Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1913 – April 11, 2014

Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1913 – April 11, 2014

Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1913 with a release date of April 11 2014 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.

The following is a Q-S-T. Hams in the UK about to loose access to some very important UHF spectrum; amateur radio software being used in undersea hunt for a missing Boeing 777 jetliner; severe weather shutters VK9MT Mellish Reef DXpedition early; an article asks why municipalities are not using more ham radio emergency communications resources and radio based collision free cars may soon be with us. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline™ report number 1913 coming your way right now.


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RESTRUCTURING: UK HAMS TO LOOSE PARTS OF THE 2.3 AND 3.4 GHZ BANGS

Hams in the UK will soon lose parts of two important super high frequency bands. This after that nation’s telecommunications regulator Ofcom publishes a statement on the future of amateur radio use of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz bands. Jeremy Boot, G-4-N-J-H,, has the rest of the story: the Riverside California police department gets schooled on ham radio versus distracted driving;

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In the United Kingdom, a Consultation is about the equivalent to a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in the United States. Following a consultation last year, Ofcom has decided to remove from the Amateur Radio License all frequencies in these bands which overlap with those planned for reallocation of 2350 to 2390 and 3410 to 3475 MHz. In doing so the regulatory agency is giving amateur operators at least twelve months’ notice of this intention.

For the moment, Ofcom has decided to retain amateur access to the adjacent bands. But the caveat is that the regulatory authority has also put in place a procedure to enable these frequencies to be removed from the Amateur Radio License if necessary in future.

In addition, Ofcom has been required by the Ministry of Defense to implement measures to ensure its systems are adequately protected from interference from amateur uses in both the released spectrum and in adjacent bands. Its statement contains guidance from Ofcom with which amateur users must comply, with immediate effect, when using these frequencies.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, in Nottingham in the U.K..


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Amateur Radio users of the 2310 to 2350 MHz band have been requested to register their use and provide contact details to Ofcom. Details are at tinyurl.com/UK-2GHz-change (Ofcom, Southgate)

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RADIO USE: UK HAMS ASKED TO BE CAREFULL IN USING 5 MHZ

Still in the UK, telecommunications regulator Ofcom has indicated that during the coming days there may be temporary increased usage of the 5 MHz band by a primary user. As such, hams in that nation have been advised to take particular care to ensure that frequencies are not in use before calling CQ. In the UK as elsewhere, use of the 5 MHz band by ham radio is on a secondary, non-interfering basis to all other users. (RSGB)

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RESCUE RADIO: HAM DEVELOPED SOFTWARE AIDING IN SEARCH FOR MH-370

The ARRL reports that amateur radio developed software is assisting in search for the missing Malaysia Air Flight MH370. US Navy personnel involved in the search are using the signal processing and analysis package called Spectrum Laboratory developed by Wolf Buescher, DL4YHF, to analyze the recently detected 37.5 kHz pings that may be coming from the plane's black box voice and data recorders. Very Low Frequency experimenter Warren Ziegler, K2ORS, told the ARRL that this is the same software package recently used by ham radio experimenters to detect transatlantic signals on 29 kHz. A detailed story about how this software is being used in the hunt for the missing Boeing 777 aircraft is at tinyurl.com/aircraft-search-continues
(ARRL, Southgate)


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RESCUE RADIO: ARTICLE SUGGESTS MORE USE OF EMCOMM HAMS

“Most Local and County Emergency Management Plans Ignore Amateur Radio” is the title of an article in the April 6th edition of the Ground Report issued by Creative Commons. The article by Robert Tilford seeks an answer as to why more municipalities and other agencies are not including ham radio as a resource in planning for events such as natural disasters and even terrorist attacks. He notes the ability of amateur radio operators to communicate from these disasters enabling them to serve as an extremely valuable and vital communications tool for dissemination of critical information when other more traditional means fail. In all it’s a very positive look at our hobby and is on the web at tinyurl.com/use-more-emcomm-hams. (Ground Report)

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RADIO LAW: RIVERSIDE POLICE GET SCHOOLED ON HAM RADIO VS DISTRACTED DRIVING

Due to the actions of Clint Bradford K6LCS, Riverside California Police Department will be reviewing the states Distracted Driving rule known as Vehicle Code section 23123 with all field officers. This, to explain how mobile amateur radio communications with an attached handheld microphone are not targets of this law.

According to Bradford, it all began when he wound up in what he describes as a discussion with a motorcycle officer on the morning of April 8^th. The officer asked Bradford he was doing. K6LCS explained to him that he was talking on an amateur radio. At that point the officer warned him that he better not as he was risking getting an expensive ticket.

Instead of continuing the conversation Bradford spoke directly with both Riverside Police Department’s Watch Commander and its Traffic Supervisor. In turn, the Traffic Supervisor promised to discuss this matter with all officers at roll call on what the intent of the states distracted driving law is.

Bradford noted that he and the Riverside Police were both on the same wavelength when it came to what amateur radio was all about. Also that operating a mobile amateur radio station with an attached microphone is not a violation of the California Vehicle Code. (K6LCS)

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DX UP FRONT: SEVERE WEATHER CLOSES DOWN VK9MT MELLISH REEF OPERATION EARLY

In DX up front, the long awaited VK9MT Mellish Reef DXpedition was forced to go QRT on April 4th due to the lack of cooperation by Mother Nature.

The team was planning to operate from Mellish Reef until April 9^th. But an update sent out by Gene Spinelli, K5GS, on April 5th said that due to the ever worsening weather associated with an impending tropical storm, that they had decided in the interest of safety to end the operation early.

The time spent on Mellish Reef had been rough for the VK9MT team. Storms hampered their operation and they were on the verge of leaving at any time. The weather was described as being extremely windy, with occasional heavy rain causing the antennas to take a severe beating. The operating tents were shaking and very noisy making it difficult for the operators to discern callsigns of those trying to make contact.

According to Spinelli, the last night on the island was extremely difficult. With continued heavy rain and wind, radio operations were nearly impossible. While the team is disappointed, it would like to acknowledge the generosity of the clubs, foundations, individual donors as well as its corporate sponsors. (Team Mellish Reef 2014, OPDX)

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DX UP FRONT: 7P8YY FROM LESOTHO APRIL 22 TO MAY 1

K5YY has told the Ohio Penn DX Newsletter that he will be operating as 7P8YY from Roma, Lesotho, between April 22nd and about May 1st. He plans to concentrate on the upper High Frequency bands, especially on 15 and 10 meters with a goal of working DXers who might need 7P8 for a new country or band for their DXCC award. He adds that he will be joined by 4 to 5 other hams for what he terms as a fun and vacation style operation, and all operators will be using their own 7P8 prefix callsigns. QSLs for 7P8YY go direct only to K5YY. He will not be using the bureau not any electronic QSL service. (OPDX)

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DX UP FRONT: REPUBLIC OF NAURU SEPTEMBER 29 TO OCTOBER 19

LZ1GC is planning to be operational as C21GC from the Republic of Nauru between September 29th and October 19th. Activity will be on 160 through10 meters using CW, SSB and some RTTY. Logs will be uploaded to ClubLog during his operation if at all possible. The QSL route for this operation has not yet been announced. And we will have more DX news for you in this weeks report. (Facebook)

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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 Alaska Morning Net serving America’s final frontier.

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ENFORCEMENT: THE FCC PROPOSED A TOTAL OF $40,000 IN FINES FOR APPARENT UNLICENSED STATION OPERATIONS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

A pair of unlicensed broadcasters in the Sunshine State have been dinged with some heavy proposed fines. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Hal Rogers, K8CMD, has the details:

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The FCC has issued a $15,000 Notice of Liability to Jean Richard Salvador for allegedly operating an unlicensed radio station in the Miami area. This after FCC agents responded to complaints about an illegal station operating on 89.5 MHz.

Using direction finding they traced the signal and a coaxial cable coming off the roof antenna to Jean Richard Salvador’s apartment. Upon making a station inspection, they found that the cable was connected to homebrew FM transmitter and other equipment. The agency proposed a $15,000 fine against Salvador because agents had previously warned him about illegal station operation.

In another south Florida case, the FCC says that Damian Anthony Ojouku Allen is a repeat offender which is the reason that it proposed a $25,000 penalty. This, for apparently operating a station on 101.1 MHz in Ft. Lauderdale.

According to the commission it had warned Allen several times that unlicensed operations are illegal and had previously fined him $20,000 for operating such a station on the same frequency in the city of Pompano Beach. In issuing the latest proposed fine, the FCC noted that the fact that Damian Allen would commit the same violation on the same frequency demonstrates a deliberate disregard for the agency’s authority.

I’m Hal Rogers, K8CMD.

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Both Salvador and Allen were given the customary 30 days from the date the notices were issued to pay their respective fines or file appeals. (FCC, RW)

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ENFORCEMENT: CELLPHONE JAMMER BRINGS TEXAS FIRM $29,250 NAL

Houston, Texas-based R&M Manufacturing has been issued a $29,250 Notice of Apparent Liability for its alleged use of a cellular telephone phone jamming device. This, to keep employees at its plant from placing wireless calls at work.

The FCC’s Houston office first learned of the interference in a March 29, 2013 complaint from AT&T alleging that a signal was interfering with its licensed cellular communications. On March 29^th and April 1^st, 2013 using direction finding the agents assigned to the case located the source of the strong wideband signals in the cellular and P-C-S bands were coming from R&M’s manufacturing facility.

In its decision to issue the $29,250 proposed fine the FCC noted that R&M admitted that it operated a jamming device for about 10 days, starting on or around March 23, 2013, with the intended effect of blocking and otherwise interfering with FCC authorized radio communications. The FCC says that the operation of the jamming device could have had disastrous consequences by precluding the use of cellular phones to reach life saving 9-1-1 services provided by police, ambulance, and fire departments. It could also have disrupted critical communications of first responders who might have visited R&M’s facility or nearby locations in a life and death situation.

As is customary in these cases, R&M was given the customary 30 days to pay the fine or to file an appeal. (FCC)

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RESCUE RADIO: MISSOURI REPEATER GROUP SEEKS DONATIONS TO UPGRADE ITS EMCOMM ABILITY

An amateur radio group in southwest Missouri is seeking donations for upgrades to its regional repeater. The Southern Missouri Emergency Communications Fund has been established by the 145.49 Repeater Club to replace their ageing equipment.

Michael Blake, NZ0NQW, is the president of the 145.49 Repeater Club and a board member for the Southern Missouri Emergency Communications Fund. He says that the organization’s radio equipment is funded solely by its members, and costs can mount quickly for repair of aged equipment.

As a result, the group is actively seeking private and corporate donors to support the badly needed upgrades to the system. This so that it can continue its mission of helping to keep communities in touch and forewarned in times of severe weather and other emergencies.

Donations to the Southern Missouri Emergency Communications Fund can be made on-line at www.cfozarks.org/donate (please type SMO Emergency Comm) in the Fund/Program field on the page) or by mailing a donation to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks at P.O. Box 8960, Springfield, MO, 65801, indicating the fund in the memo line. (jm.com, eHam.net))

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RADIO NEWS: HIGH WINDS FELL TWO TOWERS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Severe weather has taken a toll on two Massachusetts communications towers as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline’s Stephan Kinford, N8WB:

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High winds and heavy rain are being blamed for the collapse of two towers in the Berkshire Mountains over the weekend of March 29^th and 30^th that affected broadcasters, cellular providers and Internet service. The collapse of the towers on Florida Mountain resulted in the loss or significant interruption normal lines of communications services in the North Adams Massachusetts area.

Paul Thurst is an engineer in the affected area. He wrote in his blog that WUPE- FM in North Adams was taken down by the tower collapse. A crawling information line on the stations website told station listeners that they could hear the stations programming via that website and on 1110 kHz AM during the day. According to Thurst a new University of Massachusetts owned translator for New England Public Radio was also affected, pushing back its sign-on date.

Meantime the North Adams Department of Public Safety issued a statement telling the public that anyone in need assistance and who has no cellular telephone service to instead call for assistance using a wireline telephone. The announcement also noted that the North Adams Police Department will be monitoring its Facebook page if someone is unable to contact Public Safety in any other way.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Stephen Kinford, N8WB, reporting.

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At airtime its not known if any amateur radio repeaters or remote bases were on the collapsed towers. (RW, Berkshire Eagle)

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HAM HAPPENINGS: PLANS FOR W9DXCC DX CONVENTION ANNOUNCED

The Northern Illinois DX Association has announced that the 2014 W9DXCC convention and banquet will be held September 19th to the 20th, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg. The event will feature a day of DX University sessions on Friday and an expanded convention setting on Saturday. For more details you’re your web browser to w9dxcc.com (W9DXCC)

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HAM HAPPENINGS: D-STAR CLASS RETURNS TO DAYTON HAMVENTION 2014

What’s being termed as the ultimate D-STAR training class returns to Dayton Hamvention for the third year. This to provide an introduction to D-STAR for new users getting on the air and more advanced information for experienced D-STAR users.

Called D-STAR Info Con 2014, the three-hour class will be held at the Drury Inn in the heart of hotel row not far from the Hara Arena. This year’s topics will include using the D R Mode, using a Raspberry Pi with a DVAP, updating Repeater Lists for D R Mode, using D-RATS for data and much more.

The new Icom ID-5100A will be demonstrated and all registered participants are eligible to win an ID-51A dual-band D-STAR handheld that will be given away during the class.

The cost of the class is $15.00 and includes all course material. Pre-registration is required and seating is limited. Registration information can be found at www.dstarinfo.com (D-STARInfoCon2014)

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HAM HAPPENINGS: FOUR DAYS IN MAY QRP – THE QRP CONVENTION

The popular Four Days In May QRP gathering is slated for Wednesday, May 14th through Sunday, May 18th. Timed to coincide with the Dayton Hamvention, this years gathering of low power enthusiasts and builders will be held at the Holiday Inn in Fairborn, Ohio, just East of the Air Force Museum.

Events scheduled so far include numerous seminars related to low power operation. There will also be a presentation by Ten-Tec; a Meet the Speakers gathering, QRP Club Night, a homebrew competition and of coarse the famed Four Days in May Buildathon. Registrants will be eligible to win one of four Ten-Tec transceivers that will be drawn for during some of the seminar sessions.

If you are planning to go to Hamvention 2014 and have an interest in low power operation you might want to drop by Four Days in May to spend a bit of time with the QRP crowd. Buses to and from the Hamvention at the Hara Arena will be available. More is on the web at www.qrparci.org/fdim (FDIM, KB8DNS, VHF Reflector)

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HAM HAPPENINGS: A HAM RADIO RESTRSPECTIVE THROUGH FILM AND VIDEO

Still with Hamvention related news, we here at amateur Radio Newsline will again be hosting the annual Ham Radio Town Meeting. This year in keeping with the overall “maker renaissance” theme of the 2014 Dayton Hamvention and also its association with the 100th anniversary of our national society the American Radio Relay League this years Ham Radio Town Meeting is will present “The History of Ham Radio as Told in Film and Video.”

Through the magic of preserved promotional films, documentaries and videos, with some dating back a half century or more, this session will be a nostalgic trip through time. It will also show you ham radio as is was in the past and how we hams as the first true “makers” helped mature all forms of telecommunications to what we have today. The session will also show the important role played by the ARRL in its nurturing, maturing and protecting the Amateur Radio Service. We also hope to have some of those involved in the production of these films and videos on hand to answer any questions that you might have.

And as a side benefit, the session will also give you a place to take a break, sit down for a while and be entertained by our hobby’s glorious past.

So please join us in on Saturday, May 17th from 1:45 thru 3:00 p.m. Eastern time in Hara Arena meeting room 5 for “The History of Ham Radio as Told in Film and Video.” We hope to see some of you there. (ARNewsline)

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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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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: NEW ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTS CAN WIPE OUT RADIO

If you are having severe interference on the High frequency bands, it could be coming from your lights or that of a neighbor or even a business a few miles away. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Jim Davis, W2JKD, has the details:

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Interference to radio and even television reception caused by compact fluorescent and LED lighting is quickly becoming a world-wide problem. According to Jim Linton, VK3PC, as we conserve energy by the use of these new illuminating devices occasionally these some will also emit radio interference.

Among the rising number of cases here in the United States fluorescent lights in a Los Angeles office caused problems for a node of Verizon's Long-Term Evolution or LTE network. Another that we have reported on involves the fluorescent lighting system electronic ballasts in a Texas beauty salon’s lighting system interfering with a mobile phone network.

In Australia, complaints about TV reception have come to Australian Communications and Media Authority which has traced the problem to some LED lights. In England and elsewhere there have reports of TV interference complaints, even spreading to set-top boxes and cable TV.

But Linton says not to blame the actual technology, but rather its implementation. He notes that the interference is mainly due to the cheap design used in some products. He advises that if an interference problem takes place to return them to the place of purchase. If you get no satisfaction, we suggest you bring the matter to the attention of the telecommunications regulatory authority in the nation where you live.

I’m Jim Davis, W2JKD

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Here in the United States complaints would go to the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau with a courtesy copy to the American Radio Relay League. (VK3PC, WIA)

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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ISS HAMTV MOVES TO 2369 MHZ

The new Digital Amateur TV on the International Space Station is again up and running but has changed frequency to 2369 MHz. Presently the system is transmitting a blank image and no audio in configuration 5. This translates to the use of ARISS antenna 43 with a Symbol rate of 1 point 3. Reports on reception of blank transmissions can be filed via the web at tinyurl.com/Space-Ham-TV. (ON4WF)

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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FUNCUBE-1 HAM RADIO TRANSPONDER TO BE ACTIVE WEEKENDS

More on time for a new UK ham radio bird. Following the 48 hour test on April 5th and 6th, the FUNcube-1 control team has decided to switch the satellite into full time transponder and low power beacon operation on weekends.

The team plan to switch to this mode during the first suitable pass over the U-K on Friday evenings. If for some reason this is not possible, then the switch will be done on the first suitable pass on Saturday. And the end of operating time the bird’s controllers will switch the full time transponder mode off during a suitable pass on Sunday evenings. Again, if this is not possible the switch off will be made on Monday mornings, approx. 0930 to 1200 UTC.

This schedule is totally reliant on the availability of command stations with its aim is to significantly increase the availability of the FUNcube-1 transponder to radio amateurs. This new schedule will continue until further notice. (FUNcube 1 release)

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HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARTSAT PROJECT INVADER NOW CO-77

The ARTSAT Project named INVADER has been officially dubbed Cubesat OSCAR-77 or CO-77. As such it now joins a number of earlier Japanese cubesats such as CO-57, CO-58 and CO-66 presently on-orbit. (W3XO, AMSAT)

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ON THE AIR: W0ZQ 222 MHZ BEACON GETS POWER INCREASE

On the air, word that the output power of the W0ZQ/B propagation beacon on 222.061 MHz from Grid Square EN34 has been raised to 55 watts. The antenna is a folded big wheel at about 55 above average terrain. Signal reports are appreciated and shound be sent to W0ZQ at his address on QRZ.com. Grid Square EN34 is located near Bloomington, Minnesota. (W0ZQ, VHF Reflector)

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DX

In DX, ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, says that the 2013 9-X-Zero-H-P from Rwanda has been approved for DXCC credit. If anyone had this rejected in a recent application please send a note to bmoore@arrl.org for an update to your record. Please include the date of your submission to help expedite recovery of the information.

UA4WHX has been reported to be on the air as HC8ART from Isabella Island in the Galapagos chain. Activity is on CW, SSB and RTTY. As always, the length of his stay is unknown. QSL via his home callsign.

CE1WFN will be active as CE0Y stroke CE1WFN from Easter Island through April 17th. Operations are reported to be on the High Frequency bands with QSL’s going direct to his home callsign.

CT1QP is now active as CN2CL from Morocco and will be there until April 15th. This is a mobile DXpedition from the Sahara Desert. QSL via CT1QP.

DL6UAA is once again back on Mauritius as 3B8MM and will be there until the end of April. Activity is usually on 80 through 10 meters and possibly 6 using mostly CW with some SSB and digital possible. QSL via DL6UAA either direct or via the bureau.

M1LOL and M1REK using the call MM1REK will be active from the Isle of Muck from May 24^th to the 31^st. The Isle of Muck is a small land mass off the west coast of Scotland. The groups operation will be on 80 through 10 meters using SSB and several digital modes. QSL direct or via the bureau.

And finally, EI6DX will be on the air stroke F Oh from Bora Bora in French Polynesia between May 7 and the 18th. Activity will be holiday style on 80 through 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via RX3RC, either direct or via the bureau. And for those unfamiliar with the term holiday style, it basically means the operator is on vacation and will get on the air as time permits.

(Above from OPDX and other DX news sources)

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THAT FINAL ITEM: TOYOTA CONFIRMS COLLISION FREE CARS

And finally this week, radio may help make the next generation of automobiles a lot safer than today’s models as we hear from Amateur Radio Newsline’s Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK:

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Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan says that within the next two years it will introduce systems that will make it possible for cars to communicate with each other in order to avoid collisions.

According to a statement by the company, the system will use radio to gather data on the speed of other vehicles to keep a safe distance. Another system consisting of cameras, radar and control software will help a car maintain position in a lane on its own.

The system Toyota has developed incorporates technologies derived from its automated driving research and the carmaker has said it aims to create a virtual “co-pilot” in vehicles that helps drivers avert accidents.

Toyota also recently showcased a new pre-crash technology that can steer a vehicle moving at a high speed away from pedestrians when automatic braking alone cannot avoid a collision.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in Zion, Illinois.

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Toyota says that this new system will be available sometime after 2015. (WIA News)

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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 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 the nominating season for the 2014 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award is now open.

Created in 1986, this award is offered to recognize the achievements of a radio amateur age 19 or younger for his or her accomplishments in service to the nation, his or her community or to the advancement of the state of the art through amateur radio.

Nominees must reside in any one of the United States 50 states, its possessions or in any of the 10 Canadian provinces. Complete details, rules and a required nominating form in Microsoft Word format are available on our website at www.arnewsline.org/yhoty. Nominating forms can also be obtained by sending a self addressed stamped envelope to Amateur Radio Newsline Inc., Young Ham of the Year Award, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350.

Please note that all nominating forms and support documentation become the property of the Amateur Radio Newsline and cannot be returned. The cutoff date for nominations to be postmarked or electronically filed is Midnight on May 30, 2014.

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.

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