Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1960 April 10 2015
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1960 with a release date of
Friday, April 10, 2015 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1,
The following is a QST. The ARRL tells the FCC that ham radio and
vehicle radar systems can co-exist at 76 to 81 GHz; U-K hams get 70.5
to 71.5 MHz for digital experimentation by special permit; South Africa
hams gain full kilowatt privileges; the Northern California DX
Foundation announces a grant of $50,000 to the upcoming V-K-zero-E-K
Heard Island DXpedition and radio tracking tiny birds as they fly south
over the Atlantic, All this and more on Amateur Radio Newsline report
number 1960 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
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RADIO LAW: ARRL TO FCC: AMATEUR RADIO AND VEHICULAR RADARS CAN
JOINTLY EXIST ON 77-81 GHZ
The ARRL has told the FCC that Amateur radio and vehicular radar
systems can co-exist in the 76 to 81 GHz band as we hear from Amateur
Radio Newsline's Don Wilbanks, A-E-5-D-W:
--
[Don] In comments filed in response to a February FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Reconsideration Order the ARRL has told the Commission that it should make no change in the Amateur Radio allocation at 76 to 81 GHz. Nor should it impose any additional regulatory constraints on Amateur or Amateur-Satellite uses of the band.
In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Reconsideration in ET Docket 15 dash 26, the telecommunications regulator solicited comment on issues involving expanded use of various radar applications in the 76 to 81 GHz. This is spectrum that Amateur Radio shares with other services. The band 77.5 to 78 GHz is allocated to the Amateur and Amateur Satellite services on a primary basis, and to the Radio Astronomy and Space Research services on a secondary basis.
FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Reconsideration was in response to a 2012 Petition for Rulemaking RM-11666 by Robert Bosch L-L-C. It also was in answer to a pair of petitions for reconsideration of a 2012 Report and Order addressing vehicular radar systems in the 76 to 77 GHz band. ET 15 dash 26 also incorporated earlier proceedings.
In its comments, the ARRL suggested that the FCC overreached in proposing unjustifiable changes at 77 to 81 GHz on its own initiative. The League said that this is not called for in the text of the Bosch Petition for Rule Making or in any comments that have been filed thus far. Nor was there any suggestion that there is any incompatibility between Amateur Radio operation and automotive Radars. The ARRL also referenced a current International Telecommunications Union study that has definitively established compatibility between short-range automotive radars and Amateur radio operations.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, in Picyune, Mississippi.
--
In closing, the ARRL said should there be any unjustified displacement of the Amateur or Amateur-Satellite services from any portion of the 76 to 81GHz band, the FCC should allocate equivalent spectrum for those services. The League suggested the bands 75.5 to 76 GHz and 81 to 81.5 GHz as possibilities.
(ARRL)
**
RESTRUCTURING: UK FULL LICENSE HAMS GET 70 MHZ DIGITAL SPECTRUM
Radio amateurs in much of the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies will soon have access to an extra 1 MHz of VHF spectrum from 70.5 to 71.5 MHz for digital experimentation by only by special permit. This as telecommunications regulator Ofcom has agreed to the use of this spectrum by radio amateurs for digital experimentation. But there are some strings attached.
Access to this part of the spectrum will be authorized under a Notice of Variation, time-limited to 12 months and available to U- K Full License holders only. Amateur Radio use of this spectrum will be permitted on a non-protection, non-interference basis. If use by hams is shown to cause interference access will be removed immediately.
Ofcom will also retain the right to reallocate this spectrum at 70.5 to 71.5MHz should there be a demand for this part of business radio or other or new services. In the event of this happening, Ofcom will not consult on this decision but it will provide Amateur Radio users with 12 months' notice before such reassignment. Such a notification period will be publicized on the Ofcom website.
Lastly, permission will be subject to a geographical restriction and only granted for use in England, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Northern Ireland and Wales. There is legacy use of the spectrum by the Scottish Government which precludes licensing for Amateur Radio use.
(RSGB)
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RESTRUCTURING: SOUTH AFRICA HAMS GAIN FULL KILOWATT PRIVLEGE
Hams in South Africa have been granted a transmit power increase to a full kilowatt.
For decades the maximum South Africa output power was limited to 400 watts peak envelope. A workgroup was established to campaign for higher power. After negotiating for several years, South African telecommunications authorities were satisfied that the call was well motivated.
The updated regulation was then published in the South African Government Gazette and the new 1 kilowatt output power privilege became effective on April 1st.
(ZS6FDX)
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RESTRUCTURING: CHANGES PROPOSED TO VK LICENSE REGULATIONS
The Australian Communications and Media Authority or A-C-M-A is seeking comment on a proposal to remake the Amateur Radiocommunications License Conditions and the Class of License regulations. This to enable overseas amateurs visiting Australia to operate in that nation.
At the same time, but as a separate issue, the A-C-M-A is proposing to restrict access to two segments in 3.3 to 3.6 GHz in the 9cm band for Advanced licensees, where spectrum access may be required by the National Broadband Network.
3400 to 3410 MHz is allocated to the Amateur Satellite Service in International Telecommunications Union Regions 2 and 3. It is also used by amateurs in many countries around the world for weak signal communications including moon bounce.
Commentary cutoff for Australian hams to respond on both issues is April 24th.
(WIA News, VK2ZRH)
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DX UP FRONT: NCDXF ANNOUNCES MAJOR GRANT TO THE VK0EK HEARD ISLAND DXPEDITION
In DX up front, word that the Northern California DX Foundation has announced announce a grant of $50,000 to the V-K-zero-E-K Heard Island DXpedition planned for this coming November. In its April 2nd press release the N-C-D-X-F noted that Heard Island has moved up to the number 5 position on the ClubLog Most Wanted List, after the recent Navassa operation was completed.
Within the last year the Northern California DX Foundation has given $175,000 in grants to operations in Iran, the Andaman, Navassa, Eritrea, South Sandwich, South Georgia, Chesterfield islands and now Heard island. It will also be lending its support to a yet unannounced DXpedition which will be in or near the Top Ten Most Wanted.
The Northern California DX Foundation has been doing this for the past 42 years. It adds that the credit for these large grants goes to contributors, individuals and clubs who believe in supporting it. More is on the web at www.ncdxf.org
(NCDXF)
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* DX UP FRONT: ASCENSION ISLAND APRIL TO 21
G-3-Zed-V-W is reportedly operational as Zed-D-8-N from Ascension Island between now and the April 21st. Activity was to be on 80 through 10 meters using CW, SSB and the digital modes at 100 watts into wire antennas. This will be a work trip, so on the air time will be evenings, weekends and early mornings. QSL via his home callsign direct or via the bureau.
(OPDX)
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* DX UP FRONT: BHUTAN APRIL 30 THROUGH MAY 5
And a group of operators from Japan will be active from Bhutan as A52AEF, A52ARJ, A52IVU, and A52LSS, respectively between April 30th and May 5th. Their operation will be on 80 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and the digital modes. Maximum power will be 200 watts into various directional and wire antennas. QSL A52AEF via JH3AEF; A52ARJ via JA3ARJ; A52IVU via JA3IVU and A52LSS via JH3LSS. See each call on QRZ.com for more details.
(OPDX)
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BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world including the including the K7MRG repeater serving Prescott, Arizona.
(5 SEC PAUSE)
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RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS: FCC FINES CENTURYLINK AND INTRADO $17.4 MILLION FOR MULTI-STATE 911 OUTAGE
The Federal Communications Commission has resolved its investigation of an April 2014 multi-state 911 outage that prevented more than 11 million people in seven states from being able to reach emergency call centers for over six hours. This as the FCC's Enforcement Bureau has reached a 16 million dollar settlement with service provider CenturyLink and a 1 point 4 million dollar settlement with Intrado Communications related to the two companies failures to meet their emergency call obligations during the 911 outage. Bill Pasternsk, WA6ITF, has the details:
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[Bill] Following a comprehensive report by the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, the agency's Enforcement Bureau took on investigating the April 2014 outage. It focused on the providers whose systems served the affected emergency call centers to determine the failures in those 911 systems and in notifying the affected emergency call centers.
The Enforcement Bureau concluded that the outage could have been prevented if the providers had implemented basic safeguards and that the providers failed to give timely notifications to the affected emergency call centers. These failures resulted in some 6600 missed 911 calls.
CenturyLink served affected emergency call centers throughout Washington, Minnesota, and North Carolina. Intrado Communications served emergency call centers in Florida, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. The varying settlement amounts reflect the different numbers of emergency call centers served by each provider. CenturyLink's settlement represents the largest 911 related fine ever assessed by the FCC.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
In addition to the fines, both companies also agreed to adopt similar compliance plans that require them to implement appropriate risk management processes in the continued rollout of Next-Generation 911 services.
(FCC)
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* RESCUE RADIO: APRIL 1ST HAM TOWER COLLAPSE IN VIRGINIA
A mother and her two children were trapped in their car on March 31st in rural Virginia. This after an 80 foot amateur radio tower fell onto their vehicle on April 1st.
Spotsylvania County Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Sposa noted that the tower also fell partially onto a home causing some minor damage to the roof.
No one in the home or the vehicle was injured. County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management crews were able to stabilize and remove the debris to free the trapped passengers.
Officials believe high winds in the area caused the tower to collapse. The owner of the tower was not named in any news report.
(Fredricksburg Today)
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PUBLIC SERVICE: UTAH GROUP PUTS BROADBAND-HAMNET TO WORK FOR FOOD PROJECT
A small band of amateur radio volunteers in Utah's Salt Lake Valley successfully used a broadband WiFi network set up on the 2.4 GHz amateur band to help coordinate the Boy Scouts of America's "Scouting for Food" project on March 21st.
Scouting for Food is the Boy Scouts' annual community service event, in which Scouts collect items for a food bank. Local radio amateurs provide both voice and digital mode communication. This year for the first time they used a Broadband-Hamnet system that coupled modified wireless router gear on amateur frequencies to create a peer-to-peer WiFi network to share audio and video over the food banks location.
Broadband-Hamnet is a descendent of the former ARRL High Speed Multimedia or H-S-M-M Working Group efforts, earlier known as the "Hinternet." It was pioneered by the late John Champa, K8OCL, and others in the early 2000s.Â
(ARRL)
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PUBLIC SERVICE: MEMBERS WANTED IN JOHNSTON COUNTY NC ARES
North Carolina's Johnston County Amateur Radio Emergency Services is seeking licensed amateur radio operators to help the county's Emergency Management provide auxiliary communications in times of disaster. Johnston ARES meets on the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Red Cross office, 805-A S. Third St. in the town of Smithfield. Training is at 7 p.m. on the fourth Thursday on the Carolina 440 UHF repeater system. For more information, visit johnstoncountyares.com.
(Â NewsObserver.com)
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS LAW: FCC CHAIR CONFIDENT IN NET NEUTRALITY
The FCC's recent net neutrality rules will likely stand up to any legal challenges. This according to one of the principals behind the recent Commission action. Amateur Radio Newsline's Stephen Kinford, N-8-W-B, has the details:
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[Stephen] FCC chairman Tom Wheeler remains confident that the net neutrality rules the agency passed last month will survive upcoming challenges in court. He crafted the prediction on March 27th while speaking at the Ohio State University. Moritz College of Law as a presenter on the topic of the Future of Online Regulation.
According to Wheeler, the open World Wide Web or net neutrality guidelines give the Federal Communications Commission authority to stop service providers from blocking or throttling content customers want to access. It also stops service providers from seeking payments in exchange for more rapidly delivery. This is a practice known as paid prioritization.
Last year, the federal court tossed out the FCC's prior open Internet guidelines with the argument that the FCC was trying to impose typical carrier-like regulation without stepping up and saying that these are frequent carriers. According to Wheeler the agency has now addressed that issue. This gives him self-confidence going forward that the FCC will prevail.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Stephen Kinford, N8WB, in Wadsworth, Ohio.
--
U S Telecom and Alamo Broadband have already filed separate suits in federal court asking that the new guidelines be set aside since claiming that the FCC acted beyond its authority to impose them.
(heraldrecorder.com)
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RADIO READING: AMSAT PLANS DAYTON ROLLOUT FOR 2015 "GETTING STARTED" SATELLITE BOOK
Gould Smith, WA4SXM's 's book titled Getting Started With Amateur Satellites is being updated to tell you how you can get ready to operate through the Fox-1 satellites launching later this year. Additional chapters in the book tell you about tracking software, orbital mechanics, antennas, radios, Doppler tuning, and operating techniques.
Going beyond brief descriptions in Hamfest flyers, this book will provide a complete reference for new satellite users to assemble a basic station and to make your first satellite contacts. It will also explain will how to incrementally upgrade a simple FM only satellite station to include automated tracking as well as operating through the CW and SSB linear pass-band satellites.
A companion Fox-1A reference sheet is also being planned for release. This will be made available for the AMSAT's Field Operations Team for distribution at Hamfests and satellite operating demonstrations.
Watch for the 2015 edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites book and reference sheet at the AMSAT booth at the Dayton Hamvention and in the AMSAT on-line store shortly after. That u-r-l is store.amsat.org/catalog
(ANS)
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* HAM RADIO BUSINESS: TEN-TEC AND ALPHA PURCHASED FROM RF CONCEPTS
Not even a year after TEN-TEC and Alpha Amplifiers merged under the RF Concepts banner, the companies have once again changed ownership. This as RKR Designs LLC of Longmont, Colorado, announced on April 2 that it has acquired the two brands.
RKR Designs leadership includes Ken Long, N-zero-Q-Oh, Richard Gall, and Rich Danielson. Long has over 20 years in the electronics and Amateur Radio industries. He will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the new company.
Gall and Danielson of Q-S-C Systems in Longmont have been a successful contract manufacturer for over two decades. That company has been building Alpha amplifiers for more than 5 years and boards for TEN-TEC gear since RF Concepts bought the company last year.
RKR Designs LLC is a privately-held company and the terms of the acquisition of the assets of RF Concepts was not disclosed. A media release says that RKR plans to expand the product lines while continuing to service their customers.
(RKR press release)
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NAMES IN THE NEWS: W3TN RETIRES FROM FCC
Some names in the news. Bill Cross, W3TN, known unofficially as amateur radio's point man at the FCC retired on Friday, April 3rd, after a career spanning almost four decades with the regulatory agency.
Officially a Program Analyst in the Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Cross started with the Amateur Radio Group in what was then the Private Radio Bureau. That became the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau when other services were added in 1989. Prior to that, he worked in the Common Carrier Bureau which has since been renamed as the Wireline Competition Bureau.â-¨
A ham since 1968, the married father of two said he's still active on the air but strictly on High Frequency SSB and CW. In a recent interview he told the ARRL Letter that he hopes to expand his time for ham radio once away from the daily grind. He has already achieved the DXCC Honor Roll and actively participates in the Islands on the Air program.
Many radio amateurs had the opportunity to meet Cross when he conducted the once popular Dayton Hamvention Amateur Radio FCC forum, which has since fallen victim to FCC budget trimming. You can read more detailing W3TN's career at the FCC on the web at tinyurl.com/W3TN-retires-from-FCC
(ARRL)
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)
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HAM HAPPENINGS: FOUR DAYS IN MAY QRP CONFERENCE IN OHIO
Four Days in May is the annual conference of the QRP Amateur Radio Club International that takes place May 14th through the 16th and in parallel with the Dayton Hamvention.
This gathering is open to everyone and should appeal to anyone interested in home construction, antennas, portable operation, Arduino and more. Seminars begin on Thursday May 14th. Friday May 15th features a late afternoon Build-a-thon this year constructing four pieces of test gear. Saturday May 16th will host the Four Days In May Grand Banquet with awards and prize being given. Bus service to and from the Hamvention will be available.
The venue this year is the in Holiday Inn Fairborn just to the East of Dayton Ohio. Details are on the web at www.qrparci.org/fdimâ-¨
(G4GXL)â-¨ â-¨**
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* NAMES IN THE NEWS: KD4ETA ON BBC WORLD SERVICE
Dennis Wingo, KD4ETA, along with freelance science writer and broadcast journalist Kate Arkless Gray and others were on the BBC World Service Click radio show, "Space and Citizen Science." The program was broadcast live from the BBC Radio Theatre, London on Tuesday, March 31st.
â-¨Talking over a telephone link KD4ETA described how in 2014 radio amateurs and other volunteers gained control of the NASA-abandoned ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft. They even succeeded in firing the spacecraft thrusters.
During the show Wingo also managed to squeeze in a mention of amateur radio satellites and CubeSats. You can listen to a recording of the show at tinyurl.com/kd4eta-on-bbc
(BBC)
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RADIO RECORDS: PS-37 BALLOON MAY HAVE BROKEN VK HIGH ALTITUDE RECORDâ-¨
A possible record for a high altitude balloon down-under. Graham Kemp, V-K-4-B-B, reports:
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[Graham] A high altitude balloon flight from Deniliquin in southern New South Wales has set an unofficial Australian record height before bursting and sending its payload back to earth.
The latex balloon, PS-37, launched by Andy Nguyen VK3YT reached an altitude of 40,903 meters which equates to 134,196 feet.
The flight sent aloft on Sunday the third of March was 328 meters higher than the record set in 2011 by Project HORUS of South Australia.
The flight was tracked on APRS on 145.175MHz and RTTY using 434.650MHz under the callsign VK3YT-11. As we go to air its still not known if this was a record setting flight.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News in Australia.
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Both high-altitude and low-altitude floater balloons equipped with radio tracking devices have become staples of ham radio experimentation in its exploration of the final frontier.
(WIA News, VK3PC)
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HAM RADIO TECHNOLOGY: 2 METER SCATTER TESTS USING THE ISS
Pieter Jacobs, V-5-eye-P-J, at Rosh Pinah, Namibia and Marcos Turbo, P-Y-one-M-H-Zed, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are planning 2 meter scatter tests using the International Space Station as a reflector.
The ISS maintains an orbit with an altitude of between 205 and 270 miles above Earth by means of boost maneuvers using the engines of the Zvezda module or those on visiting spacecraft. The two-way distance of the scatter path between V-5-eye-P-J and P-Y-one-M-H-Zed is about 3100 miles with the midway distance to I-S-S at 1550.
V-5-eye-P-J says that his new kilowatt amplifiers have arrived, but his normal co-axial cable will have to be replaced to handle the higher power. He adds that at his station he will conduct initial tests with a 10 element Yagi until Zed-S-6-Oh-B has completed a new antenna system for him. No specific dates for the start of these scatter tests has been announced.
(SARL)
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â-¨DX
In DX, the German team of DH2AK and DL1HTM are now active slant PJ2 from Curacao and will be there until April 23rd. Activity is on the high bands using SSB and maybe some digital modes. QSL via their home callsigns, direct as shown on QRZ.com or by the bureau.
N3SY will be operational stroke HI3 from the Dominican Republic through April 22nd. His activity will be on all HF bands using about 70 watts into a 1.5 meters Vertical and some other antennas. QSL only direct to his home callsign.
E7NX will be active stroke P4 from Aruba through April 24th. Activity will be holiday style a few hours a day working mostly CW, but may switch to SSB if needed. He will not have Internet access from the hotel. QSL via VE7NX.
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THAT FINAL ITEM: HOW A RADIO TRACKED SONGBIRD CAN FLY 1700 MILES OVER OPEN OCEAN
It weighs only as much a tablespoon of sugar, and it flies almost two thousand miles over open ocean without a single break. Now its been tracked by radio as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, K-B-3-T-Zed-D:
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[Heather] Thanks to radio, scientists can now conclusively say that the pocket-sized Blackpoll Warbler makes the longest overseas migration of any land bird.
The Blackpoll Warbler is a songbird native to North America, weighing on average of only 12 grams. Every winter, these tiny birds migrate to South America in droves but for more than a half-century, scientists have been unsure exactly how they got there.
Other warblers native to the continent fly south through Mexico. But reports of Blackpolls landing on boats in stormy weather suggest that they were taking an alternate route over the Atlantic Ocean. Some ornithologists were skeptical so an international team of researchers fit 40 birds in Vermont and Nova Scotia with radio tracking devices to follow the journey.
The flight takes just two to three days, but requires a great deal of preparation. To avoid drowning, the birds must complete the entire migration of up to 1,700 miles without stopping for rest. By equipping a number of the birds with the tiny geolocating backpack transmitters researchers were able to map out the grueling migration route.Â
The extreme flight does take its toll on blackpoll warblers in that only half survive the trip. But even that is a feat that researchers say is on the brink of impossibility.
According to one of the scientists on this project, the Blackpoll Warblers don't have the option of failing or coming up a bit short. Rather it's a fly-or-die journey that requires all the energy the tiny bird has to give.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Heaher Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
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The study's findings appeared Tuesday March 31st in Biology Letters. More is in cyberspace at tinyurl.com/warbler-migration-flight
(CSMonitor.com)
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NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Rain, the RSGB, the South African Radio League, the Southgate News, TwiT-TV, Australia's WIA News and you our listeners, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. Our e-mail address is newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at Amateur Radio Newsline's only official website located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350.
Before we go, a reminder that Amateur Radio Newsline is seeking nominations for its 2015 Young Ham of the Year Award. For consideration, a nominee must have used amateur radio in some way that has benefited his or her community or encouraged technological development directly or indirectly related to communications.
Nominees must be 19 years or younger, and reside in the United States including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico, or any of the Canadian Provinces. The individual must also hold a currently valid United States or Canadian Amateur Radio license.
The deadline for submitting an application is May 30th 2015 and the decision of the judging committee is final. To obtain an application, send a self addressed, stamped envelope to 2015 Young Ham of the Year Award, in care of Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197 Robin Ave. Santa Clarita, CA 91350. You can also download a form in Microsoft Word format at www.arnewsline.org/yhoty, clicking on the word "here" and saving the file to print at a later time.
Presentation of the 2015 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award will take the weekend of August 15 and 16 at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville Alabama.
For now, with producers Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in Los Angeles, Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, in Topeka, plus our news team world wide, I'm _______________ saying 73 and as always we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) is Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.