Text 5706, 645 rader
Skriven 2013-03-01 10:20:03 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
Kommentar till en text av Y'all
Ärende: Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1855 - March 1 2013
==========================================================
Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1855 - March 1 2013
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1855 with a release date of March 1
2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. A smart-phone powered satellite is now on-orbit,
the FCC proposes a new set of broadband that will impact ham radio;
amateur radio created varicode is now an ITU recommendation; Canada
launches Mototrbo-based ham radio interconnect and a new 6 meter
propagation beacon takes to the air from near the South Pole. Find out
the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1855 coming your
way right now.
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: STRAND ONE CELLPHONE BASED HAMSAT NOW ON-ORBIT
A new ham radio satellite based on a smart phone is now on-orbit as we
hear in this report:
--
The United Kingdom first CubeSat named STRaND-1 was launched on Monday,
February 25 on the PSLV-C20 booster. This from the Indian Space Research
Organization Space Launch Center. Successful deployment from the STRaND-1
into a 785 km orbit took place about 20 minutes later.
Signals from STRaND-1 were received by Nader Omer, ST2NH, in the Sudan at
15:55 UTC and by the Surrey Space Centre later in the day. Soon afterward
on Hector Martinez, CO6CBF, in Cuba used an AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle to
receive the satellite.
STRaND stands for Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite
Demonstration. STRaND 1 and was built in only three months using a Google
Nexus One smartphone with an Android operating system. This to
demonstrate the feasibility of using such an inexpensive device to control
a spacecraft.
STRaND-1 carries an amateur radio AX.25 packet radio downlink on 437.568
MHz. It also uses a 9k6 bps Frequency Shift Keying in an High Level Data
Control frame and Non-Return-to-Zero Inverted encoding.
The overall STRaND program is intended to be a long-term arrangement
between the space company SSTL and academic researchers at the Surrey
Space Centre. STRaND-1 is the first of a long line of STRaND smartphone
based nano-satellites.
According to the latest reports hams around the world have responded to
the request for telemetry data from the STRaND-1 satellite controllers.
Information on how to receive the satellites telemetry data is available
at tinyurl.com/hearing-strand-one.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the
Newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
The STRaND-1 team has asked if radio amateurs can assist in collecting
telemetry from around the world to help them determine the health and
attitude of the spacecraft. Again, the downlink uses amateur radio AX.25
packet radio on 437.568 MHz using 9600 bps FSK modulated data with an HDLC
frame and NRZI encoding. Reports go by e-mail to Dr. Chris Bridges at C
(dot) P (dot) Bridges (at) surrey (dot) ac (dot) uk. (AMSAT-UK, STRaND)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC PROPOSES MORE SPECTRUM AT 5 GHZ FOR UNLICENSED BROADBAND
The FCC has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking or NPRM in ET Docket
No. 13-49, seeking to revise the Part 15 rules governing unlicensed
national information infrastructure devices in the 5 GHz band. These
devices presently operate in the frequency bands 5.15-5.35 GHz and 5.47 to
5.825 GHz. They use wideband digital modulation techniques to provide a
wide array of high data rate mobile and fixed communications for
individuals, businesses and institutions. Slightly different rules apply
to 5.825 through 5.85 GHz.
Among the changes being proposed in the February 20th document are the
creation of two additional bands totaling 195 MHz for unlicensed
operation. These are 5.35 to 5.47 GHz and 5.85 to 5.925 GHz. It should
be noted that the Amateur Radio Service has a secondary allocation at 5.65
to 5.925 GHz. This includes an Amateur Satellite Service uplink from 5.65
to 5.67 GHz and a downlink from 5.83 to 5.85 GHz.
The FCC will be accepting comments on its NPRM due no later than 45 days
after publication in the Federal Register, as well as reply comments due
30 days later. No date has yet been set for the Federal Register release.
The NPRM can be found on the web at tinyurl.com/fcc-broadband-five.
(ARRL, VHF Reflector, W0WOI)
**
WORLDBEAT: AMATEUR-CREATED 'VARICODE' ADOPTED AS ITU RECOMMENDATION
The ARRL report that Varicode, developed by Peter Martinez, G3PLX, has
been adopted as an International Telecommunications Union Recommendation.
On Tuesday, February 19th, Francois Rancy who is the Director of the
Radiocommunication Bureau of the I-T-U announced the simultaneous adoption
and approval of the Recommendation entitled Telegraphic Alphabet for Data
Communication by Phase Shift Keying at 31 Baud in the Amateur and
Amateur-Satellite Services.
This digital mode alphabet is commonly called "Varicode" because the more
frequently used characters in the English language occupy fewer bits. It
was developed by G3PLX in the 1990's. For his effort Martinez was awarded
the ARRL Technical Innovation Award for the year 2000 for his development
of PSK31, which uses Varicode for transmission efficiency.
Varicode now becomes Recommendation ITU-R M.2034. More on it is on the
web at www.arrl.org/psk31-spec (ARRL)
**
WORLDBEAT: CANADA LAUNCHES MOTOTRBO DIGITAL AUDIO C BRIDGE INTERCONNECT
Hams in Canada have taken their first step toward the creation of a
national amateur radio Division Multiple Access or DMR network. This with
the launch of the first inter-provincial DMR networking server on
Saturday, February 23rd. Amateur Radio Newslines Stephan Kinford, N8WB,
has the details:
--
The server, more commonly known as a "c-Bridge" was manufactured by
Rayfield Communications and will serve as a network hub for Canadian
amateur radio DMR repeaters. It will not only allow them to reliably link
to one another but also to the growing DMR-MARC global network using
Internet connectivity.
The DMR-MARC global network is an all-digital group of Mototrbo DMR
repeaters in the USA, Germany, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand,
Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Finland, Sweden and of coarse Canada. The
backbone networking is being created by amateur radio operators many of
whom are Motorola Solutions employees, Motorola Service Station employees,
dealers, system installers, and just plain Motorola equipment aficionados.
Repeaters on this network are connected around the clock.
And for those listeners who are unfamiliar with Mototrbo system, this is a
Motorola digital radio product marketed primarily to business and
industrial users, but which has found its way into some public safety uses
and now to ham radio. The format is based on and compatible with the
European 2-slot DMR standard and uses Time Division Multiple Access to
accommodate two simultaneous users. Therefore a single 12.5 kHz channel
is able to carry two simultaneous and independent conversations or
simultaneous and independent voice and data paths each with 6.25 kHz
equivalency. More about the world-wide DMR-MARC global ham radio network
is on-line at www.dmr-marc.net.
The Canadian c-Bridge is located in Montreal and is currently supporting
several DMR repeaters in Ontario and Quebec, including the VA3XPR digital
DMR repeater located in downtown Toronto. For more information on the new
Canadian digital interconnect and how your organization can connect their
DMR system to it, please visit tinyurl.com/canada-c-bridge.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan, Kinford, N8WB, in Wadsworth,
Ohio.
--
And before you ask, Mototrbo and D-Star radios cannot talk directly to one
another. This is because each uses a different and incompatible digital
voice encode and decode technology. (VA3FXT via QRZ.com, DMR-MARC)
**
WORLDBEAT: THE VK0RTM 6M BEACON ON AIR FROM NEAR THE SOUTH POLE
A new 6 meter propagation should now be on the air from near to the South
Pole. Craig Hayhow who is signing VK0JJJ from Mawson Base in Antarctica
is reported to have brought with him a beacon transmitter with the call
VK0RTM that is now operational on 50.300 MHz.
The VK0RTM transmitter runs 50 watts. It was donated for this very
special operation by David Craig, N3DB, who is the Secretary and Treasurer
of The 6 Meter Beacon Project.
But the beacon will not be the only 6 meter signal coming to the air.
While at Mawson Station for about 12 months, Hayhow plans to be active on
all bands from 80 through 6 with priority given to 6 meter operation.
VK0JJJ is a senior telecommunications engineer from West Australia. He is
a member of the Antarctica Australian National Antarctic Research
Expedition due to return home in January 2014. (VK3PC, QRZ.com)
**
ENFORCEMENT: UNLICENSED BROADCASTER SUED BY GOVERNMENT TO COLLECT $20000
FINE
A Florida resident whose unlicensed radio station interfered with air
traffic control at Palm Beach International Airport is being sued for
collection of a $20,000 fine by the federal government. This as Federal
prosecutors file documents in federal court instructing Robins Cheriza, to
respond to action demanding that he pay the fine issued against him last
year by the FCC. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, reports:
--
According to the February 9th court filing Robins Cheriza has ignored the
Federal Communications Commission's order to pay the fine since last
April. This after the regulatory agency found that he had willfully and
repeatedly transmitted a radio signal without a license in the spring of
2011.
According to FCC records, the sounds of a party being broadcast from
Cheriza's home interrupted air traffic control at Palm Beach International
Airport on April 1, 2011. That incident prompted the Federal Aviation
Administration to file a complaint with the FCC. Agents with the FCC's
Miami Enforcement Bureau used direction finding to locate an antenna
mounted to the West Palm Beach home of Cheriza.
The agents performed a station inspection and found a complete broadcast
facility on an enclosed patio connected to the antenna. At that point
Cheriza told agents he owned the studio and its equipment. He also
admitted to having operated the station on 107.3 MHz for about a month
even though he was aware that operating an unlicensed FM station was
illegal.
That lead to his being issued a $20,000 Notice of Apparent Liability which
was affirmed on April 3rd of 2012. At that time he was given 30 days to
pay or to appeal. But the FCC says that Cheriza ignored the notice,
leading to the Federal suit for collection.
The litigation which was filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the
Southern District of Florida directs that Cheriza pay the $20,000 fine
plus court costs and interest and that he does so within 21 days.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale,
Arizona.
--
Whether or not Cheriza has paid the $20,000 fine is unknown as we go to
air. (FCC, published news reports)
**
RESCUE RADIO: AMERICAN RED CROSS TO PHASE-OUT ECRV OPERATIONS
The ARRL reports the American Red Cross will be phasing out out its
Emergency Communication Response Vehicles also known as ECRV's. According
to American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology Manager Keith
Robertory, KG4UIR, every communication capability of the Emergency
Communication Response Vehicles already exists, or will soon exist as a
rapidly deployable kit. These says Robertory can be loaded on any vehicle
that is owned or rented by the American Red Cross, providing more
flexibility in shaping its response to match the disaster.
Robertory told the ARRL that retrofitting the decade old vehicles with new
equipment is not a good use of donated funds, as the long-term strategy is
to move to more portable systems. This says KG4UIR is consistent with the
trends in the telecommunications and technology industries.
As to the ham radio gear currently installed in these vehicles, it is not
going away. Rather it will be removed and will either become part of the
deployable inventory or provided to the local American Red Cross chapter
to build local capacity. A more in-depth look at this decision by the Red
Cross and its impact on ham radio can be found on line at
tinyurl.com/b84tn88 (ARRL)
**
RESCUE RADIO: HAMS HELP TRAIN EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN CONNECTICUT
The Ridgefield Press in Connecticut says that amateur radio operators from
the city's volunteer disaster communications team have been assisting in
the development of a communications training video. This for use by fire,
police and emergency medical first responders.
The new training video will focus on the importance of including ham radio
in emergency planning and operations. It will also demonstrate the
capabilities of amateur radio equipment and disaster-trained ham radio
operators.
Ridgefield's Emergency Operations Center and many other centers and
hospitals throughout the region are equipped with amateur radio equipment
that provides backup communications when normal channels are out of
service. The complete story on this new video can be found at
tinyurl.com/rescue-radio-video (RP.com)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: HAM RADIO CLUB TO CELEBRATE LEGION BIRTHDAY
The American Legion Amateur Radio Club will operate special event station
N9L on March 15, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and March 16 between 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This to commemorate the 94th birthday
of The American Legion
The primary frequency to look for N9L will be 14.270 MHz on 20 meters and
locally on 146.46 in Central Indiana. The station will also be available
via IRLP Node 4816.
A full-color certificate will be sent upon receipt of a 9-by-12-inch
self-addressed stamped envelope to the American Legion National
Headquarters, Attn: TALARC, 700 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis,
Indiana 46204. More is on-line at www.legion.org/hamradio. (TALARC)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: HAM RADIO COMMEMORATES THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH
The Mesilla Valley Radio Club of Las Cruces, New Mexico will be operating
Special Events Station K5B on March 17th. This in conjunction with the
24th annual Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon event to be held at the
White Sands Missile Range.
K5B will operate from 1000 UTC to 2300 UTC on or near 21.337, 14.330,
7.225, and 3.893 megahertz. A commemorative QSL card will be available by
request. If you make contact send your QSL with a self addressed stamped
business sized envelope to Special Events Station K5B in care of the
Mesilla Valley Radio Club, P. O. Box 1443, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88004.
All QSL requests must be received by Friday, April 26th. More information
about this special operation is on line at www.n5bl.org/bataan. (Mesilla
Valley Radio Club)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: ST PATRICK'S DAY SPECIAL EVENT
Irelands West Tyrone Amateur Radio Club will be taking part in the St.
Patrick's Day celebration on Monday March 18th in the city of Omagh by
operating special event station GB1SPD. This from the Strule Arts Centre
in the Heart of Omagh Town during the Omagh District Council St. Patrick's
Day Parade and Festival. You can listen out for GB1SPD world-wide on the
High Frequency bands as well as Echolink. Commemorative QSL cards will be
available to those who wish to have a conformation of the QSO. More
details available at www.wtarc.org
(WTARC, Southgate)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: WIND UP RADIO DEVELOPER SEEKING UK GOVERNMENT
PROTECTION FOR ALL INVENTORS
Some names in the news. The developer of the famed Free-Play wind-up
radio is calling on the British government to step-in to protect the
interests of inventors. The Daily Telegraph reports that inventor Trevor
Baylis says he faces having to sell his house after failing to make money
from his wind-up radio that many say helped to revolutionize public
emergency notifications and there-by save lives in emerging nations. The
full story on how Baylis' situation came about and the intellectual rights
protection he is seeking for all inventors is on-line at
tinyurl.com/baylis-radio (UK Telegraph)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: YOUNG BOY SCOUT RECEIVES AMATEUR RADIO PATCH
The Jamestown New York Post-Journal reports that Robert Miles, KD2BWZ, is
one of the youngest scouts to receive the Boy Scouts of America's Amateur
Radio Operating Patch.
Robert and his father Aaron Miles KD2BWY both received these patches at an
event attended by Wayne Schuver Jr. who is the senior district executive
of the Boy Scouts of America's Alleghany Highlands District. John Mueller
K2BT, who is the Western New York section manager for the American Radio
Relay League.
As previously reported the Amateur Radio Operating Patch is a recent
addition for the Boy Scouts and recognizes the scout's availability as an
amateur radio operator for communications services for events and
activities as well as in emergencies. All registered youth and adult
members who also hold a valid FCC issued amateur radio license of any
class are eligible to earn and wear the patch. The full Post-Journal story
along with a photo of the presentation is at tinyurl.com/scouting-patch
(Post-Journal)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: W2TRR LEAVING WOR FOR CONSULTANT BUSINESS
Noted Broadcast Engineer Tom Ray, W2TRR, is leaving WOR - AM, in New York
City after more than 15 years with the station. Ray had been Chief
Engineer of WOR and Director of Engineering of Buckley Broadcasting until
the station was sold to Clear Channel late last year. His current title
is AM Chief Engineer.
During Ray's tenure at WOR, he had taken the station from an older analog
facility into the digital world, culminating in the move of the WOR studio
to a new locality in Manhattan. He next built WOR a new transmitter
facility in the New Jersey Meadowlands, retiring the former Lyndhurst, New
Jersey facility that had served WOR for 40 years. Ray will now head up
his own broadcast consultancy firm. (RW, QRZ.com)
**
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: PAT HAWKER MBE G3VA SILENT KEY
Pat Hawker, MBE, G3VA, who for 50 years wrote the Technical Topics column
in the RSGB publication RadCom, passed away on February 21st at age 90.
Hawker was first awarded a UK an 'artificial aerial' license and call sign
2BUH in 1936. He received his transmitting license and the call G3VA in
1938.
During his lifetime Pat Hawker was involved in many aspects of radio. Tis
ranged from World War 2 with the United Kingdom's military intelligence
organizations through to his time working for the RSGB, then as the editor
of Electronics Weekly and the Royal Television Society Journal.
The extraordinary career of Pat Hawker, G3VA, is described in a book by
Steve White, G3ZVW, titled A Bit of Controversy, Pat Hawker - A Radio
Life. And for those not aware, the title MBE stands for Member of the
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. (GB2RS)
**
WORLDBEAT: CANADA'S BRIT FADER SCHOLARSHIP
Canadian hams in need of educational financial assistance listen up. The
Brit Fader Scholarship established in 1993 by the Halifax Amateur Radio
Club is now accepting applications for the 2013 to 2014 educational year.
This Scholarship will be provided for attendance at an accredited Canadian
post-secondary technical school, college or university, with preference
given to applicants who have been accepted into a program in the field of
electronics, electrical engineering, or a related area.
An applicant for this scholarship must be a Canadian citizen and hold an
active Basic Class or higher grade of Canadian Amateur Radio license.
A zipped application package is available for down-loading from the
Halifax Amateur Radio website at www.Halifax-arc.org. Follow the link to
the Brit Fader Scholarship from the home page under Education.
Application submissions must be postmarked no later than July 12th. The
amount of the 2013 award will be $1000. (HARC)
**
WORLDBEAT: INTERNATIONAL RADIO FESTIVAL SEPT 4 - 8 IN ZURICH
The 2013 International Radio Festival will be held September 4th to the
8th at the famed Schloss Sihlberg Castle in Zurich, Switzerland.
Participating broadcasters so far include the BBC, Switzerland's DRS3,
Portugal's Antena 3, Raadio 2 of Estonia and the Czech Republic's Radio
Wave. Planners say that this years event will feature industry speakers
flying in from all parts of the world. You can follow developments by
joining their page at facebook.com/internationalradiofestival. (RW,
others)
**
WORLDBEAT: INTERNATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE AND LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND GROWS
An update on pre-registration for the 2013 International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend operating event. So far there have been some 150
registrations from 25 countries. Germany has the most with 35 closely
followed by Australia accounting for 34.
This years International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is on August the
17th and 18th. More information on this fun event along with registration
details is on line at www.illw.net. (VK3PC)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT AND VIRGINIA TECH SIGN COLLABORATION AGREEMENT
AMSAT and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute have signed a Collaboration
Agreement that establishes a relationship for future projects. This in
the development of space hardware, software, algorithms, documentation of
same and an agreement to protect each other by protecting International
Traffic in Arms Regulations or ITAR-covered materials and identifying same
for the other. The agreement was signed on February 4th by AMSAT
President Barry Baines, WD4ASW and Virginia Tech Assistant Vice President
for Sponsored Programs Administration John Rudd. (ANS)
**
SCIENCE AND SPACE: METEOR THAT HIT RUSSIA TRAJECTORY IDENTIFIED
Scientists from Colombia believe they have pinpointed the origin of the
giant meteor that smashed into a remote region of Russia last month.
Using some of the dozens, if not hundreds, of videos that captured the
once-in-a-century event, the scientists have calculated the Chelyabinsk
meteor's trajectory, tracing it back to a group of Earth-crossing objects
known as Apollo asteroids. Researchers Jorge Zuluaga and Ignacio Ferrin,
from the University of Antioquia then used trigonometry to calculate the
height, speed and position of the rock as it fell to Earth.
To reconstruct the meteor's original orbit around the sun, they used six
different properties of its trajectory through Earth's atmosphere. They
then plugged all of that data into specialized astronomy software
developed by the U.S. Naval Observatory. The computers then confirmed
that it was from the Apollo group.
Unlike the more stable objects in the Asteroid Belt which lies between
Mars and Jupiter, Apollo asteroids tend to sideswipe Earth's orbit, posing
a risk of collision like the one I Russia. According to the International
Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, more than 4,800 Apollo asteroid
close approaches that have been identified to date. (Science Now)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: NEW LANDSAT SATELLITE NOW ON-ORBIT
A new satellite to keep an eye on our planets changing landscape was
launched into orbit on Monday, February 11th. This eighth and most
sophisticated Landsat spacecraft blasted off at 1802 GMT aboard an
unmanned Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The
Landsat Data Continuity Mission will join the sole operational fourteen
year old Landsat 7 spacecraft in providing visible and infrared images
from an orbital perch 438 miles above Earth.
The new satellite circle the planet every 99 minutes, relaying pictures by
radio that show details down to about the size of a baseball diamond. The
images, which are distributed at no charge, are used by federal, state and
local governments and planning boards worldwide to monitor crops, assess
damage from fires, floods and other natural disasters. They also track
changing coastlines, glaciers and other areas impacted by global warming.
(Science OnLine)
**
ON THE AIR: SPECIAL EVENT N4WIS DURING WISCONSIN QSO PARTY
On the air, word that K9UTQ will activate the USS Wisconsin Battleship
station N4WIS. This during the Wisconsin QSO Party on March 9th. QSL's go
via N4WIS. For more details and updated information, please visit
www.n4wis.org on the World Wide Web. (OPDX)
**
DX
In DX, W0FK will be active from Longboat Key between March 2nd and the
16th. No word on times or frequencies. If you work him QSL via his home
callsign, direct or by the Bureau.
EI7CC will be operational from Lesotho as 7P8PB from March 6th to the
26th. Activity will be limited because he will be on a family holiday and
will operate when circumstances permit. QSL via EI7CC either direct or
via the bureau. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World immediately
upon his return to Ireland.
N6MW and N6TQ, who were expected to be on the air stroke KH8 from March
19th to the 28th from American Samoa have postponed this operation
indefinitely. No reason for the cancellation was given.
KV1J will once again be operating stroke FP from Miquelon Island between
July 6th to the 16th. His activity will be on 160 through 6 meters using
CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31 generally be on the highest frequency band that is
open. Also, look for him on the satellites, weather permitting. QSL via
KV1J, direct, via the bureau or electronically using Logbook of the World.
JL1UTS and L3PFH will be active as KH0TH and KH0TG, respectively, from the
Saipan between May 2nd to the 5th. Their operation will encompass all of
the High Frequency bands and modes. QSL via their home callsigns, either
direct or the JARL Bureau.
AE1C will be active stroke VE9 from Grand Manan Island between August 18th
to the 25th. Activity will be holiday style on the HF bands using 200
watts and a vertical antenna. QSL via his home callsign using Logbook of
the World, eQSL or direct.
Lastly, word that the Sri Lanka 4S7DXG and Maldives 8Q7VR operations in
2008 and 2011 have been approved for DXCC credit. If you had request
rejected for contacts with these dates only, send an e-mail to
dxccrules@arrl.org to be put on the list for an update. Contacts before
or after these periods cannot be accepted.
(Above from various DX News Sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: RESCUE RADIO: FOLLOW-UP - NPR LABS EMERGENCY ALERT FOR
THE DEAF EXPERIMENT TO GO FORWARD
A follow up to our recent report on an Emergency Alerting system being
proposed for the deaf and hart of hearing using radio. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW. is here with the details:
--
NPR Labs has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to demonstrate the
delivery of emergency alerts to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in
the Gulf Coast states. This through local public radio stations and the
Public Radio Satellite System.
This pilot system is intended to demonstrate that all individuals,
including those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, can rely on
battery-powered radios to stay informed in emergencies when electricity,
Internet and other communications channels are unavailable.
NPR Labs is the technology research and development group of National
Public Radio. It will work with DHS and FEMA to identify 25 public radio
outlets in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to
participate in the pilot. The distribution network of the Public Radio
Satellite System will be used to test the effectiveness of the message
delivery system. The Gulf region was chosen because it is frequently
subjected to extreme and sudden weather conditions. Once proven, the
system could be rolled out nationwide on the public radio stations served
by the Public Radio Satellite System, which reach 95% of the United States
population.
In the demonstration project, FEMA will transmit emergency alert messages
using the Common Alerting Protocol. The Public Radio Satellite System
network operations center will re-transmit the warning via the Radio
Broadcast Data System on the participating 25 public radio stations on a
dedicated digital alerting channel. The stations will broadcast the
emergency alert to receivers capable of displaying text messages. Deaf or
hard-of-hearing project volunteers will be alerted to the message by a
flashing indicator on their radios or a bed-shaker triggered by their
radios, to ensure the message is received day and night.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW in Los Angeles.
--
NPR Labs plans to identify 500 individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
in the listening areas of the 25 participating stations. The volunteers
will be surveyed periodically to determine the efficacy of the warnings.
This is the first effort to deliver real-time accessibility-targeted
emergency messages, such as weather alerts, via radio broadcast texts.
(RadioOnLine, RW)
**
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, TWiT-TV and Australia's WIA News, that's all
from the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is newsline (at)
arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio
Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can
also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin
Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm Don
Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Southern Mississippi, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
-----------------------------------
R\%/itt, K5RXT
--- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012
* Origin: Texas Lone-Star - Texan, American, USAian (1:387/22)
|