an English translation posted to the Pentagon’s
website indicates its probably a transmission to Taliban fighters and might
well say: “When you decide to surrender, approach United States forces with
your hands in the air. Sling your weapon across your back muzzle towards the
ground. Remove your magazine and expel any rounds. Doing this is your only
chance of survival.” (shortwave.com, ARNewsline(tm))
**
RADIO AND THE WAR: A RUN ON RADIOS
One of the hottest selling consumer electronic items since September 11th is
the scanner radio. According to several news reports, the people buying them
say that it gives them a sense of security knowing what’s taking place in the
community in light of the terror attacks on New York City and the Pentagon.
One story says that the Radio Shack chain, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has
reported a major increase in sales. The same with such dealers as Scanner
World USA, a mail-order business based in Albany, N.Y., and Uniden America
Corp. of Fort Worth. In fact, some retailers report sales are up 10 percent to
30 percent compared with the same period last year.
That article quotes Norm Schrein, KA8PGJ, who is president of the Bearcat Radio
Club in Dayton, Ohio. Schrein says he went to a trade show in Peoria,
Illinois, four days after the attack. Business was so brisk that his stock of
scanners was all but cleaned out.
But scanners are not the only hot product running off dealer shelves these
days. All-band shortwave radios are running a close second. According to one
news story the lure of shortwave receivers is that they allow for listening to
broadcasts from around the world, including airline, shipping and military
communications. Other reports say that shortwave gives the public yet another
avenue to get news items not regularly reported by the U-S press. (Various
published news reports)
**
ENFORCEMENT: DON’T USE ILLEGAL GEAR FOR BUSINESS
A Kentucky towing company is told to stop using the ham bands to communicate.
This after the FCC receives complaints that the company’s trucks have been
heard on 10 meters. Riley Hollingsworth, is the FCC’s Special Counsel for
Amateur Radio enforcement matters:
--
Hollingsworth: “We sent a warning notice to STI Towing and Repair in Walton
and Florence Kentucky about using 10 meter Amateur equipment in their business
operation. Related to that, we sent a warning to an employee licensee of the
company [named] Robert McCoy, N4ZTA of Florence Kentucky about the same matter.
Now that employee may have equipped the trucks wth unlicensed equipment. The
trucks are tow-trucks number 21, 27, 52, 97, 99 and RR4 operating in the Walton
and Florence Kentucky areas.”
--
STI Towing and Repair was given the usual time to respond. (FCC, RAIN)
**
ARRL MEMBERS: THE LEAGUE NEEDS YOU IN THE CC&R EFFORT
If you are an ARRL member, listen up. This one is for you.
Have you ever been denied the ability to put up an antenna, or to operate an
Amateur Radio transmitter? Have you had any other restriction on your Amateur
Radio activities because you live in a housing development or condominium
complex governed by private land use regulations? Well, the ARRL Board of
Directors has adopted a goal of trying for legislative action that helps
overcome the unreasonable restrictions of C-C-and R’s that prohibit or
restrict Amateur Radio antennas. And you can help. Heres how.
According to the ARRL Letter, the league has a sample letter at its website.
That’s in cyberspace at www.arrl.org. If you are affected by a CC&R, or know
someone in your Congressional district who is, please adapt the sample letter
to your own situation and consider sending it to your member of Congress. And
if you decide to write please send a copy to the ARRL's Office of Legislative
Affairs.
To find your Senator's mailing address check
www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm. To find your Representative's, check
www.house.gov/writerep. (ARRL)
**
AWARDS: DARA OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR HAM OF THE YEAR
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association says its opening the nominating period for
the 2002 Dayton Hamvention Awards. There are three awards presented each year.
They are the Radio Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement, and Technical
Excellence.
The Radio Amateur of the Year is described as the special person who has made a
long term commitment to the advancement of amateur radio. We are looking for a
well-rounded individual who has contributed to our hobby in some outstanding
way. The Technical Excellence award is for the person who has made an
outstanding technical advancement in the field of amateur radio while the
Special Achievement Award is reserved for the ham who has made an outstanding
contribution to the advancement of amateur radio. This latter award is usually
given to a respected amateur who spearheaded a single significant project.
All amateurs Novice through Extra are eligible. Awards are decided by the
Awards Committee, based partially upon the information received. Magazine
articles, newsletters, newspaper clippings, videos and the like are appreciated
but cannot be returned. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2002.
Nominations can be submitted by US Mail to Post Office Box 964, Dayton Ohio
45401 or by completing the convenient e-form on the web at www.hamvention.org.
(DARA)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: HAP HOLLY KC9RP TO SPEAK IN L.A.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, and have never had the opportunity to meet
RAIN Producer Hap Holly, KC9RP, you will have you chance very soon. This as
Hap and his wife Stephanie venture west to the City of Angeles for a speaking
engagement by KC9RP.
Hap will be the guest of the TRW Amateur Radio Club at its Thanksgiving Awards
Banquet the evening of November 10th. There is one caveat. This event is for
active TRW Radio Club members and their guests only. More information is on
the web at www.w6trw.com under the subject Annual Banquet. (ARNewsline(tm))
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: W4WYR NAMED A “CHAMP”
The ARRL Letter says that Southeastern Division Vice Director Evelyn Gauzens,
W4WYR, is the recipient of the 2001 Citizens' Ham Mobile-Marine Patrol or CHAMP
Award. Gauzens was selected for her work as co-founder of the famed Miami
Tropical Hamboree ham radio convention and as being a prominent community
activist. The South Florida FM Association, Citizens' Crime Watch, and the
Miami-Dade Police Department established Citizens' Ham Mobile-Marine Patrol in
1994. (ARRL)
**
BREAK 2
From the United States of America, we are the Amateur Radio Newsline, with
links to the world from our only official website - www.arnewsline.org.
(5 sec pause here)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIONS GROWING
It won't ever replace ham radio for versatility, but high-speed lines
connecting people to the Internet increased by 63% during the second half of
year 2000 That’s a total of 7.1 million new connections. Of the 7.1 million
high-speed lines, 5.2 million were residential and small business subscribers.
The CGC Communicator says that the rate of high-speed growth for the full year
of 2000 was 158%. (CGC Communicator)
**
ON THE AIR: CULBERTSON A HIT AT JOTA 2001
Astronaut Frank Culbertson left a global trail of excited Scouts the weekend of
October 20 th as he made rapid-fire QSO's during the worldwide
Jamboree-on-the-Air. The commander of the Expedition Three crew on board the
International Space Station used the NA1SS call sign to rack up contacts in
many places including Australia. There on Saturday, the 20th, Tony Hutcheson,
VK5ZAI, took a portable station to the Riverland Scout Hall where a crowd of
about 60 watched as one of the senior Girl Scouts asked Culbertson a question.
Back here in the United States, sixteen Boy Scouts from Troop 48 in New Orleans
gathered at the station of K5CFW, to pull off a quick QSO.
On the early afternoon pass over the U-S, KD4SFF, using the phonetics "Scouting
for Fun," set up a station in his backyard in Greenville, South Carolina. He
had five Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 555 over. Frank told one of them that he
had grown up in South Carolina, and that he, too, had been a Scout.
Culbertson has been very active on the 2 meter band from the ISS. He talks to
several schools each week as well as numerous open QSO’s worldwide. (AMSAT)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NEW STATION AT UK NATIONAL SPACE CENTER
A new Amateur Radio Satellite Service ground station has been opened at the
United Kingdom’s National Space Center in Leicester. Using the call sign
GB2NSC the station will operate at the heart of the center in the 'Space Now'
attractions area, That’s the same location where the National Space Center
Amateur Radio Society is demonstrating how to contact amateur radio equipment
on board the International Space Station. (GB2RS)
**
SCIENCE AND SPACE: NASA’S GOLDIN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Daniel Goldin, who pushed NASA to be leaner and faster and then came under fire
for it, says he will retire from the space agency next month. after nearly 10
years in the job. The longest-serving administrator of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration Goldin will leave in mid-November with a
record of 160 successful space missions international space station that is now
permanently occupied. Cost over-runs in the billions of dollars are said to
have contributed to his leaving the agency. (Published news reports)
**
INTERNATIONAL: WINLINK ILLEGAL TO OPERATE IN VK
It appears that the very popular WINLINK messaging system is illegal to use in
Australia. WINLINK is a program and intertie network that provides
full-featured digital E-mail transfer, position reporting and weather service
to the global amateur radio community where Internet access is not available.
But as Q-News Graham Kemp VK4BB, tells us, the Australian Communications Agency
says – “no!”
--
In news services this week we see the WIA's Federal Technical Advisory
Committee Chairman John Martin VK3KWA reminding operators it's "just not on" to
operate this program "down under". John has had discussion with the ACA on the
topic, it's not a simple matter of changing the amateur regulations, rather the
issue is tied in with legislation including the Telecommunications Act.
John concludes that in the short term there is no chance whatsoever of any
change in the ACA's ruling that Winlink is illegal in Australia. Packet radio
bulletin board operators should also be very careful about forwarding any
Winlink traffic, and preferably filter it for manual checking before allowing
it to go through.
--
Currently there are WINLINK nodes in the United States and nations worldwide.
The one major exception is Australia. For the rest of the world where it is
legal, more information is on the web at www.winlink.org. (Q-News)
**
ON THE AIR: LONG PATH FRIENDSHIP NET.
In this time of turmoil a group of hams from around the world are going to try
to bring some light to the end of a rather dark tunnel. This with a new
on-the-air fellowship gathering called the Long Path Friendship Net.
The net will start at 1430 UTC, Sundays on 14.165 MHz with K6HAE and WTZ in
California and ZS6AN in South Africa as control stations. The founders say
that this is a big planet and there are enough natural disasters to be dealt
with as well as some sad man-made ones for which the proficient and friendly
radio operator is a valued contributor.
Again, that’s the new Long Path Friendship Net every Sunday at 1430 UTC on
14.165 MHz in the Extra segment of the 20 meter band. (Press release)
**
DX
In DX, the ARRL’s DXCC Desk reports that the ZK1NDK North Cook Island
operation now good for DXCC credit. Hams who submitted request for ZK1NDK and
were denied credit may contact the Leagues DXCC desk and have their records
updated without having to resubmit cards. (OPDX, Daily DX, others)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: REAL SKY HOOKS
And finally this week, you may find this one hard to believe, but its true. It
comes under the heading of an honest to goodness sky hook -- and no we are not
kidding. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has more:
--
The proposal for these sky hooks comes from ATG industries in southern England.
It wants to build reflective airships and have them operate at a height of
65,000 feet.
These craft would be unmanned and would station keep using solar powered
electric engines and a lightweight diesel engine. ATG claims that these
"skyhook" ships could keep position for up to 5 years. That they could act as
a transponders for services such mobile telephones, broadband internet and
digital radio.
ATG estimates that nineteen of these sky hook ships could cover most of the
U.K. and replace as many as 4000 mobile telephone poles and up to 10,000 towers
that are expected to be needed for the new G-3 technology.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.
--
Its not known how long these sky hook ships will take to develop or if they
will ever be deployed. (Telecom Daily)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, Amateur News Weekly, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio
Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB and Australia's Q-News, that's all from the Amateur
Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is news...@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
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If someone calls you trying to get you to sign up for a credit card supposely
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For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Roy Neal, K6DUE,
saying God Bless America, 73, and we thank you for listening." Amateur Radio
Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.