Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1884 - September 20 2013
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1884 with a release date of
September 20 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. Ham radio responds as flooding ravages parts
of Colorado; China and the Philippines at loggerheads over the fate of
Scarborough Reef; UK hams set a new record at 76 Gigahertz; Portugal
takes legal action to combat widespread unlicensed operation and ham
radio says a final goodbye to 73 Magazine founder Wayne Green, W2NSD.
This and more on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report number 1884 coming
your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: AMATEUR RADIO RESPONDS TO COLORADO FLOODS
Ham radio was once again a first responder as a week of torrential
rainfall brought destruction to parts of Colorado. Many of these were
the same areas that were damaged by a series of wind-driven wildfires
earlier this year and back in 2012. At least seven people have been
confirmed as killed by deadly flooding and efforts to locate more than
1,000 missing people continue.
Some of the worst flooding followed the path of the High Park and Waldo
Canyon fires. The 2013 Waldo Canyon fire was the worst in the state's
history burning more than 18,000 acres near Colorado Springs and
destroying more than 300 homes.
Jack Ciaccia, WM0G is the ARRL Colorado Section Manager. He says that
as the flood waters began arriving on Thursday, August 12th, ham radio
operators were ready:
--
Ciaccia" "The hams in the local ARES groups reported to the regional
and local county emergency operations centers and manned their
positions. Plus the state Emergency Operations Center in Centennial
Colorado was opened and staffed by senior ARES personnel"
--
The unprecedented storms dealt a heavy blow to both utilities and
communications. News reports say that many cellular telephone towers
have either fallen, were washed away or are simply without power. This
in turn cut off wireless and broadband communications to several
communities. Also destroyed have been powerlines and some
landline-based telephone service. This has left ham radio as the
mainstay of communications into and out of these areas.
--
Ciaccia: "The next thing to happen was we started hearing of
evacuation centers being opened kind of spontaneously because a large
building in a dry area was the only criteria. And as fast as we could
we needed to get communications to them because in many of the mountain
areas where these evacuation centers were there was no other means of
communications"
--
As the operation progressed, some hams were assigned to monitor the
Boulder County ARES Repeater as well as the two Mountain Emergency
Radio Network Repeaters located in high altitude communities. The
latter turned out to be true life savers. Again, WM0G:
--
Ciaccia: "We were fortunate to have some hams located in some of the
remote areas which is (the result) of another project that we had
created in the past year since the fires called the Mountain Emergency
Radio Network. This is a small network of repeaters that the ARES hams
have trained upward of 60 mountain residents and who have gotten their
licenses. We then repurposed a bunch of VHF radios - both handy
talkies and mobiles for them to utilize these repeaters.
"And just tonight we were told by the Fire Chief in one of those remote
communities that had it not have been for that MERM repeater system
that there probably would have been a lot more deaths because people
were able to communicate with each other as to what was happening,
where the destruction was and how to get out."
--
On Monday the 16th the ARES groups received new marching orders. In
addition to search assistance, evacuations, shelter communications and
logistics another role has been added. That of disaster assessment:
--
Ciaccia: "Disaster assessment teams from the Red Cross and from the
counties will be mobilizing and we have been asked to provide hams,
radios and also video cameras to record video of the disaster areas. So
we will be taking on that assignment as well."
--
According to Ciaccia so far some 200 ham radio volunteers have been
deployed in and around the various flood-stricken counties with some
providing communication where no other means existed or still exists.
News reports say that at the height of the flooding that the towns of
Estes Park, Lyons and Jamestown were relying on ham radio as their only
contact with the outside world.
This is a still developing story and we will have more in future
Amateur Radio Newsline reports. (ARNewsline(tm))
**
RESCUE RADIO: XE HAMS RESPOND TO TROPICAL STORMS INGRID AND MANUEL
Mexican radio amateurs have been using 40 and 20 meters as part of
their response to the effects of tropical storms Ingrid and Manuel.
According to a posting to Twitter by that nations national amateur
radio society, both 7.060 and 14.120 MHz have been activated in the
wake of these severe weather outbursts. Amateurs elsewhere are asked
to please keep those two frequencies clear until post storm
communications have been secured. (FMRE, Southgate)
**
WORLDBEAT: CHINA VS. THE PHILIPPINES OVER SCARBOROUGH REEF
DXpeditions to Scarborough Reef and other locations in that region
could become a lot harder if not impossible if China makes good on its
expected move to occupy a disputed chain of shoals in the South China
Sea. This according to a top Philippines' diplomat who says that China
may act to expand China's territory before regional rules on maritime
behavior comes into effect.
Albert del Rosario is the Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary. On
September 4th he said that his nation believes China's incursion into
the area known as the Scarborough Shoal is a threat to peace in
Southeast Asia. But in Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman described
the shoal area as China's inherent territory.
Scarborough Shoal or Reef, also known as Huangyan Island, is a shoal
located between the Macclesfield Bank and Luzon Island of the
Philippines in the South China Sea. It is a disputed territory claimed
by the People's Republic of China, by Taiwan and the Philippines. The
shoal's status is often discussed in conjunction with other territorial
disputes in the South China Sea such as those involving the Spratly
Islands or the Paracel Islands. Since the 2012 Scarborough Shoal
standoff access to the territory has been restricted by the People's
Republic of China.
Tension in the South China Sea has risen of late as China uses its
growing naval might to assert extensive claims over the oil and gas
rich waters more forcefully. This in turn has been fuelling fears of a
military clash for some time.
The last major operation from Scarborough was in 2007 where the BS7H
team made over 45,000 QSO's. Currently Scarborough is listed as number
21 in the Club Log Most Wanted List and number 7 in the latest most
needed list published by the DX Magazine.
(defensenews.com, inquirer.net, South China Morning Post, others)
**
RADIO RECORDS: UK HAMS SET 76 GIGAHERTZ DISTANCE RECORD
A new United Kingdom distance record on 76 Gigagertz of 102 kilometers
was achieved on Saturday September 14th. This in a contact between
Chris Towns G8BKE and John Hazell G8ACE at Batcombe Hill, in Dorset and
Ian Lamb GW8KQW on Eglwysilan Mountain in Gwent.
The success of this attempt is a result of continual innovation and
systematic improvements and testing of the equipment built and used by
the Wessex microwave enthusiasts. This with support from other
microwave radio devotees in the UK and Germany.
This is also believed to be the first 76GHz contact between Wales and
England.
The mode used was narrowband FM. More is on the web at
tinyurl.com/uk-76ghz-record. (Southgate)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the
W1QWT Repeater serving Scituate, Massachusetts.
(5 sec pause here)
**
ENFORCEMENT: PORTUGAL TAKES ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS
Portugal is going after the radio bad guys. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has more:
--
Jose Francisco, CT4AN, reports that the Portuguese national
telecommunications regulator ANACOM has taken action against illegal
radio communications in that nation. In a second joint action, ANACOM
and the Portuguese Maritime Police seized radio gear and issued heavy
fines to ten unlicensed operators. Besides having the equipment
confiscated, the operators face monetary forfeitures which may reach
close to 1650 US Dollars each.
The Authorities said that the raids were based on interference
complaints to legal Portuguese radio operators. These included stations
licensed to operate in the Amateur Radio Service, Aeronautical and
Maritime Services and on certain unspecified commercial radio
frequencies.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale,
Arizona.
--
More is on the web at tinyurl.com/PortugalCommsRegulator.
(Southgate)
**
ENFORCEMENT: AUSTRALIAN CB OPERATOR ACCUSED OF HARASSMENT
A 44-year-old Adelaide, Australia, man has appeared in court charged
with being abusive over his CB radio. The Australian Communications
and Media Authority said the man had been charged with five offences
following an investigation into his alleged abuse and harassment over
that nations Citizens Band Radio service.
The unidentified man appeared at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on
Friday, September 6 and was released under an order to appear again on
November 15th. Under Australia's Radio Communications Act it is
against the law to operate a CB radio in a way that would cause a
person to be seriously alarmed or affronted or to harass. It should be
noted that Australia is a nations whose legal system protects the
identity of those accused of legal infractions until a conviction has
taken place.
(Seven News Australia)
**
ENFORCEMENT: MYSTERY AM STATION ON THE AIR IN OMAHA NB ISSUED NOV
The FCC appears to be admitting that it is stumped by a mystery station
in Omaha, Nebraska, that operates on 1490 KHz in the AM broadcast band.
According to the Omaha World Herald newspaper, the station uses the
call letters KOMJ but is seemingly without owners, advertisers or disc
jockeys. Instead it plays a continuous loop of oldies that some liken
to a 1960's jukebox stuffed with an endless supply of coins.
In papers filed last month the FCC admitted it was stumped in that it
could not locate the stations owner nor its studio location. The
regulatory agency said in its filing that the station is technically
owned by Cochise Broadcasting, in Jackson, Wyoming but that it could
find a phone number nor a website for the company.
Regular listeners to the station's oldies format say that commercials
aren't part of the entertainment cycle leaving questions about who is
paying for the programming. Meantime on August 14th the FCC did issue
a Notice of Violation to Cochise Broadcasting for various alleged
violations of its rules in relation to the operation of KOMJ.
More on this fascinating story is on the web at
tinyurl.com/Omaha-mystery-station. The FCC Notice of Violation can be
found at tinyurl.com/mystery-radio-n-o-v.
(Omaha World-Herald)
**
RESCUE RADIO: ARMY MARS INVITES PARTNERS TO COLLABORATE IN HOMELAND
SECURITY OPERATION
Army MARS Headquarters has invited the Chiefs of Air Force and
Navy-Marine Corps MARS to join in a National Communications Exercise.
One that will measure the auxiliary force's capabilities in the event
that normal communications are disrupted throughout North America.
The test will run for 48 continuous hours from November 3rf to the 5th
and will be closely monitored by a Joint Command responsible to the
Defense Department for homeland security. This exercise culminates a
year-long series of escalating preparations by Army MARS for responding
to all types of complex emergencies. These could be anything from a
natural phenomenon or terrorist attack that might render the Internet,
long distance telephone, and national news and media networks unusable
across the United States.
(N1IN, QRZ)
**
RESCUE RADIO: NEW EMCOMM GUIDEBOOK FROM DHS
A very informative guidebook authored by Ross Merlin, WA2WDT, and
titled NIFOG is described as a great go-to compendium of radio
frequencies, channels, and other tidbits if information that can be
essential in times of an emergency.
The guide is authored by Merlin who works in the Department of Homeland
Security Office of Emergency Communications. He authored the guidebook
for the agency and says that it contains page after page of frequency
information, operating procedures, formulas, and rules and regulations
from both the FCC and the NTIA. Specific subject material includes
frequency and channel data for Fire, EMS, Police, and Law Enforcement
as well as Mutual Aid channels in VHF, UHF, 700 MHz, and others. Also
included is communications information for marine, aviation, NOAA
weather, MURS, GMRS, FRS, and just about any radio you might encounter
in an emergency.
Te guidebook is available in printed and downloadable formats. The
primary Website where downloads copies are available is
publicsafetytools.info. Copies printed on waterproof paper, are
reportedly available free of charge from the Department of Homeland
Security. Please contact NIFOG (at) HQ (dot) DHS (dot) GOV for
details. (AA7BQ, QRZ.com)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: OCTOBER SKY - THE ROCKET BOYS FESTIVAL
The "October Sky : Rocket Boys Festival" takes place October 4th to the
6th in Beckley, West Virginia. And as a part of the celebration the
Black Diamond Amateur Radio Club will be operating a special event
station on October 5th with the call W8R. Frequencies to be listening
on are 7.280 and 14.280 MHz. +/- 3.Khz. More is on the web at
tinyurl.com/rocket-boys-festival-2013
(KB8QEU)
**
RADIO HAPPENINGS: COLLEGE RADIO DAY OCTOBER 1
College Radio Day 2013 will take place on Tuesday, October 1st. This
annual event has by now grown to 650 participating stations in 40
countries. This includes Italy, Israel, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India,
Mexico, Colombia, the United Kingdom and Sweden to name only a few.
College Radio Day is described as a 40 hour relay which involves
presenters passing the mic figuratively from station to station while
circumnavigating the globe over the airwaves. It was begun by Rob
Quicke, who is a communications professor at William Paterson
University, in New Jersey. He also oversees programming at WPSC- FM,
which was named the "Best College Radio Station" in the U.S. in both
2012 and 2013. More about the event is on the web at
collegeradioday.com.
(RW)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: AMSAT-NA BOD ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED
The results of the 2013 Amsat North America Board of Directors election
has been announced. Barry Baines, WD4ASW; Tony Monteiro, AA2TX; Alan
Biddle, WA4SCA, and Mark Hammond, N8MH, will serve on the board for two
year terms. The first alternate is JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM, and the
second alternate is Steve Coy, K8UD. 688 AMSAT-North America members
cast votes in this year's election.
(AMSAT-NA)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. 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)
**
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: WAYNE GREEN, W2NSD - SK
The changing of the guard in amateur radio continues with word of the
passing of one of the hobby's true legends. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has
the story of the life and legacy of Dr. Wayne Green, W-2-Never-Say-Die:
--
One of the people who truly changed the face of ham radio in both the
20th and 21st centuries has gone to his final reward. This with the
sad news that Dr. Wayne S. Green II, W2NSD, of Hancock, New Hampshire,
died September 13th at the age of 91.
Dr. Green was an outspoken figure during his many years writing about
the hobby. His public career really began with a five year stint at CQ
Magazine in the 1950's before founding 73 Magazine in late 1959. While
at the helm of 73 he often used the title of El Supremo and Founder of
the magazine which he published until 2003.
Over the years Dr. Green was known for many things. He traveled the
world and did his best to introduce ham radio in developing nations. He
was one of the earliest supporters of emerging modes such as RTTY, FM
and repeaters and even started the first ham radio digital
communications magazine. And as each new technology came along, there
was W2NSD as its point man urging all of us to embrace the same dreams
that he had. Be it ham radio, personal computing, the Compact Disc or
numerous other technologies, there was Wayne Green urging anyone who
would listen to give it a try.
But what Wayne Green, W2NSD, will likely best be remembered for was his
editorials. He wrote over a thousand of them covering everything from
giving his personal support to even the most mundane aspects of our
hobby to alternate science such as his belief in producing energy
through cold fusion. The list of what he wrote about goes on and on. It
took a lifetime for him to write and for many of us; it took a good
part of our lifetime to read. And in the process his zest for life and
commitment to ham radio and technology changed both for the better.
On his blog, Dr. Green left a short note for all of us. It was his
final entry. Please permit me to read it to you as it sums up the life
of the man as he saw himself:
The wall clock clicks out the seconds With so many yet ahead, I've
ignored them A battery keeps the clock going I wonder how my own
battery is doing?
The one with the most toys wins Awash in toys, I'll pass on What did I
win? Now what happens to my toys?
I'll leave books, records, tapes, and photos By the thousands A
lifetime archive Worthless to anyone but me.
Pictures of family and friends Treasured books and music The mileposts
of my life All will be headed for the trash heap.
Like my father, grandfather, and great grandfather I'll be another
gravestone In a northern New Hampshire cemetery And the world will
carry on as if nothing had happened.
I have no complaints I've enjoyed the world and helped it a bit What
would I change if I could do my life over? Get a thick pad and I'll
make a list.
73 Wayne. We will see you once again on the other side of the great
ethereal abyss.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, remembering
the years gone bye.
--
Wayne Green's longtime associate Daron Libby will be keeping Dr.
Green's on-line blog at waynegreen.com/wayne/news.html active for the
foreseeable future. If you have a personal thought that you would like
to see added to it please e-mail it to dhlc (at) Comcast (dot) net.
(ARNewsline(tm))
**
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: HAM OWNED COMPANY DEVELOPS HF ASSET TRACKING
NETWORK
HySky Technologies Inc. is using High Frequency communications for an
innovative asset tracking and reporting network. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, has the details:
--
The company whose the Chief Executive Officer is Charles Maynard,
KJ4PPE, recently gained an FCC license to use 954 H-F channels each 3
kHz wide. The mobile tracking units using this spectrum will transmit
a maximum of 1 watt Effective Radiated Power using a small
low-efficiency broadband antenna. The data will be received by nine
stations located at low-noise sites across the USA which will then be
forward the data to customers.
The signal being transmitted will have a bandwidth of 2800 Hz and an
emission designator of 2K80G1D. The company says that a military High
Frequency waveform will be used and claims the system will overcome
coverage and other problems associated with traditional tracking
devices using cell-phone or satellite transmission interfaces.
The license issued to HySky reportedly covers up to 10,000 devices
operating in the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and US
territories but word is that this service could expand worldwide.
Im Skeeter Nash, N5ASH.
--
More about the company and its rather interesting work is on the web at
www.hysky.com (Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: NEW INFLATABLE ANTENNA FOR CUBESATS
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports that researchers have
developed a new design of inflatable antenna for CubeSats that can fold
into a compact space and then inflate when on-orbit.
Due to their small size CubeSats have up to now been limited to small
monopole or dipole antennas. Such low gain omni-directional antennas
have in turn restricted CubeSats to Low Earth Orbits using lower data
rates than would be possible with a large directional antenna array.
But the new inflatable antenna may significantly increase the
communication range of these small satellites, enabling them to travel
much farther in the solar system. It is claimed the distance that can
be covered by a satellite with an inflatable antenna array is seven
times farther than that of existing CubeSat communications.
The MIT team, led by Alessandra Babuscia, is part of the research group
of Professor Sara Seager, KB1WTW. The group also includes graduate
students Mary Knapp, KB1WUA, Benjamin Corbin, and Mark Van de Loo from
MIT, and Rebecca Jensen-Clem from the California Institute of
Technology. (Southgate)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: KF5LJG HEADED TO ISS IN LATE SEPTEMBER
NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, along with Russian cosmonauts Oleg
Kotov and Sergey Ryzanskiy are scheduled to launch September 25 to join
their Expedition 37 crewmates aboard the International Space Station.
Hopkins will be the first member of the 2009 NASA astronaut class to
fly into space. While aboard the ISS, KF5LJG will install the new
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Ham Video gear. He has
already received pre-flight training on how to commission the amateur
radio digital video equipment.
Hopkins will join Expedition 37 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and
Flight Engineers Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP and Karen Nyberg. Yurchikhin,
Nyberg, and Parmitano arrived in May and will return to Earth in
November. (K6LCS)
**
DX
In DX, DL1YAF is currently on the air stroke VP9 from Hamilton.
Bermuda. He will be there through September 25th operating holiday
style on CW, SSB and PSK31. QSL via home callsign, either direct or
via the bureau.
Members of Canada's Association de Radio Amateurs Sept Iles Inc. will
be active as VE2CSI during the CQ World Wide DX RTTY Contest on
September 28th and 29th as a Multi-2 entry. Operators mentioned are
VE2EBK, VE2SG and possibly others. QSL via M0URX.
DL3JH will be operational from Sri Lanka as 4S7JG until September 29th.
He is active on the High Frequency bands only. QSL via his home call.
Lastly, JI1LET will be active from Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara
chain from October 25th through November 3rd operating signing JD1BOI.
He will be active on 80 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL
via his home call direct only
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: NASA TO REACTIVATE WISE INFRARED RADIO TELESCOPE
And finally this week, a currently mothballed space telescope will soon
have a new mission in space as we hear from Newsline's Jeff Clark,
K8JAC:
--
NASA will reactivate a currently unused infrared space telescope for a
three-year mission. This to search for potentially dangerous asteroids
on a collision course with Earth.
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, telescope also will
hunt for targets for a future mission to send a robotic spacecraft to
rendezvous with a small asteroid and relocate part or all of it into a
high orbit around the moon. Astronauts would then visit the relocated
asteroid during a test flight of NASA's deep-space Orion capsule which
is slated for launch sometime in 2021.
Launched in December 2009, the WISE telescope spent 13 months scouting
for telltale infrared signs of asteroids, stars, distant galaxies and
other celestial objects, especially those too dim to radiate in visible
light. As part of its all-sky mapping mission, WISE observed more than
34,000 asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and
another 135 asteroids in orbits that come close to Earth. In all,
researchers cataloged more than 560 million objects from data radioed
back to Earth from the WISE space telescope.
Im Jeff Clark, K8JAC.
--
Orion and a heavy-lift rocket called the Space Launch System which will
carry Wise follow-on team on their mission are scheduled for an
unmanned debut test flight sometime in 2017. (NASA)
**
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 Newsline(tm). Our e-mail address is
newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline's(tm) only official website located at
www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur
Radio Newsline(tm), 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm Don
Wilbanks, AE5DW, in South Mississippi, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.