TWIAR News Feed

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Proposed 40-foot ham radio antenna tower causing static in Marblehead
(Massachusetts)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 09:46 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2dVwzxG

A group of neighbors banded together over concerns regarding a 40-foot
aluminum ham radio operator tower going up in their neighborhood got some
good news when the Zoning Board of Appeals voted to revoke the permit.

“It is the best we could have hoped for,� Cathyann Swindlehurst, said
referring to the outcome of the Sept. 27 ZBA hearing.

Swindlehurst, a Casino Road resident representing the abutters, told ZBA
members she believed vague zoning bylaws and a certain amount of protection
under the federal government resulted in the Michael Crestohl receiving a
building permit for the tower. She is alarmed however that “the building
permit was issued without any restrictions attached.�

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A Lot Of WiFi Power, A Yagi, And A Snipers Scope

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 09:40 AM PDT
http://ift.tt/2eglrsk

Do you remember the early days of consumer wireless networking, a time of
open access points with default SSIDs, manufacturer default passwords,
Pringle can antennas, and wardriving? Fortunately out-of-the-box device
security has moved on in the last couple of decades, but there was a time
when most WiFi networks were an open book to any passer-by with a
WiFi-equipped laptop or PDA.

The more sophisticated wardrivers used directional antennas, the simplest
of which was the abovementioned Pringle can, in which the snack container
was repurposed as a resonant horn antenna with a single radiator mounted on
an N socket poking through its side. If you were more sophisticated you
might have used a Yagi array (a higher-frequency version of the antenna you
would use to receive TV signals). But these were high-precision items that
were expensive, or rather tricky to build if you made one yourself.

In recent years the price of commercial WiFi Yagi arrays has dropped, and
they have become a common sight used for stretching WiFi range.
[TacticalNinja] has other ideas, and has used a particularly long one
paired with a high-power WiFi card and amplifier as a wardriver’s kit par
excellence, complete with a sniper’s ‘scope for aiming.

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Pneumatic Launcher Gets Ham Antennas Hanging High

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 09:37 AM PDT
http://ift.tt/2ee5kMV

Amateur radio is an eclectic hobby, to say the least. RF propagation,
electrical engineering, antenna theory – those are the basics for the Ham
skillset. But pneumatics? Even that could come in handy for hanging up
antennas, which is what this compressed-air cannon is designed to do.

[KA8VIT]’s build will be familiar to any air cannon aficionado. Built from
2″ Schedule 40 PVC, the reservoir is connected to the short barrel by a
quarter-turn ball valve. Charging is accomplished through a Schrader valve
with a cheap little tire inflator, and the projectile is a tennis ball
weighted with a handful of pennies stuffed through a slit. Lofting an
antenna with this rig is as simple as attaching a fishing line to the ball
and using that to pull successively larger lines until you can pull the
antenna itself. [KA8VIT] could only muster about 55 PSI and a 70′ throw for
the first attempt shown below, but a later attempt with a bigger compressor
got him over 100 feet. We’d guess that a bigger ball valve might get even
more bang for the buck by dumping as much air as quickly as possible into
the chamber.

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Become Very Unpopular Very Fast With This DIY EMP Generator

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 09:34 AM PDT
http://ift.tt/2dX6Y5M

Taking a break from his book, “How to Gain Enemies and Encourage
Hostility,� [FPS Weapons] shows us how to build our own handheld EMP
generator which can be used to generate immediate dislike from anyone
working on something electronic at the hackerspace.

The device is pretty simple. A DC source, in this case an 18650 lithium
battery cell, sends power to an “Ultra High Voltage 1000kV Ignition Coil�
(as the eBay listing calls it), when a button is pressed. A spark gap is
used to dump a large amount of magic pixies into the coil all at once,
which generates a strong enough magnetic pulse to induce an unexpected
voltage inside of a piece of digital electronics. This usually manages to
fire a reset pin or something equivalent, disrupting the device’s normal
operation.

While you’re not likely to actually damage anything in a dramatic way with
this little EMP, it can still interrupt an important memory write or radio
signal and damage it that way. It’s a great way to get the absolute shock
of your life if you’re not careful. Either from the HVDC converter or the
FCC fines.

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Using The FCC EAS For Fun And Profit

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 09:30 AM PDT
http://ift.tt/2dJVp2A

When a consumer electronics device is sold in the US, especially if it has
a wireless aspect, it must be tested for compliance with FCC regulations
and the test results filed with the FCC (see preparing your product for FCC
testing). These documents are then made available online for all to see in
the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) Laboratory Equipment
Authorization System (EAS). In fact, it’s this publishing in this and other
FCC databases that has led to many leaks about new product releases, some
of which we’ve covered, and others we’ve been privileged enough to know
about before the filings but whose breaking was forced when the documents
were filed, like the Raspberry Pi 3. It turns out that there are a lot of
useful things that can be accomplished by poring over FCC filings, and
we’ll explore some of them.


The first thing to know is how to get to the EAS tool. If you search, you
need to search for FCC OET EAS (as FCC EAS is the Emergency Alert System.
Thank you FCC for all your helpful TLAs). Or just head directly to the FCC
OET EAS. Now that you’re there, you’ll see lots of search fields. The first
four rows are probably all you ever need. Every company that registers with
the FCC will get a grantee code, which is a unique 3 or 5 digit code that
represents the company. Any product they register gets its own product
code. Simple enough.

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Terror chatter? Ham users track unauthorised radio communications on
Bengal-Bangla borders (India)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 08:55 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2dVIA6s

Amateur radio operators in south Bengal have raised alarm over unauthorised
radio communication along the Bengal-Bangladesh border. The communication
is taking place using radio signals (very high frequency) at dead in the
night and the sources of the signals are moving and speaking in code
languages.
When HAM radio operators of Bengal tried speaking to them, they stopped
communication briefly only to resume it again. After they brought the
matter to the notice of the Centre, they were asked to monitor the signals
round the clock.
Interestingly, radio sets were found with the terrorists in recent Uri
attacks that were used by them for communication with their bases in
Pakistan.
Alarmed, the Ham operators have deployed 23 operators to monitor the
signals round the clock. They also worked throughout the pujas.

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King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej, HS1A, SK

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 08:54 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2dGrjew

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), HS1A, died on October 13, after a
long period of declining health. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while
his physician father was at Harvard University, the king, whose name
translated as “strength of the land, incomparable power,� was 88.

According to noted DXer Fred Laun, K3ZO/HS0ZAR, the king “was never very
active on the air, and, to my knowledge, the only QSOs he ever made were
from a handheld on 2 meter FM.� He said HS1A was often “pictured using a
handheld.� He also was pictured with a camera, as photography was one of
his passions, and he was a jazz enthusiast, who played the saxophone.

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Agriculture, public safety may gain most from UAVs (Tennessee)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 08:48 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2ec8XCR

It might not be a surprise to learn that in Music City the entertainment
industry has embraced drones in a big way. But an industry trade group
points to agriculture and public safety as areas prime for drone adoption
nationwide.

Rocky Davidson, contact person for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the
FAA’s Nashville district office, offers a rundown on local drone adoption.
Here, he says, drones have been used mainly to make films and music videos.

As of this summer, before Part 107 [new FAA rules] took effect, 387
applications to fly small drones had been granted in the Nashville area,
roughly all of Tennessee east of the Tennessee River, Davidson says.

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Science comes to life at Fairview STEAM Day (Tennessee)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 08:46 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2e9z3Hg

From caterpillars crawling up their fingers to small airplanes taking off
behind the school, students at Fairview Elementary were surrounded
Wednesday by examples of science, technology, engineering, art and
mathematics during their fall STEAM Day.

Kindergarteners experimented with whether objects would float or sink in
tubs of water, while fourth-graders tested methods to prevent erosion from
storm-water runoff.

First-graders tried to save “Fred,� a gummy worm who capsized, by placing a
candy lifesaver over him using paperclips instead of their fingers.
Second-graders were using dry spaghetti noodles to build the tallest tower
they could to support a

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What Happens When An SUV Drives Into Your Station?

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 08:41 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2e65d7i

This could happen to any radio station, in any market, at any time. As a
manager, are you prepared to deal with all the issues that come up if it
does happen? Twenty-nine-year-old Thomas Hill, who was arrested for drunk
driving, drove right into the studio of WNRI-AM in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
early Wednesday morning, causing a whole lot of chaos.

We reached out to Dick Bouchard who is the Chief Engineer, Treasurer, and
majority stockholder at Bouchard Broadcasting’s WNRI and asked him to tell
us, in his own words, what happened and how he dealt with the situation.
You’ll not only hear exactly what this 78-year-old broadcaster did to get
his station back on the air, you’ll also be able to see just how much love
he has for his little AM station in small town America.

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IARU Honors Past ARRL President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, with Michael Owen,
VK3KI, Award

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 08:35 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2dYkR7U

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has honored past ARRL
President and outgoing IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD (ex-KB6ZV), with
the Michael J. Owen, VK3KI, Memorial Award. Presenting the award was IARU
President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA. The award’s namesake served as IARU
Region 3 chair and as President of the Wireless Institute of Australia
(WIA). Although Stafford is stepping down as IARU Secretary, he will
continue to represent the IARU to the ITU Development Sector.

The presentation took place at a dinner on the opening day of the IARU
Region 2 General Assembly in Viña del Mar, Chile. The Owen Award is
bestowed upon an individual with “an outstanding trajectory of service to
Amateur Radio,� IARU Region 2 said, in announcing Stafford as the award’s
recipient.

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FCC Deactivates Emergency Reporting System In Most NC/SC Counties

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2e8BfRq

The FCC has deactivated its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) in
all but North Carolina and Horry County, S.C.
On Oct.7, the FCC activated DIRS for Hurricane Matthew-related information.
DIRS is a web-based system via which broadcasters, cable operators and
others can report the status of their communications capabilities
and "situational awareness."

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Public to get rare look at Station Nauset (Massachusetts)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2eeuxuB

To mark the 77th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Nauset
Flotilla members and Cape Cod National Seashore personnel will hold open
houses at Station Nauset at Coast Guard Beach.

The open houses will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23, according to
a statement from the auxiliary.

Station Nauset was one of the original nine lifesaving stations built on
Cape Cod in 1872. Decommissioned in 1948, the building is only rarely open
to the public, the statement says.

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SC ETVs John Crockett remembered as emergency communications advocate
(South Carolina)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2e8CNel

A S.C. Educational Television leader and emergency communications advocate
John Crockett, Jr. (W3KH) died Wednesday following a lengthy illness.

Crockett was 69.

“John was a great leader, mentor and a champion for public service,� said
ETV president Linda O’Bryon. “He worked tirelessly to ensure that SCETV’s
network provided citizens with access to broadcast, educational content for
schools and emergency communications across South Carolina. We will miss
him greatly.�

Crockett was vice president of engineering at ETV, having worked there for
more than 25 years. Crockett oversaw the public television, radio and
education networks, which have more than 600 towers statewide.

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New Satellites with Amateur Radio Payloads Launched, Monitored

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2dkI5Pm

The AlSat-1N and Pratham satellites, both carrying Amateur Radio payloads,
have both been heard and identified following the India Space Research
Organization (ISRO) PSLV-C35 mission launch on September 26. Reports are
requested. Reports on AMSAT-BB indicate the Pratham CW beacon on 145.980
MHz is active.

The 3U AlSat-1N CubeSat was built in collaboration with the Algerian Space
Agency, the UK Space Agency (UKSA), Surrey Space Centre (SSC) staff, and
Algerian students as a technology transfer and demonstrator for Algeria.

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Firefighters Rescue Man Hanging 40 Feet from Ham Radio Tower Near Republic
(Missouri)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2eevLpR

A man who lives in rural Greene County is okay after dangling from a ham
radio tower about 40 feet in the air. It happened Tuesday afternoon north
of Republic at a home along South Farm Road 53 between Republic and
Interstate 44. Charles Young fell off the tower after he got dizzy and
slipped.

The man, who is in his mid-60s, wore a safety harness but his feet got
caught in the tower. That left him hanging from about 40 feet high. Young's
wife called 9-1-1.

His neighbor, also an assistant fire chief for West Republic Volunteer Fire
Department, assisted firefighters in the rescue. Firefighters used bucket
trucks to reach him but they too had to be careful because of wires in the
area.

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Current Rules Holding Hams Back from Adopting State-of-the-Art Technology,
ARRL Says

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2e8B34G

In comments filed on October 12 with the FCC, ARRL reiterated its case that
the FCC should impose a 2.8 kHz limit on symbol rate for digital modes,
arguing that its approach is both balanced and necessary. ARRL had asked
the FCC to change the Part 97 rules to delete the symbol rate limits in
§97.307(f) and replace them with a maximum bandwidth for data emissions of
2.8 kHz on amateur frequencies below 29.7 MHz. In a July Notice of Proposed
Rule Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 16-239, the FCC proposed to eliminate the
current baud rate limitations for data emissions, consistent with ARRL’s
Petition, but it declined to propose a bandwidth limitation for data
emissions in the MF and HF bands to replace the baud rate limitations.

ARRL told the FCC in its comments that the current HF symbol rate “speed
limit� reflects 1980s technology and has no place in an experimental radio
service in which modern protocols could be efficiently deployed in crowded
RTTY/data subbands.

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Scouting leader encourages others to get involved (Nova Scotia)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2dVAZEV

Thanks to the Pictou County Amateur Radio Club, cubs from Stellarton,
Thorburn, Lantz and Canso will have the chance to talk to other cubs in
countries such as Britain, Germany and the United States. The world’s
largest international Scouting event, it has been going on for more than 50
years. District commissioner and 4th Thorburn Wolf Cubs leader Scott
Murdoch has been around for a lot of those jamborees.



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Pacific Seafarers Net Assists in Maritime Rescue of Sailors on Sinking
Sailboat

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2eeu1ga

The Pacific Seafarer’s Net relayed a call for help and contacted the US
Coast Guard on September 28, after the SV Rafiki began taking on water some
230 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska. At approximately 0300 UTC, Charles
Houlihan, KD6SPJ, a net relay station, received the distress call from the
sailboat’s caption. Houlihan, who was also at sea in SV Jacaranda,
contacted Randy VanLeeuwen, KH6RC, a net relay station in Hawaii. He, in
turn, got in touch with Hawaii USCG District 14 to report the incident and
provide Rafiki’s location. The Hawaii USCG district then contacted the 17th
USCG District in Alaska, which effected the rescue. VanLeeuwen kept in
constant radio contact with the Rafiki until contact with lost. Fred Moore,
W3ZU, in Florida, and Peter Mott, ZL1PWM, in New Zealand, also were on
frequency and in contact with the vessel’s captain until a US Coast Guard
rescue helicopter arrived.

The Jayhawk helicopter crew was able to hoist the captain and a crew member
to safety at around 1000 UTC, after dropping survival suits. Both men were
reported to be uninjured, but the vessel was abandoned. The two men were
taken to Kodiak, Alaska, for medical attention.

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In the midst of Matthew, couple turns to ham radio for aid (North Carolina)

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2dTLwiD

Amateur radios and quick communication late Saturday helped emergency
officials rescue a pair of people who were stranded on Trails End Road.

The man and woman had gone to check on their boat at the Masonboro Yacht
Club and Marina when a tree and live power line fell across the road,
stranding them.

They called a friend with a ham radio who, in turn, contacted Stephen Russ,
an Amateur Radio Emergency Services volunteer who was stationed at the New
Hanover County's Emergency Operations Center. Russ kicked into action,
walking over to the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office representative
stationed there.

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Hurricane Watch Net Stands Down Following Record Activation for Hurricane
Matthew

Posted: 16 Oct 2016 07:39 AM PDT
http://bit.ly/2ec1WBX

After the longest activation in its history, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN)
secured operations for Hurricane Matthew on October 9 at 0400 UTC. HWN
Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, reports the net was in continuous operation
for 6 days, 7 hours, gathering real-time ground-truth weather data and
passing it along to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) via the Center’s
WX4NHC. Various Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) nets also activated
along the Eastern Seaboard over the past week. The first major hurricane of
the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season and, at one point, a Category 5 storm,
Matthew has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, as it’s poised to
head out into the Atlantic.