Amateur Radio Newslineâ„¢ Report 1412 ÂÂ* September 3, 2004


The following is a message from the Amateur Radio Newsline Support
Fund. Here's the funds administrator, Andy Jarema, N6TCQ.


--


Well, here I am again, so theres obviously another financial crisis
that Amateur Radio Newsline is facing. And this time its a real
doozie. Let me explain it to you.


During the summer many of you are away and donations dwindle to a
mere trickle. At the same time, some of our biggest yearly expenses
occur during July and August. This includes the Young Ham of the
Year Award presentation that we host every year in Huntsville,
Alabama. While we had planned ahead, we did not know exactly how
much we would need and we were caught short. The price of airfares
was up as was the cost of hosting the mini banquet for our recipient,
her family and friends.


Added to that were higher than anticipated telephone costs to cover
the breaking news stories we brought you over the summer. And right
now that leaves us with less than $50 in the bank and several hundred
dollars in outstanding bills that must be paid right now to keep
Amateur Radio Newsline coming your way.


As we have said before, Amateur Radio Newsline is a federally charted
501(C)( 3) and California state not-for-profit corporation. For most
United States residents it means that your donation is tax deductible.


So please help keep the news on your local net, on your repeater and
on your computer by making a donation to the Amateur Radio Newsline
Support Fund. Its address is Post Office Box 660937, Arcadia,
California. The zipcode is 91066.


Again that's the Amateur Radio Newsline Support Fund at Post
Office
Box 660937, Arcadia, California, 91066.


On behalf of the entire all volunteer world-wide Amateur Radio
Newsline team, I thank you for listening to this appeal and for your
ongoing support that keeps the news of Amateur Radio coming your way.


I'm Andy Jarema, N6TCQ. Now Amateur Radio Newsline report 1412.



--


Thanks Andy. Now Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1412 with a
release date of Friday, September 3rd, 2004 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T. The ARRL bandwidth based restructuring
proposal causes controversy and maybe some reconsideration. Find out
more on Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1412 coming your way
right now.



(Billboard Cart Here)

**


RESTRUCTURING: REACTING TO THE ARRL BANDWIDTH PROPOSAL


An ARRL proposal to restructure Amateur Radio along bandwidth lines
has caused a lot of discussion in the nations ham community. And it
may cause the League to rethink its position. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, is in Philadelphia, and has the
rest of the story:


--


Shortly after the ARRL began circulating the proposal and posted it
on its website, the e-mails, phone calls, HF, VHF, and digital-mode
traffic took off.


And now, Amateur Radio Newsline has learned the bandwidth proposal
may be tabled for more study when the ARRL's executive committee
meets next month.


That confirmation comes from W6OBB in Nevada. If the call sign isn't
familiar, the name behind it might be. He's Art Bell, host of the
weekend edition of "Coast to Coast AM" heard on more than 500
commercial radio stations across the nation.


Bell, who joined the fight against Broadband Over Powerlines several
months ago, and featured the subject on his radio program, expressed
concern about what he called a Draconian proposal that would over-
regulate the ham bands. Bell tells me he relayed that concern in a
phone call to ARRL President Jim Haynie W5JBP.


Bell characterizes the discussion as cordial and at the end, he says
Haynie related he was re-evaluating the proposal based on many
comments he had received.


"He indicated to me and told me I could pass on to you that they're
looking into pulling this whole thing back and taking a harder look
at it," Bell says.


While Bell says he believes the ARRL had good intentions with the
proposal, it may have gone too far.


"What began as an examination by the League of how we could possibly
encourage the digital mode, it went a little too far and began to
over-regulate," Bell says. "I'd kind of like to see it go the other
way and I'd like to see our bands freed up."


Haynie says he's gotten a lot of feedback on the proposal. He says it
came from the League's desire to promote - not restrict - innovation
and experimentation. He says it was also a response the Federal
Communications Commission's desire to see more innovation from the
ham community.


"I think we rose to the challenge," Haynie says. "We have
demonstrated Software Defined Radio that just knocked their socks
off, in my view.


"We have come up with some other stuff - Joe Taylor and some of his
things for moon bounce. And I think the Amateur Radio community
needed a wake-up call is what they needed and I think that's what
we've gotten and were given."


Haynie says it's clear the digital modes like RTTY and PSK 31 need
attention.


"Where do we want to go to the future?" Haynie asks. "And, as I
mentioned a couple of years ago, I took my model 28ASR and took it
to the scrap man. But that's the standard that's used today is 850Hz
shift at 45 baud.


"Well, we don't do too much of that. I'm not saying there's not RTTY
enthusiasts out there, there are and I appreciate that and I know
that and I want to protect their rights to do those things."


Art Bell says he and others don't object to digital innovation. But
he doesn't think the proposal hits the mark.


"There are many with differing interests who are not too pleased with
the proposal and, on the face of it, it simply does not make sense,"
Bell says. "I agree that we should encourage the digital modes and
development, but we shouldn't try to push something into place that
is not techincally ready to happen yet."


Restricting bandwidth, Bell says, won't promote innovation.


"Why do we have to cut and slice and dice and regulate," Bell says.
Why not just let anybody virtually go anywhere and let all of us just
live together with some gentlemen's agreements which we have now and
which work very, very well on most bands?


"So with that in mind, look at the Canadians. The Canadians have a
6khz limit and they can go anywhere on the band they want from the
bottom to the top. And I don't see why that would not apply and work
well in America."


Haynie says he wants to hear more from hams and he's encouraging all
of us to get into the FCC's Part 97 rules and share input on the
proposal at the ARRL's website, that's ARRL-dot-org.


"Look at the rule book and see what's there now, "Haynie says. "And,
is there something that could be changed that would allow a new
technology to be developed, then that's what we want to know."


For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in
Philadelphia.


--


More on the ARRL proposal and reaction to it in upcoming Amateur
Radio Newsline reports. (ARNewsline(tm))


**


RESTRUCTURING: DROPPING CW TESTING IN CANADA


Meantime, to the north, another form of restructuring proposal is
being considered by hams in Canada. This as telecommunications
regulator Industry Canada publishes a Gazette Notice
called "Recommendations from Radio Amateurs of Canada to Industry
Canada Concerning Morse Code and Related Matters".


The Radio Amateurs of Canada proposal deals with the WRC-2003
decisions concerning Morse as a compulsory qualification for High
Frequency operation in the Amateur Service. Radio Amateurs of Canada
has recommended that Industry Canada delete the mandatory aspect of
the requirement for Morse testing but leave it as a voluntary
qualification. This, because knowledge of code may be required for
reciprocal operation in those countries retaining a Morse requirement.


The notice was published on Saturday, August 28th and gives Canadian
radio amateurs sixty days in which to respond. Radio Amateurs of
Canada recommends that the nations ham community endorse this
proposal. (RAC)


**


ENFORCEMENT: 10 METER INTRUDER WARNED


Here in the United States a commercial business has been warned to
stay of the 10 meter ham band. The FCC's Daryl Duckworth,
N-N-Zero-
W, explains:


--


Duckworth:"Dandy Service Corporation of Warrendale, Pennsylvania,
was
issued a warning notice fot unlicensed radio operations on 28.085
Mhz. Two of their vehicles were the source of transmissions on
August 5th of this year in Michigan on Interstate 94 at mile-marker
262."


--


Dandy Service was told to advise its drivers that operation of radio
transmitting equipment without a license is a violation of the
Communications Act of 1934. That it could subject the operator to
fine or imprisonment, as well as an seizure of any non-certified
radio transmitting equipment. Monetary forfeitures normally range
from $7,500 to $10,000. (FCC, RAIN)



**


Break 1


From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the N7VGS
repeater serving Star Valley Wyoming.


(5 sec pause here)



**


THE BPL FIGHT: IT MAY BE COMING TO SO. CAL.


A heads up warning to hams living in the California counties of Los
Angeles, San Diego and Riverside. According to ARRL officials in the
Southwestern Division, Broadband over Powerline may be coming your
way.


Writing in the latest issue of the division electronic newsletter,
Director Art Goddard, W-6-X-D, and Vice Director Tuck Miller, N-ed-6-
T, say that power companies in these areas may be considering BPL as
a new business venture. The two officials add that the regions
Amateur community needs to work together to see if they can head off
these B-P-L flirtations before they become entrenched on the ham
radio bands.


The report goes on to say that local ARRL Section Managers are
already on top of the situation. The S-M's are reportedly forming
Local Action Teams to work on all levels in handling the B-P-L threat
to the area. (ARRL Southweestern Divisioon Communicator)


**


OPERATIONAL NEWS: TO PL OR NOT TO PL - THATS THE SERA QUESTION


Repeaters in eight states and the hams that operate through them may
soon face mandatory use of continuous tone coded squelch. Then
again, they may not. Amateur Radio Newslines Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, is
in Raleigh, North Carolina, trying to sort it all out:


--


SERA, the SouthEastern Repeater Association, ignitied a furious
debate when its Board of Directors voted to require the use of tone
as a condition for frequency coordination for all repeaters in its
territory. SERA is the frequency coordinating group for eight
southeastern states: Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North and South
Carolina,| Tennessee, and parts of Virginia and West Virginia.


The SERA Board voted at its June meeting that some form of tone
access will be a condition of coordination for all new repeaters
effective immediately. Existing repeaters will need to adopt tone
within two years, by July 2006. The board was acting on a motion by
Steve Grantham AA5SG, the Director from Mississippi. The goal of the
policy was to reduce the number of complaints that SERA coordinators
receive from repeater owners whose carrier access repeaters are keyed
up by users of a co-channel neighbor.


In discussion at the meeting, the new policy was softened some when
coordinators asked if this meant that repeaters would be
automatically decoordinated if they decided not to use tone. The
answer, according to an article in SERA's magazine the Repeater
Journal, was "no, but…" SERA would not entertain an
interference
complaint from repeater owners who remained carrier access.


The debate began in earnest when the August issue of the Repeater
Journal began arriving and the ARRL published a story about it on
their web site. Repeater owners argued the merits of tone itself,
along with complaints that SERA didn't poll its members, and non-
member repeaters, before making the decision.


The decision may not be final, according to SERA President Roger
Gregory W4WRG:


--


Gregory: I've received, and we have received a lot of comments
pro
and con about this policy. And all I can say right now is that
we're
taking a second look at it and it's not really written in stone
at
this time as to what kind of decision we're going to make one way
or
the other."


--


SERA's next Board meeting takes place in January, but the group
can
reach an earlier decision at any time through an e-mail ballot.


Reporting for Newsline, this is Gary Pearce KN4AQ in Raleigh, North
Carolina.


--


So will the hams in SERA coordinated states have to use tone access
on every repeater? Right now, the answer seems up in the air.
(KN4AQ, ARNewsline(tm))


**


HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ISS GOES CROSS-BAND REPEAT


Speaking of repeaters. there's a new cross-band F-M system in
space
and its home is on the International Space Station. This, as the
ARISS program announces that the amateur radio equipment aboard the
orbiting outpost is now on the air in repeater mode.


The downlink frequency remains 145.80 MHz. The new uplink frequency
is 437.80 MHz and all frequencies are subject to Doppler shifting.


ARISS leaders say that they realize that many hams will miss the
packet station that the cross-band F-M voice repeater replaces. Burt
the groups leaders say that the cross-band repeater will allow
further experimentation of the ISS amateur radio system.


For further information on working satellites and adjusting for
Doppler shift, please review Emily Clark's (W0EEC) excellent
presentation on AMSAT's website, http://www.amsat.org/amsat-
new/information/faqs/Intro_sats.pdf (ARISS)


**


RADIO LAW: FCC ADOPTS RULES TO ENHANCE NETWORK OUTAGE REPORTING


Back on mother Earth in Washington, the Federal Communications
Commission has adopted new rules requiring wireless, wireline, cable,
and satellite telecommunications providers to report information
about significant disruptions or outages to their systems to the
Commission. The FCC says that these reports must be filed
electronically. The Commission also ruled that all sensitive
information collected as a result of these new rules will be
protected from public disclosure. The full story is on-line at
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-250543A1.doc
(FCC)


**


RADIO LAW: FCC REDEFINES DTV CONVERSION SCHEDULE


The FCC has also taken steps toward deciding exactly which channels
broadcasters will end up with when they switch to digital
television. By unanimous vote, the Commissioners have set up a
timetable that will decide by June 2006 which channels people will
tune in on to see their favorite programs. .


FCC chairman Michael Powell says that the vote signals that
substantial progress has been made in switching television from its
current analog transmission system to digital. He adds that the
national dialogue has shifted from wondering if the DTV transition
would ever end to exploring when it should end. (FCC)


**


RADIO LAW: CANADIAN GROUPS CHARGE THAT HD RADIO WILL HARM RECEPTION


Meantime, Canada charges that High Definition or Hi Fi digital Radio
will harm reception of Canadian stations inside its own border. At
least that's the headline from the August 30, 2004 edition of
Inside
Radio.


According to the story that follows, both the Canadian Boadcasting
Corporation and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters have asked
the country's technical regulatory agency to protest iBiquity's In-
Band On-Channel digital radio system. They allege harmful effects on
current A-M reception, especially during nighttime hours. The whole
story is on-line at http://tinyurl.com/6uubn and
www.insideradio.com (CGC)


**


HAM AWARDS: THE RCC IS BACK AND ITS FREE


Some good news. The Rag Chewers Club or R-C-C award is back, but it
will not be sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, has the details:


--



Its the Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio -- better known
by the acronym SPAR that will be sponsoring the new R-C-C. The group
has announced that as of September 1st it will adnminister this fun
award and will do so following the old ARRL rules.


According to SPAR, all a ham has to do to get an R-C-C is to present
evidence of having had an actual one on one Q-S-O that lasted at
least 30 minutes. The QSO can be made on any legal amateur frequency.


In early 2004 the ARRL announced it was discontinuing the Rag
Chewers' Club Award due to a lack of interest. Conversations SPAR
held with hams seemed to indicate that the lack of interest was due
mainly to the cost of the award. So SPAR says that the award will be
available free of charge to all licensed radio amateurs.


For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in
Los
Angeles. Jim.


--


All certificates will be distributed by e-mail as Adobe P-D-F files
that you can print and frame. The awards are numbered and
endorseable by mode. Complete rules and an on-line application are
on the SPAR website at www.spar-hams.org. (SPAR, QRZ.com)


**


NAMES IN THE NEWS: HAPPY 104 BIRTHDAY TO KJ6KQ


And less we forget, a belated birthday greeting goes out to Bill
Diaper, KJ6KQ who turned 104 on August 12th. That's right, we
said
104, and probably making him the oldest living radio amateur in the
United States, if not the world.


According to a posting on the Q-R-Zed dot com by Tom Ferguson, N6SSQ,
website, Bill is a member of the Pacific Amateur Radio Guild and
these days resides in the Masonic Homes in Union City, California.
Tom says that there is a radio shack in the basement that Bill used
up till a year ago but is very difficult for him to access now.
That's because the station is in the basement next to the laundry
room. Bill says it is dark and damp down there and must get
assistance to get there and have someone tune and adjust the
frequency on the rig for him.


N6SSQ adds that the Pacific Amateur Radio sent Bill a flurry of
letters and cards on his birthday and that he was very pleased to get
them. (QRZ.com)


**


BREAK 2


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


(5 sec pause here)


**


HAM FAIR JAPAN ATTRACTS 30000 ATTENDEES


Turning to the ham radio social scene, Japan's largest hamfest, the
JAIA Ham Fair, was held the weekend of August 21st and 22nd. The
venue was Tokyo's Big Sight International Convention Center.
Among
the highlights of gear being shown were Yaesu and Icom both
showcasing their high end $10,000 H-F transceivers. Kenwood did not
match in the super high end radio category but had a well attend
ongoing demonstration of their ARCP-480 Radio Control Program.


But the manufacturers and dealers were only a small part of the
show. Over 170 radio clubs also had booth space at the show. These
ranged from large organizations like JAMSAT, the Japan Shortwave
Club, and SEANET down to local organizations who use their booth for
flea market sales.


Also present were a wide variety of organizations promoting every
aspect of Amateur Radio. This included mountain-topping operators,
microwave activity enthusiasts and antenna construction
experimenters. Operations represented included facsimile, SSTV, ATV,
RTTY, 10M FM, 6 Meters, CW devotees, QRP, homebrewing, classic rigs,
military surplus and even a contingent from the A-M community.


Ham Fair is Japan's largest annual gathering of radio amateurs
from
the Pacific Rim. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 attended this years
event. (WIA News)


**


THE SOCIAL SCENE: WSWSS 2004 FALL CONFERENCE IN FRESNO CA


Back on this side of the Pacific, the Western States Weak Signal
Society tenth annual VHF and UHF Conference takes place Saturday,
October 9th. The venue is the M2 Antenna System Facility, at 4402 N.
Selland Ave in Fresno, California. Registration starts at 8 AM with
the conference program slated to begin at 9 AM. For more information
write to David Peters, KI6FF, 14291 Middletown Lane, Westminster,
California, 92683. You can also e-mail David to (VHF
Reflector)


**


HAM RADIO BUSINESS: OAL NO LONGER REPPING DEM


In news from the ham radio business world, David Clingerman, W-6-O-A-
L says over the V-H-F Reflector that his company known as the Olde
Antenna Lab of Denver, Colorado is no longer representing Down East
Microwave, Inc. Dave says to please refer your help questions,
pricing information and orders directly to Down East Microwave in New
Jersey. (VHF Reflector)


**


HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE: UK BALLOON LAUNCH LICENSED FOR SEPT. 12


G3ZHI reports that a license has been granted for a United Kingdom
high altitude ham radio balloon flight. The project is now
authorized for operation on 2.500 GHz on Sunday, September 12th. The
license has special permission to operate at up to 50,000 feet
instead of the usual flight ceiling of 2,000 or 5,000 feet.


The launch is scheduled to take place at about 1.30. Plans are still
afoot to relay pictures via the new 13 centimeter GB3FT repeater if
the system is completed and on the air in time for the flight. More
information on this experiment as it becomes available. (G3ZHI)


**


WORLDBEAT - UK:: NEW RSGB ON -LINE


There's a new ham radio promotional video out and it has a
definitely
British flair. And in an effort to help to promote amateur radio,
the recently-created Essex Amateur Radio Club has started streaming
the new RSGB video "What is Amateur Radio" on the Internet.


The Essex group is providing it at speeds of 26 kb and 57 kb so it
can be viewed by those using dial-up as well as broadband. If you
want to take a peak it is available in cyberspace at
www.essexamateurradio.org.uk (RSGB)


**


WORLDBEAT - NORWAY: HACKER DEFEATS AIRPORT EXPRESS


Meantime on the European mainland the same Norwegian hacker known for
developing D-V-D encryption-cracking software has apparently struck
again. This time his target is the security system that protects
Apple Computer's wireless music streaming technology.

Jon Johansen has released a hacking system on his website that
provides a key to unlock the encryption Apple uses for its AirPort
Express. The unit lets users broadcast digital music from Apple's on-
line iTunes Music Store on a stereo that's not plugged into an Apple
computer. This permits other software applications from competitors
to work with the proprioritary AirPort Express codec. Apple is
reportedly considering taking legal action in the case. (Published
reports)


**


RADIOSPORTS: HOST STILL NEEDED FOR 2005 ARDF GAMES


Turning to the world of radiosports, a reminder from Joe Mell, KZ0OV,
that a group is still meeded to host the fifth U-S-A Amateur Radio
Direction Finding Championship games. This, in the summer of 2005.


Some prerequisites for being the host include having suitable sites
for 2 meter and 80 meter hunts along with the ability to provide
foxhunting courses. There are also the organizational aspects to
consider. These include providing registration services, housing for
the contestants, meeting rooms, transportation to and from the hunt
areas and lots more.


If your club is interested in hosting this event, please contact Joe
by e-mail before September 15th to . Full details
about the games and how to become the 2005 host is on line at
www.homingin.com (ARNewsline(tm))


**


DX


In D-X, word that K3GV portable VY2 is active on 15 and 20 meters as
from Prince Edward through the 12th of September. The island counts
as NA-029 for the RSGB Islands on the Air award program. QSL's
go to
K3GV at his callbook address. (RSGB)


And while this is short notice, the All Asian SSB contest will take
place beginning at 00.01 U-T-C on Saturday, September 4th and will
run for 48 hours. Operation is on 160 through 10 meters with
stations in Asia trying to work the rest of the world. The official
exchange for this one is a signal report and the operator's age.
(WIA News)


**


THAT FINAL ITEM: NRC MEETS IN BATAVIA NY


And finally this week, a big meeting of broadcast band SWL's is
taking place as we go to air. Here's Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, with the
details:


--


Audio report only. Download the newscast at www.arnerwsline.org


--


Fred has promised to be here net week with a full wrap-up on this
years gathering. (W8HDU)


**


NEWSCAST CLOSE


With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands,
Rain, the RSGB and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from the
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is
. 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 Newsline(tm), P.O. Box 660937, Arcadia, California
91066.


For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm
Jim
Damron, N8TMW, saying 73 and we thank you for listening." Amateur
Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.









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