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Ärende: Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1883 - September 13 2013
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Does anyone read this report?
Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1883 - September 13 2013
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1883 with a release date of September
13 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. New Zealand and Japan sign a new reciprocal
operating agreement; unlicensed operations on 2 meters in Europe becomes a
growing problem due to cheap hand held radios; a wildfire in Northern
California destroys several repeaters; a move to restructure the FCC
passes the House pf Representatives and a pair of solar powered pico
balloons set a new European flight endurance record. Find out the details
are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1883 coming your way right
now.
**
WORLDBEAT: RECIPROCAL LICENSING AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND
JAPAN
New Zealand and Japan have signed an agreement formalizing reciprocal
licensing between the two countries. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim
Meachen, ZL2BHF, reports:
--
Under the agreement the New Zealand General Amateur Operators Certificate
will be recognized as equivalent to the Japanese First Class Radio
Operator's qualification and a New Zealand Amateur will be will be
permitted to establish and operate a station as an amateur radio operator
in Japan.
Similarly the Japanese First and Second Class Radio Operator's
qualification will be recognized as holding the equivalent to the New
Zealand General Amateur Operators Certificate. This means that the holder
of a Japanese First or Second Class Radio Operator's qualification
visiting New Zealand may operate for up to 90 days using their Japanese
assigned call sign, with the addition of the ZL prefix.
Not included in the agreement are Japan's Third and Fourth Class amateur
license holders because there appear to be no New Zealand licenses with
equivalent levels of qualification.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, on the South
Island in Nelson, New Zealand.
--
No date was announced for when this new reciprocal licensing agreement
will take effect. (NZART)
**
ENFORCEMENT: UNLICENSED OPERATIONS DISCOVERED ON 2 METERS IN EUROPE
The August issue of the International Amateur Radio Union Monitoring
System newsletter reports the amateur 2 meter band in Europe is being used
illegally by unlicensed stations using what are described as cheap hand
held transceivers.
The monitoring service says it has already received reports from several
countries about unlicensed operators using VHF FM handhelds in the 144 MHz
band. These include such wide ranging activities as taxi-nets in the
Canary Islands, fishery operations in the Bay of Biscay and a number of
undefined private users in Germany.
The IARU Monitoring System asks that all radio amateurs to be aware of
this situation. Additionally they should inform their relevant national
authorities when this type of activity is encountered. Also to please
log their reports of any amateur band intruders online at
tinyurl.com/2-meter-intruder-watch. (IARU-R1)
**
RADIO HAZARD: CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE TAKES NUMEROUS REPEATERS OFF THE AIR
AND DESTROYS SEVERAL
A wildfire in Contra Costa County, California that started on September
8th forced the evacuation of at least 100 homes. It also took a cluster
of repeaters primarily serving the San Francisco Bay area off the air.
Four of the repeaters are owned by the Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club.
They were the lucky ones because all they lost was power to their systems.
Jim Siemons, AF6PU, is a spokesman for the club:
--
AF6PU: "MDARC has three ATV repeaters on 440, 900 MHz ans 1.2 GHz and an
APRS Digipeater ob 144.390 MHz. There are other buildings up on the hill
which are being fed by generators and the owner of the site is going to
string additional power lines to feed our vault and we might be back on
the air by this weekend. (ed Note: That would be Sept. 15th.)
--
According to Siemons, the clubs W6CX APRS digipeater was only recently
moved to the north peak of Mount Diablo after vandals toppled the
communications tower which was the systems home on another peak known as
Rocky Ridge.
Not so lucky on Mt. Diablo were several other repeaters housed in another
container. This included the K6MDD D-Star repeaters, the W6UUU MotoTRBO
repeater, and one of the sites of the Cactus Intertie. The latter is a
privately owned amateur radio system made up of a large number of remotely
controlled FM base stations that are interconnected utilizing full duplex
links. This includes the system on Mt. Diablo. According to AF6PU,
salvaging anything from that site is unlikely:
--
AF6PU: "They were actually closest to where the fire went into the vault
and firefighters were able to put the fire out but they had to break into
the vault and spray water all over the equipment so it appears to be a
total loss."
--
Siemons said that it was only thanks to the firefighters who risked their
lives in fighting the Mt. Diablo fire that most of the radio sites were
saved:
--
AF6PU: "The efforts of the firefighters up there were incredible. I was
watching them drive around through my binoculars and was monitoring their
tactical channels and I can tell you that they put themselves in a
position that no normal person would put themselves in to try and save the
communications towers that are on the North and South peaks of Mt.
Diablo."
--
As this newscast is being prepared firefighters were calling the blaze as
being only 20 percent contained with no control date mentioned. (AF6PU,
MDARC, published News Reports)
**
RADIO LAW: FIRST RESTRUCTURING MEASURE PASSES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The United States House of Representatives has passed the first of two FCC
reform bills by a 415 to nothing vote.
The FCC Consolidated Reporting Act is co-sponsored by Communications and
Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, W7EQI, Representative
Ranking Member Anna Eshoo and Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise. The
measure consolidates what are now eight separate reports required by
Congress on the industries regulated by the commission into one biennial
report. The measure known as H.R. 2844 also eliminates four outdated
reports, including one on the status of competition in the telegraph
industry that dates back to 1934.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are still working on another FCC reform bill which
would, among other things, establish more shot clocks for proceedings
along with requiring the agency to publish the full text of a rule for
public comment before a commission vote. A shot clock is used in some
sports to quicken the pace of a given athletic event game. In this case
the game is speeding up the activities of the FCC. (RW, TVT, other news
reports)
**
RADIO LAW: NAB OPPOSES CERTAIN CHANGES TO RF EXPOSURE REGULATIONS
The National Association of Broadcasters has come out in opposition to a
pair of proposed changes to the FCC's RF exposure rules as outlined in ET
Dockets 13-84 and 03-137. The trade association is focusing specifically
on a suggestion to reduce the allowable amount of RF emissions for
so-called transient persons near a radiating antenna. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Stephan Kinford, N8WB, has the details:
--
Currently, the FCC allows broadcasters to treat transient people or
persons, which include untrained employees or members of the public, the
same as RF-trained employees. This is provided such transients are made
aware of their possible exposure and such exposure is only brief and not
normally repeated. The transient exception only applies to controlled
environments, like fenced areas near tower sites or antennas on rooftops
with locked access.
Under changes to the RF exposure rules the FCC recently adopted, workers
in controlled environments must be made aware of their possible exposure
by verbal or written communication and must receive training on how they
can control their exposure. The stricter general population uncontrolled
exposure limits typically apply to situations where members of the public
or employees have no or little knowledge of potential exposure and little
means to mitigate their exposure.
According to NAB Instead of applying the occupational or controlled limits
to such transients, the FCC proposal would instead apply a newly created,
and effectively undefined, general population controlled limit. This in
turn would likely require significant and costly changes to the way
licensees comply with RF exposure rules.
The broadcast lobby group also disagree with the FCC proposal that
transient people should be supervised by trained occupational personnel
within the controlled area where the general population limit is exceeded.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephan Kindord, N8WB, in Wadsworth,
Ohio.
--
Comments on further changes were due to ET Dockets 13-84 and 03-137 were
due to the Commission. by Sept. 3rd. Reply comments are still open with
a cutoff date of November 1st. (RW)
**
DISTRACTED DRIVING: NHSTA ISSUES VOLUNTARY DISTRACTED DRIVING FUTURE
ELECTRONIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES
A new set of voluntary guideless for the operation of future vehicle
electronics has been issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more:
--
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its
visual-manual driver distraction guidelines for electronic devices in
vehicles. They apply to original, in-vehicle electronic devices used by
the driver to perform secondary tasks where the driver must look at a
device, manipulates a related control with his or her hand and watches for
visual feedback. Communications, entertainment, information gathering and
navigation fall under this umbrella. Although the guidelines apply to new
technology, they also are applicable to common electronic devices referred
to as conventional information or communications systems, such as AM/FM
radios, satellite radios, CD players, cassette players and MP3 players.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes some secondary
tasks also interfere with a driver's ability to control the car safely.
Two examples would be displaying video or scrolling text. Other
activities the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration considers
distracting include displaying video not related to driving, automatically
scrolling text, large amounts of static text for reading and manual text
entry. The guidelines recommend these devices be designed to lock out the
driver's ability to access them at a certain point if the vehicle is
moving. However they would not mean to block simple map displays and
related text, so long as the material is displayed in a safe manner.
The bottom line according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration is that any task performed by a driver should be
interruptible at any time, and that the driver, not the device, should
control the pace of task interactions.
How this could all impact on the development of the next generation of
add-on mobile two-way radio gear including rigs used by ham radio
operators can not even be speculated on at this time, but simplified eyes
on the road operation will be most likely
For the Amateur Radio Newsline' Im Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.
--
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a part of the
Department of Transportation. It issued these nonbinding, voluntary
guidelines to promote safety by discouraging the introduction of
excessively distracting devices in vehicles. You can find the entire 281
page set of guidelines on the agency's website www.nhtsa.gov and on the
Department of Transportation's distracted driving website distraction.gov.
(RW, NHTSA, DoT)
**
RADIO LAW: POWAY CALIFORNIA MAY LOOSEN ITS HAM RADIO ANTENNA REGULATIONS
Some good news for hams living in Poway, California. At a meeting on
Tuesday September 3rd the Poway City Council took action to assure about
fifty local amateur radio operators that the regulatory body will take a
serious look at revising local planning codes. This to make certain that
they conform with federal laws including PRB One regarding the placement
of antennas on private property.
Currently the city requires every antenna installation to go through a
minor development review application process, which costs the applicant
$719. In late 2005 the council gave its preliminary approval to some
changes, but never followed through with the final adoption.
Now, all five council members have agreed that the application fee should
be waived or at least significantly reduced. They then instructed the
city staff to return in 30 days with a plan and timeline for the
regulation review.
The radio operators were invited to the meeting by Poway Mayor Don
Higginson. They reportedly applauded at the end of the discussion.
(pomeradonews.com)
**
RESCUE RADIO: NM HAMS AID IN SEARCH FOR MISSING FIREFIGHTER
Ham radio was involved in a search for a missing firefighter found dead
Friday, September 6th atop a New Mexico mesa, where he apparently had
crashed his All Terrain Vehicle.
Hundreds of volunteers, firefighters, search and rescue teams and the
Civil Air Patrol had spent a week combing some 50 square miles of steep
canyons looking for Token Adams. Adams was a 41-year-old U.S. Forest
Service fighter who disappeared August 30th while checking a report of
smoke.
Some of those involved in the search effort included Sandoval and
Bernalillo County ARES Members. New Mexico Section Emergency Coordinator
Michael Scales, K5SCA, and Section Manager, Bill Kauffman, W5YEJ, were
both directly involved in the search mission. (W5WHN)
**
RESCUE RADIO: NEW WILLIAMSON COUNTY TEXAS EOC INCLUDES HAM RADIO
A new $18 million Emergency Operations Center in Williamson County, Texas,
will provide a room for amateur radio operators.
Jarred Thomas is the Emergency Management Coordinator. He says that local
amateur radio operators will also have a room in which to gather. He
notes that natural disasters such as a 1997 F 5 tornado with winds in
excess of 200 miles per hour is in part the reason for the Emergency
Operations Center's existence.
The new nerve center will be command central for major emergencies and
also houses the county's 911 communications department, which had outgrown
its home at the sheriff's office. A large conference center and separate
room for media are also included at the EOC. More is on the web at
tinyurl.com/hams-at-new-eoc. (The Statesman)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: AMERICAN TOWER TO ACQUIRE GLOBAL TOWER PARTNERS
If you own a repeater or remote station sited on a tower or other
structure operated by Global Tower Partners you will likely soon have a
new landlord. This with word that American Tower Corporation has
announced an agreement to acquire the outstanding common membership
interests of MIP Tower Holdings LLC, for a purchase price of approximately
$4.8 billion. MIP is the parent company of Global Tower Partners, and its
related companies
American Tower says it expects that the acquisition of the MIP Tower
holdings portfolio will generate approximately $345 million in revenues
and approximately $270 million of gross margin in 2014. The transaction is
subject to customary regulatory and closing conditions. If all goes as
expected the purchase will likely be completed in the fourth quarter of
this year. (American Tower, Global Tower Partners, RW)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: FUTURE AES SUPERFEST CANCELLED
The annual March Amateur Electronic Supply Superfest is no more. In an
e-mail posted to the Chicago's NS9RC North Shore Amateur Radio Club
remailer, Don Whitman, KK9H, says that he learned from AES employee Ray
Grenier, K9KHW, that there would no longer be an AES Superfest held in
Milwaukee.
Grenier, who spoke to Whitman at the recent Radio Expo convention
reportedly mentioned several factors that led to the decision to abandon
future Superfests. Among these are the high prices for gasoline that has
curtailed the number of Illinois residents that drive up to Wisconsin for
the event. Also there has been a drop in the number of commercial
exhibitors willing to come due to increased expenses and the difficulty of
finding interesting speakers. (KC9RP, NS9RC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: W2TRR JOINS BURK TECHNOLOGY
Burk Technology has announced that it has added former Buckley
Broadcasting and WOR - AM Director of Engineering Tom Ray, W2TRR, to its
team. Burk Technology designs, builds and sells high-quality electronics
that monitor and control mission-critical facilities and functions.
During his 15 years tenure WOR AM in New York, Tom Ray rebuilt the
facility and made WOR the first high-power AM HD radio station in the
country. He is a regular contributor to the trade publication Radio
World, has published several papers for the National Association of
Broadcasters Engineering Conference, has been on the Society of Broadcast
Engineers board and was chairman of SBE Chapter 15 in New York City for
nine years.
Currently, W2TRR owns Tom Ray Broadcast Consulting in New Windsor, New
York. His QRZ.com bio says that he is a member of the Orange County New
York Amateur Radio Club and the Broadcast Engineering Amateur Radio
Society which is run by ABC Radio and Television. Ray also operates an
APRS digipeater and i-gate station. The home station call is W2TRR and
mobile operation is as W2TRR-9. (RW, QRZ)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: CONTEST UNIVERSITY 2014 IN DAYTON OHIO
Its never to early to plan for the future and in that vein comes word that
Contest University 2014 will be held next May 15th at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel in Dayton, Ohio.
According to organizer K3LR, if you stayed at the Crowne Plaza for the
2013 event, filled out a 2014 reservation form and dropped it off at the
registration desk, then you should already have an e-mail confirmation
from the hotel for your 2014 reservation. If not and you would like to
reserve a room contact the hotel directly and use the code CON. The base
room rate for the Contest room University is $139.00 per night.
Hamvention 2014 runs from May 16th to the 18th with separate ansulary
activities like Contest University taking place earlier in the week.
(Contest University)
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: STANFORD SOLAR SCIENTISTS SOLVE ONE OF THE SUN'S
MYSTERIES
Solar scientists at Stanford University in California have solved one of
the few remaining fundamental mysteries of how the sun works. And its
something that hams will want to know as it does affect propagation.
Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details:
--
According to researchers, the mechanism in question is known as meridional
flow and is said to work something like a conveyor belt. Magnetic plasma
migrates on the sun's surface from the equator to the poles. It then
cycles into the sun's interior on its way back to the equator. The rate
and depth beneath the surface of the sun at which this process occurs is
critical for predicting the sun's magnetic and flare activity, but has
remained largely unknown until now.
To find out how it actually worked, researchers used the Stanford-operated
Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager or HMI instrument onboard NASA's Solar
Dynamic Observatory to track solar waves in much the way seismologists
would study seismic movements beneath the surface of the Earth. Every 45
seconds for the past two years, the HMI's Doppler radar recorded images of
plasma waves moving across the sun's surface which were then radioed back
to Earth. By identifying patterns of sets of waves, the scientists could
recognize how the solar materials move from the sun's equator toward the
poles, and how they return to the equator through the sun's interior.
One startling discovery is that the equator-ward flow is actually
sandwiched between two layers of poleward flowing currents. This is a
more complicated mechanism than previously thought. Its also one that
could help refine predictions of the sun's activity.
For example, some computer models projected that the current solar cycle
would be strong, but observations have since showed it is actually much
weaker than the previous cycle. This inconsistency could be due to the
previously unknown inaccuracies of the meridional circulation mechanism
used in the simulations.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick,
Pennsylvania.
--
The report was published in the online edition of The Astrophysical
Journal Letters. (Space & Science)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: US RESEARCH PROBE HEADS TOWARD THE MOON
More than 40 years after the last Apollo astronauts left the moon, NASA
has launched a small robotic spacecraft to investigate Earths primary
satellite. The Ladee spacecraft, which is charged with studying the lunar
atmosphere and dust, soared aloft aboard a Minotaur launch vehicle rocket
a little before midnight on Friday, September 6th with its destination
being the moon.
Ladee is a acronym for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer
mission. It is using the so-called sling-shot effect of Earth's gravity
to propel it to moon. This by it making three increasingly larger
circuits around our home planet before getting close enough to transfer
into a lunar orbit. Because of this the spacecraft will require a full
month to reach Earth's closest neighbor.
Ladee, which is the size of a small car, is expected to reach the moon on
October 6th. Researchers hope to use it to learn the composition of the
moon's weak atmosphere and how it might change over time. Another puzzle,
dating back decades, is whether dust rises of its own accord from the
lunar surface.
To accomplish its mission the Ladee spacecraft carries three scientific
research instruments. And in addition to traditional radio gear it is
also carrying a. experimental Laser communications package that could
revolutionize data relay. NASA wants to experiment with this system to
see if it might eventually be able to replace its traditional RF based
communications with coherent modulated light transmission that might
afford greater bandwidth using significantly less power and smaller
devices. For now, data gathered by Ladee will reportedly be sent back to
Earth using both systems.
The $280 million moon-orbiting operation will last six months. It will
end when the spacecraft is commanded to make a final plunge to the surface
of the moon. More about Ladee mission is on the web at
tinyurl.com/back-to-the-moon (NASA, guardian.com, )
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: QSCOPE LOG STATISTICS AND CHARTS
Back on the ground, QScope.org is a new online application that provides
statistics and charts from amateur radio logs. While some features are
designed with contesting in mind, most of the statistics will be useful
for DXers and DXpeditions. You just import your ADIF 2 or Cabrillo logs
into QScope database and then browse the statistic and charts pages.
Registration and access to the website are free at www.qscope.org (OPDX,
Southgate)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING HUNGARY'S TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THEODORE PUSKAS
On the air, listen out for HA75KBF which is on the air celebrating the
75th anniversary of the amateur radio club at Hungary's Technical College
of Theodore Puskas. If you work them, QSL via the clubs regular call sign
of HA5BKF. (Via e-mail)
**
DX
In DX, Bill Moore, NC1L, the ARRL Awards Branch Manager, reports that the
current JY9FC operation beginning this past August has been approved for
DXCC credit. If you have a card for that operation now is the time to
submit it.
HA3JB will be operational slash 4O from Montenegro between September
23rad to the 30th. Activity will be on CW, RTTY and SSB. QSL via HA3JB
direct
N4WDT and K4ZIN are planning to on the air from Sierra Leone between
October 16th and the 21st. They are currently waiting for a license
approval and plan to operate 160 through 10 meters with a focus on 30, 17
and 12 meters as well as the lower bands. QSL electronically via Logbook
of the World or via their home callsigns.
OH6KZP, will be active as CR2X from the Azores during the CQ World Wide DX
SSB Contest on October 26th and 27th. This, as a
Single-Operator/All-Band/High-Power entry. Before the contest begins he
may be on signing his own call portable CT8. QSL via OH2BH.
DJ7RJ will be active stroke FR from Reunion Island between September 28th
and November 2nd. His operation will be on 160 through 10 meters using CW
and SSB. QSL via DJ7RJ, direct or by the bureau.
Lastly, K7AR will be active as E51AAR from Rarotonga in the South Cook
Islands, between October 21st and the 26th. His operation will be mainly
using RTTY but he will also participate in the CQWW DX SSB Contest. Log
will be uploaded to Logbook of the World upon his return home. QSL via
K7AR, direct or by the Bureau.
(Above courtesy of various DX news sources)
**
EMERGING TECHGNOLOGY: SOLAR POWERED PICO BALLOONS SET NEW ENDURANCE
RECORD
A pair of solar powered pico balloons launched from the United Kingdom
have set what appears to be an all time endurance record over Europe.
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with the latest on the flights
of B-11 and B-12:
--
United Kingdom experimenter Leo Bodnar in cooperation with members of
Europe's ham radio community has set some interesting records flying radio
equipped pico balloons. His latest, simply called B-11 and B-12 were
launched by Leo from the town of Silverstone on September 1 and 2
respectively. As of late on September 9th, both balloons were still in
the air transmitting in the Domino EX 16 data mode on 434.500 MHz USB.
During their long duration record-breaking flights, the two balloons have
between them flown over most countries in Europe. B-11 was last reported
over Turkey and B-12 over the Ukraine. Both balloons are powered by small
solar panels which recharge a tiny on-board battery. Unfortunately, B-12
did suffer a battery failure so it only transmits when in sunlight.
As this newscast goes to air, both pico balloons have so far floated at
least 1550 miles from their launch point could still be in-flight. Keep
an eye on leobodmar.com/balloons for the latest.
From the other side of the world, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the
newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
Pico balloons do not go to extremes altitudes but instead float at
anywhere between 6500 to 26000 feet for an extended period of time. From
those heights above sea level their 434 MHz transmitters can have a radio
range of up to 250 miles depending on line of sight. You can see the
tracks of these latest radio equipped pico balloons on the web at
tinyurl.com/b11-b12-flight. (Southgate, Leo Bodnar Balloons)
**
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 W-I-A 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 Skeeter
Nash, N5ASH, near Houston, Texas, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
================================================================
R\%/itt, K5RXT
--- Ya have ta ask yourself: What Would Roy Witt Do?
* Origin: Lone-Star BBS - San Antonio, Texas - USA (1:387/22)
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