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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1842 November 30 2012

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 09:28 PM PST
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...2&goto=newpost


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Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1842 – November 30 2012





Attention bulletin stations. Please note that this is an extended
Amateur Radio Newsline report and contains three breaks. Thank you.



Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1842 with a release date of
November 30, 2012 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.



The following is a QST. The FCC issues a rule making proposal aimed at
implementing the 2007 World Radiocommunications Accords; the NTSB says it
wants to end all kinds of distracted driving; South Africa’s ham radio
community is told it will have to re-apply for their licenses and the 8th
Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference is called a major
success. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline™ report number
1842 coming your way right now.





(Billboard Cart Here)





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RESTRUCTURING: FCC PROPOSES IMPLEMENTING 2007 WRC ACCORDS



The FCC has issued ET Docket 12-338 that if passed as written is pretty
good news for ham radio. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with
the details:



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ET Docket 12-338 released on Tuesday, November 20th proposes modify the
rules governing a number of communications services for amateur radio which
falls under Part 97 of its rules, the proposed changes are quite positive.



Starting at the low end of the electromagnetic spectrum and working our
way up, Docket 12-338 proposes the creation of a permanent albeit shared
allocation from 135.7-137.8 kHz with a power output of 1 watt effective
radiated power to an isotropic radiator. To those who have never heard the
term isotropic radiator, this is a theoretical point source of
electromagnetic waves that emits the same intensity of radiation in all
directions. Translated into everyday language it really means hams will
only be able to transmit a few hundred milliwatts of power if that.



Now going up a few hundred kilohertz to the 160 mter band. That where
Docket 12-338 proposes to change the Amateur Radio Service allocation to
make 1800 through 2000 kHz a primary amateur service allocation.



By way of background, historically, the 1715 to 2000 kHz band was
allocated exclusively to the Amateur Service. In 1953, the FCC removed the
1715 to 1800 kHz segment from the Amateur Radio Service and allocated the
1800 to 2000 kHz band to the Amateur Service on a shared basis with the
Radionavigation Service. Then in 1983, the FCC allocated the 1800 to 1900
kHz band to the Amateur Service on an exclusive basis and the 1900 to 2000
kHz band to the Radiolocation Service on a primary basis and to the Amateur
Service on a secondary basis.



Lastly, in the WRC-07 Table Clean-Up Order, the FCC combined the 10 to
10.45 GHz and 10.45 to 10.5 GHz bands in the Federal Table of Allocations.
In doing so, the frequency band was inadvertently not changed to 10 to 10.5
GHz. To fix this the FCC will revise the text of three footnotes that
pertain to this spectrum by adding the existing Amateur-Satellite Service
allocation to the list of permitted non-federal services. It will also
order that non-federal stations in the Radiolocation Service not cause
harmful interference to the Amateur Service in the 10 to 10.5 GHz band.



As we said, its pretty good news for ham radio here in the USA.



From the studio in Los Angeles, Im Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.



--



If approved as written, these changes will implement allocation decisions
from the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference that concern those
portions of the radio frequency spectrum between 108 MHz and 20.2 GHz by
making specific updates to the rules in this frequency range. You can
download the full text of ET Docket 12-338 at as a Word document at
tinyurl.com/proposed-wrc-changes (FCC)



**



RADIO LAW: NTSB VS CEA ON DISTRACTED DRIVING AND DISTRACTED TRANSIT



The National Transportation Safety Board wants to eliminate all driver
distraction and is broadening its focus on the use of portable electronic
devices in all types of vehicles. The issue is part of the NTSB’s recently
released “2013 Most Wanted List.” Amateur Radio Newsline’s Norm Seeley,
KI7UP, is here with the details:



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While acknowledging that distracted driving didn’t begin when people
began making calls or texting in the car, the National Transportation
Safety Board still says that portable electronic devices that do not
directly support the task at hand have no place in any vehicles. This
includes automobiles planes, trains, and just about any other vessel you
might be able to think of. As such it argues that states and regulators
can set the proper tone by banning the nonessential use of such devices in
all areas of transportation.



The NTSB says that young drivers are more likely to use portable
electronic devices while behind the wheel and therefore are especially at
risk. It urges that laws, education, and enforcement efforts should place
special emphasis on curbing the use of portable electronic devices by these
younger drivers.



The NTSB goes on to say that companies should develop and vigorously
enforce policies to eliminate distractions. It also says that
manufacturers can assist by developing technology that disables these
devices when in reach of operators.



But the NTSB has some strong opposition from the Consumer Electronics
Association or CEA. That organization says that while it applauds the
effort, it also notes that the NTSB misses the mark on the use of portable
electronics in vehicles. It says that calling for an abstinence only
approach, the NTSB ignores established realities of human behavior. It
also claims that in-vehicle technology when used correctly can make for
vastly safer roadways.



The CEA says that rather than calling for broad regulations or outright
bans, policymakers should encourage the use of the many innovative driver
safety technologies coming on to the marketplace. The CEA notes that it
has already forwarded the NTSB a list of third-party applications that
promote safe use of portable technologies in the automobile.



How any of this might affect mobile or even hand held pedestrian portable
operations in the future by ham radio operators and other users of two-way
radio is at this time unknown. But the NTSB stand seems to be that any and
all forms of distraction must be removed from the public’s hands while in
transit. And that’s not likely to sit well with the public at large.



For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Norm Seeley, KI7UP. In Scottsdale,
Arizona.



--



It should be noted that the National Transportation Safety Board is an
independent body that has no authority to enact transportation policy, nor
to force the federal government to make transportation policy changes.
However it makes recommendations to governments, industry and the public
and uses its “Most Wanted” list as a way to highlight changes that it is
advocating. (RW)



**



WORLDBEAT: ALL RADIO SOUTH AFRICAN AMATEURS WILL HAVE TO REAPPLY FOR
THEIR LICENSES



All South African radio amateurs are going to have to reapply for their
licenses. This is according to the South African Radio League which says
its liaison committee met with that nation’s telecommunications regulatory
body Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.



At that meeting the national society learned that following an audit by
the Auditor General, that the communications regulator has been instructed
to implement regulation 15 of the nations Radio Frequency Spectrum
Regulations. This is a law that stipulates that an amateur radio license
can only be renewed for up to five years after which a new application has
to be submitted. Because of this, all South Africa licensed radio amateurs
will be required to re-apply for a license for the period of April 1st
2013 through March 31st 2018.



The South Africa Radio League says that the details as to how this will
be accomplished are expected to be made public in the next few weeks.
Until that time, South African hams should do nothing. As soon as
information is made available the South Africa Radio League announce it via
its news bulletin service system and make forms available on its website at
www.sarl.org.za. (SARL, ICASA)



**



BREAK 1



From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including WMRP FM on 104.7 MHz
serving FlintMichigan.



(5 sec pause here)





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RESCUE RADIO: GAREC 2012 DEEMED A MAJOR SUCCESS



The 8th Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference also
known as GAREC 2012 was held recently in Port Dickson, Malaysia. We have
an updated report on what transpired at that gathering from WIA Newsman
Graham Kemp, VK4BB: