Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1570 - September 14, 2007

Now, Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1570
with a release date of Friday, September 14, 2007 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T. Amateur Radio in South
Africa take a hard line stand against BPL, the
killers of a ham radio operator are sentenced in
Gambia, Region 2 if the IARU meets in Brazil and
ham radio remembers September 11th, 2001. A look
back at 911 six years on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm)
report number 1570 coming your way right now.


(Billboard Cart Here)

**

THE BPL FIGHT: SOUTH AFRICAN HAMS TAKE A HARD LINE

Interference from Broadband Over Powerline is in
the spotlight once again. This as the South
African Radio League issues an update on progress
made at minimizing the radio frequency pollution
caused by powerline Internet access. And, as we
hear from W-I-A Newsman Graham Kemp, VK4BB, the
SARL is taking a hard line stand in its part of the world:

--

Well, the fight isn't over. Our friends at the
SARL in South Africa tell us draft PLT or BPL
regulations are under the spotlight in South Africa.

Their regulatory body, ICASA has been hard at
work and has asked the EMC workgroup of the
STANSA TC73 and TC80 committees to come up with
draft regulations for type approval of PLT (BPL)
equipment as an interim measure.

These interim standards will eventually be
replaced by internationally accepted standards.
There is however much debate amongst members of
the International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR) about
international standards with an agreement seemingly some time off.

The SARL even tell us that this CISPR will meet
here in Australia. The Work group has held
meetings over the past two weeks and hopes to
complete a draft to be tabled at the TC80 meeting
later this month. Once agreed at TC80, the draft
will be forwarded to ICASA for further
consideration and once agreed by the ICASA
Council, the draft regulations will be published
in the government gazette for comment.

The SARL is represented at the Workgroup and has
made its input. There is much ongoing debate and
unhappiness about the SARL's demands that all
Amateur Radio HF frequencies be notched at the
time of installation. In particular the vendors
of PLT equipment would only like to notch when an
interference complaint is received. The SARL's
view is that Radio Amateurs are licensed to
operate on HF and that their rights should be protected.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp,
VK4BB, of the WIA News in Australia.

--

Graham Kemp adds that BPL is everyone bad boy problem, world-wide. (WIA
News)

**

RADIO JUSTICE: TWO MEN GET LIFE FOR MURDERING RADIO AMATEUR

Its taken several years but justice has finally
been served. This as a criminal court judge in
Gambia sentences two men to life imprisonment for
the murder of radio amateur Ron Ford, G3NKO.

Ford was killed in by two Gambian nationals in
September 2002 while on vacation in the region.
In passing sentence on Dawda Bojang and Kawsu
Jarju, judge Buba Jawo said the evidence before
the court had clearly shown that the prosecution has proven its case.

The two were tried in Kanifing Magistrates' court
where the life sentences were imposed. (Southgate)

**

RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO AT THE ZACA FIRE WINDS DOWN

Back in the United States, Amateur Radio
operations allied to the giant California Zaca
Wildfire have wound down as flames are brought
under control. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, reports:

--

We have already told you that Amateur Radio
operators from throughout California's Santa
Barbara and Ventura Counties assisted during the
recent Zaca wildfire. The blaze, which started
July 4th burned over 240,000 acres before it was
contained on September 2nd. This makes it the
second largest wildfire in California state history.

With the response now winding down, the
statistics are coming in and some of it is
amazing -- especially for ham radio. For
example, members of the Amateur Radio Emergency
Service volunteered over 850 combined man hours
during the course of the firefight. Hams worked
at the Forest Service base camp, staffed road
blocks, answered phones at the Forest Service
information call center, drove fire patrols, and
set up communications at a Red Cross shelter
until phones could be installed. Radio amateurs
also served as observers and communicators in
aircraft flown by the Sheriff's Aero
Squadron. Some of these positions were staffed
around the clock for many days at a time.

But that's not all. On September 3rd hams
spotted a new fire just outside the burned
area. They reported it to fire crews who quickly
sent in air tankers to put it out.

A total of 45 A-R-E-S operators responded from
Santa Maria, Lompoc, Santa Ynez Valley, and Santa
Barbara, and mutual aid resources from
Ventura. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service
coordinated its response through the county
Emergency Operations Center, from where their
station kept in constant contact with field units
and relayed information from the field to
officials in the Emergency Operations Center.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the studio in Los Angeles

--

One post script to this story. On August 11th,
when A-R-E-S members arrived at the Emergency
Operations Center, they found the following
message left on their incident log:

"Thanks, ARES. You are the best!"

It was signed by Bruce Carter, OES. Carter is
the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency
Services Manager. (N6ZKJ, ARNewsline(tm))

**

RESCUE RADIO: RESPONDER ID CARD PROGRAM BEING TESTED

The federal government is launching an ambitious
I-D program for rescue workers. This, in an
effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
says is to to keep everyday people from swarming to a disaster scene.

FEMA came up with the idea after the World Trade
Center attack and Hurricane Katrina in
2005. That's when countless Americans rushed to
help. Some were unasked, undirected, and says the agency, sometimes
unwanted

A prototype of the new first responder
identification card is already being issued to
fire and police personnel in the Washington,
D.C., area. Proponents say the system will get
professionals on scene quicker and keep untrained
volunteers from making tough work more difficult.
Supporters say the ID cards could be checked at a
disaster area with a card-reader and used to
verify a person's skills. But they also know it
is a touchy subject, particularly for those
devoted to helping in moments of crisis.

But many of those volunteers from both disasters
angrily dispute the notion they were a
burden. They insist that in numerous instances
they were able to deliver respirators, hard hats,
and protective boots to workers when no one else seemed able.

After 911, ground zero volunteer Rhonda Shearer
launched a fast-moving supply system that
bypassed regular channels, and often infuriating
city officials. She says that even as she
delivered trucks packed with supplies over months
of recovery work, she increasingly ended up in a
cat-and-mouse game with New York City's police
and Emergency Management Agency. Shearer says
that the experience has convinced her that
agencies are ill-equipped to handle major
disasters, but don't want outsiders pointing out
their failings. (Published news reports)

**

LONG AWAITED DX: ST. BRANDONS - 3B7C IS ON THE AIR

The long awaited St. Brandon's D-Xpedition is on
the air. Word is that 3B7C took to the air at
about 20:05 hours U-T0C on September 7th. N3GV
who is the Pilot for the operation reported ober
the expeditions website that he worked them on 40
meter CW within 2 minutes of their planned
startup time and then heard them on 20 meters.
Since then the operation has been creating
massive pile-up wherever they call C-Q. For the
latest news and to view the on-line logs, take
your web browser to www.3B7C.com (3B7C.com)

**

RADIO POLITICS: IARU REGION 2 MEETS IN BRAZIL

Turning to ham radio political news, word that
the opening Plenary of the 16th General Assembly
of International Amateur Radio Union for Region 2
was held on Monday morning, September 10th in
Brazil. As the gathering got underway, Region 2
President Rod Stafford, W6ROD noted the success
that Region 2 has enjoyed in relations with CITEL
and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. He
also noted the challenges that must be
faced. This, by urging member societies to do
more to promote Amateur Radio in their countries
and by finding ways to more effectively represent
the radio amateurs of countries where the IARU
member-society is not sufficiently active on their behalf.

ANATEL President Ambassador Ronaldo Sardenberg
then spoke as the representative of Brazil's
Minister of Communications. He said that he was
pleased to report that Amateur Radio is growing
in his nation, with 36,000 active
operators. Also, that an Amateur Radio school is
being launched in conjunction with Parana
University as an initiative that it is hoped will
be replicated throughout the country. He was
also pleased that the Brazilian
telecommunications administration supports the
Amateur service in its desire for a low-frequency allocation.

Ambassador Sardenberg also provided some detail
of an investigation of radio interference from
power line communications systems. He said that
initial tests showed a great potential for
interference, but more recent tests show some
improvement and he expressed optimism that a way
will be found to allow BPL to be deployed without endangering radio
services.

The final speaker during the opening Plenary was
International Amateur Radio Union Vice President
Tim Ellam, VE6SH. Ellam said that the IARU has a
number of objectives for the upcoming 2007 World
Radiocommunication Conference. He also noted that
he is chairing a committee that is developing a
proposal for a substantive restructuring of the
IARU so that it will be better able to meet future challenges.

As we go to air, the conference is winding
down. The last orders of business will include
the election of the Region 2 Executive
Committee. Delegates from IARU member-societies
throughout North and South America are attended
the meeting. (RAC, Southgate, ARNewsline(tm))

**

BREAK 1

From the United States of America, We are the
Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin
stations around the world including the Hiway
Amateur Radio Club net serving Durban, South Africa.

(5 sec pause here)


**

REGULATORY: FCC TO LOWER VANITY CALL SIGN FEES SEPTEMBER 17

Here in the United States, the FCC will reduce
the regulatory fee to obtain or renew an Amateur
Radio vanity call sign by more than 40 percent
starting September 17th. In a Report & Order
released August 6th, the Commission says that it
will cut the fee from its current $20.80 to
$11.70. This marks the lowest fee in the history
of the current vanity call sign program.

According to the ARRL Letter, the FCC is
authorized by the Communications Act of 1934 to
collect vanity call sign fees to recover the
costs associated with that program. This fee has
fluctuated over the past 11 years from a low of $12 to a high of $50.

But in the Report and Order on the Assessment and
Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year
2007, the FCC says it anticipates some 14,700
Amateur Radio vanity call sign applications
during the next fiscal year. This means that it
expects to collect $171,990 in fees from the program. (ARRL)

**

ENFORCEMENT: PA FIRM TOLD TO GET TRUCKERS OFF 10 METERS

A Smithfield, Pennsylvania based Smith Trucking,
Inc, has been cited by the FCC. This, for
operating radio equipment on the frequency 28.
535 MHz without a license and causing
interference to licensed stations in the 10 Meter Amateur Band.

According to the FCC, drivers in Smith Trucking
vehicles were seen operating radio gear in April
and May 2007 at everal locations in West
Virginia. The FCC directed Smith Trucking to
advise it drivers that operation of radio
transmitting equipment without a license is a
violation of the Communications and could subject
them to a fine or imprisonment, as well as in
seizure of any non certified radio transmitting equipment. (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT: LETTER ASKS WI. HAM TO RESPOND

A Wisconsin ham who never replied to a letter
from the FCC has been sent another. Mark F.
Hubeny, N9ZHW, of Kaukauna, was sent notification
from the regulatory agency asking why he never
responded to its Warning Notice sent him on June
1st. In that note the FCC had asked Hubeny to
explain his alleged operation of his amateur
station on non-amateur frequencies. The FCC said
it would afford N9ZHW an additional 20 days from
the date of its latest letter to respond. At
airtime, its unknown if he has or has not. (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT: UNCOORDINATED VS. COORDINATED RPT IN ARIZONA

The owner of an uncoordinated Arizona repeater
has been sent a notice by the FCC . One stating
that his system is interfering with a coordinated
machine and that he needs to act to mitigate the problem.

James Ogden, N7KPU, of Prescott Valley has been
told by the FCC that it has supporting
documentation alleging that the repeater bearing
his call sign on 447.350 and 442.350 MHz is
causing harmful interference to a coordinated
system on the same channel pair.

According to the FCC, the complaining party
indicates that Ogden was contacted numerous times
about this problem but he has declined to address
it. Ogden was given a list of questions that he
must respond to. He was also told that any
information he provides will be used to determine
what, if any, action the FCC might take in this matter. (FCC)

**

RESCUE RADIO PRODUCT ALERT: WEATHER RADIO RECALL

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with Oregon Scientific Inc., has
announced a voluntary recall of approximately
66,000 weather radio receivers distributed by
Oregon Scientific. This, after it was been
determined that these radios could fail to
receive National Weather Service alert signals in
certain areas of the country.

Only four models are affected. They were sold at
retail stores nationwide, including some
electronics and sporting goods stores, online
retailers and in catalogs from December 2005
through June 2007 for between $30 and $150. The
CPSC says that in the event of severe weather,
this failure could put a consumer's life and property at risk.

For additional information on which models are
covered in the recall, contact Oregon Scientific
at (800) 203-4921 Monday through Friday between 8
a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Coast Time . Or you can
visit the firm's website at www2.oregonscientific.com.

More the Consumer Product Safety Commission
position on these radios is
on-line http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07292.html (CGC)

**

LEGAL FILE: AMERICAN RED CROS SUED OVER USE OF ITS OWN SYMBOL

More bad publicity for the American Red
Cross. The relief agency that's already under
fire from ham radio over lifestyle checks of its
volunteers is now facing legal action over its
emblem. Burt Hicks, WB6MQV, has the rest of the story:

--

Pharmaceutical Johnson & Johnson, the giant that
uses a red cross as its trademark has sued the
American Red Cross. Its demanding that the
charity halt the use of the red cross symbol on
products it sells to the public. Johnson &
Johnson said it has had exclusive rights to use
the trademark on certain commercial products --
including bandages and first-aid cream -- for
more than 100 years. It began using the red cross
design as a trademark in 1887. That's six years
after the creation of the American Red Cross but
before it received its congressional charter in 1900.

The lawsuit contends that the charter did not
empower the Red Cross to engage in commercial
activities competing with a private
business. It asserts that the Red Cross is
supposed to use the symbol only in connection with nonprofit relief
services.

This is the latest negative publicity for the
American Red Cross and follows a campaign among
ham radio operators to get the relief agency to
stop demanding lifestyle and credit checks of its
volunteers in addition to normal security
screenings. This issue is already causing some
hams who would normally volunteer to provide
communications assistance to the Red Cross to
offer their services to other charities and post
disaster relief groups. At airtime, the
requirement for volunteers to submit to lifestyle checks is still in place.

--
News reports say that the American Red Cross
intends to vigorously defend its right to use the
symbol as it sees fit. (Published news reports)

**

RADIO RULES: FCC SETS OWNERSHIP CAP AT 39 PERCENT

The FCC has officially rewritten its rules to
raise the cap on a TV group owner's household
reach to 39%. That's the total percentage of
U.S. households a single TV station group owner
is allowed to reach, although only half of a UHF
stations audience counts toward that cap.

That move comes a little over three years after
President Bush signed the bill into law that
changed the cap to 39%. The FCC had wanted to
raise it from 35% to 45%, but Congress stepped in
to split the difference. (Broadcasting and Cable)

**

SPECIAL EVENTS: JOTA 2007 - OCTOBER 20 - 21

The 50th anniversary of scoutings Jamboree on the
Air or JOTA is coming up in October. The dates
this year are October 20th and 21st.

JOTA is the largest official scouting event in
the world with an expected 500,000 participants.
It is also open to both Boy and Girl Scouts,
making it one of the few joint events between the
two scout organizations, and one of the few internationally sponsored
events.

Ham Radio has always been an important aspect of
JOTA. To find your nearest local council, go to
www.scouting.org or
www.girlscouts.org/councilfinder to locate your
nearest boy or girl scout council. If they have
no ham radio station planned, you might want to
think about volunteering your time and gear to bring one on the air.

More about the Jamboree on the Air is on-line at
www.scout.org/jota. And listen for a special
JOTA 2007 preview in coming weeks with Mark
Abramovich, NT3V, right he on Amateur Radio Newsline. (RSGB, ARNewsline(tm))

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: TEXAS RADIO CLUB HONORS ONE OF ITS OWN

Some names in the news. First is the Ellis
County Texas Amateur Radio Club has announced a
fund-raiser for a new repeater. One that the
group says will better serve the eastern area of
the county and at the same time honor an important local radio amateur.

The new equipment will be dedicated to Bob Fitch,
K5ASU. Fitch is described as one of the original
Ellis County Amateur Radio Club members and still
an active and enthusiastic participant in the organization.

The Waxahachie Daily Light newspaper says that
Fitch's interest in radio and communications
began at age 14 and led to a life-long passion
which continues to this day. He has been active
in the club since the early 1970s, has helped to
recruit new ham operators and assisted them in
getting licensed by teaching radio theory classes
and acting as a Volunteer Examiner. He also
served with as a local Radio Amateur
Civil Emergency Service officer from 1971 to
1993. In 1993 his late wife Denie was disabled
with a broken hip and other bone problems so
Fitch gave up his club duties to care for
her. After she passed away in 2000, Bob resumed
his post and still an active RACES member
conducting the monthly nets and distributing identification cards to
members.

The Ellis County Amateur Radio Club provides
communication support for bike rallies, and other
numerous contests, and provides ground truth
reports to the National weather Service during
severe weather events. The newspaper also quotes
Robert Crosby, KD5YHY who says that this event is
a golden opportunity for all of in the club to
honor a guy who has been a guiding light to us in
the Ellis County Amateur Radio Club. (Waxahachie Daily Light)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS: KB2GSB MAY GO TO RLTV

Retirement Living TV is trying to lure America's
most trusted man, Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, back
to television. This, as RLTV prepares to become
a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week network, and the
89-year-old news icon might be perfect for the
fast-growing 55+ demographic that Retirement Living TV serves.

Retirement Living TV President Brad Knight has
confirmed that his Columbia, Maryland based
network is in talks with Cronkite. One scenario
would have the former CBS news anchor presenting
a weekly commentary about anything he wants to share.

And if KB2GSD came to RLTV it would make it a
kind of a family affair. This is because his son
Chip Cronkite is a segment producer on the
networks The Art of Living program. But its also
possible that Chip would produce whatever
projects his father were to do with Retirement Living T-V. (NewsGate)

**

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 RADIO IN SPACE: THE SAGA OF AO-7 CONTINUES

Like a Timex watch, its still ticking. Of coarse
we are referring to the AO-7 ham radio satellite
which was one of the earliest birds that radio
amateurs had to work with. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Fred Vobbe, W9HDU, takes a look at
this aging but still operational ham radio miracle on orbit:

--

The Amsat OSCAR 7 ham satellite was launched on
November 15, 1974 on a Delta rocket from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California. It
initially stopped transmitting in 1981 after a
battery failure. But it sprang back to life on
June 21st 2002. Since its miraculous emergence
from the long term battery problem, AO-7 has been an available to use.

SSB in Mode A is the normal with several QSO's
able to take place at a time. Mode A uses an
uplink from 145.850 to 145.950 MHz and a 10 meter
downlink of 29.400 to 29.500 MHz . This
transponder is linear, non-inverting.
:
Numerous reports of its switching between mode A
and B have been verified. Mode B uses an uplink
og 432.125 to 432.175 MHz and downlinks on
145.975 -through 145.925 MHz. But there is aa
bit of a problem in using Mode B. Due to changes
in Amateur Service and Amateur Satellite Service
there are questions as to legality of Amateurs
transmitting to AO-7. The uplink frequency
predates the WARC '79 allocation of 435 to 438
MHz by the International Telecommunications Union
for the Amateur Satellite Service. This puts the
uplink in 70cm weak signal segment. Potential
users should realize that when they are uplinking
Mode B to a satellite, they are no longer
operating in the Amateur Service but instead
operating in the Amateur Satellite Service. Thus
they are subject to Amateur Satellite Service
rules. Therefore uplinking to AO-7 is possibly
illegal since the Amateur Satellite Service is not permitted at 432.1 MHz.

But in Mode A, the AO-7 the satellite has a much
larger footprint than AO-51 and is in view much
longer. It also requires some of the simplest
gear of any ham radio bird currently in
flight. Equipment that you will find in almost every hamshack, world-eide.

For the amateur radio Newsline. I'm Fred Vovve, W8HDU.

--

So dust off those mode A high frequency receivers
and 2 meter SB transmitters or transverters and
try to make a contact on the AO-7 bird. It may
take a little more effort to use, but it's fun and rewarding.
(LA2QAA)

**

RADIO IN SPACE: VOYAGERS AT AGE 30

The two NASA's Voyager spacecraft are celebrating
three decades of flight as they head toward
interstellar space. This as they continue to
probe the unknown and radio their information
back to researchers here on Earth.

Voyager 2 was launched on Aug. 20, 1977, and
Voyager 1 went skyward on Sept. 5, 1977. During
their first dozen years of flight, the twin
Voyagers made detailed explorations of Jupiter,
Saturn, and their moons, and conducted the first
explorations of Uranus and Neptune. For the past
18 years, the two spacecraft have been probing
the sun's outer heliosphere and its boundary with interstellar space.

According to NASA, both Voyagers remain healthy
and continue to radio back information from
distances more than three times farther away than Pluto. (NASA - JPL)

**

RADIO IN SPACE: HUBBLE DISCOVERS FAINT STARS

An international team of astronomers has
uncovered the faintest stars ever seen in any
globular star cluster. Using NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope, the team took hundreds of
high-resolution photos that were then radioed
back to Earth. The astronomers then compared the
images pixel-by-pixel to identify the dimmest
stars in the globular star cluster NGC 6397. The
researchers say that the light from these faint
stars is so dim that it is equivalent to that
produced by a birthday candle on the Moon, as seen from Earth. (Space)

**

DX

In D-X, word that DL2MDU, will be active as
portable 5Z4 from Kenya through September
24th. He plans to operate holiday style meaning
he comes on the air whenever he has the
time. Operation will be mainly CW. QSL via the bureau to his home call.

And DL7VOG, will be active as stroke J3 from
Carriacou Island in the Grenadines. This until
mid-month. His plans called for operation on 160
through 6 meters using CW and RTTY, with SSB on
request. QSL to his home call or via the bureau.

M0TQJ, will be on East Falkland Insel using the
call VP8CXV through Januar 15th, 2008. He prefers
SSB but will do also some RTTY and PSK31. QSLs
will be answered after his return home.

Lastly, listen out for ON4LO to be active
portable 9A from Mali Losinj Through the 28th of
September. He's expected to be on the HF bands as
well as on 6 meters. QSL as directed on the air.

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: HAM RADIO REMEMBER 911

As America and the world paused to remember the
September 11th 2001 a-Quida terror attacks on the
World trade Center and the Pentagon, several ham
radio stations took to the air in honor of all
who lost their lives on that day. They also
remembered the role played by radio amateurs
immediately after the attacks and in the weeks
that followed. This report by Feinberg, K2SSQ,
is from the Amateur Radio Newsline archives. It
was filed only hours after the terrorists
struck. In it Henry outlined ham radios first response:

--

Archive audio (fade up): "-This is what we know
so far. Here in the metropolitan New York area
some ARES and RACES organizations opened
emergency nets in response to the
disaster. According to ARRL Section Emergency
Coordinator Tom Caruba, KA2D, a net was set up on
the WB2ZSE repeater with Guy Richmond, KC2AYG as
NCS. The net handled emergency traffic and
provided hams to shadow some New York City officials. Meanwhile-(fade
out)"

--

For three days ham radio was essentially the only
way to get information into and out of lower
Manhattan after the twin towers of the World
Trade Center fell. The disaster had taken out
the heart of the city's emergency communications
system as well as the areas cellular telephone
switching center. But radio amateurs came to the
rescue and remained on the air until normal lines
of communications could be restored. Being
decentralized, there was no way that a terror
organization like al-Quida could destroy ham
radio communications in the way they did that of the city.

But that was just the beginning. In the weeks
that followed, ham radio operators from all
across the nation took time off from work,
gathered up their gear and signed up to volunteer
in New York or at the Pentagon. They brought
with them their own supplies and paid their own
way. It was ham radio volunteerism at its very
best. As a result, Amateur Radio was quickly
recognized as being essential to homeland
security because it had proven to be the singular
radio service able to provide emergency
communications that is was close to being 100
percent reliable in time of disaster as there ever can be.

Then came word of the toll on ham radio. Of
those lost when the twin towers fell. Again we
go to our archives and Henry Feinberg, K2SSQ:

--

Archive audio: " At least four Amateur Radio
operators are among the many still missing the
aftermath of the attack. They include Steve
Jacobson, N2SJ, age 53, of New York
City. Jacobson worked as a transmitter engineer
for WPIX channel 11. Also, on transmitter duty
at the time of the attack was Bill Steckman,
WA2ACW. of West Hempstead out on Long Island. He
is employed by WNBC channel 4 and is well know in
the area for a number of repeaters he operated
from the World Trade Center. Most notable among them a 434 Mhz ATV system.

Another missing ham is Robert D. Cirri Sr.,
KA2OTD, of Nutley, New Jersey. Cirri is a Port
Authority police officer and the ARRL District
Emergency Coordinator for Hudson County. He was
last seen helping to evacuate workers from one of
the buildings when it collapsed.

Also, Michael G. Jacobs, AA1GO of Danbury,
Connecticut who works at Fiduciary Trust Company
International, which had offices in the World
Trade Center. He too has not been seen since the twin towers collapsed.

Meanwhile, hams worldwide are praying for a
miracle. A miracle that maybe they and others
who were in the twin towers when they collapsed
have escaped but have not yet reported in. Or
that they are under the rubble -- still alive --
and that rescue workers will reach them in time."

--

As we came to learn in the weeks that followed,
these were not the only members of the ham radio
community to die on September 11th. Also lost
in New York were Rod Coppola, KA2KET, and Winston
Grant, KA2DRF. Bill Ruth, W3HRD, died in the Pentagon attack.

On September 11th of 2007, as commemorative ham
radio stations took to the airwaves in
remembrance of all whose lives were lost on that
same day in 2001, they were also a testament of
sorts. An affirmation that radio amateurs are
among the worlds best trained volunteer
communications personnel. Communicators who also
possess a level of technical knowledge that
prepares them to put their stations on the air no
matter what the situation and to do so at a
moments notice. Hams are people who truly care. (ARNewsline(tm))

**

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 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 Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, saying 73
and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.