Amateur Radio Newsline=E2=84=A2 Report 1405 - July 16, 2004


Here's a brief message from Amateur Radio Newsline's Support Fund=20
Administrator Andy Jarema, N6TCQ:


"The following is an advisory. This is Andy Jarema, N6TCQ, Newsline=20
Support Fund Administrator. =20
We'd like to thank everyone who helped us during our campaign in=20
June, and we'll have the on-air=20
thank-yous in the next week or so. Don't forget that the Young Ham=20
of the Year Award is coming=20
up in the next few weeks, so try to note our support address at the=20
end of the newscast, as we're=20
not out of the woods, yet.


And now, as every week, the latest breaking news of Amateur Radio=20
follows"


Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1405 with a release date of=20
Friday, July 16, 2004 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. =20
=20
The following is a Q-S-T. =20


The ARRL board of directors discuss BPL and other hot issues, it's=20
still a go with ECHO and a=20
satellite TV company makes a costly move. The details are coming up=20
on Amateur Radio Newsline=20
report number 1405 coming your way right now.



**


BPL AMONG HOT TOPICS FOR JULY ARRL BOARD SESSION


The American Radio Relay League's board of directors sits down for a=20
weekend of critical meetings.=20
Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz NT3V has the preview...


--


Broadband Over Powerline internet access is one of the hottest=20
topics on the ARRL board agenda.=20
It is likely BPL has been the subject of committee meetings leading=20
up to the weekend board sessions.


Dealing with BPL issues is priority No. 1 for ARRL President Jim=20
Haynie WB5JBP. Haynie tells Amateur=20
Radio Newsline in a recent interview, he expects the Federal=20
Communications Commission will act soon=20
on the matter. While it's difficult to put a timetable on how soon,=20
Haynie tells us he wouldn't be=20
surprised to see the panel come out with a decision before the=20
presidential election.


President Bush is solidly behind BPL as part of his broadband-
technology initiative - this despite=20
Haynie and the ARRL's plea for him to reconsider. Democratic=20
challenger John Kerry's campaign=20
position speaks of a variety of technologies for broadband but does=20
not directly mention BPL.


Haynie concedes the way the political winds are blowing, some form=20
of BPL activity is likely to=20
be approved.


But the 64-thousand-dollar questions a How much and where?


With the National Telecommunications and Information Administration=20
already raising red flags about=20
interference, and a BPL industry spokesman throwing verbal missiles=20
at the amateur community, Haynie=20
tells us here at Amateur Radio Newsline he's hoping some FCC=20
commissioners might re-examine their=20
BPL positions.


Haynie calls the recent suspension of the Alliant Energy BPL project=20
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an=20
important step. And, Haynie says, he suspects the electric utility=20
industry will have to consider=20
any fallout and who could be next to answer an interference=20
complaint at the FCC.


As to complaints, Haynie says the ARRL will be especially vigilant=20
if BPL becomes a reality. He says=20
the organization will be before the FCC to press interference issues=20
with those who are cause them.


And, he has told Amateur Radio Newsline, he will also press the FCC=20
to fully empower those charged=20
with enforcement issues in the agency to go after BPL providers who=20
fail to resolve any interference=20
complaints.


Among the other items on the board agenda, the status of amateur=20
license restructuring which includes=20
provisions for a "no-code" HF license for entry-level hams.


The July board meeting also is where the announcement of the winner=20
of the Hiram Percy Maxim award=20
comes along with host of other ARRL awards.
=20
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in=20
Philadelphia.


--


Check next week's Newsline for a report on the ARRL board happenings.


(ARRL, NT3V)


**


HAMSATS: ECHO TESTS CONTINUE


Testing of the newest ham radio satellite, ECHO, continues and all=20
is, as they say in the space biz=E2=80=A6=20
nominal. The remainder of this week is expected to be spent loading=20
some new code, testing the S=20
downlink and the UHF B transmitter. Note that the S downlink, when=20
in digital mode, will always be=20
at 38.4 kilobits or higher. It is not capable of 9.6 kilobits due=20
to limitations involved in making=20
it work properly at speeds up to 76.8 kilobits. AMSAT is pleased so=20
far with the strength of the=20
2.45W S downlink. At times the UHF A transmitter will be off or at=20
very low power. They will also=20
be testing transmitters at higher data rates. Listeners should not=20
be surprised or alarmed if the=20
UHF A transmitter is not on or if they are unable to copy it at 9.6k=20
during some orbits.


The Command Team is carefully checking off the tests and=20
measurements that are part of the commissioning=20
process. They ask everyone to be patient. And again, AO-51 is not=20
yet open for use. Any transmissions=20
aimed at AO-51 by other than command stations will slow down the=20
process and delay the day when it is=20
open for all to use.


The coloradosatellite.com/echo web site was off line for a few hours=20
last weekend due to a data center=20
move. Stations who want to upload telemetry should find it on line=20
now.


(WD0E, AMSAT)


**


SPACE: ARISS SCHOOL CONTACT LIST UPDATED


While we're on the subject of ham radio in space, the list of=20
Amateur Radio on the International=20
Space Station, or ARISS, school contacts has been updated. To check=20
if a school in your area is on=20
the list or to find out how to schedule a contact at your school=20
please visit www.amsat.org or=20
http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov. There is no "www" in that last URL. Of=20
course, these addresses will=20
be in the print edition of this week's Amateur Radio Newsline report.


(ARISS)
=20
**
Break 1


From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio=20
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations=20
around the world including the Los Angeles Unified School Amateur=20
Radio Association Network serving=20
the students in Los Angeles, California.


(5 sec pause here)



**


RADIO LAW: MDS & ITFS SPECTRUM RECHANNELIZED - MDS BECOMES BRS


Big changes are coming to the Multipoint Distribution Service and=20
the Instructional Television Fixed=20
Service. These are better known by the acronyms M-D-S and I-T-F-S.


As part of its ongoing effort to promote the deployment of wireless=20
broadband services, the FCC has=20
adopted a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking=20
dramatically changing the rules=20
governing MDS and ITFS operations in the 2500-2690 MHz band. =20


For starters, the Order renames the M-D-S service the Broadband=20
Radio Service or B-R-S. It does=20
however maintain the I-T-F-S label for Instructional Television=20
Fixed Service licenses and operations.=20
The newly rechannelized I-T-F-S slash B-R-S band will group high and=20
low power operations together=20
in spectrum chunks. This, the agency says, will make low power two-
way data communications possible=20
in some parts of the band. =20


Finally, to make all this happen the band will soon become 5 MHz=20
larger. This, as restructuring of=20
other services in the adjacent electromagnetic spectrum permits the=20
FCC to extend the low end of=20
this band down to 2495 Mhz. (CGC)


**


RADIO LAW: FCC CLARIFIES ITS ROLE REGARDING INTERFERENCE AND=20
CUSTOMER EQUIPMENT


The FCC has clarified its role regarding interference issues,=20
consumer antennas and Part 15 unlicensed=20
equipment. Regarding antennas, we all know that consumers have the=20
right to install and operate -=20
on property they control - antennas for over-the-air broadcast,=20
terrestrial and satellite reception. =20
Now the regulatory agency has added license-free Wi-Fi antennas of=20
one meter or less to the list of=20
what may be installed. The same one meter size limit also applies=20
to antennas used in conjunction=20
with fixed wireless services that are licensed by the FCC.


In the area of radio frequency interference or R-F-I, the FCC says=20
that it and it alone holds exclusive=20
jurisdiction over the regulation and resolution of R-F-I issues. It=20
adds that regulation of R-F-I=20
phenomena shall be imposed only by the Commission noting that both=20
the FCC and the federal courts=20
have overturned attempts by third parties to regulate RFI matters. =20
This, in light of the FCC's=20
exclusive authority in this area.


To read more go to: =20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...-04-1844A1.doc =20
(CGC)


**


ENFORCEMENT: CATV LEAK RESULTS IN $6400 FINE


A cable TV system in Cornersville, Tennessee has been fined for=20
excessive signal leakage in the=20
aircraft communications band. Small Town Communications Partners=20
has been ordered to pay $6,400=20
for excessive leakage on 121.2625 MHz.


At that frequency a maximum leakage of 20 microvolts per meter at a=20
distance of at least three=20
meters from a CATV cable is allowed. The FCC says that the measured=20
leaks in this case ranged=20
from 255 microvolts per meter to 2080 microvolts per meter. =20


The Commission notes that excessive cable TV leakage can interfere=20
with a wide variety of communications. =20
This can include emergency services, aviation, and Amateur Radio.


More is on-line at=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...-04-1751A1.doc =20
(CGC)


**


ENFORCEMENT: DIREC-TV FINED FOR UNAUTHORIZED SATELLITE MOVE


The Commission has proposed an $87,500 fine against DIRECTV, Inc. =20
This for repositioning its=20
DIRECTV 3 satellite without FCC authorization.


DIRECTV had filed a request with the FCC for special temporary=20
authority to relocate the DIRECTV 3=20
bird, but admits that its employees began repositioning the=20
satellite the next day, without waiting=20
for Commission approval.=20


In setting the amount of the fine, the FCC noted that strict=20
adherence to the rules governing=20
modification of satellite authorizations is critical to minimizing=20
the risk of collisions between=20
satellites. (CGC)


**


FCC INTRODUCES NEW EXHIBIT ON HISTORY OF THE INTERNET



The FCC has introduced the third in a series of exhibits on the=20
history of various communications=20
technologies. The latest presentation focuses on the history of the=20
Internet, including the=20
communication technologies used to access the World Wide Web. More=20
is on line at=20
www.fcc.gov/omd/history (CGC)


**


ON THE AIR: THE .275 YOUTH GROUP NET


Timothy Little, W-8-L-B-O has announced the start-up of a new 40=20
meter 275 Youth Group. =20
According to his posting on the Q-R-Zed dot com super site, this is=20
an informal ragchew group=20
that meets every Saturday at 9:00 P.M. Eastern time on 7 point 275=20
MHz, +/- 10 KHz.=20


Little says that the main purpose of the net is to promote the use=20
of HF by younger hams so that=20
they can get to know one another. The net also tries to help them=20
perfect their operating skills=20
including Morse code operation and D-Xing. =20


Anyone young or young at heart is invited to take part. More=20
information about this net is on=20
line at www.275youthgroup.4t.com )QRZ.com)


**


THE SOCIAL SCENE: NORTHERN ALABAMA DX BANQUET=20


The North Alabama DX Club has announced that its annual DX Banquet=20
will be held in conjunction=20
with this year's Huntsville, Alabama hamfest on August 21st. The=20
guest speaker will be Jess=20
Lewis, K-R-4-O-J, from the T-33-C 2004 Banaba Island DXpedition.=20
Tickets are $25 each and available=20
from the NADXC in care of Vic Holland, 219 Cedar Pond Drive,=20
Madison, Alabama 35757-7633. For=20
additional information phone 256-721-9106 or E-mail . =20
(E-Mail)


**


BREAK 2


This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the United=20
States of America, We are the=20
Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our only=20
official website at www.arnewsline.
org and being relayed by the volunteer services of the following=20
radio amateur:


(5 sec pause here)


**


CHANGING OF THE GUARD: ASCII DEVELOPER NOW S.K.


Bob Bemer, a computer pioneer who published warnings of the Y2K=20
problem in the early 1970s and=20
helped invent a widely used coding system, has died. This,=20
following a battle with cancer.
=20
While not a radio amateur, Bemer played a major role in how the=20
world's computers operate and,=20
indirectly, in how hams communicate today. He began his career in=20
1949 working at companies including=20
Rand, IBM, and Honeywell. He also helped develop the ASCII coding=20
system that is used to represent=20
letters, numbers and other characters in the data world. He also=20
contributed the escape key and the=20
backslash to the computer language.=20


Bemer first published warnings of the Y2K computer problem in 1971=20
and again in 1979. He also made=20
several public appearances to discuss the issue in the years leading=20
up to the millennium.


Bob Bemer died Tuesday, June 22nd at his home some 120 miles west of=20
Dallas, Texas. He was 84. (Published news reports)


**


EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: FEW KNOW ABOUT DIGITAL TV


The General Accounting Office says that more than 80 percent of=20
Americans are either unaware or only=20
"somewhat aware" of the transition to digital television signals. =20
But federal officials have=20
expressed shock and indignation at the survey results.=20


Congress plans to sell the analog spectrum that will become=20
available when TV stations convert from=20
analog to digital. Lawmakers are counting on the money to help=20
balance the budget. However, the=20
digital transition may be years away unless more consumers start=20
buying digital TV sets and most=20
are not willing to pay the additional cost. (TechBriefs)


**


EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: CELL PHONE "WAITING LOT" IN OPERATION AT=20
LINDBERGH FIELD


Following the lead of several other busy airports around the nation,=20
officials at San Diego's=20
Lindbergh Field have opened a convenient "cell phone waiting lot." =20
This is a place where drivers=20
can park for up to an hour while awaiting phone calls from arriving=20
passengers. Airport managers=20
hope that the new lot will cut down on the congestion caused by=20
vehicles circling the airport loop,=20
waiting to pick up passengers. More is on-line at=20
http://tinyurl.com/yplws (CGC)


**


ON THE AIR: 6 METERS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC POND


It's looking like it could be a big DX season for hams and SWLs on=20
both sides of the Atlantic. =20
GB2RS reports that during a Sporadic E opening on June 19th a path=20
opened from Europe to North=20
America. The Maximum Usable Frequency rose at least as high as the=20
FM broadcast band. A North=20
American station was received on and recorded at 88.5 MHz between=20
13:10 and 13:30 UTC. During=20
the event, trans-Atlantic television carriers were also received on=20
55.25, 61.25, 67.25 and=20
83.25 Mhz. (VHF reflector)


**


50 & ABOVE: 144 MHZ QSO DATA WANTED


If you've made any long distance 2-meter contacts in excess of 1,600=20
miles, or 2,600 kilometers,=20
Volker, DF5AI wants to know the details of your contacts. He's=20
interested in the frequency, the=20
UTC time & date, and particularly the grid square locator. He's=20
also quite intrigued in double-hop=20
sporadic E skip. He can be contacted via his website. It's in=20
cyberspace at www.df5ai.net (VHF Reflector)



**



WORLDBEAT - ISRAEL: NEW SIX METER BEACON IN ISRAEL


4X4SIX is the new 6 meter Israeli beacon operating on 50.080 MHz. =20
4X6ON and 4Z5AY built the=20
station which announces its call sign on CW around the clock. The=20
beacon is located in grid=20
square KM72JB running 5 watts out to a J-Pole antenna. (Hagal)


**


DX


In D-X, the Ohio Penn D-X Newsletter reports that DL3PS and VE3ZIK=20
will be active on 40-6 meters=20
from Bilice, Croatia through July 31st. The call signs being used=20
are 9A slash VE3ZIK and 9A slash=20
DL3PS. While VE3ZIK is one of the Web Administrators for the=20
www.contesting.com info website, there=20
will be no QSL information there until August 3rd.=20


Meantime word that D-H-9-Y-A-T will be active portable CU7 from the=20
Azores. Listen for him from=20
August 3rd to the 20th. Activity will be on 40, 20 and 15 meters=20
QRP on CW. QSL this operation=20
via the bureau. (Various DX sources)


**


THAT FINAL ITEM: MUSEUM SHIPS CASTING FOR CONTACTS


And finally this week, dozens of ships from around the world=20
get "radio-active" July 17th and 18th=20
for the annual Museum Ships Weekend Event. Amateur Radio Newsline's=20
Mark Abramowicz, NT3V is back=20
with us and he checks in on preparations being made about the U.S.S.=20
New Jersey....


--


Dave Burgess, WA2TVS, is chief engineer for the Battleship New=20
Jersey Amateur Radio Station aboard=20
the New Jersey. Look for NJ2BB (New Jersey 2 Big Battleship) to be=20
very active during the event.


Burgess says the weekend was the brainchild of the USS Salem Radio=20
Club, K1USN, in Salem, Mass.=20
He says it actually started in 1997 as a way to get museum ships at=20
dry-docks around the world to=20
get on the air by way of amateur radio.


Burgess says it's the New Jersey's third year taking part.


"Last year, the number grew to about 87 or 88," Burgess says. "Right=20
now I think the pre-registration=20
right now is about 77. But seems like there's always a half a dozen=20
or so right at the last minute=20
that get their act together and get on the air."


Burgess says the event gives radio operators around the world a=20
chance to contact a variety of these=20
special ships and their volunteer crews.


"One is just to have fun and a reason to get the ships on the air,"=20
Burgess says. "Of course, whoever=20
is in charge of taking care of the ship gets some PR out of it, we=20
hope.


"They have an opportunity for the public to see amateur radio which=20
is new to a lot of people. But to=20
advertise the ships worldwide. I never knew there were so many ships=20
out there. Just museum ships that=20
is. It's amazing how many there are out there and what their=20
diversity is."


Burgess says there are tugboats, river boats, submarines and even a=20
midget German submarine left over=20
from World War II. All are part of the museum ship flotilla.


He says there's no contest exchange involved in this one. Ship=20
operators get on the air and look to=20
contact land-based stations as well as other museum ships. It's a=20
chance, Burgess says, to showcase=20
a ship and its history. And, of course, there's an exchange of QSL=20
cards and you can be guaranteed=20
some pretty impressive history and photos of the ship you contact.


For the New Jersey's part, Burgess says he's planning an active=20
weekend with operations through the=20
evening of July 18th.
=20
"We'll be on all HF bands, probably concentrating on 20 (meters),=20
but we have capabilities (with the)=20
ship's antennas to do 160 through 10 meters," Burgess says. "We'll=20
be on all modes. This year we'll=20
be introducing true, green-key operation for teletype. We'll be=20
using the ship's old mechanical teletype=20
machines to get on the air."


Look for NJ2BB, Burgess says, for a memorable QSO and QSL.


For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in=20
Camden, New Jersey, the home of the=20
Battleship New Jersey.


--


Thanks Mark. This sounds like a great opportunity to collect some=20
very interesting "wall paper" for=20
the ol' shack.


**


NEWSCAST CLOSE


With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ=20
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn=20
DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB and Australia's Q-
News, that's all from the Amateur=20
Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is newsline=20
@arnewsline.org. More information is available at=20
Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) only official website located at=20
www.arnewsline.org. You can also write=20
to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline(tm), P.O. Box 660937,=20
Arcadia, California 91066.=20


For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editor's desk, I'm Don=20
Wilbanks, AE5DW saying 73 and we=20
thank you for listening." Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright=20
2004. All rights reserved.





=20


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