Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1743 - January 7 2011

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1743 with a release date of
Friday, January 7, 2011 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T. Hams in Missouri face a series of killer
tornados while their counterparts in Australia go on alert as massive
rains hit Queensland state. Also, the South African Radio League
prepares to ask that nations telecommunications regulators to expand
160 meters, researchers say that cubersecurity is really the new civil
defense and Russia announces plans to take the Internet into space.
Find out the details on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report number 1743
coming your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)

**

RESCUE RADIO: MISSOURI SKYWARN HAMS CALLED OUT AS TWISTERS HIT REGION

Ham radio first responders' associated with SKYWARN were called out as
killer storms swept across Southwest Missouri just before New Years.
David Black, KB4KCH, is in our South-East Bureau with the details:

--

For amateur radio operators in Missouri, the end of 2010 was anything
but quiet. Killer storms roared across southwestern parts of the state
December 30th and 31st. Two of the twisters were rated as EF-3s. 3
people were killed in Missouri, with three more deaths reported in
Arkansas.

Rod Kittleman, K0ADI, is the ARRL's Information Officer in Southwestern
Missouri. He says hams monitored the storms including supercell
thunderstorms as they moved from Arkansas, across the state line,
leaving extensive damage:

--

K0ADI: "We had storm spotters from our SKYWARN group out all the way
from Chhristian County ARES, Green County, Texas County, etc. Pretty
much (observing) as the storms tracked along through Arkansas through
Missouri, we had each of the ARES groups in the individual counties who
where continuing to track the storms and relay the information to the
National Weather Service.

"We had spotters that were out, chasing the storm and watching the
stor. A very, very active bunch of people."

--

For at least 14 hours, radio amateurs stayed active, tracking storms
and reporting on their progress to National Weather Service forecasters
in Springfield. Kittleman says the storms hit with bad timing, which
teaches hams a valuable lesson:

--

K0ADI: " You always have to be prepared because you never know whats
going to happen. The bad thing about this storm is that it happened on
a holiday when a lot of people are not thinking about these kind of
storms. They are out doing their holiday activities

"Everybody needs to be prepared for all times in all seasons, but this
shows that ham radio operators are always prepared all season long."

--

Despite the large amount of territory affected, Kittleman says Skywarn
and ARES groups coordinated efforts closely. That resulted in an active
flow of real time information on the storms and the damage they were
causing:

--

K0ADI: "I was actually n the air about 7:30 in the morning and tracked
one tornado that went from the Missouri -Arkansas border all the way up
to the Ft. Leonardwood wild area. That was the one that ended up
killing a couple of people up there."

--

The various amateur radio teams are being praised for their efforts to
keep the community safe. Weather Service Forecasters say they were
impressed at the amount of response and support hams in the state gave
when it was so badly needed.

From the Southeast Bureau in Birmingam, Alabama, I'm David Black,
KB4KCH, for The Amateur Radio Newsline.

--

In all, At least 5 tornadoes, 2 of which produced fatalities and
numerous severe thunderstorms pounded the Missouri Ozarks for over 14
hours on December 30th into New Years Eve.

(N0UAM, K0ADI, others)


**

RESCUE RADIO: VK HAMS RESPOND TO QUEENSLAND FLOODING

Massive flooding in Australia's Queensland state puts that nations
corps of ham radio volunteers on alert. Les Unwin, VK4VIL, is in the
city of Rockhampton with the latest:

--

Following widespread rains over the past several weeks, Queensland's
Fitzroy River is currently in full flood, with water inundating towns
on its movement downstream. The Fitzroy basin, covering some 53,000
square kilometers is Australia's second largest river system.

After completely drowning some towns such as Theodore in its more
western tributaries, then devastating the larger town of Emerald of
12,000 people, Rockhampton, population 75000, is now facing what could
be its second largest flood in recorded history. The city is already
totally isolated with airport, all feeder highways and rail links
underwater . Sadly, several lives have been lost as a result of flood
related incidents.

Rockhampton and District Amateur Radio Club President, Jack Chomley
VK4JRC has a good number of club members on standby and registered with
State Emergency Service and the Disaster Management Committee , with
suitable equipment available for activation if the situation worsens,
for relief of emergency workers or particularly in the case of power
failure. Fortunately, amateur radio operators contacted in upstream
areas have also not been called upon for assistance at this time.

The River is expected to take several weeks to return to its normal
level.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Les Unwin, VK4VIL, in Rochhampton.
--

Expect more on this rescue radio effort in upcoming Amateur Radio
Newsline reports. (WIA News)

**


ENFORCEMENT: ALLEGED HONEYBEE SHOOTER WAS A HAM

The ham believed to be the so called possible 'honeybee' shooter is
dead. Gary Amaya, 48, KC9AWD, was shot with his own gun while
apparently trying to rob an Orland Park, Illinois, tanning salon on
Saturday, December 11th.

Last October, three men were shot, one fatally, near the
Illinois-Indiana border. The shootings appeared entirely random. One
victim, a farmer, had a conversation with the shooter about honeybees
before he was shot, earning the killer his nickname of the honeybee
shooter.

Two months later, Gary Amaya was allegedly robbing an L.A. Tan location
at gunpoint when a customer, Jason McDaniel, came through the door.
McDaniel disarmed Amaya, and ultimately shot him twice, killing him.

Shortly after Amaya was killed, police released survailence video. The
tape shows Amaya, clad in black, having bound the attendant behind the
counter. McDaniel enters the store, and is brought behind the counter.
At one point, Amaya, having set the gun down, bends over, and McDaniel
seizes his opportunity, rushing forward to strike Amaya and grab the
gun. The two men then move into a hallway just out of the frame, where
apparently Amaya lunges at McDaniel. A shot goes off in the ensuing
struggle, Amaya appears dazed but still a threat. Then McDaniel shoots
him in the stomach.

According to an unnamed family friend, Amaya showed no earlier signs of
violence. But something apparently changed in the man from tiny
downstate Rankin, Illinois this past summer after helost his job at a
Milford trucking company. By October, when the "honeybee" shootings
started, Amaya had cut off ties with even his closest friends. (WB9QZB,
Chicago Tribune OnLine, Morris Daily Herald, CNN, other sources)

**

RESTRUCTURING: SARL PREPARING DOCUMENTATION TO INCREASE 160 METRE
ALLOCATION

The South African Radio League is preparing documentation to gain
access to additional spectrum on the 160 meter band for amateur
communication in that nation.

South African radio amateurs are invited to make input by sending their
views as to why it is necessary to expand the very narrow allocation
currently available. Responders are asked to include items such as
propagation studies and of what benefit an expanded 160 meter
allocation will be.

South African hams should send the information to zs6akv (at) sarl
(dot) org (dot) za by end January. The South African Radio League
proposal will be presented at the next SARL and the Independent
Communications Authority of South Africa liaison meeting planned for
February of 2011. (SARL)

**

BREAK 1

From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the W9BBK
repeater serving Bollingbrook, Illinois.

(5 sec pause here)


**

ENFORCEMENT NEEDED: RESEARCHERS CALL CYBERSECURITY THE NEW CIVIL
DEFENSE

A pair of University of Cincinnati researchers says the nation's
cybersecurity is being threatened because an important element in
establishing it is not being emphasized enough. That of citizen
awareness and participation. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak,
WA6ITF, has mo

--

In equating today's citizen role in cybersecurity to the Civil Defense
efforts developed at the advent of the era of atomic weapons, Political
Science faculty members Richard Harknett and James Stever argue that an
active role for citizenry participation in security efforts is largely
being overlooked.

They make their case in a new paper published in the "Journal of
Homeland Security and Emergency Management." Harknett and Stever argue
that a three-pronged approach to cybersecurity is necessary. They note
that ideas of coordination within government agencies and also between
government and business interests surface in almost every discussion on
the topic, but engagement with the public about the role they can play
in cybersecurity rarely gets mentioned.

The two researchers say that the general population must be engaged as
active security providers, not simply beneficiaries of security policy.
This is because their practices often create the threats to which
government must respond. As an example, they cite the hijacking last
July of up to 50,000 computers for use in a botnet denial-of-service
attack on Web sites operated by the U.S. and South Korean governments.

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

--

Currently, the government is in a period of re-examining policy towards
cybersecurity. The New York Times recently published an extensive
story examining U.S. deficiencies in policy towards cyber attacks, and
a new study of 600 computer and computer-security executives showed
high levels of concern that cyber attacks at any time could compromise
our nations energy and communication sectors. (University of
Cincinnati via Science Daily)

**

ENFORCEMENT: FCC CITES MICHIGAN BUSINESS FOR SELLING UNAUTHORIZED CB
SETS

The FCC has issued an Official Citation to to Doctor Radio's CB Shop of
Monroe, Michigan. This for marketing unauthorized radio frequency
devices in the United States in violation of Section 302(b) of the
Communications Act, and Section 2.803(a)(1) of the Commission's rules.
The devices are identified as high power CB radios that could operatr
outside of bthe 11 meter Class D Citizens Radio B and.

By way of background, on October 20, 2010, an agent from the
Enforcement Bureau's Detroit Office visited the Doctor Radio. At that
time he observed that the store offered for sale the Cobra Sound
Tracker and the Cobra 150 GTL DX. A store employee explained to the
agent that the Cobra Sound Tracker was modified to operate with 170
watts of power. The store employee further explained that the Cobra 150
GTL DX was an amateur radio that could operate on CB frequencies. Under
current FCC Rules, both of these radios are illegal to sell in the
United States.

The Citation warns Doctor Radio's CB Shop that if, after receipt of the
Citation, that it violates the Communications Act or the Rules by
engaging in such sales that the Commission may impose monetary
forfeitures of up to $16,000 for each such violation or each day of a
continuing violation and up to $112,500 for any single act or failure
to act. In addition, violations of the Communications Act or the Rules
can result in seizure of equipment through forfeiture actions, as well
as criminal sanctions, including imprisonment.

Doctor Radio's CB Shop was given thirty days after the January 5th
release date of the Citation to reply either through a personal
interview at the closest FCC office, or through a written statement.
Any written statements must specify what actions have been taken by
Doctor Radio to ensure that it does not violate the Rules governing the
marketing of radio frequency devices in the future. (FCC)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS CORRECTION: IT'S A QSO A DAY FOR G6NHU DURING 2011

And a correction to last weeks story about Keith Maton, G6NHU, who has
embarked on an ambitious project throughout 2011 to have a QSO every
day of the year. Somehow we typo'ed his call the wrong way in the
story header. His correct all letters are G6NHU.

And as we noted correctly, there is a blog to follow the progress of
this project at www.qso365.co.uk. The blog won't necessarily be
updated every day but it will document how the project is going with
updates as time permits. (G6NHU)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: W4MD APPOINTED AS ALABAMA SM

David Drummond, W4MD, of Northport, Alabama has been appointed Alabama
Section Manager effective January 1st. He succeeds Jay Isbell, KA4KUN,
who had served as Section Manager since January 2008 but had resigned
in December 2010 due to health related reasons. Drummond has served as
Alabama Assistant Section Manager since January 2008. He will complete
the current Alabama Section Manager term that continues through
December 31st of this year. (ARRL)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: 2011 NEW ZEALIND DX HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

John N. Shaw, ZL1BYZ, Bryan Anderson, ZL2AFT, and the late Peter W.
Watson. ZL3GQ, have been selected asv the 2011 honorees have beem
selected for iunduction into the New Zealand DX Hall of Fame. Each was
choen based on his dedication to ham radio and the furthering of the
art of DX operation.

The New Zealand DX Hall of Fame was established in 2009 to honor those
outstanding ZL DXers and contesters who have excelled in the radio
sport aspect hobby over many years. The current panel of judges
includes Ken McCormack, ZL1AIH, Duncan McMahon, ZL3JT and Bill Carney,
ZL3NB. (ZL2AL)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE: HAMVENTION AWARDS NOMINATING PERIOD ENDS JANUARY
15th

And a reminder that the deadline for Hamvention award nominations is
getting close. The Hamvention now sponsors four annual awards. These
are the Technical Excellence, Special Achievement and Radio Amateur of
the Year Awards. And as the special Radio Club of the Year was such a
big success in 2010, that Hamvention planners have decided to make it a
permanent addition to the Hamvention Awards program.

If you know of a radio amateur or a club deserving of recognition
please submit your nomination. Further information and nomination
forms can be found on-line at www.Hamvention.com in the awards section.
To be considered for any award the nominations must be submitted no
later than January 15, 2011. Nominations go by mail to Hamvention
Awards, Post Office Box 964, Dayton, Ohio, 45401.

Again, the cutoff date to submit nominations is January 15th which is
less than a week away. (Hamvention)


**

WITH NEWSLINE: RADIO SCOOTER INTERNATIONAL TO AIR ARNEWSLINET

Some good news for those hams who have been asking if any Internet
radio stations retransmit these weekly Amateur Radio Newsline reports.
Well Bill Bergadano, KA2EMZ, reports that his station known as Radio
Scooter International began carrying Amateur Radio Newsline on January
9th.

According to Bergadano, Amateur Radio Newsline airs at 03:00 U-T-C on
Mondays. That translates into 7:30PM Eastern and 4:30PM Pacific Time.

To listen go to www dot radioscooterinternational dot net. Then click
the antenna and then the play button on the next page.

Bergadano tells Newsline that Radio Scooter International has been on
the air since 2005, and, has been heard in over 80 countries. (KA2EMZ)

**

WITH NEWSLINE: PODCAST ADDRESS CHANGE

And a follow-up to last weeks report that some listeners with the
latest iPods cannot get Amateur Radio Newsline to play on their 4th
generation devices. We have received several listener responses with
possible answers, but Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, who sponsors the Podcast
thinks he has the best solution. Kevin has moved the Podcast file to a
new server at http://n5pre.squarespace.com/arnewsline. He says that
the new server should better serve listener needs. A live link to it
in bright green is now at our website at www dot arnewsline dot org. If
you are one of those suffering from the problem, please let us know if
this fix helps you. Also, keep in mind that this is a direct link and
not the same as available though the Apple iTunes on line store.
(ARNewsline(tm) and N5PRE)

**

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)

**

SWL CORNER: THREE DX TESTS SET FOR FEBRUARY

If you are an SWL or a ham with a good Medium Wave receiver, listen up.
On Saturday February 12th, at precisely oh-seven hundred and
oh-eight-hundred U-T-C, radio station KHMO 1070 Kilohertz in Hannibal,
Missouri, will conduct a DX test for SWL's worldwide. The test will be
with Morse code, sweep tones, and voice announcements for five-minutes
at the top of the first hour with its five-kilowatt, three-tower, day
pattern, and then five-minutes at the top of the second hour at its
one-kilowatt, six-tower, nighttime power.

Also on February 12th, from oh-nine hundred to oh-ten-hundred U-T-C,
WLIQ 1530 Kilohertz in Quincy Illinois will conduct a DX test of its
own WLIQ will test for twenty minutes using Morse code, sweep tones,
voice announcement, special music, sound bites and the like at its
fourteen-hundred watts, non-directional, day power. Then WLIQ will
test for twenty minutes at two-hundred-ninety watts non-directional,
critical hours power. Finally, for the last twenty minutes of the hour,
they will test at three watts, non-directional, night power. That's
right, we said three watts which is almost miuceo power on the AM
broadcast band..

The third, and last test is on Saturday, February 19th. This one will
be will be from oh-seven-hundred to oh-eight-hundred U-T-C from WLRB
1510 Kilohertz from Macomb Illinois. The WLRB test for the first
thirty-minutes will use Morse code, sweep tones, voice announcement,
special music, sound bites at one-kilowatt, non-directional, day power.
For the second half of the test, the content will be the same but the
power will be reduced to two-hundred-fifty watts, non-directional for
its critical hours power.

If you would like to receive a Q-S-L, you can send a written report, or
a cassette or CD to the Chief Engineer of these stations by following
the rules and sending reports the following address: Gary Glaenzer, c/o
(Put the name of the station whose DX test your are reporting on the
next line), 325 East Douglas Avenue, Jacksonville, Illinois 62650.

Tapes or CDs will be accepted along with written reports but must be
cued up to the point of where the best reception is. If sending in a
report by mail, you must include a return, self addressed, stamped
envelope if you expect to get back a QSL or any reply.

The reports are being sent to the engineers home address, not the
station. So please be patient, as Mr. Glaenzer is the Chief Engineer
for 16 radio stations in Missouri and Illinois. E-QSLs are available.
Send them to the engineer at glaenzer (at) frontier dot com with both
the station call letters and the words "DX test" in the subject line.
(W8HDU)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: TMA-20 LAUNCH VIDEO NOW ON LINE

Video of the spectacular night launch of the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft
can be sewen on-line at tinyurl.com/2gx5hqd. The TMA-20 launch carried
Expedition 26 crew members NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, Russian
cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo
Nespoli. IZ0JPA to the International Space Station.

This is Nespoliu's second trip into space. In June of 2006, IZ0JPA was
assigned to the Space Shuttle mission STS-120, which is dedicated to
the build-up of the International Space Station. (UniverseToday.com,
ARNewsline.orgT)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: HOW TO WORK SATELLITES WITH YOUR HT

Clint Bradford, K6LCS, of Mira Loma California, has published an
updated copy of the "How to Work Ham Satellites With Your HT" tutorial.
Its posted on-line at www dot work dash sat dot com. (ANS)

**

ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING FRANZ LISZT

A group of Hungarian radio amateurs from J noshalma will use the
special callsign HG200LST between January 1st and December 31st. This
activity is to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer
and virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt QSL this operation via HA5GY. (DX
OnLine)

**

HAM DX HELP WANTED: DX'ERS SOUGHT FOR LUXIUARY FILI OPERATION

VK4AN, OZ1IKY and possibly others are planning a major operation as
3D2A to Fiji between March 15th and April 2nd and are currently looking
for experienced DXers to join them during this operation. They state
that their activities will be from Nadi in a 3 story 2 bedroom luxury
air conditioned apartment with roof top antennas including a full-size
160 meter Inverted Vee or delta-loop, Spiderbeam, DX-88 and other
antennas. Activity will be on 160 through 6 meters but concentrating
on the lower bands. If you would like to join their team, contact
Eddie, VK4AN, at vk4an at wia dot org dot au. More details on this
upcoming ham radio luxiary adventure are available at pacific-dxers dot
com. (OPDX)

**

DX

In DX, word that HA3AUI is shortly heading back to Western Africa. Look
for him to be active as 6W2SC from Senegal and J5UAP from Guinea-Bissau
between February 1st and March 31st. His activity will be on 160
through 10 meters, mainly on CW and the digital modes. QSL direct via
HA3AUI.

VO1AU will be active stroke 9M6 from, East Malaysia between March 2nd
and the 15th. His operation will include the Commonwealth and ARRL DX
SSB Contests. QSL via VO1MX.

DC9TH is now on the air as 8Q7TH from Baa Atoll in the Maldives. He's
reporetedly been heard on 20 meter SSB. If you work him, please QSL to
his home callsign.

EI8CC, the former Honorary Secretary of the Irish Radio Transmitting
Societyt and new Irish ambassador to Lesotho will soon be on the air
from that nation on CW and SSB as 7P8CC. The final items of his
station have been shipped so expect to hear him on the air from Lesotho
in the not to distant future.

Lastly, ZS6TQ is now active as 9Q0HQ/6 from the Republic of the Congo.
His operation is primerally on weekends and during the week after 1800
UTC. Listen out for him on 40through 6 meters using CW, SSB and PSK31.
QSL via K3IRV.

(Above from various DX ,news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: RUSSIA TO TAKE THE INTERNET INTO SPACE

And finally this week, Russian engineers have started drawing up a
plans to take the Internet into space. They say that their new
Kosmonet project and its implementation will provide an opportunity for
Runet users to enter the Internet in a whole new way. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has mo

--

The developers of the system say that rapid access to the Internet is
only part of the task set before the Kosmonet. They give priority to
guaranteeing communications between spacecraft and establishing control
over Russian orbited flying objects from any point on the Earth and
stable communications with remote regions of Russia.

Vitaly Davydov is the deputy head of the Russian space agency. He says
that such a communication system is crucial for the north and in the
Polar Regions of Russia because satellites in the geostationary orbit
cannot provide access to these regions. He notes that for his nation
to build fixed transmitters there or lay optic fiber cables to these
regions is either economically inexpedient or technically impossible.

The new project is an upgraded version of the present system known as
Gonets which translates into the word Messenger in English. Davydov
says that it is crucial for Russia to have the possibility of ensuring
communication with any of its satellites at any time and linking them
with the mission control centers. In short, days Davydov, Russia is
lifting the Internet into orbit.

The developers emphasize that the "Kosmonet" does not depend on a
ground infrastructure. Rather, communications will be maintained with
the assistance of terminals and basic stations through satellites.
Consequently, emergency situations such as earthquakes or other
calamities cannot interrupt the proposed systems communications.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennent, K6PZW, in Los
Angeles.

--

Davydov says that at present, there is no such a system, and his nation
hopes to enter into this market first. (Southgate)

**

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, the Southgate News and Australia's WIA News, that's all from
the Amateur Radio Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is Newsline (at)
arnewsline (dot) 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 Newsline(tm),
28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim
Davis, W2JKD, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.